Chrono Inquisitor (Gods Be Damned) by Rien Reigns Read Free Book Online

whole lot smaller than usual. That was because there were four men in the room as well. They’d been there during the entire conversation between Frank and myself, hiding on the other side of the camera.
    “Yes, he did take the assignment,” said one of the men. “But we noted some…oddities, during your conversation.”
    His voice wasn’t natural. It was enhanced. Clean and crisp. Robotic. But that’s because he was. The man was completely encased in unblemished, shiny white, cybernetic armor. It put him at 198 cm (6’6”) tall, and made him nearly twice as big as most men. With his augmented limbs he was at least five times as strong.
    Frank had never seen the true face behind the metal mask. Neither had I. Very few people had. Rumors said he’d lost his jaw, and half his face was horribly disfigured. It’d happened before cellular regeneration and reconstruction technology showed enough promise. He’d opted to go the cyborg route, and replaced his damaged self with metal.
    “ Such as?” Frank said, and poured himself some more wine.
    “For starters, there was a delay in his accepting the case,” the man said.
    “Plus he asked for considerably more than what you offered,” said the cyborg in dark red armor. He was a couple centimeters taller, and bigger than the man in white.
    “Don’t forget his inquiry into whether Inquisitor Noble was also assigned,” said the cyborg in black armor. He was several centimeters shorter than the other two, and not nearly as bulky. If they were all large cats, white would be a lion, red a tiger, and black a cheetah. “The fact you’ve requested we look into that one, does not bode well for Inquisitor Yan’s innocence.”
    Frank gulped down the alcohol and looked at the last of them. The one wearing the pale, greenish-yellow armor. Compared to the others he was child sized. It was like he wasn’t wearing any armor. Like his body itself was the metal encasing. Frank wondered if the man, if he even was a man anymore, would end his vow of silence at that moment.
    He didn’t .
    He just stood there, unmoving. His facemask didn’t even have eyes, so you couldn’t tell where he was looking. There was just this feeling like he was weighing your soul when his head was turned your direction. It made you want to run away. To keep running, and never look back.
    “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for all those actions,” Frank said, trying to defend me. His friend. His charge. “He said he was having a bad day. He was distracted, that’s all. And as for those other matters, he takes his job seriously. He’s the best in this division for a reason.” Frank said that last bit with complete confidence.
    “Yes,” the cyborg in white said. “Thank you for bringing that up. It would seem Inquisitor Yan caused quite a stir this morning. We received several reports from the local authorities in regards to his behavior . Quite inexcusable. Even though Inquisitors are granted considerable luxuries and leeway in regards to most laws, they are supposed to be discreet. We have footage that he brandished his badge in public, and for what, just to be able to sit in a booth rather than at a solitary counter.”
    “Okay,” Frank said. “It was stupid of him, but that still doesn’t mean he’s E3.”
    The white armored cyborg nodded. “True, but behavior like his is becoming a problem amongst Inquisitors. Mr. Richards isn’t happy. Several countries have already expressed concerns about Inquisitors becoming more powerful than local authorities. We have enough problems dealing with groups like Human Purity and E3. The last thing we need is countries to start turning against us. If Inquisitor Yan weren’t already under investigation, his actions today would warrant one.”
    Damn it, Trav, what the hell have you gotten yourself into, Frank thought.
    “I still don’t understand,” Frank said. “Why have me assign Travis to Mr. Beit? If they are working together,