“Damn it, John why you took weapon? We’re free. That means nobody wants to kill you anymore.” She was worried. She was afraid John wouldn’t be able to accept freedom. That he did this all just for her not for himself.
“I know we’re free. I just don’t believe we won. I’m afraid that my enhancements will be a problem. I was built for war.” John couldn’t use any different word than “built” to describe his the process he’s been through.
“What your heart tells you?” She asked. She smiled with one of those John-melting smiles.
“It says that I should enjoy this because it can be last day we spend together.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear. Come on sit down. Do you want a strawberry?” She pulled the basket closer to her and took out plastic box with strawberries.
“You have strawberries? Send ’em right over here.” There were only two kinds of fruit John would kill for: strawberries and dried apples. Gillian leaned over to him and gave him strawberry. She unclipped his weapon belt. John reached to stop her, but he couldn’t. He let her throw it away.
“Jennifer gave me some wine for us to celebrate. She said that we might want to try something new.” Gillian announced while she poured two glasses of wine. It took them few minutes to find out that wine tastes awesome. John ate all strawberries in plastic box Gillian just watched she looked like she’s thinking. John saw some movement in the bushes he thought it must be some kind of animal. Gillian moved closer to him, so close that he could see small scars on her hands.
“John, after so many years I think our relationship should move a level up. It’s even more important now that we’re free.”
Chapter 7 – Goodbyes
They woke up at dawn, ate all food left, packed the camp and headed back. There was no need to talk, they could read each others minds.
Back in camp Gillian went to return basket and tent. John decided to clean his armor. When he entered his tent Hudson was waiting there. He was looking closely at disassembled armor.
“Waiting for me? Or just hanging around? John asked taking Hudson by surprise.
“I wanted to ask you something.” Hudson said calmly, still looking at armor.
“Go ahead then.”
Hudson took a deep breath.
“We spent enormous resources on this project. You’re the best we’ve got. Now the situation is calm but I don’t know if we can keep it that way. Wars will be and our enemies are getting smarter and stronger. We need something that could give us an edge over them. I hate to say that but our prospects don’t look good.”
He turned his eyes to John.
John, we need you. We need you in that armor, with a gun, shooting people. Maybe not right now but soon.”
Hudson indeed caught John’s attention.
“That a job offer?”
“Yeah. You tell set the terms.” Hudson looked almost desperate.
John liked that offer sounded fair enough.
“I can keep my gear. I can go to college. I will get paid for what I do and I will always get the full story, no secrets. Deal?”
A smile appeared on Hudson’s face.
“Deal. I knew we can count on you.”
Hudson left John’s tent. When he was far enough he lit a cigar and took out his phone. He called his boss.
“What is it Hudson? Hope you have good news, I’m sick of bad news right now.”
Boss was upset with current situation.
“Crisis agreed. He set reasonable terms I’ll inform you.”
“Good. Remember, we have to take every advantage we can. Don’t see it as a human or machine or mercenary. Crisis is an asset nothing more.”
Call ended.
John cleaned armor quickly, but it already started to stink of rotten flesh and blood. His blade was equally dirty. For what he was about to do he put armor on. When he was done he went to look for Jennifer. He found her in her tent after asking several people for directions. She was writing something on her laptop.
“Oh shit! Why are you wearing that thing again? Something went wrong? Are you going to kill us all this time?”
She almost fell off her chair when she saw him.
“Hey! Calm down I just need something. Gillian told me that you are good at obtaining stuff.”
“Yeah, sure. What do you need?”
She looked like Sanders when he actually cares about something.
“Four metal shipping containers, flatbed cart, backpack and your access card. Wait with it in front of main entrance in a hour.”
John hoped that she can get those things.
“Okay I can handle that. You should know that Gillian really enjoyed your little camping outside.”
She smiled.
“You talked about that?” John was surprised.
“That’s what girls do.”
She giggled.
John was about to leave but one more question came to his mind.
“What’s your last name?”
Her face said it before she did, those curious eyes, black hair and smart look.
“Sanders. I’m Sander’s daughter.”
John left her tent with a smile. He headed to tent where they left their weapons yesterday.
Couple of soldiers were packing when he came there. They looked at him waiting for what might happen.
“Hey guys I have orders from Hudson. I can take whatever equipment I want.”
“Hudson was here first. We’re packing for you.” The closest one said.
“How much?” John was curious.
“Your weapons M4A1, M107A1, M39 EMR, all with enough ammo. Grenades, flashbangs, C4 charges and weapon accessories also we packed you SCAR-H as a goodbye gift. That makes four crates of equipment.”
Soldier was reading from a list. Then he pointed at four crates in the corner.
“We will take them right to Blackburn’s car.”
Two of them picked up the biggest crate with sign “Ammo” on it.
“Thanks guys that’s very kind of you.”
“Just doing our job.” One of them said with a laugh.
The one with the list spoke again.
“You’re John right? I’m Matt nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
John really liked Matt and his squad. They were new here so they weren’t like other guards.
“Hey John, heard you are best shooter here. Want a little competition?”
Mathew handled him Dessert Eagle while his squad mates built two rows of empty beer cans on other side of tent.
“You’re gonna regret this. You first.” John couldn’t resist a shooting competition.
Mathew took down all cans one by one, it took him about a minute.
“Now you John.”
John’s combat systems prepared firing solution in few milliseconds. He took them all down in fifteen seconds. Soldiers watched him open-mouthed.
“Can you show us more awesome stuff?” They asked all at once.
John smiled.
“Which one of you is the heaviest?
One of them stepped forward.
“Me.”
John waved him to come closer. Then John lifted him of the ground and held him above his head.
This way they spent entire hour. John had some fun and he made eight friends. It was sort of sad moment when he left them so he could meet with Jennifer. On his way of he took two breaching charges.
He walked through centre of camp. Everyone was looking at him. His steps were accompanied by ‘thud’ of his armored shoes. Jennifer was already waiting for him with everything he requested.
“So, what it this we’re going to do?” She asked when he arrived.
“Looting. Follow me.”
They walked into underground facility. Jennifer pushed the cart, John walked in front of her.