‘Such as Sharcroft in America?’
The look of distaste that she struggled to control endeared her to me further.
‘Yes. I know you don’t like him, but I am forced to admit that he is the best man for the job. For your information, I am speaking to every man and woman I am sending to die.’
‘Why are they going?’
‘Because each of them thinks that they will live. Somehow. I am sorry to be the one to break this to you, Sergeant, but you are nothing special. Though I have to admit that you do have a few things working in your favour.’
‘That I’m a hybrid?’
‘Yes, and we will be having samples from you. You can either co-operate or I’ll have them taken by force.’
I gave this some thought. ‘Fair enough.’
‘You also have two of the architects of God, both exceptionally skilled individuals, one of whom is also Them-augmented.’
‘And we have Rannu – he’s a skilled operator.’ She said nothing. ‘We have Rannu, right?’
‘You have one other edge.’
‘Mudge?’
She ignored me.
‘My Koran tells me that I should not let my hatred of some people cause me to transgress, that to seek revenge is a human weakness, not a strength. My mother says otherwise, but then such is the nature of her business interests, but I think you truly do hate Rolleston.’
‘Any reason I shouldn’t?’
‘Maybe you should let that carry you for a while.’ She was manipulating me and I knew it. She was also right. ‘Well?’
‘We have to know that things will change. You can’t keep on throwing us into the grinder and then forgetting about us.’
‘Do you see a fucking Fortunate Son sitting here next to you?’ she demanded angrily.
‘I mean it.’
‘You were right in Atlantis when you said there was nothing wrong with just wanting to do a job and look after your family; we don’t all have to be rich, powerful or even ambitious. You were wrong when you said we were eating each other. You’ve been feeding a trickle-down economy. I have no problem with people who become wealthy from their own hard work, but there has to be a level playing field. Everyone gets a fair chance.’
‘Pretty words.’
‘All I’ve got is that and hard work at the moment.’
‘You’re a politician.’
‘I’m a manager. I have no interest in ideology, just in solving problems. Being elected is a means to an end. I’m here because I can do it better, not because I’m sucking cock.’
I smiled at this. ‘I like you. You’re funny.’ I looked past her to Mike and Lien. ‘Is she on the level?’
‘Fucked if I know, mate. Pays well though,’ Mike said.
Akhtar was shaking her head in exasperation.
Lien was giving it more thought. ‘I think so,’ she finally said.
‘Either of you want to come to the colonies?’ I asked.
‘Fuck that!’
‘No.’
‘If we go out there to die and nothing changes, will you kill her for me?’ I asked Lien. Mike was smiling.
‘Sure, Jake,’ Lien said.
Akhtar was looking more exasperated.
‘You realise that admitting to being a potential assassin is not a sound career move for a bodyguard?’ Akhtar said coldly to Lien as she got up to leave. When she reached the door she looked back at me. ‘Go back to Limbo, Sergeant Douglas.’
‘You know that using my rank a lot doesn’t mean I’m any more your soldier?’
She turned to the door but hesitated again.
‘I knew Balor – he was a good man. No, what am I talking about? He was a card-carrying psychopath who had sex with sea life, but a capable one.’ She paused as she tried to find the right thing to say. I didn’t help; I just watched her, trying to keep my face impassive. ‘I think he died well.’
‘Maybe I’ll get the chance to do the same. In your service.’
‘It’s as much your service as mine. Eventually people will realise that.’ She left and I heard her heels clicking down the corridor.
The police released me, though they weren’t happy about it. I got my stuff back and reclaimed my bike. I opened up my comms again and found loads of messages from Mudge demanding to know what the fuck I was doing. There was nothing from Morag though.
Akhtar left quietly in an understated corporate-looking copter after some of her people had taken blood and DNA samples from me. I didn’t feel comfortable about that. I just hoped that they could come up with a way to deal with Rolleston and his Themtech-augmented soldiers.
I had been held in the police compound in the Coventry camp. Mudge was waiting for me when they finally let me go.
He looked me up and down. ‘Admit it. You enjoy getting the shit kicked out of you, don’t you? You’re like a masochist. Look, I know some clubs in London. We could go there, get you spanked, maybe some whipping, maybe a shock stick up your arse?’
‘Shut up, Mudge.’
He didn’t. ‘So are we going back?’
‘I am.’
‘Are we doing something stupid?’
‘Even the big boss thinks it’s suicidal.’
Mudge shrugged. ‘Sure.’
I shook my head. ‘Seriously, Mudge, what are you doing here?’
A pained expression crossed his face. ‘Jakob, you have no idea how fucking bored I am.’
‘That’s not a good reason.’
‘Besides, I got made unemployed.’
‘I’m not really surprised. What were you doing?’
‘Hosting a topical news quiz.’
‘What? Really, on the viz?’
I was kind of surprised despite myself. You never really expect to meet someone you see on the viz. Well, other than the PM. Not that I watched the viz of course. You particularly don’t expect it to be a mate. On the other hand, I suppose that all of us were viz stars.
‘I told you, mate – I’m a multimedia sensation.’
‘So how’d you get fired?’
‘I spat in some micro-celebrity’s face.’
‘Yeah, that’ll do it. Why?’
‘She annoyed me.’
Obvious really, I suppose.
‘Mudge, have you considered that with your people skills working in the media may not be the best job for you?’
‘I like the attention.’
I nodded. ‘Have you heard from Morag?’
‘I will fucking slap you if you don’t stop whining about her.’
Two minutes and Mudge was already irritating me. I checked with God. Morag had checked up on me. I smiled, until the scabs that were my lips cracked open and started bleeding again and it quickly became a pained grimace.
