Chapter 11 The Long Walk Home

I didn't give Geklov a second look as I turned and ran. He could have shot me in the back and I didn't care. I bounded around the haphazardly placed furniture, trying to get to the door. My heart was pounding and the world inched by around me.

I looked up to see the door already open, Herrier standing well in the room gun in hand. It occurred to me for a second that maybe Geklov had hit the panic button when I stood.  I kept running, now at full speed toward the door.  Herrier stood to the side clearing my way.

Please let her be okay.

The hall was empty in the area where the office was, but as I got close to the main corridor it was packed. Distracted by my thoughts, I ran into one of the men standing at the back of the long line waiting for the lift. We both fell hard and I bounced off the floor into the metal wall of the station. Pain shot from somewhere around my ear all the way down my neck. The world got dark, but I managed to shake it off enough to put my hand against the wall and work my way up while the darkness cleared.

Once I stood the world slowly came back into focus. The man was still on the ground grabbing for some paperwork and letting out a stream of obscenities.  I tried to understand the scene around me but my brain was having a hard time processing the information.   All I could feel was my pounding heart and a cold panic that was radiating from my core.

People were grabbing at me. Some were making sure I was okay and the others seemed to be pissed at how I was behaving.  I shook the hands off and let out a scream. The ones closest to me backed away and I felt like I could get some air.  I started to move forward again. Unable to run quite yet, I wormed my way a considerable distance to the front of the line.

I pushed the button and looked at the status monitor. The closest lift was eleven floors away. I managed to gather myself enough to ask, “When is the lift due back?” I didn't ask anyone in particular, there were people all around. None of them had witnessed me crashing into the man half a corridor back. All they could see was a flushed, out of breath Caldari woman with a blaster.

“It isn't due for ten minutes. It is on the up cycle. Not that I am sure which way you are going,” a young man in a business suit said cautiously. I did some quick math and decided it would be at least thirty minutes before I could make it back down to Tasha's level.

I turned and headed for the access corridor where the stairs were. I pushed my way through a crowed that seemed to be getting stirred up. Strange events will do that.  People do the same thing every day for years than one crazy Caldari woman acts strange and everyone starts to get worried. Next thing you know there is a riot or someone is beat to death for no good reason.

I didn't stay in the crowed long enough for it to get too bad. Before the crowed was too stirred up I was clear of the majority of the people and running down the access corridor. Several people shouted for me to stop, one might have been a security officer.  I didn't have time to stop and figure it out.

The door to the stairs was right in front of me. I slammed into it thinking it would open and I would be free to run down to Tasha's level.  It was locked, so instead of bounding through an open door I bounced off of it and fell about five feet back on my ass. It was the second time I found myself on the floor, almost knocked out, since I left Geklov's office.

I lay there, looking up at the ceiling. If I didn't get in control of the panic I was going to be knocked unconscious before I got close to her floor.  I would be of no use to her in this state.  I would run head first into Antov and his carbine. That would be the end of us for sure.  

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. The station alarms were now silent.  I could hear the rapid thump of feet coming up behind me. I set up and tried to calm my pounding heart with a couple of long slow breaths. It seemed to help, but the feeling that I needed to vomit did not go away.

“Ma'am, are you okay,” a voice said from behind me. I turned my head to see a young security guard standing a few feet away.

“I need to get to my friend. She may be hurt and she is five levels below. I need to get into this stairway.” He nodded and walked toward the door. He didn't even question my sensibility. Maybe it was the way I looked or maybe he was afraid of what might happen if he didn't let me in the stairs.  He entered a code in the keypad by the door. The door clicked and then he held it open for me. I took one last breath and stood. I walked slowly over to the door and put my hand on his shoulder.

“I put in the code so the alarm doesn't go off. Good luck ma'am.”

I gave his shoulder a squeeze, “Thank you”.

Then I was off down the stairs. Five levels of space station are not the same as a five story building. It was going to take me every bit of ten minutes to get to the right floor. I tried to calm myself and was careful negotiating the stairs. Time slowed again, and each step seemed to take minutes instead of seconds.

Please let her be okay.

After what seemed like an hour I made it to the exit. Something inside of me changed as I walked out the door. A moment of calm washed over me. It was the pirate trying to tell me something.

Antov could still be around. I had to be careful and not draw attention to myself. I picked up my pace maintaining a quick walk as I headed for the main corridor. I worked my way into the crowed, which was as busy on this level as it was on the office level. I carefully scanned for threats as I worked my way through to the other side of the lifts.  No sight of anyone I knew in the crowed.

As I got closer to Tasha's room the feeling of dread started to seep back in. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I started a fast jog down the last quarter of a mile to her room. The hall was empty, except for the occasional man or woman leaving their rooms and heading the opposite direction.

I slowed before I got to her room and pulled out my blaster. I made myself concentrate and walked slowly to the door.  It was already open.   I put my back against the wall and made a quick look into the room.  There was nothing to see, it was completely black other than the flickering blue light of the neon sign.

I couldn't make myself wait.

Please God, let her be okay.

I took a deep breath and walked into the darkness.

Chapter 10.5

I walked up to the desk eyeing both of his hands on the table. The desktop was large with a marble finish. Recessed in the table near Geklov's hands was a computer control panel. There would be a panic switch on the floor. Hell, his foot was probably on it right now. There would also be security cameras and listening devices. They would come in handy for blackmail or gathering information from his associates. Information is as valuable as any other asset if you know how to use it.

“Now, have a seat. No need to look so uncomfortable. We are both friends here, yes?”

I plopped down in the seat feigning indifference.  I leaned against the left arm rest so I could easily grab my blaster from its holster.  “It’s good to see you made it back here Geklov. I was worried for your safety when you left the party early. It would’ve been a shame not to be able to finish our negotiations.” I did everything I could to keep the anger from seeping into my voice.

“I found an opportunity to leave safely and I took it, of course. It was fairly time sensitive. Trust me when I say if there had been time I would have taken you with me as well.” His words rang true but there was something in his eyes that said he was laughing his ass off on the inside. My heart sank a little.

I have pretty good intuition and suddenly I felt way out of my league. It wasn't a common feeling, but there it was in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't what he said that was picking at my emotional strings. There was something about that quick look.  It was the look a parent who already knew what the outcome of a conversation was going to be. He would let me have my say and let me think that it might make a difference, and it would, as long as what I had to say lined up with what he wanted.

The voice in me that speaks on instinct was whispering in my ear telling me to pull my blaster out and blow his head off before this went any further. There was something wrong, and it was time to kill and run.  I couldn’t listen because I had to find a way to get Tasha out of this.  I pushed the small seed of panic deep inside and tried to focus on Geklov. 

“Okay, let’s just get to the point. I am here to negotiate for Tasha. I would like to get her out of whatever contract and debt she owes to you.”

“Yes of course, but you understand that there are two problems with this. One, Tasha is a very valuable asset regardless of the large amount of pain and suffering she has brought on this corporation. She is brilliant and I would expect her discoveries to be worth quite a lot of money in the future. The second, it is hard to find such a high quality piece of ass, if you know what I mean. Oh, course you know what I mean,” he said, with a huge smile on his face.

I grabbed the armrest and straightened myself in the chair using the movement to mask the anger and accompanying disgust that shot through my body.  It took all the strength I had to keep sitting.  I shoved the feelings deep inside but they fed the fire that was already turning into an inferno.

I managed to keep my smile in place and fixe my eyes on his.  He was trying to make me angry, but why? What could he gain if I got so pissed I tried to kill him or gave up and left. There was something I was missing and I needed to figure it out fast.   

I did my best to ignore his last statement and tried shifting my strategies.   I was good at negotiating and taking people’s money. I couldn’t let him get to me.  If I didn’t get control of this fast everything was lost.

“I don't get it, I am here to offer you a large sum of money and take a troublemaker off your hands. Why are you trying to piss me off?” 

He smiled at me with that knowing look again, “It is good to test a new associate’s temper, Lakasha. The way I see it, you and I are going to be working together for a very long time. It is good to know you can control yourself.”

“I’m not sure where this idea of us working together came from. But yeah, I can be plenty professional. I’m going to say this one time. I came here to pay off Tasha's debts and take her with me. Not to interview for a job.”

“That is unfortunate, because Tasha's debts must be paid, and make no mistake I will get the money out of her one way or another.” He smiled a sick little smile, pausing for effect, “But her contract, as you call it, is not for sale. The best you can do is reduce the payback she owes me.”

As my mind started to piece together the enormity of the situation I had gotten myself into my right hand involuntarily slid down toward the blaster.  The angry fire that had started in my stomach, contained up until now, burned bright. I was kidding myself when I came here so unprepared. It would have been better to bring some friends and put Tasha into hiding while I splattered his head all over the wall.

“Okay. If that is how you see it I won't press that point right now. How much money does Tasha owe you? I want a straight number Geklov, no coming back later and changing it up. If I paid off all of her debts how much would she owe you?”

“Oh, I think a good estimate would be twenty billion.”

He was fucking serious. I could tell by the look on his face. I almost asked him to repeat it to be sure but I knew it wouldn't do any good.

“Twenty billion seems a little steep for a couple of labs and a small scientific outpost. I mean, I saw that thing myself. There is no way that it cost anywhere near a billion.”

“Well of course it didn't, but since we will be working together let me give you a little lesson on business. She owes me for all of the minerals and supplies used in her research that we will get no income from because of the loss of the labs. She owes all of the people that provided either scientific expertise or mined and transported the minerals she was using. She owes me for the alliance I put together with the Brothers of Death. Then, there is the issue of all of the future lost revenue from the ships destroyed and the members who left the corporation after the unfortunate incident with the Blood Raiders.”

What a complete shit bag. He hadn't even used the money to gain an alliance with the Brothers of Death. That was the reason I had gone down to the research stations to start with. The people who lost ships were reimbursed by their own insurance contracts not to mention part of flying in space is losing ships. Almost everything that happened at the research station was one hundred percent Geklov's fault.

Then he wanted money for any future loss of income? Hell, he could put any number on that he wanted. There was no way to prove him wrong. It dawned on me again that he had no intention of letting Tasha or even me out of this. As long as he knew how much I cared about her he had me.

“I think it’s a little unreasonable of a number, let’s say seven billion in lost revenue. We don't even know if her invention was going to work.” It was something to keep the conversation going as the dark truth of the situation started to reveal itself.  My own arrogance made me think I had some power to negotiate. I was too used to dealing with pirates and a ridiculous self-imposed honor code.  `

Now I understood the look in Geklov’s eyes.   There were only two options.   The first, he would taunt me into trying to kill him then dive under the table.  Herrier would kill me, and he would still have Tasha with no one to get in his way.  The second option was I cared enough about Tasha to be blackmailed into giving him control of all my assets including myself and my corporation.  I had nothing to bargain with.  Anxiety gripped at my heart as a trapped feeling fell over me.  Then, there was a welcome nothingness as the pirate took over.

“I don't think it’s unreasonable at all. There are plenty of records of sales when other businesses have discovered new implant technology. To tell the truth, I was expecting a fifty billion ISK profit selling the invention to the implant industry.”

“How about I give you three billion and you let us walk out of here?” I said in a cold voice I rarely heard outside of my mind.   I focused on him, death in my eyes, and he lost a little of his smile.  This was the decision point he was waiting for and knew he had me.   

“How about you give me five billion and sign a contract to work for me, Lakasha. There are many things I could do with someone of your particular skills. I am not blind to the fact that you helped my people escape the Blood Raider invasion. I am also not blind to the fact that you are a very beautiful woman.” I swear he licked his lips a little and I almost ended him right then. “Besides, think of how great it will be to work hand in hand with Tasha each day, fulfilling whatever needs I may have.”

I stood so fast the chair shot off behind me and clanged down the steps. I slammed both of my hands flat on the desk. They would have been around his neck but I couldn't reach him. I leaned over the desk and looked into his eyes, “You listen to me. You are going to take the three billion and...”

Something was buzzing just outside my mind. I was so caught up in the anger of the moment I missed the station alarms going off. I looked up, clearing the rage enough to listen, and then my heart stopped.

The loud speakers were blaring, “Antov Romanski you are an enemy of the Caldari State, drop your weapon and wait for security detainment”

Antov was Geklov's number one bodyguard and lackey. I had to get to Tasha...

Chapter 10 Negotiations

I watched Tasha close the door, satisfied only after the lights on the panel changed indicating it was locked. Then I headed back down the hallway toward the main lifts.  That is where I would find a public computer terminal.  I wanted to get some information before I went storming into Geklov’s office.   

Like before, the area became more congested with people the closer I got to the lifts. People lived on stations for a variety of reasons. Some came because it was where their corporation was based. Many more came because of the job opportunities and the chance to be away from the political situations on the planets.  It was the illusion of a better life.  Politics and religion still reached to the stations but it was an easier place to hide from it all.   

I had a message from Pelton on my communicator.  I checked it as I headed for a station public terminal bank.  He left me the location of Geklov’s office and a reminder to come as soon as possible.  I memorized the office location and stepped up to the nearest terminal. 

I let the terminal interface with my communications band and paid for local access. Some of the data was free, but anything good was going to cost me.  After the scan was complete, the welcome screen popped up and provided me with my current location and the environmental settings for this particular area of the station. I quickly typed in Geklov's corporation name and waited for a response.  Eventually all of the corporation’s information that was available through public channels filled the screen. Currently there were one-hundred and fifty-two members. They were recruiting pilots that could fly Jump Freighters and Capital Industrial Ships.

I called up the station schematics and plotted multiple routes between Tasha’s room, Geklov’s office, and the docking bay.  I downloaded the corp information and the lift schedule then disconnected. 

The lift arrived and several of the station workers got out leaving three tired looking men standing inside. I entered, and after punching my destination into the keypad stepped to the back of the lift. After about three minutes the doors slowly closed. During heavy use hours the lifts have scheduled times of departure like the shuttles on planets.

I leaned against the back wall and closed my eyes.  One breath is all it took to slip out of my Lakasha state of mind and into my pirate persona. I didn't let the pirate completely take over, but I needed her calm and killer instincts. A cool detachment washed over me and a smile spread across my face. She was ready, and knew it was only a matter of time before she was in charge. It was creepy that I felt like I was two different people. Honestly though, there was less Lakasha and more pirate all the time.

Eventually the lift made it to the floor I was waiting on.  I shoved a couple guys dressed in business suits out of my way as I stepped forward. They started to protest, but I glanced back at them with dead pirate eyes and they found something interesting on the floor to look at. I heard myself laugh as I exited the lift.  As I walked down the corridor people instinctively made a path for me.

I walked toward the confrontation with Geklov and my mind stayed clear and cold. The coming conflict felt good; there had been too much sitting around and waiting.  My heart pumped a little faster and I was ready for the fight.  I wanted to kill him more than anyone I have ever wanted to kill. That is saying a lot.  The pirate protested, but I let some of that cold anger slip away because I had to keep my head straight and remain calm as I could.  He had left an order that if anything happened to him Tasha was to be killed. 

After walking a quarter of a kilometer I turned the corner leading to Geklov’s office.  There was one guard standing outside the door. He was young and taller than average. As I walked up he nervously fondled the gun in his holster. I kept a close eye on his hand in case he decided he would be doing his boss a favor if he shot me. He wouldn't have a chance, but I didn't need to deal with station police for hours while we sorted the whole thing out. I probably wouldn’t win big points from Geklov either if he had to remove splattered body guard off the walls outside his office.

I walked up nice and slow, stopping about ten feet from the door. He put his hand firmly on the butt of his gun.

“I am here to see Geklov.”

“He already has a guest, you will have to wait.”

Slowly I walked closer to the door and rested my back against the wall. I put one foot up and let my arms hang loose at my side.  I made an effort to not to pay too much attention to the guard. I could see his hand and gun out of the corner of my eye. He relaxed and moved his hand off of the gun, resuming his position at the door. As I stood there I started to notice a muffled shouting on the other side of the door.

“So, who is Geklov with?”

“Herrier is in there with him right now. I am sure he will be with you momentarily.”

Herrier was one of Geklov's lead guards. We fought together against the Blood Raiders on a station in null sec to help sneak Geklov's people out that were trapped. During that fight Geklov had managed to work a deal to sneak himself and another guard named Antov off the station. The coward ran away and left his people there to die.

Herrier had led the assault forces that protected the station from the Blood Raider boarding parties. He proved to be an exceptional soldier and during our time trapped there we built some mutual respect.  He seemed to be too good of a man to work for a piece of shit like Geklov.   I guess if the money is good enough you can overlook a lot of things.  Mercenaries rarely concern themselves with the poor moral decisions that their employers make.  It’s not good for business. 

As I stood there waiting my turn I mentally reviewed the routes to the lifts and the things I was going to say. There wasn't any doubt in my mind that I was going to get Tasha out of here and safe. It was just a matter of what lengths I would have to go to get the job done.

I crept closer to the door. The kid didn't seem to notice. He had slipped back into that passive “spending my time until shift change” attitude. It was good to see that he wasn't much of a guard. I would keep that in mind if I needed to pick which shift to return on.

The door opened a crack and Harrier’s voice boomed into the hallway.

“That is bullshit. There is no way you can pay me enough to keep saving your ass when you do stupid shit like this.”  Then the door shut again leaving me with nothing to listen to but muted voices.

Finally, the door opened and Harrier came out. He was shorter than me with a tight military haircut. He was one of those guys that you can tell is dangerous. A completely oblivious person could sit down next to him in a bar and immediately get up and leave. They might not know why they decided to move but they needed to go somewhere else.

He was dressed in combat pants and a plain black shirt. His military issue carbine was secured in its holster on his left side. It was the only weapon visible but people like Harrier never stopped at one. Weapons are like drugs and a security blanket all rolled into one. At least that is how I feel about them.

“Get lost,” he barked at the kid standing next to the door. The kid jumped and mumbled a startled “yes sir” before grabbing his bag and hastily heading down the corridor.

I relaxed and gave Harrier a friendly smile. A few days ago he and I were on pretty good terms considering we had been working toward the same goal, but it was hard to say if any of that mattered now. Mercenaries had rapidly shifting loyalties.  He shook his head back and forth and blew out a deep breath of air. Then he nodded back.

“He is expecting me? I assume that is why you are guarding the door.”

“Yep.”

I walked past Herrier and through the door. A large ring of furniture occupied the area just inside. It served as a little meeting place for business clients, but it also blocked easy access to his desk.  The walls were covered in all kinds of semi expensive looking art.  Behind the furniture were a few short steps that led up to an enclosed business area. Geklov's desk and a single chair were offset into a corner.

Geklov was sitting at his desk with a welcoming smile on his face.  I'm not sure if it was possible or not but I could swear he had gained ten pounds in the few days since I last saw him. His hair was greased back again and he was wearing another all white business suit.

He stood behind the desk and said, “Welcome Lakasha, I have been expecting you. I have been looking forward to establishing a promising business relationship with you.”

I smiled back, but it wasn't a happy smile. I knew the smile held no warmth and my eyes would be cold as well. It didn't make him drop his though. To him I was just another business associate who he thought owed him.

“Me too Geklov. I have been looking forward to this for days,” I said and my heart sped up as I tried to stifle the thought of choking him to death with my fist. 

He gave me a little wave indicating that it was fine to come up and sit down. I accepted the invitation and walked around the furniture and up the stairs.  The room was empty and his back was to the wall.  He probably had a gun behind that desk somewhere. He was also standing behind the most expensive thing in the room. All the art and furniture wouldn't add up to the cost of the desk. I recognized the make from some of the offices I visited as a pilot in the Caldari military. On occasion, I had the opportunity to meet with high ranking officers or even a member of the Caldari government. They all had desks that resembled this one.

It was made by Rohm United, a company that specialized in protection services. If he was sitting behind that desk he would be safe from almost all firearms. If he paid enough, he would be protected from a pretty significant bomb blast. All he had to do was recognize he was in trouble and dive under the desk. Then his guards could come in and take care of assailants while he was safe on the ground.

The desk was a good piece of protection. There were probably plenty of other little safety devices around the room too. Some things are harder to see than others. Then there was the sleeping area off to the side where guards could be posted.  I mentally gave him credit for a pretty good setup.

I stood in front of the desk and tried to slip into my most cold mental state.  It was not a good situation and I was not in a strong position for negotiation. Tasha owed him a lot of money and was a valuable asset. If he was worried she might get away or some harm might come to him he would be willing to kill her as an example.   Now it didn't matter how fast I could shoot or how reliable my friends were.  It was all up to me.