by C. G. Hatton
NG bit his lip, not exactly sure what to say.
The Man put the piece down and looked up, dark eyes catching the light from the flickering flame. “We are under siege from all sides. The Federation, the Assassins, and what of the Merchants? Has that situation been resolved?”
Media was swearing that it was but it was nowhere near that clear cut. NG shook his head. “No, no, it hasn’t,” he said and moved his remaining bishop to capture a pawn and threaten the Man’s queen.
The Man sat quietly, waiting for him to clarify.
It was hard to explain without sounding like he was slating Media so NG kept it simple. “There are always individuals that believe they can undercut our price. There always will be.”
“And the Merchants?” The Man was persistent. He pulled back the queen.
“Were foolish enough to believe they could blow us out of the water, was the way I heard it.”
It was worse even than that sounded. The Merchants’ Guild had gone beyond talking about it; they’d started offering acquisitions in the open market.
NG took another sip and placed the goblet on the desk. “Media is fooling herself if she thinks they’ve dropped it, whatever her contacts have told her.” He moved his knight. “I’ve heard otherwise and I’m dealing with it.”
•
Sean was waiting and let him back in through her window. There was a tray of rations on the table by the bed, the box opened and its contents spilled out, and a jug of tea that was still steaming. She poured him a cup and threw across a packet of biscuits.
“What’s going on?”
LC perched on the bed. He was cold, the adrenaline wearing off fast. He pulled on an extra shirt and bit open the packet. “I just need to make sure Gallagher is okay then we can go.” The biscuits were sweet and the tea was hot. It wasn’t hooch but it helped warm him up.
Sean sat next to him and took one of the biscuits he offered, taking in the scuffed and grazed knuckles on his hand. She looked at him with that curious expression.
“Have you been fighting?”
He shrugged and she frowned.
“I thought it was Hil that gets into trouble.”
“It’s Hil that gets caught,” he said.
The frown almost turned into a smile but Sean set her face into neutral. “Why are you so worried about Gallagher, LC? I know that’s not like you.”
He had to bite his tongue not to say that she didn’t know him at all because he knew that she’d read his file. He wasn’t exactly renowned for working well with people and Mendhel was the only person he’d ever respected enough to be able to take direct orders from. Mendhel had always given him the time and space to be himself.
“I owe someone,” he said softly, “and it’s a debt I can never repay. But that doesn’t mean I can’t set it right in some other way.”
He could tell from her face that she understood and Mendhel’s name flashed into her mind. She knew what had happened to his handler and she easily figured out for herself that Gallagher was way too much like Mendhel for him to be able to turn his back on the freighter captain.
“Do you know what your record shows?” Sean said.
“Which one?”
She smiled. “Your guild personnel record.”
He knew exactly what it showed and he could see in her mind that she was torn between utmost respect and abject dismay thinking about the file she’d read.
“I was expecting you and Hil to be alike,” she said, “from the stats and the notes I was given, but I’m not so sure now. You’re both very different.”
LC sipped at the tea and demolished a couple of biscuits. He didn’t want to talk about the guild. He didn’t know who he could trust there and even thinking that made his stomach cold. Sean genuinely believed that she could trust NG and she was reminding him about the guild because that’s where she wanted his attention, not out here running around to god knows where.
“I need to go to Aston,” he said. “I want to find Anya.”
Sean sat quietly for a minute trying to decide if she could persuade him back to the guild. “I talked to people on the Alsatia, LC, and I know you have a helluva reputation but you don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”
“I don’t care what people think,” he said.
She looked at him intently. “I know. That’s in your file too.” She reached a hand out to touch his arm. “Just come with me, LC. The last I heard on the bounty was that it’s going up. Someone wants you really badly, Luka. Dead or alive.” She paused and he could hear the anguish running through her mind. “I don’t want to lose you.”
There was that warm feeling again and he couldn’t help but smile.
She punched his arm. “Don’t get ideas. I don’t get paid unless I get you back there.”
LC reached across for another packet of biscuits. “I can’t let Anya down. I need to find out if she’s still alive. I don’t care what you think about NG, I can’t go back to the guild until I know what’s going on.” He raised his eyes to look at her, defying her to argue with him.
“Why Aston?”
He stared at her, trying to figure how much to say. “There’s someone there that I trust,” he said finally, not wanting to say any more about Pen.
Sean shook her head. “Aston’s too dangerous.”
“Then take me to Redgate. Badger will be able to help us.”
“It’s too dangerous,” she said again, and he could hear that she was running scenarios through her head – what if anyone else had their eye on the bounty, what if they were caught in the fighting, what if he was hurt again?
“Sean, I don’t believe in what ifs,” he said and she stared at him, slightly confused. Crap. He needed to be careful not to do that. “Help me with this,” he added quickly, “then you can take me wherever the hell you want.”
She told him to get some sleep and walked out, conversation over. For a brief moment, her mind had been completely open to him. She wasn’t impressed, with herself as much as with him. It was obvious that she was used to running the show and it seemed like he’d set on edge every emotion she usually kept under wraps. He read easily from her mind that she had a strict don’t get involved rule and he was pushing the boundaries. And he wasn’t even trying.
He grabbed a blanket off the bed and dozed fitfully in a chair, fully dressed, boots on and a headache pulsing behind his eyes. It felt like it had been a handful of minutes when he heard the door open and Sean call softly to him.
“Tierney wants to see us. You want some breakfast?”
LC threw off the blanket and blinked. It was daylight outside. “What time is it?”
“Early. Come on, we have a pot of tea on the go.”
What was it with the tea? LC scrubbed a hand through his hair, grabbed his jacket and followed her down the stairs, catching hold of her hand as they walked. Gallagher and Thom were sitting in the kitchen and both looked up at them as they entered.
LC could have sworn that Sean blushed.
She shook off his hand and sent, “Don’t push it,” through the wire at him as he sat.
He smiled and watched as she poured tea for them all and nudged across a plate of dry biscuits with slices of cold meat and some kind of cheese.
“Sean said you have to go,” Gallagher said. “Is there anything I can do?”
For a second LC thought he meant was there anything Gallagher could do to stop him leaving but it wasn’t – it was a genuine offer of help. He looked deeper for an instant, wondering what Sean had said to him but there was nothing else. She’d just told them that they had to leave for personal reasons. Gallagher would be alright. Elliott could take care of the Duck and would take care of Gallagher, LC had made sure of that.
He leaned forward and took a handful of biscuits. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any choice.”
“You went back to the ship?”
He nodded.
“How’s Hal doing?”
“Good. He’ll be fine.”
<
br /> “Do you think I should work with Tierney?” Gallagher said, trusting in him completely.
“Yes,” LC said. “You have no choice.”
They took their time over breakfast, light-hearted banter masking the tension.
Thom was nervous. Gallagher just wanted to get back to the ship. And Sean was thinking that LC was going to get himself killed, watching him out of the corner of her eye when she thought he wasn’t looking.
He sat calmly, filled up on rations and drank tea.
When DiMarco burst into the room, it was clear it wasn’t a social visit. LC jumped up, blinking away the onslaught of tension and raw aggression that hit his mind.
Sean stood immediately, angling round defensively to put herself between LC and the pilot.
“We’re going now,” DiMarco said. “Gallagher and Garrett through the front. You two come with me. Luka buddy, Jesus, why didn’t you tell me?”
He was furious. Not hostile.
Sean stopped him with an outstretched hand. “Back off, DiMarco.”
“Sean, sweetheart, I’m trying to save his ass. We’ve got vehicles front and back. Get out there and get to the Duck because I can’t control what’s going on here. Lucky for you,” he said, pointing at LC, “Tierney has a soft spot for you otherwise he’d be in here himself hauling your butt out for that bounty.”
Gallagher and Thom were looking from face to face, mouths open.
Crap.
“We’ve got to go,” DiMarco said. He looked at Gallagher. “I took the liberty of dealing with Tierney on your behalf. You’ve got a crate of andirium. It’s yours. He wants medical supplies in return. Is that a yes? Because if it’s no, you’re welcome to stand there and watch Luka here get himself busted by one of the dozen or so bounty hunters who are in there right now offering Tierney a piece of him.” He paused and gestured towards the door. “We need to scram.”
Gallagher and Thom were herded out towards the front. LC stopped at the door. Every time he’d run, it had been on his terms. He’d never trusted anyone except Hilyer to watch his back. And whatever happened here, he didn’t want to drag anyone else into his mess.
DiMarco fixed him with a stare. “Don’t argue, Luka, and don’t even think of running off by yourself. We’ve got patrols out on full alert but I wouldn’t trust even those bastards as far as I could throw them. They’re as likely to nab you for that much money as the fucking bounty hunters. Two of my guys are driving. Now get out there or I’ll tag your scrawny neck for myself.”
The pilot was as open and honest as LC had ever picked up from him, genuine emotion. He nodded and they moved fast, out of the back door and into a jeep that was waiting, engine running, in the alley.
“Once we get in the ship, we’ll be fine,” DiMarco said, leaning round from the front seat as they drove off, tyres spinning in the dust. “Twenty six million? You’re a real comedian, Luka.”
The pilot had a value spinning round in his head that was more than twice that much. Holy shit. LC held onto the window frame, bracing himself and kicking in every ounce of training he had to keep calm, keep his heart rate down and focus.
He closed his eyes and scanned the area around the jeep as they careered recklessly through the narrow streets. The town was busy even this early and opening his mind to the rush of thoughts from every individual was almost overwhelming. He felt Sean take hold of his hand, vaguely heard her talking to DiMarco and the driver. A cacophony of emotion, thoughts and feelings flew by as they passed crowds of people, snippets of intentions flashing, mostly passive and personal irrelevancies but pricked every now and then by a spark of focused intent. It was impossible to pinpoint and his head began to pound, pain peaking each time they hit a pothole in the road.
He started to shut it out, caught a snatched view of the jeep through crosshairs and had no time to react as an explosion rocked the vehicle, sending it tumbling and crashing into a wall.
Chapter 26
“This ridiculous bounty that the Federation has accepted…” the Man said.
NG glanced up at the Man, still semi-shrouded in darkness, giving nothing away. It felt like time stood still here in this claustrophobic chamber. As much as he understood the impossibilities of the physical universe, he hoped it stood still – a million strands of incidental connections and events were sparking out there, fast and furious, and he was sitting here playing chess.
“The terms of the officially sanctioned bounty are alive, as far as we can tell,” he said. “The Assassins assured us that if they’d been hired, Anderton and Hilyer would be dead. That doesn’t alter the rumours that there’s someone out there prepared to pay a substantial amount if they’re handed in dead rather than alive.”
The Man moved his bishop into a position to threaten NG’s rook. “A substantial amount?”
“It’s up to eighty five million each.” NG picked up his wine, resting the goblet on his knee and breathing in the vapours. He could save the rook but it would set him on the defensive and that wasn’t somewhere he was prepared to go.
The Man drained his goblet and rested his hand on the jug. “I understand we’re making progress in alleviating their interest in this misguided contract.”
NG abandoned the rook to its fate and moved his knight into a position to threaten the Man’s queen. “We are but that doesn’t help LC and Hil in the field right now.”
•
He lay stunned for a moment, crumpled against the window, all sound blurring into a vague background hum. Then Sean was screaming at him, shots were hitting the jeep and a hand was pulling at his arm.
DiMarco was yelling at him to go. LC twisted around, head spinning, trying to orientate himself. The jeep was on its side. The hand that had a grip on his arm pulled hard and he worked with it to free himself and climb up out of the smashed window, glass fragments crunching beneath him.
Sean pulled him out and into a run. They made it across the street, pushing past people who were staring at the wrecked jeep, and into an alleyway. Shots ricocheted off the walls around them sending fragments of stone flying.
“Don’t say it,” LC muttered as they ran. Sean’s anger and frustration were beating at his efforts to stay focused. She was right – they should have been well gone by now, taken the chance to run when they had it. But he didn’t work with ifs and buts and he shut her out.
They were followed, footsteps thundering behind them and loud yells echoing. He pulled Sean into a doorway, pushed her inside and pulled the door closed behind them. They ran through into a storage room, long aisles of shelving laden with boxes. The door crashed open behind them and canisters flew overhead hissing out smoke.
LC coughed and covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve. “Any of these guys friends of yours?” he sent to Sean, shoving her through a swing door. She wasn’t impressed.
They burst out into a narrow alleyway. LC squinted through stinging eyes, spotting a door opposite and figuring that anywhere on the ground was going to be too hot. He pushed Sean towards it and they ran in to a long hallway, a set of steep stairs at its far end.
“Up,” he sent.
She grabbed his arm and spun him around in front of her. “You first,” she hissed. “I want you where I can see you.”
He grinned and ran, taking the stairs two at a time, adrenaline pumping, sprinting around two landings and heading up to the roof.
If these guys were any good at their job, they should have someone up here. LC paused at the top of the stairs and listened at the door. There were two.
He gestured back to Sean and whispered, “There are two guys out there but they’re watching the street.”
He could feel the depth of her frown as she tried to figure out how he knew. It was almost tempting to tell her but instead, he told her to wait and eased open the door.
He crept out into the sunlight, taking care to watch where his shadow fell, and worked his way silently round to the nearest. They were both lying prone against opposite edges of the flat ro
of watching the street. The first one he targeted had a gun in a holster at his side.
LC moved up on the man like a ghost, dropping to plant a knee in his back and grasp the gun in one smooth fluid motion. The pistol had the tell-tale orange tag on its magazine and he didn’t hesitate in firing an FTH round at close range into the guy’s back, rising and turning and firing at the one across the far side of the roof before the other man barely even realised there was a problem.
Sean was watching from the open doorway, glancing back down the stairs. She knew them and she knew that they operated with a third. LC ran over and retrieved the second guy’s sidearm.
“Where will the other one be?” he said, running back into cover and handing one of the guns to Sean.
“Street level. Bannerman likes to get up close and personal.” She wanted to ask him how he knew.
He could feel that the guys who’d chased them into the building were starting to climb the stairs. He edged past her and pulled the door closed. “We’d best stay up high then.”
She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “You’re enjoying this.”
He grinned. “Aren’t you?”
They ran across the rooftops, LC thinking fast about a way out. At one point he tried to persuade Sean to let him go, there was no point in both of them running; they were after him not her. And anyway he could go faster if he was on his own and not having to worry if she could make a jump or keep in cover. She’d grabbed him and pushed him against a wall. “You’re mine,” she’d hissed. “Like it or not, LC, you’re mine and none of these money-grubbing bastards are going to get their hands on you while I’m still breathing.” He’d grinned at her and he’d felt her work hard to hold in a smile, thinking to herself, my god girl, what are you doing?
After that they’d had to slow down, taking it careful as more figures started appearing on the rooftops, watching or prowling.