The bounty hunter looked down, his face expressionless. “Goodbye Gin.”
“No speech? Nothing clever after all this time?” the killer asked. He sounded disappointed, his voice much shallower, but his smile never wavered. Magellan said nothing and merely studied him impassively. Gin’s vision began to darken.
“Funny, all this began with the death of a friend,” he said with a weak cough. “And a different kind of friend ends it.” He gazed into the distance in the direction of the Academy. A flash of recognition flitted briefly in his eye before his smile vanished to be replaced by a look of sorrow. “Sorry, Gin, didn’t listen.” With one final breath, his body stiffened, and the revenant was no more.
Chapter Twenty-Five
In a darkened lodge nestled in a forest in England, a bloodied body lay face-down on a table, her meal half eaten and her unclosed eyes wide with realization and fear. A man leaned against the doorframe of the main entrance, studied the gory scene, and sighed before his voice hitched in a stifled chuckle.
“I never thought you would go out so mundanely, Adela. Honestly, I always thought you would be one of those melodramatic, crying-to-the-moon types. You always dressed like you were headed to a ball only you were invited to. I really thought you would be slightly more entertaining.”
He approached the corpse and flipped it. The body rolled heavily, and he unlatched a silver necklace and grimaced as he lifted it from the pools of red beneath her.
“Well, damn, those little nanos really do a number, don’t they? They are great for a silent kill, but they certainly don’t leave a pretty corpse, do they?” He snickered.
Unsurprisingly, the corpse did not respond.
“I didn’t bring any flowers with me, but I can give you one last parting gift. A proper cremation.” He stood, drew a red handkerchief from his vest pocket, and used it to shroud the necklace. Meticulously, he folded the handkerchief and slid it back into his pocket before he walked out of the lodge. As soon as he stepped out the front door, he pressed a button on the device in his pocket and the building erupted in flame behind him. He walked down the path deeper into the forest as the conflagration began to engulf the trees and flora around him. Unperturbed, his pace measured and calm, he took his oculars out and selected a contact.
“Good evening, good sir, it’s Dario. I felt I should be the one to inform you of our dear Adela’s passing. No surprise? Really, that seems a little harsh, I think, even if you were the one to order it. She could be a little snappy, but she played her part well. I always thought you had a soft spot for a good performance… Well yes, her babbling was a problem, but I still think she could have… Oh, really? Already replaced? And her funds? Oh, well, good for us.”
The blaze grew larger and now consumed the forest at a rapid rate. Dario Salvo frowned as he adjusted the angle of his oculars.
“Yes, I understand. However…what? Yeah, it’s a little loud over here. I can’t really hear you. Oh, fine, ruin my fun.”
He held a device up and pressed it and, in a few moments, his cloaked craft hovered above him. A button on his belt launched him to the ship and he activated his EI on the computer.
“Good evening, master. Was it a success?”
“Indeed it was, Falco. Please take me to the home in Manila. I have a call.”
“At once, sir.”
Dario sat in the lounge of his ship. “There you go. Better? You know me. Causing a calamity is my way of having fun. Well, yes, a blaze in a private area does indeed have a way of making itself known.” He poured himself a glass of wine. “I’m not back-talking, merely pointing out the flaws. The nanos did their job but do you really think that wouldn’t be suspicious? They already are? Who’s they? Well then, more fun for us—or me, if you’re too busy.
“Although I have to say, it has been too long since you and I have simply enjoyed a night on the town. You’ll be caught up in the busywork of all this.” He kicked his feet up and smiled. “I think, if you intend to continue with your role of shadowy overlord, I should find someone else to keep me company. How about that Gin fellow? I know he killed Zubanz, but I never liked him and that means there is a spot open. He seems to be the right kind of… Oh, he’s dead? He was alive an hour ago. That fast, huh?”
In the distance, alarms blared, and several patrol flyers rocketed past his craft, none the wiser. Dario took another sip as the man on the other end told him of Gin’s fate.
“Well, damn, that’s a waste. Double-teamed by a Scandinavian giant and a Sauren—saucy!” He chuckled and fell silent as he listened. “I see. Well, can we use that BREW device for something else? Integrated with the system? How does that work? It still sounds like it could be of use—a little tricky, of course, but I like a challenge. I’ll think of something soon. I’m not patient. You know that about me.”
He activated a screen to view the flames and plumes of smoke behind that now faded into the distance, quite beautiful against the twilight sky.
“So, shall I see you at the den tomorrow night? Going out? Where to? Ah, found another problem person, did you? See, you still have the feeling in you. Well, have fun on my behalf. When you get back, I’d like to discuss what we shall do about our little friends at the Academy. My guess is that they will redouble their efforts and even those two V’s on the board won’t be much help. And with the attack, the security will certainly step up. I’m dying to see if the boy is actually worth all the trouble. I still say that if we simply kill him outright, we can find a way to reset the device… Yes, yes, that’s a non-starter for now. Think of the mission. I’ll head off and will see you next time you come in.”
He put his oculars away in his pocket and a warped smile curled along his lips. He would be patient for now, but he knew that there would be plenty of time and opportunity for him to entertain himself quite soon. And the Academy would make for the perfect place to have some fun.
Kaiden awoke with a start. His first tentative glance revealed that he was in a white room with a window surrounded by white curtains. To his left was a long window that opened onto an outer corridor. He was alone in the room and could see or hear nothing other than the wind and birds outside.
At first, he wondered if this was some kind of death state and it surprised him that the afterlife looked quite dull. He hadn’t expected that. Finally, it dawned on him that this was one of the private rooms in the medbay. He shuffled awkwardly to the side of the bed, swung his feet to the floor, and sat up. The last thing he remembered was desyncing but that obviously meant he made it out. The sky had opened, and the droids had Chief’s eye.
Chief!
“Chief! Are you there?” Kaiden called looked around for his oculars. “Partner, did you make it through?”
For a brief second, the ace was crestfallen at the lack of response. That changed when he heard the high-pitched laughter.
“Did you really get all worked up like that over little old me?” Chief asked as he appeared beside him. He, in turn, swatted at the orb and his hand passed right through. “Watch the eye!”
“Dick. That was a piss-poor joke there. I actually thought you’d been ghosted,” he chided. “What happened to you?”
“Oh, all kinds of shenanigans happened after that virus dropped,” the EI stated.
“How did you pull me out?” Kaiden ran a hand through his hair. “Also, did you have to put me on the map with a battalion of bots determined to kill me?”
“Eh, I wanted to give you something familiar to work off,” he explained. “Although honestly, it was the first one that came to mind. I couldn’t rely on the single person sims because of the variables. As for how I did it…well, I run back through the scenarios and I can’t say I have the foggiest idea.”
“That doesn’t seem right. I thought EIs had eidetic memories.”
“It’s called a storage drive,” Chief clarified with exaggerated patience.
“Whatever. Was that you who took over the bots at the end there?”
“Yeah
, after I helped Chiyo crack the Animus open, I was able to find you, establish a link, and pull you out,” he explained.
“Help Chiyo—you can do that too?” The ace leaned back with his hands on the bed to support his weight. “Man, those upgrades really helped out quite a bit, didn’t they?”
The EI’s eye glowered. “Seriously? You think that’s what let me do all that?”
“Hey, unless you have a better idea, that’s all I can think of,” he responded with a shrug.
“It seems to me like you’re trying to find a way to say you’re secretly the hero here,” Chief accused.
“Aren’t I usually?” He let the statement hang in the air as the door to his room opened and Sasha walked in.
“Good morning, Kaiden. I’m pleased to see you up again.” The commander closed the door. “How are you feeling?”
“Fairly good, especially compared to the other times I’ve been here. How long have I been out?”
“A few days. You were in a medically-induced coma for a while. The desync was successful, but we had to deal with the mental toll it all took and which still affected your physical health. We had to be sure everything was in order before you became conscious again,” Sasha explained.
“In layman’s terms, they wanted to fix everything before potentially breaking something else,” Chief joked.
“It’s good to see you back as well, Chief, and it appears your link was reestablished,” Sasha said dryly.
“Yes, sir, I’m feeling dandy.”
“For once, I’m glad I can hear him in my head.” Kaiden chuckled. “It’s an odd feeling, though, and I’m not sure I like it.”
“How nice of you,” the EI grumbled and rolled his eye. “See what happens the next time a serial killer turns your virtual world into a smart bomb.”
The ace’s face fell before his eyes filled with a look of defiance. “Gin—where is he?” he demanded and looked at the commander.
Sasha removed a box from his coat. “Dead, but this will explain more.” He handed the box to Kaiden.
“Dead? Gin’s gone? Who got him?” he asked.
“I think you should look into the box. Someone wanted to explain it to you themselves,” Sasha said and tapped his chest. “But before that, I want to make an offer on behalf of the Academy, considering the circumstances.”
Kaiden placed the box on the foot of the bed and gave the older man his full attention. “And what’s that?”
“Considering everything that happened and everything you went through specifically, the Academy will allow all students the opportunity to leave with no debt accrued,” the commander explained. “Part of our promise to students is their safety while they are within these walls. We have failed at that, not to mention the temporary loss of the Animus—something we thought was defended beyond approach. As we have broken one promise, we will uphold another. If you feel that we cannot provide for you after you have given your all on our behalf, there is no need to—”
“Spare the business speak.” The ace sighed, rolled his neck, and held one hand over his ear as if the conversation was hurting him. “I get the picture, and no, I won’t leave.”
Sasha looked at him squarely. “Are you sure? This offer will stand until the new year begins so you have time to think it—”
“Hey, remember Gin? The now dead guy who did this in the first place? Remember how he absolutely fucked me up the first time we fought—while I was with other guys, no less?”
“Yes, Kaiden, I am quite aware of who Gin was,” he said with some exasperation.
“What would I do if I ran into another one like that? What would I have done if I was attacked like I was and I didn’t have Chief, Laurie, or you looking after me—or Chiyo for that matter? Apparently, she hacked into the Animus herself or something?”
“With assistance from one of Laurie’s personal infiltrators, yes.”
“And me. Don’t forget that, partner,” Chief interjected.
“Sure, you didn’t keep your school’s promise or whatever. But the fact is, like you said, I have a future to look forward to now and friends whom I won’t abandon after all this. The best way I can create said future is to remain right here. I ain’t gonna let a now literal ghost run me out,” he vowed and held the older man’s gaze unwaveringly.
Sasha nodded and a sense of pride welled in him. He saluted the ace before he turned to the door. “Well said, Adva Jericho. I look forward to seeing you next year as a master-class student.”
“And I’ll be a victor soon enough,” Kaiden promised and saluted in return.
“I know that you will, but you should know this as well.” The commander turned to face him once more. “Your future is truly yours now.” With that, Sasha left the room and strolled down the hall. His tablet vibrated and he and took it out to see a message from Chief.
Thanks for stopping by and not telling Kaiden about the Project Orson stuff like you, Laurie, and I agreed. I’ll let him know personally when the time is right, but for now, he has enough stuff to deal with and all the secrets and shadowy spy junk are your fields. You keep up your end and figure out this Arbiter Organization thing and I’ll look after my partner. And tell Laurie to quit badgering me. I’m sure Kaiden and I will be around soon.
-Chief
P.S. Don’t worry, he won’t find this message unless you leave it on the desk when he visits. See you around, commander.
He sighed. While he didn’t like keeping anything from Kaiden, especially after their heart to heart, he would leave this in the EI’s hands. He seemed to have finally grown accustomed to his partner.
In a way, he was almost exactly like him.
After a moment, Kaiden opened the box. Inside was a tablet and a knife in a sheath. He drew the blade and his eyes widened when he recognized immediately that it was Gin’s. The design on the metal confirmed it. He sheathed it and placed it on the bed before he turned the tablet on.
Magellan appeared on the screen. “Hello, Kaiden. I recorded this message as I wanted to let you know myself that Gin is, in fact, dead. I put the three bullets in him myself and watched him stop breathing. Although I can only take credit for the final shots. Your teacher Officer Wolfson and his Sauren friend were the ones who did most of the damage.”
“Wolfson and Raza? Man, he’ll hang that over my head till I’m gone,” he muttered and chuckled quietly.
“I also turned in the bounty and watched as they immolated Gin’s body. He’s definitely gone. If it feels that I have gone into too much detail, it’s because I have to keep reminding myself that he’s finally dead. There will always be plenty of assholes in this universe, but I can certainly say that I breathe a little easier now that he’s no longer among them.”
“Agreed.” Kaiden nodded fervently.
“Speaking of the bounty, considering how you were roped into this mess, I felt I should do right by you. I had the commander make contact and sent some creds his way.”
“Some extra creds are certainly always helpful,” he mused. “If nothing else, I can pay for headache relief pills for all the—”
“…so you no longer have a contract to the academy—”
“Wait, what now?” He rewound the message.
“…some creds his way. They will pay off your debt to the Academy, which means you no longer have a contract with them. You can and should still attend, but once you graduate, you are no longer bound to any company that could have potentially bought you for however many years. You can decide where to go when the time comes.”
Startled, the ace set the tablet on the bed and thought through the implications as the message continued. “I hope you recover quickly, and I’m sorry you had to go through all that. But it’s done and you are free of him, and your future’s open.” The bounty hunter shrugged. “And for what it’s worth, if you want to get into bounty hunting when you are done, I know your training as an ace and all. But you seem to be a fast learner, so feel free to contact me. Sasha has my info. Be well, Kaid
en. Signing out.”
He moved the tablet to the nightstand and considered Magellan’s words and the fact that he no longer had a contract. His plan for the next couple of years had been to earn what he could to pay that off but now, he didn’t have to worry about it. He could finish his studies and do whatever he wanted.
Of course, he didn’t have much of a plan right now—at least nothing other than that one possibility, but that might be tougher than simply earning the creds to buy himself out. But if he could, he would be able to bring along—
“So what’s next, partner?” Chief interrupted. “You have two more years to figure your life out.”
“I can’t say I’ll ever figure that out one-hundred percent,” Kaiden remarked honestly.
“Eh, maybe I was a little too hopeful.”
“But I might have something. I’ll run it by you when I get it all together.”
“Give me a taste. I could help you work it out,” the EI suggested.
He mulled it over but before he could begin his explanation, a racket ensued outside as familiar voices asked for him by name.
“It looks like the party is here.”
“I guess so, and I’ll probably catch hell for almost dying again,” he said with a comedic eye-roll. “Like it’s my fault or something.”
“They are a touchy bunch, but they care, right?”
Kaiden shrugged, leaned back, and waited for his friends to join him. “They certainly do, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
The door burst open as the group entered.
“Back here again, huh?” Cameron snickered.
“Are you all right, friend Kaiden?” Genos asked and ambled to his bedside.
“I’m doing fine, guys, thanks, and sorry for worrying you.”
“It’s not like you asked for this,” Marlo pointed out.
“I heard you fought with the commander inside some kind of Animus mission inside an Animus mission—or something like that,” Izzy stated and sounded a little vague about the details, which wasn’t surprising. “What happened in there?”
Animus Boxed Set 2 (Books 5-8): Revenant, Glitch, Master, Infiltration Page 39
