A Dark Horizon (PB2): Chapter Two- Company Business
Rachel Connors glanced around the crowded bar suspiciously as
she'd grown accustom to doing. In her line of work a certain amount of caution
was a necessity. In the dimly lit room she was anonomous, able to move and speak
freely. "For God's sake, Henry," she sighed turning to her companion,
a tallish, slightly round, slightly hip looking younger man with expensive
clothes and a cheap haircut. "At least TRY to look inconspicous," she
said, disgust blending smoothly with the even tones of her vaguely British
accent.
"Christ!" Mr. Henry blustered, turning red and sweaty all of a
sudden.
"I told you not to use my real name! What the fuck is wrong with
you?! Jesus, Raye!" She grinned as the man calmed, mopping his brow with an
old hankerchief. Collecting himself, he continued more diplomatically, "I
have something that might intrest you, Connors. You remember William
Johns?"
Raye's smile faded quickly. Yes, she remembered Johns. But in this game it
wasn't wise to give things away. Always play your hand close to your heart, that
was her motto. A rule to live by. She remained cool on the outside as she
feigned disintrest. "William the Conquerer," she said after a moment
as if she had to struggle to pull the name from her memory. "An ex-cop, a
merc and a psychopath. I ran into him on occasion."
"I was under the impression," Henry cocked a newly confident
grin, "that you were much more than passing aquaintences." He was
playing games with her, hoping to gain the upper hand. He was gambling and,
judging from the look on her face, winning.
"Listen, Mr. Henry," she said evenly, though inside she was
losing her calm, "I find this small talk to be exceedingly dull and I have
another appointment, so if you're done..."
"Johns is missing," Henry said bluntly. "The Hunter-Gratzner,
the passenger ship he was traveling on dissapeared out of the shipping lane two
weeks ago, gone without a trace. About a week ago a frieghter picked up a skiff
out of the lane, the three aboard claimed to be survivors of a crash, one
claimed to be Johns. The frieghter captain dropped them off on a remote system,
a harsh planet by the name of K1-B7."
"And what makes any of this Company business?" she asked
suspiciously. He was holding back, she could tell. She could always tell.
"You're keeping something from me, I know you are," she said narrowing
her eyes. "What is it? What are you not telling me?" Henry sighed,
mopping his brow again. He'd have to tell her now, she was no fool.She would
have found out sooner or later anyways.
"Johns was in route to taking Riddick back to slam. There's a
posibility Riddick's still alive, out there somewhere on the loose. Or more
specifically, on K1-B7."
"Shit," Connors bit of a swear. "Fuck me, Riddick!And when
were you planning on telling me this?!When he had a fucking shiv in my spine?
This is gonna cost you extra. This is gonna cost a WHOLE lot extra!"
"We want him alive," Henry told her and she scoffed, her eyes
widening in disbelief. "We believe he may have killed Johns and assumed his
identity."
"Well, this just gets better and better, dosen't it?" she smiled
sarcastically, nodding her head in bemusement. "And you came to me with
this...why? I mean there are plenty of other mercs in the sea, one's with much
better records with this sort of thing than me."
Henry tried to be discreet,"Yes, but there are none with
your...connection to Mr. Johns." Connors scoffed again, understanding now
fully what the little corperate weasle was trying to say.
"So that's it, is it? You think somehow I'll be enraged by Johns'
death, that I'll want to wreak some sort of personal vengence on Riddick, but I
don't. Johns was a coward and a hype, and anything that happened to him he
brought on himself. Everyone knows that mine and Johns relationship was less
than professional, I'm not impressed. I have a less than professional
relationship with a great many people, Mr. Henry. Why should I care about
William Johns?"
"Now you're the one who's bluffing," he laughed, looking
straight into her eyes. "Will you take the job?"
"I'll leave tomorrow," she told him nodding and collecting her
things. "This is on my terms, Mr. Henry. Remember that, my way," she
warned.