The Complete Razia Series, page 66
"Ladies first," Sage said. Knowing she was too short to argue with him, she let him place his hands on her hips and lift her up into the open shaft. She struggled to push herself up and felt his hands encircle her butt.
"Hey, hands!" she snapped, as he nearly tossed her into the shaft. A few minutes later, his fingers clasped down on the vent edges and he pulled himself up effortlessly.
"Well?" he said, almost too big for the space. "Get going."
"Don't touch my butt again," she snapped. When she turned to start crawling towards the vent, she felt him reach out and pinch her, so she kicked out a leg and connected with his arm, his amused chuckling echoing after her.
***
Sweat dripped onto the metal casing beneath Razia's hands as she crawled, wondering if the ventilation shaft was really this long or if it just felt like it. The desert sun boiled the building, and she wondered if Jukin were simply trying to kill off the pirates with heat exhaustion.
She stopped moving when she heard voices coming through a grate. She couldn't quite hear what they were saying, so she slid closer, trying not to make a sound.
"Roger that, Habuda. All quiet in cellblock five."
She glanced through the slits, realizing she was over the main command center. From what she could tell, it was the same circular room Sage's maps depicted. Giant screens lined the wall she could see, and there was a hum of activity. She shifted slightly, spying a main chair in the center that sat unoccupied. But if she craned her head, she could hear Jukin's voice.
"I don't know what's keeping Lieutenant Opli," he was saying to Heelin, who was still following him around like a lovesick puppy. "In the meantime, you can sit here with Lieutenant Witkunas and help him watch the surveillance cameras."
They moved on, and Razia realized she needed to as well. Quietly, she pulled herself across the grate, careful to not make a sound until she was well away from the command center. She came to a fork and pulled out her mini-computer to look at the plans for the direction she was headed in. She tapped her ear.
"You okay?" she asked.
A grunt came in response. "Would be nice if I had Sobal here to do this. I've forgotten half of what I used to know about coding."
"That's why I don't hire people. Makes you soft," she retorted, taking the left shaft.
"Says the universe's most loneliest person."
She grunted and turned off the microphone, not willing to get into an argument with Sage when she was supposed to be quietly making her way to the prison. But connecting with him, even briefly, was comforting.
She spotted another grate ahead and slowed her movements. She peered down, spying a central console where five officers sat, each staring at the video monitors. She craned her head and spotted the bars, and no less than twenty men crammed into jail cell built for two. She recognized Silas Brendler, Zolet Obalone, and Flynn Sloan, all still wearing their formal attire from the Pirate Ball, but there was no sign of Sage's crew.
She backed away from the grate and tapped on the speaker in her ear.
"I'm in position."
"Do you see my guys?"
"They're here," she said. "All look okay."
"Liar."
"I'm sure they're fine," she said, wondering how everyone seemed to know when she was lying these days. She used to be better at it. "But this is supposedly half of pirates. They're crammed in there pretty thick."
"Do you think he…"
Razia cut him off before he could finish that thought. "No, Sage. He said he wasn't going to start those until…" Today, she finished silently. "I didn't hear anything about that in the command center." Even so, she began to squirm in anticipation. "Are you finished yet?"
"No, Lyssandra, I am not."
"Stop calling me by my full name."
"Then stop asking me stupid questions."
She sat back in the vent and wiped a bead of sweat away from her brow. She would have to be patient, she supposed, and—
She jumped as the vent rattled. For a brief moment, she worried it was gunfire, but when she heard it again, she realized someone was rapping on the exposed ventilation shaft.
"Come on out up there!"
"Sage, you're gonna have to hurry it up," she whispered.
"I can't—"
"Come out with your hands up!"
"Well you're going to have to try," Razia said, sliding over to the grate. She kicked it open and with a prayer to the Great Creator, she slipped out.
Her feet hit the ground and she heard fifteen weapons cock in unison at her followed by the sound of whistles and catcalls from inside the cells.
"Oi! It's the girl!"
"Whatchoo doing here, girlie?"
"Shut up in there!" The commanding U-POL officer swept to the front of the weapon gaggle, with a stern look to the pirates who were still hooting and whistling from the cells. They, at least, did not seem concerned that they were all about to be executed. But perhaps they had no idea that no one else was coming for them.
"Yes, that is a good question: what are you doing here?" The commanding officer, whose lapel bore the name Banaziak, folded his arms and peered at her curiously.
She leaned back into the console desk that she'd landed next to and tried to look unconcerned about the guns pointed at her. She counted three Special Forces officers, but the rest were simply regular police. Three zealots that might shoot her if she got too mouthy. She could handle those odds.
"Well, you know, I was just so pissed off that you guys had another party without me," she said, checking her nails. She saw one of the Special Forces officers raise his gun higher, and she dropped her hand. "You know, I'm starting to get a little upset that you guys keep not inviting me to your things."
"Pretty stupid of you to come here alone," Banaziak replied. He paused and then nodded. "But you aren't alone, are you?" He chuckled. "Is this some sort of pathetic rescue attempt? And I can only suppose your partner in crime sent you in alone?" He scoffed. "Not much of a gentlemen to put the lady in danger."
"This lady is more dangerous than the gentleman," Razia replied. Pretending to run her hands through her hair, she tapped the device in her ear. She hissed under her breath, "And the gentleman had better hurry his ass up because I am about to be dead."
"Hang on…."
"I heard you have a bit of an ego," Banaziak replied, not hearing the second half of her sentence. He approached closer. "Shame to have to stick you in here with the rest of these heathens. I can't vouch for your safety."
"I'm starting to get offended at your blatant disregard for my ability to take care of myself," she snapped.
"Then how about I just kill you right here and save myself the trouble of having to learn how to regard it?" At once, she saw the guns rise.
"Sage…" she whispered.
"Just a few more seconds!"
"I don't have a few seconds!" she hissed, her eyes darting around the room.
"Got it!"
The lights shut off, the cell doors ground open, and suddenly the room was filled with people. Razia grabbed the closest gun she could get her hands around, yanking it from the surprised officer's grip before flipping it around and ramming the butt into the officer's chin. All around her, pirates tussled and easily overpowered the attendants, three-on-one.
"Throw 'em in the cells!" Linro Lee hollered over the melee.
The emergency lights came on a few seconds later, bathing them in light. So far, she counted half of the officers in the cells, with the rest of them putting up a valiant fight against the pirates.
Razia grinned at the scene. Then a fist connected with her jaw, sending her to the ground. She saw stars for a moment, before glancing up at the barrel of a gun. Banaziak pointed it at her, a furious gleam in his eye. She swallowed and held her breath, but then Banaziak fell over from a right hook to the jaw.
"Ganon!" Razia wasn't sure which was more surprising—seeing Ganon or the relief she felt at it. She even let him pull her into one of his bear hugs, lifting her a few inches off the ground
"Good to see you, too," he said, before peering in her ear. "I take it the boss is somewhere doing the same thing?"
"He's trying to jam the signal so Jukin can't call for help," she said, tapping her ear. "Sage, you there?"
"Classic Sage," Ganon said with a smile. "Well, I suppose I owe Sobal fifty credits. I didn't think you two would be stupid enough to try something like this."
"Still might be stupid," she said, tapping her ear again. "Sage, are you there?"
When he didn't respond, her heart began to beat faster.
"Sage!" she tried again.
To her left, she saw the doors open—the doors that weren't supposed to open—Jukin appeared, his face a mixture of smugness and fury, Sage behind him in handcuffs followed by as many officers as could fit inside the outer hallway.
Immediately the fighting ceased, and the pirates let go of the remaining officers who weren't in the cells. Jukin's eyes swept the room, glancing over the officers in the cells, to the pirates standing outside of the cells, to Banaziak on the floor, and finally settling on Razia in the center of the room.
"Well, well," he said softly. "This was stupid."
"You're right," she retorted, feeling the eyes of the pirates in the room move to her. "This was awfully stupid of you."
The pirates laughed, but Jukin's face was unreadable.
"You're the ones who are outnumbered," he reminded her. "And I've already called for reinforcements."
Sage's eyes met hers, and she saw him nod his head almost imperceptibly with a small smile. Sage had scrambled the signal. That, at least, was good news. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sobal seated at a console in the cellblock, typing away furiously while the three meatheads stood guard in front of him. Sage said the kid was smart; perhaps he could figure something out.
She just had to stall.
"Well congratulations, Jukin," she said, amused at the ripple that passed through the room at the familiar tone in which she said his name. "You've won. All the pirates are in your grasp, and you can kill every last one of us just like you've always wanted. How's it feel?"
"Better once you've shut up."
"I'm sure, I'm sure." She laughed, adrenaline pumping through her veins. "You know, I've always wondered how it would feel to cheat my way to the top. Any different?"
"What are you talking about?"
"That five billion dollars you stole," she said. "You used that money to pay McDougall to kill Tauron. You used it to try and assassinate the president a few months ago. And then, you were going to blame these fine gentlemen for it." Another ripple through the room and she feigned surprise. "Oh yeah, that's right. Nobody knows about that but us…and now a hundred of our closest friends. Do you know how badly pirates gossip?"
"Too bad there's no one around to care as you'll all be dead soon," Jukin said, his voice scarily calm. She hadn't even scratched him. "Are you quite finished with your yammering, or shall I save us all the trouble and kill you now?"
Sage's eyes connected with hers, and she could almost read his thoughts. Sobal was still working, and she needed to buy more time.
She turned back to Jukin who wore a smug smile. He thought she had nothing left to use against him. But he was wrong; she had one final trump card. "Just tell me one thing. Do you think he'd be proud of you after all this?"
"Who?"
She closed her eyes and opened them again, steeling herself for whatever outcome this might bring. "Sostas."
"What did you say?" Jukin's entire face shifted, and she knew she'd struck gold.
"I asked you if you thought Sostas would be proud of you," she repeated, folding her arms over her chest. "Capturing all the pirates, being the big hero. Is that what this was all about? Trying to make him come back and,"—she grinned maliciously—"notice you?"
Jukin's face was controlled rage. "What in Leveman's do you know about my father?"
"That's why you joined the U-POL, isn't it? Why you dropped out of the Academy after he didn't choose you."
"I joined the U-POL because of you pieces of shit," Jukin growled at her. "Stealing and plundering without any consequence, threatening my family. You think you can just get away with all you've done?"
"Don't lie," Razia snarled. "This, all of this, is you trying for—"
"My father was a piece of shit," Jukin growled. "The day he left was a day I celebrated."
Her mouth fell open as she realized he wasn't lying. "So…you really think…all of this…is right?"
"Piracy is disgusting," Jukin said. "And every single one of you deserve to burn in Plethegon."
"And it's your job to send us there? Death is an appropriate response to hijacking transports and bounty hunting? You think Tauron's death was justified?"
"Tauron Ball deserved what he got."
Her world tilted. All of this time, she'd been excusing Jukin's behavior, hoping he was redeemable so it would be easier for her to stomach. She had been holding onto guilt for so long that it had skewed her perception of him. But for the first time, she really listened to what he was saying and it made her sick.
He wasn't some long-suffering, never-loved child. He was a monster, a murderous, evil creature. And it had nothing to do with Sostas or her—his actions were all his own. He considered himself the judge and jury of men, that he knew better than everyone else.
He had known what he was doing when he allied himself with men who would kill a president to make money.
He had known what he was doing when he killed Tauron.
He had known what he was doing when he left her on that pirate ship.
Like a dam breaking, fury erupted within her.
"Tauron Ball was ten times the man you are," she hissed. How could she have ever excused murder? Especially of someone that had meant so much to her? "At least he knew the difference between right and wrong. And what you're doing here is wrong."
Jukin pointed his gun at the space between her eyes. "Then be sure to tell him when you see him next."
She suddenly began to laugh, the irony of the situation so deliciously disturbing. She'd been there before, except it was Tauron holding a gun against her head. The moment Jukin gave Tauron the go-ahead to pull the trigger, he set in motion a chain reaction of events that led the two of them to where they stood presently. She, a pirate, he, a pirate killer.
"What's so funny?" Jukin sneered.
"You really don't see it, do you?" she whispered.
Jukin's face shifted, but it was in confusion, not realization. Then it twisted into loathing. "Shut your mouth, pirate, so I can kill you once and for all."
She raised her eyes to look into his, wanting him to see her fully before he ended her miserable life.
"Really?" She prayed that realization would dawn."You want to kill me?"
Maybe she could watch his face and relish in his horror of knowing his own flesh and blood was a member of the pirate webs as she lay there dead in front of him, knowing that it was his decision that led her to it.
"Go ahead."
Maybe she could carry that memory with her when her soul returned to Leveman's Vortex.
"Be. My. Guest."
The world went dark.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The first thing Razia noticed was that she was not, in fact, dead. And she'd suffered no bullet wounds, there was no searing pain of having her flesh torn asunder. She was still standing; she was still breathing.
The next thing she understood was that the lights had gone out in this section of the prison.
And Jukin was still mere inches from her.
She screamed and she lunged in his direction, her shoulder connecting with his chest as they tumbled to the ground. His gun went off, a bright flash in the darkness and she heard someone screaming in the distance. But they crashed to the ground and it clattered away.
She punched and clawed and kicked at him, releasing twenty-two years of pent-up frustration as she beat at him. He pushed her back, and she landed hard on something under her arm. Her fingers clasped around the metal—his gun—and she cocked and pointed it at the dark figure.
The emergency lights came on, bathing the room in red.
Razia was on her knees, the gun focused on Jukin, whose lip was bleeding and shirt was torn. He seemed to be waiting for the inevitable.
Around her, the pirates had also taken advantage of their numbers and the lack of lights. Many of the regular officers were laying on the floor with their hands on their heads in surrender. The few Special Forces officers, still fighting the good fight though outnumbered, stopped when they spotted their leader on the ground with a gun in his face.
"Get 'em into the cells!" Sage cried, appearing in front of her, "or else Captain Peate's a goner."
"Go ahead and kill me," Jukin said, puffing his chest out. "I am ready to die for my cause."
Razia's grip tightened on the gun, and for a brief moment, she considered pulling the trigger. After all, Jukin deserved to die. He'd killed Tauron, taken a life for no reason other than it fit his own definition of justice. And he'd left her for dead. She had every right to kill him where he lay.
"What's wrong? Don't have the stomach for it?" Jukin's voice had a hint of crazed desperation.
"On the contrary," she whispered. "The easy thing to do would be to kill you. The easy way out would be to wipe your sorry ass out of the universe and send you back to the Great Creator to answer for your crimes. And believe me, I'm well aware of what's in store for you. And it's a lot more…fiery than Helmsley would let you believe."
"I have nothing to answer for—"
"You have everything to answer for," she growled, digging the gun into his face. She took a shaky breath and tried to calm herself down. "But I'm not going to be the one to make you pay. You deserve to be hung out to dry, the laughing stock of the police force. After this, they won't put you in charge of sweeping floors. You'll be ruined, you'll be destroyed. And I want you to know that I don't care anymore."
He glanced up at her.
"I'm not going to blame myself for anything you do anymore. I'm not going to give you a free pass because Sostas didn't choose you. I'm not going to—"
