Read Online The Last Flight of the Argus by E. R. Torre - Free Book Online
Authors: E. R. Torre
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headphones.
“ There they are,” B’taav muttered.
On the monitor, Gail Griffen rose from her chair.
“ Who’s there?” she asked.
“ Us,” came the muted reply.
Gail opened her door and allowed the two visitors entry. After they were in, she quickly closed the door.
“ Sit down,” she ordered.
“ She sounds tense,” B’taav said.
“ She’s probably new to this.”
“ Yeah,” B’taav said. “It might be time to call the police in.”
“ And here I thought you were a loner.”
“ Normally, I am. But there’s little sense—”
“ Look, we can get backup in a matter of minutes. But so far, the only thing we’ve got on Gail Griffen and those two boys is conspiracy and minor industrial espionage. The worse they get is six months to a year in a minimum security jail. I doubt Merrick sent you all this way for that. How about we give her a little more time and see if she talks the boys into admitting something more substantial?”
On the monitor, Gail Griffen’s two visitors sat down. Gail did not. She paced just behind them, saying nothing. The visitors watched her movements and, after a second or two, Orlando said:
“ So are we doing this?”
Gail Griffen stopped pacing.
“ The information is worth every penny,” Carlo, the driver, said. “We went through a lot of shit to get you this. If anyone finds out we’re out of a job.”
“ I don’t much care for your troubles,” Gail Griffen replied. “You should have thought about that before you set your price.”
“ Funny you should mention that,” Orlando said. “We figure what you want is worth a little more. But we’re not greedy. We just want another thousand.”
Shepherd grinned.
“ If you want to buy something in Salvation, you gotta bargain for it. We pride ourselves on our strong belief in capitalism.”
“ I’ll give you five hundred extra,” Gail countered.
Shepherd whistled. “She’s been out of Salvation too long. Now they’ll ask for seven fifty. She should have lowballed them.”
“ How about seven fifty?” Carlo said.
Shepherd let out a laugh. On the monitor, the image flickered.
“ I can’t do that. You’ll have to settle for five,” Gail Griffen said. Her voice was high strung, impatient. She rocked in place, tense and full of energy.
There was a long pause. Too long. The monitor flickered again.
“ Something isn’t right,” B’taav said.
Indeed, Gail Griffen seemed to not care about what the duo brought her, nor terribly interested in finalizing their deal. On the monitor, the image steadily grew worse.
“ What’s wrong with the camera?” Shepherd asked.
“ Interference,” B’taav replied.
“ Fuck this,” Orlando muttered. He got to his feet and reached for something in his jacket pocket. A gun. “You don’t want our stuff? Fine. We’ll keep it. Give us our money and we’ll leave.”
The images on the monitor dissolved to black.
“ Call the squad cars in!” B’taav yelled. As if by magic, a fusion gun appeared in the Independent’s hands. He was out of the car and running to the entrance of the Hotel.
Shepherd fumbled for his phone while he too exited the vehicle.
By the time he stepped onto the street, B’taav was already at the Hotel’s entrance. The sound of gunfire exploded in Shepherd’s ear. He cursed and reached for the ear tab. He heard a dull electric whine and, thinking better of it, left the tab in place.
He too headed for the entrance of the Hotel.
CHAPTER THREE
B’taav was at the Tropic Hotel’s elevators when the sound of gunfire roared in his ear piece. Someone was shooting at Gail Griffen's apartment. He pressed hard on the elevator’s “up” button. The nearest of the three elevators was on the 4th floor and heading down.
“ Call the police,” B’taav yelled to the Hotel’s Manager. The man crouched low behind his glass case.
He grabbed the phone and did as told.
By the time the police answered his call, the platinum
“ There they are,” B’taav muttered.
On the monitor, Gail Griffen rose from her chair.
“ Who’s there?” she asked.
“ Us,” came the muted reply.
Gail opened her door and allowed the two visitors entry. After they were in, she quickly closed the door.
“ Sit down,” she ordered.
“ She sounds tense,” B’taav said.
“ She’s probably new to this.”
“ Yeah,” B’taav said. “It might be time to call the police in.”
“ And here I thought you were a loner.”
“ Normally, I am. But there’s little sense—”
“ Look, we can get backup in a matter of minutes. But so far, the only thing we’ve got on Gail Griffen and those two boys is conspiracy and minor industrial espionage. The worse they get is six months to a year in a minimum security jail. I doubt Merrick sent you all this way for that. How about we give her a little more time and see if she talks the boys into admitting something more substantial?”
On the monitor, Gail Griffen’s two visitors sat down. Gail did not. She paced just behind them, saying nothing. The visitors watched her movements and, after a second or two, Orlando said:
“ So are we doing this?”
Gail Griffen stopped pacing.
“ The information is worth every penny,” Carlo, the driver, said. “We went through a lot of shit to get you this. If anyone finds out we’re out of a job.”
“ I don’t much care for your troubles,” Gail Griffen replied. “You should have thought about that before you set your price.”
“ Funny you should mention that,” Orlando said. “We figure what you want is worth a little more. But we’re not greedy. We just want another thousand.”
Shepherd grinned.
“ If you want to buy something in Salvation, you gotta bargain for it. We pride ourselves on our strong belief in capitalism.”
“ I’ll give you five hundred extra,” Gail countered.
Shepherd whistled. “She’s been out of Salvation too long. Now they’ll ask for seven fifty. She should have lowballed them.”
“ How about seven fifty?” Carlo said.
Shepherd let out a laugh. On the monitor, the image flickered.
“ I can’t do that. You’ll have to settle for five,” Gail Griffen said. Her voice was high strung, impatient. She rocked in place, tense and full of energy.
There was a long pause. Too long. The monitor flickered again.
“ Something isn’t right,” B’taav said.
Indeed, Gail Griffen seemed to not care about what the duo brought her, nor terribly interested in finalizing their deal. On the monitor, the image steadily grew worse.
“ What’s wrong with the camera?” Shepherd asked.
“ Interference,” B’taav replied.
“ Fuck this,” Orlando muttered. He got to his feet and reached for something in his jacket pocket. A gun. “You don’t want our stuff? Fine. We’ll keep it. Give us our money and we’ll leave.”
The images on the monitor dissolved to black.
“ Call the squad cars in!” B’taav yelled. As if by magic, a fusion gun appeared in the Independent’s hands. He was out of the car and running to the entrance of the Hotel.
Shepherd fumbled for his phone while he too exited the vehicle.
By the time he stepped onto the street, B’taav was already at the Hotel’s entrance. The sound of gunfire exploded in Shepherd’s ear. He cursed and reached for the ear tab. He heard a dull electric whine and, thinking better of it, left the tab in place.
He too headed for the entrance of the Hotel.
CHAPTER THREE
B’taav was at the Tropic Hotel’s elevators when the sound of gunfire roared in his ear piece. Someone was shooting at Gail Griffen's apartment. He pressed hard on the elevator’s “up” button. The nearest of the three elevators was on the 4th floor and heading down.
“ Call the police,” B’taav yelled to the Hotel’s Manager. The man crouched low behind his glass case.
He grabbed the phone and did as told.
By the time the police answered his call, the platinum
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