Colonization by Truant Johnny B

Author:Truant, Johnny B. [Truant, Johnny B.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Sterling & Stone
Published: 2015-05-18T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

Meyer stopped, his head cocked, Mo Weir dashing to his side. Mo never ran. It was odd to see his suitcoat flapping, the man nudged into urgency against his will.

“What was that?” Mo asked.

Meyer wasn’t sure. It had sounded like a gunshot, but it felt like forever since he’d heard one, back when he’d almost felt like another Meyer Dempsey. He remembered the sound concussing his eardrums and the way it made everything sound muffled as if by ill-fitting earplugs for a while afterward.

“Was that a gun?” Mo asked.

They were still inside the house, nearing the front door. The sound had been like the striking of a mallet and had definitely come from ahead, but that only told Meyer it had happened outside. The house had no sense of auditory direction. All sounds that didn’t originate inside came from the door, from all over the city, above and below.

“So you heard it,” Meyer said.

“Of course I heard it. Why wouldn’t I hear it?”

“I thought it … never mind.” Mo wouldn’t understand. Plenty of what Meyer heard these days came from inside his head. He could hear the Astral discussions even now: Reptars on patrol, curiously disturbed, quiet Titan minds, Divinity’s overarching judgment — and, when Divinity saw fit, its orders to the viceroy.

Mo was moving forward. Meyer hung back, curious. Christopher carried a pistol. It wouldn’t thump like that, and since Meyer had ordered him to the gates where there’d be Astrals, gunfire didn’t make sense. You didn’t hear guns inside Heaven’s Veil. Peacekeepers used their teeth to enforce order, and shuttles blasted silent energy rays. Humans hadn’t been stupid enough to fire their primitive weapons inside the city in months. It was possible Christopher had run off to the gate as Meyer had asked then fired a shot, but why? And besides, Christopher’s pistol would have made a distant crack, not that low, heavy thumping sound.

Mo shook his head, approaching Meyer. He’d been willing enough a few seconds ago, but that simple report had taken the wind from his sails.

“I’m going back. We can monitor this from your office.”

Meyer rubbed his temples. They’d both seen the new message on his phone. Meyer didn’t know if he could trust whoever had sent him Piper’s whereabouts, but he could easily believe that her disappearance at this specific moment wasn’t a coincidence. Piper had trekked through what was now outlands with Cameron Bannister then spent months with the man and his crew at the Utah lab the Astrals perpetually ignored. If the man waiting outside had come from some sort of rebel camp, perhaps Piper was on her way to meet him. Especially given the information she seemed to have stolen.

Meyer didn’t know how he felt about any of it. A sense of betrayal? Anger? Crushed dignity, owing to the Astrals cutting their human viceroy from the loop and handling everything themselves? Or was it jealousy? Everyone talked readily enough about Cameron Bannister, but Piper was tight-lipped despite knowing him best — at least around Meyer.

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