A Second Chance

Chapter 6

Kahje

Markus Bradl was a man of habit. That morning, as always, he walked confidently through Pier Fourteen on his way to his workplace. Reserved exclusively for the human delegation, Pier Fourteen was heavily guarded by both Cerberus men and agents loyal to the hanar government. He was accompanied by his usual escort, two armed soldiers whose names he didn't know – he had no interest in finding out, either – and Korichi, the ghost who acted stealthily undercover and who was as deadly in combat as she was hot and willing in bed.

"Any news about our guest?" Markus asked.

"Not for now, but he'll talk," Korichi replied confidently as she put on her balaclava and checked that the katana was securely fastened to her back.

"Be careful," Marcus said in a whisper as he watched her walk away.

A vehicle, courtesy of the hanar government, was waiting for him by the gate to the dock. Before getting in, Markus looked around. Although he couldn't see her, he knew Korichi was nearby, and that made him feel safe. She waited a few seconds after the vehicle started to get underway; she rode a small two-seater vehicle driven on two wheels and powered by a small electric motor, similar to the classic motorcycles of her home planet Earth. It was perfect for getting around those crowded dome cities.

For safety's sake, they took a different route to the government building every day, and she had a bad feeling when her boss' vehicle strayed from the established route. She immediately knew something was wrong, and that under no circumstances should she let him out of her sight.

The chase went on for a few minutes until they stopped next to a building that appeared to be a warehouse. A large, double-leaf door opened to allow the vehicle to drive inside before closing again.

Korichi stopped a few meters away and activated the vision amplifiers built into the lenses of her balaclava. From her position, she didn't notice security cameras or anything out of the ordinary, so she decided to get closer.

She had to find a way to get in without being seen.

***

When Khira and Feron got out of the vehicle, Merol and Khasus were waiting to help them with the bodies. They had about half an hour until the effects of the narcotic gas wore off and the men woke up.

They had everything planned in the cellars under the building. Markus was left in a small room, gagged and tied to a chair while the bodyguards were taken care of. The bulky armor they wore made it quite difficult to move them, and when they took the armor off, they were frightened by what was in front of them. They were no longer men; their bodies were riddled with strange implants which pierced the flesh, and their glowing eyes were anything but human.

As soon as Khira saw those bodies, she couldn't help but think of Wahif. If they were capable of doing something like this to their own people, what would they do to a prisoner in order to get information?

The vibration of her omni-tool brought her out of her musings. Her companions' vibrated as well. One of the alarm sensors had been activated.

They were not alone.

"We'll take it from here," said Merol, and before they could say anything he left the room with Khasus.

***

It hadn't been easy, but she had managed to get rid of the two drell. They were fearsome warriors, worthy of the well-deserved fame that preceded them, but she was better.

As she advanced cautiously through the room, she berated herself. They were waiting for her, which meant she had inadvertently set off some kind of alarm. She had to be more careful if she wanted to be the best at her job.

She arrived in a large, open-plan room with only a couple of rows of boxes on one side and her boss' vehicle parked in the center. She had seen the drell appear through a side door, and as she peeked in, she saw that on the other side there were stairs leading down. She didn't like the idea, going down that way was going to leave her exposed, but she had no choice. With her katana drawn, she began to descend, walking slowly and in complete silence.

Downstairs she came upon a corridor. To her left was an open door leading to a small room, in which the two bodyguards hung from the ceiling, unconscious and bound by the wrists. They had been stripped of their armor, and their power-enhancing implants were exposed. She was more than used to them, but she still felt a certain uneasiness when she saw them.

She kept going until she reached the next door; it was closed. She looked behind her, certain that she had heard something.

She was alone.

She focused for a few seconds. There was no movement around her, and she could only hear her own breathing. She walked forward, then to the left, following the path down the corridor, and reached the door at the end of the aisle. When she opened it, she found herself in front of her boss, who was tied to a chair and whose head was slowly tilting from side to side.

"Markus, can you hear me?"

Korichi approached her boss quickly; she had to get him out of there, but he was unresponsive. It was clear that he had been given some kind of narcotic, and she couldn't wait for the effect to wear off.

She began to loosen the ropes that bound him, but stopped when she felt a prick on the back of her neck. It was like the sting of an insect, but when she reached behind her, she found a fine needle that had easily passed through her armor's protections.

Driven by an impulse, she turned around but lost her balance and fell to her knees. In front of her were the figures of two other drell, who watched her impassively. She tried to sit up but was unable to move, her arms and legs felt heavy as if they were made of lead, and the words that were swirling in her mind couldn't come out of her lips. It was the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness.