Death Dealer

by T. G. Ayer

  Lyra said.

  Dresden completed Lyra’s train of thought.

  “Who are you people?” Azag yelled, staring around at his captors. He began to struggle at Nerishka’s side and she glanced over at him. His gaunt face was red with frustration and anger, veins popping at his temple.

  “You can stop calling for help, we’ve tapped your Link,” Nerishka said softly as she studied the man’s dark features.

  “What…” he spluttered. “Something happened to my Link? What did you do? Who are you people?”

  “We’re the people who are going to fix up your mess for you,” Nerishka said, settling back against her seat, eyes not shifting from the general’s face.

  “No need to thank us,” Kelem muttered.

  Azag stiffened then his features flattened, and he barked out a laugh. “You! You’re the ones that blew up Yazata.”

  Nerishka smiled and tilted her head at Kelem up front. “Like he said, no need to thank us or anything.”

  Azag grinned. “Did you really think it was going to be that easy? All your fancy tech won’t breach my security in time.”

  Nerishka smiled despite the rush of concern. “Why don’t you let us worry about that, OK?” To the team and Lyra, she said,

  asked Dresden, his tone annoyed.

  offered Lyra.

  Judith sounded annoyed as she checked the station’s schematics for a hiding place.

  Dresden highlighted a location on the near end of the asteroid’s interior. Another indicator flickered five kilometers from the shuttle’s position.

  Just as they made a hard left in the direction of the tunnel entrance, the shuttle was hit by beamfire, taking out a grav stabilizer, sending the craft into a spin.

  Judith corrected course fast, and Lyra dropped a collection of red markers on their HUDs as Nerishka turned to study Azag. “Do you think we’ll leave you alive just because you have people with big guns chasing us?” she asked as she drew her lightwand and activated the weapon.

  Azag’s eyes widened as he stared at the white shaft of electrons, hovering dangerously close to his face. He glanced at Dresden who sat beside him but received an icy smile and a gun barrel closer to his head for his trouble.

  Nerishka let out a cold laugh. “They can chase us, they can catch us, they can even kill us. But you’ll still be dead. Don’t think we’re here to bargain with you.”

  Azag’s expression hardened and he sat back. “I suppose we will all be killed then.” His lips twisted in fury and then his gaze shot to each of the crew. “You all happy to die? Just so that you can kill me? You do realize she’s leading you to your deaths?”

  “She’s not doing any leading,” said Judith. “We’re here because we chose to be. We’d have come without her if she’d backed out.”

  Nerishka hid a smile at the roundabout vote of confidence. “Call your people off and we’ll consider leaving you alive.”

  Azag snorted. “Even if I wanted to, that’s not possible. I set it up for just such a situation. And even if I could call them off, I wouldn’t. I don’t believe you’ll hold up your end of the bargain.”

  Nerishka shrugged. “Was worth a shot.”

  The shuttled entered the maintenance tunnel and raced through the skin of the asteroid, temporarily losing their pursuers. Judith slowed it on a platform and Kelem yelled, “Let’s go! I’ve programmed the shuttle to lead them through the tunnels and then back out into the interior.”

  Nerishka was first out and raced across the platform to a set of doors leading into a corridor cut through the rock. Behind her, Dresden threw Azag out of the shuttle and was followed by Kelem and Judith. Behind them, the shuttle lifted off and sped away, deeper into the maintenance tunnels.

  Nerishka palmed the door, but it wouldn’t open. Kelem pulled out his pistol, but she held up her hand. “Wait. I can hack it.” Kelem grunted and Nerishka fed her nano into the panel and worked on breaking the code. The door clicked a few seconds later and they raced inside, Dresden dragging the general with him.

 

  They made a mad dash down the tunnel. Lined with plas and trimmed with orange bulkhead lighting, it linked with an almost endless network of passages that would buy them some time.

  asked Dresden, his grip on Azag’s arm still firm.

  Even as she spoke the words Nerishka suspected they already had an all-too-narrow window.

  called Judith from up ahead.

  Nerishka replied.

  They reached an intersection with an access hatch that could prove helpful. Dresden advised.

  Nerishka hesitated.

  Dresden hesitated, then swerved right and dragged Azag down the tunnel. At the end was a service hatch that—from the reflective orange sign—lead to a garbage reclamation system belonging to the building above them. He shoved Azag into the small vestibule that led to the tanks, beckoning to Nerishka to follow him.

  Dresden said as he shut the hatch.

  said Nerishka as she climbed inside the vestibule.

  muttered Lyra.

  Nerishka focused on Azag, the light from her wand bringing his sharp features into stark contrast. Here, he looked like just a regular guy, not a man wanting to create a weapon that would help him destroy or topple governments or become insanely rich…or both.

  Azag’s head lolled to the side, and Lyra said, said Lyra.

  Nerishka shook the general, her grip on his arm tight. “Where is the rest of the research?”

  He giggled. “There’s nothing left. Assholes…blew it up.”

  Nerishka grunted. she muttered.

  asked Dresden.

 

  Lyra advised, urgency feeding through to the team on the shared Link.

  Nerishka glared at the general. “What about the gate? Where’s the rest of the gate?”

  Azag began to laugh again, a fit that brought tears to his eyes. He lifted his hands and spread them wide, at the same time making an explosive sound with his lips. “It went kaboom!”

  Nerishka shook his shoulder again. There had to be something else. He couldn’t have kept it all in one place. “Where did you keep the backups? The research? You had to back it up just in case.”

  Azag’s head lolled and hi
s grinned and sighed. “She’s gonna be so mad.” He lifted a finger and shook it in front of Nerishka’s nose. “She said keep a backup. She said we needed a plan in case we were compromised. Too risky, though, too many eyes after Gershan….”

  “Who? Who said that?” Nerishka frowned as she considered Azag’s words. “Who were you working for.”

  “She’ll kill me,” he said drunkenly, his head lolling from side to side. “You better kill me…I’m dead anyway.”

  “Tell me who she is, and I’ll help you get away to safety,” Nerishka said, even though she had no intention of doing any such thing.

  “Can’t…” He put a finger to his temple then pushed hard repeatedly. “If I say her name, I’m fried…brain fried…fried brain…brain…” Azag continued to mutter the words over and over.

  asked Lyra.

 

  Kelem muttered and then gave an annoyed grunt.

 

  EGRESS

  STELLAR DATE: 10.21.8948 (Adjusted Gregorian)

  LOCATION: Ishtar Station

  REGION: Ayra System (Independent)

  Nerishka spent a few more minutes with Azag, asking him if Inanna was the mastermind but he kept shaking his head until the serum began to wear off.

  She shoved him back out into the corridor. “He’s done. We need to get out of here. If Inanna is behind this, then we need more power and a better plan to take her down.”

  Dresden looked grim and was about to answer when Kelem yelled, “Incoming,” also cutting off Lyra’s attempt to speak.

  The feeds from the team’s drones showed Azag’s soldiers pushing into the corridor at the entrance to the tunnels, then seemingly selecting the correct path, as though they knew exactly where they were going.

  “They’re headed straight for us. Like they know the way,” Judith growled. “He got a tracker on him or something?”

  Lyra protested.

  Nerishka didn’t answer. She sent her nano in to check him out and then let out her own growl of frustration.

  Kelem asked, a teasing note in his voice even as he began to fire at the oncoming soldiers.

  Nerishka wasn’t amused, more because she’d failed to find it. She’d been complacent.

  Lyra said, her tone comforting.

  asked Dresden, sounding a little impatient.

  Lyra replied.

  asked Judith, her disgruntlement coming over the team’s Link loud and clear.

  Nerishka let out a defeated sigh. she admitted.

  Azag’s soldiers reached the nearest intersection, and as they rounded the corner, Judith and Kelem opened fire, taking down the first soldier, and wounding the second, forcing the enemy back into cover.

  Lyra said, noting the enemies moving through toward the team, catching them in a pincer with only the garbage reclamation chamber behind them.

  “Like half their fucking army is swooping in,” Kelem grunted as he shifted to fire on the ASF soldiers coming down the passage to their right. “We don’t have the firepower for this.”

  Judith began, but Nerishka cut her off.

  she said, grinning as she waved her lightwand in front of her.

  Nerishka’s armor slid her helmet up and over her face as she activated its stealth mode and raced around the corner, taking the turn at breakneck speed, leaping over Kelem’s shoulder while he laid down suppressive fire.

  She hit the ground running, swinging her weapon wide as she reached the first ASF soldier. The man almost jumped as the lightwand appeared out of nowhere, pulling his attention from Kelem to Nerishka’s lightwand, but it was too late.

  She spun around, the momentum giving the lightwand enough force to slice through his armor and then flesh and bone. His arm hit the ground and he slumped to his knees, screaming as blood sprayed out, coating the walls and floor.

  But Nerishka barely registered the man’s distress as she continued in her spin and slashed out at the next soldier who was firing wildly, distracted at the sight of her partner’s predicament. Nerishka’s armor tightened on her abdomen as stray rounds impacted her body, but she kept going, slicing the woman’s gun arm off as she went.

  Two down and two to go.

  The second pair hesitated after witnessing their comrades’ speedy demise, but they snapped out of it and stood their ground, firing on Nerishka.

  yelled Judith on the team’s combat net.

  Without slowing Nerishka swerved right and built her speed. As she closed in on the soldier, she dropped to her knees and slid along the floor and right past her opponent, slashing at the woman’s hip as she went.

  The blow struck true, the lightwand slicing through her armor and severing the soldier’s leg at the hip.

  Lyra snorted.

  Nerishka boosted onto her feet and dusted herself off. Judith had dropped the guard on her left and her HUD showed now more red markers.

  Dresden fired a barrage down the adjacent corridor and then gave a satisfied nod.

  Nerishka said as the team hurried toward her, Kelem carrying an unconscious Azag.

  “What happened to him?” she asked.

  “Passed out? Not sure. Vitals look stable, though,” Dresden replied.

  Just as the pair reached Nerishka’s side, Azag straightened and shoved hard at Kelem’s throat, his fingers obscuring a weapon Nerishka couldn’t identify.

  Kelem sagged and Judith grabbed for him while Azag shoved Dresden hard. But the general hadn’t counted on Dresden’s strength, a power that was amplified with rage over the attack on Kelem’s life.

  Kelem was family.

  Dresden slammed his fist into Azag’s cheek, sending the general crashing into the wall. Azag seemed oblivious to the attack. Laughing, he pushed from the wall and twisted, attempting to get away.

  yelled Lyra, her tone ragged.

  MISDIRECTION

  STELLAR DATE: 10.21.8948 (Adjusted Gregorian)

  LOCATION: Ishtar Station

  REGION: Ayra System (Independent)

  The shock of Lyra’s words stilled the entire team for a moment, one the general took advantage off as he pushed past Nerishka and fled.

  With barely a thought, Nerishka drew both her flechette pistols from the holsters on her thighs, took aim and fired just as the general paused at the junction to look back at them.

  Her first bullet hit him in the middle of the forehead, her second in the throat. Azag fell back and Nerishka straightened. She’d felt no remorse for the kill. But it was nothing like assassinating a mark.

  Killing for the Hand was moving the chess-pieces around, helping to keep peace. Azag’s death had been borne of vengeance, fury, loss.

  Nerishka turned on her heel to see Dresden standing over Kelem. She reached down and touched the device on his neck. “Assessing…it’s counting down.
We have four minutes.”

  “What are you all waiting for? Get out of here!” Kelem screamed, staring wildly at each of them.

  Dresden and Judith crouched beside him, shoulders hunched. Nerishka hovered, unsure of the next step.

  Lyra was silent and then replied,

  “What are you saying, Lyra?” Nerishka asked.

 

  “Spit it out,” Kelem growled.

 

  “That’s one hell of a failsafe,” Judith said through clenched teeth.

  Nerishka rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath. She shifted closer and touched Dresden’s arm. “I have a way, but I need to know you guys are comfortable with it.”

  Judith glanced back at her, eyes glistening. Dresden gave a sharp nod, his gaze trained on Nerishka’s face. Kelem remained silent, his expression questioning.

  Nerishka let the words fall from her lips. “We’re going to have to kill him.”

  “What?” Judith’s eyes hardened as the ragged whisper left her lips. “You bitch! Always thinking about the mission.”

  “Judith,” Kelem said, swatting the redhead’s arm.

  Nerishka smiled sadly. “His heart needs to stop and the batteries on his mods need to be shut down or the timer won’t stop counting. We don’t have the nano left to safely pause his heart and turn off his mods. Our best bet is to trick his mods-and the bomb—into thinking he’s dead, then get the device out and bring him back.”

  “What are you thinking?” Dresden asked Nerishka, his tone carefully measured as Judith’s fury subsided slowly.

  “I have a toxin that mimics death to the point that bio signs appear non-existent. It’s not technically death, but it’s enough to trick his mods and the device into thinking he’s dead and shutting down.”