That was what she was counting on. “She can go. As long as she cooperates, she will be safe. My friend has explosive bullets and a convenient angle to place them into your limo.”
“I don’t like threats, Ms. Hart,” Mirin stated softly. There was clear menace in her tone.
“And I don’t like having to make them. You aren’t involved in this yet. We’ll all be happier if it stays that way.”
“It’s all right, Nadia. Ms. Hart and I have had a simple misunderstanding. There will be no trouble.”
Mirin’s expression made it clear that she already thought there was trouble.
‘Go on. I’ll be along in a moment.”
Mirin acquiesced. Hart started up the steps without waiting for Drake. She stopped halfway up and turned. The sun had slipped out of sight, and the shadows had crept down to where she stood. She shivered, more from nervous anticipation than from the cool breeze that skirted the darkened face of the Jarman Building.
“Now, what is this really about?” Drake asked as he joined Hart. The light tone he had used in Mirin’s presence vanished, replaced by a businessman’s poker face.
“I think you were trying to avoid completing our contract.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t really care about your reasons, though I’ve got a pretty good idea what they were.” Drake said nothing; he merely favored her with an inquisitive look. He was cool. Too cool to be innocent, she decided. “I was still there when the Tir Taimgire border patrol hit. They used a mage to cover the Sound of their Yellowjackets There was a full squadron; more than enough for a few second-rate shadowrunners and a couple of runaway corporates. They were looking for trouble and expecting to find it. When Sloan panicked and Opened fire on them, the patrol blasted us with everything they had. Pure devastation. I could have been killed with the rest.”
As expected, Drake’s expression changed to one of concern, but he showed no surprise. “Perhaps you should talk to Tessien about that. Creatures of its kind have a reputation for untrustworthiness.”
“I did talk to Tessien. It said that you met it in Portland, saying that plans had been changed and I was headed back for Seattle.”
“You must decide who you will trust, Ms. Hart.”
“I already have,” she said, locking eyes with him.
“I see,” he said coolly. “I will have a compensatory bonus added to your account.”
“That will patch some of the larger holes in our agreement.”
“Do you require additional patches?”
“That’s not my style, Mr. Drake. I’m a pro. I can keep my mouth shut without special incentives.”
“See that you keep silent on our association.”
“Look,” she said hotly, “you had your shot and you missed it. That was business and I understand. Now I’m telling you that you don’t need to silence me. I won’t talk because I’ve got my professional pride. And the same professionalism lets me ignore what you tried to do. Let’s call it even.”
“As you wish! Ms. Hart, we shall let the past lie.” His smile showed his gleaming, perfect teeth. “But let us not part in anger. You have impressed me with your fire and integrity. I wish to continue to retain your services. Say, 25,000 nuyen per month. Call it a retainer.”
“I told you that I don’t take hush money. You want my services, you pay the usual rates.”
“You are a most unusual woman, Ms. Hart. I begin to believe that you will hold to your self-imposed standards of conduct. Now, are we on working terms again?”
She held out her personal comp to him. He smiled in assurance that he had regained the upper hand as he slotted his credstick and made the funds transfer. To demonstrate her trust, Hart ran a confirmation of the transfer as soon as he returned the camp.
“Your money’s good.”
“Good as gold, Ms. Hart.”
“Better,” she said hefting her comp before slipping it back into her bag. “Gold’s too heavy.”
As she stared down the stairs, Drake’s hand shot out to grasp her arm in a painful grip. He fixed her with a stem took. “You are sure that there is no evidence at the site of our Renraku switch.”
She dropped her gaze from his eyes to his hand, waiting until he released her before answering. “The van with our other guest was rigged to explode, per your orders. If there is anything left, they’ll probably assume that it was just one more runner.”
Drake’s toothy smile returned. “And none of the dupes who were supplying the cover for our operation survived? A wounded captive could say too much.”
“Last I saw of the man, the Tir mage had fireballed him. The woman went up when the patrol torched a van. The others are all history as well.”
“A satisfactory solution. From your report, that Renraku salaryman seemed rather too perceptive in his questions, Had he remained alive, he might have intrigued the wrong people with his tales. It is far better that all witnesses be dead.”
All but me, Hart thought. But I’m still on the payroll, right? Safe enough as long as I have some value or until you get what you’re after.
“I will allow no one to compromise the plan,” was the last thing Drake said.
18
Sam was surprised to find himself alive.
The flames had flared all around him, igniting the trees and his clothes. He had passed out from the pain and must have fallen, tumbling down an unseen bank into the sluggish stream where he now lay half-submerged The water must have put out the flames. He was scratched and bruised from his tumble and scorched from the fire, but alive.
He could not have been unconscious long. He heard a voice that must belong to the Elven mage that had burned him. The Elf was probably so sure of his powers that he hadn’t bothered to check on Sam. Sam strained to make out the words.
“I’ve downed the tusker and one norm, Grian.”
“Roger,” came a reply fuzzed with the static hiss of a radio transmission. “Both vehicles burning. We’ve got three probable kills, but the clearing’s in flames and we can’t land there to confirm.”
“Want me to do a ground sweep?”
“Negative. You know the procedure, Rory. Nobody goes into an unsecured zone without backup. Besides, you’ve been pumping a lot of power.”
“Null perspiration, Grian. I’m fresh enough. These gutter scum weren’t as tough as the briefing indicated. I won’t have any problems.”
“One more time, Rory. Head back to the rendezvous point. I’m bringing the flight down there. We link up, then we all go in together.”
“Don’t you think I can handle them? I am a noble class sorcerer.”
“That’s not the point, Rory. They already winged me. I don’t want anymore casualties. Meet us when we land.”
“Understood.” the mage said finally, but his next words were mumbled, obviously not intended for the other Elves to hear. Sam couldn’t make them out either, but the tone was surly enough to guess the meaning.
Sam was suddenly terrified that the Elf might want proof of his kill. He began to pray that the mage would just leave, preferring to let others confirm his prowess. The night grew quiet as the helicopters moved out, their fading sound leaving the forest to its own noises. Once more the leaves rustled in the wind, but the animals, frightened by the noise and flames, were silent. Sam decided to follow their example. It was time for him, too, to be very still.