The Ramal Extraction by Steve Perry Read Free Book Online Page A

Ganesh’s arm, blocked the downward cut with her right hand, shoved his arm down, then smashed the side of his head with her left-palm heel. She slid a hair to her left, shot a strike to his throat with her right hand, catching him with a V between her thumb and other fingers. Then she stepped in, smacked his ribs with a left elbow, her right knee thudded into his groin, and she followed up with a right elbow to his nose.
    Bap-bap-bap-bap-bap!
    Gunny looked at the timer inset.
    Just about a second from the time the knife appeared. Impressive, as always, watching Kay move.
    But was what
more
interesting?
    “No claws,” Gunny said.
    “Yep. You know that’s considered major contempt for an opponent on her world.”
    “Yeah. Cub play.”
    “I just downloaded the local medic’s report. Fool-boy Ganesh there has a concussion, a broken hyoid, two cracked ribs, a badly bruised testicle, and a broken nose. I’d guess he’ll be taking a few days off.”
    “And he’s lucky that’s all he’s got. You think he’ll try her again?”
    “Would you?”
    “Ah’d never have tried her in the first place. Ah wouldn’t want to risk shooting her from across the room.”
    “Me, neither.”
    “Probably wouldn’t hurt for us to keep an eye on ole Ganesh if we are still around when he gets back up to snuff.”
    “Yes.” He shook his head.
    “What?”
    “That expression. ‘Up to snuff.’ What does that mean?”
    She smiled. “Well, you know me, Ah’m just a poor ignorant gunnery sergeant trying to get by, not any kind of his-tori-an, but Ah do believe it has to do with an ancient stimulant made from powdered tobacco that was inhaled nasally. The sudden influx of nicotine into the mucosa caused a sharpening of one’s thoughts and feelings, thus the phrase originally meant that. Over time, it came to mean ‘meeting a required standard.’”
    He looked at her as if she’d turned into a big spider.
    “Who the fuck are you? What have you done with Gunny?”
    She laughed. Had to give a man who could make her laugh points for that. “Thanks for the show.”
    “My pleasure. Make you hot?”
    “It purely did. Too bad there aren’t any men around to take advantage of it.”
    “Get the fuck out of my office.”
    She laughed.

    Cutter sat across from Ramal and his perhaps-future son-in-law. He noticed that the head of security wasn’t there.
    “Where is Ganesh?”
    “He had an accident,” Rama said. He waved one hand, dismissing it. “Not important. We know who sent the message.”
    Cutter said, “Was there more to it than what you played for me?”
    “No.”
    “Then I don’t see how you know who sent it. I didn’t hear any identification. Were you able to source it?”
    Rama said, “There is no need! The tone of the words identify him as if he had spoken his name aloud!”
    Cutter nodded. “I see. Maybe you could explain?”
    Rama looked at Ramal. The older man offered a slight nod.
    The younger man said. “The land that abuts My Most Honored Rajah Ramal’s kingdom of New Mumbai to the east is Balaji, ruled by the Thakore Ilmay Luzor, a vile and despicable man begat by thieves and murderers and desecrators. His line has for a century frothed and foamed like mad
freaux
kits, yapping and trying to nip at the heels of his betters. He is a backstabber, a scoundrel without principles, an eater of scat who would stab himself if he could but bleed on our shirts by the deed.”
    Cutter kept his face impassive. “I see.”
    “It is the phrase ‘Sorry about the bird’ that reveals him. It is exactly the kind of thing he would say. My beloved Indira is assaulted, kidnapped, spirited away, and this piece of filth apologizes for killing a songbird! It could be none other!”
    Rama paused, appeared to gather himself a little, tamping down his anger. “The thakoredom has harried us—and I include my own father’s realm of Pahal in this, for we are bordered to Luzor’s territory to the north—for many years. Small