Maria pushed away from him, angrily. “You bastard. You sent that to Blake. You nearly got him killed. You nearly got me killed!”
Kirsty cut across Rik's apology. “Shut the fuck up, both of you. I want ten million dollars.”
“I'll give you twenty,” Rivers said.
“You? You're lucky to still be alive, from what I can see.”
“I can still work my cogplus.” Rivers seemed to be quite relaxed about her situation.
“Not if I ask Veb to pull your head off,” Rik growled. “Why don't you just keep quiet and let me do the deal?” He spoke to Kirsty again. “OK. Ten million. It's agreed.”
“I like her offer better,” Kirsty said. “Make it twenty.”
Rik made a show of looking angry, then of reluctantly capitulating. “All right, twenty.” He was absolutely sure Lanham would pay far, far more than that.
“Thirty,” said a voice from the doorway.
They all looked to see Greet-Greet McGregor standing there.
Chapter 34
As soon as he saw the shabby Scotsman, something started turning in Rik's brain, as if some ponderous machinery of deduction had been set in motion. He had a quick flashback to a day two weeks ago in Berlin.
"So you're what?" Peth asked. "A professional bodyguard?"
"PLEO,” he told her. “This isn't the kind of work I normally take on."
"Hard times, huh?"
“Greet-Greet, you little douchebag,” he said. “I want a word with you. No, that's a lie. I want to pound your head on the floor until it cracks. That's what I really want.”
“Any advance on thirty?” Kirsty asked. Her tone implied she thought everyone should focus on the business of making her rich.
Rik stomped across the bar and grabbed Greet-Greet by the scruff of the neck, dragging him back with him to where the others stood. He was way past caring where his next job might come from.
“This little ferret works for Newton Cordell,” he said, speaking to Kirsty. “Cordell is the guy who cooked up that little stew of viral poison.” He pointed to the package in her hand. “In case you're wondering, it's a weaponised, highly infectious gene mod that turns people into faithful followers.
“But that's beside the point. Cordell now knows, thanks to my ratty friend here, that you have it, that you more than likely stole it, and that you've been trying to sell his property. And that means you're a dead woman.
“And here are a couple of other interesting facts for you to contemplate. The psychopath my buddy Veb is holding onto is working for the Chicago Mob. Her boss calls herself Celestina, but you'd probably know her better by the name she used before she died, when she was still a man: Stefano Marcello.” Kirsty's eyes widened, and she looked in alarm at Rivers, who smiled pleasantly back at her. “If Cordell gets the package back, I'm pretty sure Celestina will have you spit-roasted, out of pure pique. And Rivers here is just the gal to do it.
“But that's not all. I'm working for another dead guy who seems to have even Marcello under his thumb – which is very scary, when you think about it – and my friend here...” He nodded towards Freymann, who still had her gun trained on Kirsty. “...is with the British Secret Service. I kid you not. No doubt she'd like to chip in with a bid at some point. Or kill you. Whichever is easier.”
He shook his head, sadly. “I think you're a little bit out of your depth here, lady. You should just put the package down on that table – very carefully – and go. Let the rest of us sort it out. It may be the only way you'll leave this room alive.”
Kirsty looked from one to another of them, and finally back at Rik. “OK. I'll take the ten mil. From you. Then I'm going.”
He didn't let it show, but relief flooded him. He could get the package, free Maria and get out of there, all while Rivers was being restrained. Greet-Greet was an annoying loose end, but that didn't matter much. After the part the Scotsman played in getting him into all this, Rik wasn't too worried about what became of him.
They exchanged bank codes and did the transaction without speaking a word. Then Kirsty left the bar as fast as she could without actually breaking into a run. Outside, she almost fell over a small boy who was staring in through the half-open doors. For a moment, the boy's eyes met Rik's. The dumb kid ought to get out of there and not rubberneck where a stray bullet might find him; but there was no time to worry about that now. He turned to Rivers.
“Looks like an impasse,” he said.
The upload shrugged as best she could with Veb still holding her arms. “Here's the deal. You let me go, I won't kill anybody except him.” She glanced towards Greet-Greet. “And maybe the zombie who's been rubbing himself against my ass for the past few minutes. Having fun, sweetie?”
Veb grunted, but said nothing.
“What about the package?” Rik asked.
“I get that.”
“No deal.”
“Rik?” Maria sounded nervous. “Why don't you just let her have the package? She's working for the same people as you, isn't she?”
“I'm sorry, Maria, but I just quit. No-one should be allowed to have what's in those phials. I'm going to make sure they're destroyed.”
“I can't let you do that, Rik,” Rivers said.
“Hasn't that thing got an off switch?” Greet-Greet demanded.
“Shut your mouth,” Veb growled, “or I'll let go of her.”
“Rivers?” This time it was Freymann breaking her long silence. “Isn't there some way we can work this so you don't upset your bosses, but we don't give them the package either? It doesn't matter to you what happens to that shit. All you care about is being square with Marcello, or Celestina, or whatever he, she or it calls itself these days.”
“Nice try, spook, but there's only one way for me to be safe, and you know it. You think I'd go out on a limb for you? Think again, sister.”
“Not for me, Rivers. For everyone.”
“Save your breath, Fariba,” Rik said. An appeal to Rivers' humanity was about as much use as threatening her with a soft pillow. “Rivers is helpless. Celestina has her wired to blow. She isn't going to do anything except what she's told.”
The upload glowered at him, but didn't contradict him.
“You might be willing to clear up a puzzle for me, though,” he said. “Why did The Phenomenon of Man take off again just after we disembarked?”
“What?”
Rik watched her carefully, concerned to see how surprised she was. “It took off just after we left, heading for a geosynchronous parking orbit. I saw it on a departure board at the space station.”
“I... It's none of your business.” Rik was certain now that she didn't know.
“What's going on, Rik?” Freymann asked.
“Some kind of double-cross, at a guess.”
“How could you trust a soulless demon?” Greet-Greet said.
Rik tightened his grip on the man's collar and almost dragged him off his feet. “Shut the fuck up with that creepy God shit. I've heard enough of it to last me a lifetime.”
“I hope not, Mr. Drew. No-one should give up on their soul when there is hope of salvation.”
Everyone turned to look at the speaker.
Chapter 35
Rik's heart sank. In the doorway was a short, rotund man in a fedora, archaically dressed and grinning broadly. Behind him stood two elegant women, tall and athletic, who watched him with expressionless, flawlessly beautiful faces.
“Rik?” Maria asked in a tremulous voice.
“The guy's human,” Rik said, mostly for Veb's benefit. “The two catwalk models are robots.”
“You're kidding!” Veb sounded more impressed than scared. But Veb had never seen the two robots in action.
“They work for Cordell,” Rik added, in case anyone should be in doubt.
“How did they get fixed so quickly?” Freymann wondered.
“How did they get here so quickly?” said Rik.
“Cherchez la femme,” Clermont said, smirking. “We g
ot a big organisation, Drew. You think we can't keep tabs on one dumb blonde?” He glanced meaningfully at Maria then at the robots. “You think Mr. Cordell can't afford to keep a couple of spares lying around?”
Rik stepped over to the table where the package lay and picked it up. “All right, Clermont, you found me. Now what?”
“Simple.” The little man strolled into the bar with exaggerated casualness. The two Barbie-bots maintained formation beside him. “You give me the package, and I take it back to Earth with me. It's as easy as that.”
Rik watched the man carefully. He appeared to be carrying a gun under his jacket this time, but was showing no sign of wanting to reach for it. Why should he, with the two robots at his command?
“Veb,” Rik said. “Let Rivers go.” As he said it, he tossed Greet-Greet aside, sending the Scotsman skittering across the room.
Veb looked reluctant, but he did as he was told. Rivers immediately stepped away from him, out of reach. She didn't even look back at him. Her full attention was on the two robots.
“Now this is great, just great,” Greet-Greet said, getting his balance. “It looks like Good triumphs after all, Rik. You don't seem so cocky now, you great steaming pile of crap.”
“Shut up,” Clermont commanded him angrily. “And fuck off.” The tension in the room was building as the moment approached for somebody to make a move.
For a brief while, Greet-Greet blustered and protested, but then he seemed to notice that the two factions had squared off for a fight. “Ah. Right,” he muttered. “I'll be away, then.” He made for the door almost at a run.
“You too, Maria,” Rik said, not looking at her. “Get out and get clear. This is nothing to do with you.”
“What?” she asked, stupidly. He could hear the fear and uncertainty in her voice. “I want to stay with you.”
Rik almost laughed. Right there, with him, was about the least safe place in the system just at that moment. He made an effort to harden his tone. “Maria, please. Just go. You're just a distraction here.”
“Just a...”
“Fariba?”
He heard Freymann go to Maria and start persuading her to leave. He hoped she would be firm about it. He didn't want to worry about Maria's safety while he was trying to save his own life and keep the package out of Clermont's hands.
“Do you know what's in this package, Clermont?” he asked, stalling.
“Nope, and I don't give a damn.” He held out a hand. “Let's have it.”
“It's a virus. A weaponised virus that will invade the cells of your brain and re-wire the DNA. If you get infected – and you will, if Cordell has his way – you'll be as much of a robot as the silicon sisters behind you. Do you want to be Cordell's robot? Isn't there anybody in this world you care about enough to save them from that?”
He could hear Maria's and Freymann's voices moving away, to the back of the bar. They might both be safe now if the fighting started, although he knew Freymann would be back in a moment if there was trouble. He didn't want her hurt, but it would be good to know she had his back.
“Give me the package, Rik,” Rivers said, from somewhere to his left. She sounded too close for comfort, and he itched to look round to find out just what she was up to. “It's the only way to keep it safe. You don't stand a chance.”
Whatever she was doing, it was making the robots nervous. They started moving out from behind Clermont, positioning themselves to outflank Rik and the two uploads. Rik could only imagine what kind of strategic and tactical algorithms were running in their photonic brains, how many entangled superpositions of qbit arrays were sifting and sorting the geometry of the little group as they sought optimal outcomes.
“This could get messy, Clermont. You and I might not last long if these guys start swinging.”
“I'll take my chances. Hand it over.”
“My friend Rivers here beat off two of your girls all on her own, last time they had a disagreement. You don't want to be too confident of your chances.”
The two robots turned to look at Rivers, then back at Rik. Their expressions did not change.
“Yeah?” Clermont seemed altogether too relaxed for Rik's liking. He must have heard what happened at the Cordell mansion in Mexico. “Well, them others were just Mrs. C's playthings, if you know what I mean. These babies are more advanced models. You've got five seconds, Drew. After that, I don't care if you're dead or alive when I get the package.”
“I'll pay you anything you like, Clermont. I've got a lot of money at my disposal.”
“Too late for that, chum. Three seconds.”
Rik felt a movement behind him, one he'd been expecting ever since Rivers had spoken. With all the speed he could muster, he pulled the arm holding the package up and across his chest. Rivers' black arm flashed past where his hand had been.
Then pandemonium broke out.
As the two robots sprang at him, and the two uploads sprang at the robots, Rik dropped to a crouch, his feet almost lifting off the ground as his body dropped at an infuriatingly slow pace. Then he jumped, flying above the rest of them, looking down from the ceiling as his back hit it. The robots both reached for him, and might have caught him, had they not been tackled by Veb and Rivers in the same moment. But he wasn't trying to avoid the robots. As he fell at a leisurely lunar pace, he pointed his gun at Clermont and fired twice. Cordell's man had his hand in his jacket, pulling out his own weapon, when Rik's bullets hit him in the chest and knocked him down. The recoil was enough to push Rik off balance, and he hit the ground awkwardly, dropping his gun as he struggled to keep the package safe.
Veb and Rivers were each wrestling with a robot. The combination of superhuman strength and low lunar gravity meant their struggles were throwing them all over the bar, shattering tables, bouncing them from floor to ceiling, smashing them into walls. Individual movements were too fast to follow, but Rik could see that the new robots were doing better than the last pair had. These seemed faster and more sure of themselves. Whereas before, Rivers had been able to outmanoeuvre them, this new pair seemed better at anticipating their opponents' moves, and better at exploiting their mistakes. They looked like they were specially programmed and trained for close fighting. What's more, they were completely focused on getting to Rik and the package. Everything they did was designed to move them closer to him.
He grabbed his gun off the floor and made for the door. His best chance was to get out of there and hope he could get into hiding before the robots found him. But he didn't get two paces before the one fighting Veb got an arm free, grabbed a chair and threw it at him so hard and fast that it sent him sprawling across the room. He took some hard knocks before he fetched up against a wall, desperately protecting the package and its fragile contents at the expense of his own fragile flesh.
He was stunned and winded. When he could take in what was happening again, he saw Freymann had re-entered the bar and was going to Veb's aid. The ex-bouncer, seeing her arrive, grabbed onto the robot and heaved it round, presenting it to Freymann, who dutifully emptied half a clip into its slender back. The robot jerked and twitched as the bullets hit, but showed no signs of damage. In fact, it immediately broke Veb's grip and spun around to land a vicious kick on Freymann's shoulder. It sent the agent cartwheeling across the room. By the time Rik was on his feet and running to her aid, she was lying still on the floor.
The distraction gave Veb the chance he needed to land a mighty right hook on the robot's jaw, lifting it off the ground and sending it arcing across the bar. Yet even as it happened, Rivers came crashing into Veb, having been thrown across the room herself by the other robot.
Rik dodged around the flailing uploads as he raced towards Freymann. He turned to the robot that had been fighting Rivers, intending to get off a couple of shots in its direction, only to find it was already upon him. Elegant and feminine though it looked, the robot hit Rik like a charging bull. The blow carried him across the floor to the solid concrete of the bar itself. With a si
ckening crack, he heard his head hit the bar. There was a moment of darkness and silence, then pain shot through him. He gasped, only half-conscious, and struggled to get his bearings.
When his head cleared, he found himself lying on the ground with one of the robots standing over him. It stepped back, quickly putting several metres between them. In its hand it had the package.
Rivers and Veb had disentangled themselves and were squaring up to attack the robot. Meanwhile, the second machine was circling around behind them. Freymann was on the floor not far away, lying still.
Rik dragged himself to his feet, leaning on the bar for support. His head felt as if one of the robots was still pounding on it, and his left shoulder felt crushed.
“You'll never get out of here with that,” he said, although for the life of him, he couldn't see any good reason why they wouldn't. “You might as well hand it over now.”
The robot with the package gazed steadily at him. Rik could hardly begin to guess what it was thinking. Certainly it could not think that he, personally, was much of a threat. Even holding onto the bar, he could feel himself swaying. He wiped a hand across his mouth and it came away smeared with blood. The robots, by contrast, looked as sleek and beautiful as ever, with hardly an artificial hair out of place.
“What now, boss?” Veb asked.
It looked like another stalemate had been reached. The robots couldn't leave with the package without being attacked again, and now the risk of losing the package made that less attractive than before. However, if Veb and Rivers went after the bots, there was a good chance one of the Barbies might get away in the ruckus, or, much worse, break the phials and release the virus. He wanted this to be over so he could see to Freymann. He felt her stillness on the ground beside him like a shout in his mind. But he couldn't help her now. Not until the robots had been dealt with.
“Any suggestions, Veb? Rivers, have you called the ship for reinforcements?” The crew of The Phenomenon of Man was mostly uploads and would have been very handy just then.
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