What-have-you-seen! ” he shook her as he measured out each word.
There didn't seem any reason not to answer, because it was like trying to ignore the proverbial elephant in the room. She gestured with her chin behind him. “ That . “
“What else?” he demanded.
“The hallway exploded, there was a bomb.”
He made a sharp hiss of sound. “That was you? You came in from the back parking lot?”
There was no reason not to tell him. “Yes. Some of your goblin pals swere lipping away on their Stealth Bikes. They won't get far.”
“They are not my pals and I'm not a goblin. Do I look like a goblin?”
Sky couldn't help making a face.
“All right, I do look very suspicious. This is not really a Hemogoblin drop. Not even close. God damn it, why are you here?”
“Get rid of her.” Someone with a cultured British accent said from behind.
She only knew one person with an English accent. That was impossible.
A man in a dark suit moved into her field of vision. He wasn't Hugo and for some reason she felt terribly relieved. The man was, maybe, in his mid-twenties. Narrow features and high cheekbones, dressed like a corporate executive: short blond hair combed to the side, dark suit, white shirt, and tie. “She's seen too much.”
“She's seen nothing .” The other countered.
“If I'm not mistaken, she's seen me.”
“That's your own damn fault. Why are you even here? I told...” he paused, looking briefly at Sky. “I said I would make sure the facility stayed secure. Everything has gone to hell because your agent couldn't keep her mouth shut during torture. Oh, and let us not forget the three idiots on your payroll who left the bloody back door unlocked so anyone could wander in and set off the booby traps. Besides, she's on our side.”
The executive-type reached for a pack of cigarettes in his inside pocket. Languidly pulling one out, he took his time lighting it. He inhaled deeply and blew the smoke directly at Skylar. “No one is on our side except the people we know. And even some of them are not terribly trustworthy.”
Letting the cigarette dangle from one corner of his mouth, he reached around to the back of his coat and took out a pistol. A Glock, Skylar noticed automatically.
With a lazy smile, he aimed it at her head. “Sorry darling. Wrong place, wrong time and all that.”
There was a burst of sound and a flash. Sky jerked instinctively. Several frantic heartbeats later, she realized she wasn't hit. The executive, looking very surprised, slumped to the floor, the cigarette still between his lips. The man in the body armor aimed carefully and put another bullet in him.
She looked up, breathing fast, her heart pounding, not knowing what to think. Her mouth had gone very dry and she couldn't swallow. This wasn't the first time she'd seen someone killed. Battle casualties were one thing. Cold blooded murder, quite another, she realized.
The man in armor started to pace back and forth, still keeping the gun on her.
The com link in her ear bleeped static momentarily, then went silent again. Where was her back up?
“Are you alone?” he asked.
There was no way she was letting this man know Chase was close by. “Yes. I got separated from my squad by the blast.” She stared at the dead man's face. A thin tendril of white smoke rose up from the end of his cigarette. “Why did you shoot him?”
“He was an ass. He was born to be shot by someone. Just happened to be me. Come on.” Shouldering one gun, he yanked her to her feet and pulled her with him to the thing that had so distracted her as she came up the ramp.
A giant walk-in freezer. The biggest she'd ever seen. The whole thing resembled a bank vault, complete with thick swinging door and locking mechanism. White mist seeped out from inside to flow over the floor. This was where the cold signature was emanating from. Its frosty walls were lined with shelves and, from what she could tell, full of blood bags. There must be ten
There didn't seem any reason not to answer, because it was like trying to ignore the proverbial elephant in the room. She gestured with her chin behind him. “ That . “
“What else?” he demanded.
“The hallway exploded, there was a bomb.”
He made a sharp hiss of sound. “That was you? You came in from the back parking lot?”
There was no reason not to tell him. “Yes. Some of your goblin pals swere lipping away on their Stealth Bikes. They won't get far.”
“They are not my pals and I'm not a goblin. Do I look like a goblin?”
Sky couldn't help making a face.
“All right, I do look very suspicious. This is not really a Hemogoblin drop. Not even close. God damn it, why are you here?”
“Get rid of her.” Someone with a cultured British accent said from behind.
She only knew one person with an English accent. That was impossible.
A man in a dark suit moved into her field of vision. He wasn't Hugo and for some reason she felt terribly relieved. The man was, maybe, in his mid-twenties. Narrow features and high cheekbones, dressed like a corporate executive: short blond hair combed to the side, dark suit, white shirt, and tie. “She's seen too much.”
“She's seen nothing .” The other countered.
“If I'm not mistaken, she's seen me.”
“That's your own damn fault. Why are you even here? I told...” he paused, looking briefly at Sky. “I said I would make sure the facility stayed secure. Everything has gone to hell because your agent couldn't keep her mouth shut during torture. Oh, and let us not forget the three idiots on your payroll who left the bloody back door unlocked so anyone could wander in and set off the booby traps. Besides, she's on our side.”
The executive-type reached for a pack of cigarettes in his inside pocket. Languidly pulling one out, he took his time lighting it. He inhaled deeply and blew the smoke directly at Skylar. “No one is on our side except the people we know. And even some of them are not terribly trustworthy.”
Letting the cigarette dangle from one corner of his mouth, he reached around to the back of his coat and took out a pistol. A Glock, Skylar noticed automatically.
With a lazy smile, he aimed it at her head. “Sorry darling. Wrong place, wrong time and all that.”
There was a burst of sound and a flash. Sky jerked instinctively. Several frantic heartbeats later, she realized she wasn't hit. The executive, looking very surprised, slumped to the floor, the cigarette still between his lips. The man in the body armor aimed carefully and put another bullet in him.
She looked up, breathing fast, her heart pounding, not knowing what to think. Her mouth had gone very dry and she couldn't swallow. This wasn't the first time she'd seen someone killed. Battle casualties were one thing. Cold blooded murder, quite another, she realized.
The man in armor started to pace back and forth, still keeping the gun on her.
The com link in her ear bleeped static momentarily, then went silent again. Where was her back up?
“Are you alone?” he asked.
There was no way she was letting this man know Chase was close by. “Yes. I got separated from my squad by the blast.” She stared at the dead man's face. A thin tendril of white smoke rose up from the end of his cigarette. “Why did you shoot him?”
“He was an ass. He was born to be shot by someone. Just happened to be me. Come on.” Shouldering one gun, he yanked her to her feet and pulled her with him to the thing that had so distracted her as she came up the ramp.
A giant walk-in freezer. The biggest she'd ever seen. The whole thing resembled a bank vault, complete with thick swinging door and locking mechanism. White mist seeped out from inside to flow over the floor. This was where the cold signature was emanating from. Its frosty walls were lined with shelves and, from what she could tell, full of blood bags. There must be ten
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