In the Service of the Guild Read online

  After hours of sifting through data logs, communications, and videos, my body aches, and I can barely keep my eyes open, but I finally come up with a viable plan. Mr. Po splits his time among his residences in each of the galaxies’ quadrants. If my hunch is right, he should be in the Alpha Quadrant in the Lyra system in the Persephone colony. It’s a run-down shit hole of a planet dedicated to manufacturing and refining fuel for interstellar ships. Looks like this one is still independent. The comm-tile logs I’ve pulled from various “entertainment” establishments show that Mr. Po is a particular fan of an exclusive gaming club.

  Damn gamers…

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The pitch black and the cold rain of the planet seep through my being, making my joints ache and freeze. Maybe Tabor was right—I am getting too old for this game. After being in my cramped transport for a week straight while getting here, parts of me I didn’t even know existed ache. Trying to put these feelings aside, I pull my trench coat closer to stave off the pelting rain. In the distance, the street glows with the neon hues of blue and red advertising entertainment, drugs, sex, and whatever else the workers can use to forget their pitiful existence for just a few hours. The only thing beautiful about this planet is its name. I’ve been here a few times, working runs, and it’s always the same dump. A foul stench hangs in the air, and a blanket of black haze is floating from the refineries. After scanning the street for a few minutes, I find the place. The sign glows and flickers: Simlife Best VR Experience. I take a breath and head down the street, rain streaming the whole way.

  The establishment is crowded and dimly lit in red. To my left is a traditional bar with a few people gathered around, drinking and waiting their turns for the VR pods littering the place. I take comfort in the fact that this place offers shelter from the cold rain. As I make my way to the bar, a man bumps me in the shoulder, barely aware that I’m even there.

  I snarl at him and push him away. “Watch it, will ya?”

  He doesn’t say a word but just floats away as if I weren’t even there at all. He must be one of those Blessed freaks who have the power to sense wormholes. Not a one of them is right in the head.

  I mutter under my breath, “Fuckin’ freak,” as I sit at the bar.

  I light a cigar and inhale the woody smoke as I survey the lounge. All the egg-shaped VR pods are glowing red and have numbers floating above them, signifying how long their sessions have to go. Nothing seems out of the ordinary just yet, but I haven’t really had to time to watch. That’s ninety percent of my job: watching, observing, and waiting for a mark to get sloppy. I got all the time in the world. A motorized drone rolls up to me, and I place an order for whatever watered-down shit they have on special. I have to be at the top of my game, but I can’t look too obvious, either.

  “So what’s your favorite VR pastime?” a woman asks in a melodious voice.

  I turn in the direction of the voice. A woman is perched on a barstool, dressed in cargo pants, boots, a form fitting T-shirt, and a jacket. As she smiles, her gray eyes sparkle. Her jet-black plait falls off her shoulder with a flick of her head. She lifts an eyebrow, then her almond-shaped eyes narrow as if she’s in deep thought.

  She continues, “Let me guess… You don’t seem like the sort who rides dragons and goes off and has affairs with beautiful elven princesses.”

  “Look, ma’am, I just found the first bar that had a seat open so I didn’t have to wait for a drink.”

  She wrinkles her nose at my drink. “You call that a drink? That’s mostly water.” She signals for the waiter-bot and makes an order. It quickly produces a drink, and she puts it in front of me while taking my original drink away. “This will get you where you’re going. You can thank me later.”

  I put the concoction up to my nose and clear my throat. I take a sip, and it burns all the way down. I cough. “Uh, thanks.” I turn away from her to put the conversation to an end and start my survey once again.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” she says, cocking her head.

  “What question?”

  “Uh, what’s your favorite VR pastime? By my estimation, you got at least an hour wait for the next available pod.” She looks up at the queue list hanging up at the bar. “Is your name up there?”

  I grit my teeth. “I told you, ma’am. I just came here to get a drink.”

  She laughs. “Ma’am? Seriously? My name’s Kira Dresden. And you are?”

  I slump my shoulders. “Hannibal Reece.”

  “Really?”

  “Really what?”

  “Is that really your name? Sounds made up. Maybe I pegged you wrong. Maybe you are the type who likes to go off and have kinky sex with elves.”

  My eyes go wide. “It is my real name. And what the hell is your issue?”

  She feigns a hurt look and puts a hand to her chest as if wounded. “Here I am trying to strike up a friendly conversation with you to kill time before your VR session, and all you can do is be mean. I’m hurt.”

  “Lady—”

  “Kira.”

  I clench my jaw and breathe forcefully out my nose. Usually, I make a point to ensure no collateral damage occurs when I’m taking out a mark, but I might make an exception in her case. “Kira. I just want to have a drink… alone. I thought this would be the place—”

  Something’s not right here. This woman does not belong in this place. No one in these VR bars strikes up conversations with a stranger. As a matter of fact, the whole reason people come to places like this is to avoid reality. I give her a once-over. Her glowing olive complexion and voluptuous build betray that she hasn’t spent a lifetime breathing in toxic refinery fumes.

  “What gives? You belong here about as much as I do.”

  “Ah, you’re quick. I got some information I think you might be interested in.”

  “Doubtful.” I turn away from her.

  She gets up from her barstool and walks over in front of me. The petite woman scowls and gives me a piercing look. “I’m trying to help you.”

  “More likely, you’re trying to help you.”

  “Probably, but what do you care if the end result is something that helps both of us?” When I don’t turn away, she continues, “You’re a paladin, aren’t you?”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Y’all look the same. Trying to look inconspicuous, but you have the same military pompous-ass air about you. The likes of you don’t come into bars like this… ever.”

  “Let’s say I am. So what?”

  “Well, Mr. Reece, elf defiler—” When I growl, she laughs. “The only reason I could see that a paladin would ever lower themselves to coming into an establishment like this is to find someone high profile. Maybe a certain someone I’ve been tracking on and off for the last few months—a certain someone who thinks he’s a powerful hacker who likes to slum in VR bars, remembering the good ol’ days. And maybe this person stiffed me on a fare I’m still trying to recoup from. Maybe I know exactly where he is right now. And maybe, just maybe, I have another piece of information you will find interesting.”

  She has my attention, and I smile. “So… Ms. Kira Pain-in-the-Ass, if you knew of a person like this, why would you ever tell me, and what the hell else do you think would be interesting to me?”

  “Well, Mr. Reece, as you probably know, being a possible paladin and all, Mr. Po—” She feigns a shocked look and puts her hand to her mouth and says, “Oopsy, did I say that name out loud? Anyhoo, this man is quite well protected. No way am I getting through his guards alone—a minor tactical error I overlooked.”

  “Eh, minor. So if I was to help you with a certain someone, what other piece of information do you have for me?”

  “Uh, no, you agree to help me get the fucker.”

  “That’s where we’re going to have a problem. My bosses want to have a word with him. No way you can have him.”

  “Silly paladin, I don’t want him. Just access to his comm-tile for like five minutes… tops. I can get my due and get the hell out of here.”

  I’m silent for a few seconds. The whole time, she looks at me patiently, waiting for my response. I size her up and decide it’s worth the risk of the partnership. I’ve entered riskier partnerships to get a mark.

  I extend my hand. “Fine. You can have his comm-tile forever as far as I’m concerned. So what’s the other piece of information?

  She looks over my head and says, “I’m pretty sure that dude skulking about over there is another paladin looking for our mark.”

  I turn around.

  Fucking Tabor!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “So I guess I was right, then,” Kira says.

  “When did he come in?”

  She shrugs then takes the drink she ordered for me and gulps it down in a single breath without even flinching. “Not long before you, but he wasn’t very subtle, like you were. He just started rummaging through pods. I didn’t even have a chance to try and make a deal with him.”

  “Hmph. What a shame. Now, you’re stuck with me.”

  She screws up her mouth and shrugs. “Eh, you seem like you might have a few more years of experience and aren’t a total dumb ass like him. He’s never gonna find what he’s looking for out in plain sight.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  Silent, I look at Tabor off in the distance, searching from pod to pod. Sure as hell, Daimyo Corbin gave him a heads up on my mission in hopes that Tabor would swoop in and make a fool of me.

  Fuckin’ Corbin!

  I look over at Kira, who is now pounding her second gut-fire drink. Blast. I’m stuck here o
n a backward planet with a flippin’ boozehound independent transporter—or is she a merc—as a partner?

  “So what’s your deal? You an independent transporter, a merc, or what?”

  She laughs. “Not a merc, m’dear. Just an independent transporter. Like I said, Mr. Po put out feelers for some shit. I got it for him. He didn’t pay on the agreed terms. I just want my due. So what’s the plan, Mr. Reece?”

  “As much as I want to beat that fuckface Tabor into oblivion, the smart plan is to get to where Mr. Po is hiding out, get in, and get out.” I’m silent for a second as I gather my thoughts. “What’s his security detail look like?”

  She sidles close to me then makes a few swipes and pushes on her comm-tile, and a picture of Jake Po surrounded by an entourage appears. She points at two big guys. “Obviously, these two guys are going to be pretty tough opponents, and that’s his first line of defense.” She swipes a few more times, and a picture of three leggy, beautiful women is displayed.

  A grunt emanates from me.

  “Yeah, I know. They’re hot. But my gut tells me they’re more than just a few pretty faces.”

  “Your gut is probably right. So you have any weapons on you?”

  She cocks her head then discreetly opens her jacket to display a disrupter pistol. “Please.”

  I’m starting to like this woman more and more. “You know how to use flash bangs?”

  “I’m pretty sure I can figure it out.”

  “All right then. What pod is he in?”

  “Oh, he wouldn’t use anything here in gen-pop. There’s a few private rooms in back for VIPs.” She nods toward Tabor in the distance. “Luckily, your friend hasn’t figured that out yet.”

  “He’s no friend of mine.”

  “Hmph. Maybe you can tell me the story later.”

  “Well, if all goes as planned, there won’t be a later. I’ll have my man, and you’ll have your comm-tile, and we can go our separate ways.”

  She gets a sneaky smirk on her face. “That’s a shame. We were just starting to have fun. Thought maybe we could have more fun after this was over.” She gives me a wink.

  That must be the two drinks she pounded down.

  Without missing a beat, she quickly turns the subject of the conversation. “So the VIP room is in back. Problem is I don’t know which room is his. Fortunately, the VIPs warrant better service than the waiter drones. Maybe if we—”

  I smile and finish her thought. “Find a few uniforms and take some orders?”

  “You know, I don’t care what they say about you paladin. You’re okay, Mr. Reece.” She points her head in the direction of a doorway that reads Employees Only over the entrance. “After you.”

  In the back, a few people are too busy to notice us working our way to the locker room. Once there, we look around and find a few uniforms that might fit us. Finding clothes that will fit my larger-than-average size is always a challenge, but I’ll make these work. I swivel around to find some private accommodations to change but find none. When I turn back around, Kira already has her shirt over her head, exposing her barely covered breasts.

  She pulls her shirt off all the way and smiles. “Shy? Do you need some privacy?”

  “Of course not.”

  As I undress, I can’t help but steal a few looks at her. She’s very curvaceous and quite beautiful when she shuts her mouth. Most of the women I’m exposed to in the Guild are more athletic and harder, the exact opposite of Kira. Fraternization is discouraged between paladins. It certainly does happen from time to time, but mostly it’s just business. In my case, there’s never been anyone I felt particularly motivated enough to break the rules for. But this woman… is like a breath of fresh air.

  Rein it in, Reece. When this is over, you won’t see her again.

  Once dressed, she heads over to me and tugs at the tight uniform. “Don’t quite make these to fit big guys like you. C’mon, let’s get goin’.”

  When we head back out of the area, I grab a few trays of snacks and booze to complete the charade. She points toward a bank of rooms behind the pods, and we head toward them. While we traverse the pods, I keep a look out for Tabor, but I don’t see him. With any luck, he hasn’t discovered this bank of rooms yet. After a few minutes, we’re finally in a corridor lit only by a black light. Our white uniform jumpsuits glow an eerie blue. I start to knock on the first door, but then I’m stopped.

  Kira gasps, “I think we have a problem.”

  I look over, and Tabor is standing over Kira with a knife pressed against her back. She gasps and struggles.

  He laughs as he says, “My, she is a pretty one. Wanna take her back to my ship and take turns?”

  I growl at Tabor. He’s a sick son of a bitch. I know plenty paladins who get a thrill out of raping and torturing, but I’ve always been more the type to just get the job done and move to the next one.

  I take a breath to calm myself and keep from doing anything too rash. “Put the damn knife down. What the hell are you doing here, Tabor?”

  “Just keepin’ an eye on you in case you fuck up the job, which looks like you’re right on track to do.”

  “I’m doing just fine. Put the knife down and—”

  I’m cut off by the sound of Tabor yelling in response to Kira slamming her heel into the top of Tabor’s foot. She backs away from him, but his reach is long enough to grab her and throw her into a wall. As she slides down the wall, I head for Tabor, but I’m stopped by the sound of a few doors opening to see what the commotion is about. Through one of the doors, I see him, Jake Po—he’s looking wide-eyed at the melee.

  When I start toward the little man, a large guard cuts me off and yells, “Get him out of here!”

  Two women yank Po out of his seat while I’m restrained by the guard, and they disappear behind a hidden door in the room. The large guard slams me hard against a wall and is off with the rest of the entourage.

  Kira shrieks, “No! What have you done, Tabor? We had him!”

  She starts after Po, but Tabor takes his knife and shoves it into Kira’s side. She crumples in a pile.

  Tabor gives me an evil smile. “Have fun cleaning up that mess. I’m gonna get me a mark.” He’s off in an instant.

  I look down at the motionless woman, wondering what to do.

  CHAPTER SIX

  I kneel down next to Kira. She’s alive, but her blood is flowing profusely. I take her pulse, and it seems strong and steady. No one who can help is around, and I imagine on this world it’ll take forever for her to get treated. I can fix this wound fairly easily on my ship. Last damn thing I need is a tagalong, but maybe she’ll have more intel. At this last thought, I scoop the woman up in my arms and mutter a curse. Hopefully, Tabor won’t be able to track Po, and I’ll be able to blame this fuckup on him. Screwing up another paladin’s assignment is grounds for a few weeks in the box and maybe even never being able to make daimyo. Seeing him endure that might be worth all this shit.

  Once back on my small ship, I lay Kira on my bunk and simultaneously call out to the computer, “Execute launch protocol Alpha One Gamma. Search for Paladin Gerr’s ship and report to me immediately when you lock on him.”

  The computer responds, “Affirmative, Paladin Reece.”

  When I look down at Kira, she’s regained consciousness. She croaks out, “Hell of a way to get me in your bed. You’re pretty cute. If you’d asked nicely, there’s a good chance I would’ve gone.”

  “Shut up.”

  She smiles and winces.

  I call to the computer as we buck wildly through the atmosphere, “Send a message to Daimyo Corbin and ask him what the fuck is going on. While you’re at it, send the same message to Daimyo Raines.”

  Kira’s breath is labored, and her face is drenched in sweat. She lifts her arm and positions her comm-tile where she can see it and swipes and clicks. “I figure since you saved my ass, I could give you all the intel I have on Po. There should be some intel on his ship’s call signatures. Maybe run this through your computer and see if they ping on anything.”

  I smile. “Well, I might not be too sorry I saved your ass now.” I say to the computer, “Scan files from Kira Dresden’s comm-tile. Scan for comms within given parameters for Jake Po. Tell me if you get any hits.”