I spoke through a mouthful of the filet. “Well, I’m glad I’m an inspiration to all the kids out there. Hopefully they can grow up to be me one day.”
Anthony gazed at me as he cradled his hand. “Why did you save all those people on Lavaria?”
I motioned to Diane. “Like you said after you shot me, she broke me, and now I’m doing all sorts of crazy things.”
Anthony’s mouth moved, though at first the words didn’t come out. “You know ... you know I’m sorry about that.”
I shrugged. “You think that means anything to me?”
“I don’t really understand what’s going on with you, son. But I am here, saying I made mistakes. And I need your help. Really, all the civilized universe needs your help.” He looked at Diane. “This is me groveling.”
I looked at Diane as well. Her expression was as unreadable to me as it was to Anthony. I stabbed what remained of the filet with my fork. “I ain’t being your mascot, if that’s what this is about.”
Diane placed a finger on the gun lying on the table. “Let’s say we do the sensible thing and kill you. Then what happens?”
Anthony stared at her a long while, but her expression once again had none of the answers he wanted. “My people are still just outside, and —”
“I don’t mean locally,” Diane interrupted. “I mean, what happens to the new Galactic Alliance you cobbled together from what was left?”
“It goes on, same as before,” Anthony answered. “I nudge it here and there, but the core of it is exactly what it appears to be: a group of smart, competent people with integrity — the sort of people who would never usually be elected because they don’t play politics. None of them answer directly to me or even know about me.”
I bit down on the last piece of filet. “Now I’m really suspicious of them.”
Anthony ignored me and stayed focused on Diane. “I’m trying to build something bigger than me. I knew the corruption of the previous government because I was a part of that corruption. I basically ran Nystrom — the biggest, worst group out there.”
“And what do they think of you now?” I inquired.
“Not much,” Anthony said. “They have enough problems; they’re the only syndicate that didn’t make nice with the Fathom. They’re lying low. Anyway, as I was saying, I knew exactly how much the corruption of groups like Nystrom was holding society back. So that’s why I did what I did. It was all about building a better civilization for all species.”
“Like the Zaldians, whom you massacred?” Diane asked.
Anthony shook his head. “As I said, I didn’t orchestrate that. I simply made sure people saw it. Death and destruction went on all the time with the syndicates but in far corners of the galaxy where most people never heard or cared. I made sure Zaldia didn’t go unnoticed. I made sure it was the impetus to do something about the syndicates.”
“I thought that was me shooting up everyone on Nar Valdum,” I said.
“That was the ultimate event to make sure people couldn’t ignore the syndicates. Then I got Redden and some other trustworthy people together to take over after the government’s collapse. The idea was a stronger Galactic Alliance, united to eliminate the syndicates together. It would bring together all the planets like never before. But what I didn’t see coming was some new entity swooping in, uniting the syndicates behind it and brutalizing its way to power.”
I began folding my cloth napkin. “So would you say this plan worked out better or worse than the one to genetically engineer a future generation of leaders?”
Anthony looked at me with a really odd expression, but one I had seen before. After he shot me. Sorrow, I think. “Neither are failures. Not yet, anyway.” He looked back at Diane. “I’m just hoping you’ll see that helping the Galactic Alliance fight back against the Fathom isn’t about helping me. Whatever your opinion is of what I’ve done, it’s obvious who the better side is here.”
I made a few more folds on my napkin. “‘Good’ government. ‘Bad’ government. ‘Criminal’ syndicate. To me it’s all just people with guns trying to push other people around.”
Anthony smirked. “How very libertarian of you.”
I finished my creation — a little bear — and set it by Diane’s gun. “I am a psychopath.”
Anthony turned to Diane. “That’s why I made sure you were along for this discussion. I know my son. And I know he’s not going to care — not really — about any of this. But you do. And you know how bad things are out there. How scared everyone is. With the Fathom amassing planets against us, we’re on the verge of another intergalactic war. I’m sure you’ve read the stories of what that was like. I’m older than I look, though, and I’ve seen it firsthand. Billions wiped out in a day. Death and destruction on a scale our minds weren’t built to comprehend. Do you know what being a part of that does to a man?”
The stone that was Diane was impenetrable. “Gives him excuses?”
Anthony stopped cradling his wounded hand and smiled his predator smile. “I never thought my son was capable of caring for another human being — and I’m still not sure he is — but I can see why he likes you. So do you want to cut the crap here, sweetheart?”
Diane leaned in. “I thought I warned you about your stupid little smile.”
Anthony held up his bloody hand. “You drew your blood, dear. You humiliated me in front of my people. But I’m letting that go because we have bigger problems. And that is why I know you’re not doing anything more to me, because you understand that I’m the lesser evil right now. You’re not going to let your pride get in the way of saving the lives of billions of innocent people.”
Diane stared him down but backed off a little bit. “We’re never going to let you be in charge.”
Anthony laughed and patted himself on the chest. “When the Fathom are taken care of, you can come at me all you want. Of course, if I ever really wanted to hurt you ... Diane ... I always knew lots of ways to do that. You ever check in on that church on Nar Valdum?”
The stone cracked. There was a flash of worry in her eyes, and her hand gripped the tablecloth.
“Don’t,” Dip warned, but my hand was already on the gun lying on the table, and when I begin an action, I always see it through. I leveled the barrel at Anthony’s surprised eyes and pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened. Other than Anthony’s smile disappearing.
“Now we’ve each tried to kill the other,” Anthony said. “I guess that makes us even, son.”
Of course. That was the gun of the waitress. The one that was nearest and the one he assumed I would have gone for first. It was just a decoy. I knew the two guns in my waistband worked, but the murderous moment had passed. Logic said this was not a smart course of action.
Diane gently took the useless gun away from me. “He’s not worth it.” She stood up and looked at Anthony. “We’re going to leave now. How about you send us what information you have on the Fathom and Mountain Fall, and we’ll see what we can make happen.”
Anthony went back to sipping his wine. “Mountain Fall is the key here. I know you and Rico can help with that. And you’ll have the whole Galactic Alliance at your disposal. I’m sending you my direct contact information. If you ever need anything, you can call, and ... well, you’ll get my secretary. But that’s as direct as it gets. So, let’s save the universe.” He fixed his eyes on me with another odd expression. I didn’t know this one. “I know you won’t let me down, Rico. I’m not underestimating you this time.”
I had stood up beside Diane and stared back at him. I felt the weight of the two guns in my waistband. “Nothing ever goes exactly to plan, does it?”
Anthony laughed and smiled his cold smile. “No. That’s why I always save my best plans for Plan B.”
CHAPTER 11
“Two rooms, please.”
After our dinner meeting, Diane led me to a nearby hotel. Nice place but not super fancy. What I probably would have picked. She didn’t say much to me; I
assumed she wanted to wait until we were somewhere more private to talk. We did seem to have a lot to discuss.
After talking with the hotel clerk, she walked over and handed me my room key. “Wouldn’t it be better to sleep off planet?” I asked.
“Do you think we’re at risk right now?” Diane inquired.
I shrugged. “If Anthony was going to do something, he would have done it already.”
“Then I’d like to stay on planet tonight,” she said. “There’s something I’d like to do in the morning.”
“Are you meeting with those allies you said you had?”
She shook her head. “No. Hopefully they got my message and are gone by now.”
“Then why are we still here?”
She just patted me on the arm. “Let’s get some rest.”
We took an elevator to the fifth floor, where our adjacent rooms were. She opened the door to her room while I just watched. “We going to talk, or ...”
She hesitated. “Yeah, I guess we better. Come in for a sec.”
I followed her in and closed the door behind me. We were alone again, for what that was worth.
“So I guess ...” Diane started to say, but she lost the words. I couldn’t tell if she was tired or just flustered. She sat down on the bed to try to compose herself. “So ...” Again the words didn’t come.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m ... tired.” She held her head. “Maybe we can just reconvene tomorrow.”
“If that’s what you want. Goodnight, Diane.”
“Put your arm around her,” Dip said.
Why?
“Because she is not okay.”
And what’s my arm going to do?
“It’s a gesture of support,” Dip explained. “It’s a very basic thing.”
I walked over and sat next to Diane. She looked at me, a little surprised. “It’s okay, Rico, just ...”
As naturally as I could manage — though it still felt awkward — I put my arm around her. And it did not appear to help. On the contrary, tears started flowing from Diane’s eyes and she buried her head in my chest, sobbing loudly now. “I’m sorry, I’m ...”
“Hey, nothing to apologize to me for,” I said. It’s not like she wore a lot of makeup and was going to stain my clothes. I put my other hand on her head as if I were going to snap her neck, but gently, and stroked her hair. I didn’t know how long this would be, but I was going to try to stay there and not get bored. I wasn’t that uncomfortable anyway.
✽ ✽ ✽
The next morning I awoke on her bed, my clothes still on. I was still nowhere near fully recovered, and I just wanted to lie there some more. The sunlight was seeping in through the windows, though, and there was a lot to do. I reached over to Diane, but she wasn’t on the bed. I looked and saw her lounging in a chair by the window, also still in her clothes from last night.
“We need to talk about what we are,” she said, a serious face for a serious topic.
I sat up in bed, urging my muscles to work. “Do we have to?”
“We’re never going to settle down somewhere, get married, and raise a family, are we? Not being the sort of people we are.”
I smiled a little. “We can still have fun.”
She did not smile, and she shook her head. “No.”
“So not like before?”
Again, she shook her head. “I began to lose myself. I’m not doing that again. I’m focusing on one thing now, and that’s doing what I can to help people.”
“You have to think of yourself too, though. No reason you can’t be happy.”
“This is me thinking of myself. What we want and what will actually make us happy are often two very separate things.”
And I wanted her. But she was right; we were never going to be a cute little couple. If I simply didn’t hurt her anymore, it would be a victory for my possibly nonexistent humanity.
“So we’re friends, okay?” Diane said. “Supportive friends.”
“I’m a dangerous friend. I’m trying to be a ‘good’ person for now, but who knows how long that will last?”
“Well, I want to help people, and you’re a person, Rico. So let’s get some breakfast.”
✽ ✽ ✽
“I think this might be real bacon,” I said and took another bite.
“You want to talk about our next move?” Diane asked, sipping an orange-colored juice. “And about ... Burke.” We were on a patio of the hotel, a nice open-air area where we could eat and look at the trees and have lots of escape routes just in case.
I sighed. “Usually he tricks people into doing exactly what he wants. This time he’s just coming out and telling us to do what he wants.”
“To be fair, stopping the Fathom is something most people want.”
I took another piece of bacon off my plate. “Then good luck to most people.”
“If the Fathom win, the universe could see a dictatorship unlike any it’s ever known.”
“Sentients have lived under dictatorships since the dawn of time.” I took a bite and through the mouthful of bacon added, “What is it the Bible says? ‘Nothing new under the sun.’” I pointed to the big glowy thing in the sky. “Or whatever the name of that is.”
Diane raised an eyebrow. “You’re quoting the Bible now?”
“When it says something I agree with.” I pushed aside my plate and leaned toward Diane. “Here’s my proposal: You want to help people? There’s people in need of help everywhere. We head somewhere outside of this conflict between what remains of the Galactic Alliance and the Fathom and do good and/or make trouble there.”
She studied me for a few moments with that damnable gaze that peers right through you. She was a good detective; it seemed to me she really should just find another dead cop to take the name and place of. “You’re really scared of your father, aren’t you?” she finally said.
“Going up against him is like playing chess against someone with twice as much experience who starts with five times as many pieces on the board,” I said, staring at my now baconless plate. “Unless we get far away from whatever he has his hands in, we’re going to be entangled in it all. For you, that means you’ll wind up dead ... or worse. For me, dead ... or continuing to work for him.”
Diane nodded. “Okay.” She stared down at her juice for a few seconds and then looked back at me. “What are you good at, Rico? I mean, besides killing or hurting people.”
I shrugged. “A lot of things. I’m kind of a smart guy.”
“Well, here is my proposal: If we flee this whole conflict, we should flee our former selves entirely. No more violence. Find something peaceful to do. Something that helps others.”
Oh boy, that sounded boring. “Like what?”
“We’re smart. We’ll figure something out.”
Something about the proposal made me shudder, but I wanted to try new things. “Fine. First step: Let’s get off this rock.”
“I told you: I need to do something here first.”
“What?”
Diane checked the time on her wrist computer. “It’s the first of the week here, so —”
I raised my finger to quiet Diane. We had company, though it didn’t appear to be threatening.
Sylvia sat down next to me and put down a plate filled with bacon. “They don’t really check who actually has a room at this hotel, so basically anyone can walk in here and start eating.”
Wade sat down next to Diane, though without a plate of food. “So, we got an interesting order. We’re to provide any assistance you need in the fight against the Fathom, including sharing all intelligence. Even on Mountain Fall.”
Sylvia glared at me and took a bite out of a piece of bacon. “So what the hell is happening?”
“I already explained this to you,” I said. “And I don’t feel like repeating myself.”
“You said Anthony Burke is behind our government and wants to kill you,” Wade stated. “That’s not what this is.”
Sylvia studied Diane as she said to me, “So are you and this Burke friends now?”
“You two seem like nice people,” Diane said. “I’d keep your focus on the Fathom and leave this matter alone.”
Sylvia laughed. “I’m not a nice person. But, yeah, whatever ‘conspiracy’ is going on isn’t the biggest concern right now, with the Fathom blowing holes in planets. So what happened to the information you had on Mountain Fall?”
“It’s been shared,” Diane said simply.
“Trust me,” I said. “Not a factor anymore.” I took a piece of bacon from Sylvia’s plate. “We’re not going to be working together, so don’t worry about it. If you guys have something else to be doing, why don’t you get to it?”
Wade appeared confused. “Did you want any intel from us?” He looked around the room at the other people eating. “We probably should get somewhere secure first.”
I sighed. “I don’t give a rat’s ass. You guys can just run along, okay?”
“Good luck,” Diane added.
Sylvia didn’t move and picked up another piece of bacon as she moved her plate farther away from me. “And what are you two going to be doing?”
“That’s classified above your level,” I answered.
Diane checked the time again. “I need to get going.” She stood up and looked at both Wade and Sylvia. “I really wish you two the best. I don’t know what your superiors are thinking, but we’re not going to be of any help against the Fathom.”
“If you know anything or can do anything,” Wade pleaded, “countless people need your help.”
Diane nodded and looked at me. I still didn’t know where she was going, and I wasn’t sure whether to ask in front of mixed company, so I just raised an eyebrow.
“Church, Rico,” Diane said. “It’s the first day of the week on this planet, so they’re having worship.” She stared at me a second longer, which I realized was a silent invitation to go with her. I certainly wasn’t recovered enough for that.
“Have fun,” I responded, though I wasn’t sure that was appropriate.
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