The League of Spies by Aaron Allston Read Free Book Online

sense to-Cherek raised his hands as if to surrender, then made a move to knock the blaster aside.
    The guardsman fired. Cherek, his chest smoking, a surprised look on his face, fell. The guardsman adjusted his aim toward Mapper and Livintius.
    Tinian’s blaster shot struck him across the neck and shoulders. The man jerked and fell.
    Mapper bad Cherek in the back seat before Joram and the others reached the airspeeder.
    Livintius had the airspeeder in motion before they’d dogged the doors closed.
    And they had a kilometer between them and the PlanSec building before the first security speeder left the building.
    Mapper straightened from beside Cherek: bed. They were back in the dubious and temporary security of Cherek’s chambers. “I think he’ll live,” Mapper said.
    But Cherek did not respond to the hopeful pronouncement; his chest bandaged, his eyes closed, he remained in the sleep of the badly injured.
    Teeks rose from the room’s puffy chair. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you’d better get off-world before they have enough information to catch you.”
    “We can’t leave him,” Livintius said. He continued to eye Joram with suspicion, as if Joram had shot Cherek by remote control.
    “Yes, you can,” Teeks said. “Get him into the speeder and I’ll take him to a safe house. I have safe houses, cover identities, money accounts all over.”
    Livintius shook his head. “They’re found to be compromised. By your dead lover.”
    “Zazana doesn’t know anything about my work.” Teeks shrugged, “I expect to tell her about it when I propose to her.”
    Livintius pointed an accusing finger at Joram. “You didn’t tell him...”
    Joram put a finger to his lips to hush the academic.
    Joram didn’t begin to relax until he could see Tarhassan shrinking in the holocam view on the screen in the transport’s main cabin. In minutes, they’d be jumping to hyper space, headed for a planet that remained neutral as war flared up all around it. From there, they could make their way back to Coruscant. Meanwhile, he’d privately warned Teeks against communicating with Republic Intelligence or accessing accounts he’d mentioned in his reports-at least, not until Joram could form an impression of how Teeks had been exposed.
    The sound of tapping distracted him from the screen. He looked over to see Tinian working on her datapad. “What’s this?”
    She gave him a smile.
    “My report,”
    “What?” He looked down at its diminutive screen. “It’s not in proper outline format. Nor do I see any contributions from Livintius.”
    “He can file his own report. In the meantime, mine will become the official truth of the mission to Tarhassan.”
    “What is the official truth? So my truth matches your truth, that is.”
    “Cherek planned, Livintius and I researched, you and Mapper executed, all until the big show at the end. Then we all executed and Cherek got shot playing hero. I also mention that Livintius, Cherek, and I could use more training, some mentoring by senior agents. In any case, everybody did good.”
    “Did well,” Joram corrected, absently. “You learn fast.”
    “I suspect I’m going to need to,”
    He reached over to shake her band.
    “Welcome to Intelligence.”

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