Sooner Dead (Gamma World) - Mel Odom [35]
Trazall shifted slightly in his chair, obviously knowing the statement wouldn’t bode well for his immediate future.
Stampede pointed his other pistol at the insectoid. “However this goes down, they’re going to be burning your corpse, roach.”
Trazall made a show of looking around. “The two of you? Against eight of us?”
“Seven of you. I pull the trigger, you’re already off the board. And I’ll take your gravity kinetic with me. And if, by some thin chance, you manage to survive, Hella will ventilate that ugly head of yours after she takes out Sparky.”
“Ah yes. The girl.” Trazall glanced around. “I’ve heard of her, but I’ve never seen her. So where is she?”
As graceful as a shadow, Hella slipped through the crowd and stood in front of the fat man so she could be seen. Her hands, pistol barrels, hung at her sides. The fat man at her side immediately vacated the area. The gunmen around Trazall shifted, trying to decide which way they needed to face. That was exactly the mindset Stampede wanted them in.
“There she is.” Trazall buzzed. “And look at those hands. I’d heard about that, but I’ve never seen anyone like her.” Then he glanced back at Stampede. “If it helps, I didn’t know these people were with you until Dr. Pardot informed me of that.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Dr. Pardot said no.” Colleen looked adamant and maybe a little relieved.
“That’s good, Dr. Pardot.” Stampede spoke casually. “Because I’ll bet the roach didn’t give you his full sales pitch. He leads people through the Redblight, but when they’re on their own and he knows what they’re looking for, he hikes up the price of his services.”
“Only when things turn disastrous and I’m as fully invested as my client. When they can’t get something on their own, I’ve discovered that most people will agree to an adjusted profit.”
Pardot grimaced. “You rob them, you mean.”
“Such harsh words from an obviously learned man. I am disappointed.” Trazall looked back at Stampede. “Since my business here will obviously not bear fruit, I’d like to leave.” He nodded at Stampede. “If you agree.”
“Sure.” Stampede gestured with his pistol. “But we’re going to do this slowly.”
One at a time, Trazall’s men moved away from the table and went through the door. Silence and Jack Hart went last. Silence didn’t seem to care, but Hart carried a load of resentment in his dark eyes.
Trazall stopped at the bar and ordered a bottle of whiskey to go. He paused at the door and looked at Stampede. “Another time, when the deck isn’t stacked in your favor, and this will end differently.”
For a moment Hella was certain Stampede was going to shoot the insectoid anyway. Stampede didn’t believe in threats, and he wouldn’t let anyone he felt certain would try to act against him later walk away. She’d seen him kill men who had threatened her. He’d always told her it wasn’t the guns facing her that were dangerous; it was the ones she didn’t see coming. But he’d never shot a man—or an insectoid—in the back.
“Stampede.” Faust spoke in a low voice, and the only reason Hella heard him was because Stampede’s comm link picked up the conversation. “I got a job here. You pull that trigger, I gotta put you and the imp out for the night or Carnegie will have a new chief of security in the morning. With those Sheldons running around, maybe sleeping outside wouldn’t be such a good idea.”
In the next instant, as if he’d suddenly realized he’d overstayed his safety margin, Trazall stepped sideways and disappeared into the night.
Hella readied herself to follow, already mentally mapping a route through the window of the adjoining room.
Stampede took a deep breath and put away his weapons. Hella slowly let her hands become human again.
Riley waved one of his men into motion, and the guard went toward the door.
Stampede’s ear twitched as he addressed Riley. “If you have your man tail Trazall too close, you’ll have to burn him come sun up. If you can find the body.”
“Since Trazall took an interest in us, he seems like someone to watch.” Riley placed a thin slice of ham on toasted bread and