Parador (Juggernaut #2)

Forty Three

Kian's access card granted Malachi entry to the elevator too. He stepped inside, turned, and saw the cruiser, parked backward in a space so he could make a quick getaway. He took a deep breath and tried not to think about all the rules he was breaking.

Malachi touched the button for Conway's floor. Nothing happened. He tried again but still nothing. The third time he waved the access card at the panel and most of the numbered buttons lit. Thanks, Kian.

He pressed the button again. The door slid closed and the ascent began. Blinking lights were the only clue the elevator was moving at all, so smooth was the travel. The engineer in him smiled. The Juggernaut resident was envious.

A soft chime announced his arrival and the elevator doors opened with the smoothness of silk. Malachi pocketed the access card and stepped into the lobby for the second time that day.

There was no one around, a fact for which Malachi was profoundly grateful. His hasty plan did not involve having to talk his way in or out of the office.

The glass doors and silver frames, open and inviting earlier that day, were now closed. Off to the left, Malachi saw the door to the room they had had their fruitless meeting with Conway. There were no other terminals around that Malachi could see, but he was sure there must be one close by. When Mr Yoshihiro had left the room, he had not been gone for long.

And with that limp he had he couldn't have gone far. He must have used a terminal built into the reception desk. The real question was, would the data he took still be there?

Malachi tried the card again but there were no sensors that he could see, either on the door or the wall either side. But there was an odd-shaped hole in the centre of the silver panel. Malachi looked closer and smiled. The lock was so sublime the most advanced hacking tools in the commonwealth would be powerless. It needed a physical key.

Malachi chewed the inside of his cheek while he considered his options. Hacking his way in was out of the question. He knew a little about computers and security tech but only enough to get ships off the ground. And of course, he didn't have the key.

But Malachi did have one way through the door, even if it was a little unorthodox. It was a mechanical problem he faced, and so he found a mechanical solution.

He studied the glass closely, examining it for the faintly etched name of the manufacturer. After that he turned his attention to the frame, the locks and every other security device he could find. Finally, he settled on the hinges. There, in a faint laser-etched script was the name of the manufacturer and the installer.

Malachi flicked open his multitool with one hand and placed it on the floor. Then he opened his datapad and began his research.

* * * * *

When the library door slammed shut, Tila knew she had only moments before the agents came for her.

She rushed to the only other exit from the room, the centre window in the wall opposite, but one glance down told her this was a bad plan.

She checked the needler, just in case, but it was empty. Even if she had more ammunition she had no idea how to use it.

The door clicked and slowly opened, pushed by an unseen hand.

Tila ducked behind the billiard table and pointed the needler.

'Drop the weapon and present your ID,' shouted a female voice.

'I'll shoot,' said Tila.

'You're out. Drop it and no one has to get hurt.'

'Someone always gets hurt.'

The male agent stepped into the room. He held something low, close to his leg, but not so close it would touch him. The other agent followed. Neither held needlers.

Tila dropped the needler and her bluff on the centre of the billiard table and watched carefully. The agents separated as they entered the room.

The female agent approached from Tila's right. She moved cautiously. One empty hand in front of her, palm to the floor in a way Tila supposed was meant to be reassuring or calming but Tila knew was deceiving. The other hand was close to her body and angled behind her, to mask the weapon she held.

The other agent was less concerned with keeping Tila calm. Tila could see the marks on his face where the canvas had burst over his head. He wanted revenge. He led with his weapon on full display. His other hand balled into a fist.

Tila took one step back from the table and shifted her weight to one leg.

'If you don't have ID you need to come with us,' said the female agent slowly. She took another cautious step forward. 'We don't want to hurt you.'

'Is that why you tried to shoot me?'

The male agent rounded the billiard table and faced Tila square on. His fingers uncurled and curled around his stun-stick, rippling like a caterpillar.

The fingers uncurled.

Tila swiped the pistol from the table and threw it at his face. He ducked. The other agent rushed in but Tila was already rolling over the blue baize and dropping to the floor on the far side. The billiard balls disturbed by her feet clacked off each other and rebounded from the table's cushions to roll into reach as the two agents retraced their steps.

Tila scooped one ball into the air behind her without looking and snatched another from the table. She wrapped her fingers tightly around it and lunged forward to meet the attack. The male agent swung his stun-stick at Tila's head.

She leaned out the way and replied with the billiard ball. It struck his cheekbone with a satisfying cracking noise. Tila pushed forward, shoving him to the floor to get some distance from the agent behind her. His stun-stick landed on his chest. It flashed red as it made contact and he jerked violently, then was still.

Tila danced around the corner of the table. The other agent, paused by her partner and slowly knelt to retrieve his stun stick. Then she cautiously backed away from the table toward the door, and touched two fingers to her ear.

'This is team five, reporting. I have one suspect and one agent down. Top floor, east side.' A pause. 'Yes, sir. I understand.' She pointed at her unconscious partner and shrugged. 'I told him to call it in.'

Tila looked from the agent on the floor to the one in the doorway and realised she had been out-thought. They didn't need to bring the fight to her. They only needed to contain her until reinforcements arrived. They had time and numbers on their side, and thanks to Jayce, Tila still didn't have her staff.

She leaned on the table while she caught her breath, and her fingers touched a pool cue.