“I requested another month?” mumbled Sevrop mostly to himself.
“Oh, you would hold us hostage for two months?” Darfos was on a brilliant roll. “I will presume to speak for Prime when I say you may have those two months to explore the preparedness of our gallant heroes. But I warn you. If you fail us again, there will be consequences.”
“I don’t think I’ll need that …”
“Are you about to contradict yourself and ask for some more time? I gave you a month. You took two, then requested two more. Now will you blindside me by pleading the case for yet another arbitrary period of investigation?” howled Calran. “I am beginning to—”
“No, Prime. I will have an exhaustive report completed for the council in two months,” said an ashen Sevrop. “I thank you for induling my newness to this type of investigation.”
“Very well,” replied Calran, suddenly quite calm. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but I will remind you and the rest of the members of the Secure Council just how tenuous our individual holds on life are. Our emperor has, when sober enough to do so, assumed a lead role in planning our next mission. I doubt it will come as news to any of you that on his best day Palawent is a moron. When drunk and in constant hormonal rut, he is that much more imbecilic.
“I doubt very much that he even knows what it is he wants. But I know this. Obviously if we were to lose in any future engagement, it will mean our heads. If we win but do not do so in what is to that cretan considers to be a spectacular manner, it will mean our heads also. The number of scenarios in which we vindicate ourselves and survive are few indeed. In fact, some have whispered that our greatest chance of dying as old dogs in our beds will be if we do nothing until that idiot does himself in by drink and debauchery. Now I, as Prime, would never suggest, endorse, or encourage this fine group of warriors to do any such thing. If I did, it would be high treason. But I cannot deny what has been thought in the privacy of some members’ minds.
“There was, long ago, a wise Adamant who coined the phrase that if we did not hang together, we would surely all hang separately. Heed those words. If any member were to breath a word of those whispers beyond these walls, it would be a fatal misjudgment, possibly for us all.”
“And now with those profound thoughts in all our hearts,” Darfos said as he stood, “I move we adjourn.”
THIRTY-ONE
I had basically six weeks to pull off my scheme. After I left Sapale with her people in the colony and headed toward Kantawir, I began to fear my plan wasn’t rational. I got butterflies in my stomach even though that was anatomically impossible. But, failing any other ideas even half as good, I was committed. Hey, how bad could eternal damnation actually be? Yeah, not all that awful. So, even if I failed, worse things could happen to me, right? I couldn’t think of one inferior darn thing, but there just had to be worse outcomes, and that knowledge buoyed me.
Knowing EJ was on Kantawir was a huge advantage for me. When I discovered he was there, I realized I’d have never found him on my own. It was one extremely remote, isolated, and uninviting world. Since there was no commodity of general interest to export, the place was universally overlooked. Without trade, they weren’t very involved with the galaxy at large. That matched what their disposition. Closed to strangers and unwelcoming. Though I’d never heard of any overt hostility shown toward travelers, I really didn’t know that much about the planet and its people.
The main sentient race was humanoid, but only just. They were taller and thinner than humans by a wide margin. Their heads were small compared to their frames. Two arms attached to either side of the upper torso. One pair was for front use, and the other worked their backside, thus avoiding the need for a fragile shoulder joint like ours. I had zero clue as to why EJ picked that world to hide on. He’d stand out like the proverbial sore thumb, so it wasn’t to blend in. Perhaps he’d had dealings with them before and they got along well. Sapale had never been there, but that didn’t mean EJ couldn’t have frequented the place. It did not escape my notice that maybe he was there just to mess with my head. That was a game he was good at.
From orbit, I saw a picture of a technologically advanced society, but spread out and sparse one. A few large cities were scattered across the surface, but most of the population lived in small towns. Apparently, along with outsiders, the citizenry of Kantawir didn’t like each other very much either. As long as they didn’t actively work for EJ, that wasn’t going to be an issue. I wasn’t there looking for new BFFs. I wanted EJ, and then I was more than happy to never return to the unfriendly pit stop.
As to where EJ was, I had no idea. My vision of him was brief and nebulous. Since I doubted he’d have billboards up announcing his whereabouts, my work was cut out for me in finding him. Once I set down, however, I had every reason to believe he’d know precisely where I was. That was an unfair advantage, but there was no way around it. I landed in an out-of-the-way spot far from one of the bigger cities. I chose the spot to try and remain hidden from my quarry as long as possible.
As I entered the outskirts of the city, Blebuleb, on foot, I stood out. Maybe there were aliens in the cosmopolitan downtown area, but the burbs belonged to the locals. I drew stares ranging from revulsion to undiluted disgust. Man, what a dump. I hadn’t done anything yet to justify their dislike of me. The visceral level of their reaction did pretty much guarantee I would, however, before I departed. Maybe I’d have the Als fabricate a huge pile of poop and splat it down right in the center of town.
If EJ had spies, then he already knew where I was. That didn’t matter too much to my plan to take him out, since I still didn’t have a very established plan. I was winging it, yet again. All I knew was I wanted to confront him on as equal a footing as possible and put myself in a position to capture him. If I failed and he killed me, hey, win-win. My debt would be canceled. I hoped. Theoretically, I mean.
I was passing a tavern well into the town when a whim struck me. Maybe I could gather some free intel on EJ. I walked up to the door, scowled as well as I could, and I burst the doors open. They remained intact but made a hell of a noise. The place was crowded, and I got everyone’s attention. I walked to a booth toward the back where a couple of locals were sitting across from one another.
“You piles of shit are in my place. Move. Otherwise I’ll shove one of your asses down the other’s throat.”
They looked at each other then back to me. These were a pair of mean looking dudes. I don’t think they were the type who got pushed around much.
One set his glass down and spoke harshly. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m the guy that told you pansies to get up. Your call, but if I was as ugly and puny as you two, I’d already have crawled away.”
He stood. He was a good foot and a half taller, but a bit lighter than me—well, me if I was organic. “You got a big …”
I never did find out what he was going to reference as being oversized. My fist crashed into his mouth hard enough to stop the words that were lined up to exit. He flew backward and crumpled in a heap against the wall.
I turned to his companion. “You going to haul him away or join him?”
Without a word he slid out with all four arms raised. He straightened his unconscious friend up, grabbed under each shoulder, and dragged him out the door.
I sat down and finished off both their drinks. Double yuck. I don’t know what they were drinking, but it was horrible. Like boiled tar diluted with peroxide.
The barkeep came over. “You want to tell me what that was all about?” He thumbed toward the exit.
“No, not really. But thanks for making it optional.”
“What the hell was that?” he said much louder as he knuckled the tabletop.
I shrugged. “I didn’t like them. I asked them nicely to leave. They left. Nice fellows, if you ask me.”
“That’s not what I saw or heard.” He tried to sound authoritatively mad.
“Well lucky for me I don’t give a shit
.” I held up one finger. “One, I want more of this.” I held up an empty glass. I raised a second finger. “And two, I want to talk to the owner.”
“Hey, pal, screw you. I’m not serving you. I’m throwing your sorry ass out. And I am the owner.”
“No, you are not. You are far too stupid to own anything, including your own dick. Now bring me the damn drink and the freaking boss and do it before I stand up, because if I don’t you’ll be as dead as you are ugly.”
He thought about it for a second there, but he blinked. I could be badass when I wanted to be. He grunted, turned, and stormed away.
“And if you spit in my drink, I’ll rip your tongue out,” I called to his receding back. I was really getting into character, and boy was it fun.
A minute later, a different guy brought over a bottle and two glasses. He slid in across from me without asking permission. He poured two shots of an even darker and viler looking liquid than I had earlier. He pushed a glass to me.
“I was wondering when you’d show up again,” he said. He toasted me and slammed his drink down.
All right already. I was right about EJ having established a spy network. I was so smart it was often embarrassing.
I turned my taste and smell sensors to zero and swigged down my glass. Crap was thick as molasses in January.
“Then you know what I want,” I replied as I wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve. I had, of course, no idea what EJ might have wanted. It sounded good, so I went with it.
“Yeah, I know. And I told you I’d let you know if your brother ever showed up. No one near as ugly or ornery as you has passed through since we spoke.”
“You sure? He’s overdue.”
“Look, Ryan, this ain’t no library. I could give a crap about him being overdue. If I see him, I’ll let you know. Now if you don’t mind, you’re bad for business. Please leave.”
“Well now I feel a whole lot worse. That was very unkind of you.”
“What?”
“You said please. Now when I smash your face through the back of your head, I’m going to feel totally guilty. I mean, here I’m paying you good money to obtain simple information, and you’re being an ass to me.”
He was rightfully nervous. “Look, stay if you want. I don’t want no trouble. But if your brother hasn’t passed through, what am I supposed to tell you? It would be stupid to lie about it just to make you happy.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, you got a point there.” I tapped my shot glass on the table.
He refilled it. “Have you checked in with Gardentipel at the Bad Idea yet. They cater to aliens more than we do.”
“Nah, he’s next on my list.” I tossed down the swill. “I think I’ll pay him a visit now, in fact.”
“Sure thing. But Gardentipel is a female.”
“Have you looked at her face in good light?” I responded. It sounded better than oops.
He stared at me briefly and roared a laugh. “You got that right. There’s not enough booze in her bar to make her look worth the effort.”
I grunted a laugh in return. “Let me double check you got the right contact information.”
“Are you serious? That fralkirk is watered down. I can’t believe you’re so drunk as to ask.”
“Why’s that?” I replied, sounding a pissed as I could. “I’m supposed to trust my life with your memory?”
He shook his head. “I sure as shit wouldn’t if I were you.” He growled a chuckle. “You’re staying at the New Town Hotel. How could I forget that? Most expensive place in the city.” He pointed two index fingers at me. “Remember, I said you could stay at my sister’s hotel a couple blocks away for a third of the cost.”
“Her place? The bugs are so big I’d have to fight for space on the bed.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “Your money, not my problem.”
I winked at him. “I’m worth the extra expense, don’t you think?”
He gave me a look, shook his head, and stood. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
“Thanks, but no kiss for you. This was only our second date. I’m not that easy.”
“I hope you find your brother soon and kill him. Then I hope you leave and never come back.”
I spat on the floor. “Oh, I’m never coming back. This entire planet stinks as bad as your filthy ass does.”
I walked like EJ, as if I knew what that would be, until I was out of sight around the corner. Then I stopped. Not bad. I knew where EJ was staying. Of course, he was unlikely to be there at any given moment, since he didn’t actually need a place to stay. But I could stake out the hotel once I figured out which one it was. Maybe I’d get lucky. I toyed with the idea of going up to the desk and asking for a new passcode for the door but decided against it. Too risky. If EJ was home, or worse yet, in the lobby, things could get very messy.
Instead, I rented a room at a smaller hotel across the street that had a clear view of the main entrance to the New Town Hotel. After three days of sitting in the window switching from day vision to night vision and back again, there was no sign of him. I decided to set up a remote camera and have Stingray monitor it. I was extra careful in my communication. I spoke only to Stingray, since EJ was also linked to Al.
I was then freed up to check out that lead I’d received about the other bar, the ugly Ms. Gardentipel’s Bad Idea. I could hardly wait. It sounded so inviting. It wasn’t far from the bar. As a central location, downtown did harbor what few aliens were visiting this completely uninteresting planet. Even half a block away I could see that Bad Idea at least made some effort to not look dumpy and lowbrow. They had a real double door with two burly attendants flanking it. I watched them a while. Clearly bouncers. One was also working the passersby as a barker, promising any type of good time they might desire. He was not above physically detaining individuals and dragging them in the establishment. The name Bad Idea really did fit the bar.
I walked toward the doors like I owned the place. I didn’t want to interact with the door brothers. Nothing positive could happen, and they might try and keep me out for whatever reason. But there was no issue. Both guys opened a door, and I passed through with a brief but cordial nod from each. I stopped just inside and surveyed the scene. Grim, but not as grim as the few other bars I’d hit in Blebuleb so far. The light was bright enough for a normal person to see a few feet forward. That meant at least lip service had to be given to sanitation and cleanliness. Nice, I could get used to that level of quality.
As I scanned the room, I noted out of a corner of my eye that four locals at a booth were being moved to the bar without much pretense of desecration. I guess my reputation had preceded me. While one server wiped the table with a tattered rag, another waved me over.
“Here you are, Lord Ryan,” she said with a deep bow. “The best seat in the house, as usual.”
Lord Ryan eh? I might just get used to that too. Okay, I was a regular here. I needed to stay sharp and not betray my ignorance.
“I’ll have the usual and lots of it,” I said roughly, not looking up to the server.
“Yes, of course.” She signaled frantically to the bartender who, in turn, enlisted someone else to help him fill a tray with bottles, glasses, and tiny bowls of munchies. EJ certainly commanded a lot a fear, if not respect. What a pig.
As the tray arrived, the female server genuflected embarrassingly. “Here you are, sir. If there’s anything else, anything, let that need reach my ears before it reaches your full awareness.”
I toyed with the thought of asking for a bologna sandwich, but it would have been gratuitous cruelty in that context. I just waved her off.
She backed away muttering, “Mistress will be with you shortly.” She really bowed a lot. It was getting annoying.
I poured the black-tar booze I’d had at the other bar and switched off my sense of taste and smell. At arm’s length, I could tell this was just as putrid. I was halfway through the glass when a tall local glided over to my booth and sat across from me. She h
ad to be Gardentipel. The two sexes looked very similar, but I’d seen enough to be able to tell them apart. Apparently, scent was a more important sexual metric than our visual ones on Kantawir. Pity. Nothing could ever replace the vision of a hot babe for me, thank you very much.
“I thought I’d be seeing you soon,” she said in a remarkably sultry voice.
“You miss me that much?”
“Whatever you want to believe, darling.”
“That and a certain dive-bar owner gave you a heads up?”
“A heads up? A throwing under the transport is what I’d call it. Samarot told me he hinted I might have some information on your dear brother. That’s how desperate he was to rid himself of your presence.”
“I’m sure glad I didn’t let him kiss me.”
“Huh?”
“Inside joke. Sorry.”
“I’m sorry also. I have no news for you. If I had any, I’d have delivered it to you personally at your hotel.”
I lifted my handheld. “You could just call.”
“I’d welcome any excuse to visit you in the flesh.”
“Ah, I’m no expert, but I know a thing or three about you guys. You’re put together differently than I am. You know that, right?”
“I’m talking passion and pleasure and all you want is an anatomy lecture. Don’t be so limited in your mind.”
“Right. Anyway, I hear he might be on planet already, so keep a close watch. You know where to reach me.” I stood and belted back the last of the horrible sticky booze.
“Since you mentioned anatomy, no, I don’t know where to reach.” She blinked her eyes a few times. “I’d love for you to show me sometime.”
“Ah, maybe when my brother’s taken care of. See you later.”
I nearly ran out the door and down the block. Not sure why. I guess that come on was intense. My mind was racing, that was for sure.
After I calmed down, it occurred to me that maybe I wasn’t just lucky to find agents EJ had hired to watch for me. I mean, the first town I hit, I uncovered two spies. Since I wasn’t too pressed for time and EJ still hadn’t shown up yet, I decided to see if he had similar arrangements in other locations. I might gain some valuable insights if I compiled additional information on him.
Dragon Fire (Galaxy On Fire Book 5) Page 17
