BioCybe (18 page)

“Well, see, he can hack anything. I could contact him.” The
grin on Sandon’s face grew.

“And?”

“He can probably get what you need.”

One heartbeat passed, then another. Could she ask him to
call in this favor? For a moment she nearly said no, not wanting to draw him
deeper into the dangerous web, then she reconsidered. He’d told her more than
once that he was involved. That she needed to accept whatever help he could give.
That he needed to do something for her.

The sting of pain as she bit her lip jolted her. “How safe
would it be?”

Sandon’s smile fled. “I don’t know. But I’m guessing none of
us are safe until Ordan is caught. You would agree with that assessment?”

She nodded, absently considering his words. “Yes. Do it.”

* * * *

The connection was scratchy, and for a moment, Sandon
wondered exactly where Brandon was hiding out.

Levia hunched on the other side of the desk. “I can go if
you want?”

“No, Levia, stay.” He linked hands with her and she smiled,
the soft womanly smile that she’d only just discovered.
It should probably
be classified as a dangerous weapon.
When she smiled at him, all soft and…
He shifted in his seat, thankful she only shared that look with him. He
released her hand then and drew away, and she slouched in the chair, ready to
listen for any hints.

When Brandon’s face filled the screen, he looked haunted, or
more accurately, hunted. “Geez… Do you realize the risk you’re taking, contacting
me like this. We could both get—”

“Yeah. But I… We need your help. We need access to the files
for Orton Endrado, which we believe was Ordan Mayerber’s real name.”

Brandon’s eyes took on a wide and wild look. “What? Are you
trying to get us killed?”

Sandon realized for the first time that not only was Brandon
terrified, he knew far more than he’d let on. “You know—”

“I read parts of his file before I sent it on to you.” His
friend’s quick rebuttal concerned him.

“Why?”

“Well, if I’m dipping into files, it’s always wise to know
what you’re hunting. You do realize the Jurans get a little funny when people
go through their intel. I had to make sure… Besides, I saw his last training
mission guide. The one he failed. He said he’d get them. Mayerber’s big on retribution.”
Brandon stopped with a sour smile. Then he shook his head. “He’s not all
there.”

“I need you to hack that other file.”

“No, I can’t. If
he
finds me…”

When Brandon swiped a hand over his face, burying his
fingers into his hair and tugging, the anger inside Sandon’s gut roared into
life. Brandon had known and hidden information from him.

“Brandon?”

“What did you expect? I’m in the middle of a mess I really
wanted to avoid. You can fly off on your ship. I’m surface-bound. Tied to my
mainframe. He could find me.”

“It’s not just your life in the balance,
friend
. It’s
everyone. Me. Levia. Her family. The whole bloody Juran Commonwealth.”

Sandon’s hands flicked over the keyboard, and he sent Levia
a private, hidden message.
Can you trace him?

The cursor shone, blinking before the answer flashed up.
Yes.

He’d have to trust that she knew exactly what he needed
while he concentrated on the conversation.

“You don’t have a clue, Sandon. This is bigger than… Trust
me. I can’t send you—”

The truth smashed into him.
Somehow Brandon had met
Mayerber.
Sandon couldn’t understand why or how. “How? How did you meet
him?”

The little color on Brandon’s face ebbed away. “Sandon…
Don’t ask me that! You’ve no idea—”

Fury roared through him, hot and biting. “Damn it, Brandon,
how could you?”

A defiant smile now appeared on the other man’s face. “Once
he knew where the woman was, he found out about you and followed the dots to
me. He threatened me, Sandon. I was protecting myself. And you.”

The greasy sensation in the pit of his belly doubled, and he
was sure he’d be sick. “Brandon, we could have you—”

“No one can help me now. She’s a damned machine! A fucking Cybe!
You and I both know they don’t feel anything. They don’t have emotions.”

His glance over the computer linked with Levia’s and she’d
paled.

“You’re wrong, Brandon. Not all of them are like that.”

“She’s there? Listening? How could you?”

The screen blanked and he crashed both hands down on the
tabletop, the urge to break something clawing at him.

“So…” Levia sighed.

“I just can’t believe he’d do that.” He lurched away from
the table as Levia stood.

She slid her hands around his waist. “We’ll have to get to
him before Mayerber does. He likes to deal with his loose ends once their
usefulness has passed.”

He nodded at her words. “You got his location?”

“Oh yeah. But we’re going to have to move to beat Mayerber.”

Before he could ask where, she laid her fingers against his
lips.

“My best guess is four days will get us there. But, not
knowing Mayerber’s location?” She shrugged. “It’s likely he could beat us to
it.”

Levia tugged on her combat body suit, grimacing as it tugged
tight over her belly and thighs. “I forgot how tight it is.”

Sandon’s eyes glowed as his gaze roamed over her figure.
“It’s perfect.” The wolfish words made her smile. Until she remembered why she
was donning it.

“Maybe you should get your own on, rather than leering,
mister sex maniac.” She smiled a little to soften her words.

As he started stripping his clothes, his eyes shone and she
turned away, aware there was no more time for now. Maybe not ever again. Levia
curled her hand into a tight fist at that thought.

For four days, Levia had split her time between preparations
for the showdown she was sure lay just over the horizon, and setting contingency
plans in place. Preparing for the worst. Doing things she didn’t talk to Sandon
about.

If she died, well, she wanted to be sure he was protected,
at all costs. Her will was sparse. Everything she had would go to Sandon. So
long as she could protect him and get him out of there alive. The thought, as
always, soured her stomach.

They’d entered orbit above Antares, named for some long
distant star. Her steel-trap mind seized upon the knowledge and she sighed,
steering her thoughts back to what lay before her.

This was the planet they’d tracked Sandon’s friend, Brandon,
to. As they neared the small planet, she calmed her frenetic pace, letting
herself examine the plan she’d cobbled together. As the
Echo
entered
orbit, Sandon called the crew together to prepare them.

“As many of you know, in the last few months, we were joined
by Levia Endrado. Also, as you’ve probably guessed—yes, we are together as a
couple. What you don’t know is that Levia used to be…” He seemed lost for words,
and she took pity on him. For all his planning, it was still hard to share
exactly what she was.

“I’m a BioCybe. Sandon and some of the crew have been aware
of that for some time. However, it’s also been the impetus for our detour
here.”

Murmurs rippled through the crew. Not everyone was happy
that they’d been kept in the dark, and she could understand that. Hell, she’d
be annoyed and feeling betrayed as well. Raising her hand, she looked out over
the assembled crewmembers.

“I have a mission. One I didn’t ask for, but that you’ve all
become quite integral to. I have to neutralize one more enemy.” The hush that
descended left her cold, but she had to forge on. “I didn’t ask for this, in
fact, I’d retired, but this one… It’s more than just the life and death of one
person. It’s about safeguarding the peace that already exists.”

“And just how do we know that this won’t happen again?” a
disgruntled crewman called. She’d braced herself for just this query, but when
it came, it still hit hard.

He was right. She’d been called back once. What would stop
the Jurans from calling her back again? All she could counter with was honesty.
“I can’t make that promise, but what I can say is this will be the last time
the crew of the
Echo
get caught up in it. I give you my word on that. I
will protect the
Echo
and its crew.”

Sandon slid his arm around her shoulders. “If anyone here
feels they can’t accept Levia’s word, then you’re free to go.”

Oh God! He’s prepared to lose crewmembers?
It was a
situation she hadn’t expected. “Sandon, I—”

“No. It’s done. Levia has some last minute instructions for
those of you who choose to stay. We won’t lie. There are dangers. Possibly even
extreme danger. But should we overcome this, then we’ll be free to pick up the
threads of our lives.”

A few of those assembled looked uncertain, but none left the
room.

Levia released a pent-up breath and sighed heavily. “So, here’s
the plan…”

* * * *

Sandon resettled his pack. He hadn’t realized just how much
gear they’d need.

Levia had brought in the shuttle low and fast, and she’d
also managed to block their presence on the radars. “If we get intercepted,
they’ll want to know what we’re doing here. And if they see me? It won’t be
pretty.”

They’d landed outside the tiny township and, after
camouflaging the ship, they’d hiked in under cover of night. He could see the
lights of the buildings in the distance. “Where are we?”

“One of the science bases. It’s where they’ve been running a
range of experiments on all kinds of creatures and where the initial Cybe work
was carried out. We really don’t want to be seen here.” Levia indicated a
direction and he followed after her. “I know a way in, so long as we can time
this right. Come on, we have to hurry.”

With medical supplies, guns, ammunition, changes of clothes,
and emergency pouches of food, their backpacks were heavy, and their trek took
longer than expected before Levia and Sandon hurried up an alley. “You’re sure
this is the way to go?”

Levia glanced over her shoulder. She smiled, but it didn’t
reach her eyes. “Oh yeah. We’ll take this lane, then enter the conduit at the
end.”

She moved silently, like a cat, he thought. Her every move
was deliberate, and it was quite unnerving to watch her in action. “How did you
figure out…”

When Levia turned back in his direction, her eyes had taken
on the flat matte appearance of a hunter. “I’ve been here before. Once I
triangulated his message and pinged it back, I was able to delve deeper into
the pocket of information that travels with the message. I realized that I’d
seen the transmission point before. It was merely a matter of running a seek
protocol.”

He shook his head at her rapid-fire explanation.

The pack on her back didn’t so much as sway as she headed
for the large metal grate.

If she could do it, so could he. He wasn’t going to let her
down now. So he moved in beside her, aware of the beating of his heart. At the
end of the hall, she crouched. “They’ve replaced the screws.”

“Here try this.” He dragged a tiny screwdriver from the
pouch at his belt.

She made quick work of removing the screws and handed it
back with a smile. “That was well done. Okay, let’s get the packs off and get
into here, quickly. I don’t want to be caught by the city’s guards.”

Levia glanced over his shoulder, and seemed satisfied there
was no one, but it would only be a matter of moments, he was sure, given the
way she kept checking.

They dropped the packs to the plascrete, and Sandon tugged
the grate off the conduit. She slid in, grabbing both packs, then he followed,
his fingers tugging on the metal. He’d just lifted it into place and pulled his
fingers free when guards moved into the lane. He sucked in his breath as they
came closer.

A hand tugged on his ankle, and he shimmied backward, the
space tight enough that he couldn’t get onto hands and knees. “Quick, they’ll
look in the grate and we don’t want to get caught now.” Her whisper was almost
soundless as she yanked on his foot.

He moved as quickly and quietly as he could, wincing each
time the zipper of his suit scratched on the metallic surface, but no one
seemed to hear them. Further along, the passage was wider and taller. He
breathed deeply, able to finally crawl up off his belly.

The next junction was larger again, and he curled into a
ball, turned, and was able to face Levia and see where he was going. “How far
do we have to go like this?”

“Not far. That’s the second junction, and we have four more.
They’re pretty close together here.”

The close confines weren’t comfortable, but he shrugged. At
least they’d gotten this far and he could look ahead. They shuffled into
position, tugging their packs behind them amid the thuds and rattles of
movements. He lost track of time, the air close in the small passage, and the
walls loomed closer. He couldn’t stretch.

Just as he was sure he couldn’t go any further, she stopped
and he bumped into her, pushed on by the momentum he’d gained. “Why are we
stopping?”

“This is where we get out. Do you have the screwdriver handy
again?”

He dipped his hand into the tiny, pocket-sized took kit and
handed it over.

Levia removed the screws then inserted her fingers into the gap
before she removed the cover of the mechanism. “Don’t want it to bang.”

She slid out quietly and extended her hand, which he
gratefully accepted.

Her hair and knees were coated with a fine, powdery dust,
and she brushed herself off. “We need to get to the central building from here.
That took us through the wall and we’re in the inner control center that rings
this facility.”

“All right then. How do we get in?”

“Watch this.” Behind her was a tiny keypad. She tugged her
neural input from her pocket and inserted it. He watched as she blinked once,
twice, and a third time. A click sounded and she grinned. “They never think to
close these particular security loops.”

She tugged him around a corner and through an open door.

As they entered, an alarm sounded.

* * * *

“Fuck!” Before Levia could even turn, a body filled the
doorway. “Run, Sandon!”

One look at that hard face, the broad shoulders, and there
couldn’t be any doubt. Her stomach dipped a mile. Ordan Mayerber had found
them.

“You’re a stupid girl, Endrado. Everyone kept telling me
that you’re the best of the Jurans’ assassins.” He leered and she moved
instinctively, darting to the side.

A roar sounded and her mind seized. “Get out of here,
Sandon!”

Ordan caught her, his meaty hand colliding with the flesh at
the side of her face. It was the side that had been enhanced, and she reared
back, kicking out at his knee.

Ordan snarled and whirled away, slumping to his hands and
knees. The look in his eyes promised retribution. Knowing that he might have
gained strength and speed since his file had last been updated gave her pause.

She had tactics.
Maybe.

“This way!”

She heard Sandon calling and she moved, pivoting as fast as
she could.

They ran through the door, and Sandon started to close it. When
Ordan pushed back she joined Sandon, lunging against the heavy metal. Straining
against the might of the fighter opposing them. It closed with a whir.

“We have to get out of here.” She grabbed Sandon’s hand and
tugged, her feet moving in a quick tattoo. In her mind, she inspected the
layout of the building and shunted him to the left, into a smaller corridor.
“This way.”

A door stood in front, should they? Was it safe? There was no
time to question it as the sound of thudding feet approached. Levia dragged
Sandon in and pushed it shut, their chests bellowing under the strain.

Sandon opened his mouth and she clapped a hand over it,
shaking her head.

Lumbering sounds lurched past the door, and she knew it was
only a matter of minutes before he returned to investigate this room. Crooking
a finger, Levia had Sandon follow into a secondary room as she accessed the
layouts through the corneal implant screen.

In the center was a large lift. She pointed down and he
nodded.

Sandon reached for the call button, but she stilled it. “I
can override the door, but we’ll need to rappel down. Are you up for that?”

He nodded and she smiled, then pried off the tiny door.

Her fingers moved swiftly over the keys, and the door
swooshed open. “Get your gloves on and let’s get out of here.” She dug into the
side of her pack, hunting for and finding the leather that would protect her
hands.

Once the gloves were donned, she set the timer so the door
would shut in fifteen seconds and lunged after him, reaching for the cable. Her
hands gripped the metal, slid, and Levia grunted. The pack nearly overbalanced
her, but she righted herself.

Far below them was the elevator car, and she started down,
legs locked around the thick wire strands, and moved hand-over-hand. Every few
seconds, she’d glance at Sandon, ready to catch him if he looked in danger of
falling. He was holding his own.

If only he’d stayed behind…
But he hadn’t, and she
would just have to make allowances and contingencies, she reminded herself.

At the base, they crouched on the elevator roof, and she
looked for the hatch, pulled it open, and they swung in, landing with an almost
silent
oomph
.

“Let’s get through these doors and we can get to the holding
rooms. That’s where we’ll find Brandon.”

Once the access panel cover was removed, she tweaked the
controls and the doors opened with a loud
whoosh
. “We’ll have to be
quick. They’ll get feedback telling them that the elevator has been breached.
The only thing is, if we can reach the control room, I can lock down the
entrances which will funnel Mayerber in our direction.” At least this section
of the base was compact, and she led Sandon to the room. “Stay out here until I
call you.”

He looked ready to argue, but she shook her head.

“You promised to follow my lead. This is it.” Levia scanned
the hallway. It wasn’t exactly the safest location, but right now, she doubted
anywhere was with Mayerber on the loose. “Stay here, and try not to get seen.”

She slid through the door, her senses stretching out,
seeking sounds and movements. Three techs huddled over the screens and she
moved silently, her hand reaching for the many hypo-sprays she wore on her
utility belt.

The first two went down quickly and almost silently, but the
third caught sight of her and scurried for the security button.

Levia launched herself. She soared over the console to
crash-tackle the man to the floor while his extended hand brushed over the
button.

“Get off me!” He bucked and squirmed, but she palmed the
spray, and within seconds he was subdued.

“I’m out of practice.” Levia stood, panting a little from
the exertion. A quick stretch helped to unkink her muscles, then she walked to
the door. Sandon hovered outside, eyes wide as his gaze settled on the three
lying on the floor.