Garet thudded to the ground, but was now more alert. A dopey grin appeared on his lips. “Hope I’m not paying extra for that.”
Joel expected her to help Garet to his feet, but Molly, now bright red, stalked out of the room.
“Come on, mate. Let’s get you out of here.” Joel helped Garet to his feet, and then swung himself under his arm to help him walk. “I admire your commitment to the job though, Molly!” he called out to her as she left the room.
Garet was partially standing, but hesitated to accept Joel’s help. He looked at him quizzically. “You ok?”
Garet looked down. “Er, yeah. I think I just need a minute.”
Quick as a flash, Joel realized what he meant and stepped away from the guy, leaving him to stumble back and catch himself by sitting on the bed.
“Dude, I do not want to know.” Joel replied, turning his eyes away.
“Gentleman, we need to leave,” Molly called from the corridor.
“Just a second,” Joel called back. “Waiting for blood to return to the proper places.”
Molly rolled her eyes, her adrenalin falling while her embarrassment climbed. “Fucking arsehole motherfucker!”
Joel tried not to grin, but this was a story he was going to tell for eons. “Garet, mate, really. We have to go. Can you at least walk? You can sit back down in the car and she’ll never know.”
Garet nodded, the color slowly returning to his face. He swayed and Joel helped him up and out of the room, carefully stepping over the two most inept assassins he had ever encountered.
Molly was out in the corridor, weapon still drawn, listening for security or a second assault team.
“You ok?” Joel asked Molly as he helped Garet out into the corridor.
“Fine.” She replied.
Garet avoided catching her eye as he allowed Joel to lead him out to the car.
Frustrated and embarrassed, Molly stepped back into the hotel room and looked at the two unconscious Oggs. “Fucking assholes!” she whispered venomously. Then she kicked the ass of the Ogg on the bottom of the heap. “That’s for making me grind my crotch in our client’s face!”
Feeling slightly vindicated, she turned and left.
Back at the car, Garet and Joel were safely loaded in. She placed the safety on and tossed her weapon onto the seat and then swung in from the fire escape herself.
So how do you think that went as a second mission?
Molly slammed her door shut, and Oz pulled the car away and onto the strato highway.
I’ll let you know when I’m able to look my client in the eye again.
Chapter 10
Somewhere between Spire and the safe house
“You okay?” Joel turned around from the driver’s seat to look at Garet.
“Yeah, think so.” Garet held out his hand to see how much it was shaking, then quickly snatched it away again as he realized he probably looked like a coward.
“Wanna fill us in on why those two goons were after you?” Molly asked without looking back from the front seat.
Garet answered. “I have intel, and Dewitt—my boss—found out about it.”
“Okay, so who is your boss, and what kind of intel do you have on him?” This time Molly glanced behind her to get a read on their new client.
Garet hesitated, looking at Joel.
Joel nodded. “She’s good.”
Garet looked up at the roof as he started to piece together his thoughts to explain what the hell was going on.
“It seems my boss, William Dewitt, has been involved in vote-fixing in the Senate. The intel is the proof. The only problem is that using that proof will implicate a lot of innocent people who have inadvertently gotten sucked up into this clusterfuck. By the time I realized this, it was too late. I had already put people at risk to gather the files, and somehow Dewitt found out. I tried to let him know I’m not planning on using it, but the trust has been broken.”
“I guess when you have this much at stake, you can’t take the chance…” mused Molly, still wanting more of the blanks filled in.
“Yeah. I guess. But this means that I’m now a threat, and unless something changes, he’s going to keep coming for me until I’m ‘neutralized.’”
Garet looked genuinely scared. Joel felt for the guy. Turning around in his seat, he started to say something.
“Holy fuck!! You’re going to get us killed!” Garet yelled, seeing that Joel had taken both hands off the wheel, and obviously wasn’t in control of piloting the vehicle at all.
Joel panicked for a second, shocked by Garet’s sudden outburst, then realized that he was reacting to the fact he wasn’t driving the car. “It’s okay. It’s cool. The car is driving itself.”
Molly started laughing, putting a hand up to her mouth.
Garet looked at Molly for confirmation.
“Come on. It’s not that hard to believe,” she answered, eyes glinting in humor.
Garet calmed down a little. He was clearly still on edge.
His eyes flicked between the two of them. “Oh. Sorry. I’m just a bit jumpy. Been one hell of a morning.”
She nodded. “It’s okay. We’re going to figure this out. We’re going to get back to the safe house and start looking at this problem in more detail. There’ll be a way out of it, but we’re going to need your help finding that way. You’ve got insight and information that will help us,” explained Molly. “And if it comes to it, we may need to take Dewitt out.”
Joel glared at her. This wasn’t how they handled things.
Would that be classed as murder?
It solves the problem.
Yes, but I don’t understand. You’re trying to stop your client from being murdered, and to do that you’re going to use execution to solve a problem. Is that correct?
It’s totally what Bethany Anne would do.
I understood that Bethany Anne is a cautionary tale.
You’ve not read everything I have.
Yes, I have. You’ve just drawn a conclusion which probably got you through growing up. I also reviewed a few texts on developmental psychology.
It doesn’t make you an expert about growing up.
Maybe not, but I’m starting to understand something about you. And about right and wrong. I’m not sure we should solve our clients’ problems by killing people. Apart from anything, you’ll be breaking the laws and that has consequences like being in prison.
Okay, well, homicide would be a last resort. But if it comes to it, it’s still on the table.
I’m sure with our unique capabilities, we might be able to construct another methodology.
Yes, I’m sure we can.
Molly had a funny feeling that Oz was performing the role of her new conscience.
Having an AI in her holo completely sucked ass.
Garet continued talking to Joel. “Well, either way, he had friends in high places. I think taking him down politically is going to be a challenge. He’s deeply embedded in this web of intrigue.”
Joel looked at him through the rearview mirror. “There must be weaknesses somewhere. Our research will bring those to light, and we’ll figure out a plan. What’s he like as a boss?”
Garet pulled a face. “Demanding but charming, especially to people who can help him. Honestly, he’s rather two-faced and will turn on anyone if it suits him politically. But he’s well liked in the Senate.”
Molly sat listening, taking it all in. This was going to be a challenge. For a start, it involved other people, not just code or numbers. People were unpredictable. And at some point she was going to have to learn how to read their behaviors and make accurate predictions—something she had had enormous difficulty with in the past.
She relaxed into her seat and let her head fall back against the headrest. She closed her eyes and let the sound of the guys talking wash over her. She was going to have to adapt if they were going be successful at this type of mission.
/> Garet continued. “And the public adores him, too. Something about his good looks and manner in front of the cameras. But then every so often, his mask slips and you see who he really is. What he’s really capable of…”
Senate Assembly, Downtown Spire
Paige stood at the back of the address hall.
“…and that is why we need to take care of those who aren’t served by a health program already.”
Her boss was killing it on the stage. He was one hell of a competent Senate Officer. And handsome. Heck, if she didn’t have a thing going on with Garet, she would totally be staying late with him, like during the elections. But at that time she was just a junior. He was probably off bonking some other staff member then.
The plush duck egg blue carpet was so thick her heels sank into it, making her feel a little unbalanced.
She looked down at her holo. She swiped discreetly to open her messages—still nothing. It had been nearly thirty-six hours since Garet had checked in with her. Although he had said he was okay, there was definitely something he was keeping from her. Something that made him anxious.
She texted again.
GARET, WHERE ARE YOU? I’M WORRIED.
She forced her attention back to the room. She needed to focus. It was bad enough that Garet had disappeared, but she herself had also betrayed the man who had taken good care of her for the three years she’d been working for him. She prayed her guilt wasn’t showing up on her face.
Fokk, her life was a mess.
She shuffled through the notes on her holo, making sure that everything was on time with his script. The audience seemed to be lapping it up, applauding and laughing in the right places.
Time to check his real-time approval ratings. He was gaining a few points every minute he kept talking. That would make Mr. Andus happy.
She took a clip of the data and sent it to their group thread. She’d been charged with maintaining communications with the syndicate of Mr. Dewitt’s friends. They never seemed to ask her for anything, but Dewitt said they liked to be kept in the loop. That was good with her. It was easy to send them bits and pieces, like today. There was enough activity of interest going on with Dewitt and his rise to power to appease any sponsors. She figured they were mostly donors and philanthropists.
It was just a shame she suspected him of getting into power under such dubious circumstances.
She shook the thought from her mind. She couldn’t for one minute believe that he’d killed anyone in order to get into power. And his wife—that was just an accident, not a convenience as the media had intimated. He’d told her himself that he’d rather give away all his assets and have her still alive.
Poor man, she thought.
The room erupted in applause, and remote camera pods swept up and down the aisles and rows, capturing footage of the audience’s reaction. News reporters started up in front of their cameras all along the back end of the room where she stood quietly, trying to keep out of the way. Dewitt waved at his audience from the stage, walking his very toned ass and tightly fitted suit off the stage.
Fokk, he was hot.
* * *
Once off stage, Dewitt grabbed a bottle of water and headed into the back rooms. He had a few minutes before he was expected to meet with the press. Or something. He couldn’t remember exactly what. The speech had been the important thing for today. Paige would set him right, though.
He pulled up his holo and walked out through the suites behind the address hall and into an empty corridor. Checking up and down for any prying ears, he hailed the Burger ‘n Shakes contact.
“Hi, hi, Burger ‘n Shakes. This is Sandie. How can I help?”
“Hello, Sandie. I’d like to talk with Mr. Andus, please.”
“Just one second, Mr. Dewitt.”
The music came on briefly for a moment, and then the line was answered.
“You have news?”
“Yes, sir. It was as well received as we had hoped.”
“Excellent. Well, who wouldn’t want health care for all?” The voice was laced with sarcasm.
“I’m meeting with Medifair in a few hours to roll out phase two. I’ll be in touch.”
“Very good. Let’s try and avoid any more fuckups. Your next stop is Senator. Make sure you tie up any loose ends —and that includes the girl.”
The line clicked off.
Though everything was going according to plan, William Dewitt felt anxious as he stood in the sparsely furnished back room with a painted concrete floor.
As an Estarian who had lived a somewhat charmed life, at least as described by Vanity Magazine the other month, anxiety wasn’t something he was used to. He was used to having a target and working his ass off, making whatever sacrifices were necessary and reaching the goal. But for a moment, the hub of activity a few doors away, he felt…
Alone.
He cricked his neck, rubbing his blue fingers up and down the back of it to center himself. Probably just tired, he told himself. It’s been a long few months, and now it’s crunch time. I’m bound to have feelings come up now and again. Right?
Mentally collecting himself for the public and his next meetings, he strode confidently out of the half-empty room and into the corridor, back to the main area where Paige could find him.
Safe house, fifty kilometers west of Uptarlung
“Hey, Joel?” Garet wandered back into the kitchen, having cleaned up a little. “I can’t get a signal on my holo…?”
Joel was clearing up the breakfast dishes from earlier, and Molly sat nursing a lukewarm mug of mocha. This had probably been the most intense day Garet had ever lived through.
The drained look on his face said it all.
They’d been back in the safe house nearly twenty minutes, and all Garet had done was dump his gear and head straight to the bathroom to clean up. Molly suspected he was probably giving himself a pep talk, or whatever it was boys did when they needed to pull themselves together.
Molly glanced up as he walked in and sat down at the kitchen table, still fiddling with his holo. The sphinx who had seemed to have taken up residence with them padded over and rubbed up against his leg, saying hello and surreptitiously checking him out.
She answered. “That’s because we’re jamming the signal. You can’t let anyone know where you are, and until we reconfigure your holo we’re jamming everything.”
His eyes opened a little. “But I have to let Paige know that I’m safe. The last she heard, I’d just picked up the data drop and was heading out of town. She doesn’t know that you guys are involved yet.”
Joel shook his head. “You can contact her as soon as we figure out what’s going on and sort out your holo. Until then, you can’t trust, or contact, anyone.” He was in team leader mode, even with a dishcloth in his hand.
It was Molly’s turn. “So, tell me, Garet…how did you come across this proof of vote-fixing?” Molly’s curiosity was getting the better of her, and Joel had suggested they keep the questioning for after he had had a chance to come down from the emotional experience he’d just been through. Molly had agreed, but if they were going to keep him safe, they were going to have to know everything.
Joel glanced at her sideways as he popped some more dishes into the sink. So much for their emotionally sensitive game plan.
“I have a source,” Garet finally replied, flatly.
Knew he wasn’t a hacker.
Shut uuuup! Busy now with adulting stuff, Oz.
Fine. Shutting up. This is one of those instances when you are being boring, just FYI.
Fine. Go and research those ships we talked about.
She rapped the table with her knuckles. “Garet, listen to me carefully. If you want to stay alive, you’re going to have to tell us more about this source.” Molly hoped to hell this guy wasn’t going to be a dick. “So I’ll ask you again…how did you come across this intel?”
Joel swiveled around from washing t
he dishes in the sink to look over at him. It was the push he needed.
Garet folded. “Okay, okay. There’s a girl…Paige.”
“Oh, man. There’s always a girl in the middle of trouble!” Joel noted, turning back to his washing.
Molly shot a glare into the back of his head. “Not cool, Joel.”
“Sorry.” His small smile disappeared. “But it’s true. You women have that effect on us…” Realizing what he’d just said, he suddenly found himself very focused on getting dried pancake off one of the plates.
“Go on,” said Molly, concentrating again on their client, and noticing that he was half-smiling and a little more relaxed as a result of the brief banter.
“Well, as I was saying, her name is Paige. She’s Dewitt’s assistant. Half human, half Estarian. It’s a very exotic mix, as you may know. Very rare. Anyway, when I first started working out of the downtown office, we met, and it was…well, electric.”
Garet had a distant look in his eye for a moment.
“And… how did she come to have this intel?”
“Well, there’s a group that Dewitt is involved with; something to do with donors from the healthcare sector. All very hush-hush. But Paige handles all the admin for the group. You know, meeting notes, logistics, contracts, that kind of thing. So she has access to a bunch of data on a separate server. Some kind of shielded special security server, which is separate from the normal Senate Office stuff.”
He paused, dropping his head into his hands. Still wearing his suit, with the top button of his shirt undone, he looked like he’d been working in the office all day. And now, talking about Paige, his shoulders dropped another inch and he aged another ten years.
Molly wondered if he was going to cry.
Shit, that’s the last thing I need. Thank fuck that Joel is here.
Patience, Molly. By most standards, he’s been through a lot.
Ugh, Oz. I’m being patient. But this guy really doesn’t have to take all day to tell us this. I just need to know what he knows so we can solve this. Emotions are like the little pieces of sand that makes the inside of engines get all fucked up. They slow down the communication cycle.
The Ascension Myth Box Set Page 10