The Knights of the Black Earth by Margaret Weis, Don Perrin Read Free Book Online

read administrative
government facility, janus 2. The sign made no mention of the fact that
the Federal Intelligence and Security Agency was housed inside the building; it
was supposedly top secret. But everyone on the planet knew. Janus 2 was quite
proud of it. The building was a regular stop for tour shuttles.
    The agents dodged
a group of uniformed schoolchildren, who squealed with delight.
    I’ll bet he’s a
Fed!”
    Hey, mister, can
we see your gun?”
    Xris shook his
head, kept walking. A large and ugly electrified fence—a grim contrast to the
flower beds—surrounded the building. Xris was always meaning to ask Ito what
symbology the fence held.
    “Any idea what
this meeting is about?”
    “Nope,” Ito
answered, lowered his voice. “But it’s bound to be about the Hung. We’ve been
working on this damn case for months now. Word is it’s ready to break.”
    “About time! I
hope this isn’t another of those goddamn ass-numbing talk sessions. Sit around
and yammer at one another for hours and get nothing done.”
    Ito laughed, but
he wasn’t very sympathetic. He liked the planning part of any assignment,
considered it a “cerebral exercise.” Xris considered it bullshit He liked the
action—the forty-four-decawatt lasgun pointing at some punk’s skull and the “Freeze,
Federal agents! Hands behind your head!” part of the operation.
    “Is Rowan coming?”
    “I don’t know,”
Xris said shortly. “I haven’t seen much of him lately.”
    Ito cast a sharp
glance at his friend. Xris was aware of the scrutiny, did his best to ignore
it. Dalin Rowan was the third member of what a few in the agency jokingly
called the Trinity. Xris, Ito, and Rowan: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, so named
because Xris was the oldest and the biggest; Ito was short, slender, and the
youngest; Rowan was quiet, unassuming, and could walk through a computer
without leaving a trace behind. The three had worked together for years now and
were one of the top teams in the agency. They were also close friends. Or
rather, they used to be.
    The two agents
entered the first checkpoint—a small access building with two doors. One door
provided entrance through the electrified fence, the other door granted access
to the facility. Security guards checked ID badges and issued visitor passes to
those who were cleared for them.
    The senior guard
looked up from his newsvid reader and nodded.
    “Going to cause
any trouble today, Xris? I just need to know, so’s I can plan my lunch break
around you.”
    Xris shook his
head. “Hell, that was an accident, Henry. I didn’t mean to set off the alarms.
I forgot I had the damn knife on me.”
    “Huh-uh.” Henry
grinned. He’d been an agent once, until he could no longer pass the physical.
But that had been at age eighty. He still had a grip like a nullgrav steel
vise—as Xris had good reason to know.
    “You’re in charge
of him today, Ito. I’m getting too old for this sort of thing.”
    “You’ll outlive us
all, Henry.” Ito laughed.
    Xris was to
remember that remark.
    He and Ito entered
the main administration headquarters building, encountered another security
guard.
    Ito pulled his
lasgun out of his shoulder holster and placed it on the counter. “Morning,
boys.” Folding his arms, sighing, he settled back to wait.
    Xris laid his
regulation lasgun on the counter. He drew forth a small modified derringer from
his suit pocket and placed it on the counter. Next came a long, thin blade from
the back of his jacket, a needle-gun from a leg holster, and a boot knife.
    “Glad you’re here
to protect us, Father,” Ito said.
    “And I always will
be, my son,” Xris returned solemnly, and patted Ito on the head.
    They walked
without incident through the weapons detectors, headed for the lifts.
    “Floor
thirty-five,” Xris said, and inserted his security card.
    The lift whisked
them up, stopped. Stepping out, Xris and Ito glanced up at the briefing screen.
    “Mission briefing
2122027,