Page 10

Old Man Tyng’s son and heir apparent, Sokun, was killed in the Kuus underground, while playing meet ‘n’ greet with the Pack, who are a slightly more cannibalistic version of the Whites.

Sokun Tyng’s death prompted the shitstorm that ended with me killing the Old Man, Chiara taking her father’s place, and me and Kez running the Old Man’s empire.

Kez says she doesn’t believe that the Kuus Pack had anything to do with Sokun Tyng’s death, but I’ve never been convinced.

One of the first things I did when I got access to the Tyng-net was review all the intel I could find.

But there wasn’t anything solid. A couple of suggestions that the hit was an inside job, which led to the Old Man taking down Kimpler, but even that was more guesswork than anything else.

When Kez and I were dealing with Tyng, it seemed like he had absolutely everything and everyone under his thumb.

Having peered behind the veil, I realize that a lot of his moves were guesswork and desperation.

Personally, I think he made a mistake in killing Kimpler.

And weirdly, since Kimpler’s left behind several clones, that’s a mistake I could rectify. But that’s a problem for tomorrow.

“Java down, yes,” Captain Match says, slow and deep, like the voice of the fucking bedrock. I thought my voice was deep. “But he not out. He face a full hand of the Snake’s assassins, but he survive.”

I lift an eyebrow. “The Snake’s assassins.” The Whites called Old Man Tyng the ‘Crystal Snake,’ after the Hex he peddled. “You’re saying Tyng killed his own son?”

Captain Match gives a slow nod. “Java wound two. He say they bleed like the Broken Moon. Silver and black.”

Those are the Tyng corporate colors. There’s branding and then there’s bleeding the company logo.

Even the geneers that work for Tyng Enterprises ain’t that modified.

Java sounds like a nut. Of course, of all the rats I’ve met, the only one who I’d really call sane is Acker. “Yeah, what else he say?” I ask .

Kez gives me a subtle elbow. Guess my sarcasm was a little too obvious. “Just curious, kitten,” I add, to take the edge off and remind Captain Match that, no matter what a prick I am, I’m still with Kez.

Captain Match doesn’t seem to take offense. “He say they fight like Orclas. No mercy. To the last man.”

That’s not my experience with the aquatic predator. The one that attacked Kez and me a few weeks ago turned tail as soon as Kez wounded it. Maybe it was a baby. “If Java wounded two, who took out the others?”

“Crystal Snake’s ownem son. He kill three before they send him to Lady Mot.”

I’ve never heard anything about Sokun Tyng’s martial abilities, but it makes sense that Old Man’s son could take care of himself.

That’s one of the places the Old Man’s gender bias really let him down.

If he’d trained Chiara half as well as it sounds like he trained his son, he wouldn’t have needed to buttonhole me.

“Where’s Java now?” I ask.

Captain Match hesitates. Maybe he did take offense. Or maybe he just doesn’t trust me.

Acker’s clawed hand lands on my shoulder a second before he speaks. “Tell him, Match.”

Match may not trust me, but someone does.

“Shine City,” Captain Match says.

“Zhonnys,” Kez supplies, which is helpful because ‘Shine City’ doesn’t mean dick to me. Once she says it, the nickname makes sense. Zhonnys is so highly irradiated from the Colony’s dirty terraforming that it probably does glow in the dark.

Kez leans around me. “Could I see him?” she asks Acker. “Me and Snow?”

Acker’s paw tightens, then he releases my shoulder. “I will get a message to his caretaker. Tee?”

Tiancha immediately appears on his far side, holding two bulbs.

She hands one to Acker, nods and makes her way through the suite towards a shadowed space beyond the curtained bed.

She disappears with a glimmer of her poncho.

There’s another tunnel or exit back there.

I revise my mental map of Acker’s domain.

“Old Man Tyng figured the hit on Sokun came from the Clouds,” I say to Acker.

Acker shrugs. “The worm inevitably turns.”

“You keep tabs on Kimpler and his people?”

Acker nods.

“Any reason Kimpler would try to take out the Old Man’s son?”

“I cannot say for certain,” Acker answers. “But I would not have thought so. His many faces were turned east.”

“East as in Eastern Colony?”

Acker nods. “There were many comings and goings, from Kaliddy and Tasph. Even the horse-men of Braggah have come. That all ended the night you brought Lady Mot to the Clouds.”

Kez snorts. “She’d love that.”

Kez’s sister, Erin, was the one who killed Kimpler. And since Erin seems to have inherited all the ego Kez lacks, being nicknamed Lady Death probably would tickle her.

Tiancha makes a gliding return from wherever she went and takes up position on the other side of Acker, effectively closing our circle to Grace, who sits down on the couch without visible pique.

“Peg says Java wants to see you,” she tells Kez. “But he’s very weak. Could you wait a three-day?”

Kez looks up at me. “Is that okay? I know you have a run that day.”

I have a regular run to the Bauz cycler every six days. The next one is three days from now. I’m surprised Kez remembers. But she’s a good businesswoman, my kitten. She keeps track of things like that.

“Maier can handle it,” I tell her. He likes to call himself my partner; he can live up to the name.

I probably shouldn’t bother trying to keep my shipping business going, now that Kez and I are running Tyng’s empire. But both of us are clinging to our old livelihoods like we still need the credits. Like neither of us believe the Tyng-gig is permanent .

Acker’s claws curl over my shoulder, prickling through my shirt’s sheer fabric. “If you can wait until nightfall, I will join you. I would hear what happened to the Snake’s Heir for myself. And what Java knows of Nacht and CJ. Diamond has still not answered for their disappearances.”

Well, that’s one of my questions answered.

So the Whites don’t know any more than they did a week ago.

A week ain’t long in real terms, I realize.

But Tiancha said Nacht was Acker’s brother in the change .

I don’t know exactly what that means, but I understand brotherhood.

I wouldn’t go a week without finding out what happened to any man I called brother.

“Glad to have you along,” I tell him. “You want a lift?”

“Are you offering me a ride, or just taking another opportunity to show off your fancy ship?”

I chuckle. “Both.”

“Then I will gladly admire your ship for a free ride to Kuus.”

“Didn’t say it was free. If we’re waitin’ until nightfall, you can spring for dinner.”

“With pleasure.” Acker’s chuckle is a shade deeper than mine. He holds up his bulb with his free hand and I tink mine against it. He doesn’t move his hand on my shoulder, and I wonder if there’s some significance to that. I don’t try to shift out from under it, despite the prickle of his claws.

We all drink, with Captain Match bowing his head over his drink for a moment before he does. That’s something I’ve seen Helasites do, and wonder if he’s Faithful. They ain’t usually Mods, though.

“Tell me more about your problem with the Ojos ,” I say, to avoid the topics that brought Kez and me to the Clouds. I want to see how much Acker says in front of Captain Match and Grace. I know Tiancha is inner circle, but I’m not sure about the other two.

“Over dinner,” Acker says lightly, but there’s no mistaking his meaning. “Match, if you would?”

Captain Match immediately bows to Kez. “Lightfoot, pleasure to meet ‘um. ”

She smiles back. “And you.”

Match collects Grace from the couch. With old-fashioned courtesy, he offers her his arm. “Come, dear’um. I take you to dinner.”

Grace smiles up at him and if that smile contains any of the coquettish sexuality that fucked with my equilibrium before, Captain Match gives no sign. Maybe he’s used to it.