Gabriel's Ghost (40 page)

Another gentle nudge from Ren.

My breathing slowed.

Our greatest threat
, Sully said,
is from the lab tech. Still just one. Male. In the office. He’s
most likely armed. One of us needs to crawl out there, take him out from above
.

Sully pointed toward the far corner. Out there meant no rampway. Out there meant using the ductways themselves, and the narrow cross beams they rested on.

Out there meant the lightest of us all. Me. One more kill to add to Captain Chasidah Bergren’s list of the dead.

This was the first one I knew I wouldn’t mind.

I sat back on my heels, checked my functional, reliable Stinger, reholstered it. Sully’s and Ren’s voices flitted through my mind. There was an airlock on the exterior wall. Evidently the lab used it, and the access ring beyond it. That was why no one else in Marker had reported any knowledge of the lab. All they had to do was clear the beacons—which for someone of Hayden Burke’s wealth and power, wasn’t difficult to do—and then gain entry to Marker Two from their own private loading bay.

That bay also had two ladders flanking the wall. They led to the manual overrides here, in the overhead. I considered suggesting opening the airlock, disabling the force field, letting the lab, jukors and solitary tech get sucked out into the blackness of space.

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Nice thought, but we might not get behind the airtights in time. Plus, we need the files in thatoffice. That’s one of the reasons why we’re here,
Sully said, being practical.
You’re okay with
this
?

Yes
. It wasn’t as if I’d never killed another sentient being before.

I kneeled on the rampway, then pushed myself onto the ductwork. It creaked, buckled slightly. Shit. I adjusted my weight, using my palms to test each section as I moved, slid, crawled.

Below me, jukors crackled, hissed, wheezed. I could also hear a low, keening cry. The Taka, in intense pain and dying. It tore at me.

I crossed over the main section of the lab, a wide area. Through infrequent breaks in the ceiling I could see monitors, a bed with restraints, and other equipment I had no way to identify other than lumping it as medical in function. I was aware of Sully and Ren, felt their presence, heard their voices. Both distinctly different.

I was almost to the lab’s office. I placed my hands on the next section of ductwork and felt it give, rapidly. I pulled back, hunching over. The ductwork rested on a narrow platform. I could fit one boot, but not two. But I had no choice. I stepped down, my back cramping, my knees hurting, my heels hanging over the edge. If I fell backwards, I’d crash through the ceiling into the lab. If the tech were armed, I’d probably be dead before I hit the floor.

I held my breath, worked on calming my heart thumping against my ribs. Then I moved. Slowly.

A crossbeam. Finally. The edge of the office. Then another large air booster and filter, for the office alone. The med tech would spend most of his time in there because, even with the boosters filtering the main lab, the stench was nauseating. I sidled over to the booster. The duct was snug, no gaps. It took me five minutes to peel back the tape, to open a hole to where I could see into the office below.

Sounds drifted up. The trill of an intercom. I heard the tech answer, his name garbled. The caller, on speaker, was clearer.

“H.Q. just notified us of a possible intruder. Code Red status immediately. Secure all doors.”

Berri had finally reached Hayden.

I felt Sully’s agreement with my assessment. There was no time left now.

I lay the short barrel of the Stinger against the small opening, targeted the top of the med tech’s head. Fired.

He slumped backward in his chair, his head lolling to one side.

Go
! I told Sully.
Go
!

I ripped the rest of the duct away, put my boot through the ceiling tile, once, then again. It buckled, resisted, then finally collapsed, falling onto the desk below.

I grabbed the support beam under the unit, swung myself down. My boots dangled a good fifteen feet from the desk—more than that from the floor.

I let go and tried to remember to bend my knees as I hit the desk. For all my training, I skidded sideways, flailing, and ended up tumbling against the tech’s lifeless body.

Sully pulled me upright. “Good work. I activated the airtight seals. I need to break into these files, grab what I can. Go help Ren.”

I charged through the office door.

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The stench hit me immediately. That and the frenzied flapping of the jukors—four of them—in their cages. Ren had one hand on a long table near the center, placing charges underneath. He was feeling his way. Tables had no thermals.

I reached into my jacket and grabbed two explosives, then placed them on either side of the door. Two more I put near the Taka’s cage. Her eyes were wide with fear. She tried to prop herself up on her cot, her large belly protruding grotesquely through the thin shift covering her. It was filthy, stained. It occurred to me then I had no idea how large jukors were when they were born. But I doubted even a Taka child would make her look so.

I reached through the bars and offered my hand. She fell to her knees, pulled herself over to

clasp it, tears rolling down her face. I could see her body spasm. “It will all be over soon.” I couldn’t think what else to tell her. She drew her hand back, lay her long, furred fingers on her belly. “Kill this. Kill me.

Please.” Dark gold blood trickled from her mouth as she spoke. I nodded, choking back my tears. I had to turn away. Something trilled behind me. The lab-tech’s intercom and someone demanding he respond. I felt Sully’s frustration, anguish.
No more time. We have to get out of here
.
The Taka—
Chasidah, there’s no time. I’m sorry
.
Sully
! A moment’s hesitation was laced with despair.
Fuck
. He strode quickly from the office, Carver aimed at the lock on her cage. It disintegrated as he

moved. She tried to stand. He waved her down. “No, sister. It’s better if you… just stay there.” He knelt beside her, taking her large hand in his. The Taka’s face twisted in fear for a moment, but then Sully’s voice seemed to make that fade. “Guardian of light, Guardian of wisdom, of love… sister, you don’t know me, but you do.

Sleep will come now, peace will come. But you must trust me. You must listen to me.” She nodded. “You will feel me in your mind—” She jerked her hand, but Sully hung on. “Sister, it will not hurt. The pain will be gone in a moment.” She laid her hand against her belly. “Kill this.” He nodded. “I will.” She closed her eyes. “Do it. Blessings be with you.” “And with you, sister. Listen to me, listen to my voice...” Gray fuzzy soft. It flowed over Sully, flowed over the Taka. Then a dark energy rippled

suddenly over Sully’s body, moving, rising. Ren’s hand on my shoulder startled me. “We need to wait by the door. They’ve probably sent a security team.”

I turned for the wide doors and didn’t look at the jukors, flapping wildly, slamming themselves against the cage. I didn’t look at Sully behind me, silent now. I drew out my laser pistol, checked the charge, held it up. Ren did the same by touch. We flanked the doors.

“Anyone out there?” Ren tilted his head, sensing, listening. Suddenly the jukors screamed, a high, shrill piercing noise. Instinctively I turned but Ren grabbed my shoulder. “Chasidah! Wait. Don’t turn.” I remembered Sully’s voice.
No, don’t turn… don’t turn
. “Ren?”

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“The jukor infant.” He said the words hurriedly. “The Taka’s passing expelled it. Let Sully do what he has to.”

I closed my eyes, felt my stomach clench. There was another piercing scream, a frantic beating of wings. The air seemed alive, stinking. Then Ren’s grip eased.

“It’s over.”

I saw pain etched on his face and heard heavy footsteps behind me. Sully.

“Get the doors.” His voice rasped. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

I hit the palm pad. The doors irised open. Sully was at my back, Carver out. I wanted to turn, to look at his face, to touch him but to do that would mean to see the bodies of the Taka and the jukor infant. I didn’t want to remember that. I knew if I saw it, I’d never forget it.

I stepped into the doorway, braced my back against the jamb and checked the corridor for movement. Ren did the same, seeing without seeing.

“Clear,” I said.

“Clear,” he said.

We moved out, our pistols tucked just out of sight under our arms. The corridor was empty, for now. H.Q. had sent a Code Red to the lab. I could only guess what else was on its way.

“I’ll release the gas when we hit the core.” Sully had the transmitter in his pocket. We walked quickly back toward the accessway, toward the duffle and the robes which would grant us innocuous identities again.

Suddenly, I heard noises. Footsteps, running, thudding.

How many
? Ren asked.

We slowed, our pistols coming out.

Seven. Eight
. Sully stopped. His left hand snaked to his pocket and pulled out the transmitter. There was a barely noticeable flick of his thumb. I heard muted thumps behind me in rapid succession. “They’re at our access point.”

“Blow it,” I told him, meaning our duffle, with the charge. It might distract them, give us time to find another way out.

Another flick, a breath and then a muffled explosion.

“This way.” He grabbed my arm.

We turned and ran past the lab, silent now, past the short corridor on our right with no core access panel. The next was farther down, around the corridor’s curve, past more locked doors, vacant storerooms. We were still in Blue.

“Option.” I huffed as we ran. “Secondary lift bank in Yellow. We could—”

Four men, armed, appeared around the curve in the corridor in front of us. Not stripers. They were private security, with unknown emblems on their shirts. And pistols in their hands, drawn, targeting.

“Down!” Sully shoved me against the corridor wall.

Laser fire spit through the air.

I landed on my backside, swung my arm, fired. Sully was behind me. Ren was in the middle of the corridor, prone, laser pistol in his hand, answering with fire of his own.

The men jumped sideways, hugged the interior edges of the corridor as we did, utilizing the curve.

Ren! Now
! Sully leaned out, sprayed the corridor with fire, covering Ren as he scrambled toward us. He slammed against the wall in front of me.

“You okay?” I asked him.

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Yes. Praise the stars
.

Laser fire erupted behind us. Sully swung around, the Carver’s high-pitched whine like staccato.

Shit. Where in hell were the stripers? These weren’t
—

Burke’s
. Sully answered in my mind, following my thoughts as he fired.
Star-over-X
emblem. Crossley Burke
.

So where in hell are the stripers
?

Probably putting out a fire somewhere. Diversionary tactics. It’s what I’d have done
.

The four to my right popped out again, fired. Shit. I swung around, targeted, missed.

The others were coming closer. Eight of them, Sully had said.

We were trapped. There was no doorway behind us, no short corridor. Across was a vacant storage locker, but that would go nowhere. Even if we could decode the lock in time, it would simply serve as a coffin. Only the gradual curve of the corridor kept us alive.

“Sullivan!” A woman’s voice called out. I identified it as Sully did. Berri Solaria.

I wanted her to step into view around the corridor’s curve. Badly.

“Sullivan!” she called again.

“Blessings of the hour, Sister.” A wicked smile flitted across his mouth. “How may I assist you?”

“Step out. Drop your weapons. You won’t be harmed.”

I couldn’t see her, but at least the four behind us stopped firing.

“Please tell Cousin Hayden I regret I can’t do that.”

“Fool! If your life means nothing to you, then how about the woman? And your demon-spawned friend?”

“Bargaining with me, Berri?”

“Those of us who know our holy mission are always prepared to show mercy.”

“A holy mission that breeds jukors?” Sully glanced up and down the corridor as he spoke, assessing, planning. I knew he was reading her, reading those in her group. Whatever link I had with him and Ren had gone quiet. He was buying time, talking to her, but I had no idea why.

“A holy mission to cleanse the Empire of the filth of soul-stealers. Surely you understand that!”

“Some of my best friends are soul-stealers,” he yelled back to her.

“Bastard!” she shouted. “Infidel!”

Ren touched my arm.
Chasidah
.

I glanced at him. Glanced past him, past the four men flattened against the corridor walls. And I saw something move, something large and shadowy, behind them. I saw the distinct outline of a Norlack, pointing.

Verno. With a rifle that most eight foot tall Takas normally didn’t need.

Praise the stars.

Four short bursts and Sully was suddenly, pushing, shoving. “Go! Go!”

I ran backward, firing, spraying cover. Sully did the same.

Berri’s people fired back, but there were four less now, and we had an open passageway.

I could hear Berri screaming behind us. Something about Lazlo. Call Lazlo. Reinforcements. More of their people, more weapons.

“Here!” Sully darted down the inner corridor with core access.
Lifts. Cut them off
.

Reinforcements would be slow in coming without the lifts.

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He slid the panel back. We tumbled through into the darkness.
I grasped Verno’s arm. “How—?”
“I knew. When she hated Ren, I knew.”
That was all we had time to say. Voices, loud and angry, trumpeted in from the corridor.
“Red’s that way!” Lights flickered as the main lifts moved up and down. I pushed past Sully