by Anna Carven
Once, Kail paused for a fraction of a second and lobbed a throwing knife at something, or someone. Before Riana could figure it out, he was running again. “Move,” he urged, placing a gentle guiding hand at the small of her back.
That idiot Ricky must have dobbed them in. He was just lucky Riana had convinced Kail to run with her, instead of staying back to silence his enemies.
She got the feeling he was making a lot of concessions for her.
The further they went, the wider the tunnels became. They passed the occasional bystander, who stared after them in surprise as they shot past.
But no-one dared to challenge them. Not with Kail bringing up the rear.
They passed into a major thoroughfare—an underground street—where the occasional hover-scooter whizzed past, breaking through the throng. Amazingly, Riana even saw a couple of ancient electric motorbikes. Such vehicles wouldn’t have been allowed aboveground, but in the Underground, anything was possible.
They passed into a gambling district where virtual betting dens competed with pachinko parlors and card halls for customers. Even the above-ground elites came down here occasionally to test their luck and part with their credits.
After all, gambling was illegal in the Federation.
“Where are we going?” Riana asked, before she realized she should be the one to answer that question.
There was only one place they should be headed towards. The rendezvous point below the Shard.
But the Underground was massive, and at this rate, it would take them hours to get there. Kail could probably do it, but Riana was exhausted, and she wasn’t a star runner to begin with.
That was why Kail kept catching up to her, encouraging her with a gentle touch as they tried to escape the militia.
He probably would have picked her up and carried her if he could, but that would be too damn conspicuous.
“We need a vehicle,” she gasped, glancing over her shoulder. She spied an angry horde of men and women—about five in total—dressed in the tell-tale black trench-coats and dark datalenses of the militia.
Kail raised an eyebrow. He increased his speed until they were almost touching. Whereas Riana was soaked in sweat, her breath coming in heavy gasps, Kail loped along like a wolf going for a leisurely run through the forest. “Let me carry you,” he insisted.
People were staring at them. The crowds were becoming more dense as they reached the main part of the district. Flashing walls of hyper-electric art turned the thoroughfare into a surreal, hyper-color world. The noise of the crowd blended with the din of the pachinko parlors, becoming a deafening cacophony.
“You can’t carry me,” she whispered. “We already stand out enough as it is.”
Somehow, during their wild, frantic lovemaking, Riana had dislodged Kail’s wig. Now his white hair, with its severe military cut, was exposed for all to see.
The SecondSkin had held up, though, hiding his trademark silver coloring. At least he still looked somewhat Human.
She spied a man trying to start a bright red scooter. It was a small, two-wheeled electric vehicle that looked like it had seen better days. “There’s our getaway vehicle,” she murmured.
She stopped behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder.
Kail appeared at her side and immediately understood what she was trying to do. “Give it to me,” he demanded.
“Wh-what? Get out of my way, asshole! I’ll call the militia!”
“They’re already here,” Riana said softly as Kail proceeded to grab the man by the shoulder, digging his fingers in. The Human blanched.
“Just start it for us.” Riana felt guilty. This was an innocent bystander, and they were about to steal his rare electric motorbike. “I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”
“What the hell? I’m not going to fucking—”
“You’re not going to what?” Kail shifted slightly, allowing his long black coat to open. The poor man caught a glimpse of the arsenal of Kordolian weapons strapped to Kail’s body. His gaze rose to take in Kail’s grim face and his unusual appearance.
“You’d better listen to him.” Riana felt like the good cop to Kail’s bad cop. “I wouldn’t’ want to get on his bad side, either.”
Kail snorted softly.
A loud commotion behind them told her the militia were getting closer.
Kail lost patience and elbowed the man out of the way. “Get on,” he growled.
“Start it,” Riana urged, grabbing the man by the shoulder. “He’s about to get mad.”
“Ah, hell. I don’t want no trouble.” The man slapped his hand on the starter pad and the thing hummed to life. Riana shot him an apologetic look and climbed on in front of Kail.
“You know how to drive this thing?”
“I can figure it out.” She pulled a lever that looked like the accelerator, and they were off, swerving through the crowds as Riana struggled to get a feel for the steering.
“Easy,” Kail whispered, placing his hands on hers. “Like this.” He guided the steering, wrapping his arms around her. Riana was reminded of the first time he’d done something like this, back in the desert near Tamanrasset.
How things had changed since then.
“I think I’ve got the hang of it now.” She breathed a sigh of relief as the bike gained speed, eating up the distance. They left the gambling district—and the militia—behind, reaching a junction where the tunnels branched off in five different directions.
True to these Underground type places, there wasn’t any signage to go by. One was just supposed to know where to go.
And Riana was unfamiliar with this part of the maze.
“Left,” Kail said, applying gentle pressure to her hands. “Turn left here.”
“What do you mean?” They were already turning, swerving to avoid a large delivery drone. “How do you know it’s this way?”
“Sometimes, I just know,” he answered. “I don’t question it.”
A strange feeling tickled the back of Riana’s neck. There was something more than a little preternatural about Kail’s instincts. If she didn’t know him well, she might have found it scary.
But this was Kail, and as strange and difficult-to-understand as he could be, she had nothing to fear from him.
That was how Riana found herself careening through the Underground on a ridiculously tiny, bright red electric scooter with a fearsome warrior at her back, on her way to give herself up to a mysterious bunch of people who wanted her dead.
They probably looked ridiculous. This whole thing was about as ridiculous as aliens and spaceships and conspiracy theories.
Bring on the ridiculous. Nothing and nobody could touch her now, because Kail was on her side. She got the feeling that even if she were about to meet her maker, this temanjin would probably find a way to drag her out of it.
Grudgingly, Riana had to admit that Arin had been right about these Kordolians all along.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Is this really necessary? Again?” A look of mild consternation crossed Kail’s face. Secretly, Riana thought it was adorable, but she didn’t tell him that.
“I have to look the part,” she said. “Besides, if it’s you doing it, I don’t mind.” She undid her red scarf, which was now more than a little dirty. An ironic smile danced across her lips. “You have to play your role, too. Tie me up. Get a little rough with me.” She shifted on her feet as nervous energy coursed through her. A shallow layer of cold, murky water washed over her thin neo-tex boots. They were standing in a side tunnel just off the main thoroughfare. The Underground ran deep here, extending beneath the hoverail routes that had once made up the original Underground of London.
“Tch.” Kail’s look of distaste grew. “It will be better if I just get rid of them without all this pretense.”
“They probably won’t show if we don’t turn up first. Criminals are paranoid like that.” Riana’s tone was light, but a small part of her was utterly terrified.
She suppressed her fear, that insidious emotion that lurked deep down within herself. It was always there, but whether she allowed it to surface was her business.
Anxiety was a powerful thing. Riana had been caught in its paralyzing clutches many times before.
Kail was watching her closely. His eyes narrowed slightly. A strange ripple ran over her skin, and Riana took a deep breath. This was madness. She hadn’t really allowed herself to think past this point, but deep down, she knew what was going to happen.
With Kail by her side, what did she expect? He hadn’t made any secret of the fact that he was a killer.
Kail shook his head slowly. “No. From now on, we do things my way.”
A hundred-and-one questions and doubts entered Riana’s mind, but she kept quiet.
Kail took the scarf from her hands and placed his thumb under her chin, tilting her face upwards until she met his eyes. “You are uncertain,” he said gently, “and a little scared.”
“Not of you…”
“I know. You are scared of what I’m going to do. Your kind aren’t used to such things.” How terribly astute of him.
“We’re taught to value life, even though we constantly screw that up.”
“I value your life.” He smoothed out the scarf and then fastidiously arranged it around her neck, tucking the frayed ends beneath the neckline of her coat. “When they come, stay here. Do not come out until I say so.” He reached inside his coat and pulled out a strange looking gun. It was definitely not a Human-made gun. “You know how to shoot. I saw you shooting Xargek on the freighter.”
He… remembered that? Riana was surprised he’d taken any notice of her back then.
She took the gun from him.
“Shoot to kill,” Kail said softly. Then he kissed her on the lips and disappeared down the tunnel, merging with the shadows.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Kail removed the awkward Human boots, drawing out his exo-armor. The boots were thick and cumbersome, and they prevented him from moving silently.
He passed from the side tunnel into a large space bordered on all sides by hard grey walls. A trickle of water ran through the center, and the air was stale, infused with the stench of rot and decay.
He found a corner where the dim light didn’t reach. Kail hid himself in the shadows and waited.
Patience. He was nothing if not patient.
Eventually, he heard whispered voices.
“Where is he? I don’t like this. We should be the ones calling the shots. Not this asshole, whoever he is.”
“You put out a job like that through the Darkweb, you’re bound to attract all types. He sounded like a real hard bastard; someone who does this kind of thing for a living. Just play along with it. We need her dead.”
Upon hearing their callous disregard for his Human’s precious life, Kail stiffened, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade.
“He was supposed to have done it. Part of the job. I don’t see why we have to pay him two billion fucking credits.”
“The boss wants it done. He said it doesn’t matter if he kills her or we do it. Just need to make it look like a non-suspicious death.”
“Why all the trouble?”
“Avoid an investigation at all costs. That’s the priority. It can’t come back to the boss. Those guys need to maintain a clean record, and you know how these Feds can be when it comes to civilian deaths.”
“So we get our hands dirty instead.”
“That’s how it’s been since the beginning of time. The serfs do the work while the lords in the High Tower get away with murder.”
“Sounds about right.” The Human laughed bitterly. “So where the fuck is this guy? What if he’s a no-show?”
“Just wait a little longer. Maybe he’s—”
They weren’t in the main tunnel. Their whispers floated to him from a side-alley; a narrow tunnel covered by a rusting metal gate. There were at least three of them in there; perhaps four.
“I need to see my money,” Kail shouted, making sure his voice echoed off the walls and carried to the Humans.
There was a shuffle of feet and a rustle of clothes. For a while, no-one spoke.
“Show us the girl,” a man called out after a long pause. “No girl, no cash. Tell her to walk into the main tunnel, alone.”
“So you can shoot her and leave? I don’t think so.” Kail edged along the wall, keeping to the shadows. “My price is two billion. I need to see the money. You will bring me one of the credit chips. Place it on the floor in the middle of the tunnel. I’ll come out and check it. If it is good, I will bring the girl and you will present me with the second chip.”
“How do we know you won’t just walk off with a billion credits in your hand?”
“You will have the opportunity to shoot me if I walk. But shoot me, and you will never see her.” He paused. “The Kordolians have expressed an interest in her.”
One of the Humans swore softly.
Kail moved silently through the darkness, drawing closer to the Humans. He moved as far as he could before the shadows were interrupted by a dim, flickering light.
Kail didn’t really need to go through with this ridiculous subterfuge, but he wanted the Humans off-guard. He didn’t want any of them to escape, so the closer he got, and the more unawares they were, the better.
The metal gate creaked, and the faint splish-splash of boots through water told him someone approached.
“Here.” There was a soft clink as an object was placed on the pavement. “Half of your payment. Now give us the—”
Kail moved. He walked out into the light, hoping his half-human disguise was holding up. The Human, a tall man with a short, greying beard and a scar across one cheek, froze.
“Where’s the girl?”
“Patience,” Kail said softly. Then he moved, pulling his sikkor from its sheath.
“Oi, oi, what the fu—” The man was drawing his gun, but it was too late, because Kail’s blade was already at his neck.
A gush of warm blood cascaded over Kail’s gloved hand as he opened the Human’s carotid artery. The man fell to the ground, gasping like a lamperk out of water.
His body slumped over the metal case that contained the credit chip, his blood seeping out and mingling with the stream of water.
“Tch.” Kail removed the awkward Human gloves. Underneath, his skin was covered by his exo-armor.
“I told you it was a fucking trap!”
A hail of bolt-fire rained down upon him. Kail ran through it, his coat-tails flapping. He summoned his helm as he reached the narrow tunnel where the remaining Humans were concealed. As the nanites emerged over his face, the strange SecondSkin stuff and the tinted lenses crumbled away.
Good. There was no longer any need to conceal his appearance.
The metal gate was wide open. Kail stormed past, pulling a throwing knife from his body as he ran. It caught one of the Humans in the back and he went down. The next one tasted Kail’s sikkor as he reached for his gun.
The final Human fired a blast of supercharged electricity at Kail’s chest. It crackled and rippled across Kail’s body, burning through his coat. Kail sustained the hit with a grimace and moved forward. He lunged, his fingers closing around the bolt-gun. The Human tried to fire again, but Kail wrenched the weapon out of his grasp and threw it to the ground.
The man blinked, shaking his head slowly in disbelief as realization dawned on him.
“Kordolian,” he whispered. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
Kail coldly regarded the man who had spoken so casually about killing his mate. How badly he wanted to kill this inferior creature.
But his instincts told him to stay his hand. “Come with me.” Instead, he grabbed the creature by his neck and pushed him out of the tunnel. The man fought, clawing at his arms until Kail squeezed harder, making him choke.
They passed the dead bodies of his accomplices. He dragged the man past the metal gate, out into the main t
unnel.
And stopped.
Riana stood before him, her eyes wide with shock as she took in the destruction he’d wrought.
And for the first time in his life, Kail felt a little pang of… something. What the hell was this feeling? Guilt? Regret? Self-consciousness? He didn’t understand it. All he wanted to do was wipe the look of horror off her face, but he didn’t know how.
“What the hell is she doing here?” His captive was still struggling.
“Quiet,” Kail hissed, forcing the man to his knees. He allowed the nano-helm to melt away from his face. “Here,” he said gruffly. He was like a hunting varhund returning to its master with a fresh catch. “He is yours to question.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The smell of blood filled the air. It was on Riana’s boots. It was pooling on the stone floor, turning deep red as it trickled into the flowing stream and tinted the water crimson.
Kail looked at her expectantly. The Human mercenary—or whatever he was—kneeled at his feet with the fear of death in his eyes.
“Kail…” Once again, she was speechless.
Seriously, Riana, what did you expect?
Kail stood amongst the bodies like a solemn god of death. His disguise was gone. As he stared at her with his beautiful golden eyes, a strange mixture of affection and dread washed over her.
“You can ask him about the terms of the Kill Order on you,” he said softly. He grabbed the man by his long hair and twisted.
“Aargh!”
“He will tell the truth.”
The fear she’d been holding at bay all along burst forth like a torrent breaking free from an overfilled dam. It was the fear of aliens and giant bug-like insects. It was the fear of dying in space. It was the fear of being put into lifetime cryo-stasis by the Board of Corrections. It was the fear of being hunted by unknown assassins, of dying a terrible, staged death anywhere, anytime.
