Vengeance

by Raymond Cooper

I took a deep, steadying breath and let it out slowly. Calming myself. Grounding and centering myself. I needed to get my head on straight before I did a thing.

  When my pulse had slowed and I was feeling more in control of myself, I drained the last of my ale. Setting the mug back down, I slid out of my booth and threw the cloak back over my shoulders – making sure to leave the hood in place. I didn't want Boygan to see who it was until the last possible moment.

  I walked casually toward his table. But with every step I took, my heart began to beat a little bit harder again. The taste of revenge was thick and I was hungry for it. I'd craved it for almost a year and there it was, sitting right in front of me. Just waiting to be taken.

  Boygan and his men weren't even paying attention to me. Which made getting the drop on them a goddamn cakewalk. I had no idea how he'd stayed hidden from me for so long being that careless. It was not just insulting, but it was personally embarrassing. How in the hell could I have missed this asshole when he was under my nose the whole time I'd been looking for him?

  When I drew even with the table, I turned and quickly pulled the gun from my holster. My first round caught the man sitting directly next to Boygan in the neck. Arterial blood sprayed high and thick. He clutched his wounded neck, but it was already too late. His blood poured out of the wound and he turned to me, his eyes wide, an expression of shock on his face. The man fell to the ground where I knew he'd bleed out in a matter of moments.

  Turning quickly, I fired another shot. This one caught Boygan's man in the head. His eyes grew as wide as dinner plate and scarlet rivulets ran from the clean, smooth hole I'd put in his forehead. The man slumped to his right, fell out of the booth and onto the floor. Dead before he even hit the dirty-as-hell ground.

  I quickly slid into the booth so that I was sitting across from Boygan. My weapon was raised and aimed directly at his face. Boygan's eyes – all of them – were wide and a look of stunned disbelief was on his face.

  “Put your hands palms down on the table in front of you,” I said.

  “You've cost me a lot of money,” Boygan said.

  “Hands on the table now,” I repeated, my voice cold and hostile.

  He laughed. “You don't have the stomach to shoot me,” he said. “Let's end this little charade now, shall we?”

  Because the two dead men on the floor next to him weren't proof enough that I was willing to take things to the end.

  “Final warning,” I said. “Hands on the table.”

  He shook his head and opened his mouth to say something else. My eyes never leaving his, I squeezed the trigger and put a shot right through his upper arm. Boygan howled in agony and clutched the wound in his arm with his good hand. Blood squeezed out between his fingers and ran down the arm of his shirt.

  “Hands on the table,” I said again. “Now.”

  Boygan finally complied and looked at me, his face grimaced in pain. But, at least he obeyed my instructions this time.

  I looked around the bar and everybody that was in the place – not that there were many – had been looking our way. But when I turned, they all looked away, more interested in what was in the bottom of their mugs than in what was going on with us. Like I said, these places are known for nobody seeing or hearing a damn thing.

  “Gemma Sage,” Boygan said through gritted teeth, doing his best to avoid crying out in pain.

  “Pile-of-shit Boygan,” I said. “I've been looking forward to this for a very long time.”

  “Please,” he moaned. “Just – give me a minute to explain.”

  “There's nothing to explain,” I said. “You murdered my mother. And now, you're going to die.”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” he said, starting to raise his hand and then having a second thought about it, leaving it flat on the table instead.

  “I'm sorry,” he said. “I acted rashly. What I did was wrong. I see that now. And I want to make it up to you.”

  I laughed out loud. “How in the hell do you make up for something like that?”

  “I can make you rich,” he said. “Filthy rich. I can make you far wealthier than you could have ever imagined.”

  I cocked my head and pretended to think about it for a moment. “Rich, huh?”

  “Filthy rich,” he corrected me.

  “Yeah, not interested,” I said. “That's not going to make up for you murdering my mother.”

  “You forced my hand, Gemma,” Boygan pleaded. “I had no choice – ”

  “You always have a choice,” I said. “And you chose wrong. Now, you're going to pay for it.”

  “Haven't I paid enough already?” he almost shouted. “You've blown up my ships. Stolen cargo. Murdered my men.”

  “No, you haven't paid enough already,” I said. “Not nearly enough.”

  There was a tense moment of silence between us. He looked at me with hate in his eyes – although, I could see his mind working. I could see him looking for a way out. But, with his bodyguards dead, he knew it was going to be difficult.

  Still, I had a feeling he was going to try. Which meant that it was time to bring this to an end and do what I came here to do.

  “It's over, Boygan,” I said. “You're over.”

  “Gemma, wait – ”

  The doors to the bar burst open, the sunlight of the afternoon pouring in. And along with it, were a dozen of Acrov's finest law enforcement officials – Theron and Xavix tagging along behind them. Boygan looked from them, to me, and back again, confusion on his face.

  That confusion seemed to clear up though, when the Acrovian cops hauled him to his feet and put him in restrainers. They bound and gagged him, his eyes bulging and full of hate as he looked at me. Stepping close to him, I smiled and then spat in his face.

  “I so badly wanted to kill you,” I said. “But, unlike you, I'm not a monster. You're going away for a very, very long time.”

  “Given the mandatory sentences here on Acrov for the crimes he will undoubtedly be charged with, I believe the correct length of time would be – forever,” Xavix said.

  Theron fell in beside me and we watched him go. There was a piece of me that regretted not ending him. Not doing what I'd set out to do so long ago. He was alive and breathing, which on some levels, made me think I failed in my mission.

  But, what I told him was true. I wasn't a monster. And, as disgusting, vile, and hateful as that piece of crap was, I wasn't like him. I wasn't like him at all.

  I wasn't a monster.

  I might wake up tomorrow and feel a pang of regret for not blowing his brains all over the wall in the bar, but at least I knew I was going to be able to wake up and look at myself in the mirror without regret. I'd done the right thing. Maybe not the thing I wanted to do, but the right thing nonetheless. The thing I could live with.

  Theron put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “I'm proud of you,” he said.

  I looked over and gave him a smile. “Yeah, I guess I'm kind of proud of myself too,” I said.

  Epilogue

  “We're here today to honor the courage and the sacrifice of three people,” Kysos intoned. “A burden they bore for the benefit of us all.”

  Theron and I exchanged a wide-eyed, awkward look, and both of us had to stifle a laugh. All of this pomp and circumstance really wasn't our thing. Xavix though, he stood on the other side of me and, I swear, if a droid could have a look of pride on his face, he most certainly did. He'd made sure to polish himself to a gleaming shine the night before and he was standing ramrod straight, his chin lifted in the air slightly to give himself a more dignified look – it was a pose he'd asked me to help him with as he readied himself for the ceremony.

  We were standing in the main chamber of the Acrovian Parliament next to a podium where Kysos was addressing the crowd. Throngs of politicians and a horde of media from across the star system were packed into the Parliament house, hanging on Kysos' every word. The three of us were a curiosity to them. A spectacle. And with good
reason.

  We were terrorists. Or at least, that's how we'd been branded by the media across many, many star systems. And yet, today, we were standing there being hailed as heroes by one of the most powerful and influential politicians in this system – and quite a few others.

  “Almost a year ago now,” Kysos said, his tone solemn and formal, “under the strictest order of secrecy, Gemma Sage and her crew – Theron and Xavix – undertook a dangerous mission on behalf of the people of Acrov. And truthfully, people in any number of star systems.

  Ms. Sage and her brave, daring crew engaged in a covert war with one of the most notorious criminals of our time. Her mission was to cripple his business enterprises and once she was able to draw him out into the open, to take him off the board.”

  Kysos looked over at me, a faint smile touching his lips, and a mischievous gleam in his eye. He'd told me over dinner the night before that he'd been planning this little charade for quite some time. Though, he confessed that he wasn't one hundred percent certain he'd get to actually go through with it. But, he was more than happy that he could.

  This was how our image was going to be rehabbed. After months of Boygan's people dictating the narrative, painting us as terrorists and labeling us dangerous people. This was how Kysos was going to change that.

  A public show in which he claimed that everything we'd done while on our crusade was done under his direct orders. He was reframing it. Turning it from a campaign of destruction into a war against crime.

  It was actually a pretty nice touch.

  “And I am happy to report today that the crew of the Umbra has been successful in their mission,” Kysos said. “Because of their courage, daring, and resourcefulness, one of the most dangerous criminal syndicates, fronted by one of the most notorious criminals of our time, has been destroyed and shut down. And that criminal mastermind is now sitting in a prison cell - and he will never again see the light of day.”

  An excited murmur ran through the crowd and even more eyes began to turn to us. The media began snapping pictures and rolling film. Theron and I exchanged another look. I hated being the subject of scrutiny to begin with. To be under as much scrutiny as we were under in that moment made me downright crazy.

  “To honor their dedication and their sacrifice,” Kysos continued, “I am awarding them with Acrov's highest civilian honor – the Arrow of Valor.”

  As the room exploded in applause, three young Acrovian girls – all of them beautiful and in formal gowns – came out of the wings. Each of them carried a red velvet pillow with the medal sitting on top of it. The medal was shaped like a hand holding a trio of arrows. It was made of platinum and had a sapphire embedded in the center. And it hung from a light blue ribbon that was lined with white stars.

  It was beautiful, but a little bit too over-the-top for my taste. Not to mention the fact that we didn't actually earn the medal – Kysos was simply putting on a little political theater.

  Kysos himself came down from the podium and picked up the first medal. Xavix leaned down and allowed him to place the ribbon around his neck. And when my robotic companion stood up again, I swear I thought he stood up even stiffer and straighter than before.

  When Kysos got to Theron, he couldn't hold his laughter in any longer. As he lowered his head, he tried to stifle it, his face turning bright red with the effort, but his laughter escaped his throat anyway. Kysos smiled and shook his head as he placed the medal around Theron's neck.

  And when he got to me, last but not least, he looked deeply into my eyes and smiled. It was a warm and comforting smile. A genuine smile. And a smile I could get very used to looking at.

  As he looked at me, I felt my pulse race and my breath catch in my throat. Heat flared in my cheeks and I had a feeling that my face was suddenly as red as Theron's. I leaned down and allowed Kysos to put the medal around my neck. I shuddered when his fingertips caressed the skin on the back of my neck.

  I stood up again and he gave me a wink before turning back to the gathered crowd. Theron took the opportunity to nudge me in the ribs and give me a very knowing, pointed look. I shushed him as Kysos stepped back behind the podium and then motioned to us.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the crew of the Umbra,” he said. “Xavix, Theron, and Gemma Sage. Heroes, one and all. We are truly indebted to them.”

  Kysos himself led a round of thunderous applause. The applause and the cheering echoed around the Parliament house – making Theron and I feel even more awkward than before.

  With the media shouting questions at us, Kysos held his arm out for me to take. He escorted us out of the main chamber of the Parliament house without answering any questions. Which was a very good thing.

  “There is a reception in your honor,” Kysos said.

  “You're kidding me,” Theron and I said in unison.

  “A reception sounds perfectly lovely to me,” Xavix said.

  “It's settled then,” Kysos replied. “Theron, Xavix, please allow these lovely young women to escort you to the banquet hall. I do believe Shyrna will be there waiting for you, Theron.”

  “And were are you two going?” Theron asked, arching an eyebrow at us.

  “Oh, we'll be along shortly,” Kysos said. “But the first order of business I have with Gemma is to have a conversation we've been meaning to have.”

  “Oh, yes,” Theron said. “The infamous conversation.”

  “Go have a drink with your woman,” I said and laughed. “We'll catch up in a minute.”

  Theron smiled and gave me a nod. I could tell that he was happy for me. He turned away and let the girls escort him down to the banquet hall, Xavix right by his side. As the doors to the hall were opened, I heard his name being announced to the crowd followed by an overwhelming wave of applause.

  I looked to Kysos and felt my heart begin to swell. As I turned, letting Kysos lead me out to his private gardens, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. We stepped out into the cool Acrovian night air. All around us, the night was saturated with the sound of songbirds and the aroma of a million flowers.

  I leaned my head against his shoulder as we walked, soaking in the moment. Relishing it. For the first time in, I don't even know how long, there was no battle to fight. There was no stress. No tension. And no fear. The only thing I had to worry about was tripping over the hem of the beautiful, but way too formal for my liking, gown they'd insisted I wear for the ceremony.

  As we walked, I savored the feelings swirling around within me. They were so different from anything I'd ever experienced before. And as I looked up into Kysos' eyes, I felt nothing but pure happiness and bliss. Things that were in such short supply throughout my life.

  But they were things that I had a feeling were about to become very plentiful indeed. And yeah, I could most definitely get used to living that way.