Deadman

Book 2 Chapter 22: Prophet's Paradise

We flew deep into STAR territory, far deeper than Id ever been before. I kept my eyes on the ground, doing my best to gauge the exact distance we were crossing and marking landmarks and settlements in my mind. Leah had already gone over the plan with me, and so was now sitting with her eyes closed, likely doing what she could to mitigate the fallout that was being caused by the loss of the last shipment of the Remnants from space.

The plan was simple. We jump from the Shrike into The Republic, and make our way to a building Leah believed was holding prisoners and the majority of the assets. Our primary target was Mercy, who shed apparently turned into an informant shortly after shed helped us with the rogue Marshal V. If possible we were meant to extract others if we could, or disable certain equipment. Only the medical tech was meant to be preserved at all costs. Mercy was the main goal however, everything else was secondary.

I wasnt eager to leap out of a moving plane. Leah had assured me that the jump packs were safe, and would automatically compensate for a more gradual descent rather than boosting us directly into the propellers of the Shrike, but that didnt help much. Id asked why we couldnt use a parachute, and she replied they were too obvious and wed be shot out of the sky.

It was the darkest part of the night when The Republic came into view. It was a circular compound easily the size of Fette with high concrete walls. The buildings were built low and uniform to keep them from being higher than the walls, with only a small cluster of two story buildings deeper inside. The majority of the roofs were covered with small subsistence gardens, though I saw a number of farm plots on the far end of the city as we passed over it as well. The streets seemed clear for the most part, though the walls were heavily manned, and the distinctive shapes of power armor could be seen even from the shrike, as could the occasional light of a lasgun being fired, though pitched battle had clearly not yet started.

The Shrike came to a stop when we were roughly over the center of the town. It was black and completely silent, so I doubted anyone could see us. Leah got up from her seat and went to the side door which she slid smoothly open. She had her jump pack on already and looked over to me.

Remember, just tap the button when you're a little over halfway down. If you hold it down itll try to boost you higher. A tap slows descent.

I nodded, looking straight down at the ground the entire time and making a mental path through the city as we looked at it. I enjoyed being this high up, it made everything seem like I was looking at a map. The idea of falling down from this height, I found much less appealing.

Leah didnt jump out, so much as calmly walk off the side. There was the sound of her coat flapping in the breeze, and I watched her as she fell quickly, then very slowly and landed on a roof. She was wearing all black, so I was certain no one nearby wouldve noticed her descent.

I followed her example, not so much jumping out of the Shrike as simply walking out into the open air. My black cloak immediately billowed out and I found myself twisting wildly around. I managed to get my feet back under myself after some tremendous effort and tapped the button on the jump pack. My body slowed down, though I felt my stomach continue to drop a few feet lower than the rest of me. I landed on a roof near Leah, and laid there a moment, getting my bearings, before I leapt across to the roof Leah was on, crouching down low as I did so.

Leah was prone peering through the scope of her rifle. It wasnt the massive one I was so used to seeing her carry, this one was smaller, had some kind of circuitry across it, and a suppressor. I crouched down next to her.

Streets seem clear. Most of their soldiers are on the walls and they have a curfew that began more than an hour ago. I see a few patrols, but theyre scattered. Lets move.

I nodded, and we slid down carefully from the roof. Once we were on the ground, I had a much clearer picture of the city. The walls of the houses were covered with writing, and murals, but unlike Potts there was a consistent theme. The pictures were primarily of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and other American presidents, others were of a woman clad in white robes wielding a sword in one hand and a bible in the other. One figure was more prominent than the rest. A man with black and gray hair who seemed to be the largest thing on any wall. In the space between the images were quotes from the constitution, declaration of independence, or some kind of religious text Id never heard of or seen before.

Leah and I began slipping between buildings, checking for patrols, then moving further. Developing a routine in which wed switch off who was in the lead after each movement. We eventually came to a long building that didnt grant us much cover. We went to move across it, when a loud crackling noise rang out around us. I raised my sword and Leah her gun when a voice came through.

We. Are. Blessed. Guided by the light of the Angel of Liberty, Empowered by the will of the founders, all of which is interpreted by me, your prophet. The man paused. I will not pretend to be humble. There were those that encouraged compromise, and retreat, but I held out because Iam the one who carries on the legacy of those gods who walked these lands before us. My patience has given us a boon beyond anything we couldve imagined. The heavens themselves granted us what we needed to hold on to our way of life. The right way, the godly way, the American way.

The voice was broken up with static, and the man spoke with an odd rhythm that Id never heard before and found oddly hypnotic. It had come from a number of speakers that seemed to grace every corner. I hadnt noticed them at first, Id been too distracted by the murals and words written on the houses themselves. I heard movement, ahead, and voices. We were exposed, standing along the long part of the building. Leah opened the nearest door to the and walked in with no hesitation. I followed her, closing the door behind us just as I heard footsteps turn the corner to where wed been standing.

There didnt appear to be anyone inside and we stood there at the door in silence, listening. The patrol stopped and I heard the sound of a lighter, followed by a deep inhale.

How did you get tobacco?asked a voice, a younger man. All land is meant to be converted to food only to prepare for the siege, all the tobacco shouldve been sent to the prophet. His tone was accusatory.

It was a gift from the prophet, responded a second voice with a tone of superiority.

The prophet himself? Howd that happen?

Another inhalation, then a slow exhalation. Its my wifes turn to serve him in his home. He led us in a private prayer, and gave me a small case of tobacco.

What an honor. My daughter is slated to work in his service soon as well.

It is an honor, replied the smoking man, and I could hear tremendous pride in his voice. Though I miss the warmth of my wife in our marital bed, its good to know shes in the prophets care.

May his wisdom keep us here in paradise.

I heard a final inhale, then a cigarette being flicked. Alright, lets wrap up this patrol. Im up on the wall first thing this morning.

Me too, cant wait to rain hellfire down on those demons from STAR.

Them and the false government they serve, may the prophet damn them.

May the prophet damn them, agreed the other man.

I listened as their footsteps faded, then listened a bit longer to make sure everything was clear. I didnt like what Id heard. I turned to look at Leah, and realized she wasnt there. I moved further into the building. It was made up of a long hallway, with rooms every fifteen feet or so. At first I thought they were barracks of some kind, but I didnt hear anyone breathing, or smell anyone, and the rooms were decorated in a way that seemed vaguely familiar to me. I started walking down the long hallway, and peeked into one of the rooms. I realized that it was a school, the layout reminding me of the one in Potts, even though the contents of the classrooms were very different. There was an alphabet, math tables, but also flags in every room, quotes from the prophet, and every desk had a book titled, The Book of the Prophet. All of them were hand written, seemingly by children based on the handwriting, and were as thick as my fist.

I left that room and continued onward to the end of the hall, I heard something in the furthest room, which had its door open. I raised my sword and slid inside. The noise was Leah, she was standing completely still looking at the far wall. On that wall were whips, long wooden canes, and what looked like barbed wire. In front of it was a rack with leather hand and foot holds. It was child sized.

I coughed. The patrol moved on. Not sure when the next one will come by.

Leah turned, her expression unreadable. Okay. I think theres roof access in the room across the hall. Lets climb up and do a quick scan before we press any further. She turned and walked out of the room.