Asbaran Solutions (The Revelations Cycle Book 2) Page 8

  “Uh huh. Well, that’s all nice and everything, but it really doesn’t make you any more trustworthy at the moment. You might say anything to get out of that cage. Perhaps if you told me where the Cochkala is holding my associate’s daughter, we might be able to come to a mutually beneficial solution to this impasse.”

  “You see, I’d really like to do that, but I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not entirely sure where she’s being held, for one thing, and I couldn’t tell you if I did, as it would violate the non-disclosure terms of my last contract.”

  “Do you have a death wish?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that the only reason you’re still alive is you might have information I need, and then you tell me that not only don’t you have it, but you also wouldn’t give it to me if you did. I’m struggling to understand why I’m keeping someone here to watch you when it would be easier to just shoot you and be done with it.”

  “Death wish? No, I don’t have one…and I might be able to provide some information that makes my care and feeding a little more worthwhile to you.”

  “Oh? Do tell.”

  “Sure. When I said I didn’t know for sure where she was being held, that was true; however, I’m pretty sure I can narrow it down to two places, and I have a good idea of which one it really is.”

  “What about not being able to tell me which one it is? That would still seem to be a problem.”

  “Well, I couldn’t tell you where it was, but maybe you’d want to give me a ride home for my troubles in lieu of hiring me. It is on the way, and I wouldn’t mind a brief stopover to refuel the ship or pick up additional passengers…like, say, Amanda Spivey…”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Breetar.”

  “Well, Breetar, how would you like to come work for Asbaran Solutions?”

  * * * * *

  Chapter Twelve

  Chairman’s Office, Asbaran Solutions, Houston, Texas, USA

  Nigel looked up from the report he was reading as Steve entered the room. “Hey, did we get the contract from the Winged Hussars yet?”

  “Yeah, it just came in,” Steve said, holding up a thin stack of papers. “‘Standard Contract for the Employment of Xenomorphs.’ I couldn’t get their president, so I talked to the Hussars’ personnel manager.”

  “I’m not surprised. I don’t think Alexis Cromwell has been to Earth in her life.”

  “Really? So no chance to meet her? She’s gorgeous as hell.”

  Nigel smiled. “She is indeed; however, she’s way out of your league.”

  “Well thanks, I appreciate your vote of confidence. You don’t think I’m good enough for the chairman of one of the Horsemen?”

  “Good enough? Sure. Exotic enough? Nope. I hear she has a thing for one of those…what did you call them? Xenomorphs?”

  “Yeah, xenomorphs. Extra-terrestrial creatures…really? A thing for one? Well, damn. Her loss.” He shrugged. “In any event, the Hussars sent the contract.” He sprawled on the couch and flipped through the papers.

  “Anything interesting in it?” Nigel asked.

  “Nah. Pretty standard stuff. It just goes into more detail about how and where the employee will be paid and where the remains will sent if the employee should fail to survive the contract.” He looked up sharply. “Does that happen often?”

  “Look at the last four groups we sent to Moorhouse.”

  “Good point. With that in mind, can I ask why you’re still planning to go there?”

  “I’m not. Well not right away, anyway.”

  “What? When did that change?”

  “Today. That’s why I asked for the contract you’re holding.”

  “You’re going to recruit the chipmunk?”

  “His name is Breetar, and yeah, I’m hoping to hire him. The millipedes, too, if I can.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “What can I say? I got tired of you and Mason telling me how stupid it was to assault Moorhouse directly. Maybe we can get some leads from them and get an edge on whoever is doing this and why.”

  “‘Bout time you started using your head,” Mason said from the doorway. “Sir,” he added as an afterthought.

  “You look like shit,” Nigel noted. The soldier still had a patch over one eye, and his left arm was in a sling. The half of his face that could be seen was a mass of pink flesh where the nano meds had repaired the Cochkala’s slashes.

  “Thanks. Despite how I look, I’m actually feeling surprisingly well. The miracles of alien science, I guess. What did I miss?”

  “You captured the spaceship before you passed out, and then the private was able to defend it until help arrived. We’ve got a Cochkala, a Flatar, and two Jehas in custody at the field. More importantly, we’ve got the Cochkala’s ship and a window of opportunity to go find out more about who’s behind this.”

  “But sir, I thought you were focused on getting your sister back.”

  “I am focused on getting my sister back, and I’d like to leave to do so as soon as possible. Let’s look at what we’ve accomplished so far.” Nigel picked up a piece of paper and held it up; it was blank. “Unless I miss my guess, this is about the sum total of what we know about the enemy so far. Can you add anything to it?”

  “Frankly, sir, no I can’t.” Mason shook his head slowly. “And that’s probably why the previous missions failed. Honestly, that’s why we’re probably destined to fail, too.”

  “You don’t have any optimism at all?”

  “No, sir, I don’t. I’ve recruited a company of troopers. Are they the best? No. Some are friends of mine, and they’re pretty good, but the rest aren’t. We barely have enough CASPers for everyone, and the ones we have are ancient. The dropships we have don’t have the latest electronics. I’m hoping you have some advantage you haven’t revealed yet that is going to turn the tide for us. Gods, I hope you do.”

  “I’m sorry,” Nigel said. “I wish I had one too…but I don’t.”

  “Well, failing that,” Mason continued, “we’ll have to find or make an opportunity the other groups missed. Otherwise, we’re dead.”

  Nigel smiled. “Thank you very much; you just encapsulated all of my arguments for why we need to go after the people in charge of this first, rather than directly into the strength of their defenses with marginal troops and equipment.”

  “Okay,” Mason replied, “so what’s the plan?”

  “The plan? I don’t know…yet. But I do have some ideas, and I’m working to refine them. We’ve got assets we’re holding at the airfield as well as a ship we can use to exploit them. If we can put all these assets to their best uses, then maybe we’ll get that edge you’re looking for and be successful where the rest of my family failed.”

  “Sir, that’s the best thing I’ve heard you say, and for the first time I have a glimmer of hope we might actually be able to pull this off.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t have a plan yet.”

  “Not yet, but you’re working on it, and that’s worth putting off our attack on Moorhouse for a few days. What’s next?”

  “Next, we go and see if Asbaran Solutions can hire its first alien. If so, we’re well on our way to a plan.”

  “And if we can’t?”

  “There’s always the direct assault on Moorhouse approach.”

  “I really hate working with aliens, sir, but I’d love it if you’d do me a favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Go hire the damn alien.”

  Houston Starport, Houston, Texas, USA

  “I’ve got it from here,” Nigel said, shooing out the guard. He pulled the guard’s chair over to the cage holding Breetar, pulled out a key, and opened the cage door. Smiling, he sat down on the chair and looked expectantly at the alien.

  Breetar’s eyes moved back and forth from Nigel to the open door. “What’s the catch?” Breetar finally asked. “Is this where I get shot escaping?”


  “I hope not,” Nigel replied. “I rather thought we could have a conversation.” Nigel held up his hands. Besides a few sheets of paper in one, they were empty. “I’m not armed.”

  “Of course not,” the Flatar replied, “but I’ll bet there are armed guards outside the door.”

  “There are. Still, I thought you might like to stretch your legs for a bit while we talked.” He started to get up. “I can shut the cage if it makes you more comfortable…”

  “No, no, that’s fine.” Breetar walked out of the cage, looked around, then sprinted around the room several times. Nigel would have had a difficult time catching him.

  “That did feel good,” the alien said as he slowed. He took a couple of quick steps and jumped onto the roof of the cage so he could almost look Nigel in the eye. “So, what’s the offer?”

  “The offer?”

  “Well, I’m still alive, so I must have some value. The head of one of the Horsemen comes to see you, not once, but twice; he obviously wants to cash in on that value. In order to do that, an offer has to be made and accepted. I just wanted to cut through the crap and see if it’s something worth talking about or if I’m going to have to do something more…radical to ensure my release.”

  “I don’t believe you need to do anything that might damage our relationship at the moment. As it turns out, I do want to discuss your employment with the company.”

  “Under what terms?”

  “We’ll get to that, but I want to mention something else first.” He paused and then said, “It appears someone is out to get me.”

  “Really? How could you tell? The fact that we’re all here?”

  “You know, you were a lot less of a smartass when you were in the cage. You can always go back…”

  “Oh, don’t be such a—” The translator buzzed as it encountered an untranslatable word.

  “A what?”

  “Someone who can’t take a joke.”

  “Oh. Can I continue?”

  “By all means.”

  “So, someone’s out to get me, and potentially, all of my family. I want to find out who.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know who it is.”

  “You don’t know who hired you? Weren’t you working for the Cochkala we captured you with?”

  “Well, yes, but I get the feeling he is an employee also. I think he was contracted to run the operation, but I don’t think he’s behind it.”

  “Why not?”

  “When my partner and I got hired, we were told to meet an individual at a certain time and place. When we went there, he was waiting.”

  “I don’t see how that makes the Cochkala an employee.”

  “When I asked who we were supposed to meet, the individual who hired me couldn’t tell me the race of the person we were meeting; he said he didn’t know.”

  “Maybe he really didn’t know. Maybe there were several layers of intermediaries between them.”

  “Perhaps…but if you were trying to do something secret, wouldn’t you want to include only the minimum number of people? The more folks that know what’s going on, the greater the chance the secret gets out. An entire clan can keep a secret, but only if they are all dead.”

  “That makes some sense. Anything else?”

  “Yeah, and this is what clinched it for me. When we got there, the Cochkala didn’t know what race we’d be, nor did he know who the pilots were going to be. He’s not in charge.”

  “So the pilots are a dead end, too?”

  “Probably. They said they were picked up there, too, so I doubt they know any more than I do.”

  “Well, if none of you know anything, why should I bother hiring you? Why should I even bother keeping you alive?”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t know anything; I said the Jehas probably didn’t know anything more than me. I may not know who is pulling the strings, but I know who hired me. If you take me to the transfer station at Karma VI, I can point him out to you.”

  “Why would I want to hire you instead of the Jehas? It would seem the two of them could do a better job than you in identifying who hired them. They also could pilot the ship on the way.”

  “Maybe so, but have you talked to them? They’re super-hard to work with. I’m easy, as long as you don’t mind a little sarcasm from time to time.”

  “Well, that’s true.”

  “So it’s settled; you’re hiring me?”

  “Against my better judgment, yes.”

  “Good. Then let’s go talk to So’Kla.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “The Cochkala. I think it’s time for me to let him know I’m working for you.”

  Houston Starport, Houston, Texas, USA

  Nigel led Breetar into the Cochkala’s cell. Not much had changed since his last visit, although the alien was now only handcuffed to the bed by one arm.

  “You can leave,” Nigel said to the guard stationed in the room.

  “Yes, sir,” the guard said. “Please be careful, sir. He’s already ripped the bolts out of the bed once.”

  “Thank you,” Nigel said with a nod. The guard left.

  So’Kla stared at Breetar for a moment before asking, “Can I infer from the fact you aren’t shackled that you have gone over to the other side?”

  “Well, I didn’t think our employers would be coming forward to ransom me anytime soon, so I figured it was the only way off this rock. I would like to get back to civilization sometime.” He paused and then added, “By the way, I consider our contract terminated.”

  “Yes, I figured.”

  “Just wanted to give you formal notification, in case there was any doubt. By the way, we’re going to see if I can identify your employers for my new boss.” He patted Nigel on the leg. “Mr. Horseman here would like to have a few words with them.”

  So’Kla’s eyes traveled up to meet Nigel’s. “In that case,” the alien said, “please kill me before you go.”

  “Kill you? Why would I want to do that?”

  “Because part of my mission tasking was to kill everyone if it looked like we were going to be captured. I was, obviously, unsuccessful in that endeavor. If you’re going to go looking for our employers, then you might as well kill me, because they certainly will when they find out I failed…and they won’t be so nice about it—I will be a long time dying. If you kill me, hopefully it will at least be quick. I’ll tell you everything I know if you will but promise me a quick death.”

  “I still don’t know why I’d want to do that,” Nigel said. “You seem to have considerable skills with economics and market manipulation, and I need someone with those skills. It turns out that Asbaran Solutions could be doing a lot better financially at the moment—”

  “Sorry about that,” So’Kla interrupted.

  Nigel shrugged. “No worries; you were only doing your job. I want your boss.”

  “Me too,” Breetar added.

  “Why’s that?” Nigel asked.

  “The motherless whores wanted me killed while I was under contract to them? If I wasn’t going to help you before, I surely would now. My motto has always been, ‘Do unto others as they try to do unto you.’ They tried to kill me? I’d like to repay them the favor…with interest.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chairman’s Office, Asbaran Solutions, Houston, Texas, USA

  “Where are the creepy crawly things?” Steve asked, nodding in the direction of So’Kla and Breetar. “It looks like you’ve purchased the contracts of everyone else sent to kill you.”

  Nigel smiled. “Mason neglected to tell me which alien to hire, so I picked up all of them.” The smile faded. “Seriously, though, I only picked up Breetar’s contract and the Jehas. Breetar is hopefully going to point out who hired him, and the creepy crawlies as you call them are going to pilot the ship that’s going to get us there. So’Kla here is a free agent, although it is likely he will soon have a price on his head. And…since economics and market manipulation are his sp
ecialties, I told him you probably wouldn’t mind if he gave you a hand undoing what he did, and he volunteered to stay here and help you. If he does a good job, we’ll work out a payment plan for him that will let him disappear. Until that time, though, I would watch him closely.”

  “You don’t trust me?” So’Kla asked. The translator even managed to put a hurt tone on his voice.

  “It’s not so much I don’t trust you as I hope Steve will learn everything he can from such an expert. The truth be known, I don’t completely trust you, but if you make good on your word, I’ll make good on mine.”

  “If you survive to do so.”

  “That’s true. If you know anything else that might ensure my success, I’d be happy to hear it.”

  “Unfortunately, I do not.”

  “Well, I’m happy to have his support,” Steve said. “Certainly, he knows better than anyone else what needs to be undone.”

  “If that’s all agreed, I’d like to talk about the trip to Karma,” Mason said. “Do we have time to go there?”

  “Yes,” Nigel replied, “although time is rapidly running out to save my sister. But then again, we really don’t have time not to follow up on this lead. You convinced me hitting Moorhouse by ourselves was a bad idea so I’m trying to find another way. If we’re fast, we ought to be able to get to Karma and then on to Moorhouse with several weeks to spare…hopefully, with an edge in hand.”

  “What’s the edge?”

  “I don’t know yet; that’ll have to wait until we find the people who hired So’Kla and Breetar. Hopefully, we can find them and, in doing that, get the edge we need. I also kind of promised to find Spivey’s daughter and free her.”

  “Do you know where she is?”