* * *
The door to the suite hissed open at her touch. A suspicion flitted across her mind, that it shouldn’t be this easy, but she dismissed it. Hired security sometimes got lazy, especially if there were Jackons involved. It was nothing to be suspicious about. She found herself standing in a reception area. In the centre was a small table adorned with an arrangement of fresh flowers. Behind it was a door that led, An Kohli knew from the building’s schematic, to the main lounge. To the right another door led to a bedroom and to the left was its twin. An Kohli gave a start as her eyes lit on the figure of the Jackon bodyguard. He was slumped in a chair, apparently asleep, his legs outstretched and his gigantic feet creating a trip hazard for the unwary.
The joke of the galaxy was that Jackon were so stupid they sometimes forgot how to balance, so they needed those feet to keep them upright. The reality was that the feet served as an excellent weapon which was why they had evolved the way they had.
So where was the Aloisan? Only one way to find out. The door to the left was the smaller bedroom while the one to the right led to the master bedroom, no doubt occupied by Biggar Fro. An Kohli decided to try the lounge first. The door reacted to her touch and she stepped through, sweeping her pulsar from side to side, seeking a target. She stepped further into the room and heard the door swish shut behind her.
“Ah, An Kohli, I’ve been expecting you.”
She turned on her heel to find the Aloisan grinning at her. He had been standing so still she hadn’t registered his presence as she entered the room.
“Hardly original.” She said, pointing the pulsar squarely at his chest. It took a moment for her to notice that he wasn’t holding any weapon of his own. Her eyes went to his belt, where a pulsar sat in its holster. Returning her gaze to his face she noticed that a friendly smile adorned his outrageously handsome mouth. She felt her knees go watery. Was that his plan; to charm her into submission? As her stomach did flip-flops she had to admit there was a possibility of it working.
“I’m sorry. I watch too many old movies. You can put that oversized weapon away, An Kohli. I have no intention of harming you.”
“You’ll not take offence if I don’t believe you.” An Kohli said as she kept the weapon levelled at his chest.
“As you wish. It’s your arm that’s going to get tired.” He edged around her and walked across to one of the elegant, over stuffed sofas that dominated the room.
“I didn’t say you could move.” An Kohli growled. If the Aloisan had been more familiar with An Kohli he might have had cause to fear that growl, but instead he ignored it and sank into the sofa’s comfortable embrace.
“Yet here I am anyway.” He drawled. “Why not make yourself at home. I’m sure you have questions.”
An Kohli was starting to find the Aloisan’s calm arrogance insufferable. She was tempted to put an end to it, but her own standards of behaviour prevented her.
“OK. I’ll play your little game. Who are you?”
“You can call me Thomaso for the moment. It isn’t my name but it will do.”
“I can’t find any trace on the galacticnet of any Aloisan working as a bodyguard, let alone working for slime like Biggar Fro.”
“I’m not surprised. I’m probably the first and may well also be the last. But my employment is just a means to an end.”
“That end being?”
“The same as yours. I’m after the bounty, just like you.”
“I’ve never heard of a bounty hunter by the name of Thomaso.”
“You don’t listen too well, do you, An Kohli? I said it wasn’t my real name.”
Again An Kohli felt the urge to silence the arrogant Aloisan. “Aren’t you worried about the Jackon waking up and interrupting us?”
“No. I added a little something to his coffee. He won’t disturb us. Perhaps it will save time if I explain. There are many ways to skin an efrigal. There is your way, skulking about on the roofs of hotels, and there is my way, working in deep cover until my target feels he can trust me without reservation, then grabbing him and slapping on the old restraints. I was planning on doing it in a few days’ time, when I had set up an escape route, but when I saw you I realised that you would probably interrupt at an inopportune moment and maybe blow it for me.”
“You knew I was coming?”
“I spotted you at the casino. I could hardly fail to do so. You turn the head, An Kohli, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
An Kohli shrugged the compliment aside. “You also know my name.”
“You may not be the most famous bounty hunter in the Guild, but you are up there with the best. I’ve seen your image, read about your cases and admired you from afar. I hoped one day to work with you and it would appear that day has arrived.”
“You don’t need me. The Guild code of ethics says one of us has to stand aside to allow the other to fulfil the warrant, so as you are on the inside the obvious choice to stand aside is me.”
Thomaso nodded his agreement. “I think the Guild would also see it that way. But you needn’t lose out on a share of the bounty. The one problem I have always foreseen in grabbing Biggar Fro is the extraction phase. Actually getting him out of the hotel and transferring him into custody. I’m travelling with Biggar Fro so I haven’t got a ship and I can’t see his pilot and crew just letting me take his. A commercial craft is out of the question. Biggar Fro’s employees would never let it out of orbit with their boss on board. That’s where you can help me. I’m sure you have a shuttle parked not far away and of course everyone has heard of the Adastra. I’m assuming it is in orbit with your colleague Gala at the helm?”
“You assume correctly.”
“Good. Then all we need to do is introduce you to Biggar Fro and then help him on his way to prison.”
“You make it sound easy. Have you forgotten that he actually owns a share of this hotel and therefore every employee in it has a vested interest in his safety. They’re not going to let us just walk out with him.”
“You got in and I assume you also had a plan to get out. Nothing changes. I can get myself out if you can get Biggar Fro out.”
“Ah, well. That changes things a bit, doesn’t it? It’s no longer me helping you, it’s now you helping me.”
“This is no time for semantics, An Kohli and an even worse time for haggling.”
“On the contrary, this is the perfect time. Once we’re out of here it will be too late to re-negotiate; after all, I only have one bargaining chip and once we’re out of here it has no value.”
The Aloisan gave the matter some thought and realised that An Kohli was right. He didn’t doubt her integrity; after all, her Guild membership guaranteed that. She would stick to the bargain if she had to, but she had the right to re-negotiate the deal before the extraction was undertaken if she felt she was being short changed.
“OK. I was planning on splitting the bounty seventy - thirty in my favour. What do you suggest?”
“The same, but now in my favour.”
“Hardly. I took care of the Jackon for you. If you had come through that door with him still awake I would now be wondering where to send your body.”
“OK. Sixty - forty. It’s my ship you’re going to use to get him away, and I’m the one who knows how to get him out of the building.” She was surprised that the Aloisan hadn’t asked her how she had got in. He clearly didn’t know or he wouldn’t be negotiating like this.
“Fifty five - forty five. That’s my final offer. I’m still the one that was working on the inside for the best part of a year to get this close to him.”
An Kohli gave the suggestion a few moments of further thought, but had to agree that it was a fair offer. “OK. Fifty five - forty five, my favour. Now, time to get the flock out of here, I think.”
Thomaso, as he wished to be known, gave a cursory nod and rose to his feet, indicating that An Kohli should follow him. He led the way through the connecting door and into a darkened bedroom. Loud snoring came from
one end, louder than An Kohli would have expected from such a diminutive occupant.
“Lights.” Commanded Thomaso and the room lit up. The figure in the bed started awake, clearly alarmed. He shook his head, trying to focus his eyes even while he was squeezing them tight shut against the glare.
“Thomaso, what the fuck is going on?” He opened his eyes a little wider. “Who is this female? What is she doing here? I didn’t ask you to bring me a female tonight.”
“Biggar Fro, I have the honour to introduce An Kohli.”
“An Kohli. I know that name….. shit, what are you doing just standing there? Kill her you fool!”
“I’m sorry, but as you can see, she has a weapon and mine is still in its holster.”
“Then take the fucking thing out of its holster you idiot. You’re my bodyguard so guard my fucking body.”
“Thomaso has neglected to tell you that I have a warrant for your arrest and that warrant is hereby served. You have the choice of coming with me willingly or coming with me unwillingly, but dead. It is quite legal for me to kill you if you resist arrest.”
Biggar Fro’s eyes switched between Thomaso and An Kohli, confusion showing quite clearly in his eyes. “What did she pay you?” he demanded. “I’ll double it, no treble, oh fuck it I’ll quadruple it.”
“I’m sorry, this isn’t about money.” Thomaso replied. “It’s about the fact that you’re a scum sucking criminal shit bag.”
“You’ll pay for that, just you wait and see.”
“Get to the back of the queue.”
“OK, if I can’t buy him, what about you, An Kohli? You look like a girl with expensive tastes, why don’t you let me help you satisfy them?”
“For a start I’m not a girl; I’m a professional bounty hunter. As such I abide by the code of ethics of the Guild of Bounty Hunters, which doesn’t allow me to take bribes. Even if they did, I share Thomaso’s opinion of you; You are, indeed, a scum sucking criminal shit bag. Now, I think that the time for chit-chat is over. You can get dressed if you promise to behave, but if you try anything I’ll just drag you out by your hair still wearing your silk pyjamas. Your choice.”