A tree limb she hadn’t noticed popped her in the face. “Ugh!” She ducked the next one.
Stopping, she pulled out her tablet and checked her location. She had another couple of hundred yards to go to hit the small lake. She could feel her body popping back into place and healing as she stood there. As tempting as it was to stay, she started jogging towards the lake, wondering what grief her two Tontos were going to give her.
Thirty seconds later, she came out of the brush and saw the Pod to her left. Jogging over, she pulled open the door and slid in the back. Taking off her mask, she pulled out the folders from inside her protective vest. “Home, James.”
Hirotoshi raised an eyebrow at Ryu as the Pod lifted into the night.
“Kimosabe,” Hirotoshi voiced, turning in his chair. “Tweedledee and Tweedledum? I am no more the same as Ryu as you are the same as Gabrielle.”
“Of course not,” Tabitha agreed.
Hirotoshi waited for a second, nodded, then turned back around in his chair.
“Gabrielle just doesn’t have the same level spank banks as I do,” she finished.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
New York City, NY, USA
Zhou Song pursed his lips and nodded to the representative from his government. This information, this directive, was too delicate to be sent over wires where any of a number of governments, or companies, could potentially listen to or read it.
So, Ambassador Zhou now had a meeting and a directive.
“We have proof,” Intelligence Agent Ho explained, “that TQB is not only using alien technology, but they are now in possession of aliens as well.”
“How is this possible?” Zhou asked.
“How do they have possession, or how do we know?”
“No, I do not want the details of how we are aware of this. I need to understand enough to make sure I can persuade others it is true. Or true enough for now. I’m curious how they accomplished it.”
Agent Ho shrugged. “What little I understand, there was some sort of exit they needed to fly through, and they tricked the aliens at the exit using surprise and subterfuge. Either way, they now are in possession of the alien ship and technology plus whatever technology they had before. This cannot be allowed to continue, this keeping of information away from those of us here on Earth and not allowing us to communicate with representatives from alien governments.”
“So, at the moment it is their word against ours that they have these aliens and the alien technology?”
“At the moment,” Agent Ho said. “Yes, it is. Start the process to inform many on the council and those supporting nations so that when the truth comes out, your additional suggestions have had time to become ideas they believe they came up with themselves.”
“I understand the council’s requirements and know which contacts I need to speak to, at least in the beginning.”
“Good,” Agent Ho looked down at his watch. “I have another forty-five minutes if you have any additional questions. Then, I must be back on the airplane as I go to Switzerland next.”
“I am curious,” Ambassador Zhou said, “what the council would answer if I should request a permanent ban on any business dealings with TQB? A ban if they do not immediately provide and turn over all technology and alien representatives?”
Boston, MA, USA
“Rook to Queen’s four,” David called out and moved his piece. Standing up, he walked back over to the chair and picked up his laptop. “Your move, old man,” he grunted as he sat down and pulled open his communications program.
Fred snorted. “You’re older than me by eighteen months, geezer.” It had taken a few more seconds before he added, “I’m moving Bishop to…”
“Well, shit,” David exclaimed, interrupting him.
“What’s up?” Fred asked, looking up from the report labeled ‘Nano-Technology Shifts Resulting from Alien Technology’ and ‘TOP SECRET’ printed on the first page.
“We just got a note from the Germany resources. They had a break in at their corporate headquarters in Bielefeld.”
“What happened?”
David’s kept reading his screen before answering, “Well, this isn’t good,” he muttered.
“What. Happened?” Fred asked again.
David answered, slowly. “The thief took a couple of months’ worth of client information, shattered a third story window and jumped out and then ran off into the woods. The video is… well. Fuck!”
Fred set the paper down and stood up, walking behind David’s chair. David hit the replay button, and both men watched as the video showed a view from the tree line back towards the building. It showed darkness, then sudden light when a third story window was shattered and a figure in all black jumped. The figure landed and rolled, then got up and streaked across the field.
“Says here,” David added, “the open field is a hundred meters, and the video is in real time.”
“That’s not possible,” Fred said, then looked back at the document he had started reading. “Oh, dear.”
David looked up over his shoulder. “What oh dear are you thinking?”
Fred walked back to his chair and picked up the recently acquired research paper he was reading. “TQB could be looking for us,” he said.
“What are you basing this on?” David asked.
Fred picked up the report he had been reading. “The executive overview discusses what might happen to a human with the right modifications. Including healing, killing and,” he pointed to David’s laptop with the papers, “enhancements.”
David looked down at his laptop. “And the only people with technology far outstripping anything we know about is TQB.”
“Yes,” Fred sat down.
David scratched his nose. “Well, that would put a real downer in our efforts to stay off of their radar.”
“We still have our cutout, we haven’t been stupid,” Fred leaned back in the chair, taking a small sip of his whiskey. “It isn’t like they’re going to be able to track us back through the shell corporation without getting inside of our external base computers and we don’t have those connected to the internet.”
“True,” David mused. “Plus, I’ll put in a call to Total Qubyte Biotech to up the budget and add a requirement to find and eliminate,” he pointed to the video, “whoever that is.”
Fred looked over his reading glasses. “What budget?”
David laughed. “I give them a budget to make sure they’re on a leash and can’t spend just anything they damn well please.”
“David,” Fred admonished, “don’t be penny-wise and a pound foolish. If TQB finds out we had anything to do with something they don’t like? It’s going to be our personal pounds of flesh they are going to want in retaliation.”
David pursed his lips and nodded. “Right, what budget?”
“Also,” Fred added as he opened the document back to where he had just stopped reading. “That German expedition made it out of port, they need a better reason to stop heading to Antarctica. Who do we know in Argentina?”
“One moment, let me finish this first message,” David said before switching applications and studying for five minutes while Fred read his report. “Okay, we have a two-cutout connection to the Red Devils in one of the favelas. Since the police and army have been engaged in pacification efforts for the last couple of years, since the Olympics, it’s been tough. They need some cash and something to get a little pride back. We could get them to harass the ship and anyone who is from the ship.”
“Do it,” Fred said and then pointed past him at the chessboard. “I’ve moved, it’s your turn.”
David looked over at the board. “Oh, didn’t notice. I’ll get to it in a minute.”
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Terry stood at the bow of the ship, and watched as a group of the men and women left to go into the city. Some to acquire additional supplies, some to hit the last warm port before they hit Antarctica.
He heard the scuff of the shoes coming up behind him. “S
taying on the ship?” Robert asked him.
Terry turned and nodded. “Yeah.”
Robert moved his shoulders. “I’ve still got that itch going, buddy,” he said as he stood next to him, looking over the sights. “Where’s Melissa?”
“A little seasick at the moment,” Terry replied.
“Oh, damn that sucks,” Robert said. “She didn’t take the medicine?”
“Yeah, she has now. But it took her realizing she couldn’t eat the chocolate chip cookies the kitchens were making to finally capitulate and start taking it. She claims she hates taking any medicine if she doesn’t have to. I don’t take it, so she figured she didn’t need any either.”
“Still thinking an academic can do anything a soldier can?” Robert asked, grinning.
“Pretty much,” Terry said. “It pisses her off I have the memory I do, and can still operate out in the field. She’s pretty competitive.”
“You picked a live one, that’s for sure,” Robert agreed. He noticed Terry’s eyes shift focus and stare as a large black Jeep turned into the lane coming down towards the boat. “You expecting someone?”
Terry nodded. “You still got that itch?” Robert grunted his affirmative. “Well, I made a call and here comes our ace in the hole.”
Robert watched the Jeep for a moment and said, “We are well and truly fucked, aren’t we?”
Terry sighed. “Yes, we are.”
—
“All I’m saying,” Richard said as their driver pulled into the last street before a large ship at the end, “is I hate the cold.”
“After the winters in Europe, you would think this would be but a spring day,” Samual quipped.
Richard turned to look at his friend. “Have you truly been alive too long?” he asked, in an old language. “We will be in Antarctica, not a bad winter in the Old Country.”
Samual shrugged. “The girls needed some time off and are resting out in the belt. Gabrielle never punished us for Mark’s death, maybe this is our penance?”
“No,” Richard sighed. “I spoke with Gabrielle. She knows we never quit working our job.”
“How is that?” Samual asked, and his eyes widened. “You allowed her access to your memories?”
Richard nodded. “Mark deserved it. So did Sia and Giannini when Gabrielle spoke to them after the funeral. They recovered the body and had the funeral back in Colorado. Mark’s family was shocked to learn he had been killed by a foreign government.”
“They told them?” Samual asked.
“No, I told them,” Richard admitted.
“You never shared that with me.”
“I’m still hurting, a little. Mark was a friend, and I was supposed to protect him. I failed.” Richard said.
“No, we all failed against a government hit man. We didn’t know we had been targeted at that level. I appreciated the fact you left enough to ID the guy.”
“No mercy doesn’t mean no body,” Richard said as their ride slowed to a stop in front of the ship.
Both vampires looked out the glass. “I see our new contact is up there,” Samual said.
“Yes, the other is the military contact, Robert,” said Richard.
“Too many people with names starting with the letter R around here,” Samual bitched as he opened the door.
—
Robert’s profession was bringing the pain using whatever options were available, and he was usually a very good judge of abilities.
The killing kind.
He and Terry had walked over to the gangway to welcome the two guys who had gotten out of the Jeep, each pulling a large bag with them... bags that clinked and looked heavy. Very heavy based on how hard the straps were straining in the men’s grips. Neither one who seemed to be bothered by the weight at all.
Who the hell did Terry invite to this party, anyway?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
QBS ArchAngel
Sitting at the table, Tabitha bit into an apple and studied her laptop. The suite’s main door opened and Barnabas walked in.
“Hello Big B,” she said, pushing the piece of apple around in her mouth to speak before swallowing.
“Hello Two,” he said and sat down at the table. “Tell me about your latest success.”
Tabitha looked at him through slitted eyes, but he didn’t seem to be giving her any grief about her less than elegant escape effort. “I have eighteen clients in the past two months. Sixteen I’ve confirmed had nothing to do with my case, and I’ve ignored them. One is probably the bad guys and one other I’ve set aside for special consideration.”
Barnabas raised an eyebrow, so she added, “I’m not happy with the project on the second one, so if I have time, the guys and I are going to go visit the client,” she shrugged, and Barnabas didn’t follow up any further.
“The problem,” she continued, “is the data leads to a dead end electronically speaking. It’s a cutout company, and I can’t get anything in or out of there, nor can ADAM. So, another prick-ass group who has a clue about digital security.”
“It offends you?”
“I’m lazy,” Tabitha answered. “I’d rather just break into their company using computers and be done with it. But, whoever this group is, they aren’t stupid. Well, let me qualify that. They aren’t ignorant about hiding their tracks so they’re probably well connected and have been doing this a while.”
“Are you trying to make the people fit the facts?” Barnabas asked.
“Perhaps, but my hacking experience says that it’s usually the older people, the ones who worked before computers were so pervasive that don’t have a problem figuring out ways to function without them. Those of us who grew up with them are hampered by our inability to understand what you do without computers in your life.”
Barnabas considered that for a moment. “You surprise me Two, I hadn’t expected that much insight from…”
Tabitha grinned. “A package as delicious as this?” She smiled and flipped her hair.
Barnabas closed his eyes and shook his head a couple of times. “Just when I think it’s safe to compliment you.”
“You will find out it is ALWAYS safe to compliment a woman. We eat it up. Try it around other ladies and let me know what you find,” she told him as she took another bite of the apple.
Barnabas pursed his lips and nodded.
She swallowed the apple. “Except when it isn’t,” she added, thoughtfully. “Like, right after you do something she’s mad at you for, then it just feels like you are trying to butter her up.”
Barnabas put up a hand. “This isn’t a discussion on how to have a male-female relationship, number Two, so let’s not go there.”
“Fine, but one of these days you will get back on that horse, and you will be happy I’ve been dropping these little tidbits of wisdom.”
“I’m sure I will,” he replied drily. “What’s the next step?”
“Visit the den of iniquity and find what information I can find out from the inside,” she shrugged.
“No third story windows?” he asked, smiling.
“No,” she looked at Barnabas, a frown on her face. “No three story buildings. However, the latest video updates from ArchAngel show it has lots of men with guns and dogs and shit. So, I’m taking in the Tontos.”
“You don’t think that’s overkill?” he asked.
“Hell no! The Tontos laughed their asses off at the video ArchAngel had of my last successful data acquisition, so I decided they needed their own opportunity to get out in the field,” she said. “The lazy bastards.”
Barnabas stood up. “Well, remember we want to track down the truth, not start another war,” he admonished and walked out of the room.
Tabitha murmured, “Mmmhmmm,” then, a few moments after Barnabas left she looked up at the closed door as her eyebrows drew together, “War?”
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Robert was watching through the light amplification goggles a few hours later when he heard a couple of clicks o
n the ace channel. Or, at least that’s what he was calling the channel Richard and Samual were using to communicate with his team.
During daytime this was a pretty safe zone, and so far, they were only missing one person out of everyone who had left the ship. One of the cooks had family in town, and she hadn’t come back, but that wasn’t totally unexpected.
Now, he turned his glasses up and down the dark docks, punctuated from time to time with weak lights, trying to figure out what the aces were trying to communicate to him and his team.
The Kurtherian Gambit Omnibus 05 - The Fans Version: My Ride is a Bitch - Don't Cross This Line - Never Submit Page 16