[Shadowrun 41] - Born to Run

by Stephen Kenson - (ebook by Undead)

  G-Dogg offered to do the talking, but Kellan insisted on doing it herself. If she was putting this run together, she wasn’t going to do it by halves.

  “Deacon,” she said. He showed no sign that he heard her. “I’ve got a job,” Kellan continued.

  “Find someone else to play with, kid,” the Street Deacon replied, taking a sip of his drink, not even looking in Kellan’s direction. “I’m not interested.”

  “I think you will be when you hear what it’s about.”

  “Doubt it,” the Deacon replied calmly.

  Kellan forced herself to lean in closer. She put one hand on the bar in front of him, and spoke quietly so only the Deacon could hear her.

  “I know what Brickman is up to,” she said. “He’s playing us all.”

  The Street Deacon turned to look at her, and Kellan forced herself to not flinch from the flat, dead gaze of his artificial eyes.

  “Is that so? You don’t even know half of what Brickman is about, little girl,” he said.

  “I know enough,” Kellan replied firmly, straightening up. “I know he’s setting up something between the Spikes and the Ancients, and I know he used us to test out a run to snatch some weapons, maybe even set us up to take the fall for the next hijacking.”

  “So? That’s what guys like Brickman do.”

  “Now I’m giving you a chance to so something about it.” The Deacon started to turn away from her, and Kellan said, “I didn’t take you for a fall guy.”

  “I’m not,” he sneered. “Not for Brickman, and not for you, either.”

  Kellan played her hunch. “Not anymore, anyway.” The Street Deacon’s attention snapped back to her with a look that made Kellan’s blood run cold. She wondered for a moment if she’d pushed him too far.

  “No,” he said flatly. “Not anymore.”

  “Now’s your chance to prove it to him.” She paused, looking down at the bar, then met the Deacon’s cold gaze again. “ ‘All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.’ ”

  The street samurai just looked at Kellan, unblinking. Then he set his drink down on the bar.

  “What’s the run?” he asked.

  As they left the Crusher, G-Dogg asked Kellan, “What was that you said to him? Is it from some book?”

  Kellan shrugged. “Beats the frag out of me. Just something I saw in somebody’s signature file online. Looks like it worked, though.” G-Dogg grinned and nodded.

  “You understand the Deacon better than I thought,” the ork said, “though I think you were taking a real chance.”

  “I still don’t understand why we need him,” Orion said.

  “Because we might need some extra muscle,” Kellan replied, “and I’ve already learned it’s better the devil you know.”

  G-Dogg gave her a tusky grin. “Nice to know you’ve been payin’ attention, kid,” he said.

  They cut through the alley next to the Crusher to get to where they’d left G-Dogg’s car. The roar of engines cut through the night, and the glare of motorcycle headlights stabbed down the alley. Kellan squinted against the sudden brightness, which rendered the bikes and their riders black silhouettes against the darkness.

  “Hey, makkaherenit,” a voice called out over the thrumming of the engines. “Green Lucifer sends his regards.” The bike engines revved.

  Orion turned to Kellan. “Go,” he said, nodding his head toward the other end of the alley. “Now.”

  “I’m not going to just—” Kellan began, then the go-gangers drew their weapons and raced their bikes forward, like knights on eager steeds.

  “Go!” Orion yelled, and G-Dogg grabbed Kellan’s arm and dragged her toward the other end of the alley, just as two more bikes rounded the corner, cutting off their retreat.

  “Aw, fraggit,” G-Dogg muttered, reaching into his jacket and pulling Kellan toward the alley wall as the other two gangers roared toward them.

  Orion stood his ground as the two bikes closed in on him. One of the elves whirled a length of heavy chain over his head and the other hefted a metal baseball bat, both of them laughing and hooting war cries.

  In a blur of motion, Orion ran at one of the approaching motorcycles. He leapt up, his jump carrying him over the front wheel and handlebars of the compact bike, and planted one booted foot squarely in the chest of the elf with the baseball bat. The rider went flying off the bike, which hit the pavement and skidded sideways in a shower of sparks. The rider followed, hitting the ground with a thud. Orion landed on his feet and reached over his shoulder, drawing his sword in one smooth motion. The blade gleamed in the play of the headlights from the oncoming motorcycles.

  G-Dogg, meanwhile, drew a heavy pistol from his jacket. He stepped out into the alley, spun toward one of the oncoming bikers, and fired two shots in rapid succession. The first sparked off the frame of the Yamaha Rapier, but the second was closer to the mark and took the rider in the shoulder. The impact almost knocked him off his bike, and caused it to veer toward the wall, forcing the rider to brake and skid to a halt.

  Kellan reached for her own gun as the second rider roared past G-Dogg, headed for Orion. The elf warrior dodged the chain-wielding ganger, who headed toward G-Dogg from the opposite direction. The two shadowrunners turned to meet their new opponents.

  The whirling chain lashed out as G-Dogg turned, catching the ork upside the head. Kellan saw dark blood arc from where G-Dogg was hit as the biker roared past. Then she saw the other ganger G-Dogg had shot. He had regained control of his bike, and was drawing a flat-profile gun from underneath his jacket. Kellan spun toward him and snapped off a shot that ricocheted off the wall nearby. She successfully diverted the elf’s attention from G-Dogg, but focused it on her. She dodged behind the club’s trash barrels as the ganger fired off a couple of shots in her direction.

  Orion turned as another ganger closed in on him. A heavy bat swung at the same time as Orion’s sword flashed out. Sparks flew and the bat went tumbling end over end to clatter to the pavement a short distance away. The ganger looked dumbly at his empty hand as he rode past. The elf Orion knocked from his bike got back up and tackled him from behind. Caught off guard, Orion wasn’t able to bring his sword to bear as the ganger slammed both of them against the wall.

  The elf with the chain swerved in a squealing of tires, turning around for another pass at G-Dogg. He overestimated how much he’d hurt the ork, who raised his pistol and fired another two shots. Both of them slammed into the elf’s chest, knocking him off his bike onto the ground and toppling the motorcycle.

  Kellan popped up from behind the barrels and fired off another shot at the Ancient with the gun, but missed him again. She ducked as a couple more shots whanged off the pavement close by. G-Dogg turned on the gun-wielding elf and fired a shot that forced the elf to abandon his bike and seek cover.

  By now, the Ancients were dismounted, either knocked off their rides or on foot to maneuver in the tight confines of the alley. Orion grappled with one ganger as another closed in. A long, thin blade slid out of the back of the approaching Ancient’s hand, extending out from his arm. It was flat black in the harsh glow of the headlights. Orion managed to push off the ganger and bring his sword up just in time to parry a slash from the Ancient’s cyberspur. G-Dogg fired a couple more shots at the gun-toting Ancient, rushing across the alley to find some cover.

  Momentarily safe behind the trash barrels, Kellan focused her attention on the elf fighting Orion. She concentrated like Lothan had taught her, feeling the flow of magic all around her. The now-familiar heat washed across her skin, tingling around her neck where the amulet rested. She raised her free hand and pointed at the elf, focusing, directing all the heat and energy toward him as he slashed and stabbed, and Orion twisted and parried.

  “Burn,” Kellan whispered, unleashing the energy she gathered. There was a rush of power as it left her, and a streak of fire cut across the alley. The elf ganger turned at the last moment, alerted by the sudden brightness, but too late to avoid t
he blast. The fire struck him square in the chest and there was a boom that shook the alley as flames exploded all around, engulfing not only the Ancient with the cyberspur, but his compatriot and Orion as well.

  “Orion!” Kellan cried out. The flames cleared as thick black smoke boiled up toward the sky. The side of the wall and part of the pavement was blackened with it, and three figures lay on the ground. Kellan felt her heart stop when she saw it.

  Heedless of the danger, she rushed out from cover toward where Orion lay. She vaguely heard the sounds of the other two elves retreating as quickly as they could, the bike engines roaring again as they took off, not wanting to face off against a spellcaster as well as G-Dogg.

  Kellan reached Orion’s side. His jacket and jeans were charred and burned in spots, and there were burns on his face, hands and parts of his torso, but his chest still rose and fell, and he groaned weakly and started to roll over as Kellan knelt by his side.

  “Don’t move,” she said, placing as gentle a hand as she could on his shoulder. She looked at the other two elves lying nearby. The ganger she’d hit was clearly dead, burned to a crisp, while the other was burned like Orion, though it seemed like he caught more of the brunt of the blast.

  Then G-Dogg was there, crouching beside her, looking things over with an experienced eye. He cupped Orion’s head in one massive hand, looking at the burns on his face and lifting one eyelid to check his pupils.

  “I think he’ll be okay,” the ork said, “but he needs a street doc or a healer.” He turned to look at Kellan. “Can you do anything for him? Kellan?”

  The request snapped Kellan out of the daze she was in. She glanced down at Orion, then back up at G-Dogg, shaking her head. “I don’t know how,” she said helplessly.

  “Then we should get him to Liada,” G-Dogg replied. “The Star will show up sooner or later, even in this part of the Barrens, especially when people start tossing fireballs around. Help me get him up.” Kellan helped G-Dogg move Orion, though the brawny ork did most of the work. Soon, Orion was laid out across the backseat of G-Dogg’s car. They drove away from Crusher 495 as sirens wailed in the distance, heralding the arrival of Lone Star. G-Dogg got on the phone as he drove. It was only then that Kellan noticed the blood oozing from a nasty gash along the side of his head, matting in the ork’s dark dreadlocks. G-Dogg seemed to pay no attention to it.

  “Liada,” he said into the phone. “We ran into some trouble. We’re going to need some patching up. Looks like the Ancients might be a problem.”

  Kellan was angry that Orion’s surrogate family was trying to kill him, just because he was trying to do what he thought was right. She figured it was over when Orion lost the duel to Green Lucifer, but clearly the Ancients were not going to let it drop until Orion was dead. But she wondered, was dealing with Orion more important to them than their war with the Spikes?

  “I think I know how to distract them,” Kellan said, putting a hand on G-Dogg’s arm.

  17

  Liada closed her eyes in concentration as she slowly rubbed her hands together, as if warming them. She whispered words in a soft singsong that sounded like elvish. Kellan saw a faint shimmering light gather around Liada’s hands.

  Orion lay on the couch in G-Dogg’s apartment, his leather jacket tossed on the floor and the charred remains of his T-shirt lying close by. Liada gently laid her hands on him, one on Orion’s forehead, and the other on his chest. She spoke a single, forceful word. Kellan felt the surge of magical energies, different this time than the kind of power she’d felt from the spells she’d experienced so far. It was gentler, soothing, almost a whisper.

  The ripple of magic spread across Orion’s body and, before Kellan’s eyes, he began to heal. The angry red burns faded to a tender pink, and then to normal, pale flesh. Burned hair regrew along the side of Orion’s scalp, and his chest suddenly swelled with a deep intake of breath, followed by a long, relaxed sigh.

  Liada slumped over the elf warrior for a moment, catching herself with one hand against the back of the couch. As Orion stirred, she got slowly to her feet, brushing the long, dark hair out of her face and tucking it behind her pointed ears.

  Orion’s eyes fluttered open. He reached up and peeled the spray bandage off his face. The surgical staples and the cut were both gone, leaving only a thin, white scar behind. He ran his fingers over it, then across his chest where the burns had been. There was a look of wonder on his face as he glanced up at Liada leaning over him.

  “Thanks,” he said, and the elf mage nodded.

  “No problem,” she replied, sounding tired, but pleased. She turned toward Kellan and G-Dogg. “He’ll be fine, but he should get some rest and eat something to help his body fully recover. Now, let me take a look at that cut, G-Dogg,” she said, straightening up and moving over to the chair where the ork slouched.

  “It’s no big deal…” he began with a wave of his hand.

  “Let me be the judge of that,” Liada said crisply.

  She parted the bloodied dreadlocks and appraised the oozing cut. Then she waved her fingers over the wound, whispering soft words. She gently pressed her hand against the side of the ork’s head. When she lifted it away, the cut was gone, as if it had never been.

  Liada puffed a tired sigh as G-Dogg brushed his blunt fingers across the side of his head.

  “You can crash here for a while, if you want,” he offered, and Liada nodded.

  “Thanks, I think I will.”

  “Thanks, Liada,” Kellan offered, glancing over at Orion. She couldn’t believe that Liada had healed them both so quickly.

  “All part of the service,” the elf mage replied with a wave of her hand. “You toss a killer fireball.”

  “That’s for sure,” Orion muttered, levering himself up to a sitting position.

  Kellan felt a hot flush across her face and neck as the memory of her blunder came flooding back.

  “I—I’m really sorry,” she fumbled for the words. “It was an accident.”

  “It’s okay,” Orion said. “You didn’t mean any harm, and you sure as hell put an end to that fight. I’ll just know next time to get out of the way.” He smiled.

  “If you’re careful, there won’t be a next time,” Liada said in a firm tone. “You’ve clearly got power, Kellan, but you need to learn how to control it. Until you do, I’d be careful about just throwing it around. Magic isn’t a game and it’s not a toy.”

  “I know that,” Kellan said stiffly.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Liada replied, her tone softening. “We all make mistakes. The first time I summoned a spirit… well, let’s just say that I bit off more than I could chew. The trick is to learn from those mistakes. Don’t try to take on too much before you’re ready for it, okay?”

  Kellan nodded. “Okay,” she said.

  “I dunno about you guys,” G-Dogg interjected, “but I need some sack time and a shower. I get cranky if I don’t get my beauty rest.” The other shadowrunners wisely refrained from stating the obvious and found places to sleep.

  Kellan volunteered to take the floor so the others could use the few pieces of furniture G-Dogg’s doss boasted. She had certainly slept in worse places, and she felt so responsible for what had happened. If Orion hadn’t managed to move when he did…. She pushed the thought aside. She would just have to be more careful in the future. She understood that magic was more than just an opportunity, it was also a responsibility. She just had to make sure there wouldn’t be any more screwups.

  Late the next morning, G-Dogg took them to a local diner that served a hearty breakfast. They sat at a back corner booth, and G-Dogg ordered enough food for eight people. Kellan discovered she was hungrier than she thought, and the ork easily ate enough for two humans. Even Orion put away a surprising amount for someone so lithe. They tucked into stacks of soyjacks, accompanied by juice, soy-sages and plentiful amounts of coffee. Liada stuck with some fruit and a piece of toast, along with some juice. By the time they were close to finished,
Kellan was feeling refreshed and invigorated.

  “We can meet up tonight at Max’s,” G-Dogg said between bites of food. “He’s got the transportation, and we’ll want to go over everything once more before it goes down.”

  Kellan nodded in agreement. “Can you let the Deacon know?” she asked.

  “No problem.”

  “Might be a good idea for you to lay low for the rest of the day,” Kellan said to Orion, whose expression demonstrated he didn’t care for the idea at all.

  “Just until the run is over,” Kellan pressed, speaking quietly, so as not to be overheard. “If the Ancients are looking for you…”

  “I’m not going to hide,” Orion said stubbornly.

  “Last night isn’t going to be the end of it, not by a long shot,” G-Dogg interjected, taking a swig of his soykaf. “Every newbie in the Ancients looking to score some points and some street cred will be gunning for you, chummer.”

  “There’s no point in making yourself into a target,” Liada added. “You know this isn’t over with the Ancients, especially if they think you know something that might be damaging to them. You’re going to need to keep a low profile until the run anyway.”

  Orion sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “You can hang at my place,” G-Dogg offered. “At least until things quiet down and you can set yourself up. Probably not a good idea for you to go back to your own place until then. You can bet the Ancients are watching it.”

  “Thanks,” Orion said glumly, realizing the others were right.

  Liada and Orion finished up and headed out the door, and G-Dogg turned to Kellan.

  “Are you sure about having him in on this?” the ork asked.

  “He is in on this,” Kellan insisted, and G-Dogg held his hands up to ward off a tirade.

  “I know, I know, but it could be trouble. As long as the Ancients are after him, he’s going to be a target. And I don’t want to go on a run with a big target on our team.”