Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 32 (a)

Chapter 32

Adjani and Adisa were expert psi trackers and had been trailing Goroshenko as the big man made his way to Central Plaza. His disguise was irrelevant to them as they did not need to visually identify him to know who he was. Only ship security would be fooled by his appearance.

They were able to stay far enough back not to be spotted and the fixed routes aboard the ship made it easier to determine where he was headed.

The loss off their brother did not allow them to triangulate using psi skills any more. His death had left them wounded in many ways. They were, however, able to trail Goroshenko and close the distance. The telltale psi signature was easy for them to follow.

Their anger towards Orion was white hot as they contemplated her demise. If Goroshenko could lead them to the girl so much the better. They were wary of ship security but had been patrolling the corridors on the hunt for Orion with a studied casualness. There were a number who walked the corridors at any time of night or day although fewer since the fire and multiple deaths in Central Plaza.

They could stay far enough back for Goroshenko not to see them. He had no psi ability to detect their tracking. Adisa and Adjani knew he was slippery one and could apparate if he even got a sniff of danger. But he wasn't the target, she was. Orion Ruskovich could apparate as well and both brothers were determined to kill her before she could disappear again.

As midnight on the ship neared, a small crowd gathered at the closed pressure doors leading into Central Plaza. Despite the filtration system blowers on, the smell of burnt material was detectable. This acrid stench was more of a irritant to Adjani and Adisa. Their senses were at a much higher level than normal human brain activity. They could hear, see, smell and taste with greater acuity and their tactile sense was so great they could pick up vibrations through their fingers that could read the sensitivity of foiling a lock or if someone had an irregular heartbeat.

The crowd of two dozen slowed to keep from bunching up. Adisa was in the main corridor and halted at the intersection with the side corridor. He could see Adjani headed towards him with yet more people, a mix of human and non-human. Turning back to look towards the pressure doors, his sharp vision focused on a few looming figures. While his psi reading told him Goroshenko was just ahead, there a number of people it could be. Only getting closer would narrow it down. The Russian was good at disguises.

An announcement could be heard over the PA ahead telling people to stand clear. Rotating white alert lights and the rumble of the pressure doors moving to one side. The crowd stirred. Two door sets of were parting just beyond the lifts. Central Plaza was a self contained section but since the fire, passengers had to take alternate routes to port, starboard and decks below and above to enter on the far side.

As the stern doors moved to open, it was clear there was a small crowd on the other side. It was a clever cover as people filed past one another, it was going to be difficult to stay close to Goroshenko without giving themselves away and in turn alerting Orion to their presence as well. And yet Adisa and Adjani had to move closer.

They still could not identify Goroshenko from the four taller individuals stretched out along the wall. The doors finally opened fully with a clank and the emergency lights stopped rotating. A mechanical voice declared it was all clear. Crew members ushered people in and everyone stayed to their right in standard traffic pattern following illuminated arrows on the floor.

Adjani sidled up to Adisa unobtrusively. Both were experiencing sensory overload in terms of what they were feeling, seeing and hearing. Their heightened awareness in the confined corridor made it hard to focus. A few of the larger figures moved forward and Adjani was about to advance. Adisa clutched his arm and shook his head in the negative.

One figure held back casually. Could it be? It was a Koranthan monk. It was counter-intuitive for the big tattooed man to be in the costume of a monk, almost profane. But then that is what made it a great disguise. With a look, Adisa and Adjani knew this was their target and when he started to move they did too.

Goroshenko as the monk walked to the halfway point between the pressure doors. The lifts adjacent were just beginning to discharge passengers. To this point they had been closed while the fire damage was being repaired.

The two brothers were several meters back when Goroshenko as the monk suddenly collapsed at the halfway point. The man was clutching his chest and if there was any doubt, pulled off the headgear. He was clearly in distress and appeared to be having a heart attack like a bolt out of the blue.

Adisa's mouth hung open. "Is he...?"

Adjani shook his head. "Not heart attack. I feel psi energy."

He pointed at a man inside Central Plaza who seemed to be holding his hand out slightly in front and squeezing. Adisa blanched. It was no one they recognized but clearly looked like an attack. The two brother began to push toward Goroshenko. The crowd, alarmed by the screams coming from the Russian and fearing a renewed attack in Central Plaza, fled. They were right to do so.

Almost immediately the sound of gunfire was heard and felt. A bullet whizzed by overhead. Adjani and Adisa were gobsmacked. They had no idea what was going on but real bullets were flying and directed at Goroshenko. Without thinking, they reached for but did not draw their own weapons and charged ahead. Three figures emerged from an adjacent control booth. The two men ran to pull the now collapsed Russian to safety while a droid ran at high speed out into Central Plaza.

The klaxon for the pressures started up again along with flashing lights. This time the doors were closing. A mechanical voice again told. The slow rumble of the doors moving could be felt through the deck. Gunshots and bullets were causing panic.

Any further advance towards Central Plaza were hindered by people running for their lives and more gunshots. Adisa and Adjani jostled to move forward as people tumbled and fell. Suddenly, twisted parts of what looked to be the droid were being strewn across the floor. The parts were smoldering. The two figures assisting Goroshenko pulled him to some sort of cage.

Adjani looked to Adisa in confusion. Neither has any idea what the cage was for and if it was for protection, it was doing a sorry job of it as bullets passed through it and hit the wall beside it.

The older man and ship steward moved back out of the cage and sealed it and as they did, a bullet hit the steward. Seconds later the pressure doors to Central Plaza closed with a resounding thump.

There was no where for Adjani and Adisa to go but back. Instinctively, they moved to holster their weapons and turned to retreat only to see ship security closing in on them further down the corridor. They were blown. After a lifetime of being predators, they knew when prey were cornered and out of options. The brothers were out of options. Even as they pushed through the small number of remaining panicked bystanders, they knew that once spotted, ship security would pursue them. Their instinct was to fight back but to what end? Escape aboard a moving ship was as unlikely and capture was unthinkable. It was galling that somehow a young girl like Orion seemed to be able to evade in ways they couldn't.

The brothers turned down a corridor only to see more security setting up a cordon further down. They went up another corridor and likewise, more security. Adjani stopped and looked back at Adisa.

"Brother, we have reached the end," said Adjani.

"We have, brother," replied Adisa.

"We can join our brother Azi in the afterworld."

Adisa smiled at that.

"Three brothers together again."

Adjani and Adisa pulled their guns from their concealed holsters and pointed at one another. They smiled as each pulled the trigger.

Deputy Security Chief Champion who was advancing down the corridor behind Faraday riot shields watched as the two brothers collapsed after simultaneous exchanged head shots. His reaction was one of impotent anger at what he regarded as cowardice.