Justin
He didn't come close to getting off the second shot. His finger moved back to the trigger, and then all of a sudden, the gun was out of his hand, and he was airborne, slamming into the wall above me. I moved quickly to avoid having his limp body land on me. A blur of motion reached the other man, and he too was suddenly out of commission with a sharp crack of breaking bones. He fell to the ground, convulsing a couple of times, and then was still. I would have been slightly horrified at such a cold killing, but since the guy was trying to kill me first, it seemed rather appropriate. My benefactor stopped moving, and my eyes locked with Zack's.
He glared at me, and I wasn't sure for a minute if he only stopped them because he wanted to do it himself or not. If he did, then I was screwed right then and there. I couldn't think of another reason right then as to why he would have saved my life, unless he was going to do that "since I saved you, you owe me so stay away from Jhondie" thing, but Zack didn't strike me as the type that negotiated.
"There's more where they came from," I said, still breathing hard. He hadn't broken a sweat. Bastard. "And they seriously want me dead. If you don't mind, I'm out of here. Thanks." Right then headlights pulled up and stopped. We heard a door slam. Oh hell, here we go again.
"Follow me," he growled, looking pissed that he was helping. I grabbed my laptop, and noticed him take a glance upwards. But then he took off down the alley, running just slow enough so that I could keep up with him. We weren't going up? Then why that glance up?
We darted across the street, cut down a side road, and then ducked into another alley. There was a dumpster in it, and behind it was a break in the wall. We slipped through it, and into a basement. It was dark and smelly, and I could barely make out other bodies lying on the floor, homeless people that had snuck in and were sleeping there for the night. This sector of town was safer, so I guess it was better to stay here than outside, even though the chances of getting arrested were higher. But then, what was getting arrested except that you'd get a warm place to sleep and food to eat?
Zack slipped around the people, not even coming close to stepping on one as he weaved about them. He reminded me a little of Jhondie in the way that he moved, except in her what was liquid grace was in him rougher, each movement more economical. He moved more like a solider and she moved more like a dancer. I had wondered if the X-5 were like her, but it was now fair to say that for at least one of them the soldier roots had run deep.
We went to a corner area that was pretty much clear of other human beings. "What did you do?" he snapped. He didn't have to add "and how much is Jhondie involved."
"They're not happy that I inherited something they wanted," I replied. "If I'm dead, they get some patents. Lot of money, that kind of thing."
He didn't change expression. I didn't think money would impress him much. He might not mind utilizing it, but it wouldn't cloud his judgment. I couldn't help but to contrast him with Jhondie. She was always smiling and open. There were times when shadows of the past would darken her eyes, and occasionally I saw flashes of what she could have been, but for the most part she was just Jhondie. It wasn't hard to see Zack's roots, and the hardness that had made him their leader. He was about my age, but years ahead of me in maturity and strength.
"Anyways," I continued, knowing that he wanted to drop me off and get back to whatever it was he was doing, "Thanks for not letting me get killed out there. I have a couple of people to contact, and I'll get this taken care of."
That got a reaction. "You're contacting Jhondie?" His tone had an edge of steel to it.
I couldn't believe that he would even ask me that. "Are you insane?" I snapped, not caring that he could break me into little pieces in a heartbeat. "You think I'm dumb enough to get her in the middle of this?" I lowered my voice. "I don't care how strong or fast you are, these guys aren't playing. It would only take one bullet, and she's dead. I will not risk her life like that for my personal gain." Yeah, a genetically engineered bodyguard would be great, but not Jhondie. No way. She was going to be worried, but I'd let her know that I was fine, and she would stay safe in LA. I did not want her here. Not in this military state, and not when I knew she was willing to risk herself for me. It wasn't worth living if the cost was her life.
Zack didn't reply. He didn't have to. He must have known that I was dead serious on that point. There was no way I was going to risk her life. Chances were that I wouldn't even tell her that I had run into Zack here. If she didn't know, then he had a reason for keeping it from her. I didn't want to know what it was. The only thing I cared about was getting back to LA in one piece. After I found out what was going on.
"You'll be safe here tonight," he said. "Go back to Los Angeles." He gave me another piercing stare to accompany the order, and then turned and left, climbing out a break in the boarding over a window and disappearing into the night.
I wasn't planning on staying there that night. I had a lot to do, including finding out who had killed my uncle and was now trying to kill me. I wasn't sure how they did it, but I had no doubts that my uncle didn't die a natural death. MedGen wanted a war, well, they just got one, and I had an ally they never would have suspected. I wondered if Steiner was all right. He seemed like the next target. Maybe not since he had to probate the will. Didn't matter. They hadn't managed to kill me, and that was their mistake.
My laptop had a cellular modem installed in it. Pretty sweet setup. I checked the time and cursed. We had been playing cat and mouse games for a couple of hours now. The first thing I did was e-mail Jhondie and told her not to worry. I was safe, and I was going to call her as soon as I could. I didn't want her to come here. I added that I would need her to do some research there for me, so the best thing was for her to stay. I sent the e- mail, knowing that it would at least let her know I was fine. She couldn't afford a plane ticket to get here, and she wouldn't have the paperwork, so I was safe in that respect.
I leaned back, wondering whom I should contact. Steiner? What if he was involved in some way? Dad? If he didn't know, then he was going to be freaked out and come back here. The last thing I wanted was for him to be in the line of fire. I could handle myself, but if the bad guys got hold of him, there was a major bargaining chip. I didn't want to explain the entire situation to the boss. From what I had heard, he seemed to have his hands full right now. Maybe he would have an informant free that could help me out. I wasn't about to go back to LA just yet. I opened another e- mail and typed a message to Eye's Only.
When I contacted you earlier, I was suspicious of MedGen, and had my reasons to be, I wrote. My suspicions were confirmed tonight. I believe that they murdered someone close to me because it was contracted that patents would belong to them upon the owner's death. However, he didn't own the patents. They were mine. I have not rescinded the contract yet, and MedGen's involvement became obvious tonight when a man broke into my hotel room earlier and shot up the place. Several others came after me, but I eluded them. Do you have someone that can assist me right now? All information will of course be turned over to you for a hack, since that's more likely to get a result than the police. Also, if you should happen to need anything from LAX, please do not tell her about this. I let her know that I'm fine, and I don't want to worry her more than she is already. Thanks.
I sent it, hoping that he would be able to respond quickly. Zack said that I would be safe there for the night, but I wasn't exactly comfortable. The dark wouldn't bother him, but I didn't like not knowing about my surroundings. I wasn't sure exactly where we were and who else was here. It had also started to rain outside, and the damp chill was filtering down. Who would have thought that August could be cool and miserable? I missed LA. But first things were first.
The CD with the information that I had gotten on MedGen earlier was still in the laptop. I loaded it up and started poking around, trying to sort out what I knew and what was new to me. Some of the information was things that Jhondie had found, but there was also stuff on BioTech that I didn't know about. I was glad that I got the laptop with the extended-life battery in it. This was going to take a while to sort.
I got the main players and where their locations were. EO had personal information and background stuff on several of them. It surprised me a little to find that the head of BioTech was a more shady character than the MedGen people. He probably just wasn't as good at hiding it as the MedGen people were. He seemed to like underhanded deals to get these companies that were in financial distress. I wondered if he knew what MedGen was willing to do to fight back. He might not want MedGen if the cost was going to be his life.
I leaned back. Of course, he might not want MedGen at all if I sold the patents to him. I pulled up more information. Robert Brink. He had started BioTech with a partner that was a doctor. The doctor had died about ten years ago, and Brink took over the whole business. His last target was a small pharmaceutical company, but there wasn't much on it, just that it manufactured anti-depressants. MedGen was next on the chopping block, but they weren't going down without a fight.
If he had the patents, then MedGen would collapse at any rate. Without financial backing, it would be easier for me to find out how they killed Uncle Justin. And without money, they couldn't buy any police or judges. Bastards might actually serve some time in jail. It still nagged at me that they had four more years before they lost all control. Why take such a big risk? There had to be more there than I or Eye's Only knew.
A soft beep alerted me to a new e-mail. It wasn't from Jhondie. That disturbed me. It was from the boss. He apologized for the delay and gave me a time and place to meet an informant. He said that he was going to be extremely busy for the next couple of days, and probably not be reachable.
I checked the time. I had been there for a while going through all of that information. I had been running the last few days on minimal sleep, and now I was exhausted. I hoped the informant had a safe place in mind where I could get a few hours of sleep. The place I was supposed to meet him seemed a little odd, but once I thought about it, it made sense. There were lots of people and police around there. In any case, I had better get moving. It was across town, and I didn't want to be late.
I was lucky that I hadn't taken off my sector badge when I got back to the hotel. It was still on a cord around my neck. I had that and about fifty bucks on me. That should be enough to get me to where I needed to go. I closed up my computer and headed back into the streets. I could only hope that el crazed gunmen had given up for the night. They thought they would get another chance, I was sure. They didn't know me very well. I didn't get mad. I got even.
He didn't come close to getting off the second shot. His finger moved back to the trigger, and then all of a sudden, the gun was out of his hand, and he was airborne, slamming into the wall above me. I moved quickly to avoid having his limp body land on me. A blur of motion reached the other man, and he too was suddenly out of commission with a sharp crack of breaking bones. He fell to the ground, convulsing a couple of times, and then was still. I would have been slightly horrified at such a cold killing, but since the guy was trying to kill me first, it seemed rather appropriate. My benefactor stopped moving, and my eyes locked with Zack's.
He glared at me, and I wasn't sure for a minute if he only stopped them because he wanted to do it himself or not. If he did, then I was screwed right then and there. I couldn't think of another reason right then as to why he would have saved my life, unless he was going to do that "since I saved you, you owe me so stay away from Jhondie" thing, but Zack didn't strike me as the type that negotiated.
"There's more where they came from," I said, still breathing hard. He hadn't broken a sweat. Bastard. "And they seriously want me dead. If you don't mind, I'm out of here. Thanks." Right then headlights pulled up and stopped. We heard a door slam. Oh hell, here we go again.
"Follow me," he growled, looking pissed that he was helping. I grabbed my laptop, and noticed him take a glance upwards. But then he took off down the alley, running just slow enough so that I could keep up with him. We weren't going up? Then why that glance up?
We darted across the street, cut down a side road, and then ducked into another alley. There was a dumpster in it, and behind it was a break in the wall. We slipped through it, and into a basement. It was dark and smelly, and I could barely make out other bodies lying on the floor, homeless people that had snuck in and were sleeping there for the night. This sector of town was safer, so I guess it was better to stay here than outside, even though the chances of getting arrested were higher. But then, what was getting arrested except that you'd get a warm place to sleep and food to eat?
Zack slipped around the people, not even coming close to stepping on one as he weaved about them. He reminded me a little of Jhondie in the way that he moved, except in her what was liquid grace was in him rougher, each movement more economical. He moved more like a solider and she moved more like a dancer. I had wondered if the X-5 were like her, but it was now fair to say that for at least one of them the soldier roots had run deep.
We went to a corner area that was pretty much clear of other human beings. "What did you do?" he snapped. He didn't have to add "and how much is Jhondie involved."
"They're not happy that I inherited something they wanted," I replied. "If I'm dead, they get some patents. Lot of money, that kind of thing."
He didn't change expression. I didn't think money would impress him much. He might not mind utilizing it, but it wouldn't cloud his judgment. I couldn't help but to contrast him with Jhondie. She was always smiling and open. There were times when shadows of the past would darken her eyes, and occasionally I saw flashes of what she could have been, but for the most part she was just Jhondie. It wasn't hard to see Zack's roots, and the hardness that had made him their leader. He was about my age, but years ahead of me in maturity and strength.
"Anyways," I continued, knowing that he wanted to drop me off and get back to whatever it was he was doing, "Thanks for not letting me get killed out there. I have a couple of people to contact, and I'll get this taken care of."
That got a reaction. "You're contacting Jhondie?" His tone had an edge of steel to it.
I couldn't believe that he would even ask me that. "Are you insane?" I snapped, not caring that he could break me into little pieces in a heartbeat. "You think I'm dumb enough to get her in the middle of this?" I lowered my voice. "I don't care how strong or fast you are, these guys aren't playing. It would only take one bullet, and she's dead. I will not risk her life like that for my personal gain." Yeah, a genetically engineered bodyguard would be great, but not Jhondie. No way. She was going to be worried, but I'd let her know that I was fine, and she would stay safe in LA. I did not want her here. Not in this military state, and not when I knew she was willing to risk herself for me. It wasn't worth living if the cost was her life.
Zack didn't reply. He didn't have to. He must have known that I was dead serious on that point. There was no way I was going to risk her life. Chances were that I wouldn't even tell her that I had run into Zack here. If she didn't know, then he had a reason for keeping it from her. I didn't want to know what it was. The only thing I cared about was getting back to LA in one piece. After I found out what was going on.
"You'll be safe here tonight," he said. "Go back to Los Angeles." He gave me another piercing stare to accompany the order, and then turned and left, climbing out a break in the boarding over a window and disappearing into the night.
I wasn't planning on staying there that night. I had a lot to do, including finding out who had killed my uncle and was now trying to kill me. I wasn't sure how they did it, but I had no doubts that my uncle didn't die a natural death. MedGen wanted a war, well, they just got one, and I had an ally they never would have suspected. I wondered if Steiner was all right. He seemed like the next target. Maybe not since he had to probate the will. Didn't matter. They hadn't managed to kill me, and that was their mistake.
My laptop had a cellular modem installed in it. Pretty sweet setup. I checked the time and cursed. We had been playing cat and mouse games for a couple of hours now. The first thing I did was e-mail Jhondie and told her not to worry. I was safe, and I was going to call her as soon as I could. I didn't want her to come here. I added that I would need her to do some research there for me, so the best thing was for her to stay. I sent the e- mail, knowing that it would at least let her know I was fine. She couldn't afford a plane ticket to get here, and she wouldn't have the paperwork, so I was safe in that respect.
I leaned back, wondering whom I should contact. Steiner? What if he was involved in some way? Dad? If he didn't know, then he was going to be freaked out and come back here. The last thing I wanted was for him to be in the line of fire. I could handle myself, but if the bad guys got hold of him, there was a major bargaining chip. I didn't want to explain the entire situation to the boss. From what I had heard, he seemed to have his hands full right now. Maybe he would have an informant free that could help me out. I wasn't about to go back to LA just yet. I opened another e- mail and typed a message to Eye's Only.
When I contacted you earlier, I was suspicious of MedGen, and had my reasons to be, I wrote. My suspicions were confirmed tonight. I believe that they murdered someone close to me because it was contracted that patents would belong to them upon the owner's death. However, he didn't own the patents. They were mine. I have not rescinded the contract yet, and MedGen's involvement became obvious tonight when a man broke into my hotel room earlier and shot up the place. Several others came after me, but I eluded them. Do you have someone that can assist me right now? All information will of course be turned over to you for a hack, since that's more likely to get a result than the police. Also, if you should happen to need anything from LAX, please do not tell her about this. I let her know that I'm fine, and I don't want to worry her more than she is already. Thanks.
I sent it, hoping that he would be able to respond quickly. Zack said that I would be safe there for the night, but I wasn't exactly comfortable. The dark wouldn't bother him, but I didn't like not knowing about my surroundings. I wasn't sure exactly where we were and who else was here. It had also started to rain outside, and the damp chill was filtering down. Who would have thought that August could be cool and miserable? I missed LA. But first things were first.
The CD with the information that I had gotten on MedGen earlier was still in the laptop. I loaded it up and started poking around, trying to sort out what I knew and what was new to me. Some of the information was things that Jhondie had found, but there was also stuff on BioTech that I didn't know about. I was glad that I got the laptop with the extended-life battery in it. This was going to take a while to sort.
I got the main players and where their locations were. EO had personal information and background stuff on several of them. It surprised me a little to find that the head of BioTech was a more shady character than the MedGen people. He probably just wasn't as good at hiding it as the MedGen people were. He seemed to like underhanded deals to get these companies that were in financial distress. I wondered if he knew what MedGen was willing to do to fight back. He might not want MedGen if the cost was going to be his life.
I leaned back. Of course, he might not want MedGen at all if I sold the patents to him. I pulled up more information. Robert Brink. He had started BioTech with a partner that was a doctor. The doctor had died about ten years ago, and Brink took over the whole business. His last target was a small pharmaceutical company, but there wasn't much on it, just that it manufactured anti-depressants. MedGen was next on the chopping block, but they weren't going down without a fight.
If he had the patents, then MedGen would collapse at any rate. Without financial backing, it would be easier for me to find out how they killed Uncle Justin. And without money, they couldn't buy any police or judges. Bastards might actually serve some time in jail. It still nagged at me that they had four more years before they lost all control. Why take such a big risk? There had to be more there than I or Eye's Only knew.
A soft beep alerted me to a new e-mail. It wasn't from Jhondie. That disturbed me. It was from the boss. He apologized for the delay and gave me a time and place to meet an informant. He said that he was going to be extremely busy for the next couple of days, and probably not be reachable.
I checked the time. I had been there for a while going through all of that information. I had been running the last few days on minimal sleep, and now I was exhausted. I hoped the informant had a safe place in mind where I could get a few hours of sleep. The place I was supposed to meet him seemed a little odd, but once I thought about it, it made sense. There were lots of people and police around there. In any case, I had better get moving. It was across town, and I didn't want to be late.
I was lucky that I hadn't taken off my sector badge when I got back to the hotel. It was still on a cord around my neck. I had that and about fifty bucks on me. That should be enough to get me to where I needed to go. I closed up my computer and headed back into the streets. I could only hope that el crazed gunmen had given up for the night. They thought they would get another chance, I was sure. They didn't know me very well. I didn't get mad. I got even.
