Crusade For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 2) (15 page)

“What are you going to do?”

“Honestly?  I have no idea.  I’m certainly not going to turn her in.”  They sat in silence for a moment before he came to a decision.  “There’s something you need to know, Jules.  She’s the one everyone calls Battleborn.”

“What!  Why didn’t you ever tell me?  Billy has been looking for Battleborn for decades.”

“That’s why.  If you or anyone else approached her, she would have turned you in before you could blink.  If you tried to kill her, you’d be dead.  No if’s, no but’s, dead.  She was Legion through and through and as loyal as they come.  Now, I’m not so sure.”

“You think I should find her?”

“NO!” he almost shouted.  “Sorry, no.  Not in the state she’s in right now.  The Major is liable to snap you in two and believe me, she could.  Every story you have ever heard about Battleborn?  They’re true.  I know, I was there for most of them.  Heh, it was me spreading most of the rumours.”

“You were feeding the Battleborn legend?” she reached over the table and punched him on the arm, hard.

“Ow!”

“Do you have any idea how much that has set back our recruitment in the Legion?  Battleborn has been the rallying cry of every Legion recruiter for decades.  Your stories have drawn thousands upon thousands more people into the Legion, than the number of contacts you’ve turned.”

“I couldn’t very well stop, could I?” he said apologetically with a shrug.  “My mates in the Company would wonder why and whether I’m a rebel sympathiser.”

“Alright.  I understand, but I bet it was more from you wanting to brag about your vaunted Major.  You’ve certainly told me enough tales about her.”  Button didn’t even try to argue, she was pretty much right.  “So what do I do then?”

Rubbing his face with his hands, Button shook his head.  “I don’t know.  I need to think about this, but I know you, you’re going to follow up on it.  Just promise me some things.”

“What?”

“Don’t go anywhere near her, imagine you want to tail me, but I’m ten times as good.  That’s how hands off you need to be and please don’t tell Billy, at least not without talking to me first.  Maybe and I do stress maybe, if I talked to her she might not decide to kill everyone in sight.”

“OK, I can live with that, but not forever.  She could be too important to the Rebellion.”

“Arlene.  You here?”  Julianna called as she walked through the door to the flat she shared with the woman.  After Furioso, they found they made quite a good team.  Julianna always tended more towards action, while Arlene took the time to think things through.  It was why the other woman survived, when the police and Legion brought the hammer down before Julianna arrived.

When Billy decided to leave Julianna in place and picked her to run the Zeus resistance Cell, it made sense for them to be flatmates.  They were of a similar age and they got on well together.  Though as a recipient of Life X, Julianna could easily pass as Arlene’s daughter and often did.

“In here,” replied Arlene from the Kitchen.  “You’re back early.  You said not to expect you back before two in the morning.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t, but something came up,” Julianna told her friend as she walked into the kitchen.

“Serious?” Arlene asked and passed Julianna a beer.

“Well not, ‘we’ve got to run for our life’ serious, but certainly very interesting.”

“OK, since we’re not running.  Tell me.”

Julianna went through the evenings events with her Intelligence Officer.

“Wow.  Battleborn is out in the open.  That is what I call interesting.” Arlene said after Julianna finished.  “And your cousin doesn’t want us to tell Billy?”

“No.  He thinks if we do, then Billy might contact Carter directly and we wouldn’t like her response.  He’s seriously scared of this woman.  I have never seen him like when she had him up against the wall.  He was in shock yes, a dead woman had him by the collar, but he was terrified of what she would do to me and I had a gun levelled right at her head.  If she blinked I would have pulled the trigger.  Yet he knew she could take me.  Take us both.”

“He told you everything about Battleborn is true,” Arlene paused for a moment.  “Alright, if we play it his way and stay hands off, how do we find her when we’re ready to talk?”

“If Chao doesn’t want to be found we wouldn’t be able to find him.  Carter is even harder, so let’s ignore her and look at the man she was with.  I think he was a gang member and the tats on his arms prove it.”  Julianna grabbed a datapad from the counter and using the virtual keyboard, she drew, as best she could, an R with a tear going through it.  “Do you recognise this?”

“No,” Arlene shook her head.  “But Zeus is a big city and there are a lot of gangs.  I’ll ask around.”

“Keep it low key, very low key.”

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t there, but I hear your cousin’s warnings loud and clear.”

***

“I’ve found something on our gang member,” Arlene said as she slid into the seat opposite Julianna the next day.  They were meeting for lunch at a small cafe and Julianna looked up from her coffee.

“What have you got?”

“The tattoo you gave me belongs to a gang under a Boss called Ripper.  They’re clear over the other side of the city and you were right inside his territory when you met Button.”

“OK, so what was Carter doing with one of Ripper’s people?  Was it Ripper she was with?”

“No, he doesn’t meet the description, but that’s where things get interesting.  Ripper was recently killed and a new Boss took over.  A woman called Milicevic.  Details are sketchy, but the word on the street is, there was very little bloodshed and the woman in question is dark haired.  She has also built something of a reputation as a scary operator.”

“Carter.”

“It’s a big city and I do have a couple of other possibles, but that’s who my money is on.”

“I’m not going to disagree with you.  You still know this city much better than I do.  Run down the others, just in case.”

“I’m going to.  If they don’t pan out and this is her running Ripper’s old gang, what do we do?”

“We sit tight and wait for Button.  If she’s taking over a gang, then she must be settling in.  There doesn’t seem to be any rush.”

“Deni, have you seen the Boss?” Hanna asked.

Looking up from where she was discussing an engine build with one of the mechanics, Deni shook her head.

“No.  Not all day.”

“Hmm, that’s strange.  I know she got in late last night, but she wanted to go through some stuff with me.”

“Maybe she’s back out with Cracker again.  Have you tried her com?”

“She’s not answering.”  Hanna said with a shake of her head.  “Hardly unusual.”

“What about her room?”

“I tried there.  It’s locked and I got no answer when I knocked.”

“Sorry.  I can’t help,” Deni shrugged.  “You’re not worried are you?  Out of every single person we know, she’s the one I’m least worried about.  If something happened, we would have heard the explosions and gun fire.  Blazes, everyone in the city would have!”

“Alright.  I can’t argue with that, it’s just not like her.  I’ll give Cracker a call and ask him.”

“No need,” Deni pointed over Hanna’s shoulder.  “He just drove into the yard.”

“That is what I call timing.  Thanks.”

“No charge.”

Hanna walked out and met the Chief Enforcer just outside the Workshop.

“Afternoon Cracker.  Have you seen the Boss?”

He shook his head and frowned.  “Not since last night.”

“Anything out of the ordinary happen?”

“Well...”  He looked around them a bit nervously.  “I don’t think I should say.”

Hanna firmed her voice.  “You can to me.”

“Alright, but don’t tell her it came from me.  We met with the owner of the Green Man as planned and the Boss agreed to extend her a loan.  When we left, we were tailed out of the bar by someone.  I’ve never seen this guy before, but the Boss knows him.  She told me to keep going, while she waited.  I thought the guy was a goner and it took a bit longer than I was comfortable with, so I went back.  The Boss had the guy up against the wall and a blonde woman standing to one side with her gun out.  I checked with the Boss before I pulled mine, you know how she can be, and she lets them go.  Afterwards she was distant, well more distant than normal, a lot more.”

“What happened after you got back?”  Hanna asked.

“Nothing.  I dropped her off outside and went home.”

“That’s all?  Did you hear what was said?”

“No, I got the impression it was all over, whatever it was, before I got there.  Oh, hang on.  I forgot.  As I drove off, I saw her cross the road behind me in the rear vid screen.”

Hanna looked across the road.  “Oh no.”

“What is it?  Do I need to get my people together?”  His question was instantaneous and Hanna was pleased by his reaction.

“No.  I don’t think so.  I need to check something first and if it doesn’t come to anything, you’ll be my first call.  Keep your com open, just in case.”

“Alright.  If you’re sure.”

“I am, don’t worry.”  Hanna left him there a bit confused and ran up the stairs.  She didn’t stop until she was through both security doors and outside Valerie’s room.

“Valerie!”  She shouted and banged on the door as hard as she could.  Names didn’t matter.  No one could hear them here.  There was still no response.  “Open up, Valerie, or I will!”

“Go away,” a muffled voice came from inside.

“Open up!”  She hammered on the door some more.

“No.”

“To hades with this.”  Hanna muttered to herself and entered the door code.  It clicked and she pushed it open gently.  There inside, Valerie lay sprawled on the bed, still dressed.  She had only bothered to take her coat off.  Even her boots were still on.  Four empty whisky bottles lay on the floor, with a full one to one side and a half empty bottle in Valerie’s hand.  The stench of booze wafted out and Hanna wrinkled her nose.  She really hated that smell.

“How you do that?”  Valerie asked, waving the bottle in the air.  “I changed code.”

“Override.”  Hanna shrugged and she went over to the bed.  “I programmed them.”

“Hah,” the bottle waved in her direction.  “Clever.”

“I thought so.  Come on, you can’t do that here.”  Hanna tried to gently prise the bottle out of Valerie’s hand, but it was like trying to uncurl metal.  Her fingers wouldn’t budge.

“No,” Valerie waved Hanna away, swinging round into sitting position.  Hanna ducked back to avoid being clobbered by her boots.  “Siit down.”  The words were slurred but recognisable.  She marvelled at the woman’s constitution.  Even for a genetically engineered super solider, four and a half bottles of whisky was a lot.

Sitting down next to her, Hanna tried not to react to the woman’s breath.  She reeked of the booze.

“Do you know what?”  Valerie slurred.

“No,” Hanna sighed.  “What don’t I know?”

“It’s all a mask.”

“What is?”  It had been awhile since Hanna dealt with a drunk.  All she could think of was her mother.

“Me?”

“You?”  Hanna shook her head in confusion.  “Why are you a mask?”

“It’s all fake.”

“What’s all fake?”  It really was difficult to make sense of.

“Everything.  Everything is a fake.  I hide it.”

“What are you hiding, Valerie?” she asked gently

“The pain.  Every moment, of every day, I feel it.  Every time I fall asleep I dream of them.”  The bottle waved about as she talked.  “I hide it with plans, training, caring.  I pretend to everyone I’m alright.  I pretend I want to live.  I pretend it’s all worthwhile.  It’s just a mask.”

Hanna thought very carefully before answering and Valerie took more swigs of whisky.

“I know you’re in pain.  I’ve known since the day you saved me from Tern.  Sneaker and the others back on Blaze knew.  We didn’t know why, well a few of us at the end, but we could see it in you.  That’s why, if you asked, they would all be here right now.  They saw your pain, and they saw a woman who would lead them into the worst situation possible and get them out again.  They saw a woman who would do everything she could to keep them alive.  If not for you, they would all have died rescuing me from Tumbler.”

With a low chuckle Hanna reached for the bottle in Valerie’s hand.  This time she let it go.  Hanna took a big swig.

“Arrgghh.  How do you drink this stuff?  Wow, that’s warm going down.”  She passed the bottle back.  “I know I’m not anywhere near as old as you, but you are by far the best leader I have ever seen.  You care for people in a way not even Sneaker does.  Look at this place.  In months we’ve set up a gang rivalling his and without his massive list of contacts.  When I couldn’t find you this morning, Cracker was ready to get loaded up and find you with blood in his eye.  You inspire loyalty because no matter how much pain you’re in, you will fight tooth and nail for your troops.”

Valerie didn’t say anything and Hanna looked at her.  She was astounded to see tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I saw one of them last night and the mask slipped.”  Valerie said quietly.

“One of who?”

“Shadow Company.  He followed us out of the bar.”

“That guy was Shadow Company?  Oh shit.  We need to get out of here.”

“Heh, no.  After you gave that speech?  He won’t say anything, but I broke my promise to him.  I broke my promise to all of them.”

Hanna shook her head in bewilderment.  “What promise?”

“They put their trust in me and I killed their friends and colleagues.”

“Oh... Furioso.”

“Furioso,” Valerie agreed.

The silence stretched between them.  What could Hanna say about the killing of over twenty-four thousand people?

“Can you do anything about it?” she asked.

“No.”

“Do you feel guilty about it?”

“Some, mostly I still feel rage.”  It shocked Hanna and she steadied herself before continuing.

“Would you do it again?”

“Maybe...  I...” there was a deep sigh.  “No.  I wouldn’t.”

“Valerie, we can’t change the past.  We’re light years from our birth world, centuries from a time when people used to think it was impossible to travel faster than light, but we don’t have time travel.  Sometimes you have to put it behind you and move on.  All you can do is ask those who are important to you, to forgive you.”

“How does a fifteen year old deal out advice like that?”

Hanna shrugged.  “I had a couple of good teachers.  Now you need to sleep this off.”  She stood, turned around and held out her hand.  “Give me that.”  Valerie looked at the bottle, took one last gulp of whisky and handed it over.  Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, Hanna guided Valerie back onto the bed.  “Get some sleep.”

Valerie lay back without a complaint and shut her eyes.  In seconds she was fast asleep.  Hanna collected the other bottles, put them in the box they had been bought in, from the shop across the road, and left quietly, shutting the door behind her.

***

A shape in the doorway caused Hanna to look up from her desk.  Valerie stood in the doorway, coffee in one hand and a bacon sandwich in the other.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

The older woman shrugged and leaned against the door frame.  “Manageable.  I’ve got you to thank for the bacon in the fridge?”

“I thought you might need it after yesterday.”

“Thank you and not just for the food.”

“Don’t worry about it.”  Hanna told her with a shrug.   “I can’t know what you’re going through.  It was different for me.  Just know you’re never alone.”

“I know,” Valerie said nodding and took a deep breath.  “So what have you found out?”

“I know nothing about financial transactions.”  Hanna said with a smile and Valerie shrugged with a small smile in return.  “Your husband’s encryption was easy enough to get through but these records are beyond me.  I can’t make head nor tail of them.”  As she spoke to her, it occurred to Hanna, Valerie hadn’t mentioned her husband’s letter during her drunken confession.  Valerie showed it to Hanna when she handed over the financial data.

“I think we should approach Ison with this as your husband suggested.”  Hanna said.

“No,” Valerie shook her head emphatically.  “We are not going to involve one of them.”  Her tone brooked no argument.  “Let’s leave it aside for the moment.  How are you getting on with Granath & Dietze?”

“Good news and bad news there.  I can’t get into their client records.  They’re actually one of the few firms on this world who have actually hard-walled their systems, well what they deem the most one’s important anyway.”

“I’m guessing that’s the bad news.  What’s the good?”

Hanna paused before answering.  “I think I’ve found who paid that police hit squad.”  Valerie stood up straight suddenly.

“It wasn’t Bjorn?”

“No.  Remember he never actually admitted to it.  Oh, he was involved,” Hanna continued quickly, “he owned up to putting your family in harm’s way.  He deserved to die, that’s for sure.”

“So who did then?”

“Granath & Dietze hard walled the client files, but left a lot of other stuff connected to the datanet, including their financials.”

“I thought you said you can’t read those.”

“The stuff your husband left for you?  No.  These are simply payments in and out.  The arrogance of these people is amazing.  The names of the officers you killed is public knowledge.  They made them out to be hero’s giving their lives for the greater good and all that bullshit.  I ran a search for those names through everything I data mined and all four names popped on, and you are not going to believe this, a personal expenses account.  They actually claimed hired killers as an expense!”

Hanna hadn’t really expected Valerie to see the funny side of it and wasn’t disappointed.

“Whose?”

“Siobhan Dietze herself.”

“And where can I find Siobhan Dietze?”

“At her home in Narodowy tower.  Her schedule is like it’s set in stone.  She’ll be there from nine tonight.”

“You’re ready to go now?”

“If you are.  With all your running around sorting the territory out, you gave me more time than I needed.  I thought I might as well put it to good use.  Deni’s scouted it and I’m all the way into the towers systems.”

“We go tonight then.”  Valerie said firmly. “Another one gets to pay the price.  She’ll be able to tell us who is next in the chain.”

***

“No, that’s not good enough!”  Siobhan Dietze snapped into her com as she walked into her home.  “Orobello needs this done.  Tell Kenyon, if they don’t sign by eight tomorrow morning, then they won’t see a single one of the Damascus contracts.”

“But we promised those-,” Fabrizio Slaoui, her assistant, argued.

“I don’t care!” she cut him off.  “Get it done!” she disconnected before he could reply.  “If it wasn’t for his grandfather,” she muttered.  “He would not have a job.”  At three hundred and sixty-six, it was times like this she felt her age.  Having kids not even in their forties thrust upon her because his grandfather thought he was special.