33. Setting the Trap

33 – Setting the Trap

Brittany folded her arms again, looking him up and down. “Potentia, huh? For your aura system?”

Hector nodded.

“What will you do? Gain a level or something?”

“Yeah, but not by tonight. Still, I want to start the process.”

“In my pack—middle pouch. I’ve got some protein bars.”

“Water?”

She sighed. “Yeah, but I only have three day’s worth for myself in that bag—”

Hector turned and reached into the car, lifting out her pack. It was heavy. “We just need to make it through tonight. Then we turn the tables.”

“I guess so,” she said, walking over. “You really think they’ll hit us after dark?”

He shrugged, unzipping the bag. “I would.” He found her stash of protein bars and took two of them. As he straightened, ripping the wrapper open with his teeth, she took over with the pack, retrieving a pouch of water for each of them.

He took the drink, already chewing a mouthful of chalky, chocolate-flavored protein meal, and she continued to eye him speculatively. “Why don’t you have any supplies? You just came to my place empty-handed?” She pointed to his backpack. “What about your bag?”

He swallowed and said, “Just a jammer.” He glanced at his AUI, ensuring the device was off, then an idea hit him. “Got a place we can plug it in?”

“You mean to charge it? Yeah.”

“What about an antenna?”

She frowned, turning to look at one of the big floodlight towers. “Maybe we can rig something?”

“Hang on.” Mentally, he queried Evie, What do you think?

//You could use the batteries in the light tower to boost the power and connect your makeshift jammer to the tower frame. It’ll allow you to increase the jamming radius significantly.//

“My AI says it’s doable.” He nodded as he chewed, thinking it over. If they could create enough noise, it would mess with the mercs’ comms, and it might add to the confusion. Hector could wreak havoc in the chaos…

“You’ve got an AI?”

Hector nodded.

“AI, aura system, ghost chip—what don’t you have?”

“Food, I guess.” Hector took another bite, chewing slowly. He could explain that everything she’d listed was basically the same thing—all part of his neurodeck—but that was a lot of talking, and he was already talked out. He decided just to shrug and change the topic. “Where’s your gun?”

She was still frowning at his quip about “food,” and his further non-answer didn’t help. Even so, she turned to peer toward the back corner of the awning and pointed. “Back there. I’ll go get it.”

Hector watched her go, her boots crunching on the gravel. He liked her, and he hoped he didn’t get her killed, but the odds weren’t looking good. If Tacitianus sent all his mercs, those were rough odds. He didn’t think he would, though; men like that weren’t likely to leave themselves vulnerable. No, he’d keep three, maybe even four back. Hector liked those odds a lot better. He lowered himself into the car again, sitting in his blood-stained seat. That’s right, scum, split up your men.

He ripped the second protein bar open and started eating.

Evie, how much for level four?

//Twenty potentia.//

Go ahead.

//20 potentia applied. Corpus Vivum conditioning has begun. Approximately 17 hours to complete level advancement. Disorientation, weakness, and even fleeting incapacitation may occur. Extra caloric intake is recommended.//

If Hector thought there was a real chance that he’d suffer “fleeting incapacitation,” he wouldn’t have started the process, but he’d gotten through the first couple of level-ups without significant incident, and his body was getting more and more used to potentia; he didn’t think there was much to worry about.

He was regretting his Brawler archetype choice, though. If he’d taken Watcher, he figured he might have picked up an ability or two that would help out with setting an ambush. “Doesn’t matter,” he muttered, pushing the useless thought exercise aside. Footsteps crunching on gravel told him Brittany was approaching, so he opened his eyes and peered through the doorway. She had a scoped rifle over her shoulder, and judging by the magazine, it wasn’t an energy weapon.

“What’s that? Seven-six-two?”

She shook her head, shifting a heavy-looking green satchel on her other shoulder. “Six-point-five. Less punch, maybe, but I can hammer nails at over a klick.”

Hector arched an eyebrow. “That so?”

She nodded, thumping her fingers on the gun’s matte-black stock.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“We should get you set up soon. Before they get a drone out here.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You think a drone won’t see me laying out with my rifle?”

With a grunt, Hector grabbed the edge of the car door and pulled himself to his feet. He turned to scan the gravel yard outside the awning. After a few seconds, he pointed to one of the distant piles of larger-sized rocks. It looked almost like a natural hill thanks to the wind-blown dirt and weeds that had grown between the stones. “We’ll dig you a foxhole in the side of that pile.” He figured the stones would retain heat, which would mess with a drone, and they’d also give her cover when she started shooting.

Brittany stared at the distant pile for a moment, then started walking toward it. Hector followed. She glanced at him as the gravel crunched under their feet. “You don’t talk much.”

Pushing his luck, he asked, “Did he?”

“Yeah—it’s why I said something. It’s messing with my head, because one minute I think you look just like him, and then, a second later, you seem like a totally different person.”

“I am.”

“Yeah, I need to remember that. I hope you’re not lying to me, Hector—about how it all went down, how you got his body.”

He shook his head. “I’m not lying, Brittany.” He’d used her name because she’d used his, but it felt wrong, and she scowled at him.