Crack in the Kill Code (AmpCore #2)

44 - Deal of a Lifetime, Going Once

Piper wished she could have been surprised, but 'justice' in Hadrian was a fairytale concept she'd long since given up on, short of doling it out herself.

Of course Mazvinar Karga, architect of one of the worst incidents of illegal tech use in Hadrian's blotted history books, wasn't going to answer for his crimes. He stood there, well fed and glowing with the kind of arrogance that only a lifetime of living in another world could provide, backed up by some of the heaviest security in the city.

In the end, all she could muster up was a weary sigh, and a roll of her eyes.

"No need to be like that, Piper," Karga said. His voice was sharp and staccato, a hint of Novgorod sanded down by years of living in Hadrian. "I think, perhaps, the time for conflict has passed. Don't you?"

"I wouldn't go that far."

"You kidnapped my sister," Toran snarled, taking a step towards the man.

"And you tortured my daughter," Karga spat back with a sudden burst of venom, his eyes flashing to where Lenor stood, "so spare me the moral outrage."

"What about my sister? My mother?" Piper's apathy quickly vanished in a pyre of anger. "They're not part of any of this! They never were!"

He gave a scornful snort. "Don't be an idiot, Russell."

Her mouth dropped open. She didn't have an answer for that statement that wasn't violence. Cassie roiled inside her, reinforcing that visceral gut reaction and she started forward, only to find Odiye beside her, one hand gently closing around her wrist as she started to draw her amplifier.

She felt the crackle of his skin on hers, then the deep plunge of his implants, both of them plummeting into the depths of each other. Piper thought about pulling herself free. She didn't want this distraction, not now, but having been out of his orbit for even a little while, the effect seemed to have multiplied tenfold.

But it felt good. It felt calm, having that link to let some of her fury and frustration mingle with someone else's, diluted and filtered and swept back into her with some of the sharp edges dulled.

Breathing out, she let Odiye gently push her amplifier back down by her side. She gave him a nod and mouthed a silent thank you.

He gave her wrist a reassuring squeeze before releasing her. All eyes returned to Mazvinar Karga, who in turn surveyed the scene with the expression of a man trying to figure out how he might dispose of a corpse.

"Dad," Lenor piped up, walking through the debris from the fight to stand beside him, "we should finish this."

"If only it were that simple," he muttered.

"They broke into Oversight! That's enough reason right there."

"And what then? We need leverage, not more bodies piling up." He gave her an irritated glance. Lenor scowled and folded her arms, but she knew better than to argue.

"I think," Karga said, his words measured, "we can all agree the current situation is turning into one of diminishing returns."

"We can all agree?" Toran snapped off the words with barely suppressed fury.

"Things have gotten out of hand." He nodded, trying to look solemn. Karga continued, "you remember a time not so long ago, don't you Mr. Knox? Where everything was running smoothly. The board controlled AmpCore, we were free to pursue whatever interests we wished. All before... this." He made a gesture to Piper.

"Oh, so this is all my fault?" she laughed. "Didn't realise your system was so fucking dog-shit that it only took a little dock-rat like me to come knocking on the door to bring the whole thing crashing down." She caught Odiye's smirk out of the corner of her eye, and it only emboldened her. "You want to go back to the good old days, go right ahead, I don't give a fuck. But don't act like this is anyone's fault but yours."