“You alright?” Kaufman shouted.
Doyle nodded, but he was barely able to speak from the strike to his throat. Kaufman turned back to the other officers.
“See to these two!”
He turned and went after Denver. Screams rang out from the corridor as civilians were panicking as Denver rushed through them with his weapon drawn. Kaufman quickly read the signs they were giving him as he continued in pursuit. Denver was heading for the roof on the stairs. The Senate building had never had elevators installed to maintain its structural history.
Kaufman rushed up the stairwells floor after floor. At every turn he expected to find Denver, but he never showed. Kaufman broke out onto the eleventh floor and to the roof. The old Senate building was one of the lowest structures. It was dwarfed by the height of the vast skyscrapers. He panned around with his gun at the ready.
As Kaufman continued across the vast roof, he was aware of the reverberating engine noise of a small craft coming in close. He could see the vehicle making a sharp decent to the roof just as Denver leapt over a cooling pipe up ahead.
“Denver! Stop right there!”
The agent quickly disappeared from view beyond the levels of the roof and numerous obstacles. Kaufman rushed after him, knowing he had little time to catch the former IBI officer. The man disgusted Kaufman, for he had betrayed every oath he’d ever made. He had been complicit in the murder of civilians and likely the cover-up of many serious crimes.
As he reached the area where he’d last seen Denver, the engines of the incoming ship deafened him. He turned a corner and his pistol was kicked from his hands. Denver struck him at the same time with a hard punch to the jaw, but he stumbled back to his feet with blood dripping from his mouth. He recovered his posture and lifted his hands to defend himself.
“It’s over, Denver. Malory is going down, but you can do one last good deed and help us finish the job.”
“Screw you, Kaufman. The IBI is a pretentious piece of crap, and you don’t solve anything. You just make headlines!”
“I am sorry to hear you say that, Ray. You are not yourself.”
Denver quickly reached for the handgun under his jacket, but Kaufman leapt forward and struck the man’s stomach with his knee. It caused him to reel in pain. Kaufman reached under Denver’s jacket, pulling out the weapon. As he held it against him, Denver lashed out with a kick and struck Kaufman’s leg. It knocked him to the ground and he lost his grip on the gun.
Denver leapt onto the Captain and closed his grip around his neck. Kaufman fought but couldn’t get free, so he reached out for the pistol but it was too far away. He could feel the air draining from his body. He bent his leg at the knee and remembered his backup weapon. Quickly grabbing hold of the compact pistol at his ankle, he drew it and put it to Denver’s jaw. He pulled the trigger. Blood spewed across his face as the former officer slumped beside him. Kaufman gasped for air. He felt sick from both the strangulation and the killing of a man he used to call a friend.
The incoming ship hovered for a moment as the pilot looked at the bloody scene. Barski rushed onto the roof to find Kaufman lying flat out, he was exhausted but alive. He then looked down at the Denver’s corpse and shook his head at another senseless waste of life. He carefully hauled the Captain to his feet.
“Let’s end this, Sir!”
* * *
Kaufman lay back in his office and nursed his bruises. He watched the news of Malory’s sentence. The Senator was found guilty on numerous charges. He would spend life behind bars along with a number of his accomplices. Barski entered his cabin with a bottle of fine whiskey, and Denton followed close behind.
“We did it, Kaufman,” said Denton.
“Another case closed and another scumbag behind bars,” said Barski.
Kaufman rose up in his chair and lifted the glass of whiskey that his friend had poured.
“We won, and we have maintained the integrity of our organisation and of Earth’s Senate, but what a price we had to pay,” he replied.
“The job isn’t easy, Kaufman. That’s why I chose you!”
He smiled and threw an old printed case file down before the Captain.
“Time to get to work!”
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Starforce Ganymede II Page 21