by Jake Bible
"No!" Roak shouted, then calmed himself. "No." He faced Kalaka. "You'll have to show us the way down to the Gas Chamber."
"I thought you'd been there," Kalaka said.
"I have, but I was escorted by the late Ple R," Roak said. "He took us in through a special entrance."
"Oh, I know that entrance," Kalaka said. "Yeah. Good idea. We'll use that one. Not all of us. Just you and I, Roak."
"Why do you get to use the special entrance?" Klib asked.
Kalaka brought up a holo of his GVD badge and grinned a deadly Cervile grin.
"Perks of the badge," Kalaka said.
"I will show us the way through the main entrance," Klib said. "We'll go in one at a time and let each other know when it looks good for the next being to enter."
"Not sure I want to go with you," Roak said to Kalaka. "I'd rather go in first and scope the place out before everyone else."
"Good idea," Kalaka said. "Then we should hurry. Fights are starting soon."
"We're not there for the fights," Meshara said.
"We need the cover of the fights along with the kid's distractions in order to make this work," Kalaka said.
Roak studied Kalaka for a second then glanced at Meshara, Klib, and Jagul.
"Can you keep an eye on the kid?" Roak asked.
"We can," Meshara said. "If we must."
"Yeah, you must," Roak said. "Alright, Kalaka, let's go do this."
They all made sure they were synched for the correct comm channel, double checked their weapons, then left the hangar.
"The fine is still in place," Nimm called over the comm as Roak followed Kalaka out of the hangar.
The GVD hailed a roller since Poq had left as soon as he dropped them off.
"The fine is still in place," Roak relayed.
"I know. I can hear too," Kalaka said as he pointed to his ear. "We just synched our comms."
"I was repeating for emphasis," Roak said.
"Poq will take care of it," Kalaka said, holding the roller's door open for Roak. "You gotta relax."
"I don't relax on a job," Roak said.
"You're gonna be a lot of fun," Kalaka said and followed Roak into the roller.
"Where to?" a barely intelligible Ferg said. The little guy was sitting up on a huge stack of blankets in order to see out of the roller's front window.
"The fight tower," Kalaka said. "Rear entrance."
"They don't let rollers in that way anymore," the Ferg driver said.
"Then get us close," Kalaka replied. "It's not portal science."
"Close it is," the Ferg said.
Roak watched the city go by as the roller made its way through the busy then deserted then busy then deserted streets. Jafla Base had really gone to terpigshit. He thought he'd noticed it before, but the more they traversed the avenues of the base, the more blight Roak saw.
"This isn't on me," he said.
"What was that?" Kalaka asked.
"Nothing," Roak said.
"Oh, because I thought you said it wasn't on you," Kalaka said. "And, no, it's not on you. Not all of it. The authorities could have done more to save Jafla after Shava Stem Shava went down, but they didn't. They grabbed what they thought they were owed and bailed."
Roak glanced at the Ferg, but the driver didn't show any sign of paying attention to their conversation. Still, he clammed up and rode the rest of the time in silence.
"Close as we can get," the Ferg said, pulling the roller up to a curb just out front of the fight tower. "Thirteen credits."
Kalaka got out and Roak followed. Then the GVD showed his holo badge and gave the driver a wink.
"Official business. You can bill the department," Kalaka said, then walked off.
"Hey!" the Ferg shouted. He turned his beady eyes on Roak. "Looks like you're paying because there's no way I'm submitting a bill to the cops. They'll never pay it and I'll end up on a watch list."
"Here," Roak said. He fished out a chit and tossed it to the driver. "Better than thirteen credits."
"Eight Million Gods damn right," the Ferg said as he caught the chit and tucked it away in a pocket immediately. "Hard cash is better than credits any day. You'll want to tell your friend that I'm letting the other drivers know not to give him a ride anymore."
"You really want to do that?"
The Ferg scratched his head. "Nah. Probably not."
"Good call," Roak said and walked off, in no hurry to catch up with Kalaka who was just turning the corner of the building.
Roak checked the view screen in his helmet, noting all possible threats. Pretty much every being in the vicinity registered as a possible threat, making the readings useless. He had to grin to himself at that.
Kalaka was waiting for Roak around the corner. The GVD didn't say anything, only kept walking towards a small door set into a nondescript wall. When Kalaka reached the door, he placed his wrist against it.
"What?" a voice called out from a small speaker set in the wall by the door.
"It's Kalaka," Kalaka said. "Open up."
The door opened on its own. There was no one standing on the other side.
"Proceed, Detective," the voice said.
Kalaka gestured for Roak to go first. Roak rethought his approach and declined. Kalaka shrugged and walked through the door. As soon as they were both inside, the door slammed shut and lights recessed into the floor illuminated their way down a long corridor, past a lift, one that Roak remembered, down another long corridor, and to a door that was being guarded by a very big Urvein.
Unlike most Urveins, who had good-sized paunches no matter how big and muscular they looked, this one had barely any paunch at all. It was there, but the massive musculature of the rest of the Urvein drew all attention away from the little bit of fat and flesh.
"Hey, N," Kalaka said as he approached the Urvein. "How's things? How's your brother?"
"Don't ask about M, Kalaka," N said.
The Urvein spoke in a voice so low Roak wondered if his ears actually heard the voice or if his helmet was interpreting. Then he realized he knew the Urvein from the last time he'd been to the Gas Chamber. The being's voice was audible, but just barely.
"You have the chits you owe Chella?" N asked.
"I'm working on that," Kalaka said.
"Then I can't let you in," N said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Kalaka laughed nervously and glanced at Roak. "Come on, N. You know I'm good for the chits."
"I don't know that at all," N said. "Go get the chits then come back." N eyed Roak. "I know you."
Roak didn't say a thing.
"No, this is a buddy of mine from way back," Kalaka said. "It's his first time here on Jafala."
"No," N said. "I know you."
He lifted his nose in the air and wafted. Then he hunched his shoulders and his entire body tensed with impending violence.
"Oh, I remember you," N said as a terrifying grin spread across his furry face. The grin revealed teeth that were bigger than Roak's fingers. "Yeah. I don't forget a scent like that."
"N, buddy!" Kalaka exclaimed. "This guy has never been here be-"
N held up a claw. Kalaka shut up.
"You were here a few years back," N said. "With Ple R."
Roak waited quietly.
"Your name was…" The Urvein narrowed his eyes then they widened. He relaxed and laughed heartily. "Roak! You're that Eight Million Gods damn bounty hunter everyone hates!"
Roak sighed. "I thought you were the quiet one and M was the talker."
N shrugged.
His huge paw shot out and grabbed Roak by the shoulder, pulling the bounty hunter in close.
"You're worth a lot of chits," N snarled. "Good thing for you I'm not a snitch."
"Well, now that my surprise is blown, I guess I should tell you why I have the galaxy-famous Roak with me," Kalaka said with a laugh that sounded neither full of mirth nor sincere at all. "How about you let him go first?"
Both Roak and N gave Kalaka skeptica
l looks. N did not let Roak go.
"Alright, I'll tell you now," Kalaka said. "Roak's gonna fight tonight. Pretty fucking cool, right?"
"He is?" N asked.
"I am?" Roak asked.
"Yes to both," Kalaka replied. "I mean, if I walk in there with Roak, what do you think will happen?"
"Nothing," Roak said. "I'm wearing a helmet and the Urvein isn't a snitch."
"Chella is going to like this," N said. "He's going to like this a lot."
"Hey! What happened to not snitching?" Roak snapped.
"This ain't snitching, bounty hunter," N said. "This is business."
"Kalaka…" Roak growled.
"Roll with it," Kalaka said and gave Roak an apologetic smile. "This could work out to your advantage."
"How in all the Hells could it work out to my advantage?" Roak shouted.
"Calm down, calm down," Kalaka said. "We'll make it work."
"You going to walk on your own or do I need to smash you about the helmet until I crack it and knock you out?" N asked Roak in a voice that sounded like he was asking if Roak wanted extra sauce on his gump burger. "Make your choice now, bounty hunter."
"I can walk in on my own," Roak said.
"Take off the helmet," N said.
"Why?"
"Because Chella said so." N tapped at his comm. "He's been watching and listening the entire time. The second Kalaka walked up I knew he'd want to hear and see this."
"Hey, Chella," Kalaka said, waving in no particular direction.
Roak took off his helmet. N snatched it from him and threw it down the corridor. A cleaning bot popped out of the wall and scurried off with the helmet. Then he took Roak's Flott.
"I'll want that back," Roak said.
N laughed loud as the door to the Gas Chamber opened and Roak was shoved through into the noise and chaos beyond.
15.
"Now, here's a face I never in a million galactic standard years ever expected to see," Chella Po said. "Roak, galactic bounty hunter, here in the Gas Chamber. Again! How's Ple R? Oh, wait, that's right, you killed him right before you killed Shava Stem Shava."
Roak studied the former MC, and now lord of the Gas Chamber, as the man sat in a corner booth surrounded by naked beings of many races and genders.
Chella Po was human by his looks. Just a normal looking human male. His skin was an off magenta, but other than that there wasn't anything distinguishing about him.
Roak rolled his eyes.
"I didn't kill Ple R," Roak said. "I actually liked the guy."
"I'd hate to see what happens to beings you don't like!" Chella laughed. The naked beings laughed with him. "Shut up!"
They shut up.
Roak rolled his eyes again.
"I see you're playing the part of crimedouche perfectly," Roak said. "All you need is a pet nuft to sit in your lap so you can stroke its soft fur while you plot your crimedouche plots."
"You know what, Kalaka?" Chella said, turning his attention on the GVD. "I don't think so."
"You don't think so…what?" Kalaka replied.
"I don't think I'm going to let Roak fight," Chella said.
"Works for me," Roak said.
"I'm going to have him executed in front of everyone instead," Chella said.
"That doesn't work for me," Roak said.
"Can you imagine what this'll do to my reputation?" Chella continued, ignoring Roak. "I get to kill the hated Roak, galactic bounty hunter, right here in the Gas Chamber for all to see. I'll be a legend."
"You already are, baby," a naked being said as his hand dipped below the booth's table. "Such a legend."
"You're making a mistake," Roak said. "You don't want to do this."
"Don't I?"
"No."
"You sure? Because I think I do."
"No. You don't."
"Not convinced!" Chella pointed a finger at Kalaka. "Debt forgiven, Detective. You can go now."
"And miss seeing you kill Roak?" Kalaka shook his head. "No way, Chella. I'm going to want a front row seat."
"No," Chella said. "You're gone."
"Wait, what?" Kalaka protested.
N appeared through the crowd and grabbed Kalaka by the back of the neck, lifted him off his feet, and turned and walked away, using Kalaka's dangling body to shove beings out of the way.
That left Roak standing alone before Chella.
Almost alone.
"We're hearing all of this," Nimm said over the comm. "We'll figure out how to get you out of this situation."
"Uh, guys?" Jagul asked over the comm. "How do we find the right storeroom? And who tells Yellow Eyes? He doesn't have a comm."
Roak had to admit the kid had some natural instincts for this work.
"He is correct," Meshara said over the comm. "This is not ideal."
Roak struggled to keep his emotions off his face. He didn't want Chella to know he had a comm implant that the Gas Chamber's automatic scans couldn't detect.
"What's the play, Chella?" Roak asked calmly.
"I don't know," Chella said. "I'm debating whether or not to have you killed before the fights start or as an intermission treat."
"If you want beings to stick around and keep drinking then my execution should be after the main event," Roak said. "That way you have all night to build up the suspense."
"I like your thinking," Chella said. "Too bad I'm going to kill you. I bet the two of us could come up with some sick shit to show these losers."
Chella waved his arm back and forth, indicating the huge crowd that filled the massive room.
"Look at them," Chella said. The derision in his voice made a couple of his naked booth buddies wince, but none said a word. "Do you see the losers, Roak?"
"I see a bunch of beings wanting to have a good time," Roak said. "Just checking out everything the Gas Chamber has to offer."
"Is that a code?" Jagul asked. "Is Roak talking in code?"
"I don't know," Meshara said. "Roak, are you talking in code?"
"Isn't there a code among losers?" Roak asked. "Yes, I think there is."
"What in all the Hells are you mumbling about?" Chella asked. He looked at his booth buddies, perplexed. "What code?"
"The code losers have to delude each other into thinking they aren't losers," Roak explained. "As the King Loser here, I'd think you'd be more sympathetic to this crowd. You were only one mic away from them not too long ago."
"Roak is saying that he was speaking in code," Meshara said.
"Yeah, we got that," Klib said. "But what is he saying?"
"He wants Yellow Eyes to check everything," Jagul said.
"Who has eyes on Yellow Eyes?" Meshara asked. "I can't see him."
"I have him," Klib said. "He's over by a row of tables…"
"Yes…? By a row of tables…? Doing what?" Meshara asked.
"Dancing," Klib said.
"Oh, I see him," Jagul said. "Wow. He's really getting into it. The beings around him are loving it."
"I see him now and I am not loving it," Meshara said. "He's drawing attention to himself."
Roak stood there before Chella and waited for his crew to figure out what they needed to do. He had no idea what his next move would be until he knew what Chella intended. Whether the crimedouche wanted to kill him before, in between, or after the fights wasn't clear, so Roak could only wait.
He was not a fan of waiting.
"You look uncomfortable standing there, Roak, galactic bounty hunter," Chella said. "You should take that armor off and relax a minute while I decide your fate."
"You can stop calling me galactic bounty hunter," Roak said.
"Nah. I like how it sounds," Chella said. "Galactic bounty hunter. Rolls off the tongue."
"Does it make you miss your MC days?" Roak asked.
"Miss my what now? Oh, Roak, galactic bounty hunter, you've been misinformed," Chella said. He shoved a couple of his booth buddies out of the way so he could get out and stand before Roak. "I never gave u
p my MC days."
Chella snapped his fingers and a loud squawk filled the Gas Chamber, causing beings to cover their ears (if they had ears), drop drinks, and even cry out in pain.
"Hello, Gas Chamber!" Chella announced, his voice echoing throughout the space. "How's everyone doing tonight?"
There was a loud cheer from the crowd with a couple of boos intermixed.
"Uh oh, I hear some discontent," Chella said mockingly. "Are some of you getting restless while you wait for the fights to start?"
There were a handful of cheers.
"My apologies!" Chella cried. "What a horrible host I have been! Can you ever forgive me?"
Cheers and boos and several laughs.
"Oh, you guys. I love you guys."
That brought nothing but cheers then a chant started.
"Orb fights! Orb fights! Orb fights! Orb fights!"
"Alright! Alright! Keep your pants on! Or put some pants on if you've already taken them off!"
More laughs, but they could barely be heard over the chanting.
Chella grabbed Roak by the elbow and walked him towards the huge stage that was set in the middle of the room. Beings parted before them without having to be told or shouted at. When they reached the stage, Chella walked Roak up into the center of it. He let go of Roak's arm and lifted his hands above his head, flapping them in the universal gesture of "settle down".
The crowd didn't settle down which gave Roak a chance to assess his surroundings.
Roak knew that an orb would descend from the ceiling above him once the fights were kicked off. The orb was able to create a heavy gravity bubble inside that forced the fighters to battle under extreme conditions.
He turned his attention to the crowd and the entire room.
Roak spotted Jagul at the bar where the kid was talking to one of the bartenders. The being serving Jagul was looking more and more annoyed with each word Jagul said. Good. The kid was doing his job.
Meshara was off in a corner, her feline eyes locked onto Roak, her body tensed and ready to attack. Roak shook his head slightly. Meshara frowned. Roak glared. Meshara closed her eyes then nodded. Roak did not want her to try to rescue him. He could take care of himself.
He dipped his chin towards Jagul. Meshara's shoulders slumped slightly, but she nodded and moved closer to the Dornopheous kid.
Klib was nowhere that Roak could see. He spotted several Halgons, but none were the syndicate thug. That had him worried. Where was she?