Chapter Four

The scientists and reporters had distributed themselves into both vans. Rachel found herself crammed into the back of a long, white, ten-passenger vehicle with the pile of luggage in the cargo area rattling obnoxiously behind her head. Dr. Redford was driving with the handsome man next to him in the passenger seat. Samantha Houston was not in this vehicle, much to Rachel’s relief, but her cameraman was. The stout man didn’t say a word to her when she got in. She had a feeling this was going to be an awkward assignment.

One of the Cyborg Sector scientists had been kind enough to lend Rachel a shirt after hearing about the problem with her luggage. The researcher was slim and barely spoke a word as she fished a top out of her suitcase and handed it to Rachel. It was a black polo with blue stripes running down the sides. The Cyborg Sector logo stood out prominently on the breast. The shirt was made of a stiff material, and the woman who had lent it to her had a smaller bust. Rachel thought it would be better than wearing a shirt covered in coffee. She wondered what her bosses at World Community News would say when they saw footage of her in Cyborg Sector clothing.

As they drove out of the city, the good-looking scientist at the front turned around to address the members of the media once again. “I’m not kidding when I tell you to stay out of our way. If you guys get yourselves shot, you’re going to have to take care of yourselves. Cyborg Sector isn’t responsible for any deaths or injuries.”

“Calm down, Clayton. Stop acting like such a pompous ass.” Dr. Redford didn’t take his eyes off the road, but he held a placating hand out toward his colleague. “We’ve been over this before.”

Clayton briefly glared at his boss but then turned back toward the passengers. “I’m serious. These cyborgs aren’t toys. The only reason we’re allowing the media to come along is so we can keep tabs on you instead of wondering when you were going to appear. You’ll have a designated area far away from the site, and you can remain there in safety.”

His commanding attitude made him far less appealing than he had seemed when Rachel first saw him. She had no problem with staying out of harm’s way, but she didn’t need anyone to treat her like a child. The reporter turned to look out her window, more interested in watching the scrubland and distant mountains roll slowly by than in paying attention to a man who thought he was better than everyone else.

After several hours, the van slowed as it began climbing a rocky slope. “I believe this is as far as we can drive.” Dr. Redford tapped on the brakes to avoid a large boulder. “The rest of our progress will have to be on foot. I’ll park right up here. Clayton, radio the other van and tell them what we’re doing.”

Clayton picked up a walkie-talkie from the console, but before he could turn it on, a deafening blast shook the vehicle. Rachel closed her eyes and pulled her arms instinctively over her face. A shockwave hit her chest and shoved her back into her seat. The van started to slide across the rocky terrain without a driver. She wanted to run, fight back, or do anything that would get her out of this situation, but the vehicle was being thrown around like a leaf in the wind.

With a dull thud that suggested Rachel was back on the ground, the van stopped moving. Even though her eyelids were closed, she could sense a bright light, as though the tinting had been blown right off the windows. Hesitantly, with her heart pounding in her chest, she opened her eyes.

The front of the van had smashed into a boulder, and the grille had crunched against the rock like an accordion. Rachel was still strapped into the back seat, but she was thirty feet away from the front of the vehicle. The floorboard before her was gone. The van was in at least two pieces.

The passenger next to her had disappeared. Bloody remains were the only indication that a living person had ever sat in the seat. Frantically, Rachel struggled with the buckle on her seat belt, desperate to get out of the remnants of the van before anything else happened. The webbing cut into her throat and dug into her ribs. The latch finally released, and Rachel collapsed to the ground as she tried to flee. She crawled toward a pile of rocks, uncertain of where to go or what to do.

The rock formation offered shade and the chance to compose herself. Rachel looked around to see if the other van was approaching. If she was fast enough, there might be time to stop them from meeting the same fate as her vehicle. With luck, there wouldn’t be any more bombs, and she could go back to town immediately. Screw the assignment and screw her new job. It wasn’t worth risking her life.

After seeing the pieces of white metal strewn across the road, she knew there would be no rescue from the rest of the party. Flames engulfed bits of upholstery in the middle of the path and shards of glass glittered in the sun. The other vehicle had been hit even harder than her van. There were no signs of life. Rachel would never again see Donnie with his travel container of coffee or Samantha with her earbuds and her nasty attitude. Everyone was dead.

With tears streaking down her face, Rachel collapsed into the sand. Something small and metal crunched under her hand. She opened her fingers to find Dr. Redford’s glasses. Unable to stop herself from crying harder, Rachel tried to decide on a course of action. She didn’t even know where she was. They had been driving for hours, and there was no sign of civilization nearby. The explosives that had destroyed their vehicles suggested that the cyborgs were nearby. Her future looked bleak. She would either die of exposure or be killed by cyborgs.

When the hand grabbed onto her shoulder, she let out a scream.

“Shut up, will you? It’s only me.”

Rachel turned to see that Clayton had joined her in the shadow of the rocks. A large wound was visible in the flesh above his eyebrow. It sent a trickle of blood down the side of his face. His clothing was torn, and he had visible bruises and scrapes, but he was alive. He still held the useless walkie-talkie.

She was desperate for any human contact, and Rachel eagerly grabbed the man’s upper arm. “What are we going to do?”

Clayton leaned casually against the rock and wiped the blood from his face. “We’ll keep going, of course.”

“What?” Rachel couldn’t seem to catch her breath, and the scientist wasn’t helping. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “This day might not be going according to plan, but we’ve obtained one important piece of information. We can now say with confidence that there are cyborgs in the area. Who else would set a trap for us like that?” He began rummaging around in the pockets of his khakis.

Rachel couldn’t believe her ears. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Everyone around us is dead. We have no weapons and no way of communicating with anyone.” She wondered where her phone was. She had packed it in her carry-on bag stowed in the back of the van. It was probably in a million pieces or burned to a crisp. “We’re not fighters or trained to negotiate with cyborgs. We have to find a way back home and let someone else deal with this mess.”

Clayton had found his phone and was holding it up in the air, walking around and trying to get the best signal possible. “No way. Dr. Redford shouldn’t have been in charge of this mission. I know more about Green Squad than he ever did. There’s still a chance I can negotiate with them and get them back to Cyborg Sector.”

“You’re crazy!” Part of Rachel wanted to slap him, but she didn’t want to insult the only other human around. Besides, she needed his phone, and it might be password protected. “Even if you can convince a bunch of cyborgs to come with you, how are you going to move them? We don’t have the vans anymore.”

Clayton glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he dialed a number. “Don’t you think I’ve thought about extraction? All I have to do is make a call, and another team will get out here. Cyborg Sector can send out a hired driver. Maybe they can find a prison or use Uber Cyborg. Government agencies have plenty of pull, and they’ll figure it out. I’m not going to give up.” He held the phone to his ear. “This could be your lucky day. If you want a news story, now is the time to get it. I’d say you have an exclusive on your hands.”

The scientist spoke quickly into the phone, summarizing everything that had happened in the last few minutes as well as his plans to continue the mission. The voice on the other end was muffled, but Rachel could tell that it was irate. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who thought Clayton’s plan was foolish.

He sounded quite confident. “You don’t have to send anyone out here. Do whatever you want. I’m going to do my job either way. But I feel obligated to tell you something.” He looked at Rachel suggestively. “If you don’t want to back me up, a reporter is standing right next to me who is ready to document everything. The media will have a field day covering the government agency that abandoned people in the middle of New Mexico.” After another few seconds of listening, Clayton turned off the phone. “They agreed with me. We’re good to go.”

The reporter folded her arms over her chest, ignoring the pain in her muscles. “I have no plans to go anywhere. Even if I did, a negotiation with cyborgs would be at the bottom of the list.”

Clayton shrugged nonchalantly. “Fine with me. Figure out how to get out of the desert yourself instead of getting a ride back with Cyborg Sector. They assure me someone will be here within the hour. Coincidentally, that’s just enough time to find Green Squad and speak with them. Do whatever you want.” He began moving in the same direction as the van had been going, sidestepping pieces of burning debris.

“Wait. I’m coming with you.” Rachel scrambled after him. She didn’t want to be a part of this, but she instinctively felt that she would be safer with a companion. For all she knew, Clayton was a master negotiator, and she would be on her way to a comfortable hotel room by the end of the day.

Clayton moved through the rough terrain like he had spent his life in the wilderness instead of inside a laboratory. His long legs stretched comfortably to the next foothold as they climbed closer to an outcropping that seemed to be at the top of the world. Rachel struggled to keep up. Her arms and legs betrayed her, showing exactly how weak she had become from years of office jobs that demanded little of her body. She vowed to start working out again if she ever got back home. Rachel picked her sweaty hair up and fanned the back of her neck with her hand.

Finally, the scientist paused behind a boulder, peering around it carefully before ducking back down. “Do you see that up there?” He gestured over his shoulder.

Rachel tried to see where he was pointing without exposing herself. Clayton had indicated a large hunk of stone protruding over the top of the hill. It was surrounded by other rocks and boulders and didn’t look particularly unique compared to the rest of the landscape. Still, she nodded. She would agree with anything right now.

“I’m sure that’s where the cyborgs are,” Clayton continued. “I’m going to climb all the way to the top. You can follow me if you want.”

Rachel shot him a contemptuous look. “I thought you said the media should stay far away from your project. Aren’t I supposed to be carefully roped off, so I don’t get in your business?”

The scientist ignored the jab. “None of that matters anymore. If a bunch of us were going to be up there, it would have been a different story. Now my team is down to one. If I’m going to take on an entire cyborg unit by myself, I might as well have a witness. I’m going inside.”

Without another word, Clayton stood up to his full height, making himself noticeable against the barren scenery. He held his hands above his head as he walked up the hillside. “I come in peace,” he began. “I don’t wish to harm you. I’m from Cyborg Sector, and I’m here to help.” He repeated his words like a robot as he ascended.

Rachel watched with a trembling stomach as the cocky scientist walked away. She prepared for him to fall over at any minute, either from being shot through the chest or accidentally stepping on another explosive device like the one that had blown up the vans. Rachel wished she’d never taken this assignment and never even gone to work for World Community News. If she had been content to stay where she was, she would probably be covering an adoption event at an animal shelter or telling the townsfolk about a local fundraising dinner. Instead, she was cowering behind a rock and waiting to see if her only way out of there was going to get himself killed.

“Stop!” a voice called out. The sound echoed against the bluffs. The voice was deeper than Clayton’s and more commanding. “Who are you?” Rachel couldn’t see a body attached to the voice. Its owner remained hidden.

The scientist responded, but Rachel could barely hear what he was saying. He spoke quietly, keeping his hands at shoulder height where the stranger could see them. “I’ve come to help you.”

Finally, the soldier stepped into view. Rachel sucked in her breath. She had seen pictures and video footage of cyborgs, but she had never been close to one in real life. Up close, they looked magnificent. She could not dream of a more perfect man. The cyborg had broad shoulders under his tattered uniform, and he stood tall and straight as though he had not been living in the desert for the last year. His figure stood out against the blue sky, making him seem larger than life. He had dark skin that seemed to absorb the sunlight. If she hadn’t been afraid he might kill her, Rachel could imagine fucking him.

The soldier began to advance on Clayton. He held his elbow at a ninety-degree angle with his fingertips pointing straight at the scientist. Rachel understood the significance of the stance. His plasma gun was charged and ready to fire if the researcher proved to be an enemy. “Where is the rest of your party?” the cyborg demanded.

Clayton bowed his head and whispered. Rachel knew he was telling the cyborg about the explosions. The soldier grinned, his teeth flashing a startlingly bright white. “Knowing this, realizing that you are not welcome here, you decided to continue traveling and meet your demise?”

Rachel felt like she could taste her heart in her throat. Didn’t she have enough for a story? Eighteen People Die in New Mexico Explosion. Sole Survivor Gunned Down in Front of Reporter’s Eyes. It would get clicks, but she had to get out of the desert if she wanted to tell anyone. If things continued the way they were going, Rachel would end up as a nameless victim in someone else’s story about the Green Squad Incident.

“Let me come in and speak with your leader,” Clayton implored, his voice sounding stronger now and carrying down the hill. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”

The soldier nodded and gestured with his hand for the scientist to enter their dwelling. Rachel gave a small sigh of relief and slid down against the boulder. With luck, it would only be a matter of time before Clayton finished his negotiations and got them out of here. The only problem was if they killed him. If Clayton died, she might as well throw herself off a nearby cliff.

Rachel closed her eyes against the bright sun, wondering what would happen to the arrogant scientist. He might be successful, but he also might get both of them killed.

The noise was slight. It was quiet enough that it might have gone unnoticed if Rachel weren’t so nervous. The sound could have been a bird landing or a snake making its way through the sand. In her heart, she knew the noise could not be an animal. She didn’t have that kind of luck.

Rachel opened her eyes slowly. The sun was dazzling as it danced off the sand, but as she adjusted to the intense light, she saw a pair of dirty boots planted on the ground directly in front of her. The figure before her wore a camouflage uniform. It was too bright to make out the man’s face, but she knew he couldn’t be a survivor from the group.

“I found another one!” a voice called out. “This one’s a woman.” The sound sent a shiver through Rachel despite the heat.

“Bring her to me.”

Rachel didn’t bother trying to fight as the cyborg grabbed her arm and hauled her upright. She had never thought about what it would be like to touch a cyborg. Rachel was surprised to discover his flesh felt normal. There were no outward signs that he was part machine. She might have thought he was merely a freak of nature if she hadn’t already known about his origins in a laboratory.

Her legs wanted to give out underneath her as the massive man dragged her up the hill. She bumped her shins against sharp rocks and tripped over her feet. If the cyborg hadn’t supported her, she might have simply collapsed onto the sand.

“I know you can walk. Resistance will not help you,” the bionic man growled. “You’re going to end up at our headquarters no matter what you do.”

Rachel wasn’t trying to defy him, but she was having problems moving her legs. Her body understood the danger she was in and was no longer controlled by her mind.

As they approached the rock formation on top of the ridge, she realized there was something different about this piece of stone. It was the mouth of a cave and barely large enough for two men. Beyond the entrance was a consuming darkness. The configuration of the landscape around it concealed the cave well. Rachel understood why no one had found them before.

A different cyborg was standing in front of the cave. The muscles in his arms bulged as he crossed them over his chest. He seemed to be composed of equal parts power and terror. His biceps pressed against his skin, and the sinews in his neck stood out like long cords. He scowled at Rachel with pale blue eyes above a broad nose and full lips. His hair was the color of sand, long on top and combed back. It matched the scrub of a goatee on his chin.

The sight of the cyborg made Rachel’s knees turn to jelly. Cyborgs were terrifying. She had known that before coming to New Mexico. But seeing one she recognized was a shock.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” he barked. He did not change his stance at all. His large feet were rooted into the ground shoulder-width apart.

“She is unarmed, sir.” The soldier still had his hand under her arm, lightly restraining her. “I haven’t detected anything on her besides her clothes.”

The blonde cyborg nodded curtly as his eyes roamed over her body. “We can detect one thing without using our scanners. She is from Cyborg Sector. Therefore, she is our enemy.”

Rachel finally found her voice. She hadn’t even been able to scream when the soldier found her. “No, I’m not.” She looked down at her Cyborg Sector shirt. Her throat felt dry, and her vision began to go dark around the edges. “It might look like I’m part of Cyborg Sector, but I’m just a reporter. Please believe me.”

She had to be imagining things. Did she know the man who stood in front of her? There were plenty of men on Earth with blonde hair and blue eyes, and it was unlikely for the cyborg to be someone she knew. Maybe the heat of the desert was baking her brain. A quick execution by one of the cyborgs would be a blessing.

“Should we kill them both?” asked the cyborg behind her.

The blonde shook his head. “Bring her inside. Let’s get some information out of them first. After that, you can do with them what you like.”