Isaac glanced at her. "Where are we going?"
"Alex told me that a Diabolis leader named Janus has plans for tonight that involve Styx. We're going to spoil his evening. She didn't know the exact location, just that it was going down in Brickland. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of Vigil and his people beating us to the punch. So, we do some old-school surveillance and canvassing to get the jump on the guy. This time we're gonna be the first through the doors."
"You plan on going deep into Brickland and making a bust on the leader of Diabolis without backup?"
"I got you, Isaac. You're worth a whole squad by yourself."
He stared at her, saying nothing.
"What?"
"Do I have to remind you of how things went last time we tried something like this?"
Her cheeks heated. "That was different. The whole city was rioting."
"We didn't get taken down by rioters. We got our asses handed to us by professionals. You know — like the ones this Janus guy is guaranteed to have watching his back. I can back up my files to a cloud system and download to another body, but you…"
She winced at the memory. "You know, you just might have a point. I'll make a call."
Chapter 16: Janus
Vigil stood on a building ledge thirty stories up, still as a gargoyle, blending in with his background so that he was barely visible to the naked eye. The sun died behind the buildings, tinting the skyline blood-red but leaving no comfort from the heat that still oppressed the city. Steam wafted from the rooftops, creating hazy smog that limited visibility and darkened the claustrophobic streets. Neon flickered on, streetlamps cast waxen light, and billboards flashed the brightest, advertising to residents that ignored them.
His visor scanned the crowds below, running individuals through gait detection, tattoo and piercing identification, and if possible, facial recognition — nearly impossible with so many faces covered by masks, wide hoods, or head-engulfing holovisors. The residents of Neo York were used to being recorded and took every means possible to conceal themselves or confuse surveillance. Just part of life in the big city.
"Getting bored stiff, yo."
He glanced across the street to the opposite building, where a crouching silhouette was barely visible behind a hotel billboard.
He tapped his com. "This is the job, Spitfire. Eight Baller said Styx is a cult run by Janus, and they're meeting tonight. Stay off the wire and keep your eyes peeled."
"What we looking for?"
"Anything kind of strange activity."
"You mean like your girlfriend about to blow the scene up with her crew?"
"She's not my—" Vigil paused, taking a closer look at a pair that rounded the corner onto the main avenue. One was even taller than Jeff, massive build covered by a hooded jacket out of place in the steamy heat. The other wore a baseball cap over her mane of curly hair, but even baggy street gear and oversized shades couldn't keep him from recognizing Ronnie at first glance. Which made the other Isaac, her robotic partner.
Continuing to scan the street, Vigil counted a half-dozen other cops mixed in the crowd. Undercover but still sticking out by looking like cops: moving too tense, staring too hard. Vigil groaned. "Just what we need right now."
"So, we aborting mission or what?"
"No. We stick to the plan and take action if we get a shot at Janus. And be careful — if RCE is on the ground, then they have snipers above. Watch the rooftops and windows. Don't get shot for lack of caution."
"On it."
It was only by chance that Vigil turned in time to see a silhouetted figure glide between the nearby buildings. A blur, a glint of metallic wings, and Heretic was gone.
Vigil tapped his com. "We have more trouble. Can you fly the Stingray?"
"Viper had me do the VR sims."
"You're about to graduate. Grab it and meet me in the air."
"What? You serious?"
He broke into a run on the narrow building ledge. "Just do it, Spitfire."
Heading in the direction that Heretic disappeared, he leaped across open air. The city streets and crowds milled underneath, never noticing when his boot thrusters fired, propelling him across the avenue and onto the opposite building, where he smashed through the slatted boards and window of an abandoned office. Rolling to his feet in a shower of debris, he ran past the dark, dusty cubicles and crashed through another window, landing on the hood of the Stingray. Spitfire eyed him through the cockpit windshield, a shaky grin on her face.
"Barely got here on time, yo."
"Knew you would. Let's go."
He gestured, and she propelled forward with him still clinging to the shell, magnetic tow activated on his palms and boots. Heretic was barely visible in the distance, soaring silently over a line of armored utility vehicles that slowed down to pull into the parking deck of the Leverich Towers Hotel, a sixteen-story building so massive it took up nearly the entire block. Heretic sailed up to the rooftop, where he vanished.
Vigil glanced at Spitfire. "Circle the area. You're recon and backup. No arguments."
Not waiting for an answer, he leaped off the vehicle, hurtling down as the buildings blurred around him. His boot thrusters activated right before he hit the roof of the opposite building, slowing his fall just enough to avoid injury. Dropping to a crouch, he magnified his viewpoint, focusing on the players emerging from the train of armored cars. He recognized Shinigami from previous surveillance feed. Face concealed by a diabolical samurai helmet, she was also armored similarly, though her armor was modernized with cybernetic enhancements. The crew that surrounded her wore the dog-faced masks of Hellhounds, the Grim Reaper Posse soldiers specializing in military tactics and lethal combat.
A familiar figure followed Shinigami out of the lead vehicle. Tall, imperious, face covered by a golden mask with two faces, the one in front frozen into a hideous smile.
Janus.
Vigil targeted the buildings and activated his sweepers. The pyramid-shaped devices fired from his g-spans and flew to the nearest window, where they'd burrow through and quickly scan the building floor-by-floor. He tapped his com. "You catching this, Incog?"
Incognito buzzed over. "Yes. If Shinigami is with Janus, it means there's something very important inside. My best bet would be a gathering of Styx cult members. The Grim Reaper Posse specializes in protecting assets, so Shinigami's people will move to strategic points of the building and secure it against intrusion. I'd guess you have around five minutes to get inside undetected."
"Got it."
"I'm jacked into surveillance and have drones incoming to help monitor the situation. Speaking of, there's a situation incoming."
"The RCE on the way. Already spotted them earlier."
"In a few minutes, this is going to be a complete disaster, Vigil. You better move."
"Way ahead of you," Vigil said while propelling to the hotel and landing on a ledge midway up the building. A quick glance at his wrist monitor showed the layout as the sweepers scanned the interior. Heat signatures pulsed red as people made their way inside. One dot descended from the top of the building, quickly approaching other markers and clashing before moving to the next.
"Looks like Heretic is taking out every guard on his way down. Saves me the trouble."
Incognito buzzed in his ear. "I'm detecting a ton of movement in one of the banquet halls. Better get there before your overly zealous friend does."
Vigil cut the window out with a laser and pushed, catching it before it hit the floor. Leaping inside, he crept through the empty room. The entire hotel was eerily quiet, hushed as though in anticipation. The luxurious appearance of the room belied its abandonment. There was no point in the building being empty.
Unless it was planned that way.