Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

that was deemed the fault of the prison security, and she was still regarded as entirely trustworthy. She was Blue Block, after all.
    Accompanying her, in a matching kimono, to remind everyone of the harsher Chojiro face, was the Investigator Razor. His face and hands showed the marks of recent burns, but no one was stupid enough to ask how he'd got them.
    Investigators never acknowledged their pain. If indeed they actually felt any.
    It was hard to tell with Investigators. Everyone was giving BB and Razor plenty of room, for all sorts of reasons, allowing them to talk in private. BB smiled at one and all, and talked quietly with Razor, who stared straight ahead, his cold eyes ready for any threat.
    "I take it there have been no further developments in the search for Julian,"
    said BB, her smiling lips barely moving.
    "I would have told you if there were. Security is doing its best, but the city's a mess. If he's out there, we'll find him and bring him back. Or his body."
    "I need him alive, Investigator. There are many questions still to be asked of him. Not least how he got away."
    "If he's out there, we'll find him, but I can't speak for his condition. A lot of people died in the city today."
    BB sighed. Razor could be very single-minded when he chose. "Let us talk of happier things. How is our infiltration of the Wolfe businesses going?"
    "Surprisingly smoothly. Daniel and Stephanie are so concerned with their own intrigues, they haven't noticed a thing.
    Valentine has his own interests these days and has left them alone to sink or swim. They've done well enough, but they have little real experience with industrial espionage. We have people, apparently entirely unconnected with Clan
    Chojiro, on every level of the company, from the very bottom up to and including the board of directors. Wolfe security is good, but without competent management to direct it, it's been drifting aimlessly of late."
    "It's been too easy," said BB. "I can't believe Valentine is completely uninterested in the company. It's the base of his Family's current wealth and position. He's had to invest practically everything in the Wolfe and Campbell coffers to get the stardrive companies up and running, with hardly anything left for a safety net. And soon we'll be in a position to subtly sabotage stardrive construction from beginning to end. I can't believe Valentine doesn't know what we're doing."
    "He has his own interests. I regret to say, my people are unable to confirm exactly what those might be, apart from the obvious. People we send to find out tend not to come back."
    "And you don't find that worrying?"
    "Investigators don't worry. It's bad for the image. You continue with your schemes; I'll see no one bothers you."
    BB nodded curtly. "We can't hold off any longer just because we're not sure what Valentine's up to. If anything. Give the orders; I want to see significant errors in stardrive construction appearing by the end of the week. Make sure it's something showy. Something the news shows can run with. Once the delivery of the new drives has been not just slowed, but all but stopped, it shouldn't take too long to convince the Empress that the Wolfes aren't fit to be in charge of such a vital concern. And we'll be right there, ready to take over at a moment's notice. After all, who has a better claim? We're already producing all the computers for the new starships."
    "Unless Valentine does know and is already planning something really
    devastating."
    BB looked at him sternly. "Just whose side are you on. Investigator?"
    "Don't ask questions like that. The answer would only upset you. All that matters is I have pledged my life to protect the interests of your Clan. For as long as I stay with you."
    "Very reassuring." BB sniffed, deliberately turned away, and looked across at Valentine, chatting brightly with someone who looked as though they wished they were somewhere else. BB watched them for a while, her eyes cold as death.
    "Sometimes I think we'd be better off launching a preemptive strike against the Wolfes, beginning with Valentine. A really hostile takeover."
    "I wouldn't recommend it," said Razor. "There's too much we don't know about the Wolfes in general and Valentine in particular. Only a fool jumps off a wall without finding how high it is first. There's more to Valentine than we see.
    There has to be. My own recommendation is for a more leisurely approach. The Wolfes' weak spot is Daniel and Stephanie. There is much in