Rising Tomorrow (Roc de Chere Book 1) by Mariana Morgan (essential reading txt) 📕

‘They do it inside my VRPs, don’t they?’ Eloise asked in a small voice, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her blanket.

‘Yes,’ Gonzalez replied. ‘In fact, they do it because of the VRPs. When you hammer someone as hard as the military did with its recruits during the Freedom Wars, you quickly end up culling not only the physically weak but also the psychologically weak, but VR changed all that. It doesn’t take long to learn to enjoy the comforts of simulated training and properly maintained n-suits that will protect you from permanent injury or trauma. The knowledge that nano-medicine can heal all but the most dire cases makes a person complacent. The nano-hells prevent that. They mess with your head and stop you relying on that safety net. They make everything feel real. And if reality isn’t scary enough, the drugs can be used to further increase the perceived danger and stress levels.

‘And before you ask, yes, I am old enough to have experienced the Q9 and PX-47 mix during my basic training. I was halfway through my Special Forces training when Q9 was banned. Though it is worth mentioning that making it officially illegal protected only the Elite, not the Leeches. The reason Q9 is unlikely to be used on Leech recruits nowadays is that the Alliance no longer has the insatiable hunger for human cannon fodder it had during the Freedom Wars. Though I bet you that every Leech training camp still has some in stock.’

‘So, cupcake,’ Ingram interjected, sounding more like herself, sarcasm and all, ‘are you done whining and bitching about your own fate? Because really, taking all that into consideration, it would be damn rude of you to not be grateful for our first-class medical facilities and the care you have received.’

‘Grateful?’ Eloise whispered, too confused to think straight. ‘You want me to be grateful? Should Megan be grateful as well?’ She regretted the words the moment they left her mouth, but it was too late.

Ingram reacted instinctively, both hands shooting out to grab Gonzalez’s wrist just in time. She struggled for a second to keep hold, but then the man relaxed.

‘I’m not going to do that again.’ Ingram glared at Eloise. ‘Next time you dare to accuse the colonel of being responsible for what happened to Megan, I won’t stop him from punching you. I will help him. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.’

Eloise swallowed hard. She wasn’t even sure why she was scared. After what had happened last night, being knocked out by a right cross sounded almost heavenly. No conscious thoughts meant no agonising over what happened at Wagner’s residence and no grisly images involving Q9 and PX-47. But one look at Gonzalez’s eyes made her think twice. His desire for revenge was so strong she could almost touch it. Anyone who could talk about his own torture and abuse with such calmness was a dangerous man to be watched out for.

Without a word, Gonzalez turned and left, unwilling to trust himself to control his rage for much longer. Halfway down the hall he punched a wall, something cracking in his hand. And then he punched it again, and he continued punching it until searing pain blinded him. Finally, some self-preservation instinct took over. Growling in pain, he rested his forehead on the wall, breathing heavily.

***

Inside the medical room, Ingram took a couple of slow breaths, willing the other woman to keep quiet for her own sake.

Ironically, there had been something oddly reassuring about being a Leech sergeant for the past few weeks. She was able to let her fury rise and lash out, knowing that the colonel was there to keep her in check. But not anymore. She had accepted the responsibilities of being back as his second-in-command and she had to act like it. The colonel needed her to be level-headed, especially now, and she sighed loudly, forcing the rage back under tight control.

‘Ms Moretti, get up, have a shower and then eat. Tilly has finished her analysis of what we retrieved from Wagner’s account. We have been sifting through what she flagged as high priority, but I want you to double-check how Tilly prioritised the information and see if we are missing anything.’ When the Elite woman didn’t move, she barked, ‘Now!’ and turned her attention to Rivas. ‘Raymond, run your hand through the Medibot—let’s make sure the cartilage and ligaments are fixed—and then join me in the security room.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ The lieutenant nodded. It was funny, in some distant way, how he feared and respected Major Toscano in equal measure. He could no longer even think of her as Sergeant Carlotta Ingram, even though nothing tangible had changed.

‘Ma’am?’ Eloise raised her eyebrow inquisitively after Ingram left the room. ‘Did the mighty DCI Gonzalez bust your ass while I was out cold?’

‘The colonel,’ Rivas replied, ‘did not bust my ass. Major Toscano was and continues to be my superior officer, regardless of her undercover persona, and as such can give me orders that I am duty bound to obey.’ It wasn’t strictly correct, but it was good enough for him.

‘Whatever,’ Eloise said, working her legs free from underneath the blanket. She was just about to criticise the stupidity of military organisation and blind obedience to orders when she realised she wasn’t even in the military and yet was on her way to blindly follow Ingram’s order herself.

Dammit.

Feet on the floor, she paused, considering something intently.

‘Is the colonel going to kill me when this is all over?’ she asked.

‘What?’ Rivas spun around to face her.

‘Is the colonel going to kill me when this is all over?’ she repeated, their eyes locking.

‘I heard you the first time. What I meant—Why would you say that? Of course he isn’t!’

Tears prickled in Eloise’s eyes again, and she wiped them angrily with the back of her hand.

‘I’m scared,’ she whispered, idly wondering just how she had ended up in Rivas’