19
Planet Devon, Lerr’ek’s Office
There was a rap on the door. Lerr’ek, Barnabas and Tabitha turned when Nock, stuck in his orange dinosaur-looking head and turned toward his boss. “Problem, Slate area, Forzen and Thlock.”
Lerr’ek nodded. “Thank you,” he said as Nock closed the door. “Excuse me,” he told his visitors as he pulled up a screen.
Barnabas and Tabitha just waited as his eyes took in the information. “We have two gangs fighting a turf war. The Forzen took advantage of a situation with the Thlock, and grabbed family hostages. The Thlock retaliated by killing two Forzen member siblings who were at an entertainment venue, and now people are hunkering down.”
“What happened to the original hostages?” Barnabas asked.
“Murdered in response,” Lerr’ek replied. “I doubt this is related to the upheaval Baba Yaga created, but the police can’t go into the area at the moment.”
“They aren’t trusted?” Tabitha asked.
Lerr’ek put his tablet down to look up to the Ranger. “Oh, they are trusted for all sorts of minor problems, and they can track down the guilty, but they aren’t a militia.”
Pointing a finger to the tablet, he continued, “Those two gangs have been killing each other for years, so the police will wait until emotions have calmed before they start to slowly go help them. It’s all underground, so everyone is scared down there and not willing to help.” He tilted his head left, then right. “It’s about survival at the moment for the civilians. The police might help, but they aren’t there all the time. Those gangs have been allowed to grow too large.”
“The leaders?” Barnabas asked.
“Three on each side,” Lerr’ek answered. “Usually these gangs have a top person who runs by force of will and good strategy, then an enforcer who runs the crews and an operations adjunct who deals with membership.”
Barnabas rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand. “How is the justice system here?”
“Good.”
“Would they be back on the street this week if they were rounded up?” Barnabas wondered.
“Oh, the core two or three would be off the streets for a few months at least, but the gangs would already be delivering their revenge for any efforts against them. Well, for those who they could get hold of.”
“Have they ever attacked police families?” Tabitha asked.
This time Lerr’ek looked at them, thinking it through before he turned his head back to the screen. “I think only once, that I know of. The police would have come out in force, but no one knew who did it so they didn’t have a focus. “However,” he looked to both of them. “it was never tried again. The rumor is that the one responsible was killed by his own gang for doing that.”
“There are,” Barnabas agreed, “some things you shouldn’t do.”
“The Mistress hasn’t given me any orders what to do about this yet.” Lerr’ek frowned. “Should I be asking Stephen for orders?”
“Well, perhaps later. Certainly the next time you speak with Baba Yaga,” Barnabas told him, then put his hands on the chair arms and pushed up. “However, we will take over this problem and deal with it ourselves.”
Tabitha looked to Barnabas in surprise, but kept her mouth shut. They got the directions to where they needed to go and bid Lerr’ek goodbye.
Outside they picked up Peter, who was playing a version of slaps with Nock.
Peter had a slash down his left hand. “Fucker’s fast,” was all he said as Tabitha watched it continue healing. The three of them walked out of Lerr’ek’s area.
Planet Devon, QBS Ranger One Shuttle
Barnabas took the two of them back to the ship, but when they entered he put out an arm. “Hold on.” He turned to watch the hatch close, then listened for the ka-chunk of it locking. “All right,” he said, looking them both in the eyes, “we have a chance to help a little here. However,” he turned to Tabitha, “this is without your badge. It doesn’t mean anything here anyway.” He turned to Peter. “And without any Jean Dukes you have on you.”
Peter shrugged. “I didn’t carry my gear outside. It’s still here in the armory.”
Barnabas raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have any guns?”
“Well, of course,” Peter looked affronted. “I’m an Empress’ Bitch. I have weapons, just not something that powerful.”
“Well, if you want to go with me, leave them here.”
“You want me to leave my badge?” Tabitha asked, annoyed. “I’ve worked hard to earn this damned badge.”
“And you have earned it,” Barnabas agreed, “but we are going to try to formulate a peaceful solution with the leaders.”
“With no weapons?” she asked.
“Well, nothing they can find if they frisk us,” Barnabas answered.
“Oh.” Tabitha shrugged. “Ok. I’ve got a big weapon anyway.”
“What?” Barnabas asked, palm out, giving her the “pass it over” hand gesture.
She jerked a thumb toward Peter. “Him. I just throw him at the people and we have eight feet of pissed-off Pricolici.”
“Nice to know I’m valued,” Peter grumped.
Barnabas crossed his arms over his chest, asking, “You going to be able to kick ass without your toys?”
Tabitha shook her head and grabbed her necklace, which had her Ranger Two emblem on it. Once she moved her hair, she pulled it over her head and placed it on a nearby desk. Then she pulled her two Jean Dukes pistols and placed them on the table.
She took her whole coat off. “Too many items in here,” she said, and laid it on the desk. She reached down into her boot and pulled out a knife. Reaching around to her back, she pulled a sheath and laid another knife on the desk.
“That all?” Barnabas asked.
“I can’t get rid of what nature gave me.” She winked at him.
He turned to Peter. “What do you have?”
He walked over to the desk and pulled out a pistol, unstrapping its holster, then reached into his jacket and pulled out a telescoping metal rod and set it on the desk. He looked at Barnabas, who wasn’t looking too sure. “What?” Peter asked. “Like the short Ranger said a minute ago.”
“Hey!” Tabitha punched his arm.
“I am my own weapon.”
“Your clothes?” Barnabas asked.
“The top ones will be shredded, but I wear a suit underneath that stretches,” he chuckled. “Wouldn’t want the tackle to lure any aliens in for a bite.”
“Would that heal?” Tabitha asked.
Peter shrugged. “Don’t know, and don’t care to find out by testing it.”
“Good rule,” Barnabas agreed. He walked over to the desk and pulled his two Jean Dukes and his Ranger One badge out of his pocket and placed them with the others. He looked to each of them, saying, “You don’t have to do this with me.”
Tabitha grumped, “Ooohhh, shut up One and move your ass. I feel a chance to deliver a beat-down coming on.”
A moment later the three of them left the ship.
Planet Devon, Slate Area
As they made their way to the Slate quadrant in the city Barnabas led, taking the stairs down to the common block of homes and apartments. There were old parks here which imported their sunlight from above using mirrors and glass.
The three of them walked across a deserted park about the size of a football field.
Barnabas had changed into his monk’s robe, except that it had buttons and was now tailored to look good. Peter was wearing his Empress’ Guardian’s Fatigues without emblems, and Tabitha was wearing her leather pants with a hardened jacket over her padded shirt.
She didn’t go anywhere without protecting her chest.
She walked to Barnabas’ left, and Peter was on his right. They had made it two-thirds of the way to the other side when they heard three might-be attackers start scrambling down a hallway which emptied into the park.
“Hold here,” Barnabas told his companions. He cl
asped his hands together behind his back.
Peter shrugged and scanned for additional attackers.
Tabitha crossed her arms in front and tapped her foot on the ground. Barnabas looked at her and then down to the ground, and her eyes followed his. “What?” she asked, stopping her tapping. “I’m impatient.”
“I see that,” Barnabas agreed, as he resumed looking forward. “Pay attention to the three on your left.”
“What?” she hissed. “You’re bullshitting me.”
He shook his head. “They are aliens, not dead,” he told her. “Nothing yet on our right, Peter, but pay attention to our rear as surreptitiously as you can.”
“Why again are we doing this?” Tabitha asked. “I get that we can make a difference, but we should be tracking BA.”
“Do you know where to go?” Barnabas asked her. “Which general direction?”
“No, of course not,” she replied.
“Then any direction could be going the opposite direction, right?”
“Save me the logic, boss man.”
“Okay,” Barnabas said. “I’m pissed off and frustrated, and want to take it out on someone or something. You two shouldn’t have to deal with it, so I chose this opportunity to do some good.”
There was a moment while Tabitha processed that information, and her voice was quiet when she said, “Oh.” They waited as the three coming out of the hallway slowed down and eyed them. “I didn’t know you got angry.” He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “Well, besides at me.”
He turned back, calm. “The thing to know, Number Two,” Barnabas continued, “is that I am always angry. It never goes away, which is why I seek to stay calm. Occasionally I don’t notice the effort, and I am momentarily blissful.”
“You?” Peter asked, surprised. “I’ve never seen you mad.” There was a female snort. “Well, besides when you are chewing out Tabitha,” Peter clarified.
“Which is all the time,” she said as the three started to approach them. One was a Noel-ni and the other two were… “What the fuck are those two?” she demanded.
Barnabas shrugged, and Peter turned around to look. “Oh, those two are Vlex. They can be pretty nasty in a ship fight or some place they can run around like a monkey, since they can use those small arms to grab weapons and guns.” He faced the rear again, trusting his team to handle what was in front.
Two Rangers for the front, one Empress’ Bitch for the back. Seemed fair to him.
Tabitha shuddered. “Did I mention I hate frogs?” she said. “You get the frogs, Barnabas.”
He looked at her for a split second before returning, “They aren’t frogs, Tabitha. I’m sure they are—”
One of the Vlex, his four legs moving like a beetle’s, turned his head and his mouth opened. A tongue shot into the air and pulled back into his mouth, his jaw moving.
“Okay, they are frogs,” Barnabas admitted.
“Whatever. Those are yours,” she told him. “If I had known we were going to deal with frogs I would have kept my JDs. They grow shit back, right? I could have shot his legs off.”
“We have no idea if they can grow their appendages back, Tabitha.” Barnabas sighed.
“Oh, yes.” Peter said from behind them. “They can regrow parts. Not like us, but they can do it.”
Barnabas’ voice was terse. “Peter, you aren’t helping.”
Peter chuckled. “Just want to make sure you have all of the operational information necessary for the spur of the moment. You never know when ripping a leg off might help close the deal, and now you won’t have to feel guilty about it.”
“That’s close enough,” Barnabas said to the three. “We are here to talk.”
“Yeah?” The Noel-ni chittered and nodded toward them. “Nice ass.”
Tabitha didn’t look over to him, but raised up her middle finger in his direction.
The Noel-ni chuckled. “Not you, the one in the back,” he replied a little louder.
She felt a hand on her arm. “Keep it civil!” Barnabas told her.
“He just said that Sir Wolfy here has a better ass. I can’t let that go!” she hissed to her boss.
“It’s the number of squats I do all the time,” Peter replied, amusement coloring his voice. “Now I know why you don’t like to be seen with me. Jealousy issues.”
“WHAT?” yelled Tabitha turning in his direction, Barnabas’ hand clenched her arm harder.
“Seriously, why do I bring you two along on a simple mission?” He sighed and spoke to the Noel-ni. “I’m here to stop the issues between you and the other gang.”
“Which gang?” the Noel-ni asked.
“Beats me. Which one are you?” Barnabas asked.
“You come into Forzen territory,” The Noel-ni said, his voice higher-pitched now, “and you don’t even know whose territory you are in?”
The two Vlex in the back gurgled, which Barnabas assumed that was their form of laughter.
“What do I care?” he replied. “There is a problem, the Mistress wants it fixed.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to her whose territory someone calls it. All of it belongs to her, anyway.”
“Oh?” the Noel-ni asked. “‘Her’ who?”
“The Mistress of the Planet,” Barnabas answered. “Some call her ‘Baba Yaga.’”
Peter looked over his shoulder to see the reaction.
“Who?” the Noel-ni asked again.
“Well, that was a bit of a letdown,” Peter murmured. “Lame.”
“The Witch of the Empire,” Barnabas clarified.
“That bistok shit?” the Noel-ni responded. A roar of defiance caused him and the two Vlex to take a step back when an eight-foot monster appeared behind the man who was talking.
“DAMMIT, PETER!” Barnabas had turned around and put up his arms, and was trying to hold onto the Pricolici and stop him from attacking. His eyes glowed yellow and his teeth snapped in anger as he roared at the Noel-ni. Barnabas yelled over his shoulder, “RUN!”
“We don’t run from anyone!” the Noel-ni called and palmed a small dart gun, aiming at the beast and shooting. Tabitha swung her leg, kicking both Peter and Barnabas out of the way before she dropped under a shot herself and ramped up her speed.
Two of the needles hit Barnabas before Tabitha had kicked him out of the way. He rolled, reaching behind him and grabbing the darts and yanking them out, trusting that his nanocytes would protect him from whatever was on them.
By the time he finished, Peter and Tabitha were between one Vlex and the Noel-ni. The other Vlex was running.
Barnabas, his eyes glowing red, started walking toward the hallway.
20
“You take the frogs!” Tabitha yelled, heading for the Noel-ni. The damned alien was fast, aiming at her as she moved left, left, right and ducked.
It had to avoid the swipe of a massive paw, which allowed Tabitha to get close. “You fucker!” she screamed. The Noel-ni raised his pistol, but she had already grabbed it and pulled. As the alien came toward her it tried to shoot point-blank into her chest.
She punched him hard enough that his ass flew backward, but kept hold of the pistol. As she ran forward she heard Peter yell, “DUUUCKKK!”
She dove for the ground as something flew over her head, slamming into a tree of some sort and making a squishy sound off to her right.
By the time she had rolled back up to her feet, Peter was roaring something unintelligible behind her and heading in the direction of the squish.
“Who the fuck are you?” it asked, trying to scramble back with two legs and one arm while the other wiped the blood away from its eyes.
“The Mistress doesn’t deal with the dreck,” Tabitha spat, diving toward the Noel-ni and slamming her shoulder into it. She rolled over and got her feet under her as the Noel-ni started to stand. It turned its head to find Tabitha and caught the barest glint of a boot before it was kicked so hard it wasn’t conscious when its body slammed into the ground.
“Yi
eld!” the Vlex was trying to say. Peter had two of its legs in one hand and was slamming it into the dirt repeatedly.
“FINNNE!” Peter heaved the Vlex toward the middle of the park. Tabitha wiped blood off her lips as she watched the Vlex bounce twice before it came to a stop. She walked to the downed Noel-ni. “I hate frogs,” she murmured as she rifled his pockets, not gaining much more than a knife, which she slipped into her pocket.
Turning to Peter, who was walking toward her in his Pricolici form, she called, “Now who has the better ass, you furry fartknocker?”
“Meeee,” he responded as he looked to his left, then his right before he turned toward Tabitha. “Wherrre diiid youuu puttt Barnnnabassss?”
Tabitha looked around for a moment herself before noises from the hallways beyond caught her attention.
She turned toward the hallways. “Methinks the boss is angry.”
The two of them stayed together, watching for any sort of trap as they followed the screams of terror, what sounded like metal screeching, and loud bangs. It would be quiet a moment, then the screams would start again.
They came upon the first body after about three blocks or so. A large pipe was on the ground near the red alien, whose head was crushed.
The second body was missing the back of its head and a small pistol was jammed into its mouth. “Damn, he’s killing them with their own weapons.”
“He he he he he heee.” The deep laughter was full of throaty nuances.
Tabitha walked up to the Pricolici. “Hold still you walking fur carpet,” she told him as she put up an arm, leaned against him, and adjusted her boots. “There,” she told him. “Now let’s see if he left anyone in the gangs to negotiate.”
Fourteen bodies later they found Barnabas leaning against a wall, his arms crossed, eyes glowing red, and fangs descended. There were two groups of aliens at the end of a hallway about fifty feet away. Each of them had a weapon of some sort in their hands.
Tabitha looked at the groups, each sporting a different gang patch, then at Barnabas, then at the group again as she asked, “Orders?”
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 134