External Threats to the Guild

  In the case of external threats to the Guild, the Guild Security Council is authorized to requisition any IP, equipment, supplies or personnel required to address this threat. All decisions by the Council are final and failure to comply with lawful Council orders are grounds for expulsion from the Guild.

  Excerpted With Permission

  Data Trader’s Handbook

  Copyright 3250, Interstellar Data Trader Guild

  They were able to move around the station fairly freely. Whoever had invaded the station didn’t have many troops with them. Civilians on the station were starting to peek their heads out only to be firmly ordered to remain in their quarters by Ramona. One look at her fixed expression and most of the residents complied immediately.

  They finally made it onto the floor that contained QFeed’s offices. The corridor outside was quiet, but the door was open and they could hear voices inside. Lisa eeled down the corridor and tossed a small device into the room then quickly retreated back down the corridor to where the rest waited. She pulled a small screen from her pack and turned it on. Manipulating some controls, she was able to show the interior of the offices. Several armed men stood around the main room and as the camera turned, they finally saw Craig, sitting in one of the leather chairs with a man waving a large gun in his face. The audio wasn’t great, but it sounded like the man with the gun was swearing. The harangue continued until finally he turned enough to see his face.

  “Gunny!” Leo rubbed his hand on his face. What the hell was Gunny doing here?

  Ramona was continuing to surveil the room. “Five troopers. Six if you include Gunny.” She turned to Ramirez. “Can you take them all?”

  Ramirez studied the screen for a few moments. “Yah, no problem.” He shook his head. “No promises on the hostages though.” As the camera continued to pan, they could see that Carol was sitting at the other end of the room, with her hands bound.

  Leo realized what that meant. “What, we just go in there blasting and hope for the best?”

  “Leo, we can’t let them go.”

  “Why not? The Guild is done, who cares where they go? They have to leave their weapons, but they can leave if they don’t hurt anyone.”

  “And if they do?”

  Ollu pulled out her pistol. “Then we kill them all.”

  Ramona looked over at Ollu, startled at her sudden bloodthirsty streak. “These assholes just shot up this entire system. Who knows how many they have killed. I’m not too worried about the niceties at this point.”

  Ramona nodded. “Right.” She pointed at Ramirez and Lisa. “Take position out here. If I start shooting, come in hot.”

  Leo pulled his pistol also. “Don’t shoot unless she does.”

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  Ramirez looked back and forth between Ramona and Leo. “It’s your funeral.” He turned back to his troops and started positioning them in the corridor with economical gestures, obviously well practiced. After less than a minute, he pointed to Ramona and gave her a thumbs up.

  Ramona looked at Leo and then Ollu. “You sure you both want to do this?”

  Leo swallowed. He knew he wasn’t going to let her go in there alone. “No, but I’m going.”

  Ollu just nodded, checked her weapon once and stared back at Ramona.

  “Right.”

  Ramona pulled her pistol and gestured for Leo and Ollu to stay behind. Carefully, she walked to the open door and called out. “Gunny! It’s Eddington and Timur. We are coming in, hold your fire.”

  There was a muffled laugh from inside. “And if I don’t hold my fire?”

  “Then you and everyone in the room are dead. I have a full squad of Guard SpecOps out here.”

  “Like hell you do.”

  She turned to Ramirez. “Seargent, SOUND OFF.”

  Ramirez smiled. “ONE!!”

  Lisa smiled. “TWO!!!”

  And on it went. By the time the count went to fourteen Ramona waved for quiet. “You want to talk or do we just come in shooting?”

  There was a long pause. “OK, come on in.”

  Ramona slowly opened the door, keeping her weapon ready but pointed to the ceiling. Ollu and Leo matched her movements, keeping their eyes to the either side. Gunny was standing with Craig held in front of him, the ancient carbine pointed roughly at Craig’s head. On the other end of the room, Carol was being held in front of two other armed troopers. The three others were crouched down behind the big reception desk, weapons at the ready.

  She pointed her weapon directly at Gunny’s head. “One move and you are a dead man. You know I will not miss.”

  “Shoot me and my guys kill you.”

  “Yep, I’ll die a happy woman.”

  Leo was feeling very nervous with all the guns. “Gunny, you have one choice. Put your guns down and we will let you go.”

  Gunny laughed. “Jesus Timur, either you are dumber than I thought or you think I am. Why the fuck would I believe you?”

  Leo shrugged. “It beats dying, which is what happens next.”

  Gunny smiled. “Ya, but then I don’t die alone.”

  Craig cleared his throat. “Ramona, can you do me a favor please?”

  “Ya, Craig.”

  “Make sure Carol is OK.”

  “Craig, you’re a bastard, you know that?”

  Craig laughed. “No kid. I’m just old. Got no place I gotta be right now.” With a sad smile, he nodded.

  It took a moment for Leo to figure out what was happening. Suddenly, he realized. “Craig, no!”

  Still smiling, Craig grabbed Gunny’s gun and collapsed to the floor, effectively taking Gunny out of the fight. As he did so, Ramona spun with stunning quickness and fired two quick shots. After her first shot, the doors burst open with a loud BANG and bullets were flying everywhere. Leo ran towards Gunny and craig who were struggling on the floor. Gunny’s weapon went off several times and he eventually pulled away from Craig who still had a death grip on the carbine. Leo walked to within five feet of Gunny and aimed his pistol at his head. “STOP! HOLD IT THERE GUNNY!”

  Gunny looked at Leo and laughed. Pulling out a combat knife, he took a step towards Leo.

  Leo pulled the trigger. The back of Gunny’s head exploded and decorated the wall behind him. The body dropped like a stone.

  Leo turned back to survey the room behind him. All five of the troopers were down on the ground. The two behind Carol were definitely dead, with messy head wounds. Two of the three behind the desk might be alive, the SpeOps team was taking no chances and disarmed and then bound each one. Leo turned back to Craig, only to see a pool of blood spreading out.

  “MEDIC!!!”

  One of the SpecOps troops raced over and yanked a large auto doc kit out of the backpack he carried. He slapped onto Craig’s side where the worst of the bleeding was coming from. Craig was coughing up blood, amazingly pale on the floor.

  After a few seconds, the medic shook his head. Leo walked over and took one of Craig’s hands. The medic looked over at Leo. “You know this guy?” Leo nodded. “Sorry man.” He patted Leo on the shoulder and moved away to give them some privacy.

  “Jesus Craig, what the fuck were you thinking?”

  The med kit was at least making him comfortable. “I was thinking about my people, kid.” His coughing started again. “Just make sure that I’m the good guy when you make the vid, OK?”

  In moments, he was gone.

  Ramona walked over and put her hand on Leo’s shoulder. “What did he say?”

  “He said to make him the good guy in the vid.”

  “Well, he was the good guy.”

  Leo put his arms around Ramona.