by R. E. Graham
Instinctively he used the door to assist him to slide to a crouch and fired a burst from his own rifle. Two of the bullets caught the agent in the torso and he slumped to the floor. Before the other agent could fully spin around the Inquisitor shot him multiple times in the back armor and side.
Varius made sure to keep his rifle ready as he moved passed the two fallen agents.
No time to check their vitals.
While he was aiming to only incapacitate them, he was trained to kill his targets, not wound them. A light panel near him built into the wall suddenly burst sending sparks and debris flying as the Inquisitor ducked and stumbled forward. The agent in the stairwell had caught up to him and was attempting to avenge his fallen comrades.
In one smooth motion Varius regained his footing, spun, moved to the side and fired his rifle. Each bullet fired hit the agent. Two in the chest and one in the helmet. The agent was dead before his body touched the ground.
Dammit!
Inside the Inquisitor felt a twinge of regret but pushed his feelings away and turned back for the Western stairwell when a team of agents poured out of the emergency stairs doorway. Varius turned about and ran as several of the agents fired wildly.
As he continued back the way he came another team exited the elevator and filled the foyer. Spotting the new threat, he tried to stop himself but slid to the ground on accident. He rolled to a crouch and pressed himself against the wall.
With both teams closing in, the agents stopped firing as to not hit the other squad. A riot control agent from each team moved from the back to the front brandishing a large bullet resistant shield in one arm and a stun baton in the other. Both squads slowly took steps forward ready to strike.
Varius checked his surroundings and saw a small room without a door across from him that he had missed when he had run down the hall. He didn’t aim as he fired at the squad in front of him and dove to his left into the empty room. Both teams rushed up to the entrance of the room but could not see him clearly.
The Inquisitor looked around the room but only saw a garbage chute opening in the wall on his right. He internally groaned at the sight of it but knew he was out of options.
He fired his rifle multiple times into the wall across from him buying him time to pull himself up and to lower his legs into the chute. Just as the two riot control agents rushed in he slid down into the chute. Unfortunately, the rifle got yanked out of his hand as it got stuck in the opening of the garbage chute.
Varius could hear his own heavy breathing echo off the close confines of the chute as he fell to the garbage bin below. He slammed into a pile of bagged and loose garbage. As he struggled to pull himself out of the bin, a piece of fruit peeling stuck to his face, he could hear a muffled combination of voices coming from way up into the complex.
Just as he was finally able to pull one leg up and out of the garbage bin he heard clanging coming from above him.
Grenades!
The Inquisitor used all of his strength to propel himself out of the garbage bin. He dove to the corner of the room and covered his head.
Two silver cylinders fell into the garbage mound and was followed by a tremendous explosion.
Chapter 17
Cycle: 412 Month: 7 Rotation: 13
Prefecture: Siimon
Planet: Eden
Location: Eva’s secret residence
After the grenades explosion, Varius was able to sneak out of the condominium structure without further attack. He had watched from a distance as two Keepers of Peace hover choppers moved in with searchlights checking around the surrounding grounds for him.
His body ached so badly from the fall into the garbage chute, but he couldn’t stop now. He needed to get back to Eva.
Dawn was just beginning to set in as the local star poked itself above the skyline. Varius threw his head back and chewed on another caffeine stim as he continued down the sidewalk and strolled nonchalantly up to Eva’s condo.
Long ago he had learned how to go without sleep for up to a week and how to force himself to keep on. Age however was catching up to him and he couldn’t manage extended sleeplessness without downing stims to keep him awake. His mind wandered as he tried to not draw too much attention to himself as he entered the lobby of the structure and walked to the elevator.
Okay, so let’s assess things. Titus and Vega could be dirty. Legatus Aquilas is likely dirty. I have no strong leads on the Shadow Man and two people connected to him have committed suicide to not share information. This is probably much bigger than what I can see right now. I need to contact Director Seneca and report to him what I have discovered so far.
The Inquisitor watched as the number illuminated “38” on the screen above the elevator doors counted down. While he waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor he couldn’t help notice an unpleasant smell emanating from his clothes. In the madness of the moment Varius hadn’t noticed the open bag of old food he landed on in the garbage chute.
A gentle yet constant breeze that accompanied his long walk down the sidewalks of Lucifer had all but completely concealed the stench from him.
Behind the double doors the elevator came to a graceful stop. A soft ding sounded just as the doors opened. Out stepped an older woman with blue hair holding a small fluffy yet expertly groomed dog in her arms. The small beast yelped at the sight of the Inquisitor while the woman sniffed once and scoffed at the man as she left the elevator in a hurry.
Varius scowled at the woman and stepped in. He hit the “15” button and slumped himself against the wall as the doors slid shut with a thud. Internally his stomach drooped at the sudden increase in motion upwards. The doors again slid open and revealed the fifteenth floor of the condominium.
Wait…how am I going to get into Eva’s unit with her inside?
The Inquisitor slapped himself in the forehead as he realized Eva gained entrance to the condo by scanning her thumb. He walked down the hallway hesitantly not wanting to have to go downstairs and tell the administration for the building who he was.
Suddenly Eva stepped out with a bag over her shoulder onto the hallway with huge a grin on her face. Her excitement instantly evaporated when she realized that Varius was approaching her. He reached over to his left forearm and slid back the stained sleeve. He pressed a button on the screen of his gauntlet and allowed himself his own giant grin.
Eva’s eyes widened greatly as she froze in place at the sound of the beep beep sound that chirped from the back of her neck.
“Going somewhere?” Varius asked as he stopped several steps from his captive.
“Well…no.” Eva asked as she remained motionless. A small smile began to form on her face as she humorously noticed all of the stains and dried blood on Varius. “What happened to you?”
Varius looked down at himself and squinted his eyes as he stared back at the woman. “Let’s talk inside.”
Eva took a step back and turned around slowly. The Inquisitor thought he noticed her roll her eyes at the last moment. Her shoulders slumped as the bag slid from her shoulder and she scanned her left thumb on the door panel.
She stepped inside and Varius checked the hall once before he entered. He stopped just two steps in and looked to Eva. “Have a seat back on the couch. Set your bag back down on the table on your way.”
Without a fight Eva complied. The woman set her bag down and continued on to the leather sofa. She plopped herself into the couch and sighed.
Varius walked deeper into the condo and noticed that his transmitter was still on the table but had been deactivated. He looked back to Eva who was watching him closely.
“How did you disable it?”
Eva brushed away the question with her hand before she crossed her arms. “So, that is an awful lot of blood on you. I assume that it isn’t yours, so what happened with Rian?”
The Inquisitor stared at her with a neutral look on his face.
“What? I want to help you so that I can get my name cleared in all of
this too” the woman said as she uncrossed her arms and sat up straighter.
Varius sighed quietly to himself. “His real name was Carso Rey. He wouldn’t give me much. However, he did say that he was instructed to join your EFL group.”
Eva’s face got very serious. “By whom?”
“It seems as though he received orders from the Keepers of Peace command. He didn’t say whether Legatus Aquilas was the one, but he certainly is a suspect now.” Varius scratched the back of his head but felt something sticky in his hair. “Yuck…”
His captive chuckled to herself but tried to hide her laughter with her hand. “Anything else?”
The Inquisitor wiped his hand on his pants before he continued. “He also said that he was instructed to make contact with the Shadow Man by Inquisitor Titus.”
“That’s the pompous white-haired guy back from the compound?”
Varius couldn’t help but smirk at Eva’s question. “Yeah, that’s him.”
“So, we have a situation with a dirty Inquisitor helping to coordinate efforts with someone in the Keepers of Peace on Eden to infiltrate the EFL for…what?”
The Inquisitor leaned up against the wall and crossed his own arms. “Carso said that it was because they are trying to have martial law enacted here on the planet. Sadly, he wouldn’t give me anything specific about the Shadow Man specifically. He did say that their initial meeting was at the very same warehouse that the arms deal happened at which…”
Eva cut in and finished Varius’ sentence. “Which has burned down. What about Carso, is he still alive?”
The Inquisitor shook his head. “He took his own life.”
“He what? He killed himself?!”
Varius nodded somberly as his mind raced back to the memory as he tried again to figure out why. “That’s actually the second time someone connected to the Shadow Man committed suicide instead of letting me get information out of them.”
Eva’s eyebrow raised in interest. “Who was the first?”
“When I went to investigate the warehouse, I was attacked by a bounty hunter. I subdued him, but he took some kind of suicide pill before I could get much.”
In frustration, Eva stood and threw her hands into the air before she placed them on her hips. “Fantastic! Now what?”
“My leads have gone cold except for Titus. But before I am going to go after him I need to contact my superior back in the Bureau. Do you know of someone we could go to that we could get a communication link or a message off of Eden that would be encrypted?”
“Yeah, I know a guy” Eva said as her posture relaxed slightly. “He won’t be cheap, but he can get you in contact with anyone you need.”
“Good. Now all we need to do is wait until dark then we’ll head out.”
Eva gestured with her head. “Not like that you’re not.
Varius looked down at himself and pursed his lips. He stood straight up and uncrossed his arms.
“You should probably get yourself cleaned up. Since I kept the payments going for this unit the water still works. The shower is down the hall on the left.”
He didn’t say it, but Eva could read the look on his face clearly. “Look, I’m not going to go anywhere. You were gone so long I was starting to think you bit the dust. Now with Carso dead I stand my best chance of clearing my name by sticking with you.”
“Even if I do bathe, I don’t exactly have a change of clothing.”
“My husband was a little taller than you, but his clothes should fit fine enough. My bedroom is at the end of the hall. I would get you some but…” the woman trailed off as her voice went down to a whisper.
“Don’t worry about it. I can manage” Varius said as he went back to the table to retrieve the transmitter.
Eva’s posture stiffened. “You don’t trust me?”
The Inquisitor inspected the transmitter again and pushed the button to power it on. The little green light shone bright and looked back to his captive. “Trust is earned Ms. Archimedes.”
The woman scowled to herself as she went back to the couch and sat down.
Varius smiled as he started down the hall. He held up the transmitter and said, “I’ll keep this with me this time. I won’t be long!”
Chapter 18
Cycle: 412 Month: 7 Rotation: 13
Prefecture: Siimon
Planet: Eden
Location: At Eva’s Condo
Varius stood under the showerhead as a dozen hot small streams of water ran down his neck and back. He used his left hand to wipe away the water that ran across his face before he turned around and let the hot water relax his aching neck and shoulder muscles.
Not wanting to take more unnecessary chances, Varius had elected to keep his gauntlet on. Thankfully, it was water proof.
He allowed himself another minute of relaxation before he was finished. The Inquisitor turned back towards the shower’s waterproof control panel and held up his right hand. A blue holographic ball emitted from the panel and he placed his hand on it. He twisted the projection to the right and the shower turned off.
As he slid open the steamed-up glass door of the shower he saw that the large vanity mirror had also been completely covered by steam. He grabbed the towel that hung over the towel rung and used it to dry his body. After wrapping the towel around his waist, he carefully walked over to the vanity mirror.
The Inquisitor wiped the mirror with his right hand leaving behind streaks of water as the steam was cleared so he could see his reflection. Bags had begun to form under his eyes from sheer exhaustion. While he didn’t “feel” tired, his body was showing signs of needing rest.
I can sleep when I finish this mission. Right now, I have to get word out to Director Seneca about Titus.
Varius wiped more of the mirror and examined his muscular torso further. Old scars were scattered about his body. Some were newer, while others were years old. He yawned widely but shook his head to clear his mind.
I can sleep later.
Before he exited the bathroom, he grabbed the transmitter off the countertop and then stuck his head out into the hallway. He looked to his right to see Eva had decided to lay down on the couch and apparently fell asleep. Her left arm covered her eyes. She seemed so peaceful as she slept.
The Inquisitor turned to his left leaving behind wet footsteps on the polished floor. As he came up to the door of his captive’s old bedroom, he couldn’t help his mind from recalling events of the day his family died as he thought about Eva and her past life.
He swiped his hand passed the door panel and the door slid open. The sound of the door startled Eva from her slumber, but she remained still and tried to remain quiet.
The bedroom was very dark inside despite it being daylight outside. Varius reached his right arm in and felt for a light panel of some kind against the wall.
Suddenly the lights kicked on and illuminated the interior. His extensively trained mind kicked in and automatically began to analyze everything he saw.
A large bed was to his right beneath a dark blackout curtain that entirely covered the only window in the room. Unlike the rest of the residence, this room was near immaculate. Several pieces of furniture that matched the bedframe were positioned about the room. Varius took notice of the expensive appearance of the furniture. All of it looked brand new except for a thin layer of dust that covered everything. To his left was the entrance to the vast walk-in closet.
Looks like she didn’t come in here while I left her alone.
The Inquisitor decided to approach the dresser across the room from his. He carefully pulled out several of the top drawers and rummaged around inside. Thankfully, he found a pair of underwear and pulled them out. He read the inside label and nodded approvingly.
He looked through two more drawers and found nothing of note. After carefully shutting the last drawer he searched through and turned his attention back to the closet.
As he stopped in front of the large walk in space a light within automatically kick
ed on. While the room was empty at first, racks of clothing on either side rotated from out of the walls of the closet. While the left appeared to be women’s clothing, the right was clearly Eva’s husbands. Multiple pressed business suits hung in place while beneath them were various pairs of polished business shoes flipped out on a shelf hidden in the wall.
Along the backside of the wall two drawers extended out with an assortment of other business professional optional items such as cufflinks and time keepers.
Various whistled at the sight. He began to look through the clothing until he found what appeared to be a lone hiking outfit. A long sleeved deep blue shirt accompanied with coyote brown pants. The Inquisitor nodded.
These will work.
He was just about to leave when something caught his eye in the lower left corner of the closet.
Unlike the right-side corner, the left-side did not have a rack of shoes go all the way to the end of the wall. The rack that was there stopped with enough room to appear full but obviously had some empty space.
Hmm…
Varius knelt down and placed his hand up against the wall. He pushed gently and felt the wall press in slightly. As he pulled his hand back a small portion of the wall swung open.
A secret safe?
A small key pad was flush up against a small metal door that filled the space behind the secret door. The Inquisitor set the clothes he found down and pulled a long cable from his gauntlet. He attached the end to the key pad and looked down at his gauntlet.
“Marth, can you hack into the safe?” he asked trying to keep his voice low.
“Certainly Inquisitor. One moment please.”
Out in the living room area Eva tried to fall back to sleep. She wrestled back and forth trying to again find a comfortable position. When she finally did she began to fall back to sleep.
