Secret War: Warhammer 40,000, Ben Agar [list of ebook readers .txt] 📗

out and turned to Karmen Kons.

"You do know, Attelus, that you are scarred for life now," she said bluntly. "That wound Elandria gave you will never go away.

I frowned and absently touched the bandage covering the wound. "I know, I'd thought so," I said sadly.

A short silence followed before the Olinthre-thing grimaced and turned to us. "I've gotta say if you two were trying to convince everyone that you don't know each other, you are doing one terrible job."

We glared at it and said simultaneously, "what?"

It returned our glares unflinchingly and shrugged. "Well, the whole staring into each other's eyes thing during half the elevator ride up, your little confrontation before we entered the mamzel's residence, yeah, they weren't clues toward a prior relationship at all."

I immediately turned away as I felt my face flush with embarrassment, but Karmen Kons remained unfazed.

"We never had a prior relationship, Xenos," she snarled. "It was a...friendship, nothing more."

The Olinthre-thing smiled. "So you two did know each other before these events, then? Thank you for the confirmation," then It shrugged. "Well, from the vibe I got from you two, it seemed like a prior relationship to me. I apologise for the misunderstanding."

Karmen Kons gritted her teeth, about to reply but was interrupted as Castella, Tresch, and Darrance entered the room.

"He is yours," said Darrance, with an evil twisted grin that churned my guts. "We will stay out here."

Karmen treated him a dark look but gave a slow, deliberate nodded.

"Thank you for the honour, assassin," she growled sardonically.

Darrance only replied with a brief, mocking bow.

Karmen grimaced, then turned to the Olinthre-thing and me and motioned us to follow.

"Let us see how this goes, shall we?" She said.

 

 

We filed into the interrogation room, and the beaten and broken form of No One of Consequence looked over his shoulder at us.

"So Taryst's bitch psyker finally deigns to see me personally," he growled, and I couldn't help but have my attention snap straight to Karmen with surprise; how did he know about her?

"And you, kid, I see someone gave you one hell of a beating since we last met; believe me, I know how you feel," with that, he spluttered out laughter at his horrid joke.

"We have come to negotiate," said Karmen through clenched teeth as she walked around to face the captive directly.

"Negotiate, huh?" said No One of Consequence, who seemed genuinely perplexed. "Negotiate what?"

"We need you to lead us to Brutis Bones," she said sternly.

With that, No One of Consequence threw back his head and bellowed out a brief bark of laughter.

"Well, well, we've gone from torturing to 'negotiating' what makes you think it'll make a difference?"

"Because now the situation has become vastly more complicated," said Karmen. "Now we find our goals, coincide."

No One of Consequence sniffed and cleared his throat. "The situation was already 'vastly complicated'; how could it get even more complicated?"

Karmen looked at me briefly, then to the one-sided glass that my colleagues stood behind.

"Because Taryst is dead," she said simply. "And with him the intent to hide the truth you and Brutis Bones know."

I flinched at how easily Karmen had given such a secret over and was suddenly supremely glad that Garrakson and Torris weren't here to hear it.

Now that brought a genuine look of shock to the throne agent's bruised, destroyed face.

"Taryst is dead? How?"

Karmen Kons shrugged. "If I told you the details, it would take all day, let's just say..."

She trailed off and glanced over her shoulder, accusingly at the one-sided glass. "That it was, an...internal...conspiracy."

No One of Consequence sniggered and shook his head with utter contempt. "Of course it was," he lisped.

Karmen smiled coldly. "Not just that, we also have irrefutable proof that Inquisitor Nonin Edracian is planetside."

"Oh?" said No One of Consequence, disarmingly calm about it. "Has that frigger finally decided to show his face, huh?"

"Yes, and it is our every intention to stop him, as it is yours," said Karmen. "And if we are able to cooperate with Brutis Bones, the chances would increase exponentially."

"Oh. I'm sure they would, that's if we actually cooperate and you don't betray us."

"You have my guarantee," said Karmen as she raised in front of his face the right of trade. "As long as I hold this, the organisation is mine to control."

No One of Consequence tilted his head forward and sighed. "I can't frigging believe I'm doing this, but, alright, if Edracian's on Omnartus and you're truly willing to forge an alliance. I'll take you, despite all the deaths and horrid actions your organisation has done to my people. But on one condition."

"Give us the coordinates of where his base of operations is," said Karmen. "Then lead us there."

No One of Consequence grimaced. "Why?"

"So we can send in the Magistratum and the Adeptus Arbites to make sure that it isn't an ambush beforehand."

"Ha! So much for trust!"

"Show us that we can trust you, No One of Consequence, then we will."

"Alright, alright. I will. But you need to tell me exactly how you know Edracian is planetside and the events that led up to you realising this stuff," He said.

"We don't have the time-!" tried Karmen.

"Then make the frigging time!" he interrupted with a force one who'd been so badly beaten shouldn't be capable of. "Just like I need to earn your trust, you need to earn mine."

Karmen sighed and turned to me. "Okay, alright, Attelus...?"

I gave her a wide-eyed look that asked, 'why me?'

She just furrowed her brow, shook her head and impatiently ushered me forward.

I sighed and walked past Karmen to let No one of Consequence look at me directly, wondering what exactly to say and what not to say.

"Hey kid, long time no see, was it Inquisitor Edracian who did that to your face?"

I shook my head. "No, no, it wasn't," I paused to think. "I-it started just after I talked to you. I was...ambushed."

"Ambushed? Ambushed by who?"

"It was a group of well-dressed Hammers who wielded axes, they ambushed me, and after I fought them for a while, Edracian chose to show himself."

"Okay, what did he look like?"

"H-he wore blue power armour with a brown cloak on his shoulders and a large 'I' emblazoned on his chest."

No One of Consequence nodded but did nothing else.

"I tried to escape, but they captured me, injected me with...poison, poison, I found out later was fake, and he ordered me in the exchange of the antidote to...Infiltrate Taryst's condo and take a pict of the Interrogator, if she was dead, the Interrogator you told us of earlier, with this..."

I took out the pict taker from one of my flak jacket pockets and showed it to him.

Despite their swollen condition, No One of Consequence's eyes widened with distinct fear.

"And tell me, boy!" He yelled so loud and desperately it caused us all to flinch in fright. "Did you succeed!"

"Y-yes, I did," I stammered, taken aback by his sudden ferocity.

"Oh! You stupid, stupid, stupid boy! Now you've doomed us all!" He roared, and he looked to Karmen. "Yeah, I'll cooperate with ya; I'll give ya the coordinates ya need," then he turned back to me with an intense, accusing glare.

"But thanks to this little fool's actions, I think it'll be too little, too late."

I couldn't contend a reply at No One of Consequence's statement; I could only stand around my jaw dumbly agape, my heart lodged in my throat and my eyes wide.

"W-what, do you mean?" asked Karmen for me.

He let out a frustrated groan and hung his head forward. "Typical, frigging, merc always thinking about how to save your own bloody hide! Typical! Frigging typical!"

"What the hell do you mean!" Karmen snarled.

No One of Consequence sighed deeply. "What I mean, psyker," he spat out "psyker" as though it were a curse. "That seemingly innocent pict has spelt-"

"I know that!" roared Karmen. "You have said that already! Tell us why!"

"I'm not sure I should, yet," said the man. "Brutis might want to know this before I do."

"Oh! You!" and she drew her hand back to punch the captive in the face, but the Olinthre-thing caught her fist in mid-air before the blow could land.

"You mean that this...Simple pict, Attelus took is going to contribute to Inquisitor Edracian's...goal?" said the Olinthre Thing as Karmen struggled to break from its grasp.

"More than any 'simple pict' ever bloody well should," answered No One of Consequence as he spat more blood onto the floor. "That pict wasn't just of my master's Interrogator; she was more than just that, she was...Her name was Amanda Heartsa, God-Emperor rest her soul, and she was more than just an interrogator; she was his daughter."

My attention snapped to the Olinthre-thing's back.

"And, well, frig it. It gets worse from there, but you're gonna have to wait 'till we find Brutis before you find that out," said No One of Consequence.

The Olinthre-thing nodded and let go of Karmen. "We are willing to make such a compromise, are we not, Karmen?"

She grimaced and rubbed her wrist. "Yeah, whatever," she growled, and she turned to the captive. "So, now will you give us the coordinates, throne agent?"

"Why, of course, mamzel," said No One of Consequence with mocking politeness. "And I'd like you to know if young...Attenlus or whatever his bloody name is. Hadn't told me he'd taken that stupid pict, I wouldn't have told you the real co-ordinances."

The Olinthre-thing folded its arms and sniffed loudly. "I didn't think that you would've; that was way too easy." And I couldn't help but agree.

No One of Consequence pursed his lips and shrugged. "Oh, I was that obvious? Was I? Ohh, gosh darn it!"

The Xenos shrugged. "Better luck next time, I guess."

"Would. You. Please. Tell. Us. The coordinates, now!" Roared Karmen right in No One of Consequence's face through clenched teeth, her attractive face now beet red with rage, and I could see the old man close his eyes to shield them from her spittle

"Okay! Okay!" This is where they will go after what happened at the Twilight bar; it's in the underhive; it's 20036 by 33299; it's an old Factorium."

My eyes widened at that. "Wait! I know that place! It was one of the first we investigated!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, they wouldn't have moved there 'till a month ago," said No One of Consequence. "So don't feel bad. There's other things you should be feeling bad about right now, kid."

I sighed and facepalmed; the search for Brutis Bones seemed pointless now.

"Alright! Here's the plan!" Said Karmen. "Olinthre! I need you to get in contact with Arlathan Karkin at the Magistratum and Tamlorst Toroun of the Adeptus Arbites; tell them we've found Brutis Bones; he's at 20036 by 33299 and tell them to surround the area, but not to go inside until we meet them there!"

The Olinthre-thing grinned, shook its head and said, "finally, they'll have to start working for all those bribes, huh? Bet they'll be fuming!" And it reached up to its ear to start tuning its link.

Karmen reached up to her's.

"Garrakson, I need you and your men back here, now. We need an escort back to the main tower."

She nodded at the reply I couldn't hear, then lowered her hand.

"You're sure we can trust him?" I asked hesitantly. "Because I know he doesn't trust us."

Karmen shook her head and grinned. "Jeurat Garrakson is a man of honour, Attelus; you know that. He will follow what I say as long as Taryst ordered him to."

I frowned, feeling she was, again, vastly underestimating Garrakson. "But he didn't", I pointed out.

"Well, we have something that can rectify that," she replied, nodding over her shoulder at the Olinthre-thing as he quietly spoke into his link in the corner, in what I guessed to be Taryst's voice.

I shrugged and looked curiously at the man tied to the chair, wondering what he thought of that brief bit of dialogue, but he immediately turned away once he saw my attention was on him.

"So what are we doing, now?" I asked Karmen.

"We are taking poor, poor, No One of Consequence here to be fixed up at