Creative Writing: Blood Brothers

A loud noise awakened both men. They jumped up, alert, ready to attack.
Kamryn stood inside the room with her back to the door, holding a metal pot in one hand, a large spoon in the other. “If either of you ever lifts a hand to the other, I will shoot the one left standing.”
They nodded, avoiding eye contact.
Kamryn banged the pot a half dozen more times as they grabbed their heads with both hands. “You each get a five-minute shower. We have new intel. There’s food in the kitchen.” She sneered at them on the way out.
Mark hurried to the shower, intent on getting his share of the hot water. The steam washed away his aches and pains, finishing with a chilly rinse to rejuvenate his nervous system. He dried, dressed, found Axel waiting when he opened the door. They grasped each other's forearms like two male warriors after a conflict, bumping shoulders in passing, which amounted to an unspoken reconciliation between brothers.
A moment later, Axel shouted, “No hot water.”
Mark

chuckled, but it hurt, so he stifled it, which hurt even worse. The game of one-upmanship was on again with Mark winning this round. He joined the others, helped himself to coffee along with a plateful of what might pass for bacon and eggs. It wasn’t. By adding brandy to his coffee, he hoped to choke it down. The recuperative powers of Marks’s shower were being replaced by a small irritating headache.
Axel walked in looking clean-shaven, bright-eyed, ready for action. “What’s the new intel?” He started devouring a plate of the same food Mark found less than appetizing
“Governor Bryant has made a full confession,” Petra said, tapping her screen. “He admitted Valerie Parker extorted his cooperation in exchange for not harming his son.”
Axel stared at her. “He’s a politician. How do we know he’s telling the truth?”
“He was haloed for two hours.”
Axel wouldn’t let it go. “Again, are we sure he wasn’t lying?”
Petra looked at Mark. “When you were haloed, could you have lied?”
“No, but I was drugged.”
With a smug grin, she said, “Everyone is.”
Axel swallowed the last mouthful.

“Two hours under a halo and that’s all?”
“Oh, there’s more. To begin with, in the next forty-eight hours Valerie’s planning to take control of Mars with a league of backers in every dome to help her do it. Bryant thinks her plans include a ‘super hacker’ she’s paid millions to with clones as a bonus. Here’s the kicker: He’s also certain he heard her talk about using Mars as a springboard to continue her mother’s plans to colonize Europa.”
“No, no, no,” Mark groaned. “I thought it ended when I killed Coulter.” Mark dropped his head into his hands, the throbbing in his temples escalating. “Where’s Ohashi?”
“She is so pissed.” Petra snorted. “Locked herself in the bedroom to hunt for this super hacker. You know she has this whole I’m-better-than-thou thing going, right?”
Kamryn walked in as Mark splashed more brandy in his cup. She scowled at him.
“It’s a painkiller. Medicinal.” He gulped it down and growled. “Petra, what about Clay Bryant, Scarlett, and

Rushing?”
“First, all the humans apprehended in the raid were interrogated, not just the Governor. Clay’s been cleared. He was ignorant of his father’s involvement in Parker’s scheme. However, the women’s presence undermined the TMD’s achievement of capturing a ship, cyborgs, guns, and mercs. Word has it both women fought like hell against being subjected to interrogation. The final decision came from General Dimitrios. He said, ‘interrogation, or stockade and interrogation, your choice.’ The results proved neither of them had clearance to go undercover. Scarlett’s manner of acquiring rank is also under investigation; she may lose her commission. Rushing may not lose any rank, but there’s little chance she’ll make general, which means she’s ready to kill whoever she finds to blame for her mistake. As yet, none of them is aware we were involved in the raid.”