Alkard

ALKARD

I strode through the tunnels, the honeycombed network of ‘unofficial' passages worming their way through the station. A heavy cloak covered my shoulders, plain gray in hue.

Here, I needed to blend in. Well, as much as I could.

It's been a long time since I worked in the tunnels. I should come back here more often.

I wasn't just wandering about the tunnels randomly, hoping to come across a tidbit of information about my missing weapons, or Tessi's friend, Mera. I also had a set goal in mind.

The tunnels let out in various places, mostly in the Under, though a few hidden passages could get you all the way to the metro and some said beyond. The Alliance allowed the network to exist because they used them themselves for their own covert operations.

I grinned under my hood.

It was always funny to me. The Alliance crowed about their ethics, their noble goals. But pull back the surface, and they were really just one more gang competing for space on Thodos.

They just happened to be very well funded.

Plus, if the Alliance were not allowed the perception they were in control, they had the ability to destroy Thodos, or at least give it a decent effort. I often wondered what the Uune would do if the station were attacked.

The thought of the floating, bloated creatures manning battle stations made me chuckle. Not the smartest thing to do in the tunnels.

"Hey, whatchoo laughing at?" A tusked, burly shape in dirty, tattered remnants of a security uniform loomed in front of me. Probably a corrupt cop who was facing prison time and ran away to live in the tunnels. Now a bully of those even more pathetic than himself.

"Nothing, none of your concern." I tried to walk around him. That was the rule of the tunnels. If you at least gave the illusion you were willing to walk away from a fight, your actions thereafter would be deemed justifiable.

"I think you were laughing at me," the asshole said, stepping into my path again. I growled low in the back of my throat.

"I do not have time for this."

On my better days, I might have tried to intimidate him, get him to move.

Not today. My hand darted out of my cloak and struck the thug three times in his throat. A sound like crackling tinder in a fireplace preceded a raspy, blood-flecked exhalation as my victim held his throat, eyes wide and unbelieving.

Then he pitched over onto the tunnel floor, twisting and gagging on his own blood as he suffocated.

I stepped over him and continued on my way. I had already forgotten the dying man when I came upon a junction in the tunnels. I went down the path on my right, the one with blue pipes snaking down it.

I had to turn sideways at one point to squeeze through, then finally stepped into a wide open chamber absolutely stuffed to the gills with what, at first glance, seemed like junk.

Wires and cords from obsolete tech hung from hooks along the wall then gave way to stacks of preserved rations as high as the ceiling. A collection of muscle powered cycling devices, most of them with two wheels but a few with only one, took up the next spot in the wild menagerie of cast off treasures.

"Ahem."

I turned to find a wide-faced creature sitting on a comfortable-looking but clearly worn easy chair. His slitted nostrils flared between circular eyes the size of saucers, while his mouth was so low on his face that it looked strange when he puffed on his cigar.

"Instead of staring at my beauties and planning what you're going to steal, Alkard, why not tell me what has brought you here?"

A Zok child, probably an orphan, raced into the room, unfettered by the narrow passage. He whispered in the smoker's ear, and then waited as his master whispered back. The Zok didn't even look at me the entire time, totally focused on his task.

"I see you're still taking in urchins," I said.

"I see you're still a heartless bastard. Besides, I'm getting on in decades. I need people to give me a hand around the house."

"Yes, I see how neat and tidy it is." My eyes narrowed as the mood grew somber. "Actually, it's a Nazok that I've come to inquire about."

"A Nazok? And here I thought you'd ask about the missing guns you were supposed to sell to the Zequinids."

The smoker cackled, spitting out a series of rings that puffed over toward me to dissipate on my chest. I sniffed, enduring the slight.

He was one of the few people I wanted to keep on good terms with, and he knew it.

"Come on, Old Smoke," I said. "If you knew that, you would have told me the last time I asked you to find out."

"There are some things that are beyond even me." Smoke's copper eyes looked troubled. "It is a burden to be a telepath at times, my student."

"Which is why you keep to yourself down here, in the tunnels."

"Part of the reason."

"And you prefer the company of children because their minds are unfettered by a long life of regret."

He waved away another stream of smoke.

"Yes, you're an expert psychoanalyst. Next, you'll tell me I should call my own kids."

"You should call your own kids."

Smoke sighed, and gave me a frank stare.

"Why are you here, Alkard? I know this isn't just a social call."

"I need your help. There was an attempt on my life recently?—"

"Yes, messy business, that. I'm glad to see you made it out alive."

"Thank you. I'm having trouble figuring out who hired the Voleks to do the hit. There's a Nazok runner that might be involved."

Smoke scratched behind his head and grumbled.

"I'll look into it, but it will cost you. I assume you exhausted all other avenues before you came to me? I don't come cheap, you know."

"I know. And yes, we tried the usual methods. We even hacked station security feeds but were unable to find our quarry."

I handed him a still photo printout of the subject. Smoke preferred physical old tech images rather than digital ones. Apparently, they let him focus better or some bullshit.

I figured he was just being a pain in the ass on purpose, though.

Smoke looked at the photo and grunted. "It's not one of mine."

"You sound relieved. Could it be someone who works for Conii?"

Smoke looked up at me and snorted.

"There are many clans of the Nazok. Would you be offended if I expected you to know every single Vinduthi on the station? Or that I stated as a fact that all Vinduthi are involved in organized crime?"

I sighed, rubbing my horns. "No. But Conii bothers me. She has more runners working for her than any other matriarch. And her family is practically a gang unto themselves, just her blood relatives."

A twisted smile matched mine. "She wields power, and that makes you worried."

"It makes me pay attention," I corrected him. "And I'm wise to do so. I'm not saying she was behind it just because the runner is a Zok. You are correct, that would be a false line of reasoning. However, she could be involved. Just a gut feeling."

"And when you're on top, everyone would like to take you down a peg or two, eh?" Smoke laughed and slapped his thigh. "Now you know why I gave up the gig."

"Only after you taught me everything I know."

Smoke waved me off. "Do not bother getting sentimental on me. Speaking of which, the news is that you've gone soft on a human woman. I've corrected those mouths for you, free of charge."

I chuckled. Soft wasn't how I felt about Tessi. Desperate to touch her. On fire to be with her. Or even just to curl up at her side to watch her sleep.

"Speaking of human women," I said, snapping out of my reverie. "There's one who's been missing for a while. Mera Lashley."

I handed over a photo of her.

"I would also like you to try and find her."

Smoke blew out a sigh. "I'll put my network on it, but to be honest, it seems like a lot of humans have been disappearing lately."

"There have?"

"But I hear about everything, sooner or later. I think maybe they're getting popular, if you know what I mean."

My lips formed a tight line. That did not bode well for the lot of humanity on the station. It would also make finding Mera much harder.

"I know you will do your best, Old Smoke. The usual payment should be here soon."

"Actually, it was already delivered. Showed up a bit before you did."

I smirked, but the edge was directed at me and not Smoke.

"Efficient and speedy, these Nazoks. They will make for a most powerful enemy if we let them get a foothold."

"Get your prejudiced ass out of my house. I'll send word when and if I find out anything. And Alkard? Whoever hired those goons to kill you is probably pissed they failed. You'd best watch your back."

"Always, my teacher."

I left the way I came in, working my way back up to the main levels of Thodos, but removed the cloak. If someone were going to try and kill me, I almost invited it. I wanted something to hurt.

I pulled out my percomm and checked the location of Tessi's tracking bracelet. I sighed with relief when he saw that the bracelet was safely in my office at the Fallen Star. She was waiting for me.

I looked forward to seeing her again. It had been too long since I had held her in my arms. Something about Tessi made colors seem sharper, food taste more exquisite, music more stirring.

The longer I was away from her, the worse I felt. I rushed into my office, passing through the mostly empty club. It would be several hours until the club really got going.

I'd happily spend those hours with Tessi.

But when the door slid open and my eyes fell on Nayal and Razov's grim, guilt-ridden expressions, I knew something was wrong.

"What the fuck?" I sputtered when my gaze landed on the tracking bracelet laying on my desk.

"She managed to get the bracelet off," Nayal said. "She went to try on a dress, and I allowed myself to be distracted. It is all my fault. Please do not blame Razov."

"You're damn right it's your fault."

They exchanged glances.

I was known for keeping my anger under control, even in trying situations, but a merciless howl of inarticulate rage boiled up from my soul, echoing off the walls of the office.

"Master Alkard, please, get control of yourself."

"If she wants to run, she can run," Razov said with a shrug of his massive shoulders. "I mean, why would you want someone around if you can't trust them?"

I didn't answer.

For the first time in my life, I didn't have the words. The aching hole in my chest felt like a mortal wound. I sat down heavily in my chair and picked up the bangle. It still held traces of her scent upon it.

"Boss?" Razov said. "Are you all right?"

I tossed the shackle back onto my desk and drew myself up.

"I'm fine. But you know who's not going to be fine? Every god damn living thing on this station until I fucking find Tessi and get her back here safe and sound. Pray to the Night Mother for those who dare try to stop me."

"Master Alkard," Nayal said, interposing himself in the doorway. "You need to take a more measured approach here. The young lady might have taken the opportunity to slip away."

Would she have left of her own volition, run away?

Left me?

It was true, I'd left her alone more often than I'd liked.

Perhaps she was tired of me.

I wasn't used to sharing my thoughts or feelings. Even having feelings had always seemed like a quick way to earn an early death.

Maybe I should have done a better job of telling her what was going on with the search.

And what was going on with my heart.

If Tessi no longer wanted to honor our deal, I wouldn't keep her.

But she knew I was looking for her friend. She was willing to do anything to save Mera.

She wouldn't have risked a chance to find out what had happened to her.

"No," I announced. "She didn't leave on her own."

Nayal nodded. "I agree. But that does not make this any better. If something has happened to her, then it might be that whoever took her wants you out there exposing yourself to an assassin's blade. Please, let's do this intelligently."

"You've really got it bad for her, don't you?" Razov said. "I'm…sorry I let her get away."

I glanced at him in surprise. I'd never heard him express anything like empathy or regret. Maybe the big man wasn't just a robot after all. Maybe there was a heart in there, after all.

"I think most likely that something has happened to her," I said, struggling to keep my voice calm. "If not, surely the two of you resourceful gentlemen would have found her by now. I want you to gather the others for a meeting. We've got a campaign to plot."

"Finally going to war, huh?" Razov said, nodding. "Against who?"

"Everyone. We'll start with the Fanaith. I've had enough of their shit and we're going to fuck them up bad. And maybe the Mondians, too, if Banek had something to do with our missing guns." I grinned, letting myself stretch. "And along the way we're going to question everyone we find until Tessi's safe and at home. Someone's trying to fuck with us. We're going to make them regret it."

They left me staring at the bangle.

It wasn't only Tessi's absence that weighed on me. Banek had been my comrade in arms during the war, and my friend after.

But now, I wondered if I could trust him.

I wondered if I could trust anyone.

My percomm buzzed and a short video played, of a human woman with dark hair crumpled on the floor and bound hand and foot.

Even before a hand reached into frame to pull her hair back until her gagged face appeared on camera, I knew it was Tessi. The video came with a set of station coordinates.

I stood up and headed straight out the door, not taking even a moment to summon the inner circle for backup.

Tessi was in danger, and I was going to get her back.

Right. Fucking. Now.