Without any warning of his intention, Placido launched himself at Rick, who didn’t seem to register the danger he was in. Too late, he tried to scream, but it was cut off when the scalpel stabbed viciously into his jugular. He staggered back against the wall of the storage unit, and the girl shrieked, covered her mouth, and scrambled away. Rick leaned against the wall for a moment before he slid down, his hands clutched around his throat.
Tai tried to fight and attacked Placido before he could turn on him. The exotech slammed his knee into his attacker’s groin, and the medic doubled over. He raised the scalpel, drove it viciously into Tai’s head, and dragged it down his face as the man screamed. The agonized cry faded, and Placido released the scalpel and let the body fall. He looked at the girl.
“You brought him here,” he said, his voice low and venomous. “You were the one who brought him here, weren’t you? You trapped him.”
“I-it wasn’t m-my fault,” she pleaded. “Eddy made me. H-he threatened me.”
“Gin is… Because of you, he is…” His voice began to break and he shook his head, walked over to her, and moved his hand to her throat.
“Placido…please stop,” a weary voice said behind him. He turned, and Gin stretched a shaking hand toward him.
“Gin!” he cried, and clasped his friend’s hand. “I’ll call the medbay. They’ll fix you. I promise I’ll—”
The ace gave him a small, soft smile, then his eyes closed and his chest stopped moving as his hand went limp in Placido’s grasp. He tightened his grip on Gin’s hand before he released it. Numb and resolute, he picked Eddy’s knife up, stared at it for a moment, and then looked at the girl.
“Placido…” He turned. Inigo stood at the entrance, face pale and mouth agape. The next moments were a blur. He pushed past the decker and sprinted to the edge of the dock. The only thought that drummed in his brain was that he couldn’t be there anymore. A red flash in his oculars confirmed that his EI had sent an alarm to the faculty. He whipped the device out and removed the EI chip from it. Poised on the edge of the pier, he held it briefly in his hand before he let it fall and crushed it under his heel.
Placido leapt into the bay and swam maniacally toward the forests that surrounded it. He made it to shore and turned to see several scout ships take off. They were coming for him already. He ran deeper into the forest.
After several hours, his body gave out, and he collapsed near a tree to drag in deep breaths as his muscles tensed up. Something dug into him when he sat, and he fumbled in his pants pocket to pull it out. His heart thudded as he stared numbly at a knife—the one used to kill Gin. He must have pocketed it when he ran away from Inigo.
Placido traced his fingers over the bloody blade and flinched when he cut himself. He hurled it into the underbrush and curled into himself. The rain began to fall as he trembled and rocked on the forest floor.
Chapter Three
“Worst fucking day of my life,” Gin muttered and slid Macha back into its sheath. “I had a few bad ones before then and a few after, but nothing comes close to that.”
His companion placed a vape stick in her mouth.
“Do you like those things?” the killer asked, regarding the device with mild curiosity. “I never touch them myself. I knew a guy who always seemed to have one in his mouth. He was the one who set this whole ball rolling for me.”
It had been three months since the incident, and Placido had been able to make his way back home. Well, at least to Los Angeles, the city he was from, although he couldn’t go to his actual home. They would definitely be waiting for him by now; he’d seen enough to confirm that he was a wanted man. He moved the brim of his hat down as he walked out of the market, a few bags in hand as he made his way back to the building he currently squatted in.
Wearily, he placed the bag on the nightstand he had found in the alley and sank into a rickety chair to hold his head in his hands. What could he do now? He had been like this ever since his return. The disguises wouldn’t protect him forever. He had buzzed his hair down to almost a shaved look, wore contacts and sunglasses, and even had his ears pierced, but he couldn’t run forever, could he?
He took a pear from the bag and bit into it. His prospects were bleak, to say the least. He contemplated turning himself in, but that was pointless. Honestly, he felt no remorse. They all deserved it. Eddy, Rick, and Tai had all deserved to die for what they did. They were all responsible.
Frustration ate at him, as always. He should have been there. Gin should have told him about…whatever it was. Placido took another bite of the pear before he stood and hurled it at the wall in anger. He walked to the nightstand and opened the drawer to retrieve a knife with a five-inch blade. His gaze dispassionate, he studied it for a moment before he raised it slowly to his neck. It scraped against his throat, and he held his breath as he tried to will himself to slice it through his flesh. He had done it to Eddy but couldn’t do it for himself.
Frustration mixed with disappointment as he lowered the blade and exhaled before he stepped back and dropped into the chair. He sat motionless for a while before he raised the knife slowly, ready to throw it down.
A commotion outside distracted him. He first thought he should simply ignore it. The building was dilapidated, and it was probably only scavengers. They wouldn’t bother him once they saw he had nothing to steal. He glanced at the bags from the market and remembered that he did have food. That might be enough for them to start trouble.
Placido pushed quietly from the chair and walked over to the doorway, where he knelt and peeked out at a trio of men across the hall. They didn’t seem to have any intention of ransacking the little that was left, which was interesting since he had been able to sell some of the items he had found for a few hundred credits.
Instead, they seemed to search for something in particular as another man emerged from one of the rooms and shook his head. “I’m not sure he’s here,” the newcomer muttered.
“We’ve only checked half the building. He couldn’t have gotten far,” another stated as he turned quickly. The flashlight on his helmet almost caught Placido, but he managed to duck back behind the wall in time.
“We still have a few rooms left. Should we split up?”
“Against that crazy bastard? Hell, no,” one of them spat. “That’s asking for a blade to the eye.”
“Then let’s move on to the next. Keep your eyes peeled. He might try to vanish while we’re looking around.”
Placido moved to the corner of his room and gripped the knife tightly in his hand. He looked at the broken window across the room. Maybe he should try to get away? He wasn’t sure who these men were, but they didn’t seem to be looking for him. From the sounds of it, they were already in pursuit of someone, but he was a wanted man now. They would probably see it as a bonus, especially if they didn’t find their target.
He froze and looked up as loose rubble fell from the ceiling, and his heart skipped a beat. A man was attached to the ceiling of his room—how had he gotten there? He was clad in dark armor, but pieces of the suit were cracked and visible indents covered the chest, shoulders, and legs. He looked down and placed a finger where his mouth would be, except that the bottom half of his face was covered by a mask. His gray eyes were visible, however, and stared at him in cold warning.
One of the mercs walked into the room and looked around for a moment before he caught sight of Placido.
“Who the hell are—”
The man on the ceiling dropped, caught the merc around the neck, and snapped it in one swift movement. He laid the body down and drew a blade as a second merc stepped through the doorway. The stranger drove the knife into the merc’s neck, and the victim made a rough gurgling noise before he collapsed.
The killer walked away from the body and exited the room and Placido, shaking in shock, focused on the sounds of a scuffle. The third merc was likely the next victim, although he seemed to at least be fighting back. Placido simply froze. He didn’t know if he shou
ld consider himself lucky or not and supposed it would depend on whether the man came back to finish him off, so as to leave no witnesses.
A boot slid over the floor, and a gun clicked. He dragged his gaze to what he assumed was the fourth merc, who stood directly outside the room, his gun at the ready but not aimed at him.
“Hands up, Kilian,” he ordered in a tense growl.
A laugh sounded before something heavy dropped. “It’s gonna be like that, eh? I’m not sure if you wanna look around, but no help is coming.”
“I don’t need help. I have enough right here.” The merc waved his gun. “As for them, I’ll hire a new crew with what I’ll get once I turn your head in.”
“Ain’t that ironical? I’m probably worth more than I actually have,” Kilian mused. “But you won’t get a cred today.”
“You won’t escape.”
“I had no plans to. After all, you need to be chased to escape.” He chuckled again. “No one will follow me tonight, boyo.”
The merc fired, and a red light hurtled from the barrel of his gun and struck something Placido couldn’t see from his vantage point. “Do you think you can dodge that? This is one of the fastest guns on the market,” the bounty hunter threatened. “ You come with me, and I’ll only wing ya a few times to keep you in line. You are worth more alive than dead.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” Kilian smiled. “I would be right grateful should I get a bit of a hand here.”
Placido startled as the insinuation took root. He looked at his knife as the merc took a couple of steps forward. “You don’t have the creds to offer to get me to help you out.”
“That wasn’t my thought at all,” the fugitive retorted. Placido gripped the blade firmly in his hand and peeked around the corner. The merc stood with his back to him. He wore a helmet, but his neck was exposed. Still, Placido hesitated. The reality was that he was in enough trouble and should stay out of it, but against his better judgment, he glanced at the stranger, who smiled at him. To the merc, it would look like a cocky smirk, but to Placido, it seemed warm.
He straightened and snuck forward as the merc reached one hand behind him to retrieve a pair of cuffs. Placido shoved his hesitation aside, grabbed the man by the neck, and pulled back. The bounty hunter yelled in surprise and fired his gun into the air as the blade sank deep into his neck. The man continued to fight with all he had left in him and tried to strike at his assailant with his free hand. Kilian joined the fray and thrust a long blade into the flesh beside the one that protruded, Placido’s hand still gripping the hilt. Blood poured down the merc’s chest, and a few droplets splashed on the attackers. He went limp, and they released the body as one. Kilian freed his blade casually, but Placido let go of his in shock as the body tumbled.
The fugitive laughed and wiped his blade with a handkerchief—one that seemed to be nearly useless now since it was covered in dried blood. Placido looked from the bodies to Kilian, who simply grinned and took a drag on a vape stick. A small white light glowed at the tip. “Good moves there, sonny,” he complimented, and exhaled a stream of vapor. “Do you have a name?”
“P-P-Placido” he answered, his voice a choked whisper.
“Hmm? Speak up, now. No one else will hear ya.” Kilian kicked the merc’s body. “Obviously.”
“P-Placido, sir,” he answered again. His heart beat rapidly, and yet, strangely, he didn’t feel like he was in any danger.
“Plah-see-dough? Hmm, a bit of a twister, I think. I’ll stick with ‘sonny’ for now. I’m sure there’s no need for formalities and all.”
Placido looked at the bodies. “This…does seem like it’s not a very civilized environment, I suppose.”
The man laughed boisterously. “You have that right, sonny, but even without the bodies decorating the place, it’s not exactly the height of comfortable living here.”
“I suppose you are right,” Placido conceded.
“Eh, sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of ya.”
He waved a hand. “It’s all right. It’s not really my place, just the closest thing to home I have for now.”
Kilian stroked his chin. He took out a glowstick and snapped it, and after it lit, he raised it to better illuminate the room. Placido could see his face properly now without the mask. He was pale-skinned, and the suggestion of a beard had formed around his face like he hadn’t shaved in a few days. His hair was long and brown and caught in a single braid that started from the middle of his forehead and wound to the back of his head.
“Hey, you look familiar.” He studied Placido with his piercing gray eyes.
He tensed instinctively. If he figured out who he was, would he turn him in?
The older man snapped his fingers. “You’re that kid they’re looking for, aren’t ya? The one who killed some of the kids at that fancy school in Washington?”
Placido didn’t answer, simply focused his gaze on the floor.
“I knew there had to be something. That strike wasn’t a fumble or a lucky trick. You’ve had a little practice.”
“That wasn’t what… I’m not…” He looked at Kilian and scowled. He didn’t have to defend himself to this man, who was probably worse than he was. “They deserved it.”
Silence descended between the two of them for a moment. Kilian walked up to Placido, who immediately tensed, expecting an attack. Before he could move, the man placed an arm on his shoulder. “I’m sure they did. I’ve learned that there are a few too many people in this world who stay breathing when they shouldn’t. I don’t see any lies in your eyes. You didn’t do it for pleasure.” He leaned in. “I’ll bet it felt that way, though.”
Placido didn’t know how to feel. Did he really want to relate to this man? But a part of him did agree. When he’d looked back on it over the months he had been in hiding, the shock of that day had eventually gone away. The sadness of losing Gin had dulled, but a new emotion—joy—replaced it. A new feeling, satisfaction, had settled in since then.
“You know, I wasn’t lying when I said I would be grateful for some help. I’m glad you picked up on that,” Kilian stated, stood back, and stroked his chin. “I had planned to offer you a bauble you could sell for some creds, but I see something interesting in ya.” He looked away for a moment as if debating with himself. “This might be a bit of a leap, but I have needed a little help and looked for a project of some kind.”
“What are you talking about?” Placido asked, now at ease, his tension replaced by confusion.
Kilian smiled and nodded. “My guess is that you used to be a student at that academy?”
“Not anymore.”
“No doubt.” He laughed and shook his head. “But that means you had planned to go into a trade. With that out of the picture, you could be in the market for a new line of work. How would you like to join me?”
Placido frowned. He felt that he should yell, ‘No!’ but seemed unable to voice the protest. Instead, something stirred within him as he considered the proposal. “What… What do you do, exactly?”
The man’s smile widened. “Something that will let you have that feeling much more often.” He extended his hand for Placido to take. “So, will you join me, sonny?”
Chapter Four
“I took his hand and never looked back. That was probably the beginning of how I came to be…well, me. If the events at the Academy were the fuse, this was the bang.” Placido looked at the device on his table and sighed. “Wow, this was supposed to be in a completed state? Good God, how are you supposed to do anything efficiently when it takes this long to work?” He looked at his companion. “Thanks for being so patient. I didn’t expect it to take this long.”
She simply nodded nervously and took another drag of her vape stick.
Placido sighed once more. “I mentioned that I never touch those things. Despite the claim that they are safe, it all depends on what you put in them.” He leaned forward. “I spent a few years with Kilian and learned from him when we went out on gigs. I was able t
o not only learn a new craft but get a new life. In time, I broke out of my shell—metamorphosized, you might say.”
He looked at a painting of Earth on the wall. “But all good things come to an end. My time with Kilian was probably the last long-term relationship I had. Well, at least where the other person didn’t want me dead. And for all the good things he taught me, and all the help and wisdom he gave me…” Placido tapped his fingers on the desk he sat on. “He was also the one who signed me up with those imbeciles, the Star Killers.”
Kilian coughed into his handkerchief and tossed it on the desk as he took another drag from his vape stick.
“So, for all the people after you, it’s the Megafire company that claims your head, huh?” Placido challenged as he cleaned his blade.
“I think I liked you better when you were quiet,” Kilian muttered, only partially joking.
“Hey, you were the one who said I should find the brighter side of things,” he countered with a smile. Satisfied that the blade was clean, he set it down and walked over to Kilian, who was seated in a large chair.
“Yeah? And you’ve found the bright side to this?” the older man asked.
“I’ve found the irony, at least.”
His mentor chuckled and shook his head. “Are you finished with the blades?”
“All sharpened and polished, at least the ones I can do that with.” He looked at another desk. “I guess I can go over the plasma blades and electric batons if you want.”
“Nah, I’ve given you enough busywork.” Kilian leaned back in his chair. “I’ve actually got something for ya if you’re interested.”
“Another gig?” Placido asked and sat opposite him.
“Of a sort, but more a new position, actually.” He pointed to the tablet on the small circular table in front of them. Placido picked it up and turned it on. “I have a contact, an old friend of mine, who put together a pirate outfit a few years back. They are doing good business now, but he’s looking for some neck-cutters. You have a penchant for that.”
Animus Boxed Set 2 (Books 5-8): Revenant, Glitch, Master, Infiltration Page 22
