The Dark Edge Chronicles - Hardwire

Braddox

"Either you're as stupid as a sack of hammers," Braddox finally managed to say, his body still quivering from the effects of his mirth.  "Or you've got balls the size of watermelons, coming in here and saying that to me!"  He paused to wipe a tear from his eye, grinning now from ear to ear.

"Obviously you're a wirehead, or you wouldn't have made it past Clyve.  And considering the respect he gave you, you've got some juice under that tacky hair do.  But you're not with any local nation so you mustn't be from around here."  The blocky mover's eyes narrowed slightly.  "Which brings me to the question: why the hell should you care what we're doing here, huh?"

Just as abruptly as he had dissolved into laughter, Braddox was once again dead serious as he leaned forward, his eyes twin laser beams as they bore into Mordecai's.

"Are you some kind of psionic cop or something?"

"I wasn't aware there was such a thing," Mordecai answered softly, eyes narrowing.  "No, a concerned citizen, that's all."

"A concerned citizen that interferes with Brotherhood business at a whim and injures Brotherhood employees?  Well, 'concerned citizen', why don't you take that concern and stuff it up your ass!"  Braddox bit out, any veneer of culture sloughing off as his eyes glittered dangerously. "The Brotherhood answers to no-one.  Especially not to a burnout like you.  So get the hell out of here before I forget you're a fellow wirehead and burn you to ash!"

Mordecai frowned slightly, letting his eyes lightly run over Braddox's features.  He wasn't an unhandsome man, but the cruelty and barely checked rage that seemed to percolate just under the surface twisted his features into a mask of grim foreboding.  The closely shaved head and the black clothing served only to enhance that impression.  He was dangerous, that much was certain.  But how far could Mordecai push him before he broke and lashed out?  Time to find out!

"Ah, threats.  The avenue of the psychologically weak."  His face hardened.  "If the best your 'Brotherhood' has to offer was those three buffoons I took out at the airport, your threats are worthless.  So save your breath!"

"I thought as much," Braddox growled.  "You're the renegade that ambushed our boys."

Mordecai was already formulating a retort halfway through Braddox's flat statement when a soft chime sounded inside his mind.  'The algorithm!'  Then, with a surge of neural energy, the decrypted information rushed into his mind, a flood of symbols, words and images.  The man in black barely managed to stop his eyes from widening in surprise at what he abruptly found racing by his mind's eye.  'What the ... they're going to do what??'

As the data continued to stream into his mind, Mordecai felt a wave of revulsion wash through him.  But, knowing that seeing emotion on his face might give Braddox an excuse to attack, he hurriedly pushed it all into the back of his mind.  Perhaps now he could use it to his advantage.

"Ambushed?  Hardly." The man in black laughed softly and Braddox's face tightened even further.  "I gave them ample opportunity to defend themselves.  But they were no match for me.  I took them out fast so the Normals wouldn't have any further involvement."

"Normals!"  Braddox snorted, grimacing.  "Those mud-brained slugs have had their day.  Soon it will end and the era of the psionics will begin."  'Ah,'  Mordecai thought darkly.  'Now to play the ace.'

"I suspect you're referring to your little plot to launch a coup against the Normals and abruptly take over control of the planet," the big man said almost offhandedly and Braddox's eyes widened in surprise.  Mordecai pressed on, his smile returning for a brief moment.

"You're not the only one that can look into minds, my friend.  Even those that are already dead!"

"Shit," Braddox hissed.  "That damn teep at the airport.  So they were right; you did get a data download before his mind was gone."