The two men lifted Gurrala off of the floor. One man held his arms while the other held his legs. Gurrala swayed to the left and then to the right as the men carried him out a back door.
“Let’s get back to business,” Justice Kourdar continued, addressing the others seated at the table. “To recap, thanks in large part to that imbecile, Brandix has survived and LaRocque is out there somewhere, on the loose. Can anything else go wrong?”
“It’s not all bad news,” a large reptilian man at the far end of the table asserted. “The public thinks that Brandix and LaRocque were killed in a hovercraft accident. That fireball made all the videopapers. Hovercraft accidents are rare, but they do happen. And Casseday reports that he has Brandix trapped in the Felcarr sector. He is requesting reinforcements. If we help him, it will only be a matter of time before he overruns Brandix’s position. And my intermediaries inform me that they have spoken with Respoola’s intermediaries. Respoola has agreed to contact Brandix’s financiers on our behalf to negotiate a deal once Brandix is dead. So, taking everything into consideration, I think that we are in pretty good shape.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong,” a raven-haired woman interrupted. “We are in a terrible position. We have no idea how strong Brandix’s forces are or what his financiers and allies are doing. And Respoola is a snake. There is a reason why people call him Cesspoola behind his back. We would be foolish to count on his help for anything. Plus, we have no idea where LaRocque is or what he is up to. And time is on their side, not ours. We have already detained three videopaper reporters trying to access the hovercraft wreckage. Accidents involving hovercraft rarely happen, and losing two Justices on the same day is unheard of. The videopaper editors smell a story. They want to see Brandix’s and LaRocque’s bodies and they want to conduct independent scans to prove that the bodies are actually them. We live in an imperfect world. They won’t accept our word forever. Unless we produce their bodies soon a reporter is bound to find out the truth and then we’re done. If we don’t act quickly, and decisively, we are all going to be sentenced to death, or worse.”
“I agree,” Justice Kourdar stated. “Brandix must die; the sooner the better.”
Turning to his left and facing a tall, uniformed reptilian man with multiple ribbons and medals adorning his shirt, Justice Kourdar continued, “Inform Casseday that my personal security guards are at his disposal and that I will guarantee payment of up to 20 million credits to help pay for any additional mercenary forces that he thinks are necessary to get the job done. Tell him that if he needs more than that to let me know. I know where I can get it. They started this and we are going to finish it.”
“What about LaRocque?” a reptilian woman to his right asked.
The raven-haired woman leaned across the table and stated firmly, “He must be found immediately and killed. But remember. We need to prove that it is him. We don’t need his entire body, just a few body parts will do.”
Chapter 25
ANNE HOPKINS
Michael continued down the hallway, with Conor following close behind.
“Anne’s apartment has a yellow rose embedded in its front door,” Michael thought. “With any luck, we should be able to find it pretty quickly.”
“Hopefully, she will be home,” Conor added.
“That would be helpful,” Michael answered. “Of course, the way our luck has been recently, she’s probably off-world on a job.”
Continuing down the hallway, they approached another large meeting room. Its double-hung doors were propped open and music spilled into the hallway, reverberating off the walls. Conor was surprised by the music’s effect on him. His upper body instinctively swayed back and forth keeping pace with the upbeat tempo and deep bass rhythm. He had never experienced music like this. It was the type of music that lifted the spirit, made you tap your feet, and grab a dancing partner.
“There are 34 people in that room,” Conor announced, still swaying to the music. “I smell a lot of alcohol and the air in there is thick with testosterone and pheromones. Everyone seems to be having a great time. It’s obviously a party.”
“Look away as you pass the open doorway,” Michael stated. “We don’t want anyone to recognize us.”
As they passed the doorway, someone turned the volume control on the room’s sound system up to its maximum setting. The music was so loud that the doors rattled and the walls shook.
“Obviously a party,” Michael stated out loud, no longer worried about anyone overhearing their conversation given the near deafening noise.
Conor snuck a peek into the meeting room as they passed. Two obese, intoxicated reptilian men were dancing on a wooden table. A crowd of people, half of them humanoid and half of them reptilian, clapped and shouted encouragement as the two men gyrated with the beat of the music. A uniformed reptilian woman, obviously one of the building’s employees, tried to get them off of the table, but they pushed her away.
“Get down!” she shouted. “You are scratching the table. Don’t you ever cut your claws! You’re going to have to pay for the damage you know.”
One of the reptilian men reached into a pocket and threw a handful of credits in the woman’s direction.
“Stop bothering us!” he shouted. “It’s my birthday! I can do anything I want!”
The two men continued to dance as the music blared. The crowd urged them on, chanting “Go! Go! Go!”
Michael and Conor hurried down the hallway, passed a turbolift, several more doors, and then found the door with a yellow rose. Michael pressed his hand against the door’s entrance pad and waited. Conor sensed that they were being scanned. The door disappeared. A woman’s hand reached out, grabbed Michael by the arm, and pulled him roughly into the room.
“Don’t just stand there!” the woman shouted at Conor. “Get in here before someone sees you!”
She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
“What’s the matter with you?” she asked, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him into the room. “Are you deaf?”
As soon as the door rematerialized behind Conor, the woman turned to Michael and stated calmly, “You look remarkably well for a dead man.”
“Thank you,” Michael stated. “It’s amazing what they can do these days.”
“Yes, absolutely amazing,” she answered, gesturing toward a green, cushioned couch. “Make yourself at home. The room is clean. There are no recording or listening devices. Feel free to scan the room if that would make you feel more comfortable. You won’t hurt my feelings. Can I get you anything? Anything at all?”
“No,” Michael answered as he walked over to the couch and sat down.
Conor stood in the middle of the room, staring at their host.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked, purposively brushing up against Conor as she passed him on her way to the kitchen. “Anything at all?”
“No thank you,” Conor answered, still trying to regain his composure.
Anne paused, gave Conor a seductive smile, placed her left hand provocatively on his shoulder, and whispered in a soft, smoothing voice, “Please take a seat. You’re making me nervous standing there.”
“I make you nervous?” Conor thought to himself. “You should see what you’re doing to me!”
“She knows,” Kristi’s voice announced in his mind. “Pull yourself together and sit down. You are showering the room with testosterone. You are embarrassing me. Remember your training.”
“Oh,” Conor said using telepathy as he headed for a chair in the far corner of the room. “I forgot that you were there.”
“Yes, you did,” Kristi stated, with just a touch of annoyance in her voice. “Now pay attention and stay alert. This woman is dangerous. In fact, she is very dangerous. She taught Alex most of what he knows. So watch yourself. Remember, looks can be deceiving. She may look and act like she is a real sweetheart, but that woman is a trained assassin.”
Anne reentered the room, carrying a platter of multicolor
ed orbs and three ceramic mugs, each filled to the brim with a steaming, amber-colored drink.
Placing the platter and mugs on a small, hand-carved, wooden table in front of the couch, she announced, “I know that you said that you did not want anything, but I thought I would bring these out, just in case anyone changes their mind. I always like to have things ready, just in case they are needed.”
“That is why we are here,” Michael stated, clearing his throat. “Alex says that you are always prepared for any contingency. That is why we have come to you. He says that you are the best in the business.”
“I do take pride in my work,” she answered as she picked up and carried a chair from across the room and sat herself down directly across from Michael. “There have been few complaints. If you know what I mean.”
“Yes,” Michael stated as he reached down to the wooden table and picked up one of the mugs. “Alex informs me that if you are provided the proper resources that there is nothing that you cannot accomplish.”
“He is a very wise man,” she answered. “The only mistake he ever made was ending our business partnership to go to work with you. Where is he anyway? I would love to talk with him about old times.”
“He’s close by,” Conor answered, trying to be noticed.
Turning in Conor’s direction, Anne gave him a dismissive smile and turned her attention back onto Michael.
“How can I be of assistance?” she asked, picking up one of the mugs and taking a sip.
“As you can see,” Michael started. “I am not dead.”
“Yes, I noticed that,” she stated.
“Justices Casseday and Kourdar are attempting a coup,” Michael continued. “They’ve got Justice Brandix cornered somewhere in the Felcarr sector and they intend to kill him, and me if they can find me.”
“Interesting,” Anne stated, leaning back in her chair. “There hasn’t been a coup in over 3,000 years. I suppose that we are overdue.”
She smiled and took another sip from her mug.
“You seem to be taking all of this pretty calmly,” Michael stated.
“On the contrary, I am taking this very seriously, very seriously indeed,” she answered. “I’ve been calculating the odds in my head ever since the two of you appeared at my front door. It would be very easy to kill both of you right now. I recently had an automated weapons system installed in this suite. It is programmed to kill all life forms in the room except mine. This button, this one right here on my blouse, activates it. All I have to do is push it three times.”
Anne held her right index finger over the button for dramatic effect. Michael looked over to Conor who smiled and informed him using telepathy that she was lying. The button on her blouse was just an ordinary button. Michael leaned forward and did his best to pretend to be nervous.
“There’s no need for that,” he stated. “We came here as friends.”
Anne leaned back in her chair and continued, “I’m sure that Justices Casseday and Kourdar would be very interested in knowing where you are. I am also quite certain that they would pay a great deal for that information, and probably a lot more if I delivered you to them, dead or alive.”
“True,” Michael agreed, taking another sip from his mug. “I’m certain that they would pay you quite a bit.”
“Perhaps, as much as a million, no, make that two million credits,” she continued, placing her mug back down onto the wooden table between them.
“Oh, at least that much,” Michael answered, placing his mug next to hers. “Of course, I might be willing to hire you myself. Say, two million for your services, and another eight million for expenses. You will need help for this particular job and good help is not cheap.”
“Ten million credits,” she stated, a wide grin spreading across her face. “That’s a lot of credits. Enough for some people to retire.”
“Plus,” Michael continued. “If all goes well, I can sweeten the deal by including a few government appointments. I am talking about jobs with a guaranteed salary and a generous pension plan. The kind of jobs that you don’t have to show up for, no questions asked.”
Anne smiled broadly.
“Do we have an agreement?” Michael asked.
Anne reached over the table and shook Michael’s hand.
“Ten million credits and some government appointments,” Michael repeated, making certain that the terms of the deal were clear. “Assuming, of course, that our side is victorious.”
“My side is always victorious,” Anne answered.
“The first order of business is to attend to my friends up on the roof,” Michael stated.
“On the roof?” Anne asked as she walked over to a wall and placed her palm on the left side of a picture frame displaying a hologram of a giant white hibiscus plant in full bloom. A computer, keyboard, and screen swiveled slowly out from behind a concealed panel in the wall next to the picture frame.
“Who is up on the roof?” she asked, punching in some numbers on the computer’s keyboard.
“Alex and three others,” Michael answered. “Alex and one of my assistants have been injured. They need medical attention.”
“Alex!” Anne exclaimed. “Hurt? On my roof? Why didn’t you say so earlier? What is the matter with you?”
She pushed a button on the computer and announced, “Selder, contact the family. We’ve got a job. A big one. A very big one. Code Yellow. You got that? Code Yellow. We will meet at Aunt Emma’s in an hour. Tell Carter and Mason to start signing up temporaries. 50,000 credits apiece. You got that? 50,000 credits. And get Doc G. over here fast. Tell him there’s an emergency up on 10. You got that? On 10.”
“Got it, boss,” Selder answered. Code Yellow. Carter and Mason to sign up temporaries, 50,000 credits apiece. Doc G. On 10. We’ll all meet at Aunt Emma’s in an hour. Doc G. should be on 10 in less than 20 minutes, depending on air traffic. You got that?”
“Got it,” Anne replied, reaching for the off button. “See you soon.”
Anne walked into the kitchen and pressed a light switch on and off five times in rapid succession. A secret panel opened up next to the refrigeration unit.
“This leads to my private turbolift,” she announced as she picked up a laser pistol that hung on a peg inside the opening. “It’s an older, single-person lift, but it’s safe. The ride is a bit rough, but it’s the only way we can get into the garage without anyone seeing us.”
“Where are we going?” Michael asked.
“To Aunt Emma’s house,” Anne answered as she headed down the secret passageway. “Now, watch your heads, it’s a little tight in here.”
“What about Alex and Kathryn?” Conor asked, following Michael into the passageway.
“Doc G. is one of the best in the business,” she answered. “Don’t worry. He will take very good care of them. He is a pro. He even had a medical license at one time.”
“How reassuring,” Conor thought to himself as they reached a small room, not much larger than a closet, containing the turbolift.
“It can accommodate only one person at a time,” Anne announced. “Because time is of the essence, let’s move it. Michael, you go first.”
“Where does this thing go?” Michael asked, stepping into the turbolift.
“To the parking garage,” Anne answered.
Michael dropped out of sight.
“Your turn,” Anne stated, motioning for Conor to step into the turbolift. “Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe. It won’t activate until Michael has stepped out.”
Conor stepped into the turbolift and waited. The floor suddenly disappeared beneath his feet. Falling through a dark tunnel, he grabbed for the railing. Landing with a jolt, he stepped out of the lift and quickly surveyed his surroundings. The garage was full, with row after row of hovercraft parked neatly side-by-side. Michael was waiting by a very large, red hovercraft with black racing stripes.
“Okay,” Anne announced, stepping out of the turbolift. “The powder blue one in the back row i
s mine. It’s a subcompact, meant for two, but we should be able to manage.”
Anne pressed her palm against the hovercraft’s viewer dome. The dome disappeared, the hovercraft’s doors receded, and the pilot and passenger seats swung out to make it easier for them to climb aboard. Jumping into the pilot’s seat, she motioned for Michael to take the passenger seat and for Conor to crawl onto the back bench. The bench was designed to carry a child or some cargo, so it was a tight fit.
“Sorry about the back seat,” Anne announced over her shoulder as the doors closed, the viewer dome reformed over their heads, and the hovercraft’s engine hummed to life. “My kids are grown and off-world, and I am no longer under contract with anyone, so I don’t have much need for anything larger than a subcompact.”
The hovercraft’s viewer dome darkened, allowing them to see out, but preventing others from seeing in. Conor’s head pressed up against the dome.
“The privacy screen and stealth modes are activated,” Anne announced as the hovercraft lifted off slowly, hovering above the garage’s floor. “The government has closed the airspace to our east, but we are headed west, so that is not a concern. Although I can’t prevent the hovercraft from being recorded by robocameras once we hit the skyways, at least they will not know who’s in here.”
Anne hit the autopilot button. The hovercraft flew itself through the garage and headed for a large metal gate which was opening in front of them. As soon as the gate was fully open, the hovercraft floated through the opening, glided into the street, and merged into traffic. Anne typed coordinates on a keypad on the hovercraft’s dashboard and hit the accelerator button. The hovercraft rose into the sky and, as it gained altitude, banked sharply to the left. As it turned, Conor banged his head on the viewer dome.
“Sorry about that,” Anne announced, grinning. “I guess that I should have reminded you to put your seat belt on.”
“Just give a guy some advance warning next time you take a turn like that,” Conor answered, rubbing the small bump forming on his head.
“My name is Conor, by the way,” he continued as he fastened his seat belt. “Just in case you were wondering.”
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