The Cyber Chronicles IV - Cyborg (31 page)

"You don't,"
Sabre said.

"Who's paying
you to rescue her? I'll double whatever he's offered you."

"No one."
Sabre loosened his hold and turned Gaylor to face him.

The mogul's
eyes widened. "But you're a..."

"I'm your
worst nightmare. Give the order before my patience runs out."

Gaylor stared
into Sabre's eyes, his own bulging with disbelief. "Cybers, return
to barracks."

"You are in
danger," one said.

"Just do
it!"

The cybers
released Tassin and headed for the door. Sabre circled away from
their path, keeping a safe distance between them.

Tassin slumped
with relief, walking closer. "I knew you'd come."

"Don't I
always?"

"Yes, you
do."

"At least you
seem pleased to see me, for a change."

"More than
you'll ever know."

Gaylor's eyes
darted between them. "What are you?"

"Free," Sabre
said.

"You're not a
real cyber. You can't be."

"Not anymore."
Sabre raked Tassin with a glance, noting the red marks on her arms
and a tear in her blouse. "Did he hurt you?"

"His men were
rough."

"Are you all
right?"

"Yes, it's
just a few bruises."

Sabre glanced
around at the sparkling sea of broken crystal and china on the
floor. She followed his eyes, smiling. He turned his attention to
Gaylor once more.

"We're walking
out of here, and I'll be right behind you. Make one false move or
call out for help, and you'll be dead before you finish the
sentence, understand?"

"And when we
get to your destination, you'll kill me anyway."

"No, I won't,
but if you'd rather die now, that's fine with me." Sabre tightened
his grip until Gaylor coughed, then eased it.

"Okay, okay,
I'll do it."

Sabre looked
at Tassin. "Let's go."

"Wait, we need
that money."

"Do you know
where it is?"

"In the safe
behind that painting." She pointed at a garish still life.

Sabre marched
Gaylor over to it. "Open it."

The tycoon
slid the painting aside and tapped a code into the keypad. The door
swung open, and Tassin rummaged inside, removing three thick
translucent wafers.

"This will do.
A little extra for our inconvenience."

"You're
nothing but thieves," Gaylor said. "First you steal from Mandure,
now me. You'll be hunted down and executed."

Sabre twisted
Gaylor's ear, making him yelp. "Keep talking and you'll sign your
death warrant."

"We didn't
steal anything from Mandure," Tassin said. "I sold him a valuable
item, and he tried to steal the money from us. He's the crook, just
like you. If I was a thief, I'd take the other four million in
there."

"You're
lying."

She shrugged.
"Think what you like, I don't care. Just remember, he can kill you
in a millisecond, but he'd rather not. Personally, I wouldn't mind,
so if you want to live, do exactly as he says."

"Fine, but
just how far do you think you're going to get in Tarl's rusty old
tub? That's how you're planning on getting off world, isn't
it?"

"We have a
yacht in orbit. Tarl's just taking us to her."

"So he'll pay
for your crimes while you get away?" Gaylor asked.

"What crimes?
We came here to do some business, and we've been robbed, kidnapped
and threatened. You're the criminal."

"No one's
going to believe you."

Tassin nodded.
"We know that, which is why we're not bothering to accuse you. It
wouldn't do us any good."

"So, you do
have some brains."

Sabre released
Gaylor, who looked confused, rubbing his throat. The cyber took off
his armour and held it out to Tassin. "Put this on."

"No! What
about you?"

"They won't
shoot me while I have him hostage, and anyway, I can take a few
hits, you can't."

"Can't we
pretend to be with him, not have him as a hostage?"

"No. The
cybers will have raised the alarm."

Tassin frowned
while he strapped her into the armour, then he gripped Gaylor's
collar and marched him to the doors. She tucked the translucent
wafers away and followed. Sabre caught her arm and pulled her to
his side.

"Stay close
and use me as a shield if they shoot."

"No!"

"We don't have
time to argue about it now, so let's do it when we're safe, okay?
For now, just do as I say, and hold onto me. We mustn't become
separated, understand?"

She nodded,
looking unhappy, but took hold of his vest. Sabre released Gaylor's
collar and shifted his grip to the roll of fat around the tycoon's
waist, squeezing it until he squeaked.

"Now, you do
anything stupid, and I hurt you. Your men shoot, and I kill you,
got it?" Sabre drew a laser and pressed it to the side of Gaylor's
head. "Let's go."

As the doors
opened, Gaylor raised his hands and shouted, "Don't shoot! Stand
down! Return to your barracks!"

Dozens of
armed guards hid around the corners, lasers aimed at the trio.
Myriad red lines overlaid Sabre's vision as the cyber calculated
the possible trajectory of each weapon. The four cybers who were at
the small army's forefront holstered their weapons and left.

The men looked
uncertain, and Gaylor bellowed, "Are you deaf? Do it now!"

They
retreated, and Sabre marched Gaylor down the corridor. "Remember, I
have scanners, and if any of those idiots try to get behind us,
you'll pay with your life."

"Back to your
barracks!" Gaylor yelled. "Don't try anything!"

The men
holstered their weapons and moved away, not bothering to seek
cover. Tassin hooked her fingers into Sabre's belt and pressed
herself to his back, hoping, he realised, to share the protection
of the armour she wore. They traversed polished marble halls,
Gaylor's men retreating. Sabre started to think that things were
going to go smoothly, then two flashing red lights appeared in his
mind, and he glanced sideways. Two men hid behind a potted plant
around a corner.

Sabre removed
the laser from Gaylor's head just long enough to snap off two
shots. The men crumpled, but one fired back, hitting Sabre in the
side. The pain burnt through him, and he twisted the handful of
tycoon blubber he held. Gaylor shrieked curses, speeding his men's
retreat. Sabre also increased his pace, shoving the whining tycoon
along. They had almost reached the outer doors when a flashing red
light in Sabre's mind warned him again. He swung around, dragging
Gaylor and almost twisting free of Tassin's grip.

A soldier hid
around a corner, his presence detected by the cyber’s scanners
because of his need to peer from his hiding place, and the laser
cannon he held already fired pulses of light. Tassin gasped, and
Gaylor screamed orders as Sabre fired back. His shots hit the edge
of the wall and forced the man to duck behind it. A burning in his
shoulder blade told him that he had been hit again. He hated being
a sitting target, unable to move whilst burdened with Gaylor and
Tassin. He twisted Gaylor's blubber until he shrieked and
sobbed.

"If he fires
again, I shoot off a few of your toes," he said in the tycoon's
ear.

"Ambrey, get
the hell out of here! You're fired!" Gaylor yelled.

Sabre swung
back towards the doors and pushed him forward, becoming aware that
Tassin clung to him now. "Are you all right?"

"You're
hurting me!" Gaylor sobbed.

"Not you!
Tassin?"

"I'm all
right," she said, but her voice was strained.

Cursing, Sabre
sent Gaylor stumbling out of the front doors and down the steps.
"Tell them to bring an air-car, and make it snappy."

The tycoon
bellowed the orders while Sabre moved over to a fluted pillar,
using it as cover so he could turn to Tassin. "Are you hit?"

She nodded,
grimacing.

"How bad?"

She glanced
down at a dark stain on the side of her thigh. "Not too bad, I
think."

"Just hang
onto me."

An air-car
whined to a stop not far away and a soldier got out, backing away
with his hands raised. Sabre shoved Gaylor towards it, Tassin
clinging to his belt. The control unit warned Sabre again, and he
swung around. The man who hid behind one of the pillars opened
fire, red light pulsing from his weapon. Sabre staggered as a bolt
hit the side of his neck and snapped off a single shot, and the
soldier collapsed with a coughing grunt. Tassin crumpled behind
him, releasing his belt.

Sabre shoved
Gaylor into the car and scooped her up, dumped her onto the back
seat and leapt in beside the tycoon. "Drive!"

Gaylor gunned
the engine as more laser bolts flashed from nearby buildings,
strafing the vehicle. The air-car shot away, swaying and veering as
Gaylor hauled ineptly on the steering toggle.

"You'll never
get away with this!"

"Shut up!"
Sabre turned to Tassin and clamped a hand over the deep laser burn
in her upper arm, just under her armour. With a curse, he twisted
and ripped the ruffles off the front of the mogul’s shirt, making
him squeak, and used it to bandage the wound. The air-car flew over
dense, dark forest, leaving Gaylor's palace far behind. He patted
Tassin's cheek to try to rouse her.

Gaylor said,
"Your little whore might die, thanks to you idiocy. If you -"

Sabre slapped
him, making him grunt and the car swerve. "One more word out of you
and I'll rip your ears off."

Sabre
consulted the scanners. Three cars followed at extreme range,
packed with armed men. Undoubtedly they were supposed to be out of
range, but had strayed within it. "Why are they following us? Do
they want you dead? Tell them to leave."

The tycoon
activated the comscon and gave the orders, and the lights vanished
from Sabre's scanners a minute later. He knew they had only
retreated beyond his range, but at least that bought him a little
more distance and time. He patted Tassin's cheek again, cursing.
The flight back to Tarl's ship seemed interminable.

When Gaylor
landed next to the ship, the shimmer around the rusty freighter's
belly told Sabre that she was ready to lift off. Kole ran out to
meet him, his eyes widening when he spotted Gaylor.

"Get Tassin on
board," Sabre said.

Kole opened
the air-car's door and pulled her out, lifted her and ran back into
the ship. Sabre dragged Gaylor out, ignored his protests and hauled
him into the ship. The door slid shut as three air-cars appeared
over the trees and swooped down to land in the clearing. Men boiled
from them to fire at the ship, but gravity increased as she lifted
off. Sabre shoved Gaylor into the nearest cabin and locked him in,
then ran to the room with the couch, where Kole bent over Tassin,
unclipping the armour.

"How is
she?"

"Alive." He
frowned at Sabre. "I told you that you needed me."

"You'd just
have been another burden. Where's Tarl?"

"Flying the
ship, of course. This isn't an AI."

Sabre went to
the other side of the couch and removed the bandage from Tassin's
arm, ripping open her sleeve to expose the wound.

"You're hurt
too," Kole said.

"I noticed."
Sabre put a dressing on Tassin's arm and strapped it up again
before cutting open her trousers to examine her thigh wound. Kole
fetched a blanket and put it over her while Sabre bandaged the
wound. He checked her pulse, which was strong, then took stock of
himself. Blood ran down his chest from the wound in his neck and
oozed from the one in his flank. The warm wetness on his back told
him that the wound there bled too. He pulled off his vest while
Kole tugged the blanket over Tassin's legs.

"What the hell
happened?"

"We had to
fight our way out." Sabre injected coagulant into his neck.

"You were
expecting that, I assume?"

"No, I was
hoping to avoid a fight."

The ship
shuddered, making Kole stagger. "Shit, we're under attack."

Tarl hurried
in, his expression grim, and took in the situation with a glance.
"Are you okay?"

Sabre nodded,
injecting himself in the flank. Tarl went over to check on Tassin,
then turned to the cyber and picked up another ampoule, injecting
the wound in Sabre's back. "Two frigates are attacking us."

"So why aren't
you flying the ship?"

"She's not
armed. I've plotted a course into the nearest corridor and put the
autopilot on. There's nothing else I can do. She's old and built
like a brick, so she can take a pounding."

The ship
shuddered again, rattling. "Maybe if I threaten to shoot Gaylor
they'll leave us alone."

Tarl shook his
head. "They're planetary protection. You can't blackmail them." He
took a bandage out of a cabinet and bound Sabre's neck. "You've
stirred up quite a hornet's nest. The Overlords will hear about
this."

"We'll release
Gaylor on the next planet. He's not harmed."

"Kidnapping
one of the elite is a serious offense."

"What will the
Overlords do?"

Tarl shrugged,
tying off the bandage. "I don't know. They're a mysterious bunch,
and they rarely intervene in petty matters. You should go and lie
down."

"I'm
fine."

"No, you're
not. You've lost a lot of blood. Let me give a drip, it will
help."

"Give it to
Tassin; she's lost a lot of blood too."

"You’ve lost
more, and I have enough for both of you."

Sabre clasped
the wound in his flank. "Why is she unconscious?"

"Shock,
probably."

"She just went
down. I thought she was badly hurt."

Tarl shook his
head. "It is quite serious, but she'll be fine. She's just not as
tough as you." He turned and picked up a syringe. "I'll give you a
painkiller."