Time Salvager by Wesley Chu Read Free Book Online

The question is, will you survive? Is that something you’re willing to risk?”
    Cole spat on the floor. “As opposed to die in the present? What kind of a question is that? Listen, Auditor, no matter what you think, I’m not going back. The only thing you’re taking back to that shit hole is my dead body.”
    “Technically,” Levin said, “I don’t need to care how you are brought back.” He took another sip of the tea. He was really getting used to this bitter drink. Maybe he could take some of it back with him to the present. “Tell me, Cole, why didn’t you just hide here and keep a low profile? Why did you have to use your bands and make a name for yourself as some master?”
    The Tier-4 chronman shrugged. “Tried that for the first couple of weeks. Got tired of being nobody with no money. Couldn’t take it anymore. Used a little power. Then had to use a little more.”
    Levin nodded. A common story among runaways, which was why fleeing into history almost always failed. The path to becoming a chronman was long and difficult. Survivors of the Academy often wielded their power not only as a status symbol but a badge of honor. Power like that was hard to relinquish after a person was used to it for so long.
    “But to become a famed master of the east?” Levin chuckled. “That’s a little much.”
    The last comment earned a grin from Cole. “What can I say? Word spreads fast in these parts. Show some power, attract a few more masters to challenge me, and before I knew it, I’m big-time.” He leaned back and put his hands behind his head. “I’m so good, even I can’t suppress myself.”
    Levin eyed the two dozen men seated behind him with their hands still on their weapons. He turned his attention back to Cole. “Why don’t you send your men away? We’ll go find a nice open area with no one around to conclude our business.”
    Cole stood up and waved his arms magnanimously at his gang. “Now, why the fuck would I want to do that? As long as there are witnesses, I know you’ll hold back. I won’t have that problem now, will I?” He looked past Levin’s shoulder and shouted in Han, “Brothers, teach this dog some respect!”
    Levin stood just as the first of the idiots behind him charged in with a cleaver. Levin’s exo-powered movements and shield kept him out of danger, but Cole wasn’t wrong. It was Levin’s duty to display as little superhuman power as possible. It was important to him to minimize the casualties as well. Still, it didn’t mean he had to be gentle.
    The edge of the cleaver struck his shield, sparking orange stars into the air around him. In a second, Levin had grabbed his assailant by the armpit and hurtled him toward two more of the thugs. The crowd descended on him, swinging bats and blades as Levin joined the fray, using his natural skills as well as his exo to slice through them, seeming to move just out of their reach, dodging their swing as he mowed down three to four at a time.
    Cole joined in the melee, powering his exo to full and launching himself at Levin. The Tier-4 had only four kinetic coils active. Levin doubted he could produce any more than that at his capabilities. In this situation, Levin made sure to fight down to Cole’s level in order to keep up the pretense of an actual hand-to-hand fight. He sprouted four of his own coils to lock down Cole’s and proceeded to beat him down with his exo-powered fists.
    Cole struggled to break free even as more of his gang joined in the fight, adding to the chaos. Every time their weapons struck his exo, small sparks glimmered into the air. Levin scolded himself for being so obvious. He continued to fight by hand, kicking any thugs in reach and battering at Cole’s shield.
    The number of bodies became overwhelming as a surge of the gang distracted Levin long enough for Cole to shake free. The fugitive chronman jumped out of the window overlooking the main room and landed on one of the long tables below, shattering