Read Online Vatican Ambassador by Mike Luoma - Free Book Online Page B

I like it!
    It's good to have goals to accomplish!
    BC enters the main dome and takes in the surroundings. The bareness is harsh: the old trees gone forever, the old growth dead and removed. But there are new plantings around the central pool and on the bridges. The new dome itself is actually clearer than the original, yet made of stronger material. The crowd isn’t quite as ‘bustling’ as it used to be… still not as many people here. Still, they are here, still running on errands, hustling to work or whatever. Each person a planet, spinning in its own orbit, shuffling off to jobs, other pressing destinations… Some with their heads a swivel... Gotta be tourists… Wandering aimlessly… ducking into stores around the perimeter wall. And then there are some people you'd rather not see at all. McEntyre! And he’s looking this way. He’s coming this way! Aw, hell.
    Daniel McEntyre walks over to BC .
    "Campion," McEntyre says smugly.
    "Governor McEntyre," BC answers, with a nod.
    The two stand face to face. They look each other in the eye.
    What does he want? A stare down?
    A minute passes.
    A minute is a very long time...
    McEntyre finally breaks the silence.
    "You keep some powerful company, Campion."
    "Me?" BC feigns innocence.
    "It was hard to miss the ship you just came in on,” McEntyre says, with a touch of sarcasm. “You take a short vacation after the signing ceremony? Almost looks like you’re violating the Declaration before the ink is even dry! Are you working directly for the UTZ now that your old masters are gone?" What, is he trying to provoke me? Am I that stupid? I might be. But there's too much at stake...
    "If I had any idea what you were talking about, I have the feeling it would make me angry. Are you trying to make me angry? Why should the Governor of Lunar Prime, the vast Moon colony, lovely Luna, waste time trying to make the Vatican Ambassador angry? Doesn’t that violate your Declaration?” BC
    challenges him in an even, measured tone of voice.
    "Play dumb. Fine. Have it your way,” McEntyre says with a shake of his head and a sneer. Fire flashes in his eyes. “You don't fool me, Campion. I see right through you! You had Edwards wrapped around your little finger, but I know who you really are!" He lowers his voice, "Murderer!" I just want to hit him. What can I say? I so just want to haul off and let him have it! But I can't hit him now, he's the fucking governor! They could, and probably would, arrest me on the spot. He would love that, love to have a reason to put me away, or, better yet, exile me from Lunar Prime. My hitting him is exactly what he wants.
    "You through?" BC asks.
    "Through?" McEntyre asks rhetorically. "I'm just getting started, Campion! Things are different, now!
    You'd better watch yourself!" McEntyre says with a wag of his finger. I’d like to snap that finger right off…
    "Right," BC says dismissively. "Excuse me."
    BC steps to the side, and walks on past McEntyre.
    He hears McEntyre yell at his back.
    "Watch yourself, Campion! You better watch yourself!"
    Watch my ass, asshole. Eat my dust. Eat shit and... Know what? Maybe the time has come to find a way to eliminate him. Just kill him and do the world a favor. Pro bono. No charge for this one, folks, it's free...
    Maybe there’s a way to really take him down... He has a checkered past. There’s gotta be something to humiliate him with... that little Asian girl he fooled around with and beat up…
    Edwards didn’t want to go negative during the election, but the election’s over… and he’s off to New York, anyway, so why not? It’d be better to render McEntyre ineffective and powerless than kill him outright.
    BC keeps walking, thinking, plotting to himself as he leaves McEntyre behind. When he reaches the Vatican Mission he locks down the whole facility, setting the mission to self-contained mode. I've had enough of people fucking with me in the last twenty-four hours, thank you very much. BC takes