Deathstalker 01 - Deathstalker

death's-head grin. And then hands grabbed his arms, holding him still despite all his efforts, and a familiar face loomed up before him.

    Valentine breathed harshly as his gaze cleared, and there was Daniel, standing a cautious distance away. He glared at Valentine.
    "Are you back with us now, Valentine? Do you know what you've done?"
    Valentine concentrated, and new chemicals ran through his system, purging out the battle drugs. His mind cleared quickly, and he looked warily at Daniel. How much did his brother know? He slowly realized that the fighting was over, and that the men holding him were all wearing Wolfe emblems. They didn't look at all pleased with him.
    "All right," he said calmly. "I'm back. What's the situation, Daniel? We did win, I take it?"
    "We won some time ago," said Daniel. "The Campbells are dead or fled, and their men surrendered. But you were so out of your mind, you couldn't tell. You've spent the last few minutes cutting down our own men!"
    "Ah," said Valentine. "Sorry about that. I got a bit carried away. What are our losses?"
    "Apart from the men you just butchered?"
    "I said I was sorry. Where's Father?"
    Daniels' face suddenly crumpled as the anger went out of it, replaced by what seemed to Valentine to be honest grief. Daniel gestured harshly to the men holding Valentine, and they reluctantly released him. They didn't move far away, though, and they kept their hands near their guns. Valentine ostentatiously sheathed his sword. Daniel gestured at the bodies lying scattered across the room and made his way slowly through them.
    "Father is dead. We found him lying beside the body of the Campbell. They must have killed each other. All the Campbells are dead except Finlay, and possibly
    Adrienne. They got away on a gravity sled. Our people aren't far behind them.
    Either way, Clan Campbell is broken forever." He stopped and knelt beside the body of Jacob Wolfe. "He should never have come with us. He was getting too old for this, but he wouldn't listen. He never listened. What are we going to tell Constance?"
    "I'll tell her," said Valentine. "I'm the Wolfe now, regrettable though that may be." He waited for Daniel to object, but all the strength seemed to have gone out of him, and he remained kneeling beside his dead father. Valentine turned away, and his gaze fell upon Razor. The Investigator still had his sword in his hand, but he was surrounded by men armed with disrupters. He didn't look at all beaten, just outnumbered. Valentine moved across to him, carefully stepping over the bodies, and bowed courteously.
    "I congratulate you on your survival. Investigator. It would be a shame to lose such talents as yours."
    "David and I finally dueled him to a standstill," said Kit Summerlsle. "Took everything we had, though."
    "You will both be rewarded," said Valentine. "Clan Wolfe remembers its friends."
    He looked back at Razor. "Be our friend, Investigator. Your fight here is over.
    Clan Campbell is broken and dispersed. You are free to join us, or leave, as you wish."
    Razor nodded once, sheathed his sword, and walked toward the door. Valentine gestured, and everyone fell back to give Razor plenty of room. He left and shut the door behind him, and everyone in the room relaxed a little. No one had really wanted to take on an Investigator again; not even Kid Death and the Deathstalker, both of whom had a sneaking suspicion Razor had really only surrendered because he saw the main fight was over. Valentine looked
    thoughtfully at the surviving Campbell troops and gestured at the door, and they filed out quickly before he changed his mind. Valentine smiled. He could have had them killed, but it was important to establish the new Wolfe as an honorable man. Besides, he might need to hire them someday, or others like them, and it never hurt to build up a little good will among the mercenary community.
    Especially after cutting down some of his own men.
    "You fought well. Valentine," said Kit. "If a trifle indiscriminately. I have to say you did much better than your reputation led me to believe, given your…
    unusual lifestyle."
    Valentine smiled easily. "Battle drugs. The very latest, fresh off the military shelf. I've always believed there's a chemical for every occasion."
    The young Deathstalker sniffed. "Drugs again. I might have known."
    He might have been going to say something more, but at that point he saw the look in Valentine's mascaraed eyes and decided he'd said enough. For all the