Страница 9 из 73
“A Death Commando.” Jones shifted a few more centimeters toward the door as her brown eyes flashed dangerously toward the next room. She wasn’t afraid, Ba
The Death Commandos were Daoshen Liao’s private terrorist squad. As good as Jones was, Ba
“We should leave the mansion, Boss.” No pretty titles out of Ivan. No “sire” or even a “chief.” To the large man, Jacob Ba
Ba
She apparently trusted his instincts, though the tense set of her shoulders said that she remained ready for nearly anything. “Whatever you say,” she replied.
Ba
“After you.” He nodded toward Jones.
The foyer opened up into a long hall. The red-haired mercenary stalked down to a double-wide entryway. The downstairs library-study. Ba
That Daoshen even knew of his visit to St. Andre bothered him. Ba
And it was far, far away from Terra.
Not that he worried overmuch. The assault on Terra had been a doomed venture from the start. Ezekiel Crow should have realized it much sooner. But he hadn’t, and Ba
A Republic Senator who needed early retirement.
A military officer, who had grown resistant to being on Ba
Most other men in his position would have simply tipped off The Republic and gathered accolades after. Most other men did not play the long game. Besides, what had The Republic ever done for him except put a ceiling on his rise to power? So he had let the assault go forward, and slipped in to take care of his own business where he could. A good day’s work, even if it had cost him one of his most valuable hole cards. Ezekiel Crow. The fallen Paladin.
But Ba
An agenda that included corporate interests in Prefecture III (next) and political interests here at home.
An agenda that would have to take into consideration Daoshen Liao’s interference.
Through the magnificent library, with its rolling ladders and tall cases full of books from every Republic world, Jones and Ba
The ribbon was secured with a bow knot that easily slipped loose. Ba
“What is it?” the raider asked.
Ba
“Well, is it a cigar box?”
Her lack of imagination a
It was empty.
“Empty?” Jones frowned, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits as if she had missed the punch line of a joke and wondered if it were at her expense. Ivan came in carrying a silver salver just big enough to carry three brandy snifters. He set it on the edge of the shelf. “It’s empty,” Jones told him quickly, perhaps trying to get in on the joke.
But what was it empty of? Ba
What kind of scroll would Ba
He had stood in Daoshen’s throne room barely two years before, and made it very clear that the cost of Ba
There it was: Ba
What had changed Ba
Which Ba
Daoshen gave the merchant king time to begin fidgeting. Betrayals of nerves were rare, but then Ba
“A noble,” Daoshen tasted the idea. “Subject to our laws and holding property at our whim.”
Ba
“The only coin I will take.” For that, Ba