Rogue(119)

“Good,” I said. “Better now. He saw fit to expose our past, which he had no need to do. It’s a panic reaction because he believes my odds are good.”

“Meaning you want me to let you out of here.” He almost snarled.

I said, “That’s entirely up to you, sir. If you don’t, he keeps killing for quite some time. If you do, I can probably stop him.” Maybe. Maybe I could stop him. Maybe they’d let me go.

“Will you?”

“I haven’t chased him halfway across space to ask for a date.”

“And after that?”

“I go home and tell the universe to go fuck itself again.”

He stared at me, considering.

So I asked, “This seems to be a bit personal for you, too.”

He continued to stare, then nodded, “I drew second camera duty for that team,” he said. “I was backup medic, backup right, and backup camera. I had to do all three in a matter of two minutes. I know what kind of carnage is involved, because everyone I worked with died in those two minutes. My best friend had his throat ripped out.”

“Two of mine got riddled with bullets, and I have to stalk the remaining one down personally,” I said.

“Then I will release you to do so,” he said. “I’m going to implant you with a tracer that is also an explosive. You may have it deactivated at any jump point station at our office. If you mess with it, it will blow a hole through your carotid artery. That won’t bother me at all.” His expression was completely dead.

A medic came in with an insertion gun, and we each nodded. He leaned over and shot me in the left side of the neck.

Son of a bitch, that hurt like a dogfucker.

The medic left while I watched blotches swim in front of my eyes and rubbed my neck in pain.

“What if I have to turn around?”

“You tell us, and we’ll escort you. I prefer risking a death here to letting you remain.”

“Tactically, I can’t fault you,” I said.

“You will also give us all the intel you have. Now,” he said.

Blackmail and veiled threats of death. I probably didn’t know anything critical to current ops, I’d die before I’d talk about mine, and what he asked was perfectly reasonable.

I said, “It mostly came from your files, but I’ll turn over what I have. I can’t do it here.”

“Can she?” he asked, flashing an image of Silver.

“She can,” I said. “She’s also obviously younger, recent, and is not part of my outfit. She’s support only. Is she in custody?”

“Yes, she is nearby. She said nothing.”

Really? Good woman.

“She knows nothing about the past. She’s my technical expert.”

“As your ‘technical expert’ falsified chips that are supposed to be impossible to fake, hacked into our police nets, changed IDs and disabled two officers when apprehended, naturally I’m not going to trust that.”

“I don’t expect you will,” I said. “Do you need anything else?”

Now that I was equipped with a bomb he controlled, he finally let his emotion show in a grimace of hate.

“No. I’ll book you semi-official travel with codes that ensure you won’t be harrassed. Get off my planet.” He fairly spat it at me.

I said, “You’ve got the events on Caledonia, Mtali, Novaja Rossia, and here. You’ve got the fight I had with him at Station Starlight. You have all that video. You have the assets you confiscated, which are serious violations of our intel and I wouldn’t let you have if I didn’t have to. I really am serious about the threat he poses, and I suggest you take it as seriously as you did fifteen years ago.”

“Very well,” he said.

I eased back from the table and headed for the door. He didn’t bow, rise to open it for me, or acknowledge me other than to follow me with his eyes. Another cop opened it for me, and there was still a whole squad of them.

“Mr. Vandler,” I said as I reached the door. I turned to face him and met his eyes.

I said, “I am sorrier, and more ashamed of those events than you can imagine. I can’t undo the past. I can only proceed with the future. That future requires that I kill a friend.”

“I would like to feel sorry for you,” he said. “If you die, I’ll consider it a small balance of justice. If you live, I’ll consider it fair that you feel that remorse, and know the hatred that exists here. I would strongly suggest you never return to Earth after this.”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

With that same blank expression he said, “I wish you luck killing your friend.”

He meant that to be cruel, and I understood him.