BEGINNING OF STORY

PREVIOUS (PART 31)

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I gave it 10 to 1 odds that the Randatti both knew about me from previous hits and figured I was a good candidate for the lone killer hired to take out Gredler. Thus, they would make sure their people knew what I looked like. Dip had some different odds, but I prefer my own analyzation for such things.

There were plans if I wasn't recognized, but they were moot now.

Neither of the two thugs had finished fully drawing their guns before I drew both of mine and put a large hole in each of them.

"WHAT ARE YOU..."

"Three things," I interrupted Diane, speaking quickly but calmly as I charged my blasters. "First, take note that they started to draw first. Second, if you have Zippy with you, I'd have him watch the door when we enter. Finally, there should be a lot of Randatti thugs shooting at us, and I suggest shooting back."

What Diane did next was the wildcard. She could remain confused and get her pretty little head blown off, but my guess was she'd adapt. Dip didn't have enough information to put odds on that one.

Hopefully she wouldn't spend too much time trying to find her radio to call for backup since I already swiped it.

The charged blasts destroyed the front doors, and I ran in shooting, firing my guns before I even identified targets. There were at least a dozen low rent thugs in expensive suits waiting in the main room, and now they were scattering for cover while firing in panic. I took a lot down quickly but ducked by some cover as I moved for the stairway. A couple more shots and there was a moment of calm.

"Watch my back! I'm going upstairs to have a chat with the Senator!" I called to Diane. Her little robot was flying near the door to catch any exterior guards trying to run inside. She had her blaster out and seemed to be in battle mode, scanning the room ready to fire on any who came at us.

Good girl; save questions for later. I smiled as I headed up the stairs and heard Diane following behind me. If she survived this, it would really increase the fun factor of the next part.

More guards appeared ahead of me and fell dead before they could comprehend what they saw. I heard Diane's blaster (different sound from the others) and the thuds of two bodies in the distance. That's my killer.

If my guess was right about where the Senator would be hiding now, it was going to be a deadly run down a hallway. "Stay here and watch that no one comes up behind me. I'll call you when I need you."

"Rico! What..." she started to say, but stopped to fire at another thug across the room. I charged into hallway ahead of me, firing like a madman. I ripped up a lot of the walls and a few bodyguards in the effort. As I passed a few doorways, I switched to walking down the hall sideways, one gun pointed forward and one rearward, giving my peripheral a good workout as I tried to watch both directions. This slowed me down, but it wasn't my nature to let someone else watch my back (namely Diane who I would guess was ready to have some huge emotional outburst soon as her life wasn't being immediately threatened). A few more kills, a few more bodies to hop over, and I was to Senator Gredler's room.

A swift kick sent the door flying open, and I fired upon the five bodyguards inside. I was as quick as possible, but they were waiting for me. They fell, but there was also smoke coming from my side. I think my jacket was just singed, but I wasn't about to pause and check. I kicked the door closed and found Gredler huddled under a desk.

Corridians, like most alien species, look about all the same to me, but he had that arrogant air of a politician about him, even as he cowered below me. He knew there were more bodyguards outside about to rush me, but he also knew he was just one trigger pull away from dead.

"You're making a mistake!" he yelled, "I'll pay you dou... triple what the Corloni were paying you! You can name your price!"

I smiled, holstered my guns, and then attached a transmitter to the computer on Gredler's desk. "Dip, send him my rates."

NEXT

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