They three of them sat there, the tears slowing. Jonir took a heavy sigh.
“What is it you need little one?” He asked.
“I need to talk to Valon Fortean,” she said, referring to the leader of the Fortean tribe.
21
Watkins had directed them all out of the bar, and into the street outside.
“Where are we going?” Dack asked.
“You’ll see,” was all Watkins said.
He indicated for them to head down a side street, the busy main thoroughfare seeming to disappear in both sight and sound, as they made their way. Watkins large bulk brought up the rear, almost completely blocking it off.
“Just a little further,” he said, his tone changing.
“What is this Watkins?” Tanner stopped walking, having had enough of being led around. He pulled his Revolver out, and aimed it at Watkins' head.
“Lower your weapon,” a muffled voice called out.
In the dark, the Coyotes turned to see who was up ahead. At first, all they could see was the silhouettes of two figures.
“Watkins, you have served your part, leave.”
“What about my money!” Watkins shouted down the alley.
The figures stood, unmoving. Then, as if from the inside, Watkins’ body exploded.
The detonation was small but devastating, as blood and tissue scattered in all directions. Most of it plastering the walls of the alleyway, staining it in deep red.
From the space where the body had been two more figures stood, silhouetted in the dim light.
“Shit,” Dack said, alternating his aiming from the two groups, who now surrounded them on both sides.
Tanner was wiping some blood from his face, having been the closest to Watkins’, he’d taken the lion's share of viscera. Tylr was still aiming at the two who had first appeared.
“Who are you?” Dack shouted out.
“You know us, we know you,” the same muffled voice replied.
They took a step forward, both groups from each side. Moving into a singular light above the Coyotes, their faces began to illuminate. Only, they weren't faces, each one of them wore a mask. Each mask stylised as a skull, differing slightly.
“Oh frick,” Dack said.
“The Jackals, a pleasure, as always,” Tanner said.
Tylr was switching targets between the Jackals as they moved closer, their outfits all matching in dark leather.
“Coyotes,” the lead Jackal nodded. Across his jacket, the word ‘Uno ’ was etched in white. The Jackals had no names, only numerical designations.
Dack and Tanner were scanning the narrow alley for a sign of anything that could help them. It was five against three, in a normal fight they would have good odd, but the Jackals were a different class of enemy.
“What are you here for Uno?” Tanner asked. Uno had a black mask, a slight gold trim highlighted the eye sockets.
“The same as you, we need the Cipher,” Uno replied, taking another step closer.
“Well, we don't have it, yet,” Dack answered, “let us know if you come across it though?”
“We have also been tasked with eliminating you, the Leader's orders.”
The Coyote’s exchanged a glance with each other.
The Jackals stepped forwards in unison. They were a metre away now, the Coyotes had no-where to run.
“Well, if it’s a fight you want, let’s get to it,” Tanner said drawing his revolver.
The two Jackals which came up behind them, Tres and Cuatro their designations read, broke into a dash towards them. Tylr snapped out of their thoughts, and pure instinct kicked in. Taking a step up off the wall to the right, they launched themselves upwards. Landing behind the two Jackals, they kicked Cuatro’s back knee, causing it to buckle, before they could react. Tres spun round, and they began to trade blows.
Meanwhile, Dack and Tanner had fired several shots at the other Jackals. As the bullets flew, the Jackals moved at an unnatural speed, avoiding the projectiles. Expecting this Dack, and Tanner used the distraction to run back towards Tylr.
Dack grabbed Tres from behind and threw him to the ground behind him, Tylr nodded a ‘thanks’ before Cuatro jumped up and grabbed them.
“We need to end this and get out of here fast!” Tanner said, seeing Uno, Dos and Cuatro, making their way towards them.
An explosion at the end of the alleyway caused everyone to pause, another explosion came from the opposite end. Clouds of dust began to gather around them all.
“What is this?” Uno asked, grabbing Dack by his collar.
“This isn’t us, is it?” He turned to look at Tanner and Tylr.
They shook their heads.
Several armed guards began to storm down the alley, Ion-Rifles raised at both the Coyotes and Jackals.
“Separate and Surrender, everyone kneel with your hands raised above your heads, or we will fire,” a voice shouted through a megaphone.
Several seconds passed, neither of the group moved.
“Final warning,” a volley of bullets fired just above them all. A shower of debris falling onto them.
“Truce, until we figure this out?” Dack said to Uno, who was still clutching his collar.
“Hm,” grunted Uno, Dack took it as confirmation.
The Jackals and Coyotes all knelt on the ground, hands raised above their heads.
22
“I will not take you to see Valon!” Jonir shouted, shaking his head.
“I need to talk to him, he has information we need,” Vittoria shouted back.
Lyla was still sat, drinking her mead. She was realising where Vittoria’s aggressive nature stemmed from.
“You don’t understand Vit! If he sees you, if he knows that you’re alive, he’ll take you again in the best case. Worst case, he’ll just kill you on the spot!”
“We can bargain with him, that’s what he does, trading.”
Jonir signed and drank deep of his glass. He could tell there was no debating with Vittoria, she had her mind set on the situation.
“Please Joni, it’s important we do this,” Vittoria said.
“Fine, but if he takes you again…” He trailed off.
He rose, and walked over to the comms pad on the wall; it was an outdated version of the system, but still functioning. He typed in a code, and a small screen lit up.
“Jonir, what brings us this pleasure,” a sarcastic voice blurted out from a skinny man on the screen.
“I need a meeting, with Valen, now.”
“Aha, you don’t make requests, Jonir. You do as we say, and you follow orders, or you’ll find yourself in the pits.”
“Tell Valen, Vittoria wants to speak to him,” Vittoria moved into the screen's view.
The man on the other side nearly choked on his own tongue when he saw her.
“No! You can’t be here!” He spat out.
“Tell. Valen.” She said deliberately, then ended to call.
“They will not be happy to know you are here little one,” Jonir whispered, shaking his head.
“I know Joni, but it’ll be ok. I promise.”
It took all of five minutes before a call rang out from the comms unit. Jonir answered, it and the skinny man reappeared.
“Meet us at the usual location, bring her with you and no one else. If this is some kind of trick, you will find yourself mining rocks on Titan before the day it out!”
“I will see you there Thrysk.” Jonir punched the end call button and turned to Vittoria and Lyla. “I hope you know what you are doing.”
“We should radio the others, let em know what we’re doin’” Lyla said.
“Yeah, let Jako know, maybe they’ve found something too.”
Lyla headed outside the house, she needed some air to clear her mind from the drinks. She could drink beer and ale with the best of them, but the mead had knocked her for six.
“Hey Jako you up there?” She looked up into the sky as she opened the comms. The sky was clear in the area
they were in, and she could see several twinkling ships moving across the sky.
“Hi Lyla,” came Jako’s reply.
“You doing ok?” She asked, always feeling he was left out, floating in space, though she knew it was his choice.
“I am, thank you. How’s it, erm, going down there?”
She smiled at his phrasing, knowing that the reason he hadn’t been successful in the military communications division, was because the superiors had felt his verbal tick would be detrimental to his work. Yet all the years she’d been in the army, and out of it, she had never worked with a more talented and dedicated comms-man in the galaxy. This was what linked the team together, being undervalued and underestimated.
“It’s going, complicatedly,” she replied, “we’re heading t’meet the leader of a Slaver clan here, which Vit thinks might hav’ some information on the cipher.”
She didn’t reveal any information about Jonir and Vittoria’s past; it wasn’t her place to say.
“Great, hopefully we can get a, erm, location,” Jako replied.
“Any news from others?” Lyla asked.
“Last I heard from them they were with Watkins, but that was a while ago,” Jako replied.
“Ok, keep me updated, an’ stay outta trouble,” she joked.
“I’ll, erm, do my best,” he laughed back.
Vittoria and Jonir came out of the house just as Lyla was ending the call.
“All ready?” She asked.
“Yep, let’s move,” Vittoria smiled, trouble in her eyes.
“How far to the meeting point?” Lyla asked Jonir.
The large man slung his blacksmith hammer across his back, it rested in a custom-built sheath.
“Only about fifteen minutes walk, heading towards the docks,” he said.
He led the way, as they left the house.
23
Dack, Tanner, and Tylr sat in the cold, dark cell. Tylr was cross-legged on the damp concrete floor, eyes closed, deep in meditation.
“They seem content,” Dack said, nodding at Tylr.
The two of them were squashed together on a small wooden bench, which had seen better days.
Through the bars of the cell, a similar situation was visible on the opposite side of the jail. Inside the four Jackals were equally incarcerated.
They had been stripped of their weapons, though the Jackals still had their masks on, which triggered Dack’s curiosity.
“Hey, guys,” he shouted over to them, an exaggerated wave accompanying the call.
The Jackal designated ‘Uno’ turned and walked over, as close as he could get.
“Yes?” He said bitterly.
“How come you guys got to keep your masks?”
“These are not masks, they are a part of our being as much as your hand or eyes,” came the reply.
“Oh, Oh. I see,” Dack sat back down, still feeling confused.
“Perhaps don't antagonise our cell mates?” Tanner smiled slightly, there was something cold about the Jackals that sent a shiver down his spine. They’d crossed paths several times, but had learnt very little about them. Other than their allegiance to the Syndicate, and that there were six of them, each named by a number.
A metallic clang echoed through the jail, as a large, out of sight, door, opened. Footsteps followed behind them.
“Well, well, well, well,” a voice chirped. A moment later a small, well dressed, man trotted into view. His suit was pristine, made of a slight glistening fabric, which made it shimmer as he walked. A cloud of perfumed air seemed to follow him, along with two armed guards. “What do we have here?”
The man glanced dramatically back and forth between the two cells, first at the Coyotes, and then at the Jackals.
“Coyotes and Jackals, oh my,” he laughed excitedly.
“And you are?” Tanner asked, standing and waking towards the man, Uno followed suit on the opposite side.
The small man clutched his chest in mock horror.
“I am offended and hurt sir!” He exclaimed, before dropping his hand and bowing. “My name is Oswell Howlin, though my friends call me ‘Oh’,” Another excited laugh followed. “Now, you may be wondering, why, oh why are you all being held here. And you may also be wondering, why Oh is here talking to you, when you’d have thought the Station Guard would make more sense. Well, allow me to explain.”
“I swear if he breaks out into a musical number, I will rip these bars apart to kill him!” Dack whispered to Tanner.
“First, you are here because of Mr Watkins, rest his poor soul,” he turned to Uno and looked him in the mask. “He wasn’t just working for you, he was my chief scout. So, although you hired him to lead the Coyotes to you, he also was leading you all to me!”
“Then I’m glad we ended his double crossing miserable life,” Uno spat back.
Oswell blinked, then smiled, unmoved by the comment.
“I have more scouts.” He shrugged.
“Scouts for what?“Dack said impatiently.
Oswell spun on the spot, the darkness replaced with a huge showbiz grin.
“I’m so glad you asked!” He beamed, “I have the most watched sports entertainment show this side of Pluto, and probably beyond. Violence, gore, bloodshed, and dismemberment are our trade. Now, due to the nature of this venture, we frequently run low on players. This is where my scouts, and you, come in. I heard you were all in town, when Watkins let me know the Jackals were here, looking for the Coyotes. How could I miss up on the opportunity of a lifetime? Two of the most notorious and feared groups in the galaxy!”
The two groups exchanged several glances to each other.
“It was a small feat to get you all together, Watkins played his part nicely, though his death was an unfortunate side effect. My personal army were more than equipt to take you down once you had distracted each other.”
“So, we’re what? Going to fight for your show?” Tanner said.
“Oh, ho ho ho, more than fight my friends,” Oswell rubbed his hands together with glee, “you’re going to die for my show!”
24
The walk hadn’t taken long. Vittoria, Lyla and Jonir had walked several blocks south, and passed out of the main area of the slums. They were now making their way into the manufacturing district. The dirt paths turned into brick roads, where large, unmanned cargo transports rumbled down.
“Welcome to the warehouse district,” Jonir said grimly.
The roads were shadowed by large, rectangular buildings, which loomed over them. The rustic charm of the slums replaced by cold, hard, stone.
“This way,” Jonir indicated down a side road, which sliced between two warehouses.
“What we expectin’ here?” Lyla said, breaking her silence. She had decided if she was walking into a trap, maybe a little information would be useful.
“The Fortean Clan are a group of slavers,” Vittoria said, “they take anyone they can steal, and put them to work in the quarries, and other areas.”
“Steal?”
“Most people on this rock don’t give a damn if someone goes missing, or chances are they owe a debt, and use their own people to settle them,” Jonir said, giving Vittoria a sympathetic smile.
“And we’re meeting them because…”
“The Fortean Clan have worked over several moons and planets, and I know that they worked on Triton several years ago,” Vittoria replied.
“Triton? Why does that name ring a bell?” Lyla tried to recall the name.
“It’s where they found some old Endling artefacts back when they were first appearing, it was in the history books. After it was supposedly excavated, they found several mineral deposits deeper in the rocks and the Fortean Clan set up some mining works there.”
“Y’think they found the Cipher?” Lyla exclaimed.
“I’m pretty sure they did.”
“Why didn’t ya tell the others?”
“I didn’t want to get hopes up, and I wanted to do this alone, present company exc
luded,” Vittoria smiled at Lyla.
Their conversation was cut short, as they reached the end of the path, which opened into a large, open expanse where the cargo transports were left when not in use. The space was deserted, however, apart from a circle of small vehicles which all pointed at the trio, their lights glared out at them. Blinded, they all held up their hands to their eyes, trying to make out the figures in front of them.
“Little Vitie, I don’t believe my eyes,” a voice called out. The accent was hard to place, a mixture of accents rolled into one like a cocktail of sound.
“Valen,” Vittoria acknowledged the speaker, “how’ve you been?”
“Good, thanks. Though I’m now a little concerned that one of my best workers has returned from the dead.”
“I never died Valen, it’s not my fault you came to that conclusion.”
“An Ion Engine explosion and the disintegration of an EvacTube would leave that impression,” Valen replied.
“Again, you made your conclusions, I wasn’t ready to dissuade you in them is all.”
A silhouette stepped in front of the lights and moving closer to them. Dressed in a leather waistcoat, with an off-white shirt under he looked both business and workman. Beside him stood Thrysk, a thin man, scrunched over as if he were an old branch, withered and knotted.
“What brings you back to the world of the living, realised you aren’t able to make it out there in the real world?” Valen sneered.
“On the contrary Val, I’m here for information.”
“Hah, and what makes you think I’m willing to make a trade with the likes of you?”
“For this,” Vittoria pulled her revolver from its holster, and fired a shot into the arm of the Thrysk. The already twisted frame of the man further contorted, as he fell to the ground, clutching the wound and screaming a high-pitched whine.
The clicks and whirs of several weapons being armed filled the air from behind the lights of the vehicles. Valen held up a hand to stop any action, as he studied Vittoria’s face.
The Omega Drive Page 8
