by Michael Rose
They touched down in a landing zone next to the freighter. This part of the complex had been one of the industrial sections. Massive warehouses lined the streets in each direction. This was where the minerals extracted from the ore had been transferred to ships for transport off-world.
Ross scanned the freighter and the area around it. There were no life signs. Cautiously, he and Ross exited their ship. A lack of life signs didn’t necessarily mean anything; bioshrouds were technically illegal, but Sullivan could have easily picked one up on Damaris. That planet wasn’t a member of the Stellar Assembly, and the legality or illegality of devices like bioshrouds didn’t concern them too terribly.
Harvey approached the stolen freighter, gun drawn. The number written across the side of the hull in white matched the number Harvey had on record. This was definitely Oscar Jones’s ship. Harvey knew Jones had been the man who’d smuggled Sullivan off of Earth after Sullivan had killed the assemblymen. Why Sullivan would, almost a year later, track down and kill Jones wasn’t known. Harvey didn’t much care about that either. The death of Jones only meant a bigger bounty. The Stellar Assembly paid good money for multiple murderers.
After searching the freighter, Harvey and Ross entered one of the warehouses. There was nothing in it. A search of several of the other structures revealed those to be empty as well. The mining company had kept people on the ground long enough after the disaster to make sure all the equipment was loaded onto ships and taken off-world.
Harvey took out his tablet and studied a map of the mining complex. If Sullivan was still alive, he’d be in the residential zone. Despite the company’s removal of all their equipment, Trenton had been abandoned hastily after the accident. There would probably still be a fair amount of canned and dehydrated food left in the miners’ apartments.
SLOWLY, DELIBERATELY, HARVEY and Ross made their way to the residential zone. Harvey studied his bioscanner carefully every few meters. Even if Sullivan did have a bioshroud, they didn’t always function perfectly. Contraband items weren’t necessarily manufactured to exacting standards, and all Harvey needed was a temporary glitch for Sullivan to register as a blip on the scanner.
Ross didn’t need any such gadgets. He’d been Harvey’s right-hand man for six years, and the bounty hunter’s ability to sense his prey was uncanny. Harvey could count a dozen perps who would have gotten away if Ross hadn’t been with him. There were two or three more who would have taken Harvey’s life if Ross hadn’t been watching his back.
So when Ross held up a fist as they entered the residential zone, Harvey halted. He followed as Ross silently padded up to the side of an apartment building and ducked into the building’s entryway.
Harvey lifted his rebreather from his nose and mouth. “What is it?”
“This building. I saw movement in a fourth floor window.”
Harvey looked through the glass doors of the apartment building. Aside from a thick layer of dust, the lobby looked as it might have when the miners and their families had lived here. But the dust revealed that someone had been here more recently than that. A trail of footprints led from the doorway to what Harvey assumed was the stairwell. The elevator wouldn’t be operational, of course. There was no power in the city.
Harvey scanned the lobby. “All right,” he said. “I’ll go around and find a back exit and make sure there’s not another way up. You watch the main stairwell from here. I’ll let you know if I find a way inside. If I do, take a position just to the side of the stairwell door. If I don’t, I’ll meet you back here.”
Ross nodded and drew his gun. Harvey hugged the side of the building as he made his way around it, watching the windows above him. He arrived at the rear of the building and found the emergency exit. He pulled at the handle. Locked. He continued on around the building to make sure there were no other doors. He rounded back to the main street, took another glance at the windows above him and returned to the front entrance.
Ross wasn’t there. Harvey peered into the lobby. There was no sign of his partner. Harvey hadn’t signaled, so Ross should have stayed put. No, Ross would have stayed put. The only thing that would have moved Ross from his position would have been Sullivan. Sullivan must have come down the stairs; Ross must have seen him and taken chase.
Harvey drew his gun and opened the door to the lobby. Once inside, he could more clearly see Ross’s boot prints in the dust leading toward the stairwell. Harvey traced those steps and peered through the small square window of the stairwell door. All clear. He pulled open the door and winced as the hinges creaked. He opened it just enough to slip through then held it so it closed quietly behind him.
A central shaft ran down the stairwell. Looking up it, he could see the top floor ten, maybe twelve, stories above him. He watched carefully for any movement on the stairs before cautiously making his way up.
Ross had to be in the stairwell. He would have followed Sullivan until he exited onto one of the floors. Ross would have then waited for Harvey in the stairwell before pursuing Sullivan any farther.
Harvey worked his way up. When he reached the halfway point between the ninth and tenth floors, he then knew that Ross wasn’t in the stairwell. For some reason, he had pursued Sullivan into one of the dark corridors alone.
The fourth floor. That’s where Ross had seen the movement, so that’s where Harvey would look for Ross. He thought about radioing his partner but decided against it. If Ross was close to Sullivan, Harvey didn’t want to give away his position. Worse, if Sullivan had gotten ahold of Ross’s earpiece…. No. That wasn’t possible. Sullivan, from what Harvey had read, was good. But Ross was better.
Harvey inched opened the door to the fourth floor. Thankfully, this one didn’t squeak. The corridor was almost completely dark, illuminated only by the light coming in through two or three open doors. Harvey came to the first open door and peered inside. It was a small but comfortable apartment. A love seat sat facing a holographic projector. To the right, a kitchenette looked out over a counter into the living room.
Harvey cleared the living room then approached the open door of the bedroom. As he peered in, he heard a faint noise behind him. He made a quarter of a turn, but before he could fully bring himself around, something struck the back of his head. Harvey reeled from the blow and landed hard against the wall. He used his momentum to push back against the wall as he landed and flung himself at his attacker. It was too dark for him to see the man clearly, but there was only one person it could be: Richard Sullivan.
Harvey barreled into Sullivan with his shoulder, knocking the gun from his hand. He used his weight to try and land hard on Sullivan as he fell, but Sullivan managed to roll away. Harvey’s knee struck the floor, sending a bolt of agony through his leg.
As Harvey was temporarily incapacitated by the pain, Sullivan retrieved his gun and pistol-whipped Harvey across the side of the head. Harvey went down. He struggled to maintain consciousness but lost. The dim light in the apartment faded even further, and then all was black.
2
AS FAR AS Kate Alexander could tell, they had travelled for about three months before arriving on another planet. It couldn’t have been an Assembly planet. Abraham Emerson and she hadn’t been hidden during landing, and no one had boarded for an inspection.
Damaris was a possibility. She’d been transported to her current prison in the trunk of a car and had been able to hear other traffic. That meant she was on an inhabited planet and, from the sound of things, in a city.
Orion Zednik had not shown himself since they’d arrived on this new planet. His men had been bringing her food twice a day. Other than that, she’d had no human contact.
This prison, at least, was not as bad as the first one she’d been kept in back on Abilene, with no running water and only a bucket and rags to keep herself clean. This room was small but had an attached bathroom. It reminded her of a cheap hotel room and, in fact, may have been just that. There was a window, but the glass was frosted, letting in light but
no detail from the outside. The glass itself was probably a composite material that would resist any attempt by her to break it. There was a chair, but it was made of a lightweight plastic. Nothing else in the room would be light enough to lift yet heavy enough to break through.
On the ship, she’d had the company of Abraham Emerson. She didn’t know what had become of him since they’d arrived on this planet, but she missed him. And she missed Rick. She had no way of knowing where he was or what he was doing. She couldn’t even know if he was alive or dead.
According to the hash marks she’d been making on a pad of paper, she had been in this room for a week when the lock on the door clicked and the handle turned. Kate furrowed her brow; it wasn’t time for a meal. She got up from her chair and stood to face the door.
The door swung open to reveal Abraham. He smiled at her then winced as the guard behind him shoved the barrel of his gun into his spine. Abraham stepped into the room, followed by the guard and, finally, Orion Zednik.
Kate was shocked at Zednik’s appearance. His clothes were worn and wrinkled, his face sported at least a day’s growth and bags hung heavily below his eyes. It quietly pleased her to know that his life had not been easy since they’d fled Abilene.
Upon seeing her expression, Zednik made an attempt to straighten his clothes. He gestured for her to sit, which she did. Abraham sat on the bed beside Kate and took her hand in his. Zednik glanced at their hands then quickly looked away.
He cleared his throat. “Miss Alexander.” He smiled. “I do apologize that you’ve had to remain my guest for so long. Indeed, if it wasn’t for Richard Sullivan, you’d be free and on your way home by now. Unfortunately, his rescue attempt meant we had to leave Abilene, and the man your father sent with your ransom has missed us.”
“Where are we?”
“I suppose there’s no harm in telling you that. We’re on Damaris. Word has already been sent to Silvanus to let your father know that you are well and that I am a man of my word. I will continue to keep you safe until the ransom arrives. Of course, the price for your return has gone up significantly. Again, Richard Sullivan is to blame for that. Honestly, Miss Alexander, I truly do not understand what you see in that man.”
Kate didn’t answer. Instead, she held onto Abraham’s hand more tightly.
Zednik turned toward the door. “I’ll let you two catch up for a while. You have an hour.”
The guard followed Zednik through the door and closed it behind him. A second later, Kate heard the key turn in the lock. She took Abraham into her arms. “I was so worried about you,” she said, holding him tightly.
“And I you, Kate. Until today, I’ve been in a room similar to this one, held captive.”
“Why? If Zednik doesn’t trust you, why has he kept you here? You’re of no use to him, why not let you go?”
Abraham lowered his eyes. “That’s not quite true. Before he brought me here, he told me to deliver a message. If you attempt to escape, I will be killed. If anyone rescues you and I am left behind, I will be killed. Your affection for me is Zednik’s insurance.”
Kate felt moisture begin to form at the corners of her eyes. She turned away and wiped her face.
“Don’t worry, Kate,” said Abraham, putting his hand on her shoulder. He leaned in close to her ear. “When you escape, I will be right beside you. I’ve had enough of that man. I won’t put up with his abuse much longer.”
Kate turned to look him in the eyes. “Don’t do anything dangerous, Abraham. I don’t want you taking any risks. Let’s just wait for Rick or the ransom from my father.”
Abraham sighed. “My whole life, I’ve been waiting. My whole life, I’ve been looking for my opportunity. It’ll come soon.” He smiled. “But for now, let’s talk about happier things. Let’s not let this situation crush our spirits.”
Kate pulled him into another embrace. “If Rick comes for me, we won’t leave without you. I promise.”
Abraham nodded. “Hopefully, we won’t have to wait much longer.”
3
HARVEY DIDN’T MOVE or open his eyes when he woke up. He wanted to survey the situation audibly before letting on that he was conscious. The first thing he noticed was that he was seated, his hands and legs tied to a chair. He listened intently for any noise. Hearing nothing, he opened one eye a fraction of an inch. He was still in the apartment building, or else another like it. A small dining table sat in front of him. Sitting directly across it was a figure.
Despite his precautions, Sullivan knew that Harvey was awake. “Don’t be coy,” he said, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table.
Harvey opened his eyes and saw Sullivan smiling broadly at him. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby,” said Harvey.
“Good.”
“Where’s Ross?”
Sullivan leaned back in his chair. “Actually, I think I’ll ask the questions, if you don’t mind.”
Harvey looked around the room. It wasn’t the same apartment he’d been knocked out in, but it was very similar. He guessed he was still in the same building. “So how have you liked living here, Sullivan?”
“That’s a question, but I’ll answer it anyway. It has its perks. Plenty of peace and quiet, you know. But not much of a night life.”
“Cute.” Harvey studied the man’s face. He’d never before met Sullivan but had memorized that face ever since deciding to track him down. The reward for Sullivan was the largest Harvey had ever seen issued. He decided to test the man. “If you come quietly, I can get you your choice of facility. There are good prisons, and there are bad prisons.”
Sullivan laughed. “No, there are bad prisons, and then there are worse prisons.”
“And you don’t think you deserve to be in one of those prisons?”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.”
“You’ve killed, by my count, three men. And those are just the ones the SA knows about.”
“Haven’t you ever killed a man, Harvey?”
Harvey furrowed his brow. “I have. I’ve killed a few actually. But they were all dangerous criminals; it was in self-defense.”
Sullivan snapped his fingers. “Aha. So that’s the key, is it? Murder is murder, but some murder is justifiable.”
“Your murders weren’t justifiable, Sullivan. You killed Assemblymen Palmer and Howard in cold blood. They were no threat to you.”
“Weren’t they, though? Weren’t they prepared to validate an oppressive regime that routinely kills its own citizens?”
“I’m not a politician.”
“No, you just do their dirty work.”
“I’m authorized by the SA to track down people like you, regardless of politics.”
“But don’t you see, Harvey? The Stellar Assembly, despite the crimes that Edaline’s government has committed against its own people, was considering Edaline for membership.”
“Again, it’s not my concern.”
Sullivan stood and violently brought his hands down on the table. “Justice is everyone’s concern!”
Sullivan stepped to the window and looked out into the deserted streets. “This planet, for example, is another testament to the injustice that is allowed to be visited on the people who haven’t had the good sense to be born on Assembly planets. The SA allows corporations to take men and women from their homes, promise them good wages then sacrifice them to the bottom line. The Lane-Coretech Mining Corporation knew this planet was unstable, but they decided to risk their employees’ lives for profit because money, Mr. Harvey, trumps human life. And Lane-Coretech, being an Assembly-certified corporation, would pay the Assembly taxes on the profit earned here.” He turned back to Harvey. “And this business about Edaline’s membership in the SA. That was simply more greed. Those assemblymen had made a deal with Edaline’s government to get the planet into the SA.”
“They were crooked, I’ll grant you that. But aren’t you being short-sighted?” asked Harvey. “If Edaline had joined the SA, they would
have had to ensure free elections and a certain level of protection for their citizens. You would have gotten what you wanted.”
“And so would those already in charge. They own all the land on the planet, Harvey; they control the corporations, the commerce, everything. They’d benefit from the increased business that would come with SA membership. They would use their influence and money to buy elections, and the people would still be left with no voice. So I, and those like me, have decided to ensure that the people’s voice is heard. When I killed those assemblymen, you’d better believe the message was heard loud and clear. I am a hero to a great many of my fellow Edalinians.” Sullivan sat back down and held his palms out to Harvey. “But what happens to me is ultimately unimportant. These hands serve a greater cause. When they can no longer serve that cause, then another will take my place.”
Harvey shifted in his seat and used the movement to hide the fact that he was testing his restraints. They were too tight to slip out of. “Well,” he said, “if all you say is true then why are you holding me here? How is this serving the greater cause?”
“It isn’t. But I wanted you to see that I am not an evil man, Mr. Harvey. I am not a cold-blooded murderer.”
“So you’ll let me go?”
“Yes.”
Harvey was about to speak again when the floor beneath him began to shake. It subsided after a few seconds.
“The tremors are coming more frequently,” said Sullivan. “I came here to wait for my trail to grow cold, but it’s becoming too dangerous. Now that you’ve found me, I think it’s time to move on. It’s time to continue my work.”
“Wait. Where’s Ross?”
“I said no questions.”
“Did you kill him?”
Sullivan sighed heavily. “You have to understand that he didn’t leave me much of a choice. He wasn’t as easy to subdue as you were. He put up a good fight.”
“Where is he?”
“In the next room.”