Hathor Legacy: Burn (13 page)

18
On Fire

Striding through the lobby of Matt's apartment tower, Jonathan couldn't help but remember the last time he was here. But the more he thought about it, the more he was inclined to agree that Nadira had been right. Why was he bothering to talk to the man who'd betrayed his family?

The gold marbled lobby was sparkling as usual. It wasn't su
rprising that this was one of the most expensive addresses in Nova City. A holo wearing a gold dress and white, shiny boots appeared in front of him, her long, gold hair flowing over her shoulders.

"Good afternoon, sir. Who are you coming to visit today?" she asked.

"Matt Bento."

"Certainly, sir. Mr. Bento is in his suite. May I have your name?"

"Jonathan Keel."

"Please go to lift number one, Mr. Keel and you will be taken to his floor." Flashing him a bright, white smile, she disappeared.

The lift was waiting for him and took him up to Matt's floor within seconds. When he exited and walked down to the end of the corridor, the older man was standing in the open doorway.

"Jonathan. I'm glad you came." Matt stood back to allow Jon to enter the apartment. "Come in."

As he had the first time he'd visited the apartment, he took in the spectacular view in front of him. Through the wall of windows, Matt had a 180-degree view of the entire city. All of the silver, gold, and jewel-toned towers glistened in the bright sunlight.

"I didn't expect you to call me," Jon said, watching Matt go over to his bar and pour himself a drink.

Matt had always been slim, but now he looked sickly, like he could fall over at any moment. After months locked up, he had the pallor of someone who'd just emerged from a long stay in a mining cavern.

His straight, steel-grey hair fell past his shoulders, covering the sides of his face including the tat that had been applied when he'd first been sent to the mines for embezzling. Instead of his usual expensive clothing, he wore a simple blue jacket trimmed with silver, and black pants.

"Want one?" He held out a glass.

"No." Jon sat down on the edge of the couch. "How are you?"

"I'll make it." Matt swirled the amber-colored liquid around in his glass, then gulped it down. "It was better than being in the mines. But the food was worse. Protein packs taste like shit." He set his glass down on the bar top.

"Why did you want to see me?"

"Still pissed, huh? I get it. We had some harsh words last time, but that was months ago. I want us to get past that."

"You helped Ilana after she stole from the mine and tried to kill my father. How do we get past that?"

"Okay, okay. I get it. You won't forgive me." Matt sat on the couch opposite him. "Look, there's something you need to know. You're in with some shady people."

"What are you talking about?"

"That complex in the Entertainments District. I happen to know that some of the people involved are not people you want to deal with. If they go down, you'll go with them."

Jon felt like he'd been punched in the chest. What the hell was he saying? "How do you know about this if you've been in dete
ntion?"

He relaxed against the plush cushions. "I was informed. I heard you were in a deal."

"The security officers gave you information about my business?"

"I'm saying that I still have friends. The company allowed me certain privileges. I met with someone who was managing my business affairs. That's how I found out."

It figured that even in detention Matt was able to run his business interests. "Then you weren't blamed for the robbery."

"Why would I be? Ilana did that theft all by herself. And she paid for it, didn't she?" He crossed his legs. "Look, Jon. Her death saved us all a lot of trouble. So don't expect me to feel sorry about it."

Jon stiffened. He didn't want to agree with Matt's cold assessment, no matter how true it was. "So you've warned me. Anything else?"

"You're in over your head here. I know Lani Zakry is okay, and so are most of the others. But you've got to stay clear of Ron D
uvol. He's the main one."

"He's the main one doing what?"

Matt sighed, obviously hesitant to respond. "He's involved in something that can get him and everyone around him killed. No detention. No hard labor in the mines. He'll just be done on the spot."

Jonathan felt his chest tighten. "What is he doing, Matt? The company would never kill anyone outright like that."

"I'm not talking about Novacorp. The shit he's doing is against the Guardians," Matt said. "And I don't mean like what your father and I were doing, helping people to escape Hathor. That's nothing compared to this."

"Damn it, Matt. Just tell me what's going on!"

"Well, what I heard was that somehow Ron is taking people with abilities and selling their services to the highest bidders. Or putting them to work in his club." Matt jumped up and went back to his bar.

Jon couldn't stop the anger bubbling up inside him. He knew Nadira would be sensing it through their connection, but it couldn't be helped. "You mean the Deshtu, right?"

"No. That's nothing new. I mean the ones who have powers. The real ones."

"Everyone knows and no one is stopping it?"

"Been going on with the Deshtu for years." Matt finished pouring his drink, his hand shaking. "But the other thing is dangerous. Anyone involved will be implicated. And according to the agreement the company and the Guardians made, let's just say Novacorp won't interfere if the Guardians blast the lot of them out of existence."

"Then we have to tell the company who's doing it."

"I'm not telling them anything. Besides, Ron has to be caught with the people there. The company isn't going to accuse a man from a powerful family without proof. Even if he's a piece of shit."

"The Guardians can interrogate him."

"No they can't. He's untouchable, Jonathan. He's related to the oldest family on Hathor, on his mother's side. Suspicion won't get it done. I have wealth, but no status. He has the status but no…well you can figure out the rest."

"He's got an important position in Novacorp. He's got credits."

Matt drained his glass. "Don't let appearances fool you. Karin controls most of the wealth. But if he's ever caught doing what he's doing, they're all going down. There are people who would love to crush that family. That's how things run here, Jon."

At this point Jonathan didn't know whether to laugh at the r
idiculousness of it, or get Nadira and get on the next shuttle off the planet. When it came to the company, with each layer he discovered there was another worse one underneath.

"Lani Zakry isn't involved with that. I know her from a deal I did last year. I know you're talking to her."

"You know a lot."

"Well, if I'd known more, I wouldn't have been stuck in dete
ntion. But that gave me time to think about my friends and my enemies. I could've let you get wrapped up with them, but I'm trying to help. Put distance between yourself and that family."

"You expect me to believe the Guardians would just kill the e
ntire family if they got proof on Ron?"

"Probably not all of them, but Ron and his inner circle without a doubt." Matt leaned against the bar as though he were too tired to stand. "If you're still running around with that Guardian you were with, ask her about it. It happened during the Corporate Wars. There was a group doing the same thing Ron is doing. And when the Guardians found out, they rounded them up and killed them all."

*****

A blast from a stunner shot out, illuminating the darkness. It hit the wall above Nadira's head and sent out a shower of sparks.

A woman dressed in grey coveralls came out of the shadows. In her fist she clutched a long, metal cylinder. She raised her arm to strike, as a screeching cry that sounded like the whine of a mining drill escaped her lips.

Nadira reached out and sent an energy blast in the woman's direction, sending her flying. She fell and slid across the floor.

In front of her, on the other side of the warehouse, she saw three figures struggling under the overhead lights. One of them was dressed in security garb. "Lt. Lin!" As she ran towards them, Nadira saw the glint of an oversized, mine-issue stunner, and then bright blue light shooting out.

A man leaped towards her. Gripping a smaller stunner that fit in the palm of his hand, he aimed at her head. She sent out a blast that pushed him back. He crumpled on the ground, gasping.

Piercing screams echoed through the area, followed by stunner fire. Lt. Lin stood in the lighted area.

When she spotted Nadira, she rushed towards her. "Nadira! Watch out!"

But before the lieutenant could get far, two bright blue and white stunner blasts hit her. She swung and managed to get off a shot before she went down.

"No!" Nadira moved towards her, but stopped short as four figures emerged out of the shadows.

"Who are you?" A gruff, male voice demanded.

One of the people who'd shot the lieutenant stepped into the light. Nadira didn't recognize her, but she was wearing coveralls like the others. "What's going on?" she called.

"An intruder! I think she's a Guardian!" The man yelled, as he came closer.

Nadira could make out about four people standing just steps away, forming a semi-circle separating her from the lighted area where the woman stood.

"You idiots weren't supposed to kill the officers. Disable the Guardian and put her with the others!" she screamed. "He's waiting for us. Hurry!"

They stood there facing each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. Nadira could feel their apprehension growing, but so was their desire to obey the woman's command. If she didn't move quickly, it would be too late. Could she take them all? And what if there were more of them back where she'd heard the screams?

"Grab her!" The gruff man lunged forward, both hands clutc
hing his weapon in front of him.

Sending out energy blasts, she disabled two of the attackers and sent them skidding along the floor. But the rebound knocked her back and she slammed against the doors.

"Damn it!" It had knocked the breath out of her, but she recovered quickly enough to see the other two figures running towards her.

Nadira elbowed the closest one and sent out a blast that spun them around.

"You idiots!" The woman across the room screamed.

"She's not like the others!" The gruff-voiced man was on his knees, his head hanging down.

The woman bent down and picked up a long, shiny metal object. It was the mine stunner. Used to cut through rock, it was a much larger version than the hand-held models, and lethal when it came in contact with human flesh. She held it up as though to position it, but she must've hit the trigger because a bright white blast shot up to the ceiling. The woman screamed as wires caught on fire and the flames ran across them and sped down the walls.

An explosion rocked the space and the woman was engulfed in orange flame.

Three of Nadira's attackers had struggled to their feet, but they were distracted by the fire, and had forgotten her for the moment.

Suddenly, Nadira heard screams and yelling. There were pe
ople trapped someplace in the warehouse. But where were they? She had to try to find them. But before she could move, the attackers were closing in again, all of them rushing towards her at once.

Nadira's heart slammed in her chest as she summoned as much energy as she could and aimed it at the three people in front of her. The force sent all three of them off their feet, flying through the air and back towards the flames.

Hit by the rebound of energy she'd expended, she collapsed on the hard stone floor. The other side of the warehouse was engulfed in flames. Suffocating smoke filled the air, forcing her to gasp for breath.

Her chest heaving, she struggled to her knees and crawled along the floor. If she could get to the door, she could get out. Groping her way over, she stopped when she felt the hard metal under her hand. She pushed on it, but it didn't move. Drained, she didn't have any strength to use her energy to blow it open.

The entire space was lit now by the flames, casting shadows on her attackers, still unconscious on the floor. Beyond them, back beyond the flames, she heard screams and cries for help.

Damn it! There had to be a way to open the door from the i
nside. But she didn't see a fingerpad on the wall or on the door. It didn't budge, no matter how much she shoved against it.

Rolling onto her back she worked to focus herself. She had to try to regain enough energy to get the doors open. But how? There wouldn't be enough time.

Smoke was filing the room. At least down here on the floor it was still clear. But that wouldn't last. Water filled her eyes and she pulled her jacket over her face. The blistering heat was intensifying. Flames licked up into the ceiling, consuming the life-giving air with a deafening roar. Coughing, she pushed against the door again, willing it to open.