“Enough posturing. You don’t scare me. Let’s get to it. You’ll find I’m not quite as easy a target as those unsuspecting miners,” Rayn said.
Gyn sniggered. “They were pitiful, weren’t they? I enjoyed them, but the pleasure was over much too soon. I do hope you’ll last a little longer than they did.”
“Oh, I assure you I will,” Rayn replied softly.
The two men circled each other slowly, two creatures driven by ancient instinct to fight for domination. Rayn felt a pressure against his mind, willing him to submit. Rayn’s mental guards easily blocked the suggestion, and he returned a similar compelling force toward Gyn.
Gyn sneered. “Oh, I do hope you can do better than that. Or perhaps not? It’s been a long time since you’ve imitated a true B’haratan, hasn’t it?”
Rayn felt an increased pressure at his mind, and the beginnings of pain, but still was able to block it out without a problem. “I’m more of a B’haratan than you’ve ever been. Tell me, how much power did it take to compel those miners to put their hands against their heads and squeeze? A whole lot, I’ll bet.” Rayn increased the pressure on Gyn. “And it took a big man, a big B’haratan, to accept money from the angwhi to do that big job, didn’t it?”
Gyn advanced, his long strides eating up the distance between them. “I’ll take advantage of the angwhi any way I can. As you should. Or didn’t your mama teach you that?”
Rayn, who had backpedaled a few steps, halted. So he was right about the angwhi. He ran his hand through his hair to push the damp strands out of his face and brushed the sweat off his forehead with his suede armband. He knew he had to stay in control and not let any of what Gyn was saying get to him. “You take advantage of everyone you come into contact with, don’t you? That’s why you have so many friends.” Rayn gradually stepped up the pressure on Gyn, but it didn’t appear to have any effect on him.
Gyn laughed. “Your friends are your weakness. I think I’ll pay another visit to them, too, when I’m finished with you. Oh, you do know that I visited once before? Your little girlfriend, Alessane is it? She gave me quite a pleasurable time. She filled your drink with poison, and then while you were writhing in agony, I filled her. Pity she misunderstood my command to mix the ‘shadow’ in a drink. If she had mixed it with alcohol, it would have killed you. No matter. It will be more satisfying this way. Speaking of satisfying, your little Alessane was very responsive, almost as much so as your new girlfriend. Maybe I’ll have both of them together.” Gyn laughed again, still advancing on Rayn.
Rayn stepped back until he was only a few bars from his skimmer, then circled to his left, putting the sun behind him and into Gyn’s eyes. The pain Rayn was experiencing was considerable, but he knew how to ignore pain. “Using the dher on a couple of women seems to be the only way you can gratify yourself. Or did the angwhi who paid you get a little extra service rendered when he handed over the payment?”
Gyn’s anger flared, and his mental guards dropped just a little. It was enough for Rayn to pick up a brief image of the AEA officer who had paid Gyn for killing the miners. Keeping his own guards in place, Rayn kept the pressure on. “What, no response? Maybe pleasuring an angwhi wasn’t so much fun, after all.”
Gyn’s laughter died. “I was only going to destroy your mind, but you’re going to pay for that. When I finish with you, there won’t be anything left.”
With every step Gyn made toward Rayn, Rayn sidestepped to the left or right. “What are you waiting for? So far you’re just like that mantis you manipulated, all talk and nothing more.”
Gyn rushed him, lashing out with a powerful side kick to Rayn’s chest. “And you’re as ineffectual as wind through the Wiara.”
Rayn, moving with the blow, caught very little of its force. He countered with a leg sweep that took Gyn off his feet. Just as quickly, though, Gyn was back up and aimed a roundhouse kick at Rayn’s head. Rayn, off balance, absorbed most of the blow on the side of his head and went sprawling into the rust-colored dust of the Pur-Pelag. Gyn grabbed Rayn by the vest, pulled him up just enough to bury his knee in Rayn’s abdomen, then with his right fist to his jaw, sent Rayn into the grit again. Rayn pushed aside the pain once again and rolled away from Gyn before Gyn could grab him.
Rayn, still on the ground, took a moment to catch his breath before asking, “I’m curious about something. When you attacked Agent Marlijn and poisoned me, did you throw that in on your own as a bonus, or were you hired to eliminate us? If you were hired to do it, somebody didn’t get their money’s worth. Not finishing me is one thing. But really. Not to be able to kill a skinny little Glacian girl is quite something else. Did the angwhi demand a refund for such ineptitude?”
Rayn could feel Gyn’s control slipping as his rage mounted. The larger man’s breathing also became more labored as they exerted themselves in the midday desert heat, but Rayn knew it was far from over. Gyn threw himself at Rayn and caught a knee in his chest for his trouble. Rayn gathered his feet like a spring and knocked Gyn backward with enough force to fell him. Both lay in the dust, and both were slow to get to their feet.
Gyn hadn’t stopped applying pressure to Rayn’s mind, and Rayn, though still able to keep his mental shield in place, was starting to feel the sharp stabs behind his eyes. Both were covered with streaks of red, the filings of the basin floor sticking to the sweat on their bodies.
When Gyn didn’t respond, Rayn continued. “That must have been doubly embarrassing for you. First the little Glacian girl outsmarts you, then the angwhi insult you by not giving you the opportunity to finish the job. Not that they did any better. Sabotaging Rzije’s skimmer . . . now that was a pretty bad idea, even for an angwhi. Or was that your idea?”
“I’m going to take immense satisfaction in replaying your death in that Glacian girl’s mind while I use her body to the fullest.” Gyn aimed another roundhouse kick at Rayn, and caught the back of Rayn’s head, sending him face first into the dust.
Rayn was unable to mask the pain now. The sharp pains threatened to cut his concentration, his temples throbbed, and the pressure on his mind was almost unbearable. The heat of the Pelag was debilitating, and he was slow to gather his feet beneath him. Gyn didn’t give him a chance, but kicked him in the ribs several times until he lay on his back, hardly able to move.
He looked up at Gyn and smiled. No matter how much you torment that little girl, no matter what you do to me, you will have to live with the fact that she bested you. You, a powerful B’haratan, out-played by a little yellow-haired girl.
And you, spithra, can consider that your final thought in life, because you’re now going to die.
Gyn kicked Rayn in the ribs once more, rolling him onto his stomach. He then grabbed Rayn’s hair and hauled him to his feet, grabbing him around the neck with a choke hold. How does it feel now, spithra? Does it feel like talk now?
Gyn maintained the choke hold a moment longer, until he felt Rayn’s body go limp in his arms. He threw him to the ground in triumph, lifted his face to the sun, and raised his arms above his head, letting out a cry of jubilation.
In that second Rayn felt Gyn’s mental guards drop, and he concentrated all the force he could on Gyn’s mind, compelling him to put his hands on either side of his head. The look on Gyn’s face changed from that of sweet victory to shock, and the cry of conquest rose to a scream as Rayn continued compelling Gyn with all of his undeniable power. He kept on the pressure, and somehow found the strength to increase the demand. Gyn’s hands slowly lowered to his ears and covered them, as if trying to shut out the sound of his own scream. Rayn closed his eyes and expertly dealt the killing mental blow.
The Pelag swallowed the last of Gyn’s shriek, and the dull thud of his body hitting the hard basin floor told Rayn it was over at last. He lay face down in the grit, totally spent, his head throbbing and his ribs aching, but the pressure was gone from his mind. Ra
yn listened to the settling of the dust as the faint breeze swirled the red powder around his head. Then, off to the east, he heard a sweet sighing, almost musical. He smiled. The wind in the Wiara was laughing.
Several long moments later, when a measure of Rayn’s strength had returned to him, he rose from the floor of the Pelag and checked Gyn’s body. It was indeed lifeless, the skull crushed on either side of his head and the eyes dull and dark, staring up at the sun, seeing none of the light. Rayn bent down and closed the vacant eyes. You never did see the light, did you?
He dragged the body into the nearby cavern and dropped it in the shade of the entrance. He gazed down at it and tried to feel some measure of compunction for killing a countryman, but couldn’t. One less bastard for this world or any other to worry about. And yet, we were not all that different, were we? Rayn knelt down and scooped up a handful of the fine red dust. Rising, he let the dust sift through his fingers to be sucked away by the breeze, but enough settled onto Gyn’s face to redden the mask of death. The fire basin was an appropriate home for you, my friend. I hope it prepared you well for the Void.
Rayn returned to his skimmer, bent down, and examined the small holorecorder mounted on the side. “Stop recording,” he said softly.
Eighteen
The Rats’ Revenge
DECBARS AWAY FROM the Pur-Pelag, a man in a hooded cloak kept a silent vigil in front of one of the many Aeternan housing complexes. He had watched, a fat smile hidden beneath the collar of his cloak, as two AEA officers had escorted the Mother Lode security officer from the AEA Center to his quarters. The officers had gone in with Kalyo Rhoemer and, after almost an hour, were still inside.
The man outside waited and watched, and his anger smoldered with the fanning of time, consuming his earlier satisfaction. Bumbling fools, he thought. Why hadn’t he gotten the word about Hrothi? It should have been his decision. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, he fumed, the job had been botched. Karsa had lived long enough to give a dying declaration to Rhoemer. But Rhoemer was smart. He knew to keep his mouth shut, knew not to cooperate with the AEA. And now he would ensure that Rhoemer’s mouth stayed shut for good.
The man allowed himself a small smile. If only the AEA had intelligence half as thorough as his, they might solve a case now and then. Not that he was complaining. They had made it only too easy for him.
At last, his patience stretched almost to the snapping point, the man saw the two officers leave, weaving down the street, slapping each other on the back.
Worthless idiots. Probably stayed for a few drinks while on duty. The man snorted. Perhaps they had eased his task after all.
He entered the building and took a lift to the sixth floor, the hood of his cloak and wide sunshield concealing most of his face. The corridor stretched before him, silent and empty. He stood outside Rhoemer’s door and listened carefully. The smooth hum of a recycling unit and the sound of running water wafted to his ear.
He sounded the soft chime.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s just me, Kal. I wanted to make sure you were all right after yesterday’s ordeal.”
“I’ll buzz the door. Hold on.”
A second later the door slid open, and the man looked inside before entering. The corners of his mouth lifted. This would indeed be easy. The figure at the sink, his back turned, swayed back and forth, as if humming a tune to himself. A dirty blue robe covered his stocky build and hung nearly to the floor.
The strong smell of alcoholic beverages hung in the air of the small room. The man in the cloak wrinkled his nose. “I want you to know, Kal, how sorry I am. How very sorry. I know how close you and Karsa were,” he said softly.
Kal stood with his head bent forward and nodded, his short brown hair bobbing, barely visible, above the robe’s collar.
Perfect. The man in the cloak raised his arms and, like a striking snake, instantly had his victim helpless.
A glass fell and shattered.
Kal tugged desperately at the cord tightening around his neck. He sank to his knees, then bent forward and tried to pull the assailant off balance. The man in the cloak moved to the side to regain his leverage and gave a renewed yank on the cord. He would not lose the game now.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a giant of a man step from behind a tall bank of cabinets. Releasing the cord, he scrabbled backwards, away from the giant, but his boots skittered on the broken glass. He whipped out an arm to the counter for support and realized too late that he had provided a perfect target for the giant’s fist. The blow to his unprotected face sent him sprawling to the floor, and the explosion of pain scattered all thoughts of victory.
Sergeant Hrugaz, Dina, and a uniformed Mother Lode security officer rushed in from the adjoining room. Hrugaz grabbed the would-be assassin and hauled him to his feet, yanking the hood down.
Dark red hair hung over dazed eyes that darted between the man in the robe, who he suddenly realized wasn’t Kal, and the security officer. “You!” His cruel mouth twisted, and he spat at the officer. “Desert filth!”
Kalyo Rhoemer grinned at his boss in return. “I prefer ‘desert rat,’ myself.”
“On behalf of the Interplanetary Investigation Bureau and the AEA I place you under arrest, Mr. Ctararzin,” Dina said as she took Mother Lode’s Operation Manager into custody. “The charge is attempted murder.”
The man in the robe still knelt on the floor, rubbing his neck. He looked up to see the big man hold out a hand to him. Trai Morghen grasped the outstretched hand and allowed himself to be hauled to his feet. “Thanks, friend,” he said, winking one blue eye.
Gaard nodded in return, and a rare smile lit his stoic features.
AS CTARARZIN’S ill-fated vigil began in the city, three other men stood in the desert, considering their own destiny.
At the entrance to Keneko Kap, Rayn gave a package and final instructions to Kindyll and Raethe to meet the man and woman at the Medical Center. “They’re expecting both of you. They’ll know what to do. Stay in the city as long as this takes.”
Kindyll nodded, his face serious. “Rayn, you know I’ll do this, but . . .”
Rayn cut him off with a hand to Kindyll’s shoulder and a look that brooked no argument. Kindyll nodded, and Rayn looked away, then back to his friend, seeing into the compassionate hazel eyes and knowing the man meant only the best.
“If she sees this recording, she’ll know I’m alive. For now that’s enough. I’ll meet with her in person after this is all over. She’ll understand,” said Rayn. “The two of you are the only ones I can trust with this. I’m asking you to trust me, too.”
Rayn picked up Kindyll’s quick thought that she might understand, but he didn’t. Understand he might not, but trust he did. This stronger thought lapped the previous one, and though Rayn didn’t need to hear Kindyll’s next words, he was touched nevertheless.
“You don’t have to ask for trust. It was earned long ago.”
Rayn smiled and shook the lanky young man’s shoulder gently. “Thank you, my friend. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
Raethe stood next to the two men, slouched against the rock wall, his eyes studying the hard ground. He hadn’t said anything, but Rayn knew he, too, could be trusted implicitly. Rayn turned to the tall man. “Rae . . .”
“Listen, Rayn, you don’t have to say anything. There are two people I would do anything for.” Raethe tossed the package Rayn had given him from his left hand to his right. “Our friend is one, and you’re the other.”
Rayn met Raethe’s eyes for the length of a heartbeat, then simply nodded. “Be off, then.”
The show was about to begin.
Nineteen
The Witness
SOON AFTERWARD, merkwia performed its nightly dance of color, but missing from its audience were several very pe
rplexed and busy individuals. Priority one calls had gone out to Minister Chandhel, Commander Katzfiel, and Jon to meet Dina and Dr. Lumazi at the Medical Center. Preparations for the dawn raid on the Pur-Pelag had come to a sudden but tentative halt as the news was received that one killer was dead and another was in custody.
An emergency meeting had been called for the eighteenth hour, but Dina had been at the Medical Center, answering a request from the doctor that she come as soon as possible. Dina had all but flown there, fearing the worst. She’d been on edge all day, not knowing the outcome of Rayn’s confrontation with Gyn, and even the satisfaction she had felt in trapping Ctararzin hadn’t diminished her feeling that something was wrong.
The cryptic news that the killer was dead hadn’t helped her, for Gyn had declared his innocence to her all along. If Gyn had defeated Rayn, Gyn would naturally proclaim that “the killer was now dead.”
But as soon as Dina’s eyes met those of Dr. Lumazi, Dina knew Rayn had prevailed. She silently thanked whatever gods had been listening to her plea for Rayn’s safety.
“Doctor, how much do you know about the dens?”
Jalena Lumazi gave her a wan smile. “Considerably more than I did two days ago. I know their reputation and what they’re capable of. But I also know that Rayn DeStar does not deserve to be called a ‘dark outworlder.’ Rather than my trying to explain what happened, I want you to watch this holo. It’s quite startling and graphic, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I should warn you, though. Both these men allude to liaisons with you, liaisons of a sexual nature. The others will be seeing this holo very soon. I thought it best for you to see it first.”
Dina’s heart pounded as she viewed the three-dimensional recording. It was an eerie feeling, almost as if she were right there in the Pur-Pelag watching the scene play out. By the end of the holo, the kaleidoscope of emotion left Dina’s knuckles white, her throat tight, and her mouth as dry as the fire basin itself.
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