Outlaws (The Slingers Trilogy, Book 2)

Chapter 8

The home that Thadeus had provided the crew with wasn't exactly a luxury, but it was enough to keep them warm and safe for the duration of their stay. Dante was standing on the roof of the building, looking over the junk-filled wasteland. He was worried about Nolun and Andress. He had never let his temper get a hold of him like that before, when he attacked Koil. He had promised himself he would never trust anyone but himself when he started on his mission. So why the hell was he trusting these people. The last time that a group of people had trusted him with their lives...he pushed the thought out of his mind. He needed to focus. Maybe everyone would just be better off without him. He was endangering the mission. Everyone had gone into town looking for supplies for the evening. Dante had elected to stay and guard the ship, but now he was having second thoughts. There were plenty of ships on this planet to steal. He could commandeer one and make his way off-world. He could just make everyone else be rid of him, and perhaps finally make up for his past sins...he shook his head. No. They needed him, whether he liked it or not. But, if the Renegade couldn't be fixed in time, they would need an escape plan. He decided on it and went back down into the building, heading out to look for a ship. As he walked down the steps of the rusty and decrepit building, he made it out onto the streets. Behind him, a figure in a wide-brimmed hat and cloak began to follow him, too far behind to be noticed, but close enough to see him. 

Elicia was admiring a small metal cylinder that she was pretty sure was a bootleg timekeeper, when she saw something that made her heart run cold. It wasn't GDF, but she actually found herself wishing it had been. Two people were walking up the street, talking to each other, laughing and grinning evilly. They were wearing what seemed to be red and black body armour, that had been spray painted from GDF armour. They were also wearing visors and outfits that had no doubt been taken or stolen from the corpses of the people they killed for their ransoms. Elicia knew exactly who they were, because she had encountered them before. They were the Buzzards, the personal guard and gang of Rafe Cypher. Cypher had been their friend and colleague for a long time when they were growing up on the street, but since then had grown up to become one of the top crime bosses in all of the main systems. Elicia cursed herself for being so stupid. Of course there were Buzzards here. They always came and scavenged supplies from planets like this. She leaned over to Edvard and pulled him into an alleyway. "Hey!" He yelled after being pulled away from a very particularly attractive woman who had a robot eye. Elicia covered his mouth and shushed him, then motioned her head towards the Buzzards coming up the street. Edvard's eyes widened, then he nodded. They began to move into the alleyway more slowly, and Elicia fingered her gun, waiting for any problems that might arise. As they wound their way through the marketplace, they finally came to a stop behind a shop. Edvard looked at Elicia with a panicked expression. "What the hell are they doing here?" Elicia bit her lip and shook her head. "Damn it. I should have seen this coming. Rafe's gonna be angry when he finds us." Edvard put his hands on her shoulders and stared at her. "He won't find us. Trust me. We just keep a low profile until the ship is fixed. We'll be fine." Elicia looked down and sighed, nodding.

He followed the man in black through the streets. It was impossible, but he was here. The man who had beaten him back on the ship and made him fail. It had been weeks since that day, but now he was back, and he knew what this meant. Another chance. A chance at redemption, and a chance to take back what was rightfully his. His sword had taken a long time to fix, but it was ready, and so was he. Now the man in black was here, and it was time to finish what he started. He moved in closer, edging through the crowd, moving towards the flowing black coat and the two swords. Then he saw the man in black turn around slightly, and he pulled back, melting backwards into the crowd again. When he was certain that he had not been seen, he continued his pursuit. The man in black then turned into a town square, seemingly on purpose while moving faster. He clenched his fist. He had been spotted after all. He moved quicker, and came up close behind him. He would stab him in the back, where his armour was weakest. As he came within striking distance, he drew his sword and began to thrust forwards, then the man in black suddenly whirled around, and incredibly, caught the sword with both of his hands. He stared right back at him, and the two were standing still in the middle of the square, the people moving around them, not noticing the clash of strength. He stood looking at the man in black, who was gritting his teeth in concentration. Then, the man in black finally spoke to him. "Been a while since we last met...was beginning to think you were dead." He kept pushing the sword in, but the man in black kept holding it. He looked back at the man in black and spoke. "I will not die until I complete my mission...you." The man in black looked seriously at him. "So you can talk. Well then understand this. I have no quarrel with you. Leave me alone, and I'll leave this feud behind us." His hand inched towards the plasma cutter activator on the handle. "You may have destroyed this before...but it can still do what is it intended to do." The man in black did not flinch. "Not now. Later. You are an interesting opponent, and we will fight. But not now." He grit his teeth in frustration, then slid his sword back, slicing the palms of the man in black. "A symbol." As he was walking away, the man in black spoke up. "Who are you?" He stopped and held his head. The Hurting was coming back. He shook it away, and he muttered. "Nobody." The man in black seemed to recall something, and walked away, as he shouted back at him. "See you soon, Mr. Zero." He looked up and felt the barcode on his neck. So Zero was what he was...