Part 30 (1/2)
”But he probably hadn't counted on Bowles being news.” Nyquist grinned. ”Let's give his image to the press.”
”That results in so many bad leads,” Romey said. ”You have a better idea?” Nyquist asked. She frowned for a moment. ”Let's just call him a potential witness.” ”Then the press might try to interview him first.”
”And he's going to what? Admit he killed her?” Romey grinned back at him. ”We'll hear about it no matter what.”
”We'll have someone monitoring the news nets.” ”And taking any tips.” She put a hand on Nyquist's arm. ”See? I told you this interview would be important.”
He nodded. ”It just might be the break we needed,” he said.
46.
Flint didn't want to be in Wagner's office, but he saw no other choice. Those thugs Wagner had sent still had a laser pistol to Talia's head, and they had a jammer.
Had Flint been alone, he could have knocked the pistol away and tossed himself out of the air car, using his emergency links on the way to the ground to let the authorities know where he was.
He would have risked injury to himself.
He couldn't risk any injury to Talia.
So he let these four guys drag him and Talia into Wagner's office. Fittingly, the office was in the middle of the building that housed WSX. Wagner tried to hide the office's location with fancy elevator tricks and some floating corridors, but Flint wasn't fooled.
He also knew that even if the thugs left, it would be nearly impossible to get out of WSX alive. Of course, if Wagner had wanted Flint dead, he wouldn't have dragged him to the office. Especially in such a public way.
The office itself was wide and s.p.a.cious, with a skylight that was open to the dome. Flint only looked at the skylight as a possible escape route.
But everything he could think of wouldn't work for Talia. She had given the thugs as good as she'd gotten-the one was limping because she had managed a well-placed kick, and the who held her was missing part of his ear and probably had a major infection growing in there-but she looked a bit worn herself, and Flint didn't want that.
He didn't want any of this.
So he told Talia to stop fighting and to come along. She had given him an anger-filled look, but she had stopped.
And then she seemed close to tears.
”You may go,” the voice came from darkness near the back of the office.
Flint recognized the voice. It belonged to Justinian Wagner.
”I'd love to go,” Flint said, ”but it seems your goons are holding my daughter.”
”You mean a clone of your daughter, don't you?” Wagner asked. ”You can always replace her.” Flint clenched his fists so that he wouldn't lunge at the man.
”Besides, I wasn't talking to you, Flint. I was talking to my men. They can leave. Take the clone with you.”
”She stays.” Flint wasn't going to let her out of his sight.
Wagner stepped into the light pouring from the dome opening. He looked tired. Flint had never seen the man look tired before.
”We're going to be talking business,” Wagner said. ”No child needs to hear that.”
”I'm not a child,” Talia said.
”Technically,” Wagner said, ”you're barely a person.”
Flint didn't like the fact that Wagner knew that Talia was a clone. ”Leave her alone, Wagner. She's more human than you are.”
Wagner stared at Flint for a moment, then inclined his head slightly to one side. ”By your definition of human, that might actually be true,” Wagner said. Then he waved a hand at the thugs. ”Get out. Leave the clone, the child, whatever Flint here calls her.”
”My daughter,” Flint snapped.
”Well, technically, I suppose she is. If you claim all your random DNA,” Wagner said.
One of the thugs shoved Flint forward. The one holding Talia didn't let go until he was almost through the door.
They left the room, closing the door behind them.
Talia wiped a hand over her face. The look she gave Flint was one part defiance and two parts terror.
”What do you want, Wagner?” Flint needed to know what this was about before he could figure out how to leave.
He also checked his links. Even though the portable jammer was gone, the links still weren't working. ”I want to know why you're trying to destroy me,” Wagner said.
Flint smiled. ”Destroy you? Don't you think that's a bit dramatic?”
Talia came up beside him and stuck her hand through his arm. She was shaking. He put it around her shoulder, pulling her close.
She continued to stand straight, though. She clearly wasn't going to let Wagner see how he had frightened her.
Wagner took a step toward them. ”You sicced that reporter on me. You gave her protection and files. Then you arranged to have her killed so that everyone will blame me.”
The man's clothing was in disarray. His hair was slightly messy.
Flint guessed that was what pa.s.sed for distraught in Wagner's universe.
”You're telling me you didn't order her killed?” Flint asked.
”I've never ordered anyone killed in my life,” Wagner snapped.
Flint made a sound of disgust. ”Don't lie, Justinian.”
”I'm not,” Wagner said.
”Maybe you didn't order your parents' deaths,” Flint said, ”but you sure as h.e.l.l guaranteed it. I know you let the Bixian government know how to find your parents. And I also know you're smart enough to know that once the Bixian government could find them, the a.s.sa.s.sins would come to kill them.”
Wagner's face had turned waxy. His eyes glittered.
”I never ordered anyone killed,” he said. ”Why should I? I own the largest law firm in the Earth Alliance. I can destroy my enemies with lawsuits and motions and court cases that would last decades.” Wagner's voice was shrill. Talia leaned closer to Flint. He tightened his grip on her.