A repetition finally scrawled through the code and Den latched onto it in triumph. The AI was running out of ideas. He patched the reference code into his model and pushed it towards the car. The code descended on the car with a lurch. Den watched the visual representation as his code began to eat into the architecture protecting the car from unauthorized drivers. Within femtoseconds, it was over, and he felt control over the vehicle pass to him.
Dartan and his men had only just begun to draw their weapons, as he wrenched the car into the air. It shot forward with a bang as its inertial compensators adjusted. Dartan barely had time to scream before Stella’s car barreled down on him. Den let go of the quantiverse and heard the screech of metal as Dartan and his three men disappeared with a crash, even as he felt Tan’s weight slam into him, throwing them both to the ground.
He turned over and Tan rolled to his feet. Dartan and the two men lay motionlessly beneath the car. Tan raced forward, holding his gun out. Den saw someone’s arm twitch and Tan put a bullet through the owner’s head mercilessly. He turned back to Den.
“Nice work newbie, pretty unorthodox, but I think it counts as a first kill.” Tan holstered his pistol, “You didn’t take the code, so how the kriff did you get into the operating program so quickly?”
“Umm sure,” answered Den, unable to look away from the bodies.
Blood dripped off the bumper from where it had impacted the men. He felt bile start to rise in his throat, and turned away. The dirty clouds scudding across the skyline stared down at them imperviously and he had the sudden knowing that they were unsurprised. One of the clouds turned red as it passed beneath Rocquamport’s sun and he was unable to stop the sudden hitching cough that tore its way from his throat. The ground here probably got more moisture from blood than it did from rain.
“Are you going to get in or what?”
Den started to see Tan sitting in the driver’s seat holding the passenger door open. “Yeah, I’m coming,” he said, tearing his eyes away.
As soon as he closed the door, Tan wrenched them into the air, and Den felt his thoughts return to reality, “What was that? Why did those men attack us?”
“Kriffing Carrolton,” growled Tan, “Stella’s going to be pissed.” Tan’s face was emotionless as they sped back towards headquarters and Den bit his tongue trying not to think about the blood still crusting the bumper… his first kill. As they got closer, Den began to hear shots and the telltale wisp of laser fire.
“Dammit!” barked Tan slamming a palm against the dashboard, as they passed over the mansion. Den saw a long line of cars outside. “Who the hell ordered a bounty on us?”
“What are we going to do?”
Tan wrenched the car to a stop in the air, “We wait.”
“But what about Stella and Akatski?”
Tan raised an eyebrow, “How many cars do you count?”
Den looked, “Six or seven.”
“Do you think anything you or I could do would be of any use to them?”
He shrugged helplessly, “Um, I guess not.”
“No, there’s no guessing, there’s nothing we can do for them.”
“You’re just going to give up then?”
Tan snorted, “I doubt you’ve ever met anyone like Stella and Akatski. You don’t mess with people like that. You don’t go in after them. They’re in a class of their own. You just let them go and you get the hell out of their way. It should be over in a few minutes.” They hovered, waiting over the zone and Den felt the time pass with agonizing slowness. True to Tan’s word the sounds of firing cut off a minute later.
“It’s over,” said Tan letting out a sharp breath, he flicked the controls and began angling the car towards the ground.
Fear filled Den. “But how do you know it’s Stella and Akatski? What if…”
“Stella and Akatski are fine. Don’t worry about it,” said Tan with utter confidence. Den clutched his door handle so tightly it felt like his knuckles were going to explode, as Tan set them down. Tan got out unhurriedly as soon as they touched the ground. “Stella, Akatski? You in there?” he shouted.
A muffled curse sounded from inside the building, and a few seconds later, Stella appeared at the door. “Where the kriff were you a few minutes ago Tan? I saw you fly in.”
Tan shrugged, “I figured you guys were doing fine.”
Akatski joined Stella at the doorway. Blood slicked the front of his shirt and he wiped a pair of daggers on his jeans unhurriedly, “You did right Tan. You and Den would have only gotten in the way.”
Stella tossed her hair back, “Well come on then boys, it’s time for you to clean up the mess since you didn’t help make it. Den walked to the door, bodies littered the floor.
“Who were those people?”
“Bounty Hunters,” said Tan, kicking one over in disgust. “Usually bounty hunters work alone, but sometimes they get together for a big target.”
“Does this happen often?”
“Depends on who the Captain’s pissed off lately, but it’s not the first time,” said Tan.
“Does that mean we have to move?”
“What the kriff did you just say newbie?” broke in Stella. “Only kriffing pansies try to hide. If someone has a bone to pick with me, then I’m right here.”
“The bounty hunters have had their lesson for now,” said Akatski flatly. “They will not be back again soon, and if they’re stupid enough to try, I will be waiting.” The utter lack of human emotion in his words sent a much deeper chill racing down Den’s spine than all of Stella’s fiery anger.
4
Crow's Corner
Den cursed as the bloody arm slipped out of his hands and splattered to the floor.
“Hurry it up newbie, we don’t have all kriffing day!” snapped Stella from the bar. Her boots were kicked up on the counter and a cloud of smoke drifted around her head.
Wrapping his fingers around the bodiless arm he picked it up with a deathly handshake and forced himself not to glare at Stella. His shoulders ached from dragging the bodies out. There had been a lot more than he expected. How Stella and Akatski had managed not to get killed was still a mystery to him. There had been at least twenty corpses in the building.
He bent down and grabbed the rest of the body with his other hand and began staggering towards the front door, ignoring the bloody smear it left behind him. Tan met him in the doorway, “Last one,” he breathed.
“Finally,” muttered Tan.
“Stop groaning and start cleaning, I didn’t bloody pay them to attack me,” shouted Stella. “Maybe next time you’ll kriffing help instead of waiting for us to do all the work.” Tan and Den heard the scrape of the barstool and she stepped into the hallway. “I want to know who the hell thinks they can list a burning hit on us and get away with it.”
She flicked her cigarette onto the ground and crushed it out with her boot, “You’ve got your first assignment newbie.”
“What?”
“Weren’t you listening? Find out who listed the hit, so I can blow their kriffing brains out!”
Fear gripped Den, “But how am I supposed to find that out? Isn’t that what the police are for?”
“Don’t get me started on what passes for a kriffing policeman around here,” laughed Stella. “Go to the Crow’s Corner. The old dragon there, Shawna, will know if anyone does. Tell her I sent you.”
“For whatever reason, she seems to like Stella,” drawled Tan.
“Got it?” said Stella.
Den nodded uneasily, “What’s Crow’s Corner?”
Stella put a hand to her forehead. “Kriffing newbies, Tan, explain it to him.”
“Crow’s Corner is where all the bounty hunters and mercenaries get their jobs,” said Tan dutifully. “Shawna’s a retired bounty hunter. Don’t underestimate her though. She’s sharp as a knife, and all the people who go there are keen to keep her alive because she keeps the jobs flowing in.”
“Go clean up now and head over,” said Ste
lla. “Tan can finish here.”
Tan gave her a dirty look.
“What? You want to kriffing switch, Tan?”
Tan walked to the decrepit cleaning closet. “I’ll be just fine.”
Den watched them uneasily, fear rankling in the back of his mind. It felt like they weren’t telling him something. “What if she doesn’t want to tell me?” he said.
Stella’s eyes narrowed, “Then that’s what this is for.” She pointed at the pistol hanging from his belt. “Let me see it.”
Reluctantly, Den pulled the pistol out and handed it over. Stella took it appraisingly. “It’ll do,” she said finally. “Make sure you have it with you.”
“Of course,” he reached for it, but Stella pulled it back.
“What is this to you Den?”
“My pistol,” he said, trying not to let his annoyance seep through. She was kriffing bossy for someone his own age.
“Wrong. This is your life,” said Stella and her dull eyes flashed fiercely. “When you pull this out, it doesn’t go back in until you get what you want. Nothing is more dangerous than an unsatisfied gun. Your life is only worth something when it’s in your hand. Do you understand?”
“I get it.”
“Don’t just kriffing say it, believe it!” Stella shoved the gun into his hand and watched as he fixed it in the holster.
“I understand, I won’t put it away unless I get what I came for,” he said and this time he felt his patience wear thin. How much longer did she plan to stand on her soapbox?
“Good.” Stella blew a stream of smoke in his face. “Now don’t come back until you know who thinks they have the right to kill us.”
Night was beginning to fall as Den walked out of the mansion. The skyscrapers seemed to watch him, and he moved quickly, reciting Tan’s directions in his head. Why hadn’t the bastard offered to come with him? Probably because it was smarter not too, he thought uncomfortably. He felt his fingers tighten around the handle of his gun. At least he knew how to turn off the safety now. He was reasonably sure he could pull the trigger if it came down to it, but the sick taste in his mouth told him he’d rather not.
Why couldn’t they just let him do some hacking? That’s what he’d supposedly been hired for. He kept walking and the miles slowed his thoughts. It took him an hour to reach Crow’s Corner. When he got there, he stopped outside, examining it. The establishment was a bar in the base of one of the skyscrapers. The front of the place was old and unremarkable save for the old-fashioned swinging bar doors at the front. The shape of a crow was etched into the wood.
Golden light broke the shadows as he watched a pair of hard looking men stumble out. They passed by without a glance and he stepped in letting the doors swing shut behind him. Inside, the bar was just as unremarkable as the outside. The smell of stale smoke and old beer filled the air. Several more, rough looking men were grouped together at the bar while a few others crowded around some tables. Several glanced up at him, but most didn’t actively acknowledge his presence though he could feel their eyes on him.
Forcing himself not to stare, he walked up to the bar and did his best to slide in nonchalantly. A young woman with an ugly burn on her chin was filling glasses and she walked over to him. “I’m here to talk to Shawna.”
She flipped a dirty lock of brown hair out of her face, “What’re you drinking?”
“I’m fine.”
She glared at him, “Shawna only talks to customers.”
“Whatever, I’ll have a beer,” he answered trying to conceal his nervousness. “Tell her Captain Stella sent me.”
The girl shrugged and slopped beer onto the counter as she filled a dirty mug and pushed it towards him, before walking into the back. He tasted it, feeling the acidic burn work its way down his throat, and nearly choked. It tasted like battery acid. A dull throb began to pound at his temples.
The girl came back out with another glare. “Shawna’s in the back.”
“Thanks,” he muttered and stepped around the bar leaving his mug behind him. A tiny hallway took him towards the back of the building. On his right stood a storeroom overflowing with bottles and on his left loomed an old, dusty office, complete with a sagging desk and stacks of paper files. A tall, black woman was sitting behind the desk. She was older but unfolded from her chair gracefully and extended a hand. “So, the Captain sent you, did she?”
“I’m Den,” he said, shaking her hand. It was hard and surprisingly muscular. “She wants to know who listed the bounty on us.”
Shawna stepped around him closing the office door. “So you’re a new hire then.”
“I’m sorry?”
Den watched her feeling suddenly uncomfortable in the small space.
Shawna cracked an unpleasant smile, “Don’t worry, it fits. Nobody else from Stella’s crew would be stupid enough to come here by themselves.”
Fear tightened Den’s stomach, and he pushed forward trying not to let it show. His jaws felt thick. “Stella said you would know who it was.”
“I’m surprised,” said Shawna as if he hadn’t spoken, “You’re not her usual type.” She stared at him appraisingly, “A word of advice for you boy, get away from the Captain, and do it as quickly as you can.”
Mistrust filled Den, “What are you talking about?”
“Tell me, could you truthfully describe her as sane?”
“Just answer the question,” he said trying not to let his own misgivings show. “Stella sent me to find out who put the hit out on us, and I’m not planning to leave until I know.”
Shawna ignored him, “I can see from your face that you’ve seen some of her nature, boy. She’s a survivor, different than most, but not in a good way. People tend to die around her. Did you know she’s the only boss on Rocquamport who has to hire off planet?”
Something flickered in the back of Den’s mind. The words were sliding from Shawna’s cultured lips too easily. “You’re stalling,” he answered. “I may not be from Rocquamport, but I understand misdirection when I see it. I haven’t met a single person on this planet who would cross the street to give a dying man water and I doubt I’m talking to the exception now. If you know the Captain, then you know she’s not the type to be put off. So you had better tell me what you know.”
A smile creased the edges Shawna’s lips, “I’m impressed. Very perceptive of you Den. If I had a mind, I’m sure I could find you much more lucrative work elsewhere.”
“I’m not here to talk about my work; I’m here to get answers.”
Shawna threw back her head and laughed. “The Captain doesn’t deserve you Den. Let me set you up with work more in line with your abilities.”
He felt his pistol slip out of its holster and pointed it at her, “I’ve given you more than enough chances,” he said firmly, though he couldn’t stop his voice from shaking on the last word. “Tell me who listed the hit.”
The moment his gun settled on Shawna, the door burst open and he nearly turned towards the men crowding into the hallway behind them before stopping himself. Fear prickled in his throat. All of them held guns leveled at him. “Why don’t you put the gun down, so we can talk about this civilly,” said Shawna coolly, as if he were pointing his gun at the sky.
The instant desire to listen to her filled him, but the memory of Stella’s words filled his mind. Adrenaline raced through him and a cold sweat broke out on his brow. Nothing was going the way it was supposed to. The cold command in Shawna’s eyes urged him to put the gun down, but he knew deep down what would happen if he did.
“No,” he answered, raising his fist and pointing the gun directly between her eyes. “No,” he repeated finding strength in the words. “I don’t think I’m going to be putting my gun down at all.”
“Ma’am?” said one of the men.
“Your loyalty to the Captain is commendable,” said Shawna meeting his eyes, “But it is not worth your life Den. Put the gun away.”
He watched her eyes. She was staring at him like
an annoying stain that refused to go away. “I told you why I’m here,” he answered, not letting his gun drop an inch. Their eyes met, and Den felt the tension grow until it was a palpable force pushing down on him. The gun trembled in his hand as his shoulder began to tire.
Finally, Shawna flicked her hair back and gave him a wry smile. “I like your balls kid, so I’ll help you just this once. There’s a man named Theon staying at Hotel Black. He knows about the hit. If you want answers, tell your Captain to go talk to him. Now does that answer your question?”
“Thank you,” he muttered and felt the skin on the back of his neck crawl as he slowly backed out of the office.
Shawna watched him coolly a small smile creasing her lips. Her men parted around him and one of them whispered something to her, but she made a cutting motion with her hand. The men lowered their guns, but Den didn’t drop his until the bar doors had swung closed behind his back. Then he ran, racing back towards the mansion. It took him less than 20 minutes.
“Speak of the Devil,” crowed Stella as he stumbled into the living room. She turned from the bar holding a beer in her hand. Akatski stared at him from behind the counter and Tan watched from over his shoulder. “We were just talking about you,” said Stella. “Wondering if you were still alive or not. Tan and Akatski said no. But it looks like I’m right.” She slammed her empty glass back down on the table. “Next one is on you boys.”
Tan walked over to him with a grin, while Akatski slapped another beer down in front of Stella. Den stood, his hands on his knees, gasping to catch his breath. Tan extended a hand, but he ignored it. “There’s a man staying at Hotel Black,” he breathed. “Shawna said his name was Theon, said he knows about the hit.”
Stella’s face darkened immediately, “Krell,” she muttered.
“What?”
“If Krell has anything to do with this, I’m going to wring his kriffing neck,” she growled stepping off the bar stool.
The Captain Page 3
