Superego (21 page)

“And that will benefit us?”

Now she smiled again. “We've hidden in the shadows for so long, most people don't even think of us. It's time for a brief reminder that we exist and have nothing to fear from their little government. We need to make ourselves known. We're the only syndicate powerful enough to pull this off, to show them that the only way to have a really effective government is to follow us.”

This was a big change in the syndicate's policy. So much so that it made me a little nervous. “Nystrom thinks common people will actually accept this?”

“After we kill Gredler, we have our people in place within the Alliance government to bully it into our control. I'm sure the other syndicates will lash out to cause fear among the common folk, but we'll make it clear that rallying behind us will be the quickest path back to normality. And knowing human nature, they'll come to love and accept the new, more powerful rule and realize that it's their best option for survival and maintaining the way of life they're used to. Pretty nice, huh? You get to be a part of the brave, new future.”

If Nystrom wanted to be the out-in-front rulers of civilization, it did make me wonder what that meant for me. If they wanted fear, I was their man. If they wanted people to respect them as the best hope for the future…well, I'm not the sort of guy you keep around if you're pretending not to be the villain. Then again, the long-term future was something I never liked to worry about. “I just want to survive the hit on Gredler, that's all.”

“Nothing to worry about there. Everything to do with the conference is in our hands. All you need to do is shoot and run, and we'll handle the rest. Anyway, we're done here for now. Have fun with your prey tomorrow, and we'll get you any other details you need soon after that. I'll have Vance show you out. Donner would probably screw that up and get you stuck in a closet. Did I mention I hate her?”

I didn't like my escape plan being completely in someone else's hands—particularly this woman's hands—but considering the scope of this hit, I didn't appear to have another option. Though I would look for one. “Alright. In the meantime, can you hook me up with some guns? I'm all out.”

“No reason to, Rico. That could just draw more attention to you. Don't worry. We're watching your back. You can trust me.”

“You already got two of your people killed here, so I'm not sure how wise that is.”

She pressed against me again, holding her cheek against mine. “But they weren't as important as you.” She stepped away from me, a devious smile on her face. “We really are going to have to tussle sometime.”

I wasn't sure in which way she meant, but either way was good with me.

CHAPTER 23

“As usual, my programming obligates me to warn you that the job you have been assigned is illegal according to this planet's laws.”

I chuckled as I strolled toward my hotel. “And not just in the usual ‘killing is illegal' way—people are actually going to care about this one. Here's some data for you, Dip: When polled, people tend to say they dislike politicians, but they get really, really angry when you kill them.”

I had left the “brothel” without further incident. It was indeed a rather fancy one, on the 31st floor of a downtown building—basically a whole Nystrom center of operations nearly out in plain sight. Still, all I saw of Morrigan's operation were her and two of her lackeys. Despite the fact that we were working together, she seemed to be keeping her cards close to the chest. “How are my escape plans coming along, Dip?”

“It would not seem they are relevant anymore now that Agent Dawson will be providing the details.”

“I'd rather have backup plans.”

“Do you not trust Dawson?”

I carefully noted all of the people I passed by on the street. Morrigan had said that her people would keep tabs on me and watch my back, so perhaps even now someone was following me. I didn't like that. “I have to trust her somewhat as part of the job, but I'd rather not put my life entirely in her hands. I don't trust her to keep my interests in mind…plus she doesn't seem mentally balanced.”

“And you are mentally balanced?”

“I am balanced…I'm just balanced someplace different from most people.”

“By the way, Rico, I am still receiving chatter from the Calabrai on the channels I'm following. They're now planning a big strike after the conference when security is reduced.”

“Well, I hope they have good luck with that.”

“Really?”

“No. I don't take sides. Just happy to hear they won't be in my way again anytime soon. They were boring to kill.” I thought I saw a Corridian glance at me. All of Morrigan's people I'd met so far were human females, but I guessed she had quite a variety of people—human and other—at her disposal for this operation.

I reached my hotel and entered the lobby, and as I entered a human female saw me, and I tensed. She was backed by a human male and…two human children. And I recognized her.

She smiled broadly and rushed over to me. “Rico, it's me, Hana. We met yesterday.”

Morrigan had told me her people would keep threats away from me, and they were already failing. “Hi. How are you doing?” I hated the question as soon as it came out of my mouth.

“We're doing well, thank you so much. This is my husband, Carl, and my two children, Justin and Tammy. Diane said you were staying here, and we just wanted to properly thank you for what you did the other day.”

Carl smiled at me and shook my hand. “God bless you. We're so glad you were there with Diane to save those children. You can't imagine how panicked I was when I heard the Calabrai had taken hostages in my children's school.”

Not only could I not imagine panicking over the fate of children, even caring in the slightest was unfathomable for me. Still, I wasn't sure what they were thanking me for; I was pretty sure their kids had already gotten out of the school by the time I'd gotten there. I started thinking of the quickest way to end this conversation without it being a complete social failure—like knocking Hana down and walking away, which was the first thought that came to mind.

“Did you shoot people?” the boy asked.

“That's not an appropriate question,” Hana said, keeping the conversation from going in a direction that might actually interest me. “Anyway, Rico, we're so grateful you're here, and if there is anything you need, please let us know. It's my understanding that you're here alone on…business?”

This job had really become a circus now that I was getting grilled by random civilians. “No, not really business. I'm sort of on a sojourn.”

“You're eventually going back to Rikar?”

“I…don't know.” Why did I answer that way?

I could see Hana's focus intensify as she sensed an opening for a kill. “Well, I don't know what Rikar is like, but this is a very nice planet. I assume you've impressed the police here enough that they'd easily give you a job.”

“Perhaps.” I wasn't sure of that. From my experience, competence made the police here angry.

“Anyway, I don't know what your plans are, but we're on our way to church, and the rest of our church would love to meet you and thank you for all you've done.”

That was one of the most hellish proposals I'd ever heard, and I've had crime lords threaten to do all manner of nasty things to me. I actually found religion to be an odd, interesting concept, but it was something I'd prefer to study from a distance. To actually be among people who would all be smiling and talking to me…I did not think I was strong enough for that.

“Diane will be there,” Hana added. “You two seem to make a good—”

“Honey,” her husband gently chided.

“I was going to say ‘team.' They are a good team. They pretty much single-handedly beat terrorism on this planet.”

A Corridian in the lobby looked at me briefly. He may have been the same one I had seen on the street; it was hard to tell. I knew I shouldn't have been paranoid, as Morrigan had told me her people would be around, but being followed really unsettled me. And were they reporting back everything I was doing to Morrigan? What did she expect me to do while I was waiting for my meeting with Gredler?

Well, I did know one thing she wouldn't expect.

“You're here for the Bible study?” Diane asked, obviously surprised to see me.

“Is that what this is? Hana didn't say.”

“Well, we can just meet up after this is over, if you want to leave.”

“Hey, I'm traveling the universe to try new things.” The church building was rather small and unspectacular-looking; that probably meant a smaller, more intimate group. I was already beginning to regret my decision to come, and the silly notion popped into my head that I was provoking a higher power to pay attention to me, which would not end well. I leaned in close to Diane. “Plus I think Hana is hoping we'll become a couple.”

She blushed. I've seen her kill people with a cold dispassion, which made me find her emotional vulnerabilities fascinating.

We headed inside, and I did my best to keep up a brave face. Talking to Diane helped my confidence—I now felt so comfortable around her—but that came crashing down quite quickly in the face of my indomitable odds. There were just so many smiling faces and people who wanted to chat. It was awful. I mean, it was the absolute worst experience I'd had since having my hand ripped off. I had been surrounded by hostiles many times, and never even broke a sweat. But surrounded by friendly people where shooting my way out was not an option—that was not something I was equipped for.

It seemed so silly when I looked at it rationally. I've done just fine so many times with people one-on-one. It's no different with multiple people. Yet, I soon felt so trapped, and a little voice in my head kept telling me I was going to trip up at any second, completely forget myself, and reveal to them all the psychopath that I am. My hands kept moving to feel the guns in the shoulder holsters I wasn't wearing. I don't know what would have happened if I'd had them on me.

And then there was my new greatest nemesis, Hana, egging it all on. Telling people to come talk to me. Trying to destroy me. A couple of times I felt almost ready to attack her, quickly noting objects in the room I could use as weapons. I was hanging by a thread. And why had I done this to myself? To spite Morrigan for having people follow me? Something was wrong with me. I wasn't making good decisions.

Smile slightly. Make eye contact. Nod. Say, “Nice to meet you.”
I kept repeating these rules in my head, trying to concentrate on them and let the panic pass. I didn't even need to hear what most people were saying. I just had to appear normal…if somewhat reticent. And as hard as it was, I needed to stand my ground. It was one of my toughest battles, but every time I felt I was about to slip off the edge, I'd look at Diane, and she'd give me a reassuring smile that seemed to mean she understood. And it calmed me a little. And then I began to realize why she understood.

I was too stressed to pay much attention to her, but the group here (predominantly human with only a couple exceptions) all seemed to know Diane well. She smiled and chatted along with them, and I assume to most of them she looked like she was one of them. But I could see through it. It was all an act. She was like me, uncomfortable and separate from the others, but the difference I gathered was that she acted this way because it's what she wanted to be. Yet she wasn't the person she pretended to be…and perhaps didn't even know how to get there.

I thought religion was just a choice regular people could make—you just chose to believe. But she did choose, yet it seemed like something held her back. Doubt, maybe? I didn't know, but for some reason I wanted to know. And now the panic faded away, as I was just fascinated by her.

We soon got down to the studying (this was apparently some kind of informal class), and it became much more bearable. No one was talking directly to me anymore, and the tone was more serious. They were focusing on a section of the Bible that dealt with the followers of Jesus after His death. From my understanding of the Roman Empire—a powerful civilization before humans had even mastered electricity—Christianity was part of the reason it fell, which is a good lesson in why you have to quickly crush influential new movements. The Romans probably assumed it was one of those things that would fade away soon after the leader died, but that was not the case, and here we are thousands of years later, still dealing with it.

When the study was over, it looked like people were ready to talk to me again, and I was really at my wit's end on socialization. Perhaps sensing this, Diane told them we had a busy day tomorrow and had to get going. Thus the church members were spared further risk of my snapping and trying to bludgeon them all to death. Maybe God was looking out for them.

“You're not a very social person, are you?” my rescuer asked when we were by ourselves.

“People in general annoy me.”

“But you have an occupation in which it's your job to help them?”

I smiled. “It's either that or kill them.” Guess which option I really prefer.

“I'm not the most social person either, but I'm trying to get over myself.”

“Good luck with that. I'm sure you're a hard person to get over.” What were my intentions with Diane? I had to keep asking myself that. I wanted to be around her, but I didn't seem to have any purpose for it in mind. “So…I guess we should have dinner together, or we'll disappoint Hana.”

She smiled and blushed slightly. “Yeah, we wouldn't want to disappoint her. But being so antisocial, are you certain my company won't annoy you?”

“No fun being antisocial alone.” Stupid joke, but I was feeling stupid. Still, I had to come to terms with the fact that I wanted to spend time with Diane. Not for any ulterior motive or actual purpose of any kind, I just wanted to be around her. And I was happy with that.