Danger Money

by John Van Stry

  Jocel and myself stood.

  Stan got back up and started walking around as he talked.

  "You see I was in charge of one of the mining divisions way back when Jotun here first made contact with me. I didn't know who he was at the time, or for quite some time after that. But I did quickly find out that he had to be somebody special, after all I was a VP and I couldn't find out who he was.

  "So I counted my good fortune and used what he gave me. As time went on I managed to get myself moved into intelligence. As the VP of that I had access to what went on in the Palace, it didn't take me long to figure out who my friend was."

  He walked by Jocel who snapped to attention, he looked her over and smiled. "May I?" He nodded towards the gun.

  She nodded and took it out and handed it too him, safety on I noticed.

  "Neat little toys aren't they?" He said pacing again and examining the pistol, "Did you know we make these?"

  "No" I said, Jocel just watched.

  "Subdivision of one of the mining companies' actually," He tossed it on the desk and kept pacing.

  I noticed the safety was off now. This was getting interesting.

  "Umm, close the door will you Jocel? This is sensitive and I sure wouldn't want any prying ears to hear this."

  She closed the door then stood by it. She didn't seem to notice anything funny, and Harold or rather O'Brien, was blissfully oblivious.

  "Anyway, I got interested in Jotun here. Very interested, so I sent a friend up to investigate him. What I got back was quite a surprise to say the least."

  That shocked me, and I know I showed it. O'Brien looked surprised too.

  "You had somebody on the inside up there?" He asked.

  "Of course, I'm no fool." And he looked out the window again for a moment.

  I tried to see what he was looking at, but couldn't from here.

  "I found out what Siedman was up to after it was too late. We were all scrambling to try and save our own asses at that point of course. But I was very happy to learn that you were one of the ones who escaped," and he turned to look at me.

  "Thank you," I said and walked over to the window myself as he walked away. I leaned against the sill, I needed the support anyway as I still felt pretty bad, and a bit weak as well.

  "Don't, I used you just like Siedman did."

  "Oh? How?" I asked looking up from the window at him.

  "I had a pretty good idea where you went Jotun. My source knew you quite well, and you did leave traces, I just sat on them until the time was right. Then I sent Jocel here after you, to flush you out and drive you back here. I think you know why."

  "To rid us of that bastard Siedman, Jaime was an added bonus as well!" Laughed O'Brien.

  Something in his voice changed my opinion of him. Suddenly I didn't see him as the wimpy yes man I had assumed he was. The more I thought about it the more I realized he obviously couldn't be, yes men can't afford re-juv treatments like he had when I’d first met him.

  I looked at him laughing then back at Stan. He gave me an almost imperceptible nod.

  "How did you get him anyway?" O'Brien asked chuckling.

  "Professional secret, my getting taken was just to make him drop his guard. He always thought I was an idiot."

  "He sure did, he didn't like any of your people."

  "Where was I being taken by the way?" I asked and glanced over at Jocel. Then looked back at Stan.

  He gave another imperceptible shake, no. I sighed inwardly with relief at that. I know I wouldn't have done it.

  "A debriefing center. Siedman was hoping you'd know where our last two lost assets might be hiding out. He was having trouble sleeping at night.

  "After that you were to be killed of course."

  "Of course," I mumbled and turned my head back to the window. I looked over the view as they continued to talk.

  "So you're saying that you used Jotun to kill Siedman?" Jocel said surprisingly. I glanced at her and she seemed to be sensing something was going on.

  "Yes, and I used you to push him here. I wanted to remind him of his duty."

  "His duty?" She asked surprised.

  "We don't do business that way," I sighed from the window. "We don't use people and toss them. We don't let people die just to get ahead, right Boss?"

  "Right."

  "But isn't that what you just did?" said Jocel.

  O'Brien must have thought this was all a great big joke. I kept searching the grounds outside, looking.

  "Not really, I fixed a problem. The promotion was just a windfall. But there was one other thing Jotun here wanted, and I wanted it too."

  "Revenge." I whispered quietly. I was too surprised to look up at him, I had just found what he kept looking at, way up on the rise there was a tombstone.

  "Revenge? For what?" Jocel asked, her sensitive ears having picked it up.

  "My team was killed, all of them," I turned back to the group. I had an idea what was going on now, but not all of it.

  "Yes, they were." Stan picked up the gun again. "Two were killed by Siedman, indirectly. The other was killed by someone else."

  "How do you know?" I took my eyes off of O'Brien to concentrate on Stan. I wasn't sure what I saw there, and I wasn't sure if I liked it either.

  "It took me months to recover the body you know. Even longer to find out how she died."

  "Who?" asked Jocel curiosity obviously getting the better of her once again.

  "Azelett," I whispered.

  "Kerianna," He replied. "I had sent her up there myself to investigate you. She was the most trusted employee I had," He paused a moment and a pained expression passed over his face. "She was the one and only person whom I truly ever loved."

  I could see what was in his eyes now, it was hate.

  "She died for you, you know. She could have given you up, could have used my name and influence to get herself free."

  "Why didn't she?!" I cried out, physical pain overwhelmed by the emotional one I was once again feeling. "I told her to save herself!"

  "Because she loved you Jotun, I had the tape of her interrogation. The last words she ever spoke were your name. Yours, not mine. Not only did I lose her to death, but I had already lost her in life to you.

  "As long as I live I will never be able to forgive you for that Jotun. Never."

  I heard a sound and turned to look. O'Brien was standing up.

  "I think I'd better go now Stan. I don't think it would be wise for a member of the Earth Government to witness what I suspect is about to happen."

  "Oh no Senator," He said and pointed the gun at O'Brien. "Sit down, please, I insist!"

  He sat.

  "I couldn't kill Jotun, sadly I'm not a killer. Besides, she loved him and gave her life to save his. I would rather die than betray the final wish of Kerianna. I might have lost her, but I will forever hold her dear in my heart.

  "But that is not why you're here Senator," He turned back to me, the hate was still in his eyes, but suddenly I knew where it was directed, and it wasn't at me.

  "You see, I know who betrayed Kerianna. Or Azelett as you and Jotun knew her. It was you Senator."

  "Preposterous!" He yelled and jumped up.

  "Sit!" He ordered.

  "Or what? You'll kill me? You just said you're no killer!"

  "But I am!" I growled angrily.

  He stood still in his tracks, scared.

  "That's not all either," Stan continued, "Siedman wasn't smart enough to come up with any of this. You gave him the idea, gave him the plans. You were behind it all right from day one! Hell I remember when you came by and started courting me."

  Stan glanced at me, "Did you know he even came by my office last year and suggested that I should start looking for you? Seems he had a spy in my office that discovered I might know where you had bolted to."

  I looked at O'Brien, then at Stan. "But why? He’s not even in the company anymore. What did he stand to gain?"

  "Political power. That Senator you
killed back at that resort on Oswego was on a key committee. With her death a friend of the Senator's got a big promotion. It also eliminated one of his biggest competitors.

  "She was the real target, the drug dealer was just cover. He talked Siedman into it. Anyway our friend here is in line for the Vice Presidential job in the next election. So Siedman was now a liability and had to go. I suspect that was where I came in."

  He turned back to O'Brien with murder in his eyes. "But you didn't know about Kerianna, or my relationship with Jotun here. Once I found out you were responsible for the death of my love, I did a lot of checking. You're good O'Brien, but not that good."

  "You can't kill me Stan," O'Brien said smiling and looking all confident again. He was something all right.

  What, I didn't know.

  "You said so yourself, and besides I have those two guards outside, plus your household. You'd never be able to cover it up."

  "Your right about my not being able to kill you," He turned to me, "I'm sorry Jotun, but I can't," and he tossed me the gun.

  "That's okay," I said and shot a very shocked and stunned O'Brien between the eyes. I would have done it sooner if he had given me the damn gun quicker! After I heard he was responsible for Azelett's death I really didn't give a rat's ass about the rest. Shoot first, talk later, that's my motto. "She meant as much to me as she did to you. She gave me back my life."

  I looked at Jocel, she looked pretty shocked and stunned herself.

  "No, you can't shoot her. I won't allow it."

  "You won't allow it? You better watch I don't shoot you Stan. It sounds like you've been doing your own manipulating here. Besides who's going to take the rap for this one? That's a Senator's brains all over the carpet there you know."

  "Yes, I took advantage of you and the situation to get control of the Corporation. I admit it. Somebody with an ounce of integrity has got to be in charge here to put an end to all the bullshit that's been going on the last six years."

  "The ends justify the means though right?"

  "As long as he was dead, yes. The Presidency isn't that important to me anymore, most of my ambitions died with Kerianna. But everything I said was true Jotun, believe it or not. You can do what you want to me, I honestly don't care anymore, you decide. But not her, I've got enough blood on my soul already. Kerianna told me all about you. She really felt for you Jotun, do it for her."

  I looked a Jocel, she stood there, scared but proud. She wasn't going to crack. I have to say I was impressed. I nodded at her.

  "I said I liked you, I didn't lie. Relax," I smiled at her.

  I turned back to Stan and pointed the gun at his head. He didn't flinch either, after a moment I pointed it back down at the floor.

  "Go log into your account on the desk over there," I gestured with the gun. "Then write down all your accounts and passwords."

  "What for?"

  "Cover, what else." I turned to Jocel, "Care to help me kill two guards?"

  She smiled and nodded.

  "I don't have any staff here, this is their day off," Stan supplied as he sat down at his terminal.

  "Great, back in a moment."

  Getting the guards only took a minute, they obviously hadn't heard the shot upstairs and weren't expecting it. O'Brien should have hired better help. We dragged the bodies up into the den.

  "Now what?" Jocel asked.

  "That depends on you," I sighed.

  She looked startled.

  "I'm lonely Jocel, I've had it with this lifestyle, the whole thing. I want to settle down, work a regular job, find a mate. But who can I trust?"

  "What does that have to do with me?" She asked, but I think she knew.

  "Let's mate."

  "Me with you? You're not going to have much of a future once the Government finds out about that!" And she pointed to the bodies.

  "Neither are you. And let's face it, neither one of us can afford to let the other one live. Not unless we join together, so either we die here, or we live here - together.

  "Be mine for life Jocel, you'll never get an offer from anybody else who'll measure up." I sidled up to her and rubbed my head on her shoulder.

  "Or as modest?" She sighed. "But you're right, I'm just as guilty as you are." She grinned and looked at me, "and I just know you've got a plan."

  She rubbed heads with me, "I accept you Jotun as my mate."

  "And I accept you Jocel," I said quietly and wrapped my arms and tail around her, she did the same. After a minute Stan interrupted with a cough.

  "If you two are all done now?"

  "Oh, yes." we untangled ourselves and I walked over and looked at the list. "You sure do have a lot of accounts!" I laughed when I saw the list.

  "I've been busy. Now what?"

  "Go out the back door and head that way," I pointed west. "When you see the explosion come back. Tell the cops that I broke loose and surprised you, her, him, and his guards in the room. There was a shoot out, you got away when I threw you through that window." I pointed to the picture window.

  "Hadn't I better look it?" He asked.

  "Then jump through it, I'm sure not in any shape to throw you. But you'd better get going. Call the police on your pocket phone as soon as you see the explosion."

  "Good luck, both of you," he turned to the window.

  "Oh, we'll still be working for you." I chuckled, "So you better behave, I'll be watching."

  And he jumped through the window, landed on the ground twenty feet below, and then hobbled off.

  "Now what?" Jocel asked.

  "Simple," I said sitting at the computer and working furiously. I took the list of passwords and stuck it in my pocket. "I log into personnel as the President and create us new Identities," I glanced at her pack. "What have you got in your bag of tricks there?"

  "What do you want?"

  "A bomb, a big one."

  "This big enough?" And she pulled out a micro nuke, one ton yield.

  "Aren't those illegal on Earth?" I asked surprised as I continued my computer hacking.

  "So's murder, even of an Animorph. What's your point?" She grinned.

  "Ask a stupid question ..." I sighed. "Set it for fifteen minutes, then go outside and find a car. One that won't be missed."

  "You think they'll buy his story?" She asked as she programmed the charge.

  "That's his problem, but I suspect they will. He's a Corporate President now, and people don't ask them too many questions. Also," I grinned, "the Corporation's Assassins are known for going out with a bang."

  She put the bomb down, it was such a small thing for so much power, about the size of a grapefruit.

  "Hurry up, its set. I'll go find a car."

  "Oh, leave all your ID behind!" I reminded her.

  She took off her bracelet and tossed it on the floor then left.

  It only took a few more minutes to get what I needed set. I had copied our descriptions into new files, then added new numbers, debt figures, job histories and assignments. Next I changed the descriptions in our old files. Just enough so we didn't match anymore.

  Then I logged out and ran like hell for the door, leaving my own ID tag behind, just in case.

  "What took you so long!" She growled as I jumped in and she sped off. "I don't want to lose my mate on the same day I pick him!"

  "Sorry dear," I grinned and reclined the seat. I still hurt like the blazes and I sighed in comfort as I stretched out.

  "Where are we going?"

  "Houston. Wake me when we get there."

  "You're going to sleep on our mating day?" She looked amazed.

  "After that beating you gave me, I sure don't want to die in bed on my mating day!" I chuckled and she growled in embarrassment.

  At that moment the house blew up behind us, and the car shook a little. I glanced back at the destruction. The whole top was gone and the rest was pretty well blown down from the shock. It was burning too.

  "Well, at least the crime scene got vaporized," she observed. "They s
houldn't have too many doubts about our demise."

  "I hope," and I fell asleep.

  18

  I didn't have a clue as to were I was, and I didn't really care. Mostly because I felt Jocel's hand gently scratching my ear as her other one was undoing my coverall.

  "Merrr?" I questioned, not opening my eyes.

  "We're in Texas, it's dark out and I'm tired of waiting," she breathed heavily in my ear.

  I opened my eyes and glanced around the car in the dark. She had already discarded her jumpsuit, and was making good progress on mine.

  "Isn't it just a bit cramped in here?" I questioned as I carefully slipped my right arm out.

  "What's with you?" She giggled, "Shy?"

  "I'm just afraid you'll finish what you started before. May I remind you that I'm in considerable pain?"

  "I'll be gentle, I promise!" she said as she smiled at me in the darkness.

  She was too.

  We awoke before the dawn, and continued on to Houston. As trips go it was rather boring. We took our time and drove straight to the local Corporate office at the Spaceport. I left the car in the parking lot and we both headed inside.

  "Yes, what can I do for you two?" Asked the Badger working behind the desk.

  "It seems we have a minor problem," I smiled at her and tried to give my best honest expression.

  "Yeah, my idiot mate got into one of those stupid fights over my 'honor' last night!" Jocel growled.

  "You didn't need to tell her that!" I complained back. "I was only going to tell her about our stuff being stolen."

  "Yeah right!" she laughed, "And how were you going to explain looking like a Taragon mining ship?"

  "Oh I don't look that bad, do I? And I turned to the receptionist.

  She nodded her head, "You do," she said rather bruskly then added, "sorry." When she saw me wince.

  "Well at least I won!" I harrumphed.

  "Yeah, so they ripped us off when I took you to the bathroom to clean up the mess. Males!" She sighed loudly and winked at the receptionist, "At least he cleans up after himself!"

  "So do you want to make a report?" she asked looking confused.