“It eased up when we actually ended up giving them more in their 40 percent split than they were getting with their 50 percent split.” Eazi sounded amused.
“We also took the headache of running the way station off of them, but I think some of them liked the control and are still salty about it.” Fiona walked toward him and pointed to her left. “There’s an office up those stairs. That’s where they were holding Natta.”
“There were some boxes up there, too,” Eazi reminded her. “If Security hasn’t taken them, we need to know what’s inside.”
There was a sound from the window, and Hal gripped his shockgun as he turned to look, but it was a small drone, towing a long box. It just fit through the window.
“Yours, I presume?” he asked Eazi.
“Mine,” the thinking system agreed. “Don’t let it bother you, it’s going to gather up all the parts.”
Hal watched as a long, telescopic arm emerged, clamped around a part, and deposited in the box behind.
“You think there may be some useful information in the raised office?” Hal asked, turning back to look up the rough stairs.
Fiona shrugged. “I didn’t see any when I was getting Natta out, but I was in a hurry. There might be more in the front office, and we can look there when we’re finished in here, but I’m guessing Security took everything worth taking.”
Hal jogged up, wondering why they’d elevated the office, unless it was a hold-over from when the place had differentowners. The door was open and inside was a desk, a chair and a shelf. Hal could see a dark stain on the floor which looked like blood, and he guessed that it belonged to Natta.
The desk no longer contained any boxes.
Fiona went around it and sat on the chair and began pulling the drawers open. “Nothing.” She made a face as she pushed the chair away and stood.
From below, Hal heard a door close quietly.
“That wasn’t the drone,” Eazi said, voice suddenly tense. “I didn’t see anyone arrive, though, so I’m not sure who they are or how many of them there are.”
Hal drew his shockgun and walked to the door, crouching down as he peered down the stairs.
He glanced behind him and saw Fiona was tugging at the necklace she was wearing.
He turned back, and saw three figures near the door to the front office.
One of them turned up the stairs, the other two disappeared among the stacks.
Hal rose to his feet, shockgun in both hands, waiting.
Whoever was moving toward them must have suddenly felt a sense of caution, because they slowed down on the last few stairs.
Their height made him sure they were Balcoan, but they were wearing a head covering and carrying a shockgun.
He had a clear shot, but it would be better for him to take the Balcoan down inside the office, out of sight of the others, rather than on the stairs.
He slid along the wall, and glanced back at Fiona. She nodded and ducked down behind the desk, out of the line of sight from the doorway.
The Balcoan hesitated at the sight of the open door, then pushed through into the office.
He took a few steps inside, and Hal shot him in the back.
He staggered forward with a shout, but he didn’t go down.
Damn. Shockgun protection.
That said something about who he was.
Before he could turn and shoot at Hal, Fiona rose up from behind the desk and he shot at her instead.
The shot ricocheted straight back at him, and he collapsed onto the desk, down but not out.
