Terminus (Fringe Worlds #1) (19 page)

“That was a little harsh, don’t you think?” Adames asked when the two men were alone. “The way you dealt with Loyola?”

“I didn’t mean for it to be,” Maker said, “but I think her skills would be better utilized here. Plus, we don’t have time to be worried about someone’s thin skin.”

Chapter 23

A short time later, Maker found himself in his tent, putting on a fresh shirt. He had spent a few more minutes talking to Adames in the hospital tent before the master sergeant returned to watch duty. Then, with Fierce failing to return, he had discharged himself and departed (although he left Erlen sleeping by the bed).

Maker had just gotten the shirt on when someone outside his tent called to him.

“Permission to enter?” Wayne asked.

“Granted,” Maker replied.

Wayne entered and saluted smartly. Maker returned the gesture, and then announced, “At ease. What can I do for you, Marine?”

Wayne didn’t say anything for a moment, obviously unsure of himself. Finally, he just said, “Sir, I’d like to come with you.”

“With me?” Maker repeated questioningly.

“Yes. Back to the Pit. With you and Snick.”

Maker nodded sagely, but said nothing.

“I know I let you down before,” Wayne continued, “but I want to show you that you can depend on me.”

“You didn’t let me down, Marine,” Maker said. “You got me out of there – saved my life.”

“But you saved mine first. You jumped over that railing to come after me…pushed me out of the way and got stung by that thing in my place.”

“Well, they were probably planning to pitch me over the railing after you; I just saved them the trouble. As to getting stung, it’s what I would have done for any fellow Marine. And I think you would, too.”

Wayne looked doubtful. “I like to think I would, but in truth I’m not sure. The only thing I know for certain is that you saved my life, and I owe you.”

Maker thought for a second. “You know, if you really want to pay me back, there’s something else you can do instead of coming along on this suicide run with me and Snick.”

“Anything I can do, I will, sir.”

“Well, I won’t hold you to that. I’ll give you the option to decide.” Maker hesitated for a moment, appraising Wayne as he’d done once before, and the young Marine knew without question what Maker was about to ask of him.

“You remember that device I showed you before…” Maker began.

Chapter 24

The Pit, still overflowing with rabble of all kinds, was the same sentient cesspool that it had been when Maker was last there.

And why should it be any different?
he thought.
I was just here a few hours ago.

Those hours, however, felt like ages – enough time for him to fight a monster, almost die, and then return angry and vengeful.

He had come back and entered the place with single-minded purpose. Now that he was here, however, he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Quinzen wasn’t hanging out in the arena (big surprise), where two other beasts were now brawling. He also hadn’t given Maker any indication of where his shop was, nor provided any other type of calling card. They could ask around, maybe grease some palms (and hope nobody told Quinzen that strangers were asking about him), but truth be told, Maker really didn’t have a solid plan for finding the Panoptes.

Maker stood, unmoving, in the middle of the Pit, trying to figure out what to do. Snick, apparently sensing his commander’s mood, stood quietly off to the side. Maker was starting to get into a funk about the entire situation when a soft palm caressed his cheek and a seductive feminine voice whispered in his ear, “Care for some company?”

Irritated, Maker pushed the woman’s hand away without even deigning to look at her. “Another time,” he said, trying to concentrate on the problem at hand.

“Aw, come on, handsome,” the woman said, her hand gently stroking his chest where the bandage was located. “I bet you know how to show a girl a good time.”

Out of patience, Maker gripped the woman’s wrist and turned to face her. “I said, not–” he began, and then the words froze in his throat.

The woman was Diviana.

“Are you sure?” she said, raising an eyebrow. Scantily clad in a skimpy blue outfit that put all kinds of images in Maker’s head, she placed a hand beguilingly on her hip. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

Maker hesitated momentarily, and then said, “You know what, I think I would like some company.”

“Come on, then,” Diviana said, taking his hand and leading him away. “We have a private area in the back.”

She began leading him towards a narrow hallway near the area where the strippers performed. Glancing back, Maker saw Snick standing as if petrified. He was about to go back and check on the man, then Maker realized the issue. Snick, although he had been informed of Diviana’s cover, had not been mentally prepared to see her in the role of stripper.

Maker almost laughed as Snick seemed to recover and began moving after them. Maker motioned for his subordinate to stay put as Diviana pulled him into the darkened passageway, which appeared to have numerous doors up and down its length. She chose a door on the right near the center of the hallway and led Maker inside.

They were in a small room, maybe one hundred square feet in size, the most prominent feature of which was a large bed. (Maker did, however, note a plain wooden chair in one corner and a single door that presumably led to a washroom.)

“Quite a recovery you’ve made,” Diviana said, glancing at the area where his wound was located as she closed the door. “I didn’t expect to see you back here so soon – if at all.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a Marine,” Maker said with pride as he flopped down on the edge of the bed. “Death has better things to do than hold my hand and escort me to the pearly gates. Regardless, thanks for helping me and Wayne out before.”

“Does that mean you’re ready to admit that my plan to come here on my own had merit?”

“Let’s not be hasty. We’re not done by a long shot – which is why Snick and I are here.”

Maker quickly outlined for Diviana his plan to locate Quinzen and figure out what he knew.

“Well, his location is easy,” she said when he finished. “He’s up in his luxury box here.”

“Are you sure?” Maker asked, trying not to sound excited.

Diviana gave him a scathing look. “Intel’s my business. If I say it, you can bank on it.”

“Alright, your word is gold,” Maker said, getting to his feet. “And now that I know where our little friend is, he and I will have a conversation.”

“Oh? And how do you plan on getting to see him?” Diviana asked. “There’s only one way up to the luxury area, and that’s through a lift that’s always guarded. Plus, you need a digi-key to operate it, as well as get into Quinzen’s apartments.”

“So what are we supposed to do?”

“Well, he’s bound to leave sometime, so you could just wait him out,” Diviana suggested, at which Maker drew in a breath in preparation to explain all the reasons why they couldn’t wait. However, Diviana didn’t give him a chance, stating, “Or, you could use this.”

She held up a short strip of engraved metal that was kind of knobby at one end. A digi-key. She held it out to Maker.

“How were you able to get this?” Maker asked, taking the key and examining it.

“I was able to get it because men are stupid!” Diviana declared, perhaps slightly miffed that Maker seemed to be questioning her skills again. “You always want to show how special you are, how powerful, how well-connected. Everybody wanted to get close to me because I was the new girl – unsullied, so to speak. I had one of the trainers for the arena showing me around the inner chambers within a day, all the entrances and exits. I have one of the local arms merchants eating out of my hand, and he gives me practically anything I ask for, from gas pellets to explosive rounds. And your friend Quinzen’s aide, Croy, gave me the digi-key because he wants to sleep with me in his boss’ opulent suite.”

“Damn, I had no idea you were this good,” Maker said.

“I’m more than good. I’m the best.”

“Now who’s thinking they’re special?” Maker asked with a wink.

Diviana smiled briefly, then turned serious again. “You still need to get access to the lift. The guards aren’t even going to let you get close if they don’t know who you are. They’ll ask you who you’re there to see and then call up to verify.”

“It’s a problem, but one that I’m sure we can work around. Good work, Marine.”

Maker began heading towards the door.

“One more thing,” Diviana said. “Before you try to board the lift, you need to hire at least two other girls – and Snick needs to hire some as well.”

“What?” Maker asked, confused.

“Well, you’re not going straight from being alone with me to the luxury suites with a restricted key! The first thing anyone is going to ask later is who-was-that-guy? and then someone’s going to say that they saw him with me, and the next thing you know I’m hogtied in some basement getting chopped up with a vibro-blade!”

“Okay, I get it,” Maker said defensively. “We need for suspicion to be cast on someone other than just you if things go sideways.”

“Yes, so just go out there and hire a couple of more girls before you go upstairs with guns blazing.”

“But what am I supposed to do with them?”

Diviana gave him a look of sad sympathy. “Oh, Lieutenant. Do you really need the birds and bees explained to you?”

Maker shook his head, a blasé expression on his face. “Fine,” he said. “Whatever I have to do.”

“Geez, you men are so single-minded,” Diviana countered. “You don’t have to do anything like
that
. You could just talk – you’d be surprised at how many men want to do no more than that. Also, what’s intimacy for humans isn’t universal. Other beings like other things – some of which
Homo sapiens
wouldn’t even bat an eye at.”

“Okay, you’re the expert here,” Maker acknowledged, opening the door. “What nubile young damsel should I set my sights on out there?”

“Try the one with the orange feathers. Tickling her species under the arms is supposed to give them exquisite pleasure.”

“But what if she gets pregnant?” Maker asked mockingly as he stepped out of the room. Diviana rolled her eyes and shut the door.

Chapter 25

It took about fifteen minutes for Maker and Snick to comply with Diviana’s request concerning other girls. During that time, Maker came up with what he thought was a feasible plan for getting to the lift.

The lift itself was just an anti-grav elevator that sat behind a set of double doors. Guarding the entrance to those doors, however, were four armed guards. They were big, burly fellows, and each had a no-nonsense look about him. Thus, even though the Pit’s patrons milled about only a few feet away from the guards, none of the customers moved in such a way that their intentions could be mistaken.

“Alright,” Maker said to Snick after watching the guards for a few minutes from a spot against the wall. “You’re on.”

Snick smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

Snick walked over to a group of three men in close vicinity to the four guards. He intentionally bumped into one of the men, and when the fellow turned in his direction, Snick punched him in the face, sending him staggering backwards. The man’s companions both came at Snick, who stepped in and – deflecting a punch from the first – delivered a punishing kidney shot. The second man immediately dropped to his knees and began vomiting, causing people nearby to yelp and high-step in an effort to get out of the way.

While his second opponent was on the floor being sick, Snick charged the third man. Going in low, he caught the man around the waist with his shoulder, lifting him off the ground. Snick took a few more steps before releasing his hold, sending his adversary flying into a crowd of onlookers. One of them dropped a drink that he was holding after being nudged, then angrily swung at Snick’s last opponent; he missed his target (who ducked) but connected with someone else. Within moments, a full-fledged, old-school bar fight broke out.

Someone landed a punch on Snick, sending him sprawling onto the floor near the elevator guards, one of whom stepped forward.

“Move it,” the guard said, nudging Snick with his foot, before grabbing him by the collar and hauling him up.

The minute Snick was on his feet, he gripped the guard’s wrist, spun, and then punched the fellow in the solar plexus. The blow sent the guard reeling backwards into the melee. The remaining three guards all rushed forward to engage Snick, who backed his way into the fracas.

With the doors clear, Maker wasted no time. He rushed forward and slipped the digi-key into the appropriate slot and turned it. The few seconds that it took the internal machinery to read the entry code embedded in the key’s internal circuitry felt like a lifetime to Maker. It was a struggle to ignore the brouhaha going on behind him, but he resisted the urge to turn around. Finally, the elevator doors opened. Maker removed the key and stepped inside. Glancing out, he saw that all of the Pit seemed to be fighting. He did a quick scan for Snick but didn’t see him. Then the elevator doors closed and he started to move up.