Chapter 13 - Tiago Lawton - Sacrifice
November 16, 3040 11:08 PM
"What do you mean they know?" I yell at Ace in frustration. We're having a private conversation in a corner of the building, a status report on how his scouting mission went and what he observed while at the Primm-Phillips supply depot.
"When I was hiding in the vents," Ace says. "I saw one of their team members, the dog, pull out a cube from Lombardi's bag, and an image popped up. I couldn't make out what it was, but when the dog talked to the human, I heard them say our next move was to leave Primm. It appears the cube had information on the teleporter stations around here and that tipped them off."
"He must have gotten a data cube with a teleporter schedule or map or something. So they know for sure that we're heading to either one of the two teleporter stations here?"
"It think so."
Damnit Lombardi, how could you have been so stupid? How could you have left such vital evidence behind? We didn't even need it, Candy could have easily looked it up for us. What were you thinking?
Then again, it's my fault. I shouldn't have let you go in the first place. Such a vital task and I gave it to such a liability. I should've listened to my instincts instead of appeasing my brothers and sisters. I'll have to think of a way to cover Lombardi's mess.
"How did the rest of your mission go?" I ask Ace.
"Just as you planned. I left here at 9:50, Lombardi had already disabled the security system. His confrontation with the law was the perfect distraction while I got supplies. The action was happening on the other side of the warehouse and the wolf and gorilla were too busy with Lombardi to even notice I was there. After I got the goods, I slipped into the vents and made my escape."
"Did you have a tough time getting there?"
"Yes, but my speed was able to make up for my lack of direction. Besides, Lombardi left a bit of a trail, feathers were dropped here and there. I was able to follow that."
"I'm surprised. That's rather clever. Good job, Ace."
"Too bad our family didn't pick me in the first place."
"I agree. I didn't have time to argue for you. I should have."
He looks at me curiously.
"How did you know there was going to be someone there waiting for Lombardi, though?" Ace asks.
"I didn't. I figured if there was no one there, you could have helped Lombardi get the stuff. But in case there was, he would be the perfect decoy, especially with that bomb packed with him," I say.
"I'm sorry it had to be him."
I stay silent and think of my brother. He wanted to please me so badly and I never understood why. Maybe it was because he wanted to belong, but I wished he hadn't tried so hard. I wished he would have come of age on his own. That was the real way to win my approval, not by sucking up, but by proving. But I knew he'd never do it, so I had no choice but to use him like a pawn. I had to ensure one of my knights made it out alive.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, too," I say to Ace.
"The rest of the family, they just think that I went to look for Lombardi?" Ace asks. "They must never know of our plan."
"Don't worry, they won't. Even if they did, I doubt it would make a difference. Oscar and the others are gone. I will sacrifice all that I can to ensure the rest of us make it through this alive. This is my true family, you are all that matter."
"Thanks Tiago. Are you okay, though, with Oscar leaving and all?"
I knew that along the way sacrifices would be needed, but I didn't think we'd be fractured. Oscar thinks my leadership is too brutal, but it's a necessary evil. I will question my decisions one day, but not tonight. Oscar's soft heart doesn't have the strength to make those calls, mine does. It's the mentality you need if you want to live.
My actions are justified. Leonard would have slowed us down. He could have led our pursuers to us. Lombardi would fail getting the stuff we needed, so I had to send Ace. He wouldn't have had a chance without Lombardi's sacrifice. My brothers didn't die in vain, they died for the greater good, for the siblings that matter.
I wish Oscar could see that, but we are a family divided. Maybe we were always this way. Ace and Alex have constantly been loyal to me and I've never been that close with the likes of Leonard, Lombardi, or Maddie. I can't let down those who look up to me, not when the stakes are so high.
"Hey, Tiago, you there?" I have blanked out and Ace still wants an answer to his question. "Are you okay with Oscar leaving?"
I pause before I say anything. "Yeah, I'm fine. By the way, were you able to find the special items I requested?"
"Yes, I'll show you."
Ace reaches in his bag and rummages through it. I hear some clanking noises, like plastic banging into each other. He pulls out a small, stringy device.
"This is the transmitter you asked for," Ace says. "I only found wrist mounted ones. You can send a signal out and it'll beep when it is sent and received, but nothing else. You can't hear or talk through it."
I take it from him and observe. It's larger than I expect, but I wrap it around my arm and it fits, barely.
"It's kind of loose," I say to Ace. "How many did you get?"
"Four."
"Good. Did you get the other items?"
"Yes, I have a whole bunch of them, let me fish one out," he says. His whole arm is now in the sack. "Here you go."
I look at it. "Thanks, Ace, you did well."
He is holding a small Tang 320A light energy pistol. I did some research on the Primm-Phillips supply depot and looked specifically for small guns that we could arm ourselves with. It's a featherweight, handheld firearm, mainly used for household protection. It won't blast through walls, but if we need to take on our followers, this will get the job done.
Ace says it's the United Species Alliance that is after us. These are the big leagues, professionally trained soldiers. In a head on fight, we might as well be dead. The guns will offer some small form of safety, but I pray that we won't end up in a firefight for our lives.
"I got at least ten of them, along with the insta-item, food, and credits," Ace says.
"And the other item?"
"I have that too."
He pulls out a few disc-like objects and puts it in my hand.
"I'm surprised they had them," he says. "Seems too heavy duty to be in the inventory of such a shitty supply depot."
"Yeah, but I did my research. I saw it was there. Don't worry about the discs, they are for Curtis."
"What are they exactly?"
"Nothing important," I say as I look at all the supplies. "Hopefully, this will last us our trip to the Moon. Once we get there, we can set up our insta-item and live in solitude for a while."
"That's the plan?" Ace asks.
"That's the plan, at least for now."
"But how will we sustain ourselves in the long run?"
I don't have a good answer for him. Eventually our credits will run out and we'll be forced to find some way to pay for the things we need. But there isn't any time to think too far into the future, I have to focus on now.
"One thing at a time, brother," I tell Ace.
"What do we do now?" he asks me. "We have our supplies, should we start heading to the teleporters? Which one should we use, the Gonzalez station or the Li station?"
"I've asked Candy to do some research, let me consult her before I decide our next move. Wait here."
I walk over to where Candy is sitting. She's furiously working away on her compcube. After I told the others we were going to the Moon, I had asked her to start investigating how to get the teleporters working. With Candy at full focus, there's no doubt in my mind that she'll get it done.
"Hi Candy," I say to her. "How's the search going? Did you figure out how we can use the teleporter?"
"Hold on one second," she says to me. I hear several beeping noises and after a few moments she looks up. "Okay, sorry about that. To answer your question,
I think I got it. Not that hard, actually. Both stations around here, Li and Gonzalez, have routes to San Francisco. All we have to do is power up one of the teleporters and program its destination to the Bay Area. Then when we get to San Francisco, we'll do the same thing for the Moon."
"And I assume you know how to do all of this," I ask her. "Powering up the stations and programming our destination won't be a problem?"
"I've been at this for a while, what do you think?"
I give a light laugh. "Sorry, I shouldn't second guess you. What about the security there? How will we get in?"
"Security systems are actually maintained through a central server," she says. "I can hack into it and disable them via the infospace. I've already found weaknesses that I can exploit, so give me the go and I'll be able to shut them down."
"Can you shut down one at a time or will you be able to shut them simultaneously with your commands?"
"I can do both."
"Impressive."
"But why do you need both?" Candy asks suspiciously.
"As a contingency plan, just in case. We'll be heading to the Li station, but you never know what trouble we'll run into. Better to have two ready than one."
"Good point."
"I don't mean to rush you, but you might have to shut them down sooner than expected."
"Why? When are we leaving?"
"Tonight."
"So soon?"
"Is that a problem?"
"The process of getting things powered up isn't difficult, but it isn't fast either. I'll need some time to set up and get things started."
"How much time?"
"At least three hours."
I start to think about the scheduling of my plans. I'm unsure how much time we have, but then an idea pops in my head.
"I don't think that should be an issue, I just need to make some last minute decisions with Ace. Good work so far, Candy," I say.
"Thanks," she responds.
I walk back to Ace.
"Candy says she's ready, but once we get to the teleporter, she'll need time to get things ready, at least three hours," I say. "The United Species Alliance knows we're going to a teleporter. I need you to throw them off in order to buy that window for her."
"How do I do that?" Ace asks with concern.
Before I tell him what I'm thinking, I hesitate. Do I really want to do this? Will I be so ruthless in order achieve my goals, in order to save the siblings who are with me? Leonard was one thing, Lombardi was one thing, but what I'm thinking is a sin on an entirely different plane.
But if Candy can't work uninterrupted, then there won't be a life left to live. This is vital. I need to create a diversion that will throw off our chasers. I have to do whatever it takes.
We're the alphas, they're the betas. They branded themselves the moment they left. Oscar and Maddie were never strong and it showed in their actions. Yet something perplexes me. I don't understand why the twins went with them. They're like us, on the top. They should be hanging with the best instead of the worst. Why did they keep such low quality company?
"What's the plan?" Ace asks me, breaking my thoughts.
As much as I revere the twins, I must do what I must do to save my true family.
"In a few minutes, I'm going to write a message and I want you to sneak back to the Primm-Phillips supply depot. Is the United Species Alliance still there?"
"When I left, it didn't seem like they were going anywhere," Ace says.
"Good. Take that message and leave it where they can see it. On their vehicles, near the front door, wherever, as long as they get it."
"And what's in the message?"
"The location where Oscar and the others are hiding."
Ace looks at me stunned. "What?"
"Candy told me that she needed time to prepare the teleporters. If the United Species Alliance agents are busy checking out Oscar's hideout while Candy is working, it'll guarantee she'll have a long window to get it done."
"But? but?our own brothers and sisters. This isn't right."
Ace is hesitant, and rightfully so. I already have enough difficulty with giving the order, I can only imagine what it must be like to carry it. But this must be done if we are to survive. I must be strong for the others, I must make the choices they won't.
"It wasn't right that they left," I say coldly and sternly. I must be callous. If I show any sign of weakness, Ace won't do it. "This team knows we're heading to the teleporters thanks to Lombardi's tip. They'll be hot on our trail. We need to do this to divert their attention and stall them while Candy works."
"But?"
"No buts, Ace. If we don't leave today, we'll be dead. Do you want that?"
He shakes his head no.
"Then, can you go through with it?" I ask.
He nods his head quietly. "Yes, but don't tell the others. I don't think they'll forgive us."
"It's our secret. When you get back, we'll be ready to head to the Li station."
"The Li station? Why not the Gonzalez one? It's much closer to us and the Primm-Phillips supply depot."
"Exactly. The agents of the United Species Alliance are probably thinking the same thing. They know we plan to use a teleporter to get out of Primm. Now that they took down one of our own, they know we're nearby. If I were them, I'd be banking that we'd be heading there. We can't be that predictable."
"What if they split their team?" Ace asks in an anxious tone. "There are two teleport stations and six of them, they can send two teams to the two stations."
"That's true," I answer, "but if you fulfill your task, they'll have to split their team in three. With your tip, they'll want to check out the casino. They can't spread their squad too thin and I doubt they'll take that risk."
"But?"
"Don't worry so much, just trust me."
"So, you sure you want me to do this?"
We need to act fast and can't afford to encounter any hazards at the Li station. Oscar knew the risks. When I and the rest of my siblings are on the Moon living in peace, away from this mess of a home, I'll be looking back at these moments and I will understand why I did it.
"Yes, that's all we need to talk about for now. Get ready to leave soon. Also, see that bag about five feet away from us? Retrieve it for me. And bring Curtis over here," I tell Ace.
Ace runs to the bag and slides it next to me. He then walks over to the other side of the building where Curtis is laying down.
"Hey, Curt, Tiago wants to talk to you," Ace says.
Curtis gets up, without saying a single word and walks in my direction listlessly. His scaly, prehensile tail sways like dead weight. His yellow eyes look sullen. There isn't a smile or a frown on his face, just a blank slate. When he gets to me, he doesn't say a word. No hello or greeting or anything, only a simple nod to acknowledge his arrival. He frightens my other brothers and sisters and even I admit he scares me sometimes.
"Do you still remember the plan we talked about?" I ask.
He nods.
"Okay, it looks like we're going to go forward with it. You'll be headed to the Gonzalez station," I say. "I'll tell Candy to disable the security systems, so all you have to do is enter, no sneaking around. But before you leave, are you sure you want to do this?"
He nods.
"You don't have to," I say. "I've done a lot today, but this is your call. No pressure from me, no schemes, nothing. Even if it gets down to the last second and you feel like you want to abort, you're free to do so and I'll totally understand. One more time, are you sure about this?"
He nods again.
"Okay," I say. I grab the bag that Ace had delivered and the disc objects he had swiped, and hand them to Curtis. He opens the bag and checks its contents. Everything looks satisfactory to him and he slings the bag around his right arm. He looks me dead in the eyes. He doesn't nod this time, but they tell me that he's ready to start.
"You better
go now," I say. "I'll tell the others you left. As you requested, I won't tell Candy what you plan to do, just Alex and Ace."
He looks at me skeptically.
"Don't worry," I say. "She didn't ask why she needed to make it. It won't raise any suspicion."
Curtis nods and walks toward the door.
Before he goes, there is one more thing I want to say. "Remember, if you feel like coming back, we'll be here with open arms. You're not bound by your mission, you can stop any time you want."
He looks back at me and says, "Don't worry, that won't be the case."
The large door opens and he is gone. I look at Ace as he prepares to deliver the message that I will write. I think about the twins and a sudden sadness overcomes me. I don't understand their betrayal. It's a mixed feeling of frustration and gloom.
And then I think of Oscar and the others. Questions fill my head. Will they forgive me? Do they understand?
Asking is useless, I already know the answers, and I don't care.