Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War

like the bodies he was shifting, by the time they'd finished he looked much like his old self again.
    His clothes were still a mess, but there wasn't a lot he could do about that.
    He and Ruby were just manhandling the last of the bodies out of the way when they heard a single set of footsteps coming hurriedly down the stairs from above. Ruby quickly grabbed up her projectile weapon, and Random drew his disrupter. They stood back-to-back, looking up and down the stairs, just in case the footsteps were a feint to draw their attention away from the real attack.
    The footsteps seemed to take a long time to arrive, and then Alexander Storm
    rounded the corner of the stairwell, stopped, and blinked mildly at the gun Ruby was training on him.
    "If you were a man, I could make a very damaging psychological remark about the need to carry such a large gun," he said calmly. "But as it's you, Ruby, I don't think I'll bother."
    Ruby looked back at Random. "Is he saying what I think he's saying?"
    "We'll discuss it later," Random said diplomatically. He lowered his gun and grinned up at Storm. "About time you got here, Alex. I was wondering what was keeping you."
    "Traffic was murder," said Storm. He sniffed the air and pulled a face. "I see you two have been raising hell again."
    "Just doing what we have to," said Random. "Fall in behind us, Alex, but don't start dragging your feet, or we'll leave you behind. We're right on the Chojtros' heels now. I can feel it."
    "Yeah," said Ruby. "Time for all fate's revenges to come home."
    "You've been reading those Gothic romances again," said Random.
    Storm sniffed. "It's a revelation to me that she can read."
    "Keep talking, Storm," said Ruby. "There's still room for another spare rib on the barbecue."
    "God, I swear it's like being in charge of children," said Random. "Shut it, both of you, and follow me. I don't want to keep the Chojiros waiting."
    He set off down the stairs, Ruby right behind him. Storm wrapped himself in his great cloak to protect himself from the worst of the heat only slowly dissipating in the stairwell, and went after them.
    They went cautiously but met no resistance. No more troops, no booby traps, no
    guns hidden in the walls. Just the metal steps, falling away before them. Random grew increasingly wary and gripped his gun and sword so tightly his fingers ached. This wasn't the Clan Chojiro he remembered, with a trap for every choice of action, a trip for every footstep, and layer upon layer of treachery and deceit. Such easy going could only mean the Chojiros wanted him to reach them.
    Which in turn could only mean they had something really unpleasant and devastating in store for him. Random grinned his wolfish smile. It didn't matter what they had, or thought they had; nothing was going to stop him now.
    They reached the foot of the stairs and carefully approached the blank metal door that led off to the next floor. Everything was still and quiet. Ruby peered over the railings and down the stairwell, in case there were troops waiting below, but the stairwell was empty for as far as she could see. Random studied the door and the walls around it carefully, but couldn't detect any booby traps.
    He was pretty sure he would have been able to sense anything wrong or out of place, but he still felt a small but definite sense of relief when he turned the door handle and eased the door open, and nothing nasty happened. He gestured for Ruby to join him, and she moved in beside him without making a sound, her gun at the ready. Random counted to three silently, then they both hit the door together and stormed into the next floor. Storm right behind them. A quick glance around assured Random there were no troops waiting, and no obvious traps; just a man and a woman standing together, waiting to greet their visitors with ostentatiously empty hands.
    BB Chojiro and Gregor Shreck.
    BB was a petite doll of a woman, with long dark hair and sharp oriental features. She wore a kimono of bright scarlet, wrapped tightly in all the right places. It was easy to see why Julian Skye had once fallen in love with her. The
    Shreck, on the other hand, was a short fat butterball of a man, with a bulging fleshy face and deep-set eyes. A tricky, dangerous, vindictive man, by all accounts.
    Random moved slowly forward, stopping carefully out of reach of the Chojiro or the Shreck. Ruby and Storm moved in on either side of him, guns trained. BB
    Chojiro bowed deeply to them. Gregor managed a