Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

dismissively. He scooted back in bed, set his back against the headboard, and slipped his gun back into its holster. Jack and Ruby relaxed just a little.
    When Finlay spoke again, he seemed almost bored. “That’s old history now. No one cares about that anymore. I thought one of my enemies had sent you to find out what I know, and shut me up. I have lots of enemies, you know. From all sides of the political spectrum. You’d be surprised. Even the ungrateful undergrounds disown me these days, though I was once their blue-eyed boy. They pointed me like a gun, and I killed people. Now I can’t even get anyone to return my calls anymore. My past… excesses…
    have made me a liability. An embarrassment. Once my current mission is brought to a close, I am coming back and knocking on their doors, and I won’t take no for an answer. And then there will be… a reckoning.”
    “And what mission might that be, sir Campbell?” said Jack politely.
    “I’m going after Valentine Wolfe. He and I have unfinished business between us.” “I should think everyone in the Empire has unfinished business with that bastard,” said Ruby. “Let’s talk about Shub.”
    “Let’s not and say we did.” Finlay scowled intimidatingly at Ruby, and seemed a little taken aback when she just scowled right back at him. “Oh, well, if it’ll get you out of here any quicker… My Family made a deal with the AIs, their advanced tech in return for the alien stardrive. Supposedly it was all a con, with us stringing them out for as much as we could get, before the AIs realized we had no intention of delivering. In reality… I don’t know. “We’ll never know now. The deal died when the Wolfes destroyed my Family. Afterward, the Wolfes supposedly renegotiated the deal for themselves. Valentine was in charge. What he got, and what he promised in return, you’ll have to ask him. If I don’t get to him first.”
    “And there’s nothing more you can tell us about Shub’s links with Humanity?” said Jack. “Please try to think, sir Campbell. It’s important.” “My father never trusted me with any details. And I never asked. I didn’t care about such things then.”
    Jack stood up abruptly. “Excuse me a moment. I’ve got a message coming in through my implant.”
    He moved over to the door so he could subvocalize to his comm unit in relative privacy. Finlay and Ruby studied each other thoughtfully. They recognized the warrior in each other, and the same competitive fire began to burn in each of them. It had been a long time since they felt seriously challenged.
    “So,” said Ruby. “I hear you’re a fighter as well as clotheshorse. Any good with a sword?”
    “I was taught by the best,” said Finlay. “Never once lost a fight. And I never needed esper tricks to win my battles.”
    Ruby showed her teeth in a mirthless smile. “Maybe we should try each other out sometime. Just steel on steel.”
    “Sounds good to me,” said Finlay. They held each other’s gaze, smiling the same death’s-head smile.
    Their hearts speeded up, and their breathing deepened. There was an almost sexual attraction in the air between them. There was a thing they were both born to do, more important to them than life itself, and they could feel it taking over, becoming inevitable. Finlay licked his lips. “When did you have in mind, bounty hunter?”
    “What’s wrong with right now?” said Ruby Journey.
    “Not a damned thing,” said Finlay Campbell.
    In a moment they were both on their feet, facing each other, swords in hand, blood and death in their eyes. But before their blades could even reach out to touch each other. Jack Random was there between them, glaring furiously at them both, and they each stepped back a pace, stayed for a moment by his sheer authority.
    “Have you both gone mad? Of course, stupid question. Look, we don’t have time for this. Sir Campbell, put away your sword.”
    Finlay smiled briefly. “After her.”
    Jack looked at Ruby. “I can’t take my eyes off you for a moment, can I? Put away your sword.”
    “Why do I have to go first?” said Ruby.
    “Because you undoubtedly started it. And because I’m asking you to. We have to go, right now. We’re needed on an urgent mission.” Ruby sniffed and reluctantly lowered her sword. “You’re no fun anymore, Random.” Finlay cautiously lowered his sword. He and Ruby exchanged a glance. They both knew the moment for a fight had passed. They both also knew