Jozi covered her mouth then said, “Who bought Anonymity out?”
Jonas cracked his knuckles. “Who do you think?”
“Robert,” replied Ozzy. “He caught wind of it. But how?”
“He caught wind of it by Anonymity, you imbecile.” There was a tightness in Jonas’s eyes. “But it won’t stop me, Ozzy. I’ll get in the High Judge’s chair soon enough, only not the easy way.”
The com channel blipped off.
“I’m going to help you,” came a gruff voice.
Ozzy turned. Quad was standing at the back of the cockpit, his body tense. Ozzy stood and unholstered his gun, pointing it at Quad. “Don’t take another step. How did you get free?”
Quad didn’t reply.
Ozzy glanced at Jozi. She also had a pistol pointed at him. “How much did you hear, Quad?” she asked.
“All of it,” he replied, spinning on his heels and jumping over the upper deck railing. A loud pound echoed upon Quad’s landing on the storage bay floor.
Ozzy rushed to the railing.
Quad stared up at him. “Put on your helmet. I’m leaving.”
Gragas was on the floor, knocked out.
Crap.
Ozzy unholstered his other sidearm and raised it at Quad.
Quad walked to the ramp and placed his hand on the “open” button. “Please, put on your helmet. I have to go.”
“I’m not keeping you here. You’re free to leave, but why the rush?” Part of him was glad to see Quad leave, and the other part was too curious as to why Quad wanted to jet out of Relic so quickly. Something was going on in that mind of Quad’s, and Ozzy wanted to know what it was.
“I’m going to kill the High Judge.” He slapped the button, opening the door and taking oxygen with it.
Quad jumped into the air and rockets at the bottom of his boots lifted him toward the sky and out of everyone’s view.
Ozzy held his breath and ran to get his helmet attached in place. Air blasted into it as he took a big breath. He pressed the button on his console to close the ramp.
His eyes traveled over to Jozi, who already had her helmet on, and she motioned for him to turn on his helmet’s line.
“Did he just say he was going to kill Robert Baldwin?” she asked.
“Yeah, but good luck getting past all that security.”
Ozzy didn’t know what to do now. Everyone was supposed to be yelling for the High Judge to be fired and thrown in jail. But, instead, Anonymity had sold them out.
A loud sigh escaped Jozi. “This is wrong. We can’t have Quad kill Robert. This won’t get you or me off. We still have the documents and can expose him somehow, someway.”
“It doesn’t matter. Jonas will be the High Judge after Quad kills Robert.”
“How do you know that?” She looked at Ozzy for a moment without saying a word. There was sadness in her voice, and her facial features appeared downcast, her arms slack by her sides. Ozzy could tell she again wanted Robert safe. The High Judge being her uncle was becoming more than a problem. “For all we know, once Robert is murdered, someone already in the Ministry will take over as the High Judge.” She pursed her lips. “Quad thinks he’s doing us a favor, but he’s not.”
“Trust me, Jonas probably knows what he’s doing. He’ll take over—”
She grabbed his EVA collar. “I don’t think you understand. That’s my uncle. He’s my family, even if he only wants ill will for me.” She shook him. “Think about this: someone in the Ministry could be the new sitting High Judge if we kill Robert. If we expose him, then several in the Ministry are exposed as well, and people wouldn’t want anyone from within the Ministry as the new High Judge. Of all people, Ozzy, why isn’t this getting through your thick head?”
Ozzy pushed her hands away. “Don’t worry about it. It’s Jonas. He’s going to get the job done.”
“Listen to me, Ozzy. I can’t continue to be a criminal, or rather, painted as one. If Robert is murdered, I remain a criminal, and my MMP family will still want to arrest me. Do you understand? This is all going to go sideways.” Jozi huffed. “We have to stop Quad.”
Ozzy nudged Jozi. “Get off of me.”
Jozi kicked the floor with her boot. “Drop me off at the nearest city. I’m going to warn the High Judge.”
“The hell you are.”
Jozi rushed forward, pinning Ozzy against the upper deck railing with her boot on his stomach. She unholstered her sidearm and pressed it against his helmet’s solar visor. “Try to stop me."
“What’s going on up there?” asked Gragas, rubbing his head while glaring up at them from the lower deck storage bay. “And what happened to me?”
“Quad knocked you out somehow,” said Jozi. She relaxed and removed her foot from Ozzy’s stomach then straightened her EVA suit and eyed Gragas. “Can you get me to the High Judge? I’m going to stop Quad from murdering him.”
“I can and I will.”
“Let Robert die,” Ozzy said.
Gragas moved toward the ladder. “Jozi, I’ll carry you.” His wings extended out of his battle suit. “We have a long flight ahead of us.”
Jozi climbed down the ladder, and Ozzy walked to the railing, watching them on the deck below. “You’re going to stop Quad…” Ozzy snapped his fingers, “…just like that? It’s going to be that easy?”
“It’s never easy with Quad,” replied Gragas. “Help us.”
Ozzy’s eyes flashed with irritation. “I’ll pass.”
Gragas slapped the ramp door, which hissed and opened. “See you.” He grabbed Jozi and wrapped his arms around her upper chest as he jumped and flew out of view.
“You bastard, Gragas,” Ozzy muttered under his breath. Ozzy didn’t know if Quad was doing him a favor by wanting to kill Robert or what other motives he had, but let the High Judge rot in hell for all Ozzy cared.
He made his way back into the cockpit and drummed his fingers on the console. Jozi and Gragas going to save the High Judge wasn’t sitting well. They had to rid the government of the disease known as Robert Baldwin. Not save him. Ozzy wouldn’t need to run around Mars half-hidden all the time, wondering what shit Robert would pull off each day to try to kill him.
It would be an end to tyranny. It would be an end to running. Ozzy could have a normal life again.
He shook his head. “Don’t do this, Jozi,” he whispered. “Let the asshole die.”
He sighed.
From what Ozzy had seen, Gragas was somewhat of a match for Quad—sometimes, but Jozi wasn’t even close. She could hold her own with any human, but, beyond that, she was out of her league.
“Dammit, you two,” he shouted. Shar, the woman in Ares Monument, was right—they needed to do everything in their power to oust the current government, not do everything in their power to keep it afloat.
To do that, they needed to trust Jonas. The guy had many tricks up his sleeve, and Ozzy didn’t doubt that Jonas could somehow take over the High Judge’s seat.
But now Gragas and Jozi were putting themselves in harm’s way to stop something that needed to be done.
He activated his engines and closed the storage bay ramp. Relic rumbled and shook, and the ship’s purr brought a twinkle to Ozzy’s eyes. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
He touched the hover lever.
“See you guys in a minute.”
His holodisplay beeped and a message appeared.
Your Eagle is ready. Coordinates will be sent in the next patch.
Lyra No Tail.
He took his hand off the lever and leaned back in his seat. Hmm, what should I do now?
He nodded.
34
Heading Toward Olympus Mons, Mars
Ozzy pulled the hover lever, raising Relic into the sky.
A Class-14 Quadruple Engine Electrohydrodynamic Ionic Thruster 113 SX Vessel was waiting for him to use on a specific job—to get the crystal sphere on Earth.
He’d seen Earth’s beauty in holovids, in holoimages, a
nd in reading Earth tales in books.
Yet, being there and breathing fresh oxygen, touching a river stream, drinking its water, and feeling the wind against his skin, was something he’d always wanted to do.
He’d get some of that on Europa, but it wouldn’t be the same.
And an Eagle. A legit vehicle that could cross the distance from Mars to Earth with no problem was sitting for him, and only for him.
There wasn’t a better civilian craft.
The coordinates to Lyra’s Eagle zipped across the screen and were near the entrance to his little castle inside Olympus Mons. That was far away and in the opposite direction of Gale Crater City where Jozi and Gragas were traveling.
“Screw it. Gragas is with her. He’ll keep her safe.” He patched the coordinates into his controls then flipped on the autopilot.
Relic blasted forward.
Anyway, he had to get to the Eagle before Sonya Zeld, who was still hiding somewhere in the castle. She was probably laying her greedy eyes on the Eagle at this very moment. If she grabbed one of the EVA’s outside, she could mosey over to the craft and steal it.
That wasn’t good.
He pulled up his com line and dialed Robert’s number. It was to his private line and something Ozzy had used many times when Robert would send him on digs.
The com channel rang. He didn’t want to do this, but he had to. It was for Jozi’s sake. He didn’t want Quad ripping her apart for trying to stop him from killing Robert.
He’d at least let the evil son of a Mars know that Quad was on his way. Robert would go to another location, and Jozi wouldn’t have to worry about saving the evil guy.
From Ozzy’s experience, Robert’s eyes could tell a million lies. Except, on this call, they registered confusion. “Why are you calling me?”
“To warn you that Quad is on his way to kill you.”
“What did you just say? Why would he kill me if I paid him handsomely to kill you?”
“It’s a long story and even longer to explain how Quad’s mind works. But trust me when I tell you, he’s coming to kill you.”
Robert snickered. “Yeah, sure. Are you saying he’s coming right this very minute?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m all for him killing you, trust me on that, but Jozi and Gragas are on their way to stop him. Quad is a dangerous bounty hunter. I don’t want my friends to die for the sake of saving you.”
Robert jutted out his chin and scratched under it. “You’re pranking me.”
Ozzy let out an exasperated breath. “No. Listen to me. Get into hiding. Don’t tell me where because Quad might be patched into this line. Get out of the Ministry building and find a rock to hide under. Do something. Get a thousand troops to stand in front of you. Just leave your current location because Quad is on his way at this very second. Do. You. Understand. What. I’m. Saying, Robert?”
Robert briefly closed his eyes, taking it all in. “Okay, let me get this straight. Quad is going to kill me even though I paid him to kill you. Jozi, who I fired and whose head I’m going to put on bounty next, is going to save me. And Gragas, who is some guy who works with you and who has never met me or could care two licks about me, wants to help me.” He twirled his finger in the air. “Stuff doesn’t seem to be flying true here or making much sense, does it?”
Ozzy punched the control panel. “Are you kidding me? Of all things, I should wish you a happy death. I’m warning you, Robert.”
“You’re full of hogwash, Ozzy. Nice try, though. See you on the other side. Oh, and give Quad my gratitude when he pulls the trigger on your sad face.”
Ozzy stared at the blank holoscreen for a few seconds in disbelief. He unclipped his helmet and threw it on the seat next to him.
He made a fist and growled at the butterscotch-colored sky then punched in new coordinates on his flight console.
“Damn you, guys.”
The craft made a U-turn, heading for Gale Crater City.
35
Nearing Gale Crater City, Mars
Ozzy lowered his craft, zooming toward Gale Crater City’s dome.
“This is the city’s tower. You are heading in fast. Please slow your approach. Identify yourself, and we’ll run a check then let you in sterilization chamber three, which is open and ready for use.”
“This is…”
Crap.
He was on the High Judge’s most wanted list. There was no way they’d let him in.
Or they’d let him in and arrest him the moment he exited his craft.
“Sir, reduce your speed, and please identify yourself.”
He slowed his ship, pulling Relic into a hover.
How was he going to get around this?
He thought for a moment and rested his elbow on his armrest and his chin in his palm.
“Sir? We need your identification, please.”
His brother.
He could use his brother’s information. The Ministry didn’t know where on Mars the guy was. Well, hell, either did Ozzy. The last he saw was Lou being carted off to the medical techbots at Jonas’s compound. By chance, he was with Lily at some resort in Gledhill—a resort owned by Jonas.
“Sir?”
“I’m Lou Mack, owner of Pollack Mine.”
There was a pause. Ozzy stared at the enormous, glowing graviton shield domed around the city.
The com line blared. “I need your ID number.”
He looked back and forth across the sandy terrain in front of the dome. What was Lou’s damn ID? It should be simple. It was one number away from Ozzy’s, but was it a number after or a number before?
He knocked his head with his knuckles. Lou was born after Ozzy. “It’s one number after mine, dumbass.”
“Excuse me, sir?” came the tower.
“Oh, my apologies, tower. My number is 185145. Do you need my address? Or how many times I wipe my ass after a restroom break?”
He had to sound like a miner. They were usually pissed at the world, and, in truth, it sounded like Ozzy anyway, so it wasn’t a big leap.
“You’re clear. Ease into sterilization chamber three, sir.”
The water turned off, and Ozzy marched down Relic’s ramp. He exited the sterilization chamber and turned down a side street. He kept his communication’s cap on and activated his com channel, hoping that if Jozi were near him, he could patch into her line and find her.
“Jozi?”
Static.
“Jozi?”
He rounded a corner. Hovercars zipped by, and several people stood in front of him, waiting to cross when the traffic halted.
“Yo, Jozi?”
“Ozzy?”
The hovercars stopped, and the crowd in front of him proceeded across the street, making sure to stay between the yellow-painted crosswalk lines.
“Are you in Gale Crater City?”
“Yes,” Jozi said. “You being able to talk to me over your cap com tells me that you are also here.”
Ozzy stepped to the other side of the street and headed for the Ministry building.
“Stop what you’re doing, Jozi. Quad will kill you if you don’t. There’s no telling what’s on that guy’s mind.”
“We’re here at the Ministry building and about to enter. Quad is nowhere in sight. Out.”
“Jozi? Jozi!” Ozzy threw a fist in his palm. “That little—”
As he rounded another building, he spotted the Ministry up ahead.
Flags topped the structure. One was white, one was black, and the other one had Mars’s colors: orange and gray stripes with one red star in the center.
The structure was wide, domed like the shield around the city and about ten stories tall. It housed a small hospital, the Ministry headquarters, and a courthouse with jail cells.
He picked up his pace, passing a few pedestrians, and trotted up the steps to the main entrance.
When he pulled open the doors, he jerked back and came to an abrupt halt. “What the hell?”
The guards, along with
workers, were on the floor, unconscious. Luckily, he didn’t see any blood.
A small device, courtesy of Gragas, sat on the floor and had been used to knock everyone out.
He hurried passed security’s full-body scanners and metal detectors. They dinged when he went through, telling him his sidearms had been detected.
All the security guards were down and out, so it didn’t matter.
He walked into the main lobby. It was also full of unconscious people. Several were facedown on a giant star marbled in the middle of the large room, others leaned back against couches, their eyes closed and breathing soundly.
He headed down a hallway and came upon a few guards who were on their sides, slumped on the floor, peacefully dreaming.
Another one of Gragas’s devices was next to them.
He turned down a corridor and activated up his com line. “Jozi?”
Sweat began to form on his head, and his heart beat faster as he ran around a corner and saw an open door at the end of the hallway. It was Robert’s office.
“Jozi?”
His feet pounded on the tiles, almost as fast as his heart was beating.
He hoped Quad hadn’t found Jozi and Gragas. If he had, then no telling what was behind that door.
He unholstered his weapon, moving closer and closer to Robert’s office.
“Jozi?”
He pushed the door further open and came to an abrupt halt.
Gragas was on his knees, checking a bloody guard who was slumped over Robert’s desk.
Jozi was glancing down, shaking her head.
Papers littered the floor.
Robert was leaning over the side of his chair with his mouth open. A thin line of blood streaked down his temple and to his cheek, dripping onto his white shirt. On the side of his head was a dark photon hole. His hair was charred where the photon slug hit.
His eyes stared blankly toward the floor. The shot that took his life came so swiftly that the High Judge didn’t have a chance to duck out of the way, let alone move.
A window was smashed behind Robert. The glass shards spread out onto the floor. That had to be Quad’s entrance and exit.
Martian Insurrection (Mars Colony Chronicles Book 3) Page 14
