How did you find out about this?
Charmed it out of Kura one night. And by charmed, I mean I poured Girilal brandy down his throat until he gave up every one of the clubs secrets. Then he gave up the rindroast hed eatenall over my new boots. She smiled wryly. Disgusting, but worth it.
They stepped into the passage. It was an unadorned, dimly lit corridor lined with pipes, the floor mottled with stagnant puddles. Scuttling sounds revealed that at least one szemét rat called the passage home.
This leads to a cargo lift. Maras voice echoed in the corridor. That takes us to the ground level.
She headed down the passage, but something prickled Kells awareness. He turned around,
plasma pistol in hand, just in time to see a man also stepping into the corridor. The panel slid shut behind the stranger, closing all of them in. Kell recognized him as the blocky man from the night before, the one who thought he remembered Kell.
I know who you are. Blocky had two plasma pistols out, one trained on Kell, the other pointed at Mara. And you arent a Halu pleasure slave.
Turn around. Mara had her own weapon aimed at the interloper. Then get the hell out.
But the man didnt listen. Got to thinking last night, about that move you used to take down Jorgo. Seen it only once beforeby a street brawler on Sayén. Dangerous fucker. Killed at least two men in the ring. He stepped closer, and the dimness turned his eyes to small, sharp beads. Cant forget someone like that. He disappeared, though. Then word got out that hed joined the 8th
Wing.
Cold heat tightened Kells muscles, yet he felt perfectly calm, focused.
Think of what I could buy, selling that intel, Blocky continued. A nice villa on Merane. A half dozen Halu pleasure slaves of my own. But Im a businessman, so Im willing to deal. I take creds. Or I can be creative when it comes to payment. His gaze flicked to Mara, and that was when Kells anger roared to life.
Blocky was an idiot. Hed gotten too close, within striking distance. Kell kicked a plasma pistol out of his hand. As the man yelped in pain, Kell grabbed his other arm and broke it with a swift movement. A louder scream of pain. The second weapon landed on the ground with a clatter. Kell had the barrel of his own plasma pistol lodged tight against the underside of Blockys jaw.
The would-be blackmailers small eyes widened as much as they were able. He shook with the combination of fear and pain.
Mara hurried forward and collected the fallen weapons. Going to stamp out his miserable life?
Blocky whimpered.
Breath and rage pushed through Kells body. The fucker had threatened Mara. Kell demanded blood.
But, as Blocky had helpfully reminded him, Kell was 8th Wing. They had a code, a sense of honor that had to be preserved. Cold-blooded murder was PRAXISs way.
I want to.
Blocky whimpered again.
He slammed a fist into the side of Blockys head. The man collapsed to the ground, splashing in the greasy puddles.
Mara gazed down at the unconscious man. She nudged him, not gently, with her boot. Why not?
I shed that skin when I left Sayén. He hefted Blockys substantial bulk over his shoulder. Gods, the man was heavy, but Kell didnt stagger under his weight. A killers skin.
She gave him a look, and he distinguished the gleam of respect in her eyes. It nourished him, far more than killing ever had or could.
He turned and strode down the passageway.
She followed. Were not taking on any passengers. Especially not this ass.
Only room for two on the Arcadia . They reached the cargo lift, and, in silence, rode it down to ground level. The lift spit them out into an alley. Garbage rested in moldering heaps, and Kell kicked the heaps apart to find precisely what he needed. Lengths of touw cord, used to bind pallets for shipping.
Mara knew exactly what to do. She wrapped the touw cord tightly around the unconscious mans wrists and ankles, then, for good measure, she gagged him with a scrap of coarse clothwithout brushing off the dirtroaches skittering through its folds.
A largely-empty waste drum proved an excellent location for hiding the would-be interloper.
There was just enough room to cram him inside and replace the lid. Didnt look like the alley got much foot traffic, so the location was secure. It wasnt a death sentence, but it would take a lot of effort and determination for Blocky, with his broken arm, to fight his way free.
That ought to hold him. Ten solar hours, at least. She glanced around the alley. Appropriate he should wind up here, with all the garbage. One regret, though.
He glanced at her, curious.
I didnt get to punch him. She kicked the drum. The shit tried to hurt you.
The only people who defended him were other Black Wraith squad members. She was the first civilian who gave a damn about him.
He didnt care that they were standing in a grimy alley. He kissed her, hot and demanding. Her hands gripped his biceps, her hips cupped his. He wanted her against the walljust like last night.
With a growl, he finally tore away from the kiss. This wasnt the time, and definitely not the place.