Gunship (34 page)

Today alone had seen seven of Welch’s men suffering unfortunate accidents, and a couple more had somehow wandered into the detainment wing looking for a chow hall. The detainers, realizing the men were not armed or protected by the boss, immediately got to work. Of course he had most sarcastically expressed his concern and sorrow over their loss to Welch. What else could he do? Space stations were inherently dangerous places, and even without visitors, trained staff routinely became injured or died in accidents. Crazy Ray smiled a calm, complacent smile and continued to mark off names in his black book. It was nice to know that he had an external source to feed his homicidal tendencies. Purchasing and training new staff was so tiresome.

Crazy Ray’s employees had taken care of the bodies and provided what was left back to Welch, except for the two in the detainment wing who had lasted a day each. Crazy Ray sipped some brandy and watched the highlights of the latest videos. The moans and screams were quite delicious, although it always seemed to be over too quickly for him. He had allowed some of the lower-level detainers to work on the latest guests while his best detainers rested up in preparation for the arrival of his Wanted Man #2 They always did their best, most inspired work after a break, and Crazy Ray had provided them with every little item they requested during their hiatus to ensure that they knew how appreciative he was. Torture was hard work and these men were artists, wielding their knives, blow torches, electric instruments, even simple tools such as batons, ropes, and chains in unique and eloquent ways to bring him joy. Their work often brought him to tears. No one else had ever given him such wonderful gifts.

When he visited their chambers under armed guard to reward them after exceptional sessions or to look in on the training of new apprentices, he was humbled by their dedication. They understood his likes so well. Of course, he also understood them perfectly and their desire to kill. As such, he ensured that the detainment wing was locked down at all times. The detainers were free to move about as they pleased within the wing, but not outside of it. Only a rare few were granted that privilege. That would be too much temptation for most of them. Even he could foresee their desire to kill him and take his place. After all, if his lot in life had been reversed and he was a detainer, he would want to kill the ones above him as well. This was the natural order of the universe, kill and take to become more powerful. So he provided for their every need and they performed for him. Only occasionally did they take to killing each other, but he had found even that was preventable, provided they had a steady supply of victims to work with.

Crazy Ray finished his latest vid, then stretched luxuriously and ordered himself some dinner. A few moments later, there was a chime at his door. He opened it remotely and smirked as two women in slinky dresses pushed in a silver cart with his gourmet dinner tray. They began to set the table for him as he licked his lips appreciatively then waved them over.

“Ladies, ladies! Come, join me. I think I’ll be having dessert first tonight.” He grinned and flicked open a butterfly knife, idly playing with it as the two women sat to either side of him and draped themselves across his shoulders. Even with the implants, he could still see the fear flicker in their eyes before it was repressed, still smell its sweet aroma. But they couldn’t resist him. None of them could ever turn him down. He loved the power and the control. But that was where his problem started. Sooner rather than later, they would begin to bore him. Never any educated conversation, no shared interests to speak of. The only mystery left him would be death, and so he would kill them and watch, fascinated, as they died. Only then would they truly reveal themselves, only then could he really see them for what they were. And then he would have to requisition some more to keep him entertained, and the cycle would repeat. At least these two had belonged to Welch before they were implanted, so he wouldn’t be using up his own stock…for now.

Crazy Ray grinned, anticipating Welch’s reaction when he found out that he had managed to get hold of some of his private harem for his own uses. Perhaps he would make his own video later and courtesy copy the bastard on it. The brunette was a favorite, his staff had assured him. So he would make sure she would get prime time in the vid. At this rate, Welch’s patience would run out before his host’s appetite did. The bastard would slip up, and then Crazy Ray would have him. What a movie that would be!

He took a sip from the glass the brunette offered while the blonde began to rub his shoulders. He let his head rest against the top of the sofa, feeling slightly more cheerful as the brunette let down her hair and began to plant small kisses along the side of his neck. Just two more days until his birthday, and what a blast it was going to be! And Joby Ty would make the perfect gift to celebrate it with. He smiled as the ladies continued to fawn over him, competing for his attention, while he leaned back on the sofa to enjoy the view.

Reilly had grabbed her ruck and was preparing to head out when she noticed the modifications. Seth had been by. She walked over to her desk. There sat a new comms system, with a random encryption booster and a high-frequency tunable antenna hidden behind the patch in the wall. She looked it over quickly, then hid the keypad and holoscreen in her locker and closed it down. Somehow he had found the time to put it in before they reached Zain. The kid was incredible. She reminded herself to thank him when she could get a private moment.

When she arrived in the bay, the rest of the crew was assembled, waiting quietly with their gear. They looked tired but determined.

“We all know why we’re here and we all know it’s a quick turn. We drop off the supplies, get paid, and get back to work. At the same time, we’re hoping the Commander’s docs will be able to help Seth get to feeling better.” She shot him a quick smile, which he returned from under Duv’s arm. He was pale but alert. Tiny stood on his other side, holding his bag.

“We’ve all served together for a while, well, most of us at least. I don’t like to sugarcoat ugly, so here it is: I’m going back to get Sergeant Ty. The mission is extremely dangerous. It could be some or all of us don’t make it back, and that’s if it does go well. So I’m asking for volunteers. Anyone who wants out of this mission can step forward right now, no harm, no foul, and stay here until we finish it up.” Reilly paused and looked around at them all, waiting for a response and receiving only determined stares. She nodded and continued.

“We never leave a man behind, and as Death Adders we always take care of our own. Chang, you get with the Commander’s people to offload those supplies and collect our payment. Marek, give our girl the once-over while we have her in dock and repair anything you feel needs fixing. Use the funds from the supply run to purchase what you need. Duv and Tiny are with me. We’ll be back once we’ve taken Seth to meet with Zain’s doctors. We’ll meet back here in six hours for an update briefing and chow. I am planning on flying out of here soonest, so be ready to go any time after that.”

The crew nodded and broke up. Reilly shouldered her ruck and headed out, Tiny next to her, with Duv and Skeeter in tow. As they came off the ramp, a harried-looking first sergeant stepped forward and gave her a smart salute. Reilly returned it and nodded for the man to speak.

“Captain Campbell. Welcome to Raptor Base. Commander Zain sends his regards and requests you follow me to the medical center.” The man turned sharply on his heel and started off down the dock towards the large white core of the facility. They traveled down several enclosed hallways and then passed through a set of doors that opened onto the main street of a modern underground city. People and vehicles moved hurriedly along, disappearing into side streets or heading deeper into the city. Reilly guessed that there must be around a couple hundred thousand souls living and working here, based on the size. She was amazed Zain had been able to find a base large enough to support this type of operation, let alone a covert base at that. She searched her brain trying to remember if she had ever heard of Raptor Base before. It didn’t sound familiar, but maybe Chang would know more. Reilly made a mental note to ask him later about it as they continued through the city.

On the upper levels sat several larger facilities, uniquely designed in the style dictated by government standards and surrounded by large guns that could range beyond most of the ship-docking areas if needed. Soldiers atop large, two-legged robotic turrets paced incessantly along expansive jutting ledges, warily eyeing the horizon and the various entrance portals as ship traffic flowed in and out of the hub.

In another minute, they had made the first lift and were rocketing upward towards the government buildings. The city spread out below them as they rose, an extensive testament to the seriousness of Zain’s newest endeavor to protect the galaxy. Reilly still looked out at it all in amazement, not believing that Welch could possibly warrant this much effort. The lift jostled gently to a halt, and they stepped out into a solid-granite-lined hallway. A security desk greeted them, bounded by solid stone staircases to either side. Above them, soldiers in heavy armor patrolled, carrying laser battle rifles. All in all it was very impressive, and probably very intimidating to most first-time ISU visitors. Reilly yawned while she waited with the others for their visitor badges.

The sergeant led them up the second set of stairs then down a long hall and through two sliders with medical emblems emblazoned across the front. They were ushered into a quiet waiting area while the sergeant went to announce their arrival. Seth shivered involuntarily. Duv put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Skeet, Commander Zain will be able to fix this, get that stuff out of your head for good.” Duv patted him again on the shoulder, fading into his own thoughts as his mouth tightened into a thin line.

Reilly read it clearly. Duv felt like once again he had let his family down. She wished she could convince him it was out of his control—get him to see that this was something that had just happened, an accident. Just then Commander Zain came walking out to greet them, joined by several men and women in white lab coats.

“Captain Campbell. I trust your trip was uneventful?” He returned their salutes curtly and offered a hand.

Reilly shook his hand briefly. “I wish I could say it was. Are these the doctors, then?” Reilly indicated the white lab coats nervously milling about in the background.

Zain nodded and introduced the nearest man. “This is Doctor Warren Banfren. He has worked as a specialist in the area of mental deprogramming and recovery for most of his career. He will be lead on the effort to help your son Jackson.”

Duv nodded gratefully and introduced Skeeter to the group. After the pleasantries had ceased, the staff took Seth back to run a battery of standard tests to get a baseline assessment. Tiny went with Dr. Banfren to provide him details of her care of Seth and general observations, while Duv went with another staff member to provide family medical data.

Reilly looked after them as they departed, then turned back to Zain.

“I see you hired Tiny on. She’s a good trooper, one of the best I ever had working for me. I think you’ll find her to be a hell of an asset.”

“Yes, she told Duv that you recommended she apply for a job aboard my boat. She performed quite well during the crucible and has gotten up to speed quickly. I appreciate you sending her my way.” Reilly could be political when needed.

Zain gave her a probing stare as they walked back to the viewing area overlooking the city and the port.

“You don’t like her…no; your crew doesn’t like her. You never were able to lie to me, Campbell. So who did she piss off on board? Chang? Duv? I know, it had to be Ty, that stubborn bastard always did like a good fight—”

“Ty got taken by Tethers yesterday. I’m planning on leaving Seth here with you while we go in to get him out. The bounty was for him alive. Chang believes he still is. If that’s true, then we only have two days to intercept them.”

“Someone took Joby Ty in alive? That’s a first. Who is it?”

“Ray Alton, the arms trader. Ty pissed him off awhile back and he’s never let it go. I’m also on his wanted list. Guess he found out we were still working together. Anyway, Tiny and Chang have been working on a plan. I’ll let you know how it goes.” Reilly paused a moment and then turned back to Zain. “If it doesn’t go, I’m hoping you’ll look out for Seth and make sure he’s got a place. I’d like to get Duv to stay as well, but I doubt that will happen. Either way, I’ll make sure I leave you a copy of our pay stubs. The crew’s pay will be more than enough to cover the kid and get him into school or training for whatever he wants.”

Zain nodded absently. He continued to stare out across the city, his face a mask but his mind racing. This was it. The chance he had been hoping for. Now that they had the kid here, they could work much faster. And he could get the mission launched before Reilly returned. It would be easy enough to get a replicate done up and then the appropriate death certificates to make it look like the kid had died of a seizure or complications from the programming. If he was dead, the crew would never think to go looking for him. The kid would get a new identity and get launched. The crew would get a nice funeral and intelligence indicating that Welch was behind the programming. And he wouldn’t even need to convince them to join the fight. His team would be working for him again, and he could finally finish Welch and his army. They would all want revenge, especially Jackson. He couldn’t have hoped for a better situation. Zain turned back to Reilly.

“Ty did a lot of good work for me in the ISUs, he’s a good trooper, a good man. You let me know what you need and I’ll make it happen. No man left behind.”

Reilly smiled at him gratefully. “I appreciate it. So, all of this for Razam Welch?” She gestured to the view.

“Indeed. Did you think I was joking? Ah, I see you know I wasn’t joking. When?”

Reilly shook her head. “Reise Macon showed up a few hours after you left to try to collect the bounty. I also had a couple implants in some new crew I hired, but we found them and flushed them. I thought the Tethers and implants might be Welch’s, too, but they were Alton’s. We were heading out to you the day they grabbed Ty.” Reilly unconsciously scanned the area before focusing back on Zain.

“While you’re here, you can relax. Raptor Base has ISU only, no outsiders, no public remote comms. Everything in and out gets monitored. If we had a mole or an assassin, I’d know about it, so don’t feel like you need to keep looking over your shoulder. You’re among friends here. As for Duv’s son, I have some of the best and brightest working for me. They’ll take good care of him until you get back. They should have preliminary results to you in the next few minutes.”

They both turned as Duv stepped into the room. He tried to smile but failed and instead crossed his arms and began to pace.

Zain cleared his throat. “I have some other matters to attend to, but I’ll return in an hour or so to see how things are progressing.”

He nodded to Duv and walked off, pulling his handheld out as he went. Reilly watched him go. Something was wrong. The Commander had just offered her his full support, whatever she needed, to go get Ty. Here he was, conducting serious preparations for a full-scale war at a covert base, but he was fine with allowing them to leave to rescue one man and then return? The old Zain would never take such a risk. Welch was hunting them, too, and if he decided to track them, they may not even be able to detect some of the alien technology he had. Reilly also found it odd that Zain had so quickly agreed to take responsibility for a fourteen-year-old boy he barely knew. What was the game this time? The Commander always did things that worked to his benefit, except this time Reilly couldn’t see where the strings were going or what was in it for him. The Commander never did anything without a reason. None of it was making sense. She stood next to Duv, waiting for the lab rats to return and wondering once again what pieces she was missing.

—————

Seth looked around the room. It was impossible, but he had definitely been here before. He remembered everything about it. The only thing missing was Tiny. He sat down on the white sofa in between the white chair and the tall stainless-steel lamp. The medical staff had drawn his blood and done the standard scans on him. They were all very professional, but he was aware that several of them were also frightened of him, although they tried to mask it well. Who would be afraid of him? It wasn’t like he was some steely-eyed killer.

There was a slight hiss as the door to the room opened. One difference in what he remembered, since this time he could see where the door was. Seth looked up to see Commander Zain stride through the doorway, stowing a handheld in a slanted pocket on the shoulder of his uniform. He looked Seth over and then spoke.

“Seth Jackson, your galaxy needs you. Are you ready for your mission?”

As the Commander spoke, the words seemed to blur momentarily in the air before him. Time froze, then shattered as some invisible barrier lifted, flooding Seth’s mind with images. The edu-system had been a training device. They had blocked him to keep his mind safe and prevent him from revealing the training. Tiny was a Gaiden. The blockers had been overridden when they were on Roen because he had played the game. There were consequences. His mind recalled the two men, traitors, who had come for him, planning to kill his family, take his home. The Captain had flushed them, but he would’ve done it. He killed five men because they came for him and his family. An image of Duv, pistol-whipped and bleeding, flashed through his brain, followed by blind rage. Calculations, derivatives, weapons, combat moves, flight patterns, communications nodes all rushed past, until finally it was just him and the Commander standing in the white room again. But they weren’t alone.

Seth turned to face the image on the wall. Razam Welch: a maniacal sociopath bent on galactic domination. His brain registered this data and then quickly merged additional related information. In his mind, he could see a dual web of personalities related to Welch but also to Ray Alton, the arms dealer. Somehow, the two were now intertwined. Each hoping to kill the other first, each planning to take what the other had. One wanted to co-opt Seth’s family to help expand his rule, through whatever means necessary. The other wanted to torture and murder them to teach them a lesson. Seth wondered if the Commander was aware of this new link between these threats. At the same time, he felt the rage come back, but now it was more focused, had a defined purpose. They would never see him coming. Seth could end them forever. They would never bother his family again. Images flashed through his mind, faces of the crew, memories and emotions.

Zain remained motionless, watching Seth. This was the first time anyone had tried programming a Gaiden to loyalty based on defense of family. The usual training worked fine for older children, but considering the lack of time and Seth’s age, the use of loyalty to family seemed a more appropriate and effective choice to get the kid dedicated. The others had balked at the idea, quoting experimental papers and research that had indicated tying loyalty to emotional attachments such as loved ones could dangerously imbalance the subjects, make them prone to risk taking, make them unpredictable and unable to control their responses. Such ties, they had cautioned him, could create very dangerous personalities or could result in uncontrollable subjects. He reminded himself the key word was
could
. No one had ever done it before, so it was equally possible that the Gaiden would have no issues at all. And he needed the kid in order to get the team back. If he got killed, well, that was just the cost of saving the galaxy.