Alabaster sent the security camera footage from the attack at the club to Jack’s datapad. Jack looked at the footage. Sure enough, the assassins who were attacking had no worms sticking out of their heads. “I’m not making this up, Chief,” Jack insisted. “Whatever these worm things are, they’re what’s behind these attacks.”
Alabaster sighed. “I can only go off of what I have, Jack,” Alabaster said. “We’re investigating the backgrounds of the guards who killed Lord and Lady Evenstar to see if they were paid off. We’ve been trying to get a line on the assassins from the club, but have hit a dead end. Our scans of the wreckage of the ship you infiltrated have all turned up inconclusive. Whoever is behind this is covering his tracks expertly enough. I don’t’ need to be chasing phantom worms, as well.”
“Maybe you should be investigating Anna,” Jack said quietly, “if for no other reason than to prove to me that what I heard was a lie.”
Alabaster frowned. “The Princess has not ventured from the Royal Tower,” he said. “All of her visits and appointments are meticulously documented. We’ve got so many cameras keeping watch over the Palace Levels nothing happens without our notice. If she were meeting with assassins, trust me, I’d know about it.”
Jack rubbed his temples in frustration. “But if Anna wasn’t involved, why would that guy tell me she was?”
“Why did the first assassin point the finger at the Evenstars?” Alabaster said. “To lead us astray. Nothing more. These men were probably trained to sow suspicion and confusion before they died.”
“How would you know? You said yourself you don’t know anything about them!” said Jack. “You weren’t there, Chief. I saw the look in this guy’s eyes, and I saw the look in the eyes of the one who tried to blow up me and Mourdock. This one wasn’t lying to me.”
“Whether he was lying to you or not is no longer your concern,” replied Alabaster. “My office will be handling this matter from now on. I think it best that for the time being, you take a step back from this entire situation.”
“Back?” said Jack. “The whole reason I’m in this situation in the first place is because you told me I needed to get close to these people to help protect Anna!”
“Yes, and now you suspect she’s involved somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary,” said Alabaster. “That makes me worried that you might get too emotional and do something foolish. So you are to take a step back from this immediately. Do you understand?”
Jack grimaced. “You know what?” he said. “I don’t take orders from you. I don’t work for you. And as long as people I care about are in danger, there’s no way I’m going to step back from anything. You got me involved, so congratulations, I’m involved! And I plan to stay that way until I get some answers.”
Jack could tell Alabaster was not happy with his response as he turned and left the Chief’s office. His mind was racing a mile a minute as he made his way to the teleporter. He knew in his heart Anna would never resort to something like assassinating people. It didn’t make any sense for her to kill the Evenstars. And even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t need secret assassins to do it. She had entire armies at her disposal. The whole ridiculous situation was starting to make Jack’s head hurt.
He decided not to go back to his apartment in the Royal Tower, opting instead to head to the spaceport and lie in his own bed while he attempted to make sense of things. Jack found he always seemed to think clearer when he was on his ship. He felt more at home there than he did in his apartment, even though his new bedroom was ten times the size of the one on the Earthship.
Jack lay on his bed and stared up at the precariously exposed light bulb on the ceiling above him. He found he was running into the same problem Alabaster was struggling with – he just didn’t have enough information to go on. No one knew anything about the assassins or the worms in their necks. But they had to come from somewhere. If he could find out who the assassins were, then he might actually be able to figure out the truth about what was going on. All he’d have to do was find them. He just didn’t know where to look.
But he knew someone who would.
However, that someone wasn’t answering his datapad or his door, despite the fact Jack knew he was inside his apartment. Jack had to summon his ship to do a fly-by so it could teleport him inside.
The room was less trashed than it had been the last time Jack had visited, but it was still quite a mess. The lights were off and the windows tinted, making everything appear drab and gloomy. Scallywag sat in a chair, a half-empty bottle of rum in his grip. He looked haggard and sad, drinking small sips from the bottle he was nursing. “Ain’t ya ever heard o’ knockin’, lad?” Scallywag grumbled.
“I did knock,” said Jack. “And rang. And called. You didn’t answer.”
“Aye, ya ever think maybe there was a reason fer that?”
“Heck, you could have been passed out in a corner drowning in your own vomit, based on how I saw you last,” said Jack. “I wanted to see if you were okay.”
Scallywag sighed. “Fair enough, I suppose,” he muttered. “Why else are ya here?”
“I need help with something, and I couldn’t think of anyone else I could go to.”
Scallywag laughed bitterly. “Ya got a really annoyin’ habit o’ needin’ me help, ya know that?” Scallywag replied, taking a long swig from his bottle. “Whatever happened ta ‘best o’ luck to ya’?”
“It doesn’t look like you’ve been very lucky,” Jack said, referring to the sorry state Scallywag appeared to be in.
Scallywag grimaced. “Aye,” he muttered. “Hit a bit o’ a rough patch, I did.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“I want ta drink about it,” replied Scallywag, taking another swig from his bottle. “Ain’t that obvious?”
“Did your Seraphym break up with you or something?” Jack asked.
Scallywag laughed heartily at that. “As a matter o’ fact, she did,” Scallywag replied. “But I knew that was gonna happen.”
“Then what’s got you so down?”
Scallywag sighed. “I lost me ship,” he said.
“Lost it?”
“Had it swindled right out from under me nose by a confederacy o’ morons,” said Scallywag. “Now someone’s got it, and it’s doubtful she’ll be willing ta give it back.”
“Couldn’t you just buy a new ship?”
“Not like tha Reaver,” grumbled Scallywag. “She’s a Visini Man o’ War class frigate. Fast. Tough. Deadly. A hold-over from tha Border War. Trust me when I say they don’t make ‘em like that anymore. I captained her fer decades. She was me home. Now, she’s gone. And nothing – I mean nothing – can ever replace her.”
Jack frowned. He certainly understood what it was like to lose a home. “I’m sorry, Scally,” he said.
“It is what it is,” Scallywag replied, taking another drink.
Jack sighed. “Look, I know you’re not in the mood for this, but you’re the only guy I know who might be able to find out what I need in order to stop something really bad from happening,” Jack said. “I wouldn’t be here if I knew of another way.”
“Aye, and what is it yer askin’ me ta do?”
“I need you to track down a group of assassins for me.”
“Oooooof course, ya do,” chuckled Scallywag. “Need me ta move around any radioactive material in me skivvies while I’m at it? Maybe ya have a pet demonsaur ya want me ta babysit while yer out o’ town, eh?”
“Look, I know how it sounds,” said Jack. “But all I’m asking for is information. You know the outlaw side of the city, Scally. If anyone could find these guys, it’s you.”
“And why would ya be interested in a group o’ assassins? Ya lookin’ to have someone bumped off?”
Jack frowned. “There’s some stuff going on. Really bad stuff. And I think it might involve Anna.”
“Oy, again with the bloody Princess,” groaned Scallywag. “Ain’t ya done enough fer her already? Why don’t ya let o
ne o’ her other billion subjects rescue her fer a change?”
“Because… I get the feeling there’s more going on here than meets the eye, and I’m the only one who can see it.”
“Right,” replied Scallywag with a snort. “’Cause yer a special snowflake. I’m sure it’s got nothing ta do with yer schoolboy crush, Hero o’ tha Empire.”
“C’mon, Scally,” Jack said, a bit annoyed at Scallywag’s implication. “Isn’t there anyone you care about? Isn’t there someone you’d do anything for?”
“Of course there is,” Scallywag replied. “Me.”
“No, I mean isn’t there someone you love? Love so much that you’d sacrifice anything for them? Lay down your life for them? Give everything you’ve got just to ensure they’re happy and safe and protected?”
“Other than me?”
“Yes,” muttered Jack.
Scallywag thought about it for a moment. “Nope,” he said. “Still just me.”
Jack bit his lip in frustration. Then, a thought occurred to him. If the only person Scallywag really cared about was himself, then Jack would need to appeal to that if he wanted his cooperation. “What if I helped you get your ship back?” Jack asked. “Would you consider helping me then?”
Scallywag chuckled. “I doubt ya could do anythin’ ta help with that, lad. The one who’s got tha Reaver now… well, let’s just say we go back aways, and there are certain debts I’ve yet to pay her.”
“What do you need to get it back? Money?” asked Jack. “Cause I’ve got money.”
“The price this one would charge ta sell me back tha Reaver would be beyond anythin’ ya could afford.”
“I dunno. They gave me five-hundred billion digicredits. I’m sure I could afford to buy lots of ships if I wanted to.”
Scallywag looked at Jack and blinked, as though his brain was unable to register what Jack had just said. “Five… five hundred billion???”
“Yeah,” said Jack. “It was part of my reward for helping save Anna.”
“I helped save her, too!” cried Scallywag. “No one gave me half-a-trillion’ bloody digicredits!”
“Well, you’re planet wasn’t destroyed either.”
Scallywag frowned. “For five hundred billion digicredits, I’d destroy me own bloody planet,” he grumbled.
“Do you think that’s enough to get your ship back?”
Scallywag rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Aye, of course it is,” he said. “If I were to make a generous enough offer, even Glimmer would be tempted ta take it.”
“So what do you say? Will you help me?”
Scallywag eyed Jack hesitantly, as though he knew what Jack was asking would only lead to trouble. “I track down these assassins, you pony up fer me ship? That’s tha deal?”
Jack nodded. “That’s the deal.”
“Just how much are ya willin’ ta spend?”
“As much as you need.”
Scallywag smiled and got to his feet. “Alright then, lad, let’s make this official,” he said, spitting into his hand and extending it toward Jack. Jack looked at Scallywag’s gesture, kind of grossed out. “Go on, get yer hands dirty. That’s how we close deals in me line o’ work,” egged on the pirate.
Jack reluctantly spit in his own hand and shook Scallywag’s, cringing as he did so.
“Congratulations, Earthman,” Scallywag said. “Ya got yerself an assassin hunter.”
Chapter 36
Less Flatfoot grinned at his audience with his blinding smile, already partway through his monologue, interacting with a musical band led by his Scollum sidekick as he did so. “As you all know, Legacy Evenstar was bru-bru-brutally attacked by unknown assassins in Capitol City the other day. This is indeed a terrible tragedy, isn’t that right, Ged?”
“You are correct, sir!” replied Ged, his one giant eye hidden behind the singular blue lens of his monocle as he stood in front of a synth-piano keyboard.
“But did you also know that Kimlee Evenstar was rescued from certain de-de-death at the last minute by none other than the Hero of the Empire himself, Earthman Jack Finnegan?” The crowd erupted into applause at Jack’s name. “It’s true. It’s true,” continued Less Flatfoot. “In fact, witnesses say that the Earthman leapt out of the top of a supertower so he could teleport away Kimlee Evenstar before she hit the ground!”
“Incredible!” exclaimed Ged.
“Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm,” agreed Less Flatfoot. “Now, I’ve heard of fall-fall-falling for a girl before, but even I think that’s a little extreme!”
Drum cymbals crashed as the audience laughed. “HEY-OHHHH!” cried Ged.
“Do you all even know how tall those supertowers are?” Less Flatfoot asked. “I guess this puts all those Jacklee rumors to rest now doesn’t it? You don’t throw yourself out of the top of a 20,000 foot structure unless you are seriously in lo-lo-love. Am I right, Ged?”
“You are correct, sir!”
“Ladies, you tell me – after a man does that, he can get away with pretty much anything in the relationship, am I right? If you nag at him about not taking out the trash or leaving the toilet seat up, he can always just say, ‘I jumped off the top of a sup-sup-supertower for you!’ How does one even respond to that? ‘Next time, just let me die, you heroic bum?” The audience once again laughed. “Ged, would you ever jump out of a supertower for a female?” Less Flatfoot asked.
“No, but I think about it every time my ex-wife calls!” guffawed Ged.
Drum cymbals crashed again, and the audience joined in as both Ged and Less Flatfoot laughed.
“Well, on that note, we have a great-great-great show for you tonight!” Less Flatfoot announced after his high-pitched laugher subsided. “Gravityball superstar Ferris Lightleap is here! Along with musical guest Ajahajahajah! As well as more ex-ex-expert analysis on the political fall-out from the deaths of the Evenstars! Stay tuned, we’ll be right back!”
The display screen shut off just as the logo for Less Flatfoot Tonight began to appear. Director Casgor turned his attention away from the monitor and looked at the other two men in the secure room of his personal quarters. One was Armonto Virtuoso. The other, hung back in the shadows.
“This did not go as I’d hoped,” grumbled Casgor. “You were supposed to kill the Evenstars. All the Evenstars. And yet, Kimlee and Amadeus still live.”
“There were… unforeseen circumstances,” the man in the shadows said.
“Unforeseen?” replied Casgor. “How is it possible that you, of all beings, fail to notice an entire squad of Evenstar guards portgating in from Redwater?”
“Despite all evidence to the contrary, I cannot be everywhere at once,” the shadow responded.
“It makes no matter,” Armonto said. “Eudox Evenstar is dead. His Legacy is no longer a threat to our plans.”
“Do not dismiss his son so quickly,” Casgor replied. “He has his father’s mind for politics. He’s already reaching out to their coalition in the Council of Elders to try and hold them together. If all the Evenstars were dead, their alliance would have fallen apart by now.”
“I think a greater concern is the Earthman,” Armonto said softly. “It’s one thing to hear about him saving the day. It’s quite another to actually see him in action.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were impressed by the child,” said Casgor.
“Child or no, it takes a certain type of someone to leap out of a supertower and then to chase after an assault fighter on his own,” Armonto said. “Some call it bravery. I see it more as a serious deficit in situational awareness. As it stands, the Earthman is so stupid, he’s dangerous.”
“Agreed,” the shadow said. “His ability to see the slythrus and connect with them has proven to be a matter that causes me great concern. I would feel much more confident if he and his entire group were removed from the picture entirely.”
“His group is nothing to worry about,” said Casgor.
“There was a Rognok with him,” the shadow
replied. “That is plenty cause to worry.”
“Forgive me if I don’t share your fear of those dumb brutes,” Casgor said. “They are all but extinct now. None of them poses any real threat on their own. But setting all that aside, we cannot simply kill the Earthman. He has too high of a profile. As if his defeat of the Planetkiller fleet wasn’t bad enough, now he’s rescuing damsels in distress in the most spectacular fashion possible. If he were to die, not only would we have to fend off Alabaster looking into us but the whole of holonet news media, as well.”
“Could we infect him?” asked Armonto. “Bring him into our ranks?”
“No,” the shadow replied. “He’s demonstrated qualities of a free mind. He’d be able to fight off the slythru before it would be able to take root.”
“I still feel we should infect the other members of the Directory,” grumbled Casgor. “It would make my job far easier to have them under our control.”
“You know why that is an impossibility,” Armonto said. “The vital signs of Directory members are monitored constantly. As soon as the shythru attaches to them, it will be noticed. The symbiotic joining takes time to complete, and it would be discovered before it became invisible. At that point, Alabaster would have his smoking gun. Our entire operation depends upon secrecy. You already know he is hunting for a mole. Right now he thinks there is only one. He has no idea that every slythru-infected soldier in our army can act as our eyes and ears.”
“A fat lot of good that does me, what with you shipping all our slythrus to the Rim so we can stage those bloody rebellions,” Casgor grumbled. “We should be using them here to infect the council members in order to pass the legislation we need to carry out our plans.”
“Without the dissent our infected minions are creating throughout the Empire, the Legacies would not be so worried about protecting their territory,” the shadow said. “They would be more likely to throw their support behind an attack we cannot defend against. If I had more slythru at my disposal, however, I could see about getting around to infecting more of the council.”
Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army (Earthman Jack Space Saga Book 2) Page 40