Chapter 52: Unexpected Developments

In Ironatom, inside a snow-white hospital building, the sharp smell of disinfectant permeated the room. On the dark green hospital bed, Congreve Murphy, wearing a blue-and-white striped patient gown, was carefully reading a report.

In less than half an hour, all the documents containing the knowledge left behind by Cool Prophet had been sorted and secured in a safe, beyond the reach of outsiders—apart from the three Finn had taken.

Over a dozen high-ranking officers stood at attention beside the bed. Minister of Technology Marian Kirk hurried in. She pushed up her glasses and said, “City Lord, I need your approval for an operation.”

Congreve set the report down without looking up. “You want to recover those three documents from Finn, don’t you?”

“Yes. They are precious assets belonging to Ironatom and have enormous research value. We cannot allow them to fall into outsiders’ hands.”

“Ah, Marian. You haven’t changed since you were a child—always determined to win, never willing to let the slightest advantage slip away.” Congreve sighed. “Before Finn opened the black iron box, we agreed that he could take one-third of what was inside. Now he has taken only three documents. He has already shown us more than enough consideration.”

Marian pressed her thin, blade-like lips tightly together. “I admit I underestimated him. That was my mistake. But where Ironatom’s interests are concerned, I will not yield.”

Congreve shook his head. “Don’t forget that he’s a Tier 5 Vanguard. What exactly do you intend to do—shell him with a nuclear cannon? Hit him with an air-dropped guided bomb? Any weapon powerful enough to defeat him would cause massive destruction. How would you recover the documents intact afterward?”

“We have a way. The retrieval plan is ready. We only need your authorization.”

Congreve lifted his head. His cloudy eyes narrowed, and his expression hardened.

“Finn carries a handwritten letter from Darius Smith. Darius has vouched for him personally. You should remember what happened ten years ago, during the leak at Chemical Plant No. 3. When the grain shortage struck, who sent us flour without asking for anything in return and saved us all? I will not permit you to use underhanded methods such as poisoning or assassination!”

“We have never forgotten what the lord of Black Mountain did for us.” Marian bowed slightly. “Please rest assured. We will not resort to crude violence. We will use a subtler approach to recover the documents from Finn.”

A mustachioed officer stepped forward, holding up an electronic display device.

The screen showed a dense grid of surveillance feeds. Finn had been marked—he was wandering through Ironatom, seemingly buying Nuka-Cola.

“We can move at any time, but I recommend acting quickly. Once Finn leaves Refuge City, we will lose track of this Tier 5 Vanguard,” the mustachioed officer said.

“Send the mutants?” Congreve let out a bitter laugh. “Our mutants in Ironatom don’t stand a chance against Finn in a fight. Sending anyone would only get them killed.”

“We have a mutant operative who has spent years carrying out covert missions without a single failure,” Marian said.

“Is she a Tier 4 Vanguard about to advance to Tier 5?” A spark of anticipation stirred in Congreve. He had never heard of anyone in Ironatom capable of standing against a Tier 5 Vanguard.

“No. She’s a Tier 2 Vanguard.” Marian smiled faintly.

She turned toward the door and called out, “Come in, Sophia Gerard.”

A tall, striking figure stepped into the room. Instantly, the oppressive atmosphere that had filled the space was swept away.

Sophia Gerard had delicate features. Her small oval face was framed by soft, golden-blonde curls that fell over her shoulders, and her captivating emerald-green eyes seemed to draw people in. Whenever the sunlight caught her shifting hair, it flashed with a dazzling golden sheen.

A black leather belt cinched her narrow waist, while her fitted military uniform emphasized every curve. The fabric stretched taut across her full chest, giving her a striking, voluptuous figure.

Every male officer in the room found his attention drawn to Sophia. Though they pretended to stare straight ahead, they continued stealing glances at her from the corners of their eyes.

Congreve gave a bitter laugh. He already had one foot in the grave and felt no interest in the stunning female officer.

He shook his head. “In my eighty years, I’ve met every kind of person. I can usually judge whether someone is good or evil, beautiful or ugly, at a glance. Finn does not seem particularly interested in women. I’m afraid your carefully planned honey trap will fail.”

“Not a honey trap at all,” Marian said quietly. “Sophia belongs to the fifth generation produced by our gene-engineering program. To ensure the experiment’s success, we deliberately gave her a subtle, nonviolent special ability.

“Her skin can secrete a powerful sedative. Anyone who touches it loses consciousness within a short time. She has never failed, even against Tier 4 Vanguards.”

Congreve nodded. “Very well. I approve your operation.”

Sophia Gerard drew herself up sharply, her chest held high. The sudden movement pulled her military uniform taut, and one of the brass buttons at her chest popped free.

She gave a crisp military salute. “I will complete the mission!”

...

Black Mountain was in turmoil.

Outside Refuge City, deafening gunfire echoed endlessly across the wasteland, punctuated by the explosions of grenades and rocket launchers that threw up clouds of dust and smoke.

Occasionally, silver trails streaked across the sky, marking the flight of shoulder-launched missiles.

The Sandhawk Raiders occupying the dam had torn up their contract without warning. Over a dozen Black Mountain engineers who had been sent to take over the hydroelectric plant were gunned down by the Sandhawk Raiders.

In response to the Sandhawk Raiders’ betrayal, Black Mountain mobilized its forces and launched a fierce counterattack against the dam on the Brown Water River, vowing to drive the Sandhawk Raiders out and retake the dam.

War had come once more. Beneath the Grim Reaper’s scythe, every life—whether exalted or lowly, noble or common—was equal in death.

Beneath camouflage nets woven from brown-yellow burlap, anxious officers paced back and forth, loudly cursing the damn Sandhawk Raiders.

“Why the hell did they go back on their word?!”

“I said it from the start—the Sandhawk Raiders are all lunatics. They can’t be trusted!”

“Intelligence just came in. The Sandhawk Raiders’ leader converted to the Radiant Path! High Priest Spencer Green baptized him yesterday…!”

“The Radiant Path again…!”

Olivia lay prone behind a sandbag bunker. Through her binoculars, she used her X-ray vision to observe the enemy positions and relayed the information to the front lines.

Across the scorching, bone-dry wasteland, two medics sprinted toward Refuge City carrying a stretcher between them. It jolted violently as they ran. The wounded soldier lying on it had mangled legs. He clenched a wooden stick between his teeth, sweat streaming down his face.

Suddenly, a black speck traced an arc through the sky and struck the ground at their feet.

“Watch out!” Olivia cried. She saw it through the binoculars, but there was nothing she could do. The projectile detonated, and a blazing fireball swallowed all three soldiers.

Olivia lowered the military binoculars. Her deep blue eyes were already brimming with tears, though she had not noticed them forming. She let out a pained sigh. “If only Finn were here.”