He let go of her and moved over to Hanna, wrapping his hand into her hair and pulling it tightly back. Hanna gritted her teeth. If he thought this would make her cry out in pain, he had no idea. It was nothing to what Tern used to do or the beating Gaunt gave her.
“You know. I think I do remember your momma and the little brat who was with her. Your momma squealed like a pig when I beat her to death and there was nothing you could do to stop me. It was even your fault,” he smiled nastily. “You wanted to look at my car and wouldn’t leave. If you’d left like a good little girl, your momma wouldn’t have made me mad. She might even still be alive today.”
Hanna felt an insight into Valerie’s soul, the rage that drove her to destroy Furioso. If this man was on a space station right now and Hanna held a trigger capable of destroying it and him with it, she would not hesitate.
“Someone put you up to this,” Cest let go of her hair and stepped back. “Someone gave you the information. Tell me who it is!” He shouted at them and they both stared back unperturbed. He turned away and waved his hand. “Fine. Once the boys and girls have their fun with you, you’ll tell me whatever I want.”
An almighty crash snapped all eyes to the window. A black-clad, armoured figure came smashing through. No identifying marks, nothing at all to tell them who it was, but Hanna knew. Twin Pulse pistols whined, Twilight and one of the Enforcers dropped with smoking holes in their chests.
Cest was in the way and Barclay shoved him clear. He tried to draw his own weapon. The Dealer stumbled into Hanna and knocked her over in his panic. She landed on her side and watched the two bodies of Barclay and the last Enforcer fall. Cest turned above her and clawed at his side for his own gun. He was nowhere near fast enough. The armoured figure took two steps towards him and kicked him squarely in the chest. He flew clear across the office, slamming into the wall before collapsing into a heap.
“Don’t say my name.” the armoured figure demanded in a mechanical voice. Hanna nodded as she was pulled up right and the bindings cut. The only thing you could say about the figure, it was female. How Valerie came to be here, Hanna did not have a clue, but the woman was smart. She knew just as well as Hanna, she couldn’t hit another gang like this and disguised herself.
“Are you two alright?” Valerie asked as she cut Deni free.
Deni nodded and Hanna said. “Yeah, fine,” rubbing sore wrists from the bindings.
“Good, grab some guns. Exit’s through the window. Strap these on.” Valerie tossed them each a grav-belt and grabbed the prone form of Cest. “You’re coming with us,” and slung him over her shoulder. Holding him with one hand, she stepped to one side and tossed a grenade into the corridor.
Shouts of alarm emanated from there as others in the building realised something was wrong. One or two had been running towards Cest’s office and screamed in pain when the grenade exploded. Hanna’s belt was already buckled on, but Deni’s wasn’t. The other girl stood frozen and cringed when the grenade detonated, probably in shock at the speed Valerie moved.
Hanna grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Come on, Deni. We need to get out of here,” Hanna gently took the grav-belt. “Let me help you with that.” Behind her, Valerie was firing short bursts of Pulse energy down the corridor. No doubt people were dying with each one.
Clicking the belt in place, Hanna practically pushed Deni towards the window. “They must have an aircar out there. We need to fly up to it.”
The shock was wearing off and Deni nodded. “OK. I’m OK.” She grabbed the sides of the window and looked up. Hitting the activate button on her belt, Deni leaped out into the darkness. Hanna stuck her head out and could see where she was heading. An aircar hovered not ten metres above the building with its lights blazing.
Down below, there were shouts coming from the street. If Hanna didn’t want to draw fire, she had to go and go now. She set the belt for fast ascent and jumped out. She didn’t look back and didn’t need to. Valerie would be right behind her.
Grav-belts were imprecise instruments. All they did was cancel your weight or make it a negative. You went either straight up or down. Any lateral movement came from the user, either as they jumped or using objects like buildings to push off from. There was no easy way for Hanna to guide herself to the aircar. It didn’t matter. Whoever was at the controls was an expert.
It had to be Rush. The aircar scooped Deni up and swung round for Hanna. Only he could fly so precisely. The cars side door stood open. A hand reached out to grab Hanna when she came alongside. Barney in a full flight suit and helmet pulled her inside. Deni sat already in one of the seats and Hanna collapsed down in front of her.
Valerie was only moments behind. She came in with Cest still over her shoulder and dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor. Barney slammed the door shut and the aircar engines whined as Rush accelerated away.
Pulling her helmet off, Valerie shook out her dark hair before turning to the two girls.
“What in hades were you two thinking!?” she demanded. “Ten more seconds. That’s all the time you two would have had left if I hadn’t arrived!”
“Actually they weren’t going to kill us. They were going to rape us a few times first,” it just slipped out. Hanna’s mouth engaged without checking with her brain first and she snapped her jaw shut.
“Oh, that’s so much better is it? What was your plan? Get them to abuse both of you for as long as possible until I turn up to save your asses?” Valerie was practically shouting and it was the most emotion Hanna ever saw the woman display. Not trusting her mouth anymore, Hanna kept her response to a simple shake of her head and pulled herself into the seat next to her friend.
“Give them a break, Carter. They’re young. We all think we’re immortal at that age.” Troll said as she came into the compartment from the co-pilots seat and flopped down on Deni’s other side. The red haired Enforcer seemed to be enjoying the display. “I can just see you taking on entire regiments with a toothpick when you were fifteen.”
The look Valerie shot the other woman was so cold, Troll actually stopped talking.
“No, I did not,” she said frostily and turned back to the girls. “And do you know why?” It was plainly rhetorical, but Hanna felt she needed to shake her head at the very least, she did not dare say anything. “Discipline. I had it drummed into me so hard I didn’t even conceive it as an option, so that’s what I am going to do with the two of you. If you thought my training was hard before, you have no idea. I’m going to run you from sunup to sundown. You’re going to sweat rivers, your muscles are going to burn and you’re going to wish I left you back there.
“One more thing, if you even think of doing anything as hare-brained as that again, the coming weeks will seem like a picnic compared to what I’ll do next. I’ve had a century of dealing with Privileged know it all’s, who need to be brought in line, so believe me when I tell you, I can always make it worse. Do you understand me?”
Hanna and Deni both nodded vigorously.
“Don’t just nod, I want to hear it from both of you!”
“Ye, yes. I understand,” Hanna stuttered.
“Loud and clear,” Deni muttered.
Valerie continued to stare at them both for a minute before relaxing and nodding slightly. “Good,” she turned and stepped over to the cockpit.
Hanna looked at her friend and Deni shrugged back. It was a surreal experience for both of them. Never had either of them had such a bollocking. Not with only words at any rate. Tern’s always included beatings and they managed not to get into any trouble with Sneaker until now. Even when Hanna’s parents were alive, she could only remember a couple of times when her father took the time to tell her off. She knew Deni’s ancient Granddad didn’t beat her, but he died about the same time as Hanna’s mother.
Hanna would bet good money the punishment Valerie was going to give them was going to be hard, and the words themselves didn’t really hurt, but she was feeling bad about what they did. It was a strange
and unique feeling. It took a while for her to realise what it was. Valerie was disappointed in them and it hurt worse than the beatings.
Looking at her friend’s expression, Hanna knew Deni was feeling much the same. The look of sorrow on Deni’s face must be a mirror image of her own. It was certainly something the two of them should talk about when they were home.
Valerie came back in and stood by the door. Hanna had to ask the question.
“How. How did you know to come after us?”
The woman looked at her a moment before answering.
“You’re lucky Shade is smarter than he likes to let on. He knew there was no chance those Enforcers were on our list. He guessed you were getting in over your heads. He went to Rush, who he’s buddies with, and Rush brought it to me. Fortunately Shade also mentioned Barclay was working for Cest and when I spoke to Sneaker, he put it all together.”
“You told Sneaker?” Deni asked horrified.
“Of course I did. It was the only way I was going to be able to find you in time. Normally you two would be the people I’d ask, but you’d already disappeared and you weren’t answering your coms.”
“What did he say?” Hanna asked in a small voice. She felt bad about letting Valerie down, but Sneaker was worse. He looked out for her when she was still working for Tern.
“If you got out of this alive, you were confined to base until we leave for Olympus. He gave me the full authority to punish you in any way I saw fit.”
“We’re grounded?” Deni said in shock. That was certainly a new experience for them. Hanna had heard of it before, but never in her life did she think it would happen to her.
Valerie actually slightly smiled. “Technically, yes, but don’t worry you aren’t going to have any free time, and even if you did, you won’t have any energy to do anything with it.”
Cest began to stir on the floor and Hanna reached for the pistol she grabbed on the way out. Valerie was already there. She hauled him up with one hand. Cest shook his head and his glazed eyes focused on the woman holding him.
“Oh, shit.”
Valerie gave him her predator’s smile and the blood drained right out of his face. Looking round he saw Troll and Barney relaxed in their seats before settling his gaze on the two girls.
“You’re Sneaker’s Crew,” Hanna reluctantly gave him some credit. He was a complete bastard, but not stupid.
“Yes we are, and I believe you have some unfinished business with my friend,” Valerie told him, in no uncertain terms.
“Look. We can talk about this. I did something, you did something, surely we can come to some arrangement? What are we talking about here? A hundred thousand sovs? It’s not worth going to war over.” The tricky bastard was trying to talk his way out of it.
“Your money is no good, Cest,” Valerie said. “And if you know who we are, you know how good we are. Your people have no idea who just hit you and nor does Kickback. We have no reason to be here. Sneaker has made it clear he isn’t interested in the drugs trade. Let’s face it. You’re on your own.”
“We’re here,” Rush called from the pilots seat.
Still holding on to Cest, Valerie stepped back to the door and slid it open. His eyes widened as he was forced to look outside.
“Whoa. What the fuck? If you’re going to kill me, then get it over with you cold hearted bitch. I know what you did at Tumbler’s. The pile of bodies you left behind. Do it and add me to your list!”
“That’s not up to me.” Valerie said calmly, shaking her head and turned to Hanna. “This is your op. You started it. Do you want to finish it?” The question was clear in her eyes. Somehow Valerie knew Hanna had the chance earlier, but hadn’t been able to do it.
Standing up, Hanna aimed her pistol at his chest and swallowed. All the thoughts that stopped her from shooting him earlier came back. Once again Cest was defenceless and at her mercy. The gun shook and Hanna did not want to look at any of the others, in case they saw her as a coward.
She couldn’t do it. She was about to lower her gun when he smirked. He knew. He knew she wasn’t a killer. He knew she couldn’t go through with it. All those things he said, blaming her for killing her mother. Then it was easy. Later, she would like to think it was the anger taking over, but it wasn’t. Hanna made a cold and calculated decision to pull the trigger.
The surprise on Cest’s face was one Hanna would cherish for the rest of her life, when the three spinning Mag rounds entered his chest. Valerie let go of his arm and he stumbled backwards. The look of confusion was still there when he fell out the door.
Standing there with the gun in hand, Hanna stared at the open door. Not moving even after Valerie slid it shut. The older woman stepped forward and gently took the pistol from her hand. Hanna looked into her hazel eyes and saw sympathy there.
“It’s alright, Hanna. It was the right thing to do.”
Hanna could only nod in response. She felt numb inside. Ever so gently, Valerie pulled her into a hug and Hanna actually felt tears in her eyes. It was a strangely uncomfortable hug, but it felt so right and she didn’t care.
“Erm. What if he lands on someone?” Deni asked.
“Don’t worry about it,” Troll explained. “While you two were still smarting from Carter’s bollocking she got Rush to take us to somewhere that would be empty on the ground at this time of night. In a couple of hours, someone’s going to have the nice job of clearing him up, but no one would have got hurt.”
Pulling away reluctantly, Hanna wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Thank you, Valerie.”
“Anytime, now go and thank Deni. She’s the one who went into hades with you.” There was a sad smile on Valerie’s face as she said this. She was probably thinking about her own family and how her crusade would not be so easily finished.
Sitting next to her friend, Hanna enveloped her into her hug. “What would you have done if she hadn’t pulled the trigger?” she heard Troll ask Valerie quietly.
“Thrown him out myself,” the woman replied nonchalantly. “I just wouldn’t have shot him first.”
CHAPTER FIVE
The sunlight reflecting off the water was almost blinding, until it was broken apart by Tom rising up from under the surface. Daphne was on his shoulders and shrieked merrily when he threw her through the air. With blonde hair flying in all directions, she went crashing back under. A strong swimmer, she was soon back up, coughing and spluttering.
“Me next! Me next!” called Bobby as he splashed his way towards his father. His floatation vest keeping him from sinking.
Tom turned and scooped his son up.
“Come on then, boy. Let’s see how far you can fly!” With a gentler motion than he used for Bobbie’s sister, Tom cast the boy into the water.
Daphne recovered and grabbed hold of Tom from behind. Her hands slipped off his wet shoulders and she shifted her grip to his neck.
“Careful, Daphne. Don’t strangle your Father.” Valerie called from the side of the pool. She knew the chances of Daphne actually hurting Tom were slight at best, but it wasn’t really a habit you wanted children to adopt.
Grabbing his daughter’s hands, Tom spun and threw her back away from him, in the opposite direction from Bobbie. Free of kids, he turned to his wife.
“Come on in, Ell! The water’s gorgeous!”
“Yes, Mummy,” Bobbie joined in. “Come in. Come in!”
“I can’t,” Valerie explained. “I don’t have my swimming costume on.” Looking down, she realised she was wearing her uniform. It wasn’t the Lieutenant’s uniform for her cover identity of Eleanor Doherty. It was the full black Devil’s uniform belonging to Major Valerie Carter.
“I’ll race you, Mummy!” Daphne called. “I bet I can beat you. One of my laps for two of yours.”
Horrified at accidently putting on the wrong uniform, Valerie looked to her family.
“I’m sorry. I must have picked up the wrong uniform at base. This is a friend of mine’s.” None of th
em were listening. All three were calling for her to join them, but something was wrong with the water.
“Race you. Race you!” Daphne called
“Splash you. Splash you!” Bobbie shouted.
“It’s lovely in here,” Tom laughed. “Join us. Join us!”
The water was turning red and her family hadn’t noticed.
“Come on kids. You need to get out now.” Valerie tried to entice them.
“Race you. Race you!”
“Splash you. Splash you!”
“Join us. Join us.”
“Come to the side, all of you!” Valerie shouted and still they didn’t hear her. The water turned the deep dark red of blood and rose around her family.
“Race you. Race you!”
“Splash you. Splash you!”
“Join us. Join us.”
“Tom! You have to get them out!” Up rose the water until only their heads were visible. Suddenly, in a single motion, they were all pulled under.
“Noooooooo!” The cry was torn from her throat and Valerie shot upright.
The light was dim. It filtered through the curtains of her small flat’s window. Morning was just arriving. Sweat ran down her face and intermingled with the tears. Valerie pushed her lank, tangled hair out of her eyes and fell back onto the pillow.
Her heart was racing, as though she just completed her marathon run. Gradually, with each breath, it slowed back towards its normal rhythm. She lay staring up at the ceiling. Still the nightmares came. Every night since the day her family were murdered, without fail. She didn’t know when they would end or even if they ever would. She wasn’t even sure she wanted them to.
With a deep sigh and a slight grunt of effort, she threw the covers back and swung her feet out of the bed. It was a new day and she needed a shower.
***
“What have you got the girls doing now?” Sneaker asked after Valerie relaxed into the chair opposite his desk. The sounds of people enjoying themselves in the casino, floated through his open door. It was four in the afternoon and the tables were already busy.
Crusade For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 2) Page 4
