it. The leather straps that had bound him now hung loose. He smelled blood, a powerful, rich scent that filled his nostrils. His own blood.
Kendrick glanced down and saw the deep abrasions in his flesh where he had torn away from his restraints. Without volition, without thought. Now he was simply here.
He waited with his knees bent, his hands ready, like a hunter waiting for his prey to show. At least for now he was merely a passenger in his own body. Kendrick watched the door by the stairwell in anticipation. The hate he now felt was cold, pure, artificial. Even though he understood that this feeling came from his augmentations, a means of tweaking and controlling the emotions and desires of a fully augmented warrior, the hatred felt like his own – as if it had always been inside him, waiting to be tapped.
Hardenbrooke pushed open the basement door, the motion seeming slow and languid to Kendrick's accelerated perceptions.
A fraction of an instant later, Kendrick found his viewpoint propelled towards Hardenbrooke so rapidly as to seem instantaneous, the medic's eyes only noticing him when it was already far too late.
Kendrick caught sight of the harsh metal glint of a spray 'derm gripped in Hardenbrooke's fist. The medic's fingers unfolded and the 'derm rocked there, miraculously remaining in the cup of Hardenbrooke's palm as Kendrick's forward momentum slammed the other man's back against the door, the rear of his skull slamming noisily against the wood.
Kendrick watched his own hand slide upwards to grasp the medic around the throat.
'Was it you, Hardenbrooke? Did you kill him?' Kendrick snarled.
'What? Oh Christ, please, let go of me,' Hardenbrooke croaked in fright. 'There's been a misunderstanding.'
'I don't think so. I think you were about to kill me too. I heard you both talking about how you know I met Smeby. So what's going on here?'
Hardenbrooke twitched, struggling to breathe in Kendrick's iron grasp. His mouth opened a little and Kendrick eased off the pressure so that the other man could speak. The spray finally slipped from Hardenbrooke's hand and clattered onto the floor.
Leaning over to one side, Kendrick reached for the spray. Hardenbrooke surprised him by twisting around suddenly and almost scoring a direct hit to Kendrick's testicles with one knee. Kendrick, however, slipped deftly to one side and avoided injury. Unfortunately, this meant letting go of the man, just for an instant. Once he had secured the 'derm he reached out for Hardenbrooke again.
To his surprise, Hardenbrooke bit him on the finger.
Kendrick screamed and jerked away, dropping the 'derm in the process. He felt an impact on his shoulder, and immediately a deep numbness began to spread through the flesh of his back.
Kendrick lashed out at Hardenbrooke, the force of his blow sending the medic slithering several feet across the floor to crash into the side of the treatment couch. Hardenbrooke had been carrying more than one 'derm, and the contents of the second one were already dulling Kendrick's senses.
It was probably the same drug that the security 'bot had shot into him, but it was taking longer to take effect this time. Still, he only had so much time before he slipped into unconsciousness again.
Kendrick stepped over and wrapped a hand around Hardenbrooke's throat again.
'I came here because I want information about whatever the hell it is you've been pumping into my veins for the past year. I came here because someone told me you'd set me up in some way that frankly doesn't make any fucking sense to me. I'm inclined to think my sources were right, so now I want you to tell me why.'
'I can't,' the other man croaked. 'They'd kill me.'
Kendrick placed one palm over Hardenbrooke's forehead and, with the precision and care of a basketball player, bounced the back of the medic's head off the hard floor. Hardenbrooke's teeth clicked together hard, his eyes briefly rolling up into the back of his head.
'Details,' Kendrick demanded. A wave of nausea spilled through his thoughts and he released Hardenbrooke once more, swaying uncertainly.
If he didn't get out of here now there wouldn't be a second chance.
So he ran.
Kendrick's vision was blurring as he reached the clinic entrance and stumbled out onto the street. There was no sign of Malky, and he was obscurely grateful at not having to deal with any further obstacle. He caught glimpses of staring faces, shocked as he pushed his way past them in the street. He ran across the road, his limbs starting to feel like putty.
Somehow he kept moving, trying to get away from the Clinic – away from Hardenbrooke.
Kendrick woke to an early-morning sky.
The scent of grass and dog shit filled his nostrils. Something wet and rough slid against his face and he lurched upwards, wondering if he was again under attack. He found himself staring into the hairy muzzle of a small terrier. He pushed the animal away and lifted himself up from where he lay sprawled on neatly mown grass.
Bushes? He was lying behind some bushes. He heard a woman's voice calling the dog, which ran away with its stubby tail waggling stiffly in the air. Kendrick could hear traffic somewhere nearby.
Kendrick staggered upright and pushed his way out through the bushes, finding himself in the middle of a small well-tended park that fronted a large office building. A green-painted iron fence separated the bushes and a row of carefully tended yew trees from the street beyond.
He remembered fleeing the Clinic now, and ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly conscious of how dishevelled he must look. A snatch of memory of himself running erratically across a road full of heavy traffic flashed into his awareness.
Kendrick winced, feeling lucky to still be in one piece.
He glanced down at arms streaked with soil and grass stains, as well as with copious quantities of dried blood. Wondering just how much of a nightmare he must look, he let his shirtsleeves flap loose in a half-hearted attempt to hide the injuries on his arms.
Locating his wand, he called up Caroline, keeping back from the street while he waited for her to answer.
'Kendrick! Oh God, about what I said – I'm sorry I drove away like that. But, look, what happened? I mean, did you find anything there?'
'I've had some problems. Can you come and get me?'
'What kind of problems? Where are you?'
'I'm not sure, but I don't think I'm far from the Clinic.'
'Set your wand's signal to mine and I'll come and find you.' Her voice sounded terse and worried.
Kendrick stepped back into the shadows and waited.
Caroline's car appeared twenty minutes later, following the GPS locator signal in Kendrick's wand.
'Jesus, Kendrick, I mean-' she exclaimed, climbing out of the vehicle and seizing him by the arms. 'You, you…'
'Look like I've been through a war?'
For the briefest instant he saw the tiniest hint of a smile, but then it was gone. 'If you like, yeah,' she said more coolly. Her earlier concern was now well hidden.
Suddenly, everything was back the way it had been between them for so long now.
18 October 2096 Above the Armoured Saint
