Helix Nexus, Chris Lofts [best android ereader .txt] 📗

‘You can speak to them if you like. Toggle the microphone icon in the bottom right corner. The link is encrypted. Government grade. Nobody can snoop.’

‘Christina?’ Lytkin said, her voice echoing in the half-light of the image on screen.

‘Mum?’ the daughter replied. ‘Mum. What’s going on?’ she said, thumbing her tear-streaked cheek. ‘Who was that guy? He’s planted—’

‘It’s OK, darling. Stay calm. Keep still. Let me handle—’

‘To borrow from Major Helix’s vernacular, I would say he has us by the short and curlies, Ulyana,’ Wheeler said, his voice heavy with defeat. ‘I was just explaining to—’

‘Shut up, Justin! You’re hardly in a position to negotiate.’

‘Negotiate?’ Wheeler scoffed, stretching one of his legs.

The board lurched. Christina screamed out. ‘Mum!’

‘It’s OK, it’s OK.’ Wheeler held his hands up. ‘Just stretching.’

Lytkin turned to face Helix. ‘Negotiate.’

Helix nodded. ‘I’m listening.’

‘Release my daughter.’

‘Release your daughter, and…’ Helix raised his eyebrows.

‘And we’ll talk.’

‘We can talk now,’ Helix replied, poking his ear.

‘It’s over, Ulyana,’ Wheeler called out. ‘I told you it was lunacy. That you’d never pull it off. But you wouldn’t listen.’

‘Yes, and like so many others, Justin, you underestimated me,’ Lytkin returned. ‘I have everything I need. Here. Now.’

‘But at what cost? How high a price are you prepared to pay?’ Wheeler sighed. ‘You’re too blind to see defeat when it’s staring you in the face, Ulyana. You can kill the Helix brothers, take Gabrielle’s blood, re-engineer the pathogen…’ He brushed dust from the sleeves of his shirt. ‘What then? You and Gaia—’

‘Shut up, you fool.’

‘No. Please continue, Chancellor,’ Helix said.

‘Chancellor? Thank you for restoring me, Major. It was only a matter of time. All part of the plan. You see—’

Lytkin clamped her hands to her head. ‘Justin, I’m warning you.’

‘Be quiet, Ulyana. I’ve already told Christina everything. It was quite cathartic. I thought it important for her to know who her mummy really is.’ He smiled. ‘I’m sure you would have got around to it, but it seems you might not have time now.’

‘Mum? Is it true?’ Christina asked. ‘What were you thinking?’

Helix made a mental note to check the recordings later. But what the hell was Wheeler talking about?

‘Don’t listen to him, sweetheart,’ said Lytkin, staring at her shoes. She turned, one hand on her hip, the other on her head. ‘He’s an idiot.’

‘Ha. But not too much of an idiot to be at your side when you executed your coup d’état.’ Wheeler gritted his teeth. ‘When you unleash the pathogen in Parliament, safe in the knowledge that legislation you steered onto the statute books would see you anointed. Installed as the dear leader with a small cohort of immune sycophants, imbued with tyrannical power and blessed by Gaia.’

Helix frowned. What was Wheeler’s play? Would Lytkin come quietly? He doubted it. He bounced the possibilities around in his head. Gabrielle was safe. He had to get Ethan and Sofi out of there. Wheeler and the kid? Wheeler – halo-confinement. Lytkin and Archer the same. The kid would have to take her chances with social services.

‘Cat got your tongue, Major?’ Wheeler said. ‘Not like you to be lost for words.’

‘You can’t talk your way out of this one,’ Helix said, addressing Lytkin. ‘It’s time.’ He parted his feet. ‘Release Gabrielle, me and Ethan. Once you and Archer are inside one of the empty cells, I’ll make the arrangements to have you taken into custody. I’ll also have Wheeler taken into custody and your daughter released. It’s over.’

Wheeler cleared his throat. ‘Halo-confinement?’ he said, fidgeting around on the plank. ‘Is that your best offer, Major?’

Grabbing onto the plank with both hands, Christina screamed again, her arms shaking, knuckles white.

‘It’s too good for you, but it’ll have to do,’ Helix said. ‘I’d sit still if I were you.’ He switched his eyes to Lytkin. ‘Open this cell. Now.’

‘No,’ she said. Defiant. Brimming with hate.

‘Open your fucking eyes!’ Helix barked. ‘You’ve less than 40 minutes. ‘Kill Gabrielle, kill me, kill Ethan and your daughter dies. Wheeler dies. The country will know who and what you are.’

‘I’ve made sacrifices before, Major,’ Lytkin replied, stalking towards Sofi. ‘I can do it again.’

‘Mum?’ Christina said, trapping a sob in her throat. ‘What are you doing? Mum, please!’ she screamed.

Wheeler was up on his feet, balanced on the plank, hands aloft, like a Greek performing a Sirtaki. ‘Hi-diddle-dee-dee, it’s halo-confinement for me,’ he sung but without the gaiety and optimism of the original song.

Helix glowered at the screen. What the fuck was he doing? ‘Wheeler—’

‘Are, there you are, Major. I’ve considered your offer.’

‘Sit down, you idiot.’

Wheeler fixed his eyes on the camera. ‘I told you what happens in halo-confinement, didn’t I?’ he said, the banter and bravado of a few moments ago absent. ‘And with nobody to commute my sentence, I’m not so sure it’s for me.’

‘Too bad,’ Helix said. ‘I don’t have anything else to offer.’

‘Oh but you do.’ He edged around on the plank. ‘I’m sorry, Christina. I’ve lost. Everything is gone. My career, my reputation, my liberty.’ He glanced over his shoulder. ‘My wife. It was—’

‘Justin!’ Lytkin screamed, rushing back to the screen. ‘What are you doing?’ she pleaded, her hands clasping her hair.

‘I’m sorry, Ulyana. It was fun while it lasted,’ he said, closing his eyes.

In the moment before the blinding flash, Wheeler could be seen, arms held out as he fell backwards from the plank. Static filled the screens. A primordial scream filled the air. Helix clamped his hands to his head, his eyes wide.

Lytkin ripped her hair from its fastenings. Dropping to her knees, she hammered the floor with her fists. Narrowing her eyes on Helix, she got slowly to her feet. She turned, her eyes fixed on Sofi. One slow step led to another before she broke into a run, launching herself at the AI still immobilised in the operating chair. ‘I’ll kill you first,’ Lytkin spat, leaning across, her hands around Sofi’s throat.

All Helix could do was watch. This was it.

The sinews of Sofi’s prosthetic skin, muscles and endoskeleton strained as