Anthology - SHADOWRUN - Spells and Chrome

Uh oh. I honestly didn't know if that was possible-but the image of Naomi furious at me-that was very possible.

As if on cue, the side soy steamer came on, sending a hot, steaming blast against the counter. This caused the machine to wrench and fall forward.

It was funny, but it wasn't. All three of the shit-heads turned and fired on the poor steamer, riddling it full of holes. Kazuma fell to the floor in a dark heap on his right side, his face turned away from me. He was still.

A little too still.

"Stopstopstopstop…" Jarod called out. The shooting ceased. The steamer, dead.

And the Fichetti was in my hand, concealed and fully loaded. Thirty rounds of ammo-and the bastards weren't even paying attention.

The blender abruptly came on as well. Full of something the barista had been making before the ork barged in, now slurped and spewed into the air, splattering the three amigos.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jarod called out.

"Otaku!" Sylvester shouted and ran to the front door. He banged on it repeatedly and tried to wrench it open. "There's a ghost in this system-"

I was up on my knees, tugging at the downed shelf I'd used earlier for cover and used it again as I filled Sylvester with a good dozen holes, then without letting go of the trigger I moved the gun to the bar and nailed Harold when Jarod ducked.

With a grunt I released the trigger. Damn. I got to get me one of these!

Silence was golden in the room and I could hear Jarod breathing. I was sure he was trying his damnedest to open the doors through the PAN-I could hear the circuitry vibrating. But he wasn't breaking through Kazuma's security.

And that's when I'd made my mistake-glancing back at the doors as they moved on their own. Jarod was up and moving around the bar, his weapon trained on my head. Idiot!

"You're a Technomancer…aren't you? You're the one messing with everything. I can't hack in or out of anything-there's something in there-in the door to Horizon. It was some monster you put in there, wasn't it? You can't-" and he was looking around at something I sure as hell couldn't see. "What is that?"

I tried to bring my gun up, and his attention was on me again.

"Damned freak-" he started to scream and I saw his finger tightening on the trigger. I pulled my pistol up, knowing I'd be too late-

And then a hole abruptly appeared in the center of his forehead. Bone, flesh and gray matter flew out and he lowered his gun, and fell backward.

I looked past him to see Kazuma standing by the bar, his left hand holding my Colt, a half-smile on his pale face. I was still half laying on the ground behind the shelf as he straightened and very calmly walked over the broken glass, ceramic, and blood to me as he pocketed my gun, then held his hand out to me.

I stared at it as if it had nine fingers, but I took it and he sort of helped me to a standing position. My head ached, and I was thinking maybe I should throw back one of those pills he kept in his bag.

The doors suddenly released, opening just a tad and I noticed the cameras moving back to their original positions. I could see men in uniforms moving in from their hidden positions in the streets around us.

Then he had my gun in his left hand again, spun it around and handed it back to me, hilt first.

I took it and offered him his. He shook his head. "Not…yet."

"You weren't as badly hit as I thought," I said as I re-holstered the Colt. "Were you?"

"Sukoshi," he nodded. "I am. But I at least had to make sure you survived this little venture." He gave me a half smile. "Or Auntie Naomi would never forgive me."

"Auntie?"

His smile faded. "Uh oh-"

"What is it?"

"If you'd be so kind as to keep my gun, holster and the bag hidden back there," he started to lean at a weird angle. "I'm going to politely…pass out."

I caught him as he fell forward into my arms. • • •

Three days later, I found myself actually inside one of the dormitory complexes for Knight Errant. It was located in the Bunker Hills area, and it took three levels of security, as well as the presence of a bandaged but healthier looking Kazuma Tetsu to escort me to his apartment.

It was a nice place. Spacious and completely automated. There was an ambient light change as I stepped in front of the sensors.

"It's looking for your 'link," Kazuma said as he moved to one of the white, cushioned couches in front of a roaring fire. It was close to nine and my transport back to Seattle left at midnight. Flanking the fireplace were floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking greater Los Angeles. "If you had one, you'd be given a choice of decor preferences."

I shook my head as I stepped down to the living area. Kazuma moved to a bar and pointed to the well-stocked shelf. I nodded and he poured me a scotch, wet. He knew his stuff. And when I tasted it-it was the real thing. Not synthohol. It burned all the way down.

He sat on one of the sofas and I sat on the other. His right arm was still in a sling-fixed to his chest to restrict movement. Apparently he was allergic to several of the latest muscle mending medications and had to let it heal naturally. He had a ceramic, green cup in his hand. Tea, I assumed.

I set the glass on the coffee table between us and retrieved his bag from my jacket. Kazuma immediately dug into it and pulled out the prescription. To my amazement the kid took two of those pills out, popped them into is mouth and took a swig of tea.

"You get headaches a lot?"

He nodded and put his left hand to his forehead. "Since the Crash."

I chewed on my lower lip. I hated delicate situations-especially since there was nothing delicate about me. "Is that when it happened?"

He sighed as he looked at me. "I was online, yes. With Hitori, my sister. We were both caught at the same time. When I came to, I was in a KE facility. My grandfather and Hitori were with me. Knight Errant had treated me, as they treated all their employees who were caught. Many died-they said I was lucky."

I looked at him. "About your sister-"

He put up a hand. "As I said in my message. I'm going to step back for the moment. It's been three weeks. She said when she went to work for Ares that she would be gone a month. As you saw her 'link was still active, and her apartment is still open."

"But don't you find that a bit strange?" I said. "Why didn't she take her 'link with her? Why leave it at her apartment for you to find?"

Kazuma looked at me. "I don't know. I don't even know if the Crash affected her in the same way it affected me. What the other day taught me is that I'm not as prepared for those kinds of surprises as I need to be. I'm not-there's more I have to learn before I can face what I think is ahead of me. I have to do better at defending myself."

"You seem pretty good with a gun."

"That doesn't make me prepared," Kazuma said. "That makes me lucky. I have a lot to learn, and I have some ideas. But what I'm most concerned about right now is that my secret-what I am-remain a secret. Naomi trusts you. Should I?"

"Does Noami know…about what you are?"

Shaking his head, he looked crestfallen. "No. And she can't. It could compromise her job. They're on the alert to look for Technomancers-even suspected ones. I can't," he winced and put his left hand to his forehead.

"Headache?"

He nodded. "There is a song…a sound…that I can't escape from. It's in my dreams…and in my thoughts all the time. It's lulling me into the Matrix…and I'm not sure I can fight it off much longer. There's no assurance that little things like the coffee shop-that one day they won't point their fingers at me."

"Which is why you keep an active 'link."

"Yes."

Sighing, I sat back. "You want me to keep looking for Hitori-in case something happens to you."