Assassin’S Thief

By Jillian Hartle

Carter Koniares is the top assassin in the guild. Ruthless and skilled in his trade he makes quick work of each and every target, until now. Elena Jones, by day a waitress trying to make rent, by night a criminal hacker capable of crumbling any security system. These two are about to be forced back into the world of politics, powerful families, and most of all, lies; a world they have both fought to avoid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503527959

Jillian Hartle

Jillian Hartle works in Information Technology full time while using lunch breaks, late night writing sprees and weekends to work on her books. She writes about science fiction in a semi-futuristic setting. She currently lives on the West Coast with her husband with a diverse collection of bladed weaponry.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Y ou know Harold will never forgive this. If I agree to the Nebnian demands I will get peace, but at the cost of my brother, Henry Mori said. He glanced around the empty conference room. Tomorrow he either broke his promise to his followers that he would end the skirmish, or he broke the trust of his brother who didn’t want him to sign away their exploration rights to the Nebnian. I know you are here, old friend.

Aiden Eadwine Nikula Warren Zorich misted himself into solid form behind the human. He made himself appear to be the same height as Henry instead of towering over him as would be the case in Aiden’s natural form. You alone make this decision, he said. The Kavorick are only here to ensure the Nebnian don’t enslave or annihilate you.

Henry sighed deeply turning to look at his friend. Do you think exploration rights are worth us continuing a war we may not win?

Are they worth the possibility of all humans on Fortuna becoming slaves to the Nebnian again?

Henry sighed again; he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. He hated how Aiden tended to answer a question with another question. That was a thousand and four years ago. Humans are stronger now. We would rather die than be enslaved.

Unfortunately, the Nebnians would be happy comply with those terms as well, Aiden said. They almost did before.

Henry gave him a sly look. And you would know because you were there?

Aiden shook his head. Kavorick do not tell our true ages for a reason, human. And you change the subject.

Because I have an impossible choice, Henry said, slapping the table in frustration. Harold refuses to see reason. He truly believes humans are meant to explore the stars, even after everything we’ve been through. We don’t have enough people.

Humans did explore the stars, which is why the Capricorn and Aquarius systems now have humans on them, Aiden reminded Henry. Perhaps he is one of those who thinks that humans should find Earth.

You mean the Descended Way? Henry said scowling. The Descended Way’s return is a myth told to children to make them behave. The Descended Way fell into it’s own void when they tried to reform the Ascended Way over six hundred years ago. That is where they got their name, a name they embraced after it’s conception. They thought that fully accepting human emotions was the way, as opposed to Gene Ward and Ascended Way. Logic and the absence of emotion is the only path to the Erớ. Erớ is their god, an entity that is both good and evil, and it seeks even judgment on everyone. Because the Descended Way believes that emotions are what make something powerful and that they even out your life, the followers were always more violent than either the Ascended and Old Way. There is no way that Harold could follow such a philosophy. I’ve told you before my brother follows the Old Ways just as I do.

Do not be so sure Henry Mori. Humans are devious creatures that often act with herd instincts in a panic, Aiden cautioned.

I know my own, Henry replied shortly. But there are those who follow the Old Ways who think that we should at least try to find out about Earth. If there is a possibility that there are humans out there it would be advantageous. You are right, humans have started exploring the stars, but we are still very small in number. We need time to rebuild our own and not die needlessly over lands we can’t even fill.

I pose a question. Aiden paused. What would you do if you met a group of lifeforms that looked like you and claimed to be your own species but had completely different customs? Look different, act different, pray different and to different gods.

I would draw on the old religious wars that humans went through on Klum, Henry said slowly. Go through our own history to see a precedent for the behavior.

And what would you say your precedent is for acceptance of human difference?

Not good, Henry said then he looked at Aiden. You think we would kill all the humans on Earth if we found them; or that they would kill us, just because we are different?

I think, for the sake of the humans that may be on Earth and the humans here in the three systems, perhaps Earth is not meant to be found. It should be lost to you.

That seems reasonable to me. I wish Harold could understand that, Henry said. Once the negotiations are over and I have the human sectors it would be a simple thing to stop people from exploring.

Perhaps you do not know humans as well as you claim, Aiden thought with a smile. Whatever you do it must be for all humans, even the Capricorn System.

Henry had forgotten the price of this skirmish. The Cauldrys, former leaders of humans and still the wealthiest family, had invested much in him to start these negotiations. All they had asked for was to the right to rule the Capricorn system after the dust settled; to rule a system independently of him. Peirson Cauldry was a decent man and Henry had found it easy to persuade him to help financially. At the time Henry had honestly not thought that he would be sitting at a negotiation table with the Nebnians so giving up one third of human space was easy to agree to. Peirson is a reasonable man, I will discuss this with him before tomorrow morning.

All that leaves is Harold, Aiden said crossing his arms. He is the only one who debated these demands with you.

He has given his advice to me, but I was made the leader of these negotiations. He will have to abide by what I agree to, Henry said turning to the only painting in the room. It was a depiction of Gene Ward, founder of the Ascending Way, and Roderick Wolfe, founder of the Descended Way, leading the humans away from the Nebnian. They were marching in two different directions and the divide was still felt today. Henry didn’t want that to be his legacy.

Do not be so sure, Aiden said. Harold still thinks of himself as the eldest. He is also a good leader and many would follow him; including the Descended Way followers.

You think he will start a human-on-human war? Henry asked incredulously. After we finally negotiated peace? There hasn’t been a human war since the Ascended Way and Old Way took control away from Roderick Wolf the Sixth.

I think he has his beliefs and, like many of the Descended Way, is willing to die for those beliefs.

I have told you, he is not of the Descended Way. Our mother was of the Old Ways and he would not turn from her memory, Henry insisted.

If you continue to ignore what is right in front of you, you allow your brother the ability to destroy that which you hold dear. Everything you are trying to establish now could be gone and the Mori name lost in history, all from your refusal to see, Aiden said calmly.

You dare to patronize me, Kavorick? Henry asked anger rising in his voice. You call yourself my friend but you accuse my brother of being Descended?

Your blindness keeps you even from reason, young human. Aiden thought, wisely not responding. There was an old promise between the two brothers and himself and he had broken it earlier to get an explanation of Harold’s behavior. Now he wished he had not. He had agreed never to read Henry’s mind so he didn’t share how he knew Harold’s true loyalties. He turned to leave. As I have said, the decisions are yours alone to make, and yours alone to bear the responsibility and consequences.

Consequences! I will tell you exactly what will happen, Henry started shouting after him. I will be the bringer of peace to humans and my brother will accept it in time. Every human in this sector will know the Mori name. I will rename the systems and planets themselves and that will resound through history!

CHAPTER 1

S tay tight, shut up, and be inconspicuous, Harold said to the group of men gathering a block away from The United Planetary Bank of Klum.

Like that’s possible, Carter thought to himself barely containing the eye roll as he re-checked the knife concealed in the holster between his shoulder blades. It was positioned so the hilt was just above the small of his back, easy reaching distance. They were a band of assassins going on a field trip with the boss and inconspicuous was difficult if not impossible to achieve, even for him. Carter wasn’t what most people would call attractive; the long scar from his right temple to his right cheek was a turnoff for most women. He wore his slick black hair pulled back in a shoulder-length ponytail and his dark piercing eyes were too intimidating for most people to hold his gaze long. He crossed his arms and glanced around at the men. Except for his second, Simon, they all looked out of place.

Simon at 6'4 was short by Guild reckoning but was still taller than Harold, the boss, who at 5'10 was short even by human standards. Simon had short brown hair and was perfectly dressed in business attire, looking more like a lawyer than an assassin. While the others had longer shaggy hair and looked out of place in button down shirts and trousers, Simon looked like he was meant to be here. He glanced at Carter briefly. Well, this is something new. he said, looking at the group. Carter nodded tersely. He had already wasted his breath with Harold and they were still standing on the sidewalk with at least ten other assassins getting ready to walk to the bank, but not to kill anyone.

We are going to walk in, get the safe deposit box, and walk out. This should be simple, Harold told the group. He gave Carter the nod indicating they should talk before they got to the bank. Carter made his way to the front.

They walked in tense silence for a few moments before Harold decided to speak. If I had another option, I would utilize it. I do not have a choice in this.

Carter chose not to start the argument again. He just glanced at the short man with graying temples. So you say. This better be important, Carter muttered.

More important than I can tell you, Harold said pausing just outside the bank door. Raising his voice so the rest of the Guild could hear, he said, We are not walking in as assassins, we have to behave as normal members. Follow my cue.

Carter nodded. Although assassination was a legal and honorable profession in the human sectors, it was still imperative that no one could identify the Guild assassins by face, and Harold wanted to keep it that way. Then again he was also using them as his personal guard/errand boys right now, so Carter was not so sure about that right then. The group entered the building trailing behind their leader. The bank was one of the biggest buildings in Luma, with elegantly vaulted ceilings that went up four stories. There was gold inlay on the white marble archways throughout the lobby and gold flecking and delicate inlay in the veined marble floor. The columns holding up the ceilings were shaped and carved. There was the teller counter ahead and four other counters for various types of paperwork on either side of the teller line. The special services counter was on the right side behind the loan officer cubicles. That was where Harold was headed while his men trailed, staying by the paperwork counter closest to him. There was a small, trembling man at the special services counter when Harold walked up.

Harold lowered his voice to a whisper with the man while Carter glanced around the elegant and grandiose bank interior. In spite of the seeming elegancy this bank, like most banks outside of the Mori Hegemony, looked slightly run-down and in need of a good cleaning. At least this one boasted a passable architect. Something was making him uneasy. The bank was very busy, with a lot of people waiting in lines or talking with a loan officer or teller so the assassins went practically unnoticed. But Carter noted someone marking them, a short bald guy close to the emergency exit who was marking each of the assassins as he carefully scanned the bank.

Carter turned away as the man’s gaze came to him. Something isn’t right, he murmured to Simon.

You see the girl by the bathrooms? Simon replied turning away so it didn’t look like they were talking.

Carter looked over to the entry by the loan cubicles and spotted her just outside the doors. She was wearing tight black pants and an obnoxious hot pink, v-neck shirt with profanity written all over it — street trash. Her clothes hugged her voluptuous curves and left nothing to the imagination. The outfit that the short guy was wearing was similar material and color to the black pants of the trashy girl. He was also wearing a black shirt and a heavy black coat that made him less noticeable. Carter now noted the pants were the standard apparel in Dynes Eyra, the manufacturing center of Klum halfway across the continent from Luma; these two were far from home. Why wouldn’t they be in the branch in Dynes Eyra, why would they be in Luma?

This is either a set up or … Carter started when the two he was watching along with six other people he hadn’t seen pulled out semi-automatic pistols, shotguns and two automatic firearms and started shooting into the air.

Or we, the Guild of Assassins, are about to become hostages in a bank robbery, Simon finished with a slight smirk while putting up his hands standing beside the other assassins. Harold also put his hands up and backed up to the group. On the order, they all sank to the floor.

Harold looked extremely tense but met Carter’s eyes. We are normal members. We are not to draw attention, he hissed to everyone, while looking at Carter. Carter still adjusted his hand so it was resting on the hilt of his hidden knife. Harold didn’t seem to notice.

Carter’s hand tensed on the hilt while his mind raced through the calculations again. There would be a lot of casualties; like he cared. Importantly, none of them would be Guild members. The short bald guy turned out to be a big ogre of a man who was walking right by where Carter was sitting. He had a shaved head and was on the short side, yet he was ripped. Reflective sunglasses that hid his eyes. Carter had his eye on the spot that his hunting knife would pierce the guy’s neck.

Harold’s hand clamped down on Carter’s shoulder right as he tried to rise. Too many people, and we are blending in. They just want the money, Harold whispered.

Carter could have screamed in frustration. He didn’t give a damn about casualties; unfortunately, the man he worked for did. The Ogre turned back, right as Harold’s hand slipped away, and the perfect moment was gone. Carter glared towards Harold. They were the most elite band of assassins in human space. They shouldn’t have to be held up with something as trivial as a bank robbery. If the leader had a job for them to do, and it was important enough for him to come himself, then he should let them regain control and then do it.

The voluptuous woman, now carrying a pistol machine, walked up to the Ogre. Did you make the call? she asked through pursed lips.

The man growled at her, which wouldn’t have bothered Carter much if only the putrid breath hadn’t been directed at him.

We should have handled this on our own, the Ogre replied, giving Carter the impression of a keen intelligence, more than one would guess based on the thug’s appearance.

You know that we need our specialist if we want to get out of here alive, she said, raking her gaze over the hostages sitting on the floor. She whirled back to him, sensing a hesitation. You didn’t approve this job with her, did you? Carter noticed the surprise, but also a sense of sadistic pleasure, in her tone when she drawled. You are so totally fucked.

The Ogre pushed passed her and growled, Watch the hostages and don’t shoot anyone.

The woman returned to giggling and prancing through the people. She made Carter far more nervous than the Ogre. It seemed like she could just start shooting people for fun. ‘We have to do something,’ was the look he sent to Harold. The slight head shake returned said, ‘We are going to wait this one out.’ Carter relaxed his hands and took a better position against the bank counter, hands resting around his knees.

Nice scar, the crazy women said, leaning towards him over the teller counter and showing off her breasts. Where’d you get it?

He smiled at her, projecting his intense desire to sink his blade into her neck. He was about to respond when the front doors flew apart and revealed a black hurricane. The girl in the eye of that storm couldn’t have been a day over eighteen, if that old. Her hair was dyed shockingly black and cut into a choppy pixie cut that hid her eyes. She was not as pale as the people on the robbery crew, telling Carter that she didn’t actually work with them. She was wearing the same tight black pants, a black shirt, an ill fitting black coat that was obviously too big for her, and was carrying a small black satchel over her shoulder. For someone so young she seemed to control the entire room. Even the crazy bitch straightened up and actually look scared.

Where is Ogre? the newcomer asked.

The crazy bitch looked around. Shh-shouldn’t we not use names?

I think we are way beyond that, Cynthia, the newcomer said. What’s the problem?

We can’t get the vault open, Cynthia said, motioning past the bank counter.

Of course not, the girl muttered, walking right past Carter. She was scanning the room; her gaze paused on Harold but then glazed over Carter, the rest of the assassins, and other hostages. She stopped just past the counter Carter was leaning against. You idiots! Are you completely incompetent?

Cynthia just stuttered.

Move this group behind the teller counter and you can try to cuff them, not that it will make a difference, she said indicating all of the assassins. Get Ogre to back you up. She hopped over the counter and started talking to the men who were trying to break into the vault.

Carter shot a glance at Harold, who just shook his head, which meant he didn’t know the girl who clearly had identified them. It could have also meant, ‘Don’t do anything stupid,’ but Carter figured that one was obvious.

When they were moved and secured they could hear and see the mystery girl. The ogre, whose name was clearly Ogre, was taking an intense tongue lashing from her. The interesting part to Carter was the girl didn’t even have to say anything.

The big guy just kept saying. I’m sorry. She sighed cutting off his apologies. Carter could see something that hinted at regret in her face.

Whatever, she muttered. Let all the people out there- she indicated the hostages in the front of the bank, -go home. We have all the leverage we need with this group. She looked at Carter and the other assassins.

Who are they? Cynthia asked pointing her gun at them casually.

The Guild of Assassins, she said clearly. The very name sent terrified glances their way before they continued working.

I couldn’t figure it out, Carter heard the tech guy stuttering to the thin girl pointing at the vault door. She shrugged off the oversized coat. This is more complicated than other vault doors have been.

Carter was close enough to realize the girl was built, and he couldn’t help but run a glance over her legs. Carter had recently talked to Simon about his ideal woman, hadn’t he? He wanted a girl who had curves and was fit. This girl may be lithe but she was not skinny. Carter shook his head; what was he going to do, buy her a dress? He needed to stop focusing on her and actually pick the cuffs now that the collateral damage was being let out the front door.

On it, she stated flatly, as if she wasn’t even challenged by the state-of-the-art technology. The tech guy handed over the tablet he was using to try to hack into the system, she took it quickly.

The guy didn’t move just stood there shaking as if he was waiting to be killed or dismissed. Why don’t you tell them about your last run-in with ‘complicated’? Ogre asked, making a tighter patrol on the Guild group.

She smiled; it was much like Carter’s smile at the crazy bitch earlier, filled with hatred and contempt. That would be six years ago, I was eleven, she said, all the while manipulating icons on the tablet screen.

Carter wondered how someone so young had come to run a group of obviously seasoned criminals - more than run, dominate.

What happened? the tech guy asked after a long pause.

Well, she was two years older than me and had a following. They decided to hand me over to our administrator who was a sadistic bastard, she replied as though talking about the weather. After I got out of that interesting situation, I dug up some dirt; literally. You see, the girl was an orphan, but unlike most of us orphans who had been abandoned, her parents had been killed. So I dug up their bodies, cooked them into a stew, and fed them to her. She wasn’t such an able leader after she was thrown into isolation for almost three weeks straight for a ‘severe mental breakdown.’ Her group fell apart after that and I was left alone.

Carter watched all the men around him do a double take. Had she really just said what they thought she just said? That was some seriously dark shit.

While she was talking, the girl had hacked into the mainframe, and had the vault door open as she finished her story. Carter choked; the assassin techies were good but he had never seen anything like this girl. Get the loot and bail out, she said, tossing the tablet back to the astounded techie. You have about two minutes before the assassins break free and kill you all. She walked into the room with the safe deposit boxes just past the vault door and walked out a few seconds later. She threw her jacket back on and checked her people briefly before she left. It didn’t look like she touched any of the money currently being piled into duffel bags.

Ogre had the entire vault emptied one minute after she walked out. Carter was still trying to pick the handcuffs as the thieves were filing out of the bank. They weren’t standard issue, which made it more difficult. Carter was the first one out of the bonds, but he needed ten more seconds if he was going to catch the criminals.

Let them go, Harold said as he also freed himself. We need to do what we came here to do.

You are going to let the assassins get beaten by a bunch of low life thugs? Carter hissed.

Harold didn’t even respond to Carter’s insubordination, just gave the others their orders. They hadn’t come for money. They had come for a specific safe deposit box that was full of data storage devices. As he entered the vault after checking out the bank he heard Harold cursing, which was not normal for the uptight bastard. Out of the entire wall of boxes there was only one that had been opened. He didn’t know how the girl had had the time, but she had opened and emptied only the box they were after.

CHAPTER 2

T hree hours. Three excruciating hours since the Guild had returned to headquarters after the robbery. Harold had gone into his office and kept everyone on in-house standby. Carter had been pacing in Simon’s office since their return. He had never set up an office here at the ‘assassin headquarters’, since he generally spent only minutes in the elegant, dated building in the wharf district of Luma, Klum’s chicest and wealthiest city, before receiving his next assignment. He would normally be sent off of Klum or to another city. Harold would not use the assassins in Luma, those jobs were given to third party mercenaries since, other than Carter and a few others, most of the assassins lived in or around Luma. Since people on Klum rarely moved between the cities, if a guild member ever botched a job and a witness could identify them, Harold never wanted the guild to be fingered by accident so no jobs in Luma for the Guild ever. Carter was still a little shaken up that the mystery girl from the bank had been able to finger them with such ease. Assassins all had bad jobs, or even a good job gone very wrong. A couple of Carter’s first assignments had been botched but since then he had been very successful and discrete, until now.

Did you happen to get a shot of the dark girl with your link? Simon asked after almost two and half hours of silence between them.

Carter frowned at him. We were cuffed right when she came in and she was long gone when my hands were free, he muttered. Why do you ask?

Harold sent a message asking for any images anyone was able to get, someone will get a hefty raise if he got an image of the dark girl, Simon replied, scanning the message on his screen.

Did he call anyone in for assignment yet? Carter asked, finally sitting on a chair in front of Simon’s desk.

He is calling a group meeting in five minutes in the main conference room.

It is about damn time, Carter muttered, standing again.

You know, Simon started carefully. You could pace all you want in your own office. Carter glared at him and continued pacing without comment. "I could have them set it up for you,