Alice stowed her phone and turned in her seat to face them.
“Quick and quiet, okay, guys?” Alice grinned. “Assume that anyone you encounter is armed, even if they are one of our techs. If Alistair is still here, then he’s probably got everybody under his control by now.”
“You said ‘if’,” Hayley said. “What if he isn’t?”
“Then we’ve got an apport station,” Alice said. “Win-win.”
***
“I heard that you got to dance with Ana,” Katya said, smoothing a patch on an available section of Renton’s neck. “Would that make the debut a success, by your standards? Or did the bombing ruin it?
Katya sat back in the uncomfortable molded plastic chair, listening to the various chirps and beeps that the hospital equipment produced.
“I’m really glad for you,” Katya said, biting at her fingernails. “I know how much you like her. Shit, everyone knows. You don’t exactly keep it a secret, do you?”
Katya pressed the patch against his neck impatiently.
“There’s no shame in it,” she said, running her fingers along the cold metal bed rail. “We all fall in love with Ana, don’t we? She’s exactly as strong as you need her to be, and she always knows just what to say and do. I’m never afraid when Ana’s around. Does she make you feel safe, too? Is that why you’re in love with her?”
Katya frowned, and then pulled the starched white sheet down, examining Renton’s mangled body.
“Or are you just into women who look like little girls?” Katya surveyed the damage dispassionately. “Lóa Thule really did a number on you. I can’t imagine she thought you knew a bunch of secrets. Was this a personal thing? I know all your exes wanna kill you. I’m not sure that I blame them, either.”
Katya tugged the sheet back up and went over to look at the various monitors and illuminated panels that were stacked haphazardly around the top of the bed.
“That stunt you pulled at the Academy, getting held back repeatedly so you could attend with Anastasia, that was legendary,” Katya said, tapping the display on a cardiograph. “The other girls were divided between thinking it was the most desperate, pathetic play ever, or the most romantic thing they ever heard.”
Katya wandered back to her chair.
“I think Ana was annoyed and flattered,” Katya said. “More flattered than annoyed, though, or she would have made you stop. She never felt sorry for you, you know. She always loved you back, like a little brother.”
Katya shifted restlessly in the chair.
“That’s worse than rejection, though, isn’t it? You wanna fuck, and she just wants to cheer you on from the sidelines and make sure you’re eating properly.” Katya walked to the small window on the other side of the room. “I’m not making fun. I understand completely.”
Katya looked out on the view of the adjoining building, built so close that all she could see was row after row of windows, identical to her own, each showing a tepid reflection of the grey morning sky.
“I understand desperation,” she said, leaning her forehead against the glass, her breath fogging the window. “I know what it’s like to want someone and have them respond with the wrong kind of affection. I know what it feels like to be condescended to and tolerated.”
Katya returned to the foot of the bed.
“I always kinda hated you. I respected you in the field, obviously, but you were always such a pervert, it was tiresome. You wanted all the girls, but you were always so bad to them. You were like a free sample table at the grocery store for girls with no self-esteem; they saw you and just got in the line. I can’t deal with girls like that. I figured that they deserved what they got, since they were working so hard to get it.”
Katya sat on the edge of the bed, pushing Renton’s feet aside to make room.
“You didn’t have to be so mean, though,” Katya added moodily. “You started playing games with Sveta, and it bothered me how often you made her cry. You had this angle to everything, and it was always mean. Remember when you tried it with me? For three whole weeks you were funny and exciting and just-so-happened to be around all the damn time.”
Katya tried to laugh, but the sound felt wrong against the silence of the empty medical building.
“You weren’t my type,” Katya said. “I was bored, though, and maybe a little curious what the hype was about. I might have gone for it, if you hadn’t made it so damn obvious that you mostly wanted to piss off Timor.”
Katya’s expression tightened.
“I trusted you with Ana,” Katya said. “I knew she was safe with you. That meant more to me than you being an incorrigible prick. I can’t believe that you fucked up this bad. How’d you let it all happen? Josef’s dead, and Timor is…he’s gone. Ana’s a mess, I’m a mess, the whole world is a giant disaster and getting worse by the second. Look at the state of you!” Katya gestured at the tubes and electrodes that invaded Renton’s body. “How did you let them get to you?”
Katya checked her phone, stretched and yawned.
“You scared people, you know that? You were so good and mean, people couldn’t help but talk. You know how many times I’ve heard you compared to Alistair? Can you believe it? People actually thought you might grow up, eventually, and be on the level of a guy who’s basically the scariest motherfucker alive.” Katya noticed the mirror set between the cupboards along one wall and made a half-hearted attempt to fix her hair. “I know you told me that you did this on purpose, so you would have time to get into Lóa Thule’s head, but what was supposed to happen after that? Did you think that was enough? That you could just die?”
Katya leaned over the bed, looking down at Renton’s still face.
“Were you really gonna leave Ana to fend for herself?”
Renton opened his eyes and yawned.
“Jesus Christ you talk a lot,” he said, tugging electrodes from his chest. “Did you always talk this much?”
“Renton!” She punched him in the shoulder. “I’ve never been happy to see you before!”
“Don’t you mean ‘so happy’?”
“I meant what I said,” Katya said, grinning. “I can’t believe you’re alive! I really thought you were dead.”
“So did I,” Renton said, grimacing as he pulled an IV from his arm. “What did you do to get me up, anyway? I feel like all kinds of hell.” He touched his neck, fingers brushing the patch. “Oh. Another one of these things? Christ.”
“The patch is just to get your protocol working again and restore depleted nanites. Eerie is the reason you’re alive.”
Renton tossed aside the last of the electrodes, holding up the sheet to examine his body grimly.
“Eerie?” He looked confused. “What the hell does she have to do with anything?”
“She healed you, somehow,” Katya said. “I’m not particularly clear on the methodology. I think it was her spit.”
Renton looked at her in astonishment.
“I probably wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” Katya said. “Eerie will be mad.”
Renton laughed, and after a moment, Katya joined him.
“I don’t feel as bad as I expected,” Renton said, wiping his eyes. “I shouldn’t even be able to move.”
“Looks like Lóa got a little personal.” Katya gestured at his groin, where a few folds of the starched sheet hid the thin, shiny red lines, where burns had recently healed. “You think you’ll recover?”
Renton tossed aside the sheet and beckoned to her.
“Come climb on top,” he suggested. “We’ll test it out.”
“I’m not that happy to see you,” Katya said, laughing. “You never change, Renton.”
“I’m not sure that’s true,” Renton said, the humor leaving his face. “Where are my clothes?”
“You didn’t have any when I found you,” Katya said. “I brought you some of Alex’s stuff. I don’t think it’ll be the most flattering fit, but they should…”
“Can you help me dress?” Renton a
sked. “I’m still too clumsy.”
“Why not?” Katya said, shrugging. “I’ve seen your dick about a million times in the last couple days, anyway.”
“You could do more than see,” Renton said. “I can give you the full tour. Don’t deny yourself this rare opportunity.”
“You really are feeling better, aren’t you?” Katya picked up a plastic grocery bag from the foot of the bed and started laying out clothes. “Why are you in such a hurry to get moving? You’ve been in a coma for a day or so. Don’t you think you should rest a bit more?”
“We don’t have time,” Renton said. “Ana needs us.”
Katya took a T-shirt from the bag and helped Renton pull it over his head.
“Do you know something that I don’t?”
“I guess I do,” Renton said, struggling to fit his arms into the shirt. “Lóa Thule knew at least part of Gaul’s plan, and she was verbose.”
“Let me put your mind at ease, then,” Katya said, tugging the shirt down to his waist. “Lord Thule will be dead very shortly.”
“What?” Renton grabbed her arm. “Are you serious?”
“I am,” Katya confirmed, fitting his feet into a pair of boxers. “Can you lift your legs?”
Renton settled back into the pillows, and then slowly bent at the knees.
“How do you plan on killing Thule?”
“The usual way,” Katya said, sliding the boxers up his legs. “Emily Muir will do the prep.”
Renton was so stunned that he let her finish putting the underwear in place without saying a word.
“You’re going to let Emily Muir program you? You know what she could do with that sort of access?”
“I know,” Katya said, fitting socks on his feet. “That’s a risk every assassin runs, every time we work.”
“At least when you use a Black Sun telepath on a sanctioned hit, there are controls and oversight,” Renton objected. “Emily Muir isn’t Black Sun. She’s fucking Anathema, for God’s sake!”
“I’m not sure what Emily Muir is, or who she is working for, but I don’t think she is with the Anathema,” Katya said. “I think I can trust her as far as the hit goes, whatever else she gets up to in my head. She has good reason to hate Gaul Thule.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He killed her parents.”
Renton swung his legs off the side of the bed, bracing himself with his hands.
“Even if you trust her to want Gaul dead, what’s to stop Emily from doing anything she wants while she’s doing the programming?”
“Nothing,” Katya said, arranging the pants so that he could step into them. “I’ll be helpless. I’d never even know.”
“Are you sure you know what the fuck you are doing?”
Renton took Katya’s hand and stepped carefully into the grey jeans, grimacing as he straightened his knees.
“Not really,” Katya admitted. “What other option do I have? There aren’t any Black Sun telepaths in Central, present company excluded. Look, I’m not happy about the situation, but what can I do? Unless…”
“You want me to do it,” Renton said, with a grave look. “Suppress your personality, and program you to kill Gaul Thule.”
“I don’t want you in my head at all, to be honest,” Katya said, glaring at him. “It’s the best of two bad options.”
“Oh?” Renton grinned lecherously. “What do you think I’ll get up to, if you let me in?”
“I think you’ll embarrass me,” Katya said. “That’s better than letting Emily use me to hurt Ana.”
“There is a point where honesty becomes rudeness,” Renton said, looking away. “Putting your anxiety aside, I don’t think I can help you. Whatever this thing is supposed to do,” Renton said, touching the patch on his neck, “it hasn’t worked yet. I’ve got no telepathy at all.”
“That’s just great,” Katya said bitterly. “The worse of two options it is.”
“Why are you doing this?” Renton took the belt that Katya offered, threading it through the loops with numb fingers. “Did Ana order you, or…?”
“I haven’t spoken with Ana,” Katya said. “There hasn’t been an opportunity.”
“Then why do it?”
“Because I can,” Katya said. “Emily knows where he’s going to be.”
“You’re being rash,” Renton objected. “Think about it. Emily is not a precog, and she has no access to any of the precognitive pools. She can only know Gaul’s location if he told her.”
“I know,” Katya agreed, helping him with the buckle. “She could be working with him.”
“Wait, then,” Renton urged, sitting back down on the bed. “Ana’s on her way back to Central, coming for Gaul Thule. Wait for her, and we’ll go after him together.”
“No,” Katya said, placing a pair of sneakers on the floor next to the bed. “I can’t wait.”
“Why, damn it! Tell me the truth.”
Katya turned to face the window, her back to Renton.
“He already tried to kill Anastasia once, and nearly succeeded,” Katya said. “I can’t give him the opportunity to try again.”
“Lord Thule is a precognitive,” Renton said. “He’ll have seen this coming. Hell, maybe this is what he wants you to do.”
“He won’t see me coming,” Katya said gravely. “I’m going to have Emily blank me.”
“You’ve lost your mind! You can’t possibly take that risk.”
Katya said nothing.
“How will you execute, if she blanks you?”
“Pheromones plus a trigger word,” Katya said. “Emily claims to have sixteen precognitively determined words ready, but if that doesn’t work, being in his near vicinity for a few minutes should do the trick.”
“Why would she restore you once it is done, Katya?”
“She could do almost anything, I suppose, but then again, she might not,” Katya said, tossing the plastic bag in the bin. “We are in the same club, after all.”
“What the hell? You’re in a club?”
“Oh, yeah,” Katya said seriously. “You haven’t heard of the Rescue Alex from the Outer Dark Club? I’m surprised. We are super popular lately. We seem to be recruiting, too, so keep your eyes open. You only have to rescue Alex once to be considered for membership.”
“You’ve lost your mind,” Renton said. “I know you’re upset about Timor, but…”
“You have no idea how I feel,” Katya said mildly. “You couldn’t possibly.”
“We have a responsibility to Anastasia,” Renton said, grabbing her arm. “She is the Mistress of the Black Sun. If she wants you to assassinate Gaul Thule, then you know as well as I do that she will make that happen.”
“You aren’t wrong, but I don’t care right now,” Katya said, freeing herself from his weakened grasp. “Ana can be mad at me once I’ve made sure she is safe.”
“That’s exactly it,” Renton argued. “We can do a better job keeping her safe by her side.”
“Timor was right next to her, and it didn’t work out so well,” Katya said. “I got you up and running so you could do whatever you think is right, Renton. I’ll do the same.”
“This has nothing to do with protecting Anastasia, or the Black Sun. You just want to avenge your brother.”
“Think that if you like,” Katya said. “Can you walk?”
“Not yet,” Renton said. “I need more time.”
“Rest until you can get back on your feet,” Katya said. “Then go back to Ana. Keep her safe.”
Renton frowned.
“I hate to be the voice of reason. You know that, right? Still. You shouldn’t do this,” he said. “Emily Muir is dangerous, and Gaul Thule is worse. You are going to get yourself killed, or you’ll become a tool. Is that what you want? Are you trying to kill yourself, so you can be with Timor?”
“I get paid to kill people,” Katya said, opening the door. “I’m going to do my damn job. I suggest that you do the same, and maybe this time, take
it a bit more seriously.”
***
The Auditors stood beside the metal apport platform.
It was the only part of the facility that was still intact.
The electronics and computers were destroyed, broken cases and shattered glass from the monitors strewn across the floor.
“They’re all dead,” Hayley said, gesturing at the gruesome remains of the technicians. “What the hell happened?”
“Alistair is an even better motivator than I thought,” Alice said, looking over the bodies grimly. “He got out ahead of schedule.”
“The apport station could have hardly been online,” Min-jun remarked, paging through the logs he had found in the debris. “The apport rig, maybe, but they would have had virtually no guidance or fail-safes…”
“Alistair knew we were coming,” Alice said. “He would have decided it was worth the risk.”
“We should have come sooner,” Grigori said morosely.
“Maybe so,” Alice said, patting him on the back. “We were exhausted, though, and we just lost Karim, Michael, and Chike. Do you really think we were up to taking on Alistair again?”
“Probably not,” Hayley agreed. “What do we do now? Alistair is gone to wherever…”
“Central,” Min-jun said, still absorbed in the logs. “He went somewhere in Central, but the destination is all screwy. He could have ended up almost anywhere.”
“If he didn’t die,” Grigori added.
“We aren’t that lucky, kids,” Alice said, kicking one of the broken monitors. “Well, no choice, then. It’s the Black Sun way home, or nothing.”
“I was afraid of that,” Hayley said. “This is terrible!”
“Don’t be afraid, Hayley. Everything is under control.” Alice put her arm around the telepath. “Remember – you’re an Auditor, kid. We aren’t scared of people. We’re the ones who do the scaring.”
***
They were no more than a kilometer or so down the road when they heard vehicles, distant but making decent time over the uneven dirt road. Simeon crouched down in the high grass and motioned for Chandi to do the same. It took a moment to find his field glasses, and another to locate the vehicles in the dim light of the impending morning.
The Church of Sleep (Central Series Book 5) Page 24
