The Electric Church Part 13

I glared at Kieth, who stared at me with wide, terrified eyes. "Fleeing the SSF, my f.u.c.king a.s.s. I should let him kill you for not warning me about this."

Kieth didn't say anything. Behind him, Orel held a s.h.i.+ning, silver-plated gun in each hand. "Don't worry, Mr. Cates," he said. "Kill him I shall. But as I said, we can discuss compensation. Step inside, please."

I felt feverish. Gatz and I sat with Marilyn Harper on the floor. Milton and Tanner-who had allowed Canny Orel to walk in unopposed-sat near Kieth's equipment, which hummed and beeped randomly, unsupervised. The Droids, after swarming around in a tizzy of excitement giving Kieth endless reports of intruders in the building, had finally been silenced by the Techie. Orel studied the Monk with obvious perplexity, holding Kieth by the scruff of his neck.

Gatz leaned toward me slightly, his face waxy and yellow. "I can't hold on to her much longer, Ave."

I didn't say anything.

"You've got something big cooking here, don't you?" Orel said cheerfully.

I kept my face blank. "I do. I need Mr. Kieth to do it, too. Maybe we can strike a deal."

Orel looked at me without moving his head, his eyes just sliding in their sockets. I imagined I could hear hear his eyes moving-sudden metallic sc.r.a.pings. his eyes moving-sudden metallic sc.r.a.pings.

"Mr. Cates, I can't imagine what deal we could strike. I hired this c.o.c.ksucker seven months ago on a project of my own. I paid him a significant amount of money. This same c.o.c.ksucker then bought himself every little toy he'd ever wanted off the black market-most of which I see here-and ran out on me. Me! I can still hardly believe it."

"Let me make you an offer, Mr. Orel," I said carefully. "If you don't care for it, well, you put one in Ty's ear and I start looking for another Techie. But I think I can get back your lost investment, which must have been considerable to inspire such pa.s.sion."

Orel turned away from the Monk to face me, pus.h.i.+ng Kieth around like a rag doll. The Gunner smiled, his eyes moving easily from person to person without appearing in any way worried. He opened his mouth to reply, but Kieth suddenly spoke up.

"He's not Canny Orel," he said.

The hand on Kieth shot to the Techie's throat and pinched, cutting off Kieth's voice and breath. I stared at the old man and the old man stared back at me, a slight smile twitching on his face.

"Care to test me?" he said conversationally, sounding bored.

"Care to test all of us?" I said, trying to emulate the smooth, steady disdain of his voice. I failed miserably. Whoever this guy was, he certainly scared the s.h.i.+t out of me, Canny Orel or not. "Let's hear what he has to say." I gestured at Kieth.

The old man scanned the room, did some math in his head, and then shrugged, releasing Kieth, who immediately began to gasp and cough.

"Kieth?" I prompted.

He looked up at me with damp, red eyes, rubbing his throat. "Come on, Cates," he choked out. "There are like fifteen Canny Orels Ty's seen personally. It's good marketing, using that name." He took a deep, shuddering breath, rubbing his head. "He's possibly Dunmharu, but he is not the the Canny Orel." Canny Orel."

For a moment I was unable to decide if this was an improvement on my situation. If he wasn't the greatest Gunner who ever lived, that was good for me. But being faced with, say, the third-best third-best gunner that ever lived . . . well, it didn't make me want to do cartwheels. gunner that ever lived . . . well, it didn't make me want to do cartwheels.

"It doesn't matter, does it, Mr. Cates? The fact remains that we have business together. The fact remains that you could not, were you to try, get the drop on me. The fact remains that I can and will kill all of you without breaking a sweat if forced to. However, Mr. Cates, as I said, I've heard of you. I've heard you play by old rules. I'll listen."

Amazingly, he sat down on the floor in one smooth motion, yanking Kieth down next to him. I looked around at my team-all of them useless, it seemed. I wasn't going to be deterred now. I didn't think I could outgun Cainnic Orel, or even an Orel-trained former member of the Dunmharu. He was right-it didn't really matter who he really was. I was going to have to make him a partner.

I looked at him as steadily as I could. "I've been hired to a.s.sa.s.sinate Dennis Squalor. The payout is huge. We've got a plan to get close to Squalor. I can offer you your money back in a few weeks."

"Double," he said immediately.

"Excuse me?"

"Double my investment."

What the f.u.c.k. It was more money than I could ever spend anyway, and the idea of this whole thing falling apart made me sick, my stomach contracting to a spiky ball inside me. I nodded. "Done."

"Okay," he said, casually producing one of his s.h.i.+ning guns and clearing the chamber, a gleaming bullet springing into the air and hitting the floor with a metallic clink. "Okay, Triple." He glanced up and grinned at me again.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"If you can double, you can triple. If you can triple, you can quadruple. Let's say quadruple."

Swallowing burning anger, I forced myself to nod against every instinct I had and every lesson I'd learned-I was getting a.s.sf.u.c.ked on this deal, and instead of beating the b.a.s.t.a.r.d silly, I was just looking for something to lean against. "Done," I growled through clenched teeth.

He winked. "Well, Jesus, if you can quadruple, maybe we should leave the issue open and negotiate later." His broad smile threatened to turn into laughter. "No? Okay, Cates. Quadruple it is. Give me the details."

I studied him. He grinned easily, hair perfect, the clothes on his back worth more than me. me. I shook my head and forced myself to smile back. I shook my head and forced myself to smile back.

"No."

He raised a thin white eyebrow. "No?"

I couldn't afford to show any nervousness. The only card I held was the fact that the money moved through me. If Marin found out Cainnic Orel-or one of his infamous proteges-was on the scene, I would be out. If the old man found out Marin was the bank on this job, I would be out. No matter what else happened, I couldn't give this guy any details. Even if it meant Kieth got capped.

"That's the deal. Four times your initial investment and Kieth gets a pa.s.s. You don't get anything else." I swallowed. "This is my my job. You don't want to back off, go take the motherf.u.c.king Techie out back and get the f.u.c.k out of my life." job. You don't want to back off, go take the motherf.u.c.king Techie out back and get the f.u.c.k out of my life."

The old man stared at me, his smile frozen. After a moment he chambered another round, a nice little piece of theater to show just how little the f.u.c.ker feared me. He let out a barking laugh, showing his strong, gleaming teeth.

"All right, Mr. Cates. All right. In your position I would insist on the same."

I tried to hide the relief that hit me like a dose of cold water. "All right. What do we call you, then, if you're not the one and only Cainnic Orel?"

He shrugged. "I think that name is as good as any, don't you? Despite what this little t.u.r.d says, as far as you you know, I am the 'one and only' Cainnic Orel. Mr. Orel will do nicely." This with a tight-lipped, smug grin that made me close my hands into fists. "I have one further condition, however: I am now part of your team." know, I am the 'one and only' Cainnic Orel. Mr. Orel will do nicely." This with a tight-lipped, smug grin that made me close my hands into fists. "I have one further condition, however: I am now part of your team."

I blinked. "Excuse me?" To our right, a strident alarm blared, the sound bouncing off the walls. Kieth yelped and leaped up. Orel let him go.

Orel climbed to his feet, grinning. "You won't give me any info, I have to hang around to protect my investment," he shouted, somehow still sounding calm. "Put it this way, Cates. Say tomorrow night you get capped behind the ear, which is the most likely outcome of this little adventure. Would naturally put the chances that I'll ever get my money in a dim light, no? As a result, I'd want to have the little c.o.c.ksucker on his knees nice and quick. You see? If I'm not here, the little c.o.c.ksucker might slip away again."

"Cates!" Kieth yelled from his fortress of servers. He must have hit a switch, because the blaring alarms went to half-volume. "We have a problem!"

I glanced at Kieth, then back at Orel. "Okay. Give me twenty yen."

He blinked. "What?"

"You f.u.c.ked me out of twenty yen back there at the Dole. It's part of your buy-in on this deal. Now, please."

He laughed, reaching for his credit dongle. "You're either totally incompetent or a genius, Cates."

"Oh, he's incompetent, all right," Tanner said brightly. "Pretty soon he'll tell you about the growing army of System Pigs who seem to always know where he is."

"Cates!" Kieth yelled again.

I turned away from Orel as our transaction went through and walked briskly toward Kieth. "What, for G.o.d's sake?" for G.o.d's sake?"

The bald man was wide-eyed, his nose twitching fiercely. A fat drop of sweat was hanging impossibly from its tip, and it looked like fresh terror-sweat springing up on top of the dried residue of his previous cycle of terror and relief. "We have a visitor. Or visitors. Not sure yet."

"I see." I looked down at the floor for a moment, fists clenched. It never f.u.c.king lets up, It never f.u.c.king lets up, I thought. This had been my whole life, one crisis after another. Where was I going to sleep, another gun pointed in my face, was someone going to try to slit my throat-it never ended. I spun to face the rest of them. I thought. This had been my whole life, one crisis after another. Where was I going to sleep, another gun pointed in my face, was someone going to try to slit my throat-it never ended. I spun to face the rest of them.

Words died in my mouth as a distant boom thundered through the building.

"Looks like they're here!" Milton shouted. "I do hope they're friendly!"

Orel breezed past me, guns in hand. "Looks like I'm earning my keep on this team of yours already," he said with a wink, whirling around in midstride and walking backward. "With your permission, of course, boss."

I stared at Orel. "Ty, who the f.u.c.k's at the door?"

Kieth didn't even look up from his video screens. "Monks."

XXII.

I'm Glad They Ignored My Screams of Pain 01100.

"Strange, strange, strange."

I watched Orel disappear into the narrow corridor that led to the main entrance of the factory. "What's strange? And for G.o.d's sake, turn that G.o.dd.a.m.n alarm off."

Kieth absent-mindedly made a complex gesture and the alarm cut off.

"There's only one Monk."

Milton appeared at my elbow. "What do we do, chief?"

I held up a hand and squinted at Kieth. "Just one? You're sure?"

"Ty could spot a Monk the size of a mosquito out there, Mr. Cates. There's just one. It's moving . . . erratically."

Milton spread her arms. "Cates? What's the word?"

I looked around. "Hold tight," I ordered. I spun around and found the sisters grinning at me. "Give me a gun."

They both blinked, almost in unison. Their smiles faded a little.

"What?" said Tanner.

"Whatever piece-of-s.h.i.+t rod you overpaid for back in New York, hand it over."

They glanced at each other, silent secret twin telepathy sizzling the air between them, and then Tanner reached around herself and extracted a piece from some hidden holster and extended it to me. I reached out in horrified fascination and accepted it.

I stared at the monstrosity "A revolver," I said. "A G.o.dd.a.m.ned revolver revolver? Where did you even find find this relic? f.u.c.k, forget it." The gun was impossibly heavy in my hand-I was used to the feather light alloys of the Roon-and I suspected the recoil might knock me on my a.s.s. a.s.suming it didn't just explode when I pulled the trigger. I turned to Milton. "Hold tight. Don't move. We're not being chased out of here by one Monk and a possible distress signal. Kieth!" The bald head whipped around toward me, his eyes wide. "Keep tabs on outside. Get on the PA and this relic? f.u.c.k, forget it." The gun was impossibly heavy in my hand-I was used to the feather light alloys of the Roon-and I suspected the recoil might knock me on my a.s.s. a.s.suming it didn't just explode when I pulled the trigger. I turned to Milton. "Hold tight. Don't move. We're not being chased out of here by one Monk and a possible distress signal. Kieth!" The bald head whipped around toward me, his eyes wide. "Keep tabs on outside. Get on the PA and warn warn us if any more friends show up." us if any more friends show up."

Kieth nodded. "If any transmissions occur, Ty'll see. Won't be able to decode 'em, but at least we'll know the invites are out."

I ran after Orel, trotting, the heavy, ancient gun held down by my hip, pointed to the floor. As I approached the main entrance, Orel's arm shot out from the side wall and pulled me close. My arm came up automatically and put the barrel of the gun in his ribs.

"Cates," he whispered, "you run like you're angry at the ground. How old are you again? It's amazing you're still alive."

I tried to control my panting. "A Monk. Just one."

He loosened his grip. "Just one. It can't be a rescue job on your prisoner back there, then. They'd send a dozen, two dozen." He frowned. "Maybe it's just snuffling around, caught our scent. Thinks it'll try a group conversion." He put one of his guns back in its holster. I admired the way the cut of his coat hid both holsters perfectly. "If it's just a Monk, all it can do is bore us to death."

I shook my head. "Don't you f.u.c.king believe it, Orel. I've seen those things in action. They're G.o.dd.a.m.ned killing machines."

His frown deepened. "What the f.u.c.k are you talking about? You know who joins the f.u.c.king Electric Church? Beggars, dope fiends, small-fry pickpockets. Desperate people starving on their feet-that's who. You telling me some s.h.i.+tkicker with a tin body becomes a killing machine?"

"You don't get it, Orel. That's what Monks are. are. Doesn't matter who they Doesn't matter who they were. were." I fished my wireless headset from my pocket and fitted it into one ear. "Ty? You with me?"

"Here, Cates," his voice crackled. "It's still out there, circling around. Looks like it's probing our setup." He cleared his throat, the sound painfully loud in my ear. "I bolted this place down electronically, electronically, Cates. Physically there are a dozen spots it could wriggle through." Cates. Physically there are a dozen spots it could wriggle through."

I relayed this to Orel, who shrugged, pulling his second gun out again. "Mr. Cates, the main rule of engagement in a deserted neighborhood like this is simple: Control the f.u.c.king situation. You don't want the Tin Man out there coming in? Then stop hiding in here." He pushed me away. "Open the f.u.c.king door.Let's kick some a.s.s."

A booming, amplified voice tunneled through the wall, modulated, sweetened, and shatteringly loud.

"Avery Cates! Let me bring you to the end of time, Mr. Cates. Let me save you." This was followed by a strange, scratchy noise that I slowly realized was laughter. This was followed by a strange, scratchy noise that I slowly realized was laughter. "And by "And by save you, save you, Mr. Cates, I mean I'm going to eat your f.u.c.king kidneys, a.s.shole!" Mr. Cates, I mean I'm going to eat your f.u.c.king kidneys, a.s.shole!"

Orel looked at me, but I kept my eyes on the door. "You, uh, know know this Monk?" this Monk?"

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Oh, f.u.c.k me. f.u.c.k me." I looked at him. "Yeah. I think I do. You heard about a System Pig joined the Church a few days ago?"

Orel nodded once, his elegantly lined face vaguely mocking, just the hint of a smile. "Went on a rampage. A f.u.c.king malfunction or something."

"Cates! Come out and let me show you an ENDLESS TRAIL OF SUNSETS!"

"Cainnic Orel, or whoever the f.u.c.k you are," I said slowly, "I'd like you to meet Barnaby Dawson, former captain in the SS-f.u.c.king-F."

Orel raised an eyebrow. In my ear, I heard Ty groan. Orel's eyes slid down to my hand. "Mr. Cates, that is a charming charming weapon. Are you sure you're a professional? If we had a guild I might deny you entrance. Very well. Let's go out there and control this situation, and tear your old friend Dawson into small pieces so we do not repeat this episode, what say you?" weapon. Are you sure you're a professional? If we had a guild I might deny you entrance. Very well. Let's go out there and control this situation, and tear your old friend Dawson into small pieces so we do not repeat this episode, what say you?"

I nodded. "I don't see a choice here. Let's go."

"I'll go out first and draw fire," Orel said immediately.

I felt a brief surge of resistance to this idea, which I ruthlessly ignored. I was not going to get into a p.i.s.sing contest with the old man and get myself killed for the trouble. If the world's most famous Gunner wanted to take point, I was going to let him.

With a disconcerting wink, Orel shoved the door open and dove outside, hitting the ground, gunshots drilling divots into the pavement just behind him as he rolled away. I pushed myself after him, racing in the opposite direction. The door snicked snicked shut behind me. I dashed around the corner and flattened myself against the wall, thinking, shut behind me. I dashed around the corner and flattened myself against the wall, thinking, Well, if the G.o.dd.a.m.n gun doesn't explode in my hand when I pull the trigger, I guess I'm ahead of the game. Well, if the G.o.dd.a.m.n gun doesn't explode in my hand when I pull the trigger, I guess I'm ahead of the game.

"Mr. Cates, you've doubled!" Dawson called out. His voice was identical to that of every Monk I'd ever had the misfortune of hearing. "Didn't realize you had the scratch for an illegal clone. But you forget, I got religion, and religion tells me that the partial face shot of the first man out the door goes under the alias Cainnic Orel, Cainnic Orel, male, born Philadelphia, aged fifty-seven. That you, Canny? I doubt it, as I'm pretty sure Cainnic got shot to pieces about six years ago in the Mogadishu operation, but we never did find a body, did we? We always a.s.sumed this was because we male, born Philadelphia, aged fifty-seven. That you, Canny? I doubt it, as I'm pretty sure Cainnic got shot to pieces about six years ago in the Mogadishu operation, but we never did find a body, did we? We always a.s.sumed this was because we hadn't left much of a body to be hadn't left much of a body to be found, but perhaps you've merely risen from the dead. You're still on several Most Wanted lists-" found, but perhaps you've merely risen from the dead. You're still on several Most Wanted lists-"

I chanced a glance around the corner and was rewarded with an explosion of chipped stone, three sh.e.l.ls. .h.i.tting within centimeters of my face, I whipped backward, cheek stinging. I sat for a moment and contemplated something that could react that fast, that accurately, for whom shadows and rain and my own expertise meant nothing.

"Things are different, now, Cates! I'm air-conditioned and armor-plated. I'm networked and backed-up. Do you know what you did did to me? You to me? You killed killed me. I can me. I can remember remember it-dying. Do you know what it's like to be a System Cop who loses his badge? I didn't have more than a few days to live. They were f.u.c.king it-dying. Do you know what it's like to be a System Cop who loses his badge? I didn't have more than a few days to live. They were f.u.c.king lining up lining up to kill me, to torture me. I had nothing. And then this grinning little robot wants to talk to to kill me, to torture me. I had nothing. And then this grinning little robot wants to talk to me me about salvation? I thought it would be fun to twist off his little head and see what was inside, and you know what that little piece of s.h.i.+t about salvation? I thought it would be fun to twist off his little head and see what was inside, and you know what that little piece of s.h.i.+t did, did, Mr. Cates? It f.u.c.king shot me in the Mr. Cates? It f.u.c.king shot me in the b.a.l.l.s. b.a.l.l.s."

I needed to know exactly where the b.a.s.t.a.r.d was. I was contemplating another glance around the corner when Kieth's voice crackled in my ear.