Chapter 24
"Knowingly leaving Hilyer to run loose was not a popular decision," the Man said. "Are you aware that Media backed Legal when they tried to lodge a petition to dissolve Acquisitions as an independent section?"
NG paused, the goblet half way to his lips. He'd accepted the wine reluctantly and had been taking his time with it. He took a breath then took a long drink, feeling the hot alcohol hit his bloodstream. Juggling the four sections of the guild was a constant battle that he found exasperating at times.
"Zach Hilyer is incredibly resourceful," he said finally. "Ultimately he was our best chance of finding LC and that could only have happened if we gave him enough rein to run free. The Chief agreed with me that it was the best course of action and I backed him when Legal and Media started to give him a hard time. Acquisitions has to stay independent. Like it or not, the work they do is some of the most important of all four sections. It's the work of the field operatives that gives us our advantage. The others might not like it but they do know it."
The Man nodded slowly and leaned forward. "And while our people were squabbling behind closed doors, Earth dared put out a contract on two of our operatives and the Merchants' Guild moved to usurp our position in the open market. And the insolent corporation that defied us all to initiate this sorry affair quite arrogantly ran rings around everyone."
NG finished his wine with another gulp and placed the empty goblet on the table, wilfully courting another refill. "That's why Hil was the best person to throw out there to face them head-on. The eccentricity that's the very base of our power can be stifled in some circumstances. Sometimes, one wildcard thrown out of the pack is what it takes."
-
Hil strode through the station, chin up, shoulders back, and with the old cocky confidence he'd not felt since before LC had grabbed him that day and said they had a problem. He carried a bulky bag, borrowed clothes hiding the massive pistol which was deactivated and wrapped in a cloth.
He'd renewed the connection with Genoa as soon as he was clear of the planet. She'd gushed relief at hearing from him and he'd been impressed with his cool, calm front of innocent ignorance.
Pen had guys scattered throughout the station and Hil calmly reacted to their warnings, taking turnings, stopping and waiting when instructed, and was safely conveyed past any possible threat all the way to the dock. There was no sign of Kase and Martha or their ship. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he had seen them. Pulled out a gun and taken them both out probably, and enjoyed it. But it didn't happen.
The docks area was busy and as he approached, he could see the hauliers waiting with the crate by the entrance to the airlock leading to Genoa's berth. Pen was there checking documentation. He looked up and waved Hil over.
"Here's that stuff you asked Elenor to find for you," he said pulling out a small case.
Hil took it and opened it carefully. It was just big enough to hold three tiny auto-injector vials. Two of the spaces were empty.
"That's all she could get in the time," Pen said. "She says it will last for twenty four hours but don't depend on it past eighteen. And whatever you do, don't use it with that crap Martha gave you. Ele said that will be fatal however superhuman you decide you want to be."
Hil smiled and tucked the case away safely in a different pocket to Martha's vials.
Pen slapped him on the back. "You're all set and ready for go," he said and stuck out his hand for a handshake that turned into a bear hug. "Go get them, bud."
"Thanks for everything, Pen," Hil said, no need for any more ceremony, they'd said it all last night, and he went through to the ship.
"Zach, you won't believe how worried I've been since you lost contact," she said. "I've been scanning the entire planet."
I bet you have, he thought as he stashed the bag in the locker under the bunk.
"It's good to be back, Genoa," he said cheerfully.
"You're looking much better. I take it you found your friend down there. You could have let me know you were alright."
"I am alright and I've got the package."
She didn't react straight away and Hil smiled. Her massive ship brain must have been doing flips. He gave the hauliers the go ahead to start loading the crate into Genoa's hold and she took over, giving them instructions on storage.
"Here's the coordinates for the drop," he said, taking a seat in the bridge and noticing vaguely that it had all been cleaned. He'd been soaking wet and bleeding last time he was in here and tidying before he left had been the last thing on his mind. She'd had a complete scrub down.
Genoa took the data he input and started processing the numbers. She probably had it all prepared already, she'd know where they were going if she was in league with them. He had a brief flutter of concern, the thought that he was in all probability back in their hands, but he stifled it with resolve and a surge of belligerence. This time he knew what was going on and this time he was the one in control.
He checked that she had the numbers then jumped up. "I'm going to check on the package," he said and wandered nonchalantly out towards the hold.
Pen was still waiting dockside, talking to the crate guys. As he saw Hil leave the ship, he nodded to them and walked over.
"Well, if we weren't sure before buddy, we are now," Pen said. "You were right. She sent a tight-wire transmission long distance nano-seconds after you said it was the package."
Hil smiled. "I knew she wouldn't be able to resist. Half that ship's mental storage capacity must be taken up with her ego."
He took the band off his wrist and the knife from his boot and held them out. "Look after these for me, will you?"
Pen took them and caught him up in another hug. "Good luck, Hil. Come back, you hear me? That equipment is expensive, I want it back."
They got clearance and left the station with no problems. Hil avoided Genoa's attempts at small talk and used the time to sleep off his hangover until they were clear for jump.
With the course he'd set, it was going to take four jumps to get to the base. After the first one, he excused himself from the bridge and said he needed to check on the package again.
"It's fine, Zach," Genoa said. "I could monitor it for you from here if you didn't have it so well shielded."
Hil left the bridge anyway. "This is the most valuable item in the whole galaxy right now, Genoa. Humour me. I'm just going to take a look."
Once in the hold, he went straight over to the crate and opened up a panel on its side. He pulled out the control board from the massive device in the crate and began pressing keys in the sequence he'd memorised at Pen's place.
"Zachary, what are you doing?" Genoa said. "We need to make jump. I need you back on the bridge. So, Zach, was LC down there on the planet? Where is he now?"
Hil shook his head and had to bite his tongue not to throw back a sarcastic barb at her crass and phony curiosity and absolute lack of subtlety. She failed miserably at trying to fake concern.
"He's fine, Genoa."
He must have failed at trying to hide his lack of belief in her emotions because she dimmed the lights and her tone was harder when she spoke again.
"Zach, come up to the bridge."
He finished the initiation sequence, well aware that he had to move quickly. As far as she was concerned, she had him and the package. She could quite easily shut down life-support and jump. Dead or alive was the latest criteria on the bounty. He was sure they wouldn't care which they ended up with.
"Zach, what are you doing?"
He could almost hear her synapses sparking through the logic channel possibilities and had no doubt she'd reach a conclusion quickly that would not be in his favour.
She was starting up the jump drive and he felt rather than heard the slight change in the noise of the air-con. He punched in the code that Pen had given him and watched the lights on the board flash up green.
"Zach? How did Skye..?"
He input the final code and stepped back as the device fired up with a ba
rely audible hum.
That had been the danger. Genoa was a smart ship, they all were. He knew it wouldn't take her long to realise that the crate he knew she would assume was the package was way too big to have fitted in Skye's hold. Skye was tiny, built for speed. It didn't often limit their capability to chase tabs but it had once or twice. If this had been the package, they couldn't have gone with Skye to retrieve it. Genoa had realised that just too late.
The ship powered down slightly, engines going to standby as the AI shut down. What he had just done was the equivalent of smashing a bottle over her head and somehow he couldn't bring himself to care. It was the only way he was going to be able to do what he had planned. He shoved the control board back into place and shut up the container.
According to the laws of Winter and some quarters within Earth's sphere of influence that recognised AI sentience, he was now guilty of kidnapping, but on a personal level and what bothered him more was that he'd effectively just hijacked a guild vessel. Now he hoped he could remember how to fly it.