Rogue by Mark Walden Read Free Book Online Page A

out from its sheath and pointing at him. The Professor swallowed nervously.
    The cat spoke. ‘You had better hope it does not.’

    Darkdoom looked up as Nero and Raven entered his office. Outside, night was just starting to fall over the Sydney skyline.
    ‘Thank you for waiting,’ Diabolus said, gesturing at the two seats facing his desk. The other members of the ruling council had left an hour ago. He needed to talk to these two alone.
    ‘We cannot allow this to stand,’ Nero said as he sat down. ‘Trent has declared war.’
    ‘We cannot stop what we cannot find,’ Darkdoom said with a sigh. ‘Until we know where he is hiding, we can only sit and wait for him to make his next move. How close are you to tracking him down, Natalya?’
    ‘Honestly, I am not sure,’ Raven replied. ‘Until we have analysed the data on Khan’s computer, it is impossible to say.’
    ‘Do you want my people to look at it?’ Darkdoom asked.
    ‘I would rather have Professor Pike do it,’ said Nero. ‘Under the circumstances, we cannot afford to take any chances that the data might be damaged during retrieval.’
    ‘Of course,’ Darkdoom agreed. ‘There’s something else I need to discuss with you though. You both know how much we owe Otto. He has done as much as anyone to ensure the survival of both H.I.V.E. and G.L.O.V.E. over the past couple of years, but that cannot be a reason to ignore the danger that he has now come to represent.’
    ‘I do not believe he has turned against us voluntarily,’ Nero said, frowning. ‘Trent must have done something to him, broken him somehow.’
    ‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Darkdoom replied, ‘but that does not change the fact that he is now being used as a weapon against us. I want you both to know that I have not taken this decision lightly.’
    Nero recognised the look in his friend’s eyes and he did not like what it meant.
    ‘I cannot ignore the feelings of the rest of the council in this matter,’ Darkdoom continued. ‘I’m afraid I have no alternative but to issue a capture or kill order.’
    ‘You can’t do that,’ Nero said quickly. ‘You know as well as I do what that will mean to the other members of the council. You might as well issue a termination warrant.’
    ‘You saw what happened earlier, Max,’ Darkdoom snapped back. ‘If I don’t act decisively now, there are those on the council who will simply see it as a sign of weakness. Do you really want someone like Chavez at the head of G.L.O.V.E.? You know he is just waiting for his chance to move against me.’
    ‘Give us more time,’ Raven said angrily. ‘That’s all we need.’
    ‘I cannot, Natalya,’ Darkdoom replied, sounding frustrated. ‘What do you think will happen if another member of the council is assassinated? Chaos. There is a very real chance that it would mean the end of our organisation. G.L.O.V.E. was founded on the principle that we were safer acting together than individually, but if Trent is allowed to pick us off one by one, this organisation will implode. Without G.L.O.V.E., Trent will be completely unopposed and the world will become a global police state or something far worse. I will not allow that to happen.’
    ‘We can stop him, Diabolus,’ Nero said. ‘There has to be another way.’
    ‘I wish there was, old friend,’ Diabolus said quietly. ‘I truly do.’
    ‘At least give me a head start,’ Raven said. ‘Twenty-four hours to analyse the data on the computer I retrieved. That’s all I need.’
    ‘I’m afraid it’s too late for that, Natalya,’ Darkdoom said with a sigh. ‘I gave the order ten minutes ago.’
    ‘You did what?’ Nero snapped, suddenly furious.
    ‘Otto’s too dangerous, Max. You know that.’
    ‘Try telling that to your son when you have to explain to him how you ordered the execution of one of his friends!’ Nero shouted. ‘If this is what being a member of this organisation has come to mean, then it may very well be something that I,