"Honey... Faye, dear, wake up. It's me, John."
"John?" she returned. His voice seemed far away.
"Time to come back to your new life, time to come back to me..."
Her mind was flooded with images, memories made with John, memories of her new life. She saw her apartment, the overpriced couch, the blue glass coffee table... she was home. She was safe.
She was safe... and unhappy. Home to call her own, husband who loved her... what was missing? What could she want for?
Some one to love in return.
The answer was a whisper in her mind, a nagging at the back of her neck. And slowly she turned around.
"Spike."
That name on her lips shattered her beautiful dream, sending glittering fragments falling all about her.
As the image dissolved, she could feel the pounding in her head. The dripping faucet had been silenced, Faye realized as she gradually came awake. She couldn't smell the lilac and lavender either, and she knew the benevolent presence, the kind woman who had been there before, was gone.
She had also been relieved of her restraints. She could no longer feel the cold weight against her wrists. A thought occurred to Faye, and she felt her left wrist with her right hand. Damn, he'd taken her bracelet too... well, so much for escape. For a moment, she thought to bolt, but she shifted her head and the urge to run subsided. The pounding in her temple was too intense for thought.
She reached a hand to her damped forehead, and groaned.
"Ah, awake finally."
Faye cringed at the sound of the voice above her. It was a voice that she was getting to know all too well lately. She opened her eyes, slowly, warily. The form above her was fuzzy at first. She saw a vaguely human outline, and gradually, as the image cleared, she was able to make out dark hair, and crystal blue eyes.
"Dimitri," the name burned her tongue like acid. It was vile to her.
"Glad to see you remember, it means you don't have any brain damage."
Faye reached one hand to her face, flinching as her fingers came into contact with the bruise there. She remembered all right, and she'd get him back for what he'd done.
She clenched her teeth in anger.
"You're not speaking, come now, Ms. Valentine, you should be happy."
"Should I?" she bit out, through gritted teeth. "You kidnapped me, are holding me prisoner, and I can only assume that you plan to kill me."
"Ah, but that's where you are wrong, we don't want to kill you, you are way too valuable." He moved to the side of the bed, and sat next to her on the edge. "We want to hire you."
The resemblance was uncanny. It threw him off guard. Sure, he'd seen the tape, he'd been shocked by the similarities, but he'd somehow thought that face to face, it would be a different story, that the illusion would be shattered. How wrong could he have been? The man before him... his face, his voice, the way he stood there with that half amused smile on his face... could it be?
No, no... Spike would recognize his old partner, right? This couldn't be Spike.
Jet shook his head. Spike was dead; there was nothing more he could do for him, now he had to concentrate on reaching Faye... before it was too late.
Corbin furrowed his brow in frustration, "let's continue this conversation somewhere a little more private." He raised one eyebrow and twirled his key around his finger.
Jet Glance down the hallway, suddenly conscious of what it would look like if some one happened to come down the hall while he was waving his gun around. Reluctantly, he tucked the piece into the back of his pants and nodded.
"Good idea."
The two of them headed wordlessly back down the hall. They didn't speak until the door clicked behind them.
The room was meticulously tidied, if it wasn't for the lack of pillow mint, Jet would have sworn the room had had a visit from the hotel maid. Jet glanced in Corbin's direction. This definitely wasn't Spike; Spike would have left the place messy.
"Now," said Corbin, "perhaps you should start at the beginning,"
"Faye Valentine was my partner. She accepted a job about a week ago, and she's been on your tail ever since. Three days ago, she was threatened, they told her to drop it, but she refused."
"That was from the beginning, good thing I didn't ask for the abridged version." Corbin grinned, slyly, "well, if you're partner was trailing me, and turned up missing, it's almost a cinch that Dimitri has her now."
"Dimitri?"
"He's a higher official of the Russian mafia, he oversees most of their scientific endeavors." Corbin took the cigarette pack from his shirt pocket, and slid the cigarette from the package.
"I'd offer you one, but it's my last pack... besides, I know you have your own."
Jet waited for him to finish lighting up before he continued.
"Why? Why would the Russian mafia be involved? why would they try to stop Faye?"
Corbin exhaled, and lay back on the bed. He closed his eyes for a moment, and just breathed.
"Because they are after the same thing she is... Me."
"Why are they after you?"
Corbin held up his hand, showing the back of it to Jet. XXVI was tattooed into the flesh below his knuckled.
"XXVI? 26, that's your assumed name, right? but what does that have to do with anything?"
Corbin ignored his question. "If you want your partner back, I know where they're probably holding her." Corbin held up one hand, and appeared to examine the fingernail for dirt. "I might be willing to help you find her."
"But?"
"But, I like to get paid for my time." Corbin got a hard glint in his eyes, "besides, this endeavor would be particularly taxing for me, since it would put me in dangerous proximity to the man who's been hunting me for over two years."
Jet pulled back a bit. This man was so mercenary, so cold; he hadn't expected that, he'd expected him to be more... like Spike? He asked himself. This was not Spike, he told himself for the third time, and it never would be, because Spike was gone. And it didn't matter, he wanted to find Faye, and he'd give Corbin whatever he asked for.
"How much?"
Corbin gave him a lopsided smile that might have been winning, if Faye's life hadn't been hanging on it.
"We'll discuss price later, after your friend is safe, for now... let's get moving."
"Hire me?" Faye echoed.
"Yes."
Faye narrowed her eyes dangerously. "What for?"
"Nothing you weren't doing for Kataki, we want you to find Corbin 26 as well... and we'll pay better."
Faye had no illusions about what she did. She was a bounty hunter, she fed off misfortune; the dregs of society were her bread and butter. And yes, she had been known to commit the occasional crime, dabbling in the very same things that she would bring another person in for. Historically, she'd been willing to do almost anything for the right price, but this...
My god, he was asking her to deliver the double to him. A man who might be the man she loved, a man she would do anything to protect.
She looked Dimitri in the eye, and spat in his face. "I don't care if you buy me Mars and have it re-named Faye-Land, I won't work for you. I won't do anything to help you."
Dimitri, calmly wiped his face, "come on, now, don't be difficult." He smiled slightly, as Faye shook her head. "You don't really have a choice, it's that or..." his smile widened to a maniacal grin, as he flicked his wrist, and a spring loaded knife shot into his hand. "Let's just say I'll enjoy it more than you."
"You're sick."
"I know."
Jet brought the Hammerhead to a stop in front of Lansing-Medcalf biotech, and glanced unsurely at Corbin.
"Are you sure this is Dimitri's base of operations?"
Corbin gave him a lopsided smile. "Sure, I'm sure."
"But... these people do agricultural research, fertilizer, genetically enhanced corn... not exactly the usual syndicate fare."
"It's a cover... trust me, not all their genetic research is restricted to corn."
"John?" she returned. His voice seemed far away.
"Time to come back to your new life, time to come back to me..."
Her mind was flooded with images, memories made with John, memories of her new life. She saw her apartment, the overpriced couch, the blue glass coffee table... she was home. She was safe.
She was safe... and unhappy. Home to call her own, husband who loved her... what was missing? What could she want for?
Some one to love in return.
The answer was a whisper in her mind, a nagging at the back of her neck. And slowly she turned around.
"Spike."
That name on her lips shattered her beautiful dream, sending glittering fragments falling all about her.
As the image dissolved, she could feel the pounding in her head. The dripping faucet had been silenced, Faye realized as she gradually came awake. She couldn't smell the lilac and lavender either, and she knew the benevolent presence, the kind woman who had been there before, was gone.
She had also been relieved of her restraints. She could no longer feel the cold weight against her wrists. A thought occurred to Faye, and she felt her left wrist with her right hand. Damn, he'd taken her bracelet too... well, so much for escape. For a moment, she thought to bolt, but she shifted her head and the urge to run subsided. The pounding in her temple was too intense for thought.
She reached a hand to her damped forehead, and groaned.
"Ah, awake finally."
Faye cringed at the sound of the voice above her. It was a voice that she was getting to know all too well lately. She opened her eyes, slowly, warily. The form above her was fuzzy at first. She saw a vaguely human outline, and gradually, as the image cleared, she was able to make out dark hair, and crystal blue eyes.
"Dimitri," the name burned her tongue like acid. It was vile to her.
"Glad to see you remember, it means you don't have any brain damage."
Faye reached one hand to her face, flinching as her fingers came into contact with the bruise there. She remembered all right, and she'd get him back for what he'd done.
She clenched her teeth in anger.
"You're not speaking, come now, Ms. Valentine, you should be happy."
"Should I?" she bit out, through gritted teeth. "You kidnapped me, are holding me prisoner, and I can only assume that you plan to kill me."
"Ah, but that's where you are wrong, we don't want to kill you, you are way too valuable." He moved to the side of the bed, and sat next to her on the edge. "We want to hire you."
The resemblance was uncanny. It threw him off guard. Sure, he'd seen the tape, he'd been shocked by the similarities, but he'd somehow thought that face to face, it would be a different story, that the illusion would be shattered. How wrong could he have been? The man before him... his face, his voice, the way he stood there with that half amused smile on his face... could it be?
No, no... Spike would recognize his old partner, right? This couldn't be Spike.
Jet shook his head. Spike was dead; there was nothing more he could do for him, now he had to concentrate on reaching Faye... before it was too late.
Corbin furrowed his brow in frustration, "let's continue this conversation somewhere a little more private." He raised one eyebrow and twirled his key around his finger.
Jet Glance down the hallway, suddenly conscious of what it would look like if some one happened to come down the hall while he was waving his gun around. Reluctantly, he tucked the piece into the back of his pants and nodded.
"Good idea."
The two of them headed wordlessly back down the hall. They didn't speak until the door clicked behind them.
The room was meticulously tidied, if it wasn't for the lack of pillow mint, Jet would have sworn the room had had a visit from the hotel maid. Jet glanced in Corbin's direction. This definitely wasn't Spike; Spike would have left the place messy.
"Now," said Corbin, "perhaps you should start at the beginning,"
"Faye Valentine was my partner. She accepted a job about a week ago, and she's been on your tail ever since. Three days ago, she was threatened, they told her to drop it, but she refused."
"That was from the beginning, good thing I didn't ask for the abridged version." Corbin grinned, slyly, "well, if you're partner was trailing me, and turned up missing, it's almost a cinch that Dimitri has her now."
"Dimitri?"
"He's a higher official of the Russian mafia, he oversees most of their scientific endeavors." Corbin took the cigarette pack from his shirt pocket, and slid the cigarette from the package.
"I'd offer you one, but it's my last pack... besides, I know you have your own."
Jet waited for him to finish lighting up before he continued.
"Why? Why would the Russian mafia be involved? why would they try to stop Faye?"
Corbin exhaled, and lay back on the bed. He closed his eyes for a moment, and just breathed.
"Because they are after the same thing she is... Me."
"Why are they after you?"
Corbin held up his hand, showing the back of it to Jet. XXVI was tattooed into the flesh below his knuckled.
"XXVI? 26, that's your assumed name, right? but what does that have to do with anything?"
Corbin ignored his question. "If you want your partner back, I know where they're probably holding her." Corbin held up one hand, and appeared to examine the fingernail for dirt. "I might be willing to help you find her."
"But?"
"But, I like to get paid for my time." Corbin got a hard glint in his eyes, "besides, this endeavor would be particularly taxing for me, since it would put me in dangerous proximity to the man who's been hunting me for over two years."
Jet pulled back a bit. This man was so mercenary, so cold; he hadn't expected that, he'd expected him to be more... like Spike? He asked himself. This was not Spike, he told himself for the third time, and it never would be, because Spike was gone. And it didn't matter, he wanted to find Faye, and he'd give Corbin whatever he asked for.
"How much?"
Corbin gave him a lopsided smile that might have been winning, if Faye's life hadn't been hanging on it.
"We'll discuss price later, after your friend is safe, for now... let's get moving."
"Hire me?" Faye echoed.
"Yes."
Faye narrowed her eyes dangerously. "What for?"
"Nothing you weren't doing for Kataki, we want you to find Corbin 26 as well... and we'll pay better."
Faye had no illusions about what she did. She was a bounty hunter, she fed off misfortune; the dregs of society were her bread and butter. And yes, she had been known to commit the occasional crime, dabbling in the very same things that she would bring another person in for. Historically, she'd been willing to do almost anything for the right price, but this...
My god, he was asking her to deliver the double to him. A man who might be the man she loved, a man she would do anything to protect.
She looked Dimitri in the eye, and spat in his face. "I don't care if you buy me Mars and have it re-named Faye-Land, I won't work for you. I won't do anything to help you."
Dimitri, calmly wiped his face, "come on, now, don't be difficult." He smiled slightly, as Faye shook her head. "You don't really have a choice, it's that or..." his smile widened to a maniacal grin, as he flicked his wrist, and a spring loaded knife shot into his hand. "Let's just say I'll enjoy it more than you."
"You're sick."
"I know."
Jet brought the Hammerhead to a stop in front of Lansing-Medcalf biotech, and glanced unsurely at Corbin.
"Are you sure this is Dimitri's base of operations?"
Corbin gave him a lopsided smile. "Sure, I'm sure."
"But... these people do agricultural research, fertilizer, genetically enhanced corn... not exactly the usual syndicate fare."
"It's a cover... trust me, not all their genetic research is restricted to corn."