by A. Omukai
He nodded. “Collins.” He saw no reason to lie, his name wouldn’t tell them anything anyway. He didn’t have an official identity.
“Or Smith, if you want, that’s the name I’m using to travel.” He smiled.
“Who are you working for, Mr Collins?”
“My client is a British company I’d rather not name.”
This was a gamble. Would she believe him?
“Fucking liar.”
He felt cold metal hitting the back of his head. He didn’t lose his consciousness, but stars flashed before his eyes, and another push catapulted him onto the bed.
“Pizdets.” The man behind him went around the bed, grabbed him by the hair and pulled him over, all the way to the opposite side. He pointed his gun at Adam’s head. Pain inflamed his scalp, but he wouldn’t scream. He would remember though.
“Let’s try this again,” the blonde said, and her voice was ice cold. “Who are you working for?”
“Fine,” he coughed. “I’m working for the Gilead Inquisition. What’s it to you?”
She nodded and took down her gun.
“The difference is this. You’re not interested in a copy, you want all the copies destroyed.”
Smart girl, or at least she had done her homework. That complicated things a bit, but it didn’t matter.
“Okay, you got me there.”
“I’m not sure I want to do business with an untrustworthy piece of shit like you.”
The giant had not let go of his hair, and jerked his head around, so he could look into his face.
“I should kill the fucker right here.” He grinned and showed way too many teeth. His eyes didn’t radiate humour.
“Not sure that’s a good idea. Dmitriy—” the blonde began, but got interrupted by a loud noise.
The sound of the door crashing open was followed by two shots from a gun.
The first hit the blonde in the forehead. The second felled the other Russian man in the room, a slender guy with brown hair and three-day beard.
Daniel reacted instinctively. He rolled over the bed and took cover behind it.
The giant next to him shot without hesitation. One, two bullets hammered into the throat and chest of the man in the door frame. The attacker tumbled backwards, driven by the kinetic energy of the impact, and ran into the second man behind him.
The Russian — Dmitriy? — jumped up and rammed into them with the full force of his bodyweight. All three flew into the corridor.
Daniel looked at the brunette next to him and put his finger on his lips. She nodded. He stood up, pulled his gun and went after the others.
The first attacker lay on the ground, blood pouring out of his wounds, He wasn’t dead yet, but would be very soon. Daniel shot him in the head. This one wouldn’t do any damage anymore.
The second attacker and the Russian had entered the stairwell. The entrance was still wide open, and sounds of feet trampling down the stairs were clearly audible. The Russian shouted something, then two gunshots, then silence. Daniel jumped down the stairs four at a time, went around a corner. There he stood, the Russian giant, breathing heavily. His prey at the foot of the next set of stairs, extremities in weird angles, blood coming out of his forehead.
“Got you, bitch,” he said and spit on the floor.
“Indeed,” Daniel agreed. He raised his gun, saw the Russian’s eyes open wide, and pulled the trigger twice.
He took a deep breath and looked at the battlefield. The Russian was irrelevant for him now. The attacker, however, might carry clues he was interested in. He stepped closer and went on his knees to take a closer look.
The man was Asian. He had no idea whether Chinese or otherwise, which made a huge difference. Daniel thought for a moment, then stuffed his gun back into his holster and pulled a knife out of his boot. He started up his rogue chip. It took a moment, not much longer than his native FaithNet system, but it felt like an eternity. A short scan showed the location of the chip the man had on him.
Under the scalp, lucky.
The thought of opening the skull wasn’t pleasant. He hadn’t ever attempted it either. Skulls were tough.
He put the knife to the pale skin under the thick black hair roughly at the position his system had shown him, and cut around it in a circle, until he could flap it over like the page of a book. There it was, a small, black piece of plastic and metal, still stuck to the skin. He peeled it off and stood up, not sure what to do with it yet. For now, he’d return to the hotel room. He stuffed the chip into the front pocket of his shirt.
***
The brunette woman stood right behind the suite’s door when he entered. She pointed a gun at him, but shivered so hard, she almost dropped the weapon.
“It’s okay, it’s me. Relax.” He showed her his hands, still bloody from his layman surgery, but unarmed. She stared at them for a moment, then dropped the gun on the ground and sobbed.
“Tanya, she…”
Daniel nodded. He took a look at the second attacker, still laying in the corridor, in front of the door. Another Asian, this one shorter than the other guy, with only a chaplet left. Would he have to check that one, too, or would one chip do the trick?
He looked down on the small frame of the brunette woman cowering behind the bed.
This was the hacker of the team, if his information was correct. He could use her help if he wanted to track down the AI.
“Your friends are dead, but you’re not in danger yet. Not right now. Listen, we have to get out of here, and quick, before someone calls the cops. Someone must have heard the gunfire.”
She nodded, but her attempt to stand up ended with her sinking down on the side of the bed again.
“I know, this is tough, but I’ll leave now. You could come with me if you want. If you don’t want to be caught, that is. There will be a lot of questions.”
She nodded again and raised her face to look at him. Her blue eyes were blurry, but not from accessing the net, that much was clear.
“Come on, then,” he said and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up slowly. He could feel her trembling. Her face was pale and her pupils wide. He had to get her out of this hotel and to safety. Yes, he’d need her skills.
Things had become too complicated, and gone in a completely wrong direction. He couldn’t afford to sit around and waste time though.
“Come on, let’s go. I know you’re in shock, but you have to move now. There will be all the time in the world to grieve later.”
She nodded, and he dragged her out of the room. He was gentle, but unrelenting. Every second counted.
The blood on his hands was now dried, and he could rub it off to some degree, but a red stain would remain. He didn’t bother, but kept it in mind to not touch anything there.
“We’re gonna use the fire escapes. I got a capsule nearby.”
Moving with her in tow was slow, way too slow. He put more strength in the grip he had on her hand. She moved like a sleepwalker, but now that he had sped up his steps, she followed and got faster herself. Soon they were running, down the corridor, through the emergency exit door, down the fire escape stairs.
It wasn’t night yet, the sun set late in this part of Europe, but the small street on the back of the hotel was empty. No one would see them hurrying down the stairs and ask themselves what’s going on.
Daniel checked his system and got the ping from his capsule. It came around the corner at the same time, so he shut down the display.
“Get in, I’ll have to find a place for us to hide, until we know our next steps.”
He opened the door, and the Russian climbed into the small vehicle. Her movements still as if she was on drugs, but this couldn’t be helped now.
He shut the door and programmed a course around town with several waypoints, but no destination.
The capsule kicked off, finally. No sirens audible yet either. He leaned back and allowed himself to relax a little.
***
“How are you?
” Daniel turned around to check on the Russian in the backseat.
Tears had ruined her make-up. He wasn’t an expert, but he took it as a good sign. At least she had ended her trance.
“I’m okay,” she said, tried to smile, but failed spectacularly. Tears shot into her eyes again and she sobbed.
This was more than awkward. Daniel wasn’t equipped to deal with people’s emotions like that. He was a loner, getting it all together just for himself was already hard work. He couldn’t just sit there and watch, but he didn’t dare say anything.
“Why did you save me?” Her voice was still shaking, but he recognized her strength. She was fighting her way out of the hole, no doubt about that.
“I could use your help.”
A moment of silence. They looked at each other, then he produced a lopsided smile. “You know, I was after the buyers. They got away, else you’d have never met me.”
“The two at the hotel were the guys we did the trade with.”
If he had killed them, was his job done? The thought gave him pause. Probably not. They would have transferred the data or sent a courier, while eliminating the Russians and covering their tracks. That’s what he’d have done, and those two had been professionals. They had made the mistake of underestimating the Russians though.
“I need you to take a look at this. Maybe you can find out who they were and where they came from. I want to track down their organization.” He pulled the chip out of his pocket and placed it on his palm. She stared at it for a moment and nodded.
“I’d love to find them, too. They didn’t pay anywhere near enough.”
The expression in her eyes had changed completely now, from shocked to determined. Maybe there was hope yet.
She picked up the chip and he turned around again.
“Tell me when you need more. I’ll keep us on the move until we can make concrete plans.”
18
Nadya
The data was easily accessible. No dead man’s switch that deleted it before it could be accessed. Every member of their team had had one, she had installed one for Pavel just recently.
The thought of him triggered a sharp sting in her chest. She couldn’t breathe for a moment, but the thought of getting revenge drove her forward. She looked over the results of her mining. Good enough.
“Ryo Ito, 45. Japan, Chiba, Funabashi. Sakuto Nakamura, 31. Japan, Chiba, Ichikawa. Both working for Uehara megacorp in Chiba City.”
The American in the front seat nodded and called up the vehicle’s navigation UI.
“That’s nine thousand kilometres, unless you want to leave when we reach Moscow.”
Nadya shook her head. She’d go home when she was done. She hadn’t even started yet.
“Get two tickets, I’m coming with you.”
The sky had taken on the dark blue and grey tones of light pollution. How much time had passed?
“We’ll go to Moscow by subway, then to Vladivostok by Trans Siberian Railway. I got us covered financially, but…”
She nodded. Not a problem for her, she was prepared. They had known that they’d need new identities when crossing over from Europe to Russia. Both blocs were weary of each other, so security was tight. Especially on the European side, they were a god-damn police state.
“I’ll modify Dmitriy’s ID, so it fits you. You can’t speak Russian though, so you just won’t speak at all.”
That would get them to Russia, where laws weren’t so annoying, and one could grease their way out of every noose. Russia had it’s unique challenges, they’d deal with them when they encountered them. Europe was way more predictable. One problem at a time.
***
Frankfurt to Berlin, Berlin to Warsaw. Neither had been eventful. She had finished the identity spoof for her unlikely companion. It would do, if he remembered her words and kept his mouth shut at the control point past Bialystok. Once they crossed over to Belarus, they had overcome the first hurdle. Maybe even the highest, depending on their luck.
Nadya checked the schedule. Their subway was on time. The train ride later would be subject to external influences like the storms that scourged the Sibirian plains.
Hours in, and the American, Collins, still hadn’t asked for her name, and she hadn’t introduced herself.
They had the wagon almost for themselves. One old man in the back had shared the train car with them since he had come in at Warsaw station. His frail figure had collapsed while sitting, he was sleeping with his chin on his chest. Half of the lights were out of order, the carriage hadn’t seen a broom in ages and the seat pads were filthy. Fifty meters below the surface, it smelled like sewage, but she welcomed the stench. It also smelt like freedom, and that made it all worth it.
“Thirty minutes to checkpoint Bialystok,” she said and looked at her companion. He nodded. Good, maybe he was still remembering what she had told him. He reminded her a bit of Dmitriy. Dimi had been bigger, but Collins had the same air of calm confidence.
He needed her to find the buyers of the AI. They now had a rough idea where to search, but there was no guarantee they’d land a hit on their first shot. Was that why he didn’t ask for her name? He wouldn’t have a use for her anymore, and killing someone you didn’t know was easier.
Nadya didn’t care enough to follow that train of thought right now. She’d have to rethink her whole life soon enough. For now, one step at a time was enough for her.
***
“We are approaching Bialystok. The doors on the right side will open.”
The loudspeakers roused her. She’d fallen asleep without noticing. No dreams she’d remember, pure exhaustion had knocked her out.
She didn’t feel on top of the world right now, but the surreal feeling had gone. There was no filter anymore, that dampened her perception.
Collins stood up and turned to the door without paying attention to her. Had he let his guard down? She hoped not.
The old guy behind them coughed the wet cough of a man who had smoked way too much for way too long. Her father had sounded like this during his last weeks.
She followed the American and looked around. The checkpoint was above. Hopefully they had fixed the escalator by now. Better not to have high hopes. This was the armpit of Europe, important only as the choke point between the European Conglomerate and the Russian Federation. The whole station was rundown and in bad shape, but it hadn’t collapsed yet. She wouldn’t risk witnessing the first chunks of ceiling to come down.
“Let’s go!” she said and strode onward.
The escalator was still ‘out of order for maintenance’. What a surprise. She hurried up the stairs, the American close behind her. She couldn’t hear his breath, and his steps were light.
Tanya would have been able to outrun him.
But Tanya wasn’t here.
Only Nadya, and this stranger she still wasn’t convinced she could trust.
“Checkpoint ahead. Get your ID ready and leave the talking to me.”
She didn’t need to look at him to guess his reaction. He probably didn’t need her constant reminders anyway.
The checkpoint was a simple gate with a guard house and metal detector. The Europeans more than made up for Russia’s complete lack of interest in any form of control. Two guards in riot gear, armed with automatic weapons turned their heads in their direction as they approached.
Those guns were set to lethal, no doubt. She pulled out her ID and held it out to them. The guard sitting inside the little shack took it and inserted it into a small console.
“Enter the scanner field please,” the other guard said while regarding her.
“Scan in progress. Thank you for your patience,” a synthetic voice announced.
“Scan complete, you may proceed.”
The guard in the shack nodded at his colleague and handed her the ID back. She stuffed it in her pocket and turned to Collins.
The American had paid attention. He held out his hand with the ID, then stepped inside the small c
ircle in yellow paint on the ground.
“Warning,” the voice said and the guard outside readied his gun. Collins raised his hands and waited.
The guard performed a quick search and pulled the gun out of Collins’ holster.
“What do you need this for?”
Collins shrugged.
“He can’t speak,” Nadia said quickly. “He’s mute since birth.”
They travelled as siblings, even though they looked nothing alike, but that would hardly be a problem.
“So what’s the meaning of this?”
“We’re on our way to Moscow.”
The guard let his eyes wander between them, then tucked Collins’ gun away, grinned and gestured for him to proceed.
“One moment… Michail.” He handed the American the ID back, then turned around and didn’t pay them any more attention.
Collins’ jaw was clenched, but he kept calm. Thank god. She nodded and turned around. The next subway to Minsk would stop at platform four, in less than two minutes. They’d better hurry.
***
Yaroslavsky Rail Terminal had seen many changes over the course of time, the biggest one had been the reconstruction after the big flood of the Moskva River some twenty years ago. Nadya had been a child at that time, fascinated with trains. The newest generation of high-speed trains made the distance between Moscow and Vladivostok in less than two days. In an age where big storms turned everything into steppes, only speed and momentum would keep them on track, and several sections of the rail were protected by tunnels. Earth was vast and hostile. She had never experienced the connected world of the last era, in which air planes had made travel quick and painless, but her grandmother had told her stories that had impressed her so much, she still remembered many of their details.