This Green Hell

he’ll be ready to go whenever we say.’

Alex nodded. ‘What about Adira? She could be useful.’

Hammerson shook his head. ‘Not ready yet, and I want to keep an eye on her for a bit longer. Just to make sure she’s serving the HAWCs first; Mossad, and anyone else, after that. I think we both know she didn’t join us because she wanted to be a HAWC.’

Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘She says she’s my guardian angel. She’s not going to be happy to be left behind, Jack.’

Hammerson gave Alex a my-judgment-is final look. ‘Team’s picked. I’ll deal with Captain Senesh. I agree it’s not a big team, but after you find and neutralise what hit our GBs, it’ll probably end up as a babysitting mission for a week or two.’

Alex chuckled. ‘The last time you used the words babysitting and mission in the same sentence, we spent some interesting time under a certain southern ice cap being chased by something I still have nightmares about.’ The smile fell away as Alex sensed something else behind his superior officer’s rough features. ‘What is it, Jack? You didn’t have me pulled in from some downtime for a simple search and secure. What’s the urgency? Wait a minute — you said firstly. What’re the other reasons?’

Hammerson looked at Alex for a few moments, weighing what he should tell the young man and what he should hold back. He said slowly, ‘Only one other reason, son.’

He pushed the Green Shield personnel folder across the desk for Alex to read, and saw his eyes stop where he’d expected.

Alex slid the folder back and stood up, his face like stone. ‘Yes, I see. I need to go now.’

‘Sit down. She’s okay. I spoke to Alfred Beadman at GBR — you remember him? He tells me her job down there will be wrapped up in the next few weeks, and she’s not in any danger. But I reckoned with her involved, you’d like to oversee this one personally. You leave in twenty-four hours.’

‘Sir, I can be there in twenty-four hours.’

Alex began to pace the office and Hammerson could tell what was happening. He was feeling frustration, which would soon build to anger, and then … Hammerson knew he needed to bring him down, quickly.

‘Sit down, soldier, that’s an order. Beadman’s talking to her daily, and I’ve recalibrated a VELA satellite so we can have a little look-see. You need to be—’

‘No! We need to go in right now. She’s in trouble — I can feel it.’ One of Alex’s hands had curled into a fist.

‘Arcadian!’

At the shout of his codename, Alex stopped pacing, shook his head slightly and rubbed one of his temples. Another headache, I bet, thought Hammerson. He watched the HAWC for a few more moments, assessing him. He was on edge … volatile.

‘When was your last visit to Medical Division?’ he asked.

‘Ah … three weeks ago. I’m due back again at the end of the month.’

Hammerson nodded. He had already known the answer before he’d asked the question. ‘Anything interesting? What did Captain Graham have to say?’

Alex fell back into his chair and exhaled. ‘Same as usual — the migraines should ease off eventually — nothing to worry about. Gave me some stronger codeine; some sedatives for the nights if I feel I need them.’ He held his hands up in a brief gesture of resignation or weariness. ‘He gave me some shots, took more blood, looked pleased with the latest scans of my brain — didn’t say why. I asked again about the unusual physical manifestations, the accelerating extra-sensory symptoms. He reckoned they might slow down, stop or even reverse at any time. Said I should be patient.’

Alex looked directly into Hammerson’s eyes and gave him a lopsided grin. He shook his head very slightly as he said, ‘They’re not slowing down, Jack. What happens if they never stop? What will I become?’

Hammerson sat in silence. He knew there was more the younger man wanted to say.

Alex rubbed one hand across his forehead, then back up through his hair. ‘Fact is, I can take the pills, spend my nights in a drugged stupor, visit Medical once a month for the treatments, and every week something still changes inside me. I’m not sure I even remember what it’s like to be normal anymore.’

Hammerson knew that Alex had been questioning his treatments for some time now. Many times he had asked for leave to get a second opinion — and every time he had been denied. Whatever was happening to Alex Hunter could never be discussed with anyone else, anytime, anywhere. That sort of information could cause someone to … disappear.

Hammerson also knew that Alex’s relationship with Aimee had ended because of his physical and psychological changes; and the sight of her name on that list had obviously made the raw memories come flooding back. Normally the Hammer wouldn’t give a damn for any of his soldiers’ relationships — they rarely lasted anyway; after all, who wanted to date someone who couldn’t tell them what they did, where they went, and sometimes came home all busted up … or not at all? Aimee Weir had been different. She knew about Alex, and had seen firsthand what he was capable of. Hammerson doubted she’d ever stopped loving Alex, but she couldn’t bear knowing that eventually he was likely to hurt someone outside of the job, maybe even kill them. She had blamed Hammerson, as Alex’s commander, and had called Alex ‘Hammerson’s Frankenstein monster’. If only she knew how close that description comes to being fact, he thought now.

‘I think I really should get a second opinion,’ Alex was saying. ‘Even another military doc would do. Look, Jack, what happens if we stop the treatments … just for, say, three months? If something started to go wrong, anything, I’d tell you immediately. I give you my word.’

Alex held out one open hand, as though offering something to Hammerson.

Hammerson knew Alex was prepared to take a risk on ending up back in a coma, but he wasn’t. All that would achieve would be to shorten his time to the dissection table — and Hammerson was miles away from allowing that to ever happen. He wasn’t so worried about what Alex would eventually become, or longer-term effects. His concern was that he knew the Medical Division had other, more finite plans for his soldier.

‘A second opinion? Not necessary, son. I know Bob Graham — he’s the best there is. I trust him, and so should you. He saved your life, Alex. I’ve seen the medical data; without the treatments, you know damn well you could lapse back into a coma, or die.’ He sat forward. ‘Is that what you want?’

‘No …’

‘Do you think that’s what Aimee would want?’

‘No.’

Hammerson hated himself for his manipulation of Alex. Fact was, he already knew what Aimee wanted: a second medical opinion for Alex — one not influenced by the military. But he had played this game with Alex before; and he would continue to play it for as long as was necessary.

‘Believe me when I say this, Alex: I understand the changes could slow and uniformity may be regained. You could be back to normal, be—’

‘NO!’

Alex leapt to his feet, his fist raised. He brought it down like a sledgehammer on the edge of Hammerson’s heavy oak desk, shearing off a large chunk.

Hammerson sat immobile, looking at the damage to the thick wood, then back up to his soldier. Alex slowly raised his hand, showing the smashed knuckles and broken metacarpal bones. As Hammerson watched, the skin moved as the bones slid beneath the flesh. The knuckles popped back into place, and Alex flexed his fingers — good as new.

‘Back to normal, Jack? Is that really what you believe?’Alex looked into Hammerson’s eyes and held them.

The colonel knew Alex was trying to read him. He cleared his mind, kept his face impassive, didn’t breathe or even swallow. He just waited.

Alex’s brow furrowed and he dropped his gaze. He sank back down into his chair. ‘Sorry, it’s not your fault. I guess I’m just … not … thinking clearly …’ He trailed off.

Hammerson exhaled and felt a bead of perspiration run down beside his ear. ‘It’s okay, Alex; you’ll be fine. You’re getting the best medical assistance in the world. Just go with it for now. The aggression is being monitored, and your physical capabilities have meant you’ve been able to save a hell of a lot of lives. Think of it as a gift, not a