The Dark Edge Chronicles - Hardwire

Shell Game

Jon-Erik Malcolm was the next generation of Brotherhood firepower. Tall and lean, the Brit was already known as the next Ravage in the inner circles, an incredible talent with a head for following orders while still being able to improvise when the situation got sticky. As it did, when Malcolm's ESET, Brainstorm, went hunting for hardwire renegades in the tropics of Central Africa last year.

Malcolm had shown himself to be a warrior then, filled with the promise of becoming even more so with experience and training. He also showed his wide range of powers, including almost max-out levels of mover, burner and telepathy, an impressive arsenal for a man only 22 years of age!

Still, it rankled to be included with the other ESETs in the hunt for this renegade that seemed to be tearing up Brotherhood real estate at a staggering pace! In his opinion, which was getting more and more valued all the time, Brainstorm had both the talent and experience from Africa to take on this fool, without the others. Especially without Mindfire!

The venerable ESET had been sitting on top for far too long! It was about time that another team took their place and earned their pseudonyms. Malcolm grinned. 'I think my name will be 'Knight'. Cuz I can joust with the best!'

Running a long-fingered hand through his thick, dark, but short cut hair, Malcolm smiled wolfishly as he shifted around in his sentry position, down in the main lobby, assigned to watch the front doors to the Sheraton. He liked that thought. Then, almost reluctantly, he returned to the task at hand: making sure nobody entered the building that wasn't authorized. From where the hardwire stood, he could not only see the doors, but could also just see the base of the Calgary Tower, which stood just across the street.

The lean hardwire was dressed in a brown leather bomber style jacket, a thick gray turtleneck and blue jeans, looking just casual enough to fit in. Malcolm's blue eyes narrowed as the thoughts running inside his head refused to go away and the smile quickly spread further across his lean, handsome face. 'Aye, a wee bit too long! But maybe this is the chance Brainstorm's been waitin' for!' Mindfire's already failed several times to bring the renegade to heel. If Brainstorm can outrace Mindfire and the others and capture him ...

Just then the front doors swung open and from his position in the back of the lobby, by the elevators leading to the guest suites, Malcolm automatically looked up, a telepathic probe already formed. It was his job to sweep every person entering and leaving the hotel. His partner, a mover by the name of Marcel LeFoust from the ESET Mastermind was just around the corner, maintaining contact with the rest of the ESET psionics upstairs in the penthouse suite.

'Nothin' but the best for the ESETs!' he thought offhandedly as his sweep rolled over the lobby area. It quickly picked up those already there, a handful of Normal slugbrains. But, as Malcolm frowned somewhat puzzled, it didn't yield any new signatures. 'Odd.' He mused as he focused his attention on the lobby area, his eyes narrowing intently. 'I could've sworn I saw somebody come in!'

Yes! There, walking towards the streetside of the main desk, was a man, dressed in a black leather jacket, black chinos, a black tee shirt and black hiking boots. He was wearing black gloves and a pair of dark cat's eye sunglasses. As Malcolm caught sight of him, the man reached the end of the desk and, with a smile, began talking to one of the desk clerks.

Halting his initial sweep, the Brotherhood hardwire focused a new probe on the man in black. And, much to his complete and utter surprise, the probe went right through him as if he wasn't even there!

"What the hell ...?" Malcolm began, coming around the couch that was sitting in front of him. As he did so, the man in black took off the rimless sunglasses. It must have been what was preventing him from seeing Malcolm for, as soon as the shades were down in his hand, he caught sight of the moving hardwire, looking up as Malcolm came around the couch and began to walk quickly towards him.