Brotherhood ~ Chapter 9

Unfortunately for me, game along the seasonal river was plentiful.  The hunt would be brief – too brief, and so I first went upstream.  The call of the water was enticing and perhaps splashing some on my face might cool me down.

And in more ways than one.

My brother had won this round, but Collin wouldn’t win every bout.  Sierra would eventually come to know him for the man he truly was.  When she did, then their time of wine and roses would then come to an abrupt end.

I had staying power, at least.  Collin was all about the moment and living in it – but once the thrill was gone?  Well, then so would be my brother.

How many women had he done that to in the Time Before? I wondered.  It didn’t matter.  To have a woman in this Time After was a treasure beyond God’s Measure.  My brother would not ever let her go – and if he did, it would not be in a physical sense.  Collin would keep her to him, but beyond that?

Only time would tell.

There were two things without a doubt that my brother had stuck with during the course of his life.  A career in the military and a love of music.  Neither was far from his mind and heart – although it was the former that troubled me at present.  Collin and the power of his AFA rank.  Nothing to sneeze at, after all – and along with it went resources of which we in The Order were sorely in need.

Climbing the rise so I would be positioned above the waterfall, I cast a lingering look over my shoulder at the scene below.  Well, that didn’t take long, I thought in dismay.  Collin hadn’t lost his touch, I considered with admitted jealousy.  I had to give him his due, I supposed.  He was already between the woman’s legs, face buried in her depths, and so that was enough for me.  I now instead paid attention to my footing as I negotiated the grade, even though I was blinded by the color red which had hijacked my entire field of vision.

Once up the rise and upriver, I found a tranquil spot to kneel and give thanks to God for His Bounty which surrounded me.  For the game, the water, the woman and even for the company of my overly confident brother.  There was purpose to us all being brought together – but varying reasons did my brother and I have to explain this.

It could very well just be the Hand of God, or so Collin had put forth as one possible explanation.  However, although I would be the first to admit that God drove us forward in all things, in this instance I was of a mind that there was a bit more to it than that.  Just as was the same with the curiosity that those of us who had survived the Apocalypse were predominantly left handed.

I had learned too much during my lifetime that I would have been better off not having learned at all.  Hints and innuendos along life’s path had only served as tantalizing clues.  However, after many years of digging, too few did I have in my possession to construct any coherent matrix.  Or more rightly, any sane one.

Regardless the reason, there was no one to debate it at present and so I stripped off my shirt.  Scooping up water with my hands I then splashed my face and neck.  If I didn’t have need to be to alert, then I would have totally immersed myself, cleansing not only my body but my troubled mind as well.

After reciting a litany of prayers in an attempt to garner comfort by some degree, I now drew my shirt back on and then froze.

I was no longer alone.

With practiced ease I stealthily withdrew my knife and was on my feet, waiting.  No fear did any man hold for me, although if this one had not been my friend and comrade, I might have been concerned.

Soundlessly sliding into view was my Brother from The Order, Quade.

“Not interested in watching your brother get frisky, hmm?” Quade posed as he now walked over to me.  Putting up my blade, I grinned at him.

“Something tells me you did?” I surmised and then offered my fellow Brother a heartfelt embrace.  Upon parting, Quade searched my eyes, long, hard, before he finally backed away.

“Grand Head Sokolov will have your hide, Andy, you know this” was his blunt assessment.

“Dmitri won’t always hold the Station of Grand Head” I coolly countered.

“Not if you have anything to say about it?” he suggested with a grunt.  “How long do you think it will take before news reaches him?  That your delay isn’t the result of difficulty in stroking your brother, but rather instead it is you who are being stroked, and by a real live woman no less?”  This Brother was right – it would not be looked upon favorably, that of my keeping Sierra’s existence so long under wraps.

“I’ve got some hunting to do” I stated and then turned to leave but Quade was quick, and perhaps foolish, to take hold of my arm.

But this time I let him.  He was my oldest and most trusted friend – that was if we assassins even had friends.  However, Quade and I were two of a kind and went way back to the Time Before.  Back to the CIA, precisely – partners then as now.

“Andy – this is me you are talking to” was his reminder.  “I can’t believe that you let Collin get anywhere near the woman, let alone shoot his load into her!” Quade snapped, purposely pushing my buttons.  Correction – slamming them was more like it.

Looking down to where his hand lay on my arm, I then closed my eyes as I bowed my head.

“Trust me, Quade – I’m not thrilled about that either” I confessed in a low voice as I then looked up at him.  “You seem to have forgotten that my brother is a Commander-General in the AFA,” I refreshed his memory, “and as much as I hate to admit it, The Order needs him more than he needs The Order.”

“And so the sacrifice” my old friend quietly returned, nodding in acceptance.  Above and beyond all, I was in no way thinking of myself.  Quade now had his assurance that I hadn’t lost my Way – Greater Good, after all.  This was the Way of The Brotherhood, as well as that of The Order.

“Your argument is persuasive, but others within the High Council might perceive the situation with a wholly different cant” he put forth.  This I need not be told for it was a reality about which I could do little.  Word would eventually reach the wrong set of ears and then it would just be a matter of time.

“Tell me something I don’t know” I returned, releasing a long, low breath.  “We will soon be moving on – Collin is a man with a plan” I now scoffed with a laugh.  “That is – if Sierra is the hacker-extraordinaire that my brother believes her to be.”

“You don’t buy it” was his flat assessment and so I only held his eyes.  It was a fairly incredulous notion that the sultry little Latina woman had been, in Pre-Time, a notorious hacker.  “Nor have you called her out on the carpet about it either, I’ll wager?” he prompted.  Shaking my head once, sharply, I gave Quade my answer.  During the past months I had kept him fully abreast of all goings on within our trio.

“I have to play this my brother’s way or no way at all” I reminded him.  “You’re aware that you and Bryan are not the only shadows we have out there, hmm?”  To this Quade laughed, openly.

“Yeah – but you just give me the go ahead and we will happily remove Jonesy and Brains for you” he offered with a wicked grin but I just slowly shook my head in return.

“If it ever comes to the point of offing Collin’s support system?  Then I want the kill” I growled, making it abundantly clear, and so Quade nodded once in agreement, along with an evil grin.

“Yeah – those two have been a pain in your ass since the Time Before” he commiserated, now releasing my arm.  “Kevin is as nervous as a canary in a roomful of cats” Quade informed me of the status of our exchange hostage, who was my brother’s uber-geek TechStaff Captain.  I could not help but grin at Quade’s imagery, though.

“He hasn’t taken to being an exchange hostage all that well, eh?” I supposed as I now decided to sit down – hunting could wait a bit longer.

“Well, in exchange for Amanda?  I’d say we got the raw end of that deal, but who am I to say?” Quade remarked and then crouched down in front of me, clasping his hands between his knees.

“It just better pay off is all” I complained of the indignity.  “The geek is pretty damned amazing, though – you have to give Kevin that much.  And he was a systems programmer for the DoD in the Time Before.  If Sierra can help him hack in more quickly?  Then we should get what we’re after – and then some, I’d say.”

“Yeah, and do what with it, however?” he posed.  “Hand it right over to Dmitri?”

“Cold day in hell” I growled with discord.  “One day, one hour, one minute at a time” I brought to mind a favorite Brotherhood litany.  “We cannot see how all paths will end – and you know me, Quade.”

“A little too well” he laughed under his breath.  “Your bid for Grand Head – I still say you have an uphill battle there.”

“And what isn’t?” I made point.  “Try coaxing my brother along – that will see you wearing a straight jacket inside of a week.  If we didn’t need the resources at Collin’s disposal…” I began but then left the thought unfinished – there was no point to the debate.

It was what it was.

However, I fully intended to see The Order rise up, far above the AFA, for my plan once I became Grand Head was to wipe out the AFA, once and for all.  This Time After would not have room enough for both – well, literally there would be, with so few people left.  Figuratively, though?  Collin’s masters would need bend to our will else wise?  Then the heathens had to go – and if that meant my brother right along with them?  Then so be it if he chose not to stand with us, his Brothers from The Order, we who were God’s Chosen Ones.

“Will you and Bryan have time for a side trip?” I now asked my friend who nodded in return.  We Elite-Assassins always traveled in pairs and this I perhaps missed most.  Working with Collin required me to be a solo act.  Quade normally was my partner, but sacrifices need be made for the Greater Good.  Besides, Quade was a good PR man in my absence – and while I was gone he’d watch my back regardless, even if I was leagues away.

If there was one person in this world who I knew I could count on always and ever, then that was Quade, my former CIA brethren.

“If it involves letting blood?  Sure” was Quade’s simple reply to my request.

“Not sure if that will be the case, unless you come across some hapless AFA soldiers” I grunted.  “There is a distant rumor that we need to work.  Some rather… troubling news has reached my ears about the survival of a major player from The Brotherhood, from the Time Before” I laid out for dissection, which piqued his interest.  “So, my time in the midst of Blackguard territory has not been a total waste, hmm?” I posed along with a wry grin.

“Who and where?” he demanded details for this was indeed no small matter.

“Harlan is the who – and the where?  Well, that is what needs research” I informed him.  “The AFA, of all places – although I find this hard to believe.”

“We would have heard!” Quade hissed, clearly as unsettled by this revelation as I had been.

“One would think” I began but then released a weighted sigh, shaking my head.

“Harlan was head of the genetics unit” Quade solemnly reminded – a disturbing thought, this.

“Yes, and he is going by his CIA name, curiously enough.  I came upon this knowledge quite by accident” I revealed.  “I overheard a conversation that was not meant for my ears.”

“By accident?  I doubt that” Quade grinned and he was right.

“Truth.  Like I said, though, just a rumor – but one that requires our attention.  Obviously I cannot use my brother’s AFA perks to aid in this and so I will leave it in your capable hands, yours and Bryan’s.  If anyone can sniff out information, then my money is on Bryan” I declared, lauding my own personal geek, who was also The Order’s Head of IT.  “I really do have to hunt, Quade – if I stay away too long,” I told him as I now got to my feet, “Collin will become suspicious.  He knows I want to beat the life out of him right now.”

“Perhaps you should?” was Quade’s all too tempting suggestion as he followed suit and rose to his feet as well.  “Or maybe you’d let me have that privilege, eh?” he grinned, one born of pure malevolence.  The contempt he held for my brother, a high ranking AFA officer, knew no bounds.

“Someday, perhaps, but today is not that day – not yet” I said in a low voice and then bowed low to my Brother, as he did to me, and without another word we each melted off in different directions.

And someday it might just come to that point, too, I considered in sorrow – someday.