Read Online shadowrun 40 The Burning Time by Stephen Kenson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stephen Kenson
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Action & Adventure, Twenty-first century
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. .well, I never stopped thinking about you, love."
"Are you saying there’s no lady in Ian O’Donnel’s life these days?"
Ian shrugged, then took a sip of scotch. He set the glass down and stared into it for a moment.
"There aren’t many ladies who can deal with the likes of me, Ariel. In fact, I can only think of one." He looked into Trouble’s eyes and smiled.
"Flatterer," she said.
"It’s only the truth. Odd, though, us running into each other after all these years. I was just thinking about you earlier today, wondering what you were about, and now here you are."
Trouble set her glass on the bar. "I really should go," she said. This was making her nervous.
Ian didn’t let go of her hand. "I wish you wouldn’t. Can’t you stay a while? I mean, what’s so important that you can’t spend some time with an old friend?"
She smiled. He was right. Nothing she had to do was urgent. Her research could wait for a few hours, and no one would be missing her tonight.
"All right, Ian," she said. "Why not?" Trouble didn’t know whether it was the scotch making her feel so warm and comfortable or Ian’s presence and his tender smile.
Right then, she didn’t much care.
CHAPTER NINE
The next day, Talon cruised up to the Avalon on Aracos. Most of Landsdown Street was still asleep. It wouldn’t wake up again until tonight when the club-goers would line the streets, everyone trying to get into the trendiest and most popular clubs. This afternoon, the street was empty except for people on their way to somewhere else and the squatters sleeping in doorways until someone chased them away.
Talon hopped off Aracos, and the sleek motorcycle shimmered and vanished into the air. Aracos was still there, however, invisible and intangible to the physical world, in case should Talon need him.
"This operating by day thing is almost becoming a habit," Aracos said into Talon’s mind. "Are you giving up being nocturnal?"
"Not as long as I’m in this business," Talon thought back. "But it’s safer for the team to meet when the club is closed, and we’ve got some planning to do. Besides, you don’t sleep."
"True," the spirit said, "but I find this place much more interesting at night."
"Much easier to get a few drinks, you mean."
"That, too."
Talon went in through the Avalon’s back door. Most of the staff knew that Talon was a shadowrunner, and a mage, which improved his status in their eyes. The fact that he tended to be somewhat mysterious about his abilities and that he was known to have a familiar spirit following him around didn’t hurt, either.
He took the stairs to Boom’s office. At the top, Aracos spoke again in his mind. "All clear, boss."
Aracos always went ahead of Talon to make sure everything was safe. Even in a place Talon considered his second home, it was wiser not to take chances, not in his business. Such caution had saved his life on a number of occasions. He rapped twice on the door to Boom’s office, then paused and rapped again. A moment later, Val opened the door and let him in.
Boom was sitting behind his massive desk. He was talking to Hammer while giving the occasional glance at the data scrolling across the display built into the translucent desktop. Hammer was sitting in a chair flanking the desk, dressed in loose khaki pants and a close-fitting T-shirt of ballistic cloth. His pistol was tucked under his arm in its shoulder rig, and his leather jacket was draped over the back of the chair. Not visible was the commando knife he kept strapped to one ankle inside the beat-up combat boots he always wore.
Val closed the door and went back to the couch against the wall. She, too, was dressed for action in black jeans, a cropped T-shirt, and boots. Her own beat-up jacket was tossed over one arm of the couch.
Talon glanced around the room. "Where’s Trouble?"
Val and Hammer both shrugged as Boom waved Talon to one of the other chairs. "She’s not here yet," he said. "She called a little
"Are you saying there’s no lady in Ian O’Donnel’s life these days?"
Ian shrugged, then took a sip of scotch. He set the glass down and stared into it for a moment.
"There aren’t many ladies who can deal with the likes of me, Ariel. In fact, I can only think of one." He looked into Trouble’s eyes and smiled.
"Flatterer," she said.
"It’s only the truth. Odd, though, us running into each other after all these years. I was just thinking about you earlier today, wondering what you were about, and now here you are."
Trouble set her glass on the bar. "I really should go," she said. This was making her nervous.
Ian didn’t let go of her hand. "I wish you wouldn’t. Can’t you stay a while? I mean, what’s so important that you can’t spend some time with an old friend?"
She smiled. He was right. Nothing she had to do was urgent. Her research could wait for a few hours, and no one would be missing her tonight.
"All right, Ian," she said. "Why not?" Trouble didn’t know whether it was the scotch making her feel so warm and comfortable or Ian’s presence and his tender smile.
Right then, she didn’t much care.
CHAPTER NINE
The next day, Talon cruised up to the Avalon on Aracos. Most of Landsdown Street was still asleep. It wouldn’t wake up again until tonight when the club-goers would line the streets, everyone trying to get into the trendiest and most popular clubs. This afternoon, the street was empty except for people on their way to somewhere else and the squatters sleeping in doorways until someone chased them away.
Talon hopped off Aracos, and the sleek motorcycle shimmered and vanished into the air. Aracos was still there, however, invisible and intangible to the physical world, in case should Talon need him.
"This operating by day thing is almost becoming a habit," Aracos said into Talon’s mind. "Are you giving up being nocturnal?"
"Not as long as I’m in this business," Talon thought back. "But it’s safer for the team to meet when the club is closed, and we’ve got some planning to do. Besides, you don’t sleep."
"True," the spirit said, "but I find this place much more interesting at night."
"Much easier to get a few drinks, you mean."
"That, too."
Talon went in through the Avalon’s back door. Most of the staff knew that Talon was a shadowrunner, and a mage, which improved his status in their eyes. The fact that he tended to be somewhat mysterious about his abilities and that he was known to have a familiar spirit following him around didn’t hurt, either.
He took the stairs to Boom’s office. At the top, Aracos spoke again in his mind. "All clear, boss."
Aracos always went ahead of Talon to make sure everything was safe. Even in a place Talon considered his second home, it was wiser not to take chances, not in his business. Such caution had saved his life on a number of occasions. He rapped twice on the door to Boom’s office, then paused and rapped again. A moment later, Val opened the door and let him in.
Boom was sitting behind his massive desk. He was talking to Hammer while giving the occasional glance at the data scrolling across the display built into the translucent desktop. Hammer was sitting in a chair flanking the desk, dressed in loose khaki pants and a close-fitting T-shirt of ballistic cloth. His pistol was tucked under his arm in its shoulder rig, and his leather jacket was draped over the back of the chair. Not visible was the commando knife he kept strapped to one ankle inside the beat-up combat boots he always wore.
Val closed the door and went back to the couch against the wall. She, too, was dressed for action in black jeans, a cropped T-shirt, and boots. Her own beat-up jacket was tossed over one arm of the couch.
Talon glanced around the room. "Where’s Trouble?"
Val and Hammer both shrugged as Boom waved Talon to one of the other chairs. "She’s not here yet," he said. "She called a little
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