Lars grabbed the walkie and held it to his ear. It couldn't be command and none of the miners had this kind of equipment. It had to be someone from the outside, because if Lars' count was right, he was the last overseer remaining on site.
"Detail Anubis-2. Your mission is aborted. I repeat, your mission is aborted."
Lars looked befuddled at the vox apparatus. For a moment he thought he recognized the voice. The tone of the mission leader on site made it clear that he couldn't place it either. "Abort?... Who the frak is this?" Lars listened intently for the reply. The overseer's vox wasn't exactly state of the art and the line crackled and hissed softly, making it hard to properly identify someone. "My identity isn't your concern, Anubis leader. I'm giving you the order to abord, following protocol Q5. That should suffice."
The voice definitely was familiar, but Lars had a hard time accepting the facts. It was just impossible that Willis would be here. Since they had last seen each other and their reports had been filed for Arthur's office, nobody had heard from Lars. The fact that he had lost his alpha, had made it impossible to contact them. And Lars had spend many nights worrying about how to turn back in when his op was done. So there was no way Willis could have found him via the Arbites. There just was no trail for him to follow. In the meanwhile, the conversation between Willis and the thug leader continued.
"Look pal. I'm right in the middle of something. I'm instructed only to take orders of the lady. Whoever you are, you aren't in the gameplan." The mission leader sounded pissed off. "The plan has changed. The Q5 protocol should have given that away, you frak. Now, pack your bags and get to your extraction point." Clearly Willis was getting annoyed as well, but the mission leader stuck to his guns. "Frak no. Get the lady on the line and I'll listen." Willis sighed. "I'm the direct representative of the magister. Shut it and do as you're told. Or you'll have him to answer to." The thug leader fell silent, just as Lars' head started spinning.
'Willis? An operative? It can't be true, Akira.'
But the answer of the leader only confirmed the hypothesis. The man gave a short answer of compliance and immediately he started shouting orders to the men. The thug with the heavy bolter swung his weapon away from the train carriages and they all scrambled to their vehicles. In under three minutes, their Chennai vehicles were driving away, going off road as they turned southwest towards the space port. A strange silence fell over mine shaft RUX-34. The line went dead as well, but Lars' thoughts didn't stop. Obviously, Willis had stopped the operation to kill him, but on the other hand, he seemed to be pretty deep in with whoever was after him. And thanks to the thugs' direct approach, every miner here would know that overseer Christian Haraldson was something special. The Adeptus Mechanicus would definitely want to have a chat with him about the reason why an entire equipe of their overseers had been killed.
'You've got to disappear, Akira. And you better make sure they don't go looking for you.'
Lars could see how the first miners were stepping out of the train carriages, still unsure about the situation. From the shaft too, the first, braver miners appeared. Lars started moving and was just about to go down the service ladder when he changed his mind. Quickly, he dumped his belt, holster and shock baton, together with his uniform. He stashed them in a small alcove under the service platform he had been laying on. In his underclothes he descended from the watertower. He needed to be quick, but for now, the miners were still obsessed by the bodies laying on the street and weren't paying attention to whatever happened near the service buildings.
Once on the ground, Lars sprinted to one of the barracks where the SAR-equipment was stashed. Airtanks, stablights, ultralight cables and a few digging servitors were neatly ordened in the steel container. Protective fire suits were hanging in neat lines on an iron bar on his right hand side, but luckily there were also some normal suits laying on a bench. In his haste, Lars struggled getting the worker's fatigues on. Next, he needed to make sure the Mechanicus wouldn't come looking for him. The thugs might have backed up for now, but there was no reason not to think they would have another try later. But Lars was pretty sure that if Christian Haraldson wasn't found among the bodies the ruling techpriests would be on his neck as soon as one of the miners would have reported that they were looking for him. And with their control over Pellene, it was just a matter of days or even hours before they found him.
In his new disguise, Lars headed back out of the barracks. Once outside he kneeled down, smearing dirt over the front and the back of the new suit. Otherwise, he would stand out like a Mechanicus Magos in an Ecclesiarchy basilica among the rest of the miners. He could see that a few dozen miners were standing by some of the corpses of the overseers, perhaps considering their own part in the dead of these men and women. Another bunch was weeping and wailing near the twenty or so bodies of the miners that had been used to put the pressure on Lars. Lars had to force himself to walk slowly towards the body of Morgan. It laid quite a distance away from the majority of the corpses and no one had come to check on it yet. Lars tried to look hesitant, but realized that he was still moving far too quickly as he wanted to reach the body before anyone else.
Luckily, no one was really interested in Morgan and the majority of the miners hadn't even noticed that the man had been shot. So Lars could kneel next to the corpse, revealing the identitag that lay hidden under his uniform. Without much care for decorum, Lars swapped it for his own. The Mechanicus wouldn't spend time checking the identities beyond reading out the data on the identitag. For them, Christian Haraldson would be dead. And Morgan would just have gone missing. It wouldn't have been the first man that never turned up after a work shift. And that included overseers. Lars knew he was taking a risk with this. If the Mechanicus really took an interest, they would see to the ruse quickly enough. But if and when they did, Lars would hopefully be off world.
Standing back up, Lars couldn't help but mumble a soft prayer for the man. He had been one of the good guys. One of the countless millions that did his job, loyal to the Emperor and the Omnissiah. Once more, this could have been him. Lars cursed softly.
'What a frakking waste, Akira. Someone should pay for this.'
And that someone had a clear name and face now. The more Lars thought about it, the more sense it made. If Willis had turned, he would have had all the information to find him. And if he had been turned, it wouldn't have been by a lowhive ganger dealing slaught. It would have been someone with considerable means and power. Still, Lars had fought and bled at Willis' side. Part of him wasn't ready to believe Willis was a turncoat.
Lars turned his attention to the situation at hand. Without any overseers available and the local techpriests too afraid to actually do anything, it seemed like they were all waiting for relief. Lars gave it half an hour, until the Mechanicus would start missing the train that would be used to send in the next shift. Till then, he should try to lay low. So with grave thoughs in his mind, he stepped towards the railyard, with every intention to blend in with the crowd.
+++5.154.987.M41+++
+++Pellenne, Subsector Ossibus, Sector Askellon, Segmentus Obscurus+++
+++Zagreb Mining Complex, RU-railyard No 4+++
Lars' estimation about the moment the Mechanicus had noticed the absence of the train had been correct, but the Mechanicus had taken far more time to actually get things rolling again. The first sign of them had been a heavy TRAX-12 lorry, carrying an outfit of overseers and one middle cadre techpriest. They were pretty giddy when they arrived on site and they had expected something else entirely due to the lack of vox contact. When they were informed by the miners what had happened, Lars could see that their attitude didn't really improve. The contrary was true. Being shown all the corpses of the overseers made sure that these men immediately felt personally threatened. And Lars could imagine that the short talk, obviously in techno-lingua, between the techpriest of the control room and the one from the lorry was far from reassuring. The thugs were missing and enjoyed freedom of movement. Which meant that they could make another hit on any other mine shaft in the region if they so desired.
This all meant that the reconnaissance party was pretty hesitant in declaring the situation secure. Which meant that when the train with the miners finally left, darkness had set in. The mood on the train was downright depressed. Not so much because of the death of the miners - and definitely not that of the overseers - but more because the ranking techpriest had announced that tomorrow's shift would be maintained on schedule to minimize production losses. Which in turn meant that the miners would have a short night and only very limited time to eat and refresh themselves. Debarking from the train was therefore quite chaotic as all the miners wanted to reach their barracks as soon as possible. The lack of order served Lars well as it would cover his escape.
After the first ten miners had left the carriage before him, Lars rammed his shoulder into the man next to him and pressed himself through the door, together with an unusually tall woman. He stumbled onto the platform, but immediately held his head down. He had stolen one of the other miner's helmets so his face remained in the shadows. The arbite struggled with the mass and tried to reach one of the exits. He made sure that he turned away his head away from the pict capters that hung in the shadowry and gloomy railyard. He didn't feel like taking any chances. He threw a short look at the tower with the control room of the railway station standing next to the main entrance building. With its location close to the roof of the railyard, overlooking the platforms, it was the perfect vantage point to look over the disembarking miners. And to find a fugitive hiding among the masses.
Lars' heart skipped a beat when he effectively saw someone standing on the service gantry that ran around the large plasglass windows of the control room. Immediately he turned away his head and followed the human stream of weary miners. Just when he was about to disappear into the entrance building, he took a step to the side, hiding in the shadow of one of the butressed support pillars of the railway station. For appearances, he started going through his pockets, but he used the time well to take a closer look at the figure standing outside the control room. It definitely wasn't a techpriest. The man wore a suit of armour of some kind, but Lars doubted that it was one of the thugs. They hadn't enjoyed the cooperation of the Mechanicus before, so there was no reason to think that they had been invited up at that critical location. Lars squinted his eyes, but just under the dirty glass roof, without sunlight, there hardly was any light that pierced the darkness. But when, by chance or by fate, the man took a few steps on the gantry, Lars knew who was standing there. It was the step of a trained officer, and the slight bend of his right shoulder, could only mean that Walther Willis himself was standing there.
With a push of his shoulder, Lars rejoined the mass of miners and left the railway station. The stream of miners split into three smaller groups, following the three access ways to the square before the station. Lars found himself another hiding spot. Or at least somewhere he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.
'So, he's here for you, Akira. Now what?'
Lars didn't have the clearance to get to the control tower. Or at least not as a miner. With Morgan's identitag he might be able to pull it off. But even if he got up there, it seemed he didn't have a lot of options. Willis was better equipped and would have been officially identified as a member of the Adeptus Arbites. Lars didn't doubt that the techpriests mostly felt resentment for such an intrusion on their terrain, but if the shit would hit the fan, they would definitely back up an arbite over some random overseer. Lars needed an edge. And again it seemed the Emperor was looking out for him. Only five metres further one of the overseers he had recruited walked by. Lars didn't doubt for a second.
"Mullhaney. Pssst. Mullhaney" Lars whispered. The man looked up and tried to pierce the darkness where Lars was hiding. He started reaching for his stablight, but Lars intervened. "Mullhaney. It's Haraldson. Leave the stab." Mullhaney visibly relaxed and joined Lars in the dark spot right next to one of the large statues adorning the front of the entrance building. "What the frak, Christian? Has it begun? That business at the shaft?" Mullhaney asked in a hushed voice. Although it was dark enough, Lars could see the enthusiasm in Mullhaney's blue eyes that looked at him from under a thick crop of ginger hair. "No," the arbite answered, "That's not it. In fact, I might have to disappear. But don't worry I'll leave you another contact." Lars took the iron chain of his dragon hanger in two fingers and lifted it slightly. "The longer the wait, the greater the victory, Mullhaney." The man clearly was disappointed. Lars had come to know him as an impatient and rather impulsive man, so he tried to sooth him. "However, I need you to do something for me, Mullhaney. Perhaps if you succeed, I'll be able to stay after all."
The freckled man nodded. "Alright, Christian. Just tell me what to do. You know I won't let you down." Lars laid his hand on the man's shoulder. "I know you won't... I need you to deliver a message. You've got something to write?" Mullhaney went through his pockets and produced a filthy little notebook and a little stump of a pencil. Lars started to scribble down a few words and numbers. "I need you to take this to the man watching over the platforms, just outside the control room of the railyard." Mullhaney tore the piece of paper out of the notebook and put it away. "You can count on me, Christian. I'll make sure that he gets it. Anything else you want me to do?" Lars shook his head. "No. That's enough. Don't linger. Just give him the paper and try to get away. If he starts asking questions, just tell him you got paid a throne to deliver the message. If he asks you to describe me, do it. Just make sure that he believes you have nothing to do with me, alright? That guy isn't a nobody, so watch your step."
Lars tried to impress the importance on Mullhaney, but had to leave it at that. When the station would have cleared and Willis wouldn't have found him, he wouldn't spend another minute there. Mullhaney just gave him a broad smile and a mock salute. "I'll make sure he gets this," he said as he gently padded his breast pocket, "but doesn't get me. You can count on me." And with those words, the gingerhead turned around and went to find Willis. Lars himself turned around as well and made himself ready to face his former comrade.
+++5.154.987.M41+++
+++Pellenne, Subsector Ossibus, Sector Askellon, Segmentus Obscurus+++
+++Zagreb Mining Complex, Habdistrict Epsilon-4 "Poorman's alley"+++
Willis was standing next to a heavy garbage container in a dark alleyway between two habblocks, both perhaps ten stories high. There were hardly any street lights in this district and the back alley certainly wasn't an exception. The only light that fell down, came from two or three windows were the occupants had lit a lantern. Willis didn't really like the place. You could only escape from the narrow street by the two ends or by one of the numerous fire ladders to the roofs of the habblocks. It made him feel oppressed, but he understood Lars would want to meet somewhere quiet and out of sight.
He had been quite surprised to have been given instructions by a filthy looking overseer. The ginger had grunted something in the Pellenne version of low gothic and had pressed a dirty piece of paper in his hand. Willis had stopped the man and asked what his business was, but the man had grumbled some more and Willis had only understood that he was just a messenger that got paid in beer. Before Willis had been able to ask another question, the man had already turned around and had started descending the stairwell of the tower. On the paper there were only some coordinates and a timestamp. And the initiales L.A.. Enough for Willis to excuse himself from the company of techpriests. They had been happy to see him go, so no questions were asked.
Willis swept the sweat of his brow. Pellenne was a warm planet and even though the sun had been under a long time already, the heat lingered. He checked his chrono and saw that Lars was late. He hoped nothing had happened to him. Or that the magister had broken his word. But that seemed unlikely. After the deal had been struck and Willis had lived up to his part of the bargain, the Cartel representatives had been nothing if not helpful. The only group that had struggled was the kill squad, but they too had pulled out.
Willis was disturbed in his thoughts when a small rock fell onto the lid of the container next to him. He looked around, trying to find Lars. It had to be him. But he didn't see anyone in the alley. A second pebble fell on the lid and Willis thought he could hear someone hissing. He looked up and sure enough, there was someone standing on the roof of the habblock across, near a fire ladder. The figure beckoned to come up. Willis didn't hesitate and started scaling the ladder. Topside, he could see a figure standing right in front of him. A portable glowglobe stood at his feet, partially covered by a piece of cloth. The man wore miner's fatigues, but Willis recognized Lars in an instant. He smiled broadly, but in return he only got a stern look.
"Lars. Emperor be thanked. You're safe." Willis started, but the other man was unmoved. "You've got a lot to explain, Walther, and you better make it fast." Lars replied. Willis was taken aback. He didn't really understand. But from the looks of his friend, it seemed like he was dead serious, so he didn't waste his breath on any questions. "Well. After we last saw each other, I was able to apprehend Hazard. We found out he was in league with the Kerviel Cartel. Found a lot of potential contracts on a datacard. One was for your head. They seemed to know where to find you, so I set out to help you. Well. And here I am." Lars frowned. "Keep talking!"
Willis didn't understand. He took a step forwards towards Lars and said as much. "What the frak, Lars? What is this? I've been running through half the sector to save your hide, and this is what you have to say, now we meet again? I don't understand." Lars took a half step backwards to maintain his distance from Willis. "Care to tell me just how you managed to get the Cartel of my back? I'm sure they aren't big on the Adeptus Arbites. And don't try to pretend you're not till your neck into their business. I heard you on the vox." Lars' gaze didn't soften for a second.
Willis held his hands up, unconsciously trying to show that he had nothing to hide. "You're right. It was me who called them off. And I'm not happy how that went down, believe me. If I would have had a chance to take them out directly, believe me I would. But it's just me. And the means these people have? You wouldn't believe it. It would have been madness to aim for a direct confrontation. You would have been killed." Willis could see Lars relax a bit. And now Willis understood. If he would have been in Lars' place, treason would have come to his mind as well. "You didn't think... You didn't think I had joined up with them, did you?" Willis smiled. It broke the tension. He could see how Lars' shoulders went down a bit and his cramped posture disappeared. Willis looked around and half jokingly, half serious asked why Lars had picked this spot. The answer was what he had expected, but even though the tension was alleviated, Willis still felt a chill running down his spine when Lars explained that he was without arms and that his only option would have been to throw Willis of the roof.
"So, now what?" Willis asked. "How are you doing with your op?" But when he looked back at Lars he could see that in his friend's eyes the laughter had fled. "Before we get into that," the other man said, "Let me first tell you that I'm very happy to hear that you aren't on their payroll, believe me." Willis could see that Lars' words were genuine, but he could already feel where this was going. Another chill went down his back. And then came the inevitable question. "But you still need to tell me how you made the Cartel quit their endeavours to kill me." Willis remained silent. "If you haven't taken them out and you haven't forced them to do it, I can only imagine..."
The words hung between them. Willis stared at Lars. He couldn't say that he was proud of what he had done. But to him, it had seemed that the balance had been well in his favour. He hoped that Lars would see it the same way. "They proposed me a deal. Your safety, and my safety for that matter, in return for information." he finally said. "What information?" "Just codes, security passwords, protocols... Nothing we can't change afterwards. No information that could hurt us in the long run."
Willis saw that Lars was digesting the information. Although Lars could usually keep his facial expressions in check, Willis could see different emotions fighting for dominance in his eyes. He could see gratitude, anger, frustration... and fear. "Not on the long term..." the arbite echoed Willis' words. "Yes, Lars." Willis confirmed carefully, "As soon as I get in touch with Frank, this will all go away." Willis studied Lars' reaction. He was shocked to see that now the principal emotion visible was disappointment. "You think they don't know that, Walther? You think they struck you a deal that would favour you?" Willis scowled. "Well, it definitely was in your best interests Lars." he retorted angrily. He knew this wasn't a good situation, but still. The codes, the protocols, ... everything he had traded away was information that could be changed. Lars' life however, once lost, couldn't be restored. "Frak, man! What would you have me do? Just throw away your life? Just leave you at the mercy of these thugs and criminals? Abandon you? Frak no!" he continued, gesticulating heavily and stamping with his feet. "What codes did you give, Walther?" the other man asked. "Does it even matter? Frak you Lars! I've been running my ass off to save you. I've fought that frak's right hand and barely escaped with my life. So what if I gave them our encryption keys. So what if they now have access to our meta-data. It's all beside the frakking point! The point is that your life was on the frakking line. And now here we are! You accuse me of treachery and I frakking get it! But now you need to stop! Perhaps I was wrong, Emperor knows, but some gratitude is in order, for frak sake!"
It was the last mistake Willis would make. Due to his shouting, he missed the whispered words of the man before him. "You put at risk everyone and everything. That's high treason." And due to his stomping around, he also missed the moment Lars started to move. With a bull rush, Lars rammed his shoulder in Willis side, making him lose his balance. A moment later he was plummeting to the ground, ten stories lower. He only managed to blurt out a surprised scream before a dull, wet sound marked the end of Walther Willis.
Looking over the edge, his voice all choked up, Lars finally whispered. "You are hereby condamned and sentenced to death."
