by James Cox
"... is entirely too chancy." Aaron.
"But we haven't been compromised," said Barkeley, "and he is getting results."
"At a high expense." Aaron paused a moment. "His habits are... excessive."
"The price is of no consequence. We're still clearing more than he's costing us."
"I don't like it."
"It won't be much longer. Our operation here will terminate and we'll be shed of him, one way or another."
"Truth. It will be a shame to lose the girl, though. She's quite talented."
"We can take her with us."
That simple statement took away Robin's appetite.
"If he doesn't break her first."
"No risk either way. After last night she should be quite... open to our offer. If not there is always the aunt."
Robin bit down hard before she could cry out. Not daring to listen longer Robin took a few quiet steps back and walked noisily into the room.
Aaron and Barkeley sat at the table with the remains of a simple meal before them. Neither showed any hint of their conversation nor any sign that they knew she heard it. She looked around.
"You have a reprieve," said Aaron, "He's away for the day. You could laze around, I suppose. Better to work on Silverton, though."
A servant brought her a meal much plainer than Everett's fare. She choked down a few bites before seeking her terminal.
Robin worked as hard as she could to crack Silverton. After a few attempts she switched to something else long enough for Silverton to settle, then she tried it again. And again, and again.
Late in the afternoon Barkeley walked in.
"Still no luck? Well, don't worry yourself too much. Everett's not that bad, not to the girls at least. You won't get the dream."
"I'm trying to work." Robin tried and failed to put some punch behind the words.
"Work away. But think on options. You really don't have..."
Barkeley's expression hardened. He placed a comm to his ear and when he rose his blaster appeared in his hand.
"Stay here. Leave this room and you will die."
A few minutes after Barkeley left Robin grew curious. She sat at the terminal, too afraid to move and ashamed of herself for it. Then she rose and padded to the window. Look though she might she saw nothing but blackness broken by the lights around the pool. Finally, working up her nerve, Robin walked to the door and listened hard. She thought she heard something but couldn't identify it.
The door burst open and Aaron ran in, slamming her to the floor and tripping over her.
"Stupid..."
Aaron started to curse her but the stumble saved his life. Three pulse bolts spatted the door frame at chest level. Aaron had his blaster out and wisps of smoke drifted off of its coils. Robin crawled frantically for the terminal. She heard Aaron's blaster fire and several more shots and she was cramming herself under the desk.
***
Images.
The sound of Aaron doing something at the door. Heavy footsteps.
The crackle of energy discharge on metal.
A hand in her hair dragging her from beneath the desk. The smell of sweat and fear.
Aaron cursing as he levered her between himself and the doorway. A crushing arm holding her against him.
Fear flooding her.
The door panel shorting and sparking. Acrid fumes washing through the room. The smell of burnt insulation and heated metal.
Light flooding from the hallway as the door opened.
A shadowy figure.
Aaron leveling his blaster and firing.
The shadow stepping aside. Raising a weapon of its own.
HEAT! Searing, burning HEAT!!
The smell of burning hair and cooked flesh. And PAIN!
Aaron's arm tightening around her as they fell to the floor.
Memories...
***
When Robin opened her eyes logic told her only a short time had passed. She lay atop Aaron who twitched feebly beneath her. The stranger before her finished a kick that sent Aaron's blaster skidding across the floor.
The man looked above Robin. After a glance he motioned and another man joined him. Robin saw nothing but the weapons they pointed at her.
"Move aside. Don't try anything."
After a few feeble kicks Robin managed to comply. The second stranger strode to the terminal and started the powerup sequence. The wall at her back stopped Robin. When she finally tore her eyes away from the strangers then fell on Aaron. He lay unmoving on the floor where he fell. One eye stared blankly at the ceiling.
The other eye was gone along with half his head.
Robin's gut clenched at this. Moving her hand fearfully she touched her ear. It felt tender, as if sunburned, and her fingers came away wet. When she looked she saw blood and bits of...
Robin turned sideways and vomited hard. Fear flooded her and she retched again and again and again. When she finally emptied herself, totally, she felt a presence in front of her.
"Hold still."
The first stranger dabbed the side of her head with a cloth. Robin kept her eyes tightly closed, not wanting to see what he wiped off.
"Are you all right?"
With no weapons pointed at her Robin managed a look at the man. Icy eyes regarded her from beneath a shock of close-cropped blond hair. He exuded a silent menace Aaron and Barkeley together couldn't match. She nodded.
"Who are you," he asked, "Are you a servant?"
"Check her rets," suggested the second man, now piling chips and dataspools into a bag.
Icy-eyes aimed something at Robin. Before she could scream it flashed. A retscanner! Spots swam in her vision.
"Heaven's flames!" After checking the scanner Icy-eyes turned his hard gaze back to Robin. "You're not a servant." Then, to Number Two, "It matches. Looks like we caught our burner."
"Feces!"
Icy-eyes tossed him the scanner. He checked for himself and turned a gaze only slightly less cold on her.
"The pious question," said Number Two, "is what to do with her."
Icy-eyes took Robin's arm and moved her to a chair.
"Listen to me closely," he said, "Your retinals match those of a burner who foolishly tried to compromise a system in which we have an interest. Have you been burning lately?"
Robin nodded. She wanted to look away but Icy-eyes' stare held her motionless.
"We also traced several very sophisticated burns to this location," continued Icy-eyes.
"To this machine," added Number Two.
"Were they yours?"
"Yes." Imminent death finally loosened her tongue. "I didn't want to but he made me. He made me! I didn't have a choice! If I didn't he... he..."
Icy-eyes stared hard at her. Then he nodded.
"Slib. I believe you. For now. Don't give me cause to regret it."
Relief washed through her as Icy-eyes sheathed his blaster. Number Two crushed Aaron's comm, pulled the powerclip from his blaster and unplugged and smashed the terminal's datajack.
"I suggest you stay here," said Icy-eyes.
Robin sat motionless. She shook but she didn't leave the chair. The two intruders stayed gone a long time. At first she heard them outside in the hallway but the sound faded and she hadn't heard anything for a long time. She jumped when the door opened and Icy-eyes strode through.
"You say you're not here willingly," he said, "You may just have a chance to prove that. My friend and I are looking for an associate of ours. He was so tall," he indicated a height less than his own, "black hair, brown eyes, slightly overweight. He was a burner too."
Thomas! thought Robin.
"I... Yes. No. He's in the basement." She took a breath. "H-he was... a friend of yours?"
"He did some work for us. The signature of his last message matches this terminal. It took us a long time to trace it." Then after a moment, "We searched the basement. Thoroughly."
"T-there was a hidden room. In the corner. I c-can..."
Icy-
eyes nodded.
Robin walked steadily. That she could surprised her. She should be shaking too hard to move but she kept an even stride. She barely flinched when they crossed the main hallway and she spied four figures sprawled on the floor.
By the time Robin found the right corner Number Two had joined them.
"It's back there. I... I don't know how to open it."
Number Two pulled out a scanner and ran it around the walls.
"Heh. Not really meant to be hidden. Except from a baby."
Number Two did something and the corner split apart.
Robin saw a brief motion before a hard shove sent her stumbling down. A sizzling bolt split the air where she'd stood and then Icy-eyes had his blaster out with Number Two's a microsecond behind it. Another shot emerged from the darkness and Icy-eyes fired. The two of them exchanged glances and pulled Robin to her feet.
The dim light revealed Barkeley, quite dead.
"Any more surprises," demanded Icy-eyes.
"I... I... I d-don't know..."
Icy-eyes walked in first, blaster ready. Robin followed him and Number Two came behind, scanner out but blaster ready.
Thomas didn't move when Robin called his name. Still, she hadn't spoken loud. She walked to him, heedless now of the filth and stench, and shook his shoulder gently.
Though his body was warm no life gazed from his eyes.
The warm wetness flowing down her cheeks surprised Robin. She thought her tears long gone. When she turned and tried to speak Icy-eyes nodded and let her move away. Then he reached down and closed Thomas' eyes.
***
Robin huddled in the back of a hover and tried to ignore the landscape passing by far too fast. After a huddled conversation the two men shuffled her into the back seat and took off. A transparent privacy shield separated the two seats but she had no interest in their conversation whatsoever. She found a pack of 'sticks; when she lit the first one Icy-eyes cracked her window. She tried hard not to think of Thomas. It might not have been him but the resemblance was too close.
She tried to console herself with her escape from Everett but that thought held little comfort. If the two men worked for or with the CA they knew her identity. They might be toying with her but Robin doubted that. Where that left her she didn't know but away from Everett counted for a lot. Unless they also worked for him. Robin lit another 'stick and tried, again, to relax.
The hover landing roused Robin from her thoughts. She didn't recognize the city but city it was! Hope welled up within her. Freedom beckoned her despite all the crimes for which she had to answer. Icy-eyes walked to an office while Number Two helped her out of the hover.
"Stand easy," he said, "We're not quite done. What would you say to a meal? You look hungry."
"Not really," lied Robin. Then her stomach growled loud and long.
"Listen, signora. We didn't pull you out of that place just to kill you on a public street." He guided her into a nearby restaurant. "Let's have a nice meal and a little chat."
He lead her to a booth. By the time Icy-eyes returned Number Two had food ordered. He lit a 'stick and handed Robin the pack.
"Negative problems," said Icy-eyes, "Smooth as polysilk." He turned to Robin. "Now. I'm Carl and this is Robert."
"Robin."
"Slib, Robin. You can start by telling us why you were where we found you."
"I will." Robin thought fast. "Umm... I really need to use the fresher."
"Right." Carl let her out. "We can see the door from here and there's not a back exit."
Robin thrilled inside. True to Carl's word the fresher had no other doors but it did have a comm against the back wall! After she availed herself of the facilities, quickly, she called up a local directory.
Ribbon Coast! Robin felt a spark of delight. Across the planet from Primary, Ribbon Coast lay a day and a half from St. Gore-Wharton where Aunt Lilly lived! She wasted no time punching in her combo and made sure to activate the video. When Aunt Lilly saw her she'd accept the charges. She would know exactly what to do!
The video blanked, then cleared to a contact screen, then blanked again. Then it cleared to a message: Out of Service. She tried again with the same result. She thought about contacting the CA but she'd stayed long enough. She certainly didn't want Carl suspicious.
Carl and Robert were still at the table along with their meals. Robin just started eating when Carl jabbed her under the table.
"I don't know what you did in there," he said, "but you may live to regret it. We are going to rise slowly and leave by the back door."
"What?"
Carl jerked his head toward the front window. "Three unmarked CA hovers just grounded. You may believe in coincidence but I don't. So. Move slowly, act naturally and don't make us hurt any of them."
Robin moved as instructed. However she might fare with the CA she knew Carl had a blaster within milliseconds of firing. The cooks didn't like having their domain invaded but a cold stare from Carl kept them quiet. He reached the door ahead of Robin and Robert and slipped through. A few seconds later a shove from Robert sent her through and he followed quickly.
Chaos! Robin didn't know what to expect but obviously Carl did. Three blue-garbed figures lay on the pavement while Carl flowed among half a dozen more. As Robin watched one of the officers raised his stunner at Carl's back. By the time he fired Carl had moved and the stunbolt took down another officer. Then Robert waded into the fray, blaster still sheathed.
Opportunity! One of the officers fell at Robin's feet, out cold. A quick glance showed both Robert and Carl occupied so she reached down and, heart racing, grabbed the lady's stunner. It felt odd in her hand but countless CA-versus-evil movies should count for something.
By the time Robin stood the fight was over. She, Carl and Robert stood alone. That implication should have frightened Robin but freedom lay a single door away! When Carl turned toward her she raised the stunner.
"Put that down," growled Carl, "We don't have time for this!"
"Let me go! Now!"
"Slib. Stay right there. We're out of here."
"NO! She shook the stunner. "You will stay right here and explain to the CA where you found me and what you were doing there!"
"Rut," swore Robert, "Bad idea, Robin. You want out you're out but we're leaving."
"I said..." started Robin.
Without even a mutter Carl strode toward her. Robin leveled the stunner and pulled the trigger. The weapon hissed and the bolt struck Carl in a solid hit.
Carl didn't even slow down. He flipped the stunner out of her hand and grabbed her arm.
"Don't do that again," he growled, pulling her along.
Robin lost track of the twists and turns they took. Occasionally they stopped and Carl listened, then they started again. Carl dragged her along like an errant child, with irritation and annoyance but no concern for her escape whatsoever.
Their long trek ended in a small, cheap motel room. Carl and Robert sat across the table from Robin with a pair of steaming mealpacks. Robin found some small comfort in the one they gave her. Maybe they wouldn't waste it by killing her after she ate it.
"Now Robin," said Carl, "you can start by telling us why the CA wants you so badly. Next tell us why we shouldn't just give you to them."
Robin opened her mouth. By their attitudes neither man would find any type of evasion amusing or tolerable. She started with Thomas' frantic file transfer. Occasionally one of them broke in with a question or demand for detail or clarification. Before long Robin felt totally drained. Then limp as a wet washcloth. Finally, blessedly, when they wrung every scrap of information Robin knew out of her - twice! - they fell silent.
"I'll tell you this much," said Carl, "We're not your enemies. We're after a particularly nasty group of smugglers and data thieves. They're directly responsible for thirty-seven deaths, that we know of, and indirectly responsible for hundreds more. They also have a long list of lesser crimes associated with them." His gaze softened slight
ly. "Why don't you finish eating and stretch out. You look like you're running on vapor."
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Depends," answered Robert, "Nothing harmful. Or deadly, if that's worrying you. As to the details, we're still working on those."
Robin nodded, not really comforted. "Umm... May I use the fresher?"
Carl waved toward it.
***
Micah Stone grimaced and rubbed his temples. As usual the stunner shot gave him a splitting headache and, as usual, the tablets acted none too quickly. Across the table from him Gunter Rene du'Charle 'Charlie, burnit' Ferrel grinned smugly.
"What," demanded Micah.
"Peace, my brother," grinned Ferrel, not losing the grin, "It seems your standard studly charms have impacted a hardened armored wall."
"As if. My head is splitting, I'm sore as hades and this planet is fast dropping to the worst I've ever visited."
"Cardinal rule of the fight?"
"Always cover the six. The which I thought you did!"
"I had my reasons. We both know what has you griping." Ferrel's expression turned serious. "What do you think of her?"
"Ninety percent want to believe," said Micah, himself serious now, "But that may be exactly what they want."
"Truth," nodded Ferrel, "Fact: she was there. Fact: she admitted to the burns. Fact: the CA does want her, badly, and for related crimes. That much I got before we had to leave quickly. Fact: there was no evidence she was not in deep with the men there."
"Fact," countered Micah, "Johansen tried to use her as a shield. Fact: Arix shifted aim to her, otherwise I'd probably be vapor now. Fact: Vinsley wasn't there. Others might not have been as well."
Ferrel thought a moment. "I'm inclined to take her at face. When she grabbed that stunner she was not comfortable with it. She had a holovee grip and not a professional one. Fact. I also think she was seriously scared from the time we found her until now, and still. I don't think she's a good enough actress to fool both of us this long. Even Vera slips sometimes and she can't fake terror that well."
Micah grimaced again from more than his pounding skull. "Slib. Still, if I wanted to convince an enemy agent my plant was genuine..."
"Truth," said Ferrel, "But Arix knew we could take him. There's no way he thought otherwise. I think the shift was meant to destroy her information."
