Read Online Rogue-ARC by Michael Z. Williamson - Free Book Online

accept that as valid human touch, even if I hated myself too much to have any emotional involvement. Their need filled mine.
    There was no way I’d emotionally involve with a subordinate I might have to order to die. Not again. Not ever again. But I wanted that body. I couldn’t have it.
    I’d found a situation where a smart, sexy woman made things tremendously worse and more depressing than I’d started with.
    I didn’t want to consider that I could reach lower emotional depths.
    Silver did good work. Her qualifications were honest. She arranged multiple usable IDs for several systems, faked up plenty more that were decorative only, converted cash into various other exchange media, built concealed weapons, tools and scanners for us. She could rip circuitry and code and rebuild faster than anyone I’d ever seen. That’s always been my weak point. I’d been machining a decade, largely self-taught, but I did it full time. She could keep up with me. I wasn’t worried about explosives. If she couldn’t swing that, I could.
    I hit the banks, and so did she. We needed multiple IDs of pre-paid, collateraled cards, because I didn’t intend to make payments. We’d use them until they were depleted, or until we had to scrap IDs. So each ID had three to five cards with a limit of ten grand each.
    Each day she went to work for a couple of divs. Each afternoon she came back with more resources, and an intel report. For all I know, she showed up on base in uniform and had a cover of being out on local assignment, which would technically be true.
    I really wanted to take a week and do a bare bones insertion, starting in the mountains and walking/hitching back, and break into my own perimeter, and possibly on base as well. But, the latter posed a serious operational security leak, and the former part would take time we just couldn’t spare, with me about to abandon my business for as long as it took.
    At least we had intel. She brought us DNA scans, a list of previous victims with bios and backgrounds, lengthy lists of connections.
    One afternoon she came in, looking very serious, and said, “We believe he’s in Caledonia.”
    “Right now?”
    “Yes. We have tickets for tomorrow at two seventy.”
    “Won’t those be a bit obvious and pricey?” I asked.
    “No, we’ve had open tickets on retainer. Typical for business these days.”
    “Really. I should know things like this. Except I’ve not been off planet since I got back.” I was paranoid enough not to mention I had a similar setup. I should have made the connection, too.
    “Well, can we do it?” She looked hesitant, about the mission or about me, I wasn’t sure.
    “Yes.” I was nervous, too. I felt that gutfall that I recalled from last time. Kiss everything goodbye and hope you’ll see it again.
    “I’ll pack personal stuff.”
    I nodded. “I need a div alone with my daughter.”
    “Absolutely,” she agreed, and was out as fast as the door moved.
    It was time for a discussion with Chel, that I’d never wanted to have, and would rather avoid. I had to, though, for all the reasons you can guess.
    ***
    I cooked up a lamb curry, with her favorite vegetables, and got out the good root beer and a bottle of Silver Birch Special Reserve.
    It didn’t fool her, of course.
    She came in from school, smelled the food, saw the bottles, and said, “You’re leaving tomorrow.”
    “I am,” I said.
    I got tackle-hugged. This was going to be hard on me, too. I’d never been away from her. Not since she was three days old.
    We ate, and it was somber. I’m not a vid person, so there was nothing to distract us, though it might have helped. She had one shot of the liquor, and two of her root beers, and picked at her curry. I wasn’t that hungry myself, but I knew I needed food.
    I cleared the table, and said, “So, we need to cover some things.”
    She tried to smile. “Don’t burn the place down. If the thought of something makes me giggle I shouldn’t do it. I