Supreme Leader of Anstractor: A Sci-Fantasy Space Adventure (The New Phase Book 3) by Greg Dragon
Authors: Greg Dragon
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somehow been undone, and a vent high in the corner of the wall had been opened to allow his escape. She looked over at Marika, wide-eyed, expecting her ire, but Marika merely shook her head to show her disappointment. As Tayden fired up her comm to warn the rest of the compound, Marika Tsuno sprinted to the wall, bounced off of it towards the vent, and pulled herself up to pursue the traitor.
She was inside and pulling herself through as she tracked his sweat. This wasn’t the first time she’d gone after a mark through a tight crawlspace. She was the tiniest of her assassin’s guild, and many of the marks that had been assigned to her had been experts of espionage and escaping. She had pulled herself through drains, catacombs, and caves. It was always an exercise of mental fortitude, and she had hoped that her days of crawling would be over when she accepted Rafian’s invitation to be a Phaser.
Rafian. She thought of the tall, dark figure who had snuck into her room while she slept that fated day. He had slipped through the guild, killed several of its members, and found her to make his offer. They had become many things since that day and she regretted none of it. But now he was missing, and she wondered if she would ever get the chance to tell him how she truly felt.
Their connection had been one of silent understanding, two killers that operated out of instinct more than words. Now as she crawled she thought about how grateful she was to him for bringing her in to the Phasers and introducing her to Marian. Her life had a meaning now that went past blood, money, and a killer’s notoriety. She felt as if she had a family, and a lover/sister who cared for her beyond rank, duty, and membership.
She and Marian had crossed the line on many things when they had gone to Luca, and she wanted to let Rafian know. She wanted him to hear it and accept it so that she wouldn’t have to keep any secrets from him. The VCAs were the only people who knew who the real Marika Tsuno was. They accepted her, flaws and all, and she had shared every part of herself with them. Now there was a traitor threatening to hurt the new family that she loved so much, and she would not rest until she stopped him.
Her tracking brought her to the exit vent and she peered down it carefully before sliding through. It was the kitchen area of the jail, and she followed his tracks, which took her out and around to the same slope that led up to the agency. She climbed the halls, opened the door, and slid past the healing tanks to the cloning area where—
Marika’s heart sank when she saw the cloners, or what used to be the cloners as they were now damaged beyond recognition from what she could only assume was some sort of blunt weapon. She quickened her pace and turned on her comm, calling for Marian who answered immediately.
“Rhee, we have a situation.”
“I heard …”
“Well, the cruta’s out and he’s wrecked our cloners, so things are about as scary as they can get for us right about now.”
“Our cloners? Thype ! Are you joking? Find that bastard. I am putting every single Phaser and marine on his trail right now.”
* * *
After a day of walking through the arid desert, Rafian VCA saw a green outline on the horizon. At first he thought that it was his imagination, but he needed it to be real, so he decided against scavenging the starship to pushing on towards the green line.
The sun had gone down and the temperature dropped so he quickened his pace while taking an occasional swig from the bottle of coolant that he had taken for the journey. He felt broken, dirty, and exhausted, but in the back of his mind he knew that stopping would be suicide so he pressed on towards the green.
Overhead, a number of alien birds had begun to circle. Rafian assumed that these birds were not used to living creatures surviving in the desert and were holding out in case he toppled over dead, at which time they could swoop in to feast. It was either
She was inside and pulling herself through as she tracked his sweat. This wasn’t the first time she’d gone after a mark through a tight crawlspace. She was the tiniest of her assassin’s guild, and many of the marks that had been assigned to her had been experts of espionage and escaping. She had pulled herself through drains, catacombs, and caves. It was always an exercise of mental fortitude, and she had hoped that her days of crawling would be over when she accepted Rafian’s invitation to be a Phaser.
Rafian. She thought of the tall, dark figure who had snuck into her room while she slept that fated day. He had slipped through the guild, killed several of its members, and found her to make his offer. They had become many things since that day and she regretted none of it. But now he was missing, and she wondered if she would ever get the chance to tell him how she truly felt.
Their connection had been one of silent understanding, two killers that operated out of instinct more than words. Now as she crawled she thought about how grateful she was to him for bringing her in to the Phasers and introducing her to Marian. Her life had a meaning now that went past blood, money, and a killer’s notoriety. She felt as if she had a family, and a lover/sister who cared for her beyond rank, duty, and membership.
She and Marian had crossed the line on many things when they had gone to Luca, and she wanted to let Rafian know. She wanted him to hear it and accept it so that she wouldn’t have to keep any secrets from him. The VCAs were the only people who knew who the real Marika Tsuno was. They accepted her, flaws and all, and she had shared every part of herself with them. Now there was a traitor threatening to hurt the new family that she loved so much, and she would not rest until she stopped him.
Her tracking brought her to the exit vent and she peered down it carefully before sliding through. It was the kitchen area of the jail, and she followed his tracks, which took her out and around to the same slope that led up to the agency. She climbed the halls, opened the door, and slid past the healing tanks to the cloning area where—
Marika’s heart sank when she saw the cloners, or what used to be the cloners as they were now damaged beyond recognition from what she could only assume was some sort of blunt weapon. She quickened her pace and turned on her comm, calling for Marian who answered immediately.
“Rhee, we have a situation.”
“I heard …”
“Well, the cruta’s out and he’s wrecked our cloners, so things are about as scary as they can get for us right about now.”
“Our cloners? Thype ! Are you joking? Find that bastard. I am putting every single Phaser and marine on his trail right now.”
* * *
After a day of walking through the arid desert, Rafian VCA saw a green outline on the horizon. At first he thought that it was his imagination, but he needed it to be real, so he decided against scavenging the starship to pushing on towards the green line.
The sun had gone down and the temperature dropped so he quickened his pace while taking an occasional swig from the bottle of coolant that he had taken for the journey. He felt broken, dirty, and exhausted, but in the back of his mind he knew that stopping would be suicide so he pressed on towards the green.
Overhead, a number of alien birds had begun to circle. Rafian assumed that these birds were not used to living creatures surviving in the desert and were holding out in case he toppled over dead, at which time they could swoop in to feast. It was either
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