boot across his hand and shoved both Lugers in his face.
A scrabbling noise over my shoulder and Roo crawled out from a panel underneath the bar. I heard the slight whine of his limbs. One of his digits, peeled open like starfish, had shot a dart into the back of Tedder’s neck.
‘You!’ I accused.
His hair gleamed blond, tousled and freshly washed. Green eyes observed me calmly. ‘Didn’t I do the right thing?’
Relief and anger coagulated in my breast, making it hard to breath. ‘Watch he doesn’t move.’
Roo took up sentry duty and I ran quickly to where Teece had fallen, reefing off the bodies of the Plastique boys.
He erupted from under them, a wild animal, flailing. ‘Jeesus! Jeesus! Frig the Wombat, Parrish. What the hell were you thinking of?’ he demanded with a roar. Blood smeared his face. ‘I could catch something from these jerks.’
He felt himself all over while I held my breath. A burn on his cheekbone, muscle spasms down one side of his face and singed hair.
‘I’m alive,’ he pronounced finally, wiping saliva from his lips. He danced a couple of steps. Then he swung at me. The punch caught me square in the jaw and took me down.
‘Don’t you ever do that again,’ he whispered hoarsely and stormed out.
The punters teemed back into Hein’s after Larry decreed the holocaust over. Seems I was good for business after all.
Larry’s bouncers saw Road and his remaining skewbalds safely on to the Transway back to Plastique. It didn’t pay, I thought, to damage Tedder any more, although I was tempted. The ferals went along to make sure the job got done. Seems they’d look after my interests whether I liked it or not.
I’m not sure what Larry did with the bodies, but by the time I’d cut Ibis down, given Roo an earful about sneaking around, and rubbed my already bruising jaw in self pity, they were gone.
My jaw throbbed but not as much as my heart. I’d killed two people. If I hadn’t, Teece would have died.
Ibis glared at me from where he sat at a booth gulping his brimming beaker of scotch. His eyes were shot.
I sat opposite him with three measures of tequila lined up. As I swallowed the first I banged the glass against my jaw and winced.
‘I-it serves you right, you know.’ His teeth still chattered slightly. ‘P-playing with h-his life, P-Parrish.’
Tears welled, catching me by surprise. I blinked them away before Ibis could see.
‘I claimed salvage rights here, Ibis. If I don’t protect them now, every no-brain in The Tert will come for me. Me and everyone who’s linked to me ,’ I said harshly.
He took another sizeable swallow.
I went on: ‘I took a risk that paid off. I’d probably take it again.’ My tone softened. ‘You can get out now. Get out and don’t come back. I wouldn’t blame you.’
‘I’m thinking about it.’ He glowered and waved at Larry for another drink.
Some time later, close on dark, Ibis and I staggered back to my new home. Roo trailed behind and I didn’t mind. The visions that I’d staved off after my set-to with Road Tedder hovered like an unwanted salesman.
I hoped no one else wanted a piece of me tonight - I didn’t know if I’d be good for any more conflabs with Jamon’s unhappy ex-business associates.
We made it home without incident. Along with the new couch, a proper bed had found its way there. I swore tomorrow I’d chase Minoj up on his promise to fix my security and tipped Ibis into the bed. I ordered Roo to the couch and I took the rest of the tequila bottle into the den.
Merry 3# yawned as if she’d been waiting up for me.
I made a list of things I wanted to make the place more liveable and told her to send it to Larry Hein. Nothing special. Some mats, a table and chairs. The kitchenette didn’t interest me much - what would I do with it? Instead I sent Larry another message telling him to negotiate a line of credit with some of the palatable food vendors. The rest I would shop for myself.
Myself?
A scrabbling noise over my shoulder and Roo crawled out from a panel underneath the bar. I heard the slight whine of his limbs. One of his digits, peeled open like starfish, had shot a dart into the back of Tedder’s neck.
‘You!’ I accused.
His hair gleamed blond, tousled and freshly washed. Green eyes observed me calmly. ‘Didn’t I do the right thing?’
Relief and anger coagulated in my breast, making it hard to breath. ‘Watch he doesn’t move.’
Roo took up sentry duty and I ran quickly to where Teece had fallen, reefing off the bodies of the Plastique boys.
He erupted from under them, a wild animal, flailing. ‘Jeesus! Jeesus! Frig the Wombat, Parrish. What the hell were you thinking of?’ he demanded with a roar. Blood smeared his face. ‘I could catch something from these jerks.’
He felt himself all over while I held my breath. A burn on his cheekbone, muscle spasms down one side of his face and singed hair.
‘I’m alive,’ he pronounced finally, wiping saliva from his lips. He danced a couple of steps. Then he swung at me. The punch caught me square in the jaw and took me down.
‘Don’t you ever do that again,’ he whispered hoarsely and stormed out.
The punters teemed back into Hein’s after Larry decreed the holocaust over. Seems I was good for business after all.
Larry’s bouncers saw Road and his remaining skewbalds safely on to the Transway back to Plastique. It didn’t pay, I thought, to damage Tedder any more, although I was tempted. The ferals went along to make sure the job got done. Seems they’d look after my interests whether I liked it or not.
I’m not sure what Larry did with the bodies, but by the time I’d cut Ibis down, given Roo an earful about sneaking around, and rubbed my already bruising jaw in self pity, they were gone.
My jaw throbbed but not as much as my heart. I’d killed two people. If I hadn’t, Teece would have died.
Ibis glared at me from where he sat at a booth gulping his brimming beaker of scotch. His eyes were shot.
I sat opposite him with three measures of tequila lined up. As I swallowed the first I banged the glass against my jaw and winced.
‘I-it serves you right, you know.’ His teeth still chattered slightly. ‘P-playing with h-his life, P-Parrish.’
Tears welled, catching me by surprise. I blinked them away before Ibis could see.
‘I claimed salvage rights here, Ibis. If I don’t protect them now, every no-brain in The Tert will come for me. Me and everyone who’s linked to me ,’ I said harshly.
He took another sizeable swallow.
I went on: ‘I took a risk that paid off. I’d probably take it again.’ My tone softened. ‘You can get out now. Get out and don’t come back. I wouldn’t blame you.’
‘I’m thinking about it.’ He glowered and waved at Larry for another drink.
Some time later, close on dark, Ibis and I staggered back to my new home. Roo trailed behind and I didn’t mind. The visions that I’d staved off after my set-to with Road Tedder hovered like an unwanted salesman.
I hoped no one else wanted a piece of me tonight - I didn’t know if I’d be good for any more conflabs with Jamon’s unhappy ex-business associates.
We made it home without incident. Along with the new couch, a proper bed had found its way there. I swore tomorrow I’d chase Minoj up on his promise to fix my security and tipped Ibis into the bed. I ordered Roo to the couch and I took the rest of the tequila bottle into the den.
Merry 3# yawned as if she’d been waiting up for me.
I made a list of things I wanted to make the place more liveable and told her to send it to Larry Hein. Nothing special. Some mats, a table and chairs. The kitchenette didn’t interest me much - what would I do with it? Instead I sent Larry another message telling him to negotiate a line of credit with some of the palatable food vendors. The rest I would shop for myself.
Myself?
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