The tip of the whip snapped against his hand with a bone-stinging crack. He screeched again. Holly grimaced. His primal cries of pain made her skin crawl.
But at least it wasn’t lethal. He started cursing at her. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked. She wondered the same thing sometimes. Why couldn’t she be more unfeeling about it and go back to using the aether gun?
Her companions were holding their own against their opponents as well as she continued to engage the man on the floor.
They needed to wrap this up. Clean out the vault and run for it.
Her opponent had gotten to his feet. His black hair was no longer perfectly slicked back. He looked disturbed and enraged. She doubted she could keep him from grabbing whatever weapon he had much longer. And when he got it, he had a bone to pick. With her, unfortunately. She probably deserved it. But she wasn’t going to stand for it.
“We need to get this done. Get out of here,” Holly shouted, glancing over her shoulder, across the overturned furniture at Odeon. His back was to the open vault, but he was nearest the novas. “Odeon, grab the contents of the vault and let’s blow this joint.”
Holly continued to crack her whip against her opponent every time he went for his gun. She would think that he’d give up and just come at her barehanded. But he was determined to draw whatever he had. Probably a gun. Well, if he got it, she’d just disarm him with the whip. Her arm was getting tired, but being shot at would hurt more.
“What the hell?” Holly’s opponent suddenly stopped and stared at a figure at the vault.
“Hey!” Odeon’s opponent cried, getting up from his hands and knees where he’d fallen after a blow from Odeon.
Holly had been so absorbed in the cat and mouse game of playing with her prey, that she hadn’t noticed another figure enter the room until the former Shadow Coalition members raised the alarm. Neither Odeon nor Shiro had apparently seen the figure either.
The novas had been stolen right under their noses. The masked figure at the vault had totally emptied the contents into a case in their hands.
Thought the figure wore a masked, later on, if pressed, Holly would have said it seemed very humanly feminine in its movements and shape. But the hair was covered as was the face. When the thugs they’d been fighting saw what was happening, they all jumped after the new thief, who dodged them easily and swung a sword at Odeon to push him back, then slashed at Shiro, and skillfully, gracefully, slid right out the door before Holly could get her whip unlatched from her opponent’s leg.
The other two thugs leapt over their comrade and skidded out the hatch, going after the thief with the money. Odeon moved to chase after them.
“No, don’t. Stay,” Holly said. Odeon spun and took three steps to look inside the vault. He turned back, holding something up in his hand, a quizzical look on his violet face.
“What the hell is going on?” Charly asked.
Holly could finally give her a decent answer. Unfortunately, it was one that she wasn’t happy about it.
2
“I didn’t want to tell you this. I was sort of running away from it,” Holly said into her communicator. Xadrian laughed in Holly’s ear. She held her communicator away from herself for a moment as she exchanged a look with Charly, who cocked her head to one side in understanding.
With a shrug, Charly turned back to her vscreen, and resumed her conversation with Darius who was sitting at his bay of monitors across the room. There was tension in the dialogue happening between them, which was about the numbers. The trip out to Ixion mining base #4 hadn’t been free. Some of it had been funded by Xadrian, but he’d told Holly that since it was partially for her as well, that he’d only front half the costs.
“Oh that’s wonderful to hear, HD. Run away rather than tell me. I never thought you’d stoop so low.” Xadrian’s tone sounded amused.
“It’s not low. Though it would be if I followed through and actually ran. But I’m telling you, aren’t I? Instead of running.”
“What did you find on the base? I’m waiting for news, HD. Are we setting up a trade-off?”
There was a lengthy pause where Holly held her breath in anticipation of what he might say next.
“Oh. That’s what you mean, isn’t it, about running away? That’s what this is about?”
She let our her breath. “If you mean this this conversation, then yes. It’s to deal with the truth. And well, that’s not great. What else?” She ran her hand over her face. “Someone beat us to the punch. All that was left for us was a note.” She closed her eyes and sank into the couch facing the stairwell that went down to the Surge Club. Now she’d not only have to deal with her own disappointment and frustration, but Xadrian’s as well.
Xadrian released a string of expletives right into Holly’s ear, the majority of them referencing every known god, including the ancient gods that very few people still worshipped, as well as the gods of the Constellations and the Yasoan. The Centau, so far as she knew, had no gods.
A noise from beside her caused her to open her eyes again and glance in the direction of the sound. Odeon was watching her from where he sat on the same sofa, a question in his rainbow-colored eyes. He’d paused in the process of tuning one of his drums, which was done with a tool that Holly had seen him using before. Holly smiled faintly at the Yasoan, indicating that she was handling it and that it would be fine.
Most likely, it would be. All of them were disappointed in the result of their mission, though they put a good face on it. She saw the truth in their eyes, in their faces. Though they were excellent at acting their parts, they couldn’t hide that from Holly.
Or, perhaps it was her own disappointment, showing her what she wanted to see.
“And?” Xadrian was now saying.
She blinked. “And what?”
“That’s it? Are you just giving up?”
She stared into the shadows of the stairwell across the room and wondered what other options she had. If they knew what had been in the cache, perhaps she could have tracked it somehow. But whatever had been sequestered in that strange hiding place other than novas was a mystery. They knew that something else had been there, not just the novas. “What else can I do?”
“Look for it?”
“And just what is it?”
“Well, no one really knows. But most likely novas.”
“No, there was more. We saw something else. There were novas. But we all saw something else.”
“Well, that’s what we were expecting, wasn’t it? Novas?” Xadrian’s voice had become a grumble.
“It might as well be that, because all I have is a note on a piece of parchment.”
“Parchment, you say?” Xadrian’s voice perked up in interest.
“Yes. Some kind of pretentious piece of paper. Thick, with artfully frayed edges. If paper could be considered annoying, this is the type for just that.”
“And did you source it?”
“Source it?” Holly laughed. She supposed sourcing it was something she could have done, actually. She had the connections to do as much—her sister, Meg Wolfe, and the crime lab could administer their little magic on it and likely come up with everything from where it had been made to where it had been purchased—but what would come of it? They’d find out some spot in the known universe where this person had been. They likely weren’t still there. “Not really. I mean, I’m not a wizard, Xadrian.”
“Bring it to me. I’ll look into it. And I’ll find out what’s been done with our money.” He ended the call without so much as a goodbye.
Holly put her communicator back into the pocket of her jacket and sighed. She’d almost forgotten where she was, she’d been so absorbed in the call.
“What did he say, Holly Drake?” Odeon asked, casting a sidelong glance at her.
“He wants the note.”
“That chap is as odd as they come. Which may be why I appreciate his eccentricities so much.”
Charly made a loud sound. When Ho
lly looked her way, Charly made it again. A laughing, choking noise of holding back laughter.
Holly looked back to Shiro, who blinked in surprise. He’d doffed his orange bowler and was twirling it in his hands. He stood near the floor length windows that overlooked the floor to the club. His attention had been fixed down on the floor beneath them until Holly had ended the call. Knowing him—knowing all of them in the room—he’d been listening intently to Holly’s conversation and feigning that he was absorbed in something going on down below.
He cocked his head to one side. “Goodness, what are you laughing at so boorishly, Charly?”
“Not much, Shir, except that you’re calling Xadrian eccentric and odd. I find that hilarious.”
“And just what is it that you’re not saying? Are you implying, my dear, that I am eccentric?”
“Is there any question that’s what she’s saying?” Darius interrupted. “It’s obvious.” He looked to Holly. “It’s obvious, isn’t it, Holly? Yes?”
“You are definitely odd and eccentric, Shiro.” Charly said.
“Come now, I’m hardly eccentric,” Shiro said. “If I am anything, it’s elegant and sophisticated. Perhaps even a bit endearing. And when I use my cane, I’m regal and classy.” He moved to the counter near the kasé machine and picked up his cane. He twirled it and grinned at them.
“And, Holly, will you give it to him?” Odeon asked, bringing the conversation back to his original question.
“I don’t see why not. I’m not going to do anything with it.”
“I must say, chaps, that I’m still stumped by who could have gotten to the cache before us,” Shiro said. “How many others do we know that could have afforded the cost to get to the base in the first place?”
“Oh I think there are at least five other groups that we know of who could have pulled something off before we got there,” Darius said. He was behind Holly, but from the sound of it, he’d begun to stroke his chin thoughtfully in consideration.
“Unfortunately,” Charly began, “a slew of novas isn’t going to sit around waiting to be found for long. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did after—” she paused— “the Heart disappeared.”
“You mean my father?” Holly offered. Her back was to Charly, but she knew her friend was looking at her.
“I mean the Heart.” Charly wasn’t going to let the conversation turn into a pity party for Holly. Not that Holly wanted that, but she didn’t like them dancing around the topic as though she couldn’t deal with the reality. If there was one thing leaving her previous life had taught her, it was that she couldn’t be afraid of reality.
“Same thing.”
“You know, it could have been my arch nemesis. Has that occurred to any of you?” Shiro had resumed his post at the window, his gaze focused back down to the floor of the club.
Odeon continued to tinker with his drum at the end of the sofa near her. Holly vaguely wondered if he had a show coming up soon and needed the instrument in tune for that.
It was Holly’s turn to laugh. “Your arch nemesis? And who would that be?”
“Ah. Is there any question? The enigmatic, cruel Aimee Voss.”
“Oh, you’re calling her ‘cruel’ now,” Holly stood and skirted the couch she’d been sitting on to reach the wet bar area. She filled the kettle with water to begin a batch of kasé brewing. The day had been long and somewhat bitter, adjusting to their loss at the Ixion base and adjusting back to the day/night cycles of Kota. “At least you’ve come to realize that’s who she is—not very nice, ego-centric, the works.”
“Shiro learned the hard way,” Charly said, but this time there was no teasing tone in her voice. “But at least he learned.”
“Yeah, burn him once, shame on her, burn him twice, shame on . . . What’s the expression?” Darius chuckled.
“You’re slaughtering it,” Holly laughed. “Sorry, Shiro, I know she was a jerk to you, but I like to think of Voss as my nemesis. Not yours.”
“Why be stingy with whose nemesis she is? Dear Ms. Drake, wouldn’t it be more generous to say that she’s mine as well as yours? She did take thousands of novas from me and run. Can’t she be both?”
Holly turned to look at him, saw the sincerity in his expression, and nodded. There was no point in arguing. Why reduce what he’d been through with Aimee? The woman had treated him badly. He deserved to have that recognized by the crew.
Darius cleared his throat. “Anyway, what the hell is going on with the Shadow Coalition? Can we look at this as a sign that they’re regrouping?”
“Totally agree. I don’t like how this is shaping up.” Charly put her vscreen down on her desk and leaned against the back of her desk chair. “I’ve been hearing rumblings. Not sure what they mean. Something’s brewing, somewhere.”
Shiro left the window and returned to the counter by the kasé brewer to stand beside Holly. Up close his violet blazer almost seemed to glitter. She could smell the fragrance his clothes emanated. It wasn’t the first time she’d thought it, but she found herself thinking it again—it was quite nice to be back with her crew. “Couldn’t agree more, Charly. We’ve got our own brew right here.” Shiro laughed.
“I’ll cut you out of the will for a pun like that, Shiro,” Charly growled.
Shiro flashed a smile at Charly. “Relax, Charly. I just want a cup of kasé. If you ask me, my friends, I think the Shadow Coalition is long gone. It’ll fade into the background.”
Holly looked across the room at him. The machinery whirred, and the hum of water boiling rose from it. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. I doubt my father wouldn’t have had some kind of contingency plan in place if he vanished. In fact, this could all be some kind of elaborate ruse, knowing him. He could have every move planned and this is just one of many in a long series. He could be watching from a distance, waiting to spring his next well-laid trap.”
“You act like he’s some kind of mastermind,” Charly said. “If he was such a mastermind, why did he have to kidnap kids to make his empire grow? He just fell into the role, Hols. He’s not some kind of genius.”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure, either, Drake. I never met the man, myself, but if he was so great at being an evil genius, wouldn’t he have found a way to stay here, rather than flying off on some getaway vehicle?”
“You didn’t see the getaway vehicle, Darius. It was a ship of unknown origin. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is, I think we shouldn’t dismiss the idea that what we saw on the base is related to the return of the Shadow Coalition.”
“I agree with Holly Drake, at least in this one way—I don’t know what the balance is for every system—ecosystems, planetary systems, systems of power.” Odeon continued to work on his drum as he spoke. The fragrance of kasé filled the room. Holly’s stomach growled and she looked around at the faces of the rest of her crew. “But I do know that vacuums of power aren’t usually sustainable. In the absence of a Heart, we might expect something worse to take the place of Holly’s father.”
Holly looked around the room at her team, wondering what they were thinking of Odeon’s obscure words.
3
Holly leaned toward the conversation happening near her between the bartender and several customers.
“I’m not saying I think they’re right. Just that a contrasting voice might be good,” the bartender said. He twirled a cocktail shaker a few times, then pulled the lid off and poured the contents into a glass. The clear, slender glass frosted over. Its liquid glowed an icy blue. “Iced Moonlight. Adding it to your tab. That’s what, five? Why not make it six, Dimon?” The bartender grinned as he placed it in front of the customer.
Holly sipped her imperial red ale and tried to pretend that she wasn’t listening, and was instead lost deep in thought.
“Five. And I’m good with that, unless Rico wants another. Eh, Rico?”
“No thanks.” Rico lifted up his glass. There was still a fourth of the drink left, though it had lost some of its g
low.
“Alright Rico, but you let me know if you change your mind.” The bartender glanced at Holly and she realized she’d been staring at him. A tag on his shirt glowed with the name Ben in neon green. He nodded at her and asked if she needed another drink. She smiled, shook her head, and focused her attention on the other side of the bar, toward the booths lit up with amber accent lighting.
Outside the snowy morning twirled toward early afternoon. She was on top of a spire in the Black Jade district, summoned to meet Dave there. This was her first time in the bar, which was perched on the slender pinnacle of a black jade spire. Music played over speakers, a casual instrumental style that made her feel calm.
The bar itself spun slowly, like the records she’d listened to at Iain’s shop. Ah, that’s the theme of the bar. She was again reminded of how vast the City of Jade Spires was, because until Dave asked her to meet him there, she’d never heard of it. There were several windowed booths around the perimeter of the club. From where she sat at the center of the bar she could see people milling about and drinking inside them, having their own private party, closed off to the rest of the bar.
“Mark my words,” the customer called Dimon said, “the Shadow Coalition isn’t gone. It doesn’t just end because the leader vanished.”
“But does anyone actually care, really?” Ben asked. He gathered up their empty glasses of Iced Moonlights and put them in a bin of dirty dishes. “They never did anything great. I mean, didn’t we all want them to? Do something great? Instead they were just dicks to everyone, throwing their weight around. It wasn’t about being a noble voice of opposition against oppression. They were self-interested. And if they come back, they’ll be the same way.”
“So you think an opposition group is good, but not the way they did it?” Another of their group asked, a Constie with his hair done in the Yasoan style, a black bun on the crown of his head with sticks stabbed through, holding it together.
The Colossus Collection : A Space Opera Adventure (Books 1-7 + Bonus Material) Page 87
