{Enki | Gait}
Matt laid his last explosive charge and narrowed his gaze at the horizon. His zone could use at least two hundred more. Where was the refill he’d asked for? And the rations? It wasn’t like the shrine team to take this long, but maybe they partied too hard and needed a food coma. He could use one himself.
With a stretch, Matt stared out at the ocean in the sky. It grew larger as they flew closer. They were definitely moving faster. Why hadn’t their team informed them yet?
On cue, Puk came over the line. “I’ve been done for an hour. I want to request a transfer to help with your zone, but they’re not responding to me.”
Yup. Sounded about right. “You called it.”
“I did. You owe me three rounds at the driving range.”
Matt grinned and shook his head, incredulous. “I’m still reeling over your deep love of golf.”
Puk’s voice hinted at indignation. “It’s a game of finesse. That’s not exactly a skill I get to flaunt a lot, seeing as people only hire drones for muscle or porn.” He was understandably sensitive about it.
Or Matt assumed it was understandable. He wasn’t sure of his own grasp on sensitivity. In his assumption of the best friend role, Matt said, “Preach, man.”
After a pause, Puk corrected, “But you know I don’t mind me some porn.”
Of course not. He’d starred in four of Iuo’s films in the short month they’d spent at the Reipon Villa before coming here.
To die.
“Do you think she’ll save us in time?” There was no fear or actual concern in the drone’s voice. Only mild finality.
Lucy. Incredible, insatiable Lucy. Not only would she save them in time, she’d amass some army at her back, change into the sexiest battle gear, and turn up drenched in the blood of their enemies in the nick of time. Perfection.
“Yeah. I know she will.”
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In a soft voice, Puk asked, “How many people did Imminent kill up there? Fourteen? Twenty?”
Matt counted on his fingers before saying, “If you count the secret Tantamount team more like forty or sixty.”
Again, that righteous fire burned in the other man’s words. “And that doesn’t even include the ten thousand on the surface of this hemisphere.” Puk gave a disdainful snort. “They really think they’ll get by with this.”
In some ways, the redhead understood justice or right from wrong. Razor was very much an example of Matt on the wrong course. Both men enjoyed wrenching death from a life. The only trouble with the Pain Curator was his inability to discriminate a worthy life from a worthless one. All the Justices in the Cult of Night had deserved their ends. Razor deserved his. But those people who’d worked to save the Tritans’ home only wanted to help. A worthy cause, and Remorse murdered them with their prize for helping.
Matt’s blood quickened at the thought of crushing that bastard’s skull. “On a scale of ‘Rayne killing Nox’ to ‘Sagan bisecting Enki,’ how excited are you to make sure they won’t get by with this?”
Without hesitation, Puk said, “Easy. I’m as excited as Tameka when Xelan resurrected.”
That’s pretty excited. “That’s what I wanna hear—”
Among the rubble surrounding Matt, several granules of gravel rose about hip-height and lingered in the air. He glanced around to find it was happening everywhere. As far as he could see, the tiny rocks hovered—
Faster than they lifted, they fell back to the ground.
Weird.
Puk’s frown was in his voice. “Hey, man. I’m seeing some weird shit.”
That couldn’t be good. “Over here, too—”
The gravel rose again, slowly. Almost straining. This time, Matt’s stomach kinda followed. The sensation was foreign and concerning—
When they fell, his stomach flopped like taking a hill too fast in a car.
“The inertia dampeners are wearing off,” Puk warned over the mic.
It didn’t explain why the rocks were somersaulting—
Gravity.
The artificial gravity they’d installed required constant monitoring, and with the team all dead, well…
A little shaky, Puk said, “Remind me again why we wanted to do this job.”
Easy. Matt recited the answer on his way to the nearest building with an intact ceiling. “Because as long as Gait hurdles toward Enki’s hull, Rayne stands a chance. If the Dyson’s Sphere is destroyed first, she may not have to die like all those zealots said she would.”
The rocks hovered longer with each interval, and Matt’s stomach felt it.
Puk’s labored breathing over the line indicated he was also seeking shelter. “So how did my ass end up on the planet laying explosive charges?”
A derelict space scraper would suffice as shelter from floating away. For now. Crouched in a corner, Matt said, “Because you and your cousin’s entire demo team are experts in diffusing construction charges, and if we’d let any other team win the bid, then the Shadow would lose one more avenue of hope for Rayne.”
“So I’m one noble motherfucker. That’s what you’re saying? Xelan and Tameka will erect monuments in our honor?” Puk’s way of asking obvious questions never failed to amuse Matt.
Clinging to the surface of a spinning rock, Matt said, “Something like that.”
“Cool. I’d look fabulous in bronze.”