Danger Money

by John Van Stry

  "You would have shot them?" She sounded more curious than surprised.

  "If our cover wasn't good they would probably have shot us on the spot." I replied snuggling up to her again. "And we would have been in deep quanta regardless."

  "Good point," she started scratching my chin with her free hand, I purred. "How long you been doing this anyway?"

  "Ten years about." I turned my head slightly so she could hit a particularly good spot. I purred a little louder, "You?"

  "Only two, but I'm mostly support." She gave me one of those sidelong glances, "Have you killed a lot?"

  "Let's just say I've been busy." I replied, a little surprised at the question. I had stopped counting at twenty, mostly because it was pointless. Yes I had killed a lot, but who cared? That was my job, what the company paid me for.

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," She said noticing my expression. "I've just never worked with someone who was a, well.."

  "Assassin?" I supplied. She was still scratching a good spot so I wasn't about to complain.

  "... uh yeah. I mean, the people I've worked with before have never really killed anyone. But that's all you do, isn't it?"

  I laid my head down in her lap then, took her hand in mine and placed it behind my right ear. She took the hint and started scratching again. The road was smooth and I was tired, so I forestalled further conversation by closing my eyes and going to sleep.

  Murder takes a lot out of you.

  2

  I was back again. Back in the war, or rather, the 'Conflict'. I was walking through the room, an automatic in my hand. As I went down the line it jerked in my hand and another person died.

  They begged, they cried, some were mute, and others cursed me before they died. They were all weak from the gas and couldn't resist. There were six others with me, they had helped me get in, they had set off the gas even. But I was the trigger man, the killer. It was my job to do the execution, not theirs. I had to stop three times to reload, and some of the victims were even Human. I stopped counting when I got to twenty.

  It was my real first mission, my first kill. And it was cold.

  I awoke suddenly and all at once. It was dark and I knew where I was.

  "You alright?" She asked quietly, we were no longer moving.

  "Yeah fine, where are we?"

  "Back at the ship. The recall came through as scheduled."

  I noticed she was looking at me.

  "Bad dream?" She asked looking concerned.

  "Old dream," I sighed sitting up. I could see the Revocation's lights from the car.

  "It didn't look good," She smiled and gave my head a rub, "Does it happen often?"

  "Just afterwards. But I've learned to live with it." I got our gear together and opened the door, "Who's taking care of the suit and gun?"

  "Local ops," She got out and closed the door. "Here he comes now."

  A young Squirrel walked up, smiled at her, ignored me, took the keys and drove off.

  I walked over and put my arm around her and we headed for customs. A very thorough check took place then, about an hour, and we were passed through.

  "Sorry about the recall," The first mate said as we approached the ship. "But the Captain just signed on a rush cargo. We leave as soon as loading finishes."

  This was all part of our cover of course. The sooner I was off planet, the better for all concerned. The only bad part was that I had to help with the loading as part of the ship's crew. Only four of them knew the real story, counting me. Not even the ship's Captain knew, but he knew how to follow orders, and did.

  Twelve hours later I stumbled into my berth exhausted. I hadn't been here on the trip in and everyone knew it, but kept their mouths shut. The local news was keeping a lid on the assassination so the regular crew would probably never find out.

  My handlers had been kind though, I had the room to myself. But sleep refused to come and I could feel myself becoming testy. I knew what I wanted, company.

  So I queried the computer and found out where Azelett was. It took a few minutes, I had to describe her as I could not remember her cover name. But the computer was patient, as computers are, and I set off to find her.

  I caught up with her at her duty station, the ship was getting ready to lift.

  "You look like hell, get some sleep." She whispered to me.

  "In a minute," I growled. I was quickly becoming bad company. Sometimes I become very testy after a hit, and the lack of sleep wasn't helping any. I suspect that was why Azelett was there, to distract me and help calm me down. I know I enjoyed her scent and company, and so far it had worked.

  I stood next to her through the launch, Revocation was a small freighter made for groundfall at planets with no space dock. Standing did not improve my mood.

  "Okay we're off planet now, and you're off duty," I growled.

  "And?" She asked giving me that sidelong glance again.

  That didn't help my mood any, but I couldn't decide if I was mad or hurt. So I just put my nose in her fur and took a long sniff.

  "You okay?" She asked sounding worried.

  "Look, either do it for me, or cause it's your job. But would you spend the night and keep me company?"

  "Sure." But she looked a little nervous, "Are you always this bad afterwards?"

  "Only when I don't get any sleep." I looked at her again, "I'm not going to go ballistic so calm down okay?"

  "It's not you," she smiled and suddenly I felt better, "silly."

  We got back to my room and we both stripped and hit the bed.

  "I'm not so bagged myself," she said straddling my buttocks and giving me a rubdown. "I got to sleep before I had to work."

  "Lucky you," I murmured.

  "Feeling better?"

  "Yes," I replied as her fingers worked the tension out of my back. "But could you do me one favor?"

  "I guess so," she laughed. "What is it?"

  "My name is Jotun, would you use it Azelett?"

  "Sure Jotun, if it's important to you." She whispered.

  "I just don't want to be invisible to my friends," I sighed.

  "What?"

  "Nothing, goodnight and thanks."

  I awoke suddenly, I knew where I was. But it was too bright and there was somebody at the door. I was flying through the air teeth bared, knife in my right hand, and claws out on my left instantly. As I grabbed his shoulder and started to bring the knife around my mind fully awoke and I realized who it was.

  "Good morning Captain," I growled staying my hand. Then in a calmer voice, "Just what are you doing in my quarters? And why didn't you knock?"

  "I will not have fraternization going on, onboard my ship!" He sputtered recovering quickly.

  I looked at Azelett who was laying wide-eyed on the bed.

  "Is he for real?" I asked. "I thought that was a fabrication!"

  "No, he's serious," she said getting up. "I better ..."

  "No!" I cut her off, "You stay." I turned back to the Captain, who I still had not released. I also still had the knife out.

  "Unhand me Mister!" He ordered. "She's leaving and you are in trouble!"

  I growled, "Your orders explicitly state that you are to leave me and my team alone." I brought my nose to his.

  "Furthermore, I am not under your jurisdiction. This is not the time to harass me! If you do you will be held accountable for my actions. That is all in your orders! I suggest you follow them!"

  I'll give him this, he didn't even bat an eye, so I let go of him and tossed the knife on the desk.

  "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior on my ship!" He continued in a more civil tone.

  "Your objections are duly noted," and ignored, I finished to myself. "I'll put it in my report, and if you continue to bother me, I'll go into some detail as well."

  He thought about that a minute and stated to open his mouth.

  "Later," I said pushing him out the door. "I'm sorry Captain. But I am still recovering." And with that I shut the door and loc
ked it. He didn't try and open it, which he could have easily done. It was his ship.

  I then collapsed on the bed and started shaking uncontrollably as the adrenaline bled out of my system.

  "Jotun! What's wrong?" Azelett gasped wide-eyed again.

  "A minute," I gasped panting. It was more like ten.

  "Are you okay?" She asked as I slowly settled down.

  "I think so," I managed, crawling over to her on the bed. She looked worried as I got near, but she was in the corner with no where to go. I slowly slid up next to her and wrapped my arms around her warm body, nuzzling her throat and chin. I could see her tail twitching nervously, but compared to the way mine was dancing, it was still.

  She found a comb and started working on my neck, which helped calm me tremendously, and from the look of it, her too.

  "That's how they come for you." I said very quietly.

  "What?"

  "I said that's how they come for you. When you're tired and asleep. That was how they got Clem."

  "Who are you talking about?" She was sounding concerned now.

  "The competition, the other corps, maybe the Earth government, or some political group. Or just someone bent on revenge." Or maybe even my own company! In Corporate politics one never knew.

  "Why would anyone ...", She paused a moment her eye's got really wide this time. "... That was why you attacked the Captain!"

  "I've exceeded the normal life expectancy by two years now," I continued quietly. "Clem had made it to eleven when somebody got him. He took them with him, but it really didn't matter."

  I looked up at her, "I'm the senior assassin now, no one still knows what I really look like. Hopefully no one ever will. But they sometimes know where I am and they want me."

  "Has anyone ever tried?"

  "Four times in the last three years."

  "How do they find you?"

  "Same way we find them. A hit on the building where I am, or a ship I'm traveling on. The corporations all like to keep a tight rein on people like me. So it's not too hard to find us when we're not working."

  "You're a wreck!" She suddenly declared looking me over.

  "It's not an easy job," I admitted. "And after shipping cargo for twelve hours, on top of coming off of a demanding mission of non-stop work, I'm worn to a frazzle."

  She continued to sooth me and after a while I fell back asleep. I had expected to dream about one of the attacks on me, or worse yet Clem's death. But I had no dreams at all for a change.

  She was still tangled in my arms and tail when I awoke. It's always nice to wake up without something having caused it. I watched her until she awoke, smiling at me as she opened her eyes. I started kissing and licking her fur then, slowly working my way down her torso. I lingered at her breasts, to her distraction, then tickled her belly as well. When I got to her pubes I had her noisily enjoying my efforts. I finally mounted her and she tightly wrapped her body around mine.

  We rode a steady rhythm and she growled, moaned, bit and clawed her way through several orgasms. She was so inspiring that after my first I was easily able to continue right on without stopping. My efforts were mutually rewarding, even if she was outnumbering me.

  "You're quite an animal," I smiled at her afterwards.

  "Look who's talking!" She laughed, "Not bad for somebody who looked like a basket case yesterday!"

  "I get testy when I'm run down," I said defensively, "that's all."

  "Well, you sure look good today!" She grinned.

  "Lets hit the shower and get some food, I'm starved."

  "Sounds good to me!"

  We walked naked to the showers. Normally this is no big deal, we were after all, covered in fur. But I knew we both smelled of sex, and that it would piss the Captain off royally. Plus he probably made everyone wear uniforms or robes at all times.

  We showered uneventfully, a rather cute Fox had winked at us as we entered the bathroom, but it was empty otherwise. Must have been about midshift I guess. Azelett did return the favor I had done for her on the bed, while I slumped back against the wall of the shower stall. We ended up coupling again in the shower, quite enjoyably, and I didn't care if anyone saw us either.

  When we finally got dressed and headed to the mess, my stomach was complaining non-stop. They weren't serving yet, but they had heard of my run in with the Captain, which was no surprise on a ship this small. So it wasn't too hard to wheedle an early meal out of the cooks. They hated the Captain too; it seems the Revocation was not a happy ship.

  After stuffing myself we went back to my quarters and contacted the other two members of my team. They were Shotoon and Rieselle. Both had come with me and not with the ship like Azelett, her job was to oversee the extraction. Their job had been to help get me there and get me in. They had both joined the ship as company 'passengers' a day before I had even hit my target. So they had no suspicions to dodge.

  I had been working with the two of them for several years now. Azelett had been brought in as a last minute replacement one week before I had left on this mission.

  "Good hunting Jotun?" Asked Shotoon after the door had been locked and the room checked for bugs.

  "Very good. A little messy coming out, but good all the same."

  "So you definitely got your target then?" Said Rieselle, it was her job to track the results.

  "Yes, one shot. Point blank, in the head, with a slow velocity forty caliber using pre-fragmented anti-personnel rounds." I said dispassionately.

  Azelett started to massage my shoulders. Talking about it afterwards never bothered me, but as I loved a good rub as much as anybody, I wasn't about to tell her that.

  "Any others?" She asked tallying notes on some coding device of hers.

  "Quite a few," I sighed as Azelett hit a sore spot. Boy that felt good! "I first hit a repair/security type to get a weapon. Second was the bodyguard we called Beta."

  "They let him bring in that tank?" Interjected Shotoon amazed.

  "Yes, I was quite surprised. I didn't have to kill him to make the hit, but I didn't want him on my tail with all that gear. So I popped him next, I was able to drug him first." I wasn't going to tell them how, I never revealed my 'trade' secrets.

  "Anyway," I continued, "I got my target third. He had a woman in the room with him and I shot her fourth." Azelett paused for a second then continued again. "If it's any consolation to you, I didn't enjoy it either," I said over my shoulder.

  "On the way out I killed, hmm.." I had to think a moment. Just how many sentries was it? "Five sentries on the perimeter. I don't know how long it was before they were discovered, the fire probably confused things."

  "What fire?" Said Rieselle.

  "Oh, I set one in the room and a few others in the building to help confuse my escape."

  "What about the injector?"

  "I dropped it in a good spot, I think it might get found."

  "Might?" She sounded upset. "What do you mean might? Do you have any idea how important that was? Or how much trouble went into getting it?"

  "I was told to make sure it didn't seem planted!" I huffed back at her my ears flattening, "That means leaving it where it will stand a good chance of being damaged or destroyed! Anyway, they've got the best forensics money can buy, they'll find enough of it."

  "You hope," she growled at me.

  I smiled back until she finally softened. We were occasional lovers and I knew she had a soft spot for me. Women always seem to feel sorry for the dangerous guy who lives in a cage.

  "So when are we due back?" I asked.

  "Eighteen days till breakout," responded Azelett. "Then another week till we're in system. You'll be taken off at that point."

  "Twenty five days then I guess," I smiled. "Not a bad vacation even considering the place."

  "Now don't go giving the Captain a heart attack." Warned Rieselle.

  "Too late, he already did!" Laughed Azelett.

  "Oh I'm not talking about that!" She growled, "Jotun here obviously plans a li
ttle exploring of the female crew."

  I just looked innocently at the ceiling.

  "And that's not to happen!"

  "Oh? Says who?" I asked innocently.

  "Your orders as I recall Jotun."

  "Funny, I seem to have lost my copy. And the computer is a total blank."

  "Don't push your luck. It'll get you in real trouble if you do!" She warned and turned to Azelett. "Keep him occupied. If you can't or don't want to, try and keep anyone from finding out. If you need any help, call me. I'm not afraid to take him to task." She smiled evilly at me with that.

  I just smiled back. She could be a lot of fun at times.

  "Oh you'll behave, won't you Jotun? For me?" Azelett asked huskily in my ear.

  "Maybe," I smiled wickedly. "But that Captain is an ass. Making his life 'interesting' would be fun!"

  "I can handle him Rieselle," She chuckled. "Don't worry!"

  The next eighteen days were enjoyable enough. Azelett did keep me happy and to be honest I enjoyed her company and learning about her. I didn't tell her anything about myself really. She wouldn't believe most of it until she saw it I felt, most people didn't.

  I did have two brief liaison's with Rieselle. Even though she and Shotoon were pretty much an item, I don't think he minded. If he did he could have easily gotten them both reassigned, I'm glad he didn't though. I liked them both way too much and we had spent a few wild times together, the three of us.

  I did notice two very cute ladies giving me the eye during this time. I had also been keeping a watch on the good Captain as I had plans for both of them.

  The first was an older black Leopard who was very aggressive about letting her wants be known. When we were four hours from breakout I hacked the computer and got her schedule changed. When she got back to her room wondering why she was off duty she found me laying on her bed smiling.

  We had a very enjoyable time then. I'm pretty sure she knew I was behind it. That I would risk something so dangerous to have her made a big impression, I'm sure. She didn't know that I was immune from the powers of her Captain, and I of course wasn't going to tell. We got together twice more over the next few days, but I was discrete each time.