and turned around, facing the door. He drew the pistol.
Maybe I’m just being paranoid. I got the little girl back . He squeezed the grip of the pistol and looked around. The doctors were unconscious, not dead. He saw one’s chest rise and fall. His finger twitched on the trigger guard.
The ork walked through the double doors and stopped. He looked around, taking in the dead doctor and the others lying unconscious on the floor. He looked at Deke, who nodded at him, then at the little girl.
“ Chikusho ,” he whispered. Then he turned his gaze on the doctors. “ Eta !” he spat.
“You have docs that can put her back together?” Deke asked.
>WHEELS ON THE WAY.
“We have doctors,” the yak said. His tattoos were still glowing, and even Deke, who was about as magical as the mud on his boots, could feel the energy crackling in the room. The dead doctor’s body burst into flames.
“So we’re done?”
“She has been disfigured.”
“You have docs. You can fix her,” Deke said.
“Not that,” the yak said. “Look at her hand.”
“It’s only a couple of fingers. You can get her cybers, or bud them.”
“It is yubitsume .”
“Yubi-what?”
“ Yubitsume . It is a yakuza thing.”
Deke loaded a message to Lincoln. “But we got her back. We’re done.”
“Her father will not be pleased.”
“That he’s getting his daughter back?”
“That she is missing her fingers. That she has been dishonored, and through her, the entire kai has been dishonored. I have been dishonored.” The ork stepped closer, leaned down. “Why would they do such a thing?”
“Because they were paid to. Just like me.”
“Like you?”
Deke gestured. “Wake that one up. He told me. His Johnson had him take her fingers off. I don’t know what mess a couple bloody fingers makes, but those were his instructions.”
The ork stared. He walked around the table and nudged the unconscious doc with his foot. The man moaned, and shifted a bit, but did not wake up. The ork grunted, kicked the others. They all had the same reaction.
“No one can know of this,” the ork murmured.
Deke swallowed. > Get to the wheels .
>MORE YAKS. COMING UP BEHIND ME. GOOD GUYS, I THINK.
The ork swung around. “Lincoln is moving. Where is he going?”
> Ping me every two seconds. Let me know you’re still there . Watch the new guys . Deke shrugged. “Maybe he saw something.” He took a step toward the door. A light flashed on his AR, every two seconds. Deke clenched his jaw.
The ork inhaled deeply. The tattoos on his face and arms flared brightly, and the ork shuddered with exertion. “I have friends outside now,” he said.
The light stopped flashing on Deke’s AR.
The ork’s eyes opened, turned toward Deke.
Deke shot him, two rounds, in the stomach. The ork cried out and collapsed, arms wrapped around himself.
“Dragon’s piss!” Deke swore. He moved quickly around the small table, where the ork had fallen. Using the toe of his boot, he rolled the ork over. As soon as the yak was on his back, Deke planted a knee in the center of his chest and leaned down. The pistol, traces of smoke and cordite still wafting from the barrel, notched itself between the ork’s eyes.
“Is Lincoln still alive?” Deke demanded.
“Yes,” the ork said.
“Transfer the money.”
“I cannot,” the ork said. He groaned in pain, and then opened his eyes and stared at Deke. “It requires me to commune, and I cannot while in this much pain.”
“Then do it tomorrow.”
“Why should I, when you have betrayed me?”
Deke laughed. “Tell your bunny that he owes me what was promised. Whether he wants his little princess back or not, he’ll want the secret kept. I’ll keep his secret. Lincoln and I, we’re getting off this rock. But I’m taking some insurance.”
“We will hunt you dow—”
Deke reached behind his back and pulled the stasis pack out. He brandished it in front of the ork’s face. “I have these.” The ork’s
Maybe I’m just being paranoid. I got the little girl back . He squeezed the grip of the pistol and looked around. The doctors were unconscious, not dead. He saw one’s chest rise and fall. His finger twitched on the trigger guard.
The ork walked through the double doors and stopped. He looked around, taking in the dead doctor and the others lying unconscious on the floor. He looked at Deke, who nodded at him, then at the little girl.
“ Chikusho ,” he whispered. Then he turned his gaze on the doctors. “ Eta !” he spat.
“You have docs that can put her back together?” Deke asked.
>WHEELS ON THE WAY.
“We have doctors,” the yak said. His tattoos were still glowing, and even Deke, who was about as magical as the mud on his boots, could feel the energy crackling in the room. The dead doctor’s body burst into flames.
“So we’re done?”
“She has been disfigured.”
“You have docs. You can fix her,” Deke said.
“Not that,” the yak said. “Look at her hand.”
“It’s only a couple of fingers. You can get her cybers, or bud them.”
“It is yubitsume .”
“Yubi-what?”
“ Yubitsume . It is a yakuza thing.”
Deke loaded a message to Lincoln. “But we got her back. We’re done.”
“Her father will not be pleased.”
“That he’s getting his daughter back?”
“That she is missing her fingers. That she has been dishonored, and through her, the entire kai has been dishonored. I have been dishonored.” The ork stepped closer, leaned down. “Why would they do such a thing?”
“Because they were paid to. Just like me.”
“Like you?”
Deke gestured. “Wake that one up. He told me. His Johnson had him take her fingers off. I don’t know what mess a couple bloody fingers makes, but those were his instructions.”
The ork stared. He walked around the table and nudged the unconscious doc with his foot. The man moaned, and shifted a bit, but did not wake up. The ork grunted, kicked the others. They all had the same reaction.
“No one can know of this,” the ork murmured.
Deke swallowed. > Get to the wheels .
>MORE YAKS. COMING UP BEHIND ME. GOOD GUYS, I THINK.
The ork swung around. “Lincoln is moving. Where is he going?”
> Ping me every two seconds. Let me know you’re still there . Watch the new guys . Deke shrugged. “Maybe he saw something.” He took a step toward the door. A light flashed on his AR, every two seconds. Deke clenched his jaw.
The ork inhaled deeply. The tattoos on his face and arms flared brightly, and the ork shuddered with exertion. “I have friends outside now,” he said.
The light stopped flashing on Deke’s AR.
The ork’s eyes opened, turned toward Deke.
Deke shot him, two rounds, in the stomach. The ork cried out and collapsed, arms wrapped around himself.
“Dragon’s piss!” Deke swore. He moved quickly around the small table, where the ork had fallen. Using the toe of his boot, he rolled the ork over. As soon as the yak was on his back, Deke planted a knee in the center of his chest and leaned down. The pistol, traces of smoke and cordite still wafting from the barrel, notched itself between the ork’s eyes.
“Is Lincoln still alive?” Deke demanded.
“Yes,” the ork said.
“Transfer the money.”
“I cannot,” the ork said. He groaned in pain, and then opened his eyes and stared at Deke. “It requires me to commune, and I cannot while in this much pain.”
“Then do it tomorrow.”
“Why should I, when you have betrayed me?”
Deke laughed. “Tell your bunny that he owes me what was promised. Whether he wants his little princess back or not, he’ll want the secret kept. I’ll keep his secret. Lincoln and I, we’re getting off this rock. But I’m taking some insurance.”
“We will hunt you dow—”
Deke reached behind his back and pulled the stasis pack out. He brandished it in front of the ork’s face. “I have these.” The ork’s
Similar Books
