Brother Death by Steve Perry Read Free Book Online

some height in the last few months, but Bork's weight-clothes, boots and all-wouldn't have added up to sixty kilos. The Confed officer, while not nearly so large as his da, was easily forty kilos bigger than the young Bork, much of it muscle. Before Bork could even think, the man backhanded him across the face, a hard slap that snapped his head to the side, stunning him.
    Time went into a holding pattern, slowing, twisting, puzzling. What-?
    "You don't dogheel citizens on these docks any more, swill, you hear me?" At the finish of the backhand his hand was naturally cocked for the second slap. Under his uniform, the officer's deltoids flexed as he tensed and started the hand coming back.
    Bork saw it, but through a red and throbbing haze.
    So slow . . .
    Bork was also vaguely aware that Revoo was twenty meters away and speeding up, laying fast track and not looking back.
    Another whack like the first one might cost teeth. Or knock him completely unconscious. Amazing that he had so much space to think and notice all these things, but at the same time was unable to move to do anything about them. Like there was a cut circuit between his brain and his body. He couldn't move, couldn't even blink
    Halfway to Bork's face, the officer's hand stopped.
    Then the man screamed.
    "Ahh! Shit-!"
    In a moment of clarity unlike any he had ever experienced, Bork saw the reason: Taz, wrapped around the man's right leg like a clutch-spider sucking a syrup cane. Biting him on the back of the thigh. The cloth tore under her teeth, the flesh parted, blood welled The officer let go of Bork's tunic. Reached down for Taz with both hands. Bellowed wordlessly.
    Solidly back on the surface of the dock again, Bork reacted without thinking. He jumped at the soldier, both his hands extended. He hit the man square on the chest with all his weight behind the shove. The officer was twisted and the impact was enough-he tumbled, hit hard on his left side.
    Bork grabbed Taz's arm. "Come on!"
    She released her grip on the officer. Scrambled away from him. They ran, with Bork half-carrying her by one arm.
    "Little bastard shitheads-!" the officer yelled. "Come back here!"
    But Bork dodged through the crowd, darting in and out of the startled outworld tourists as if they were standing as still as trees. In five seconds they were out of the officer's sight. In ten seconds, clear of the docks.
    A minute later, having put the maze of van delivery and trash collection alleyways between them and any possible pursuit, Bork stopped to catch his breath. Oh, man-!
    Taz was crying. She wiped at her mouth, clearing the little bit of cloth and blood from it.
    "You okay?" he asked.
    "Yeah."
    "Why are you crying?"
    "That man hit you."
    "Well, I'm okay. Don't cry now."
    "I bit him."
    "Yeah, that's right, you did."
    He looked at her. Revoo, his best friend, rocketed the second the Confed officer had reached for Bork.
    Vapor-trailed and never looked back, and Bork had to wonder if he would have done the same had the officer grabbed Revco instead of him. But little Taz, the tagtail twaddle, had grabbed the guy and sunk her teeth into him. Just like that, no questions, nothing, to help her brother. That meant something, something important. He was only twelve, but he understood that.
    "You did okay, Taz."
    "Yeah?"
    "Yeah. You shouldn't be biting people, you know, but it was the right thing to do this time. I won't forget it."
    "You won't tell Da?"
    "No. It's between you and me. Our secret."
    She grinned at him, and he rubbed her head, feeling the short burr of it under his hand, realizing something had changed. From the instant his sister had latched onto the Confed officer's leg, things weren't ever going to be quite the same between them again.
    It was a lesson about family he would never forget.

Chapter SIX
    KIFO SAT LOTUS, waiting.
    The entrance to the meditation chamber opened. Kifo did not look up but he felt the other man's massive form move across the wooden floor, heard the