Rebel 2

by Riker Kane

  “The situation in the Sharp District is a lot more volatile than you know. Osiris would never let on something like that. Too much pride.”

  “You’ve gotta be full of pride in his position.”

  “And that’s exactly his downfall…” Pitt turned his AllDevice and showed Max the display. “…Attempted murder. Conspiracy to commit murder. Arson. Theft. Burglary. Illegal drug distribution.”

  Max read all of the charges as Pitt listed them off.

  “The DA has enough to lock him and the Gears away for the rest of their lives. They won’t be seeing sunshine for a long time.”

  “He’s got a lot of creds.”

  “He won’t be able to buy his way out of this. Not with internal affairs investigating and Disciples willing to flip on him. He’s done, Max. It’s all thanks to you.”

  “Huh… How ‘bout that?” Max wasn’t sure what to say, staring at the list of charges like they weren’t real. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “There’s another reason I’m telling you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Do you remember when I told you how much I care about Santa Fe? Oliver and his group did a lot of damage to it. What you did in the Sanctum might have been appropriate payback for what he did to your friend. But a man like him deserves a little more than that.”

  Max narrowed his eyes. “Wait… What are you saying? Do you want me to—”

  “No.” Hudson shook his head. “You don’t have to go that far. But you’re the reason we caught Oliver in the first place. I think it’s only fair to ask if you’re interested in paying him back again… to make sure he goes willingly.”

  Max blinked his eyes. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing…”

  “I’m not asking or forcing you to do anything. But it would also be a hell of a deterrent for anybody who might step up and try to take his place.”

  “You know… Osiris was smiling when I beat him… It’d be nice to wipe that smile from his face. It just doesn’t seem right coming from you. You’re a man of the law, Pitt.”

  “I’m a man of the law. And nobody’s above it. Not even a GOD.”

  Max thought about it for a moment, smiling as he saw the detective do the same.

  “All right,” Max sighed. “Time to put an end to the GODs for good.”

  Chapter 35

  Max calmly walked through the main barroom and headed toward the elevators in the back of Club Reincarnation. Some of the patrons recognized him but most of them were too busy enjoying the start of their evening. Max’s battle having taken place a few days ago, it was a distant memory in most of their minds.

  He stepped into the elevator with Zigzag by his side.

  “This is your most curious decision yet.” She raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s Pitt’s idea,” he said. “Humans never make rational decisions. If you ever really wanna be human, all you gotta do is throw logic out the window and go with your feelings.”

  “That is certainly irrational…”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not being reckless. This is just… one last goodbye.”

  “Quite irrational.”

  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. A couple of Disciples lined the halls, eying Max as soon as he stepped out. They showed him the same disdain they always had but all he could do was smile knowing what was coming.

  “I’d recommend you get out of here,” Max said. “That’s the best advice I could give you. Then again, I’d never expect Disciples to take good advice.”

  Max nonchalantly brushed past all of them and toward the suite he’d been into too many times before. He shoved the doors open to find more Disciples standing guard. On the other side of the room, Osiris sat at his desk. His white suit replaced, he looked as magnanimous as ever, flanked by the other Gears of Destruction.

  “The Rebel…” Osiris got up from his seat.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Venom sneered at him. She took a step forward along with Slug and Lotto but Osiris put his hand up to stop them.

  “Now, now… We settled our differences in the Sanctum. There’s no need for any further animosity. I’m sure Max has good reason for disrupting my business… Don’t you, Max?” Osiris smiled but his narrowed eyes belied his true animosity.

  Max bit his tongue. His eyes shifted around the suite. The Disciples. The GODs. All of them were focused on Max, just waiting for him to do something.

  “Are you certain you wish to proceed?” Zigzag asked him.

  Max turned toward her and shrugged. She held back a smile in response.

  “I was doing some thinking,” Max said to Osiris. “About what you said back in the Sanctum. How you mentioned that it didn’t matter if you lost the battle. The Gears of Destruction and their Disciples would continue to run Santa Fe from behind the scenes.”

  “You can beat a GOD. You can hurt them. You can make them bleed. But you can’t kill them.”

  “That seems to be the case. And I would never try to kill you, Osiris. But that doesn’t mean I can’t stand up for what’s right.” Max chuckled when he said it. “Saying it out loud… It seems a little silly when you hear it. I suppose I should just leave Santa Fe and go back to where I came from.”

  “You should.” Slug slammed one of his fists in his palm. “If you knew what was best for you.”

  “Never knew what was best for me… Not until recently.”

  Osiris took a step forward, his hands out. “If you came here to accept my proposal, I’m afraid the offer is off the table. There’s no need for another enforcer. Not even you. Business is as smooth as it has ever been. I suggest you take Slug’s advice.”

  The tension in the room was growing. The eyes locked upon Max would have made him uncomfortable if the circumstances were different. But he continued to try and fight off the grin forcing its way onto his lips.

  “What happened in the Sanctum,” Max said. “That was for Sammy. That was for Hudson. But someone else told me they could use a favor.”

  “And who would that be?”

  “Santa Fe. Every junkie in every alley you took advantage of. Every man or woman you coerced into pushing your loot. Every gangster in the other districts you were trying to take over. Every innocent person who just wanted to survive on this dying planet but instead had their lives ruined by your product. They’re not my responsibility. But damn…” Max shook his head and smirked. “It wouldn’t be right if I left without doing something for them.”

  “I see…” Osiris took a step forward and raised his chin up, looking down his nose at Max.

  “What?” Slug said. “What is this? What’s going on?”

  “You and me, Osiris,” Max said. “No arena. No droids or drones. No towers. No ACEs. Just you… and me.”

  Osiris peeled his suit jacket off then handed it to Venom. He calmly rolled up his sleeves then cracked his knuckles. “When this is over, the people of Santa Fe will know the truth. Everybody will know the Rebel is a man who can compete on the grid… and nowhere else. And they will tremble in fear in the presence of the GODs. As it should be.”

  Max sighed as he put his hands up. “You’re not a GOD. You’re just a bully… I never liked bullies.”

  Osiris calmly stepped forward and the two began circling one another in the center of the small suite.

  “Kick his ass!” Venom yelled. “Beat the shit out of him!”

  Osiris reared back and swung with a left jab. Max quickly dodged out of the way and slammed a violent punch into Osiris’s stomach. There were no reinforcements underneath his suit to soften the blow, making Osiris wheeze as the wind was knocked out of him.

  Max held his hands out. “Is that the best you got—”

  Osiris roared as he spun around with a backfist. Max tilted his head away and only the wind from the swing connected. He raised his hand up again and caught Osiris in his midsection.

  “That’s what I figured,” Max said. “All talk.”

  Osiris threw an uppercut.
Max moved to the side and cracked Osiris in the jaw with a left hook that turned his head nearly sideways. The big man stumbled back onto the Disciples standing guard, who caught him to keep him from falling down.

  “A bully who never learned how to fight properly,” Max continued.

  Osiris charged but Max was ready, stuffing him in the face with a fist that shattered his nose. Blood splattered, spilling down Osiris’s mouth and down his suit and tie in red streaks.

  “A bully who intimidated people with numbers…”

  Max easily moved out of the way of Osiris’s flailing arms and caught him the temple, making stumble down to one knee. Max walked up and looked down at the man fuming up at him.

  “You’re nothing without the loot,” Max said. “Just a man in a suit who took advantage of people.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” Osiris said, shaking his head as the blood continued to pour from his nose. “I’m still a GOD. I’ll always be a GOD.”

  He snapped his fingers. Slug, Lotto, and Venom all raised their ACEs up. The Disciples drew switchblades, their sharp edges pointed at Max.

  “You don’t have a harness to save you.” Osiris spit out some blood and stained the suite floor.

  “No, I’ve got something a little better than that. If you wanna save yourself, I suggest you tell your friends here to lower their weapons.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  Max looked back toward the entrance. In the distance, he could hear the elevator doors ding. Loud steps moving up the fire escape followed as well. In the blink of an eye, Detective Pitt appeared at the doorway with his armored soldiers. Their guns raised, they outnumbered Osiris and his men more than three-to-one.

  “Freeze!” Pitt barked. “Nobody move!”

  Osiris moved up to his feet, his brow furrowed. “What is this? What’s going on?”

  Pitt slowly walked up to him. “Charles Oliver. You are under arrest for crimes against the citizens of Santa Fe. As are the rest of your people.”

  The officers rushed in and secured everybody in the room. Venom, Slug and Lotto were all forced to put their hands behind their back. Each one of them glared at Max was they were dragged out of the room with the Disciples.

  “Working with the cops,” Osiris sighed as his hands were cuffed. “And to think you wanted to settle things with me like a man.”

  Max smirked at him. “Can’t settle things like a man when you’re dealing with a GOD.”

  Max knew he looked as obnoxious as possible in front of Osiris. And all it did was make Osiris even more furious.

  “Take him away.” Pitt pointed to his officers as Osiris was taken away along with everybody else.

  Max stood with Zigzag and watched as the officers began to search through the room.

  “He won’t be a problem, will he?” Max asked. “Last I checked, beating someone up before you arrest ‘em is considered brutality.”

  “Osiris wouldn’t have gone so willingly,” Pitt said. “Nobody could take him down a peg. Not until you showed up. This was the best option.”

  “Arresting him is one thing. You gonna make sure those charges stick and he stays where he belongs?”

  “You can count on it. I told you I wasn’t the only one working on this case.”

  Max looked at two of the officers as they walked up to him. They removed their helmets.

  “Is that…”

  Max squinted in disbelief as he recognized their faces. “Nightblade? Emeril?”

  The two officers looked at one another and laughed.

  “Not Nightblade,” the man said. “I told you I was just Danny.”

  “You and Emeril…”

  “We were working undercover in the Sharp District. Figured we’d work our way up until we got a battle with the Disciples. Then you came along. Almost blew our cover when we had to fight you.”

  “If I’d known… Sorry—”

  “Don’t apologize. Emeril and I have been working the Sharp District. Collecting evidence. With Oliver back in town, it piled up in no time. You don’t have to worry about him any longer.”

  “I told you there were some good, honest men in this town,” Pitt said.

  Emeril and Danny went back to searching the suite.

  “I guess that’s really it then,” Max said.

  “We’ll take it from here.” Pitt held his hand out.

  Max looked down at the detective’s hand. He took a moment before shaking it.

  “Thanks… Rebel.” Pitt gave him a smirk before joining the others.

  Max left the suite and stood in the elevator with Zigzag by his side.

  “I sense your uncertainty concerning what just occurred,” Zigzag said.

  “I wouldn’t say that. Just didn’t expect it.”

  “It’s the most fortuitous outcome one could have hoped for. Sammy and Hudson have been avenged. Osiris and his gang have been apprehended and their influence on the police appears weaker than initially speculated. With that, the loot threat in the Cobalt District will certainly be diminished.”

  “When you put it like that… I guess we’re really done in Santa Fe.”

  “Perhaps not. Proxy professed a keen interest in making sure to celebrate as this is truly our final night in Santa Fe.”

  Max chuckled at the android’s knowing smile. “I suppose I can’t argue with that.”

  Chapter 36

  Sammy tilted the glass up and examined the contents. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea for me to be messing around.”

  “It’s synthetic,” Hudson said. “Less likely to get addicted to it.”

  “There’s always a chance.”

  “It’s our last night in Santa Fe. Consider this an opportunity to say goodbye.”

  “Works for me.” Sammy shrugged as he gulped down the glass of alcohol. His face twitched into a grimace before he grinned. “Not bad.”

  “Cheers.” Hudson held his drink up and toasted with his friend.

  While the two old friends caught up with one another, Max looked around the lounge. The back room of Gaia Club was just as peaceful as he remembered. Patrons relaxed on their comfortable leather seats while they mingled with one another. The soft electronic music wafted through the speakers, creating an ambiance so peaceful Max almost wanted to fall asleep.

  “How about you?” Sammy asked Max. “You not drinking tonight?”

  “I drank enough for a dozen lifetimes back in New Austin,” Max said. “I think I’ve done enough celebrating in Santa Fe.”

  “Santa Fe… After all the shit I went through, I’m gonna miss it a little bit. What’s New Austin like?”

  “New Austin… It’s not much different. Just a place where everybody is trying to get by. Everybody’s here for you though.”

  “Speaking of everybody’s here,” Hudson said. “Where the hell are the ladies at?”

  “Proxy and Sabrina dragged Zigzag out to the main barroom,” Max sighed. “I’m sure they’re getting a lot of attention on the dance floor at the moment.”

  “Might be getting too much attention with the way they were dressed…”

  “Anybody who gives Zigzag the wrong kind of attention is in for a rude awakening.”

  The group shared a laugh as Sammy and Hudson toasted to another drink. While they reminisced about older times, Max got up from his seat and headed over to the bar. He watched the pair of robotic arms sort through the bottles of liquor and prepare drinks for the dozens waiting.

  “What are you doing?”

  Max turned and saw Sabrina suddenly standing next to him. “Just checking out these arms. It’s an amazing feat of engineering. Fast. Efficient. Can’t ask for anything more.”

  “Only you would spend your time in a nightclub staring at a robot bartender.”

  “I’d do something else if there was something else to do.”

  “I can think of a thing or two.” Sabrina arched an eyebrow at him. A pair of seductive gray eyes shimmered underneath the dim lights of the c
lub. Her pale skin made the crimson on her lips even more striking.

  Her face was already distracting enough but her outfit had the eyes of every man in the room. Her black skirt showed off her legs and her matching top barely did enough to cover her breasts.

  Max wrapped an arm around her, kissing her deep. The taste of the alcohol on her tongue made him chuckle. She pulled away from him, tugging on his lips with hers.

  “Last night in Santa Fe,” she whispered. “What do you say we go out with a bang?”

  “…You have a way with words.”

  He kept his arm around her as he walked out the side of the room. They headed into the dark hallway where the lights did just enough to light the path. The entrances to all of the other Instinct Rooms were clear.

  “This one.” Sabrina took his hand and placed it on the panel next to the entrance. The door slid open. Max moved to step inside but stopped when he saw what was already waiting.

  Zigzag and Proxy sat naked underneath the neon red lights, their arms on each other as their tongues tangled in a messy kiss.

  “I was wondering where you went off to,” Max said as he stepped inside.

  “I couldn’t let Proxy leave Santa Fe without trying it.” Sabrina moved in behind him and sorted through the digital panel on the wall. A faint white mist came from the ceiling and immediately flooded Max’s nostrils. The sight of Proxy and Zigzag already kissing one another was enough to turn him on but the aromatic aphrodisiac running through his bloodstream only made him more anxious.

  “Just relax.” Sabrina placed a hand on his chest. “We’ll take it from here… Rebel.” She kissed him on the cheek, trailing her lips to his ear and nibbling on it. Her hands roamed down to his belt. He leaned back against the wall and let her undo his jeans. His underwear fell to his ankles. Even without his pants on, Max was as comfortable as could be in the warmth of the small room.

  Proxy pulled away from Zigzag and moved up to her feet. The shape of her petite body was something Max had experienced many times before but he had never been so eager than he was now.

  “This is amazing,” Proxy sighed. “My skin is all tingly. You should think about getting one of these rooms installed back at your place.”