Lumen raced to her kid, oblivious to our threat. Until the last ten minutes, the senora struck me as a cold, empty woman who poured her energy into controlling others. Humans excelled in that discipline.

  Even now, I struggled with the image of Lumen cradling a baby. But I had to know how she and her kid got from Point A to Z.

  “Ilan, whatcha say we help this young man to a trauma pod?”

  Moon held off lighting a fresh cigar. I understood his frustration. We rarely saved lives.

  “We’ll take it from here,” I told Lumen. “Why don’t you run ahead and set up the pod for a new patient?”

  A crowd had gathered outside the cantina despite my request for everyone to return home. The ones who watched me drag this wretched creature along the central avenue must’ve been shocked to see Moon carrying the same limp fella in his arms. Vash wasn’t conscious and likely had little time to spare.

  The locals followed us, asking questions I wasn’t prepared to answer. We passed the depot, where a short queue had formed while the shelves were being stocked inside. I would’ve enjoyed watching that competition when the doors opened.

  Moon laid the sorry excuse for an assassin inside the pod. Lumen had calibrated the AI for field triage and synthetic blood transfusion. When she closed the translucent cover, a holoscan highlighted the injuries. Soon thereafter, spider-like phasic tools emerged to cauterize wounds. This was, not, however, a surgical pod. It wasn’t capable of saving his leg or reconstructing a hand. But it kept him alive, along with our newfound leverage.

  Moon and I stayed out of Lumen’s way until she appeared satisfied that the pod had stabilized her kid.

  “We have arrived at an awkward moment,” I said. “In fact, it’s a literal moment of truth. Time to deliver on your promise, senora.”

  Lumen had dried her tears and regained some of her spine. She swung about and, for a second, I thought she might take a swing.

  “Vash was right. You’re a pair of filthy malgados. First, you try to ruin my life’s work, then you drag Vash into the cantina like an animal. I owe you nothing.”

  “Except his life, which you endangered. Don’t expect an apology for an act of self-defense. Tell us everything, or I’ll kill him.”

  Lumen was smart and, as we learned today, ruthless. But she ran out of moves. Moon lit his cigar and leaned against the wall. I eased into a chair next to a medical cabinet and pushed another chair toward Lumen.

  “Now sit. I’d tell you to start from the beginning, but that’s typically the least interesting place. Why don’t you describe your life’s work? What exactly did we try to ruin?”

  “You won’t appreciate my work, Raul. Men like you are bent on tearing down. You know nothing about building a better future.”

  I withheld my laughter. Oh, the stories I could tell …

  “Senora, you’d be surprised how much stock I place in the future. I saw opportunity here because I have vision. Tell me yours.”

  “When I moved here thirty-one years ago, the town was dying. It had no purpose. The resupply tumbler only came once a month. I saw potential. I set people to work and used my contacts to find buyers. I turned this town into a refuge for outcasts and a gold mine for the rest. You call it a secret economy. I call it a lifeline.”

  “Go on.”

  “Only a third of the profits end up in cartel hands. I’m not stealing from the town for my own gain or because anyone forced my hand.”

  “But you are stealing from these folks. You admit it?”

  She nodded. “They make enough to live in peace. These people aren’t interested in returning to their old ways. They were content until a certain false prophet landed in his Ladybug sedan.”

  “It’s true. I do know how to make an entrance. You, however, miscalculated their level of dissatisfaction. A Svengali succeeds where a hole needs filling. So, if the cartels are receiving minimal profits, and you’re not hoarding the rest, what happens to the other credits?”

  “They serve a higher purpose.”

  “Ooh. A cryptic answer. I’m intrigued.”

  “Doubtful. You serve no master but yourself.”

  Lumen wasn’t wrong. When President Aleksanyan met me at the Fort of Inarra two years earlier to hash out terms, I made one thing clear: Moon and I had no desire to save her from everydamnbody.

  The Prez asked, “Then why are you here?”

  “To have fun,” I replied. “To kill. If we help serve your interests in the process? Well, that ain’t nothing but a lucky side effect.”

  I refused to justify my lifetime of selfish deeds.

  “Senora, when folks speak of ‘higher purpose,’ they’re fooling themselves. Humans support larger causes to fill a hole. They need to feel important. Everything is personal.”

  “I’m not here to argue, Raul. You asked for an explanation. Here it is. The majority of the profits go to a select membership of Aztecans who are focused on our people’s future. We thrive in all walks of life, including inside the cartels.”

  “Hmm. Like a special club?”

  “Some may think of us that way, but we’re open to anyone who shares our beliefs about the Aztecan people.”

  “Have I heard of your club?”

  “A man like you? Unlikely.”

  “What are these beliefs?”

  “That we have always been meant for more and better. Our roots go back to the colony’s founding. I’ll say no more. You’ll mock me.”

  I buried my face in my hands. After I realized where the dialogue was headed, I turned to Moon.

  “The tattoos.”

  He picked up on my ironic smile.

  “Oh. Shit. Another one.”

  “Another what?” Lumen said.

  “Cult,” I told her. “Why does it always have to be a goddamn cult? The reason I’d mock you is because you belong to a cult of xenophobes. Between them and the religious variety …”

  “We are not a cult, Raul Torreta. We are proud Aztecans who are working to strengthen our kind.”

  “Right, right. And all you proud Aztecans just so happen to wear a tattoo on your neck in the shape of a gear. Like the one on your kid and his dearly departed comrades.”

  She swallowed hard. Yep, that was gonna be a tough hurdle to leap. To her credit, she gave it a go.

  “The tattoo is proof of our commitment.” She lowered the collar of her dress to reveal the faded symbol. “We are not beholden to a higher power, and we have no designs to overthrow the government. We’re not radicals or terrorists.”

  “Fair enough. So, what’s the goal?”

  “No, Raul. That answer has to be earned.”

  “Huh. A members-only privilege.”

  “Yes. Members like me have been building wealth for generations. I used this town because I was out of options. I’m one year from achieving my personal goal. Now you’ve come along and threatened everything I worked for. Did you think I’d let you tear it down?”

  “No, but I never saw the family angle coming. I knew you’d try to have us killed, but I expected you to hire through Cardinale’s people.”

  It was her turn to mock me. I was playing dumb, after all.

  “Raul, you’re not half as clever as you imagine. I don’t do business with Cardinale or the Horax.”

  “What of the tributes?”

  “A payoff. Twenty years ago, they learned of my operation. Technically, I’m working inside their territory.”

  “I reckon they were pissed.”

  She nodded. “I struck a deal. Automatic payments derived from the residency tariffs and a piece of the profits.”

  “And?”

  “I agreed to provide a safehouse when they needed to slip someone off the grid.”

  I snapped my fingers.

  “Esai and Emilio.”

  “They were the most recent. Also the most stubborn. They didn’t play by the rules.”

  “Now it makes sense. Had they listened to you and your shock club, they wouldn’t have stolen from us. In turn, Ilan and I never would’ve set foot in this town. Cause and effect. The ultimate pain in the ass.”

  “I had nothing to do with their thievery. Nor did I make a deal to sell your weapons on the night market.”

  Moon piped up. “I have a question. Do the Horax know what you’re doing with the rest of the profits?”

  Lumen smiled. “My people made arrangements with our government contacts before the Horax interfered. We’re embedded everywhere, but we have strong interests in long-haul shipping.”

  The picture cleared.

  “Nice. Ilan, my friend, we sit in the company of a brilliant entrepreneur. The auditor from cargo hold three belonged to Lumen’s members-only clique. He delivered enough funds to cover the residents and her tribute to Cardinale.

  “By now, he’s created a new manifest which erases certain product lines. Those nonexistent products are transferred and sold outside the northern territories. Some buyers transport off-world under false label but at their own risk. Lumen doesn’t run afoul of the Horax or worry about interstellar customs enforcement. Sound about right, senora?”

  She shrugged with obvious pride.

  “It’s not as simple as all that, but you have the essence.”

  My head was spinning with new machinations, but I needed to fill a few more gaps.

  “So, to recap. Your group of zealots, who have a grandiose purpose which you refuse to discuss but apparently requires an enormous bank account, are not political, religious, or globalist. They have the best interests of the Aztecan people in mind. Yes?”

  “Correct.”

  “Then why do they possess teams of assassins? Moreover, how did your son fall into that particular occupation, and why would a mother who is so goddamn clever stand for it?”

  “Vash is an adult. He believes in our cause.”

  “Which I’m sure you raised him on. But I’m not passing judgment. As I tell my partner often: Start them early for the best results.”

  She pointed a finger in my face.

  “Listen to me, Raul. We have enemies everywhere. We do what’s necessary to protect our own.” Then she sagged her shoulders. “I never spoke to Vash about the job. I didn’t know he would …”

  “Show up to kill us?”

  “I would have stopped him if I knew what he was up against.”

  “Oh, sure. No doubt. Let the other fellas die instead. Like I said earlier, senora, everything is personal. Which brings me to Ship. How in hell did he end up in your service? The real reason.”

  Lumen jumped from her chair and studied the holographic chart above the pod.

  “You asked me to explain my business. I did. The boy is not related.”

  “Perhaps. But I take great stock in his well-being.”

  “It was an accident. That’s detail enough.”

  “Yeah, no. We ain’t close to being done. But you’ve altered my life’s trajectory in ways I didn’t imagine when I watched today’s sunrise. In fact, I’d say you’ve earned your kid a reprieve.”

  I started toward the door and waved Moon to follow.

  “Senora Lumen, we are visionaries in pursuit of stately goals. Despite today’s unfortunate tragedy, I see a future where we might walk the same road. I’ll check back in before long.”

  “Please,” she said with a sneer. “Take your good time.”

  Outside, the queue for the supply depot had grown to more than a hundred. I wondered whether Ship would be able to handle the rush, let alone if fights broke out.

  I didn’t have time to care. We circled around the building and reached Bart before I opened my mouth.

  “I know that look in your eyes,” Moon said. “What now?”

  “Take a rifter to the north end. Collect the bodies and the rifles. Hide them someplace quiet until after dark.”

  “And you?”

  “Research. We’re gonna make history, my friend.”

  20

  A SECRET WAS LIKE A CUP OF CAFÉ. Most humans couldn’t get through the day without one. If all their clever little deceits were exposed and the truth was inviolate, I reckon they’d find little joy in life beyond occasional masturbation.

  This character flaw didn’t bother me so long as a/ the secrets posed no threat to my plans, and b/ I uncovered them before assholes weaponized them against me.

  Consequently, I entered Bart determined to dredge up the answers to all my nagging questions. Lumen’s failed attempt to kill us accelerated my timeline but also provided exciting new avenues worth pursuing.

  I propped my feet up on the forward panel with a bottle of whiskey at my side. I opened my pom and the ship’s transceivers. Bart’s standard comms tech along with my mods would lead me down the best rabbit holes to solve most of my quandaries. Much to my consternation, however, at least a pair of questions required a special investigative touch beyond my capacity.

  It was time to make nice with my D’ru-shaya.

  “OK, Theo. I’ve got a mission for you.”

  He didn’t answer right away. What a shock.

  “Theo, I know you’re there. Don’t be a cunt.”

  He got like this every so often. He felt disrespected or ignored. Maybe I told him to ‘cool his syneth’ one too many times. Of course, it was fine and dandy for him to call me an old man or a dumbass. I should’ve nipped his insult tendency in the bud nineteen years ago.

  You live, you learn.

  Theo became his most incorrigible when I didn’t consult with him on my ingenious machinations. He was able to access all my syneth core except cognitive functions; my human consciousness remained free of his interference.

  Drove him batshit crazy.

  “Listen, Theo. I got important matters to investigate. I can do this without you, but it’s liable to take days. I can’t risk leaving town until my control is unchallenged. Otherwise, I’d head off to Machado, take on a new shape, and hunt down the necessary targets. If you want respect, get with the goddamn program and do your job.”

  The bastard grumbled in the recesses of my mind.

  “My job, as you so dismissively call it, is not to perform on cue like your trained monkey, dumbass. We agreed. I am one-third partner.”

  “Hmm. I’d question that characterization, my friend. But for the sake of this investigation, you’ll hold a fifty percent share. Feel better?”

  Theo lacked physical form, but he equipped himself with a veritable symphony of sighs, moans, coughs, grunts, and laughs. Among his more annoying habits: Tapping on the walls of my conscious boundary like a woodpecker against solid stone.

  He tapped twice before replying.

  “If I save the day, you promise to keep me in the loop this time?”

  “You’re a continuous companion, Theo. I appreciate when you offer constructive advice. Your shots across the bow? Not so much.”

  “Fine, Royal. I’ll hold back the zingers if you keep your word.”

  I didn’t trust the prick, but I needed to get on with business.

  “Done.”

  A swig of whiskey went down warm and soothing.

  “Here’s where matters stand. Lumen might become indispensable to our success. It’s a damn sight more than I imagined a week ago. But I can’t know for sure until I answer key questions. What’s her backstory? Lumen was raised with money, but she also admitted to being out of options when she arrived in Desperido. How does that jibe? Like everybody else in town, she’s living under a pseudonym, and has been for thirty-one years. I guarantee she’s worked hard to erase her previous life.”

  Theo jabbed quickly.

  “Torture the bitch! You got her kid.”

  “Last resort, Theo. Yeah, yeah. It’s out of character. But I need her to contribute of her own free will. Humans like that shit. Makes them feel empowered. If I put Lumen through the ringer, she’ll give me what I need, then she’ll be useless.”

  “So? She’s one woman. You and Moon are gods.”

  “You ain’t hearing me, Theo. If Lumen endorses my plan, no one in Desperido will oppose us. Their products keep the revenue stream a-flowing, and I’ll need volunteers for my army.”

  Theo chuckled. “Look at you, planning to be a general again.”

  “Yeah, well, generals don’t win wars if their soldiers ain’t willing to fight and die for the cause. Which brings me to Vash. He’s our lucky break. He told me his name when I threatened his kids.”

  “You think he told the truth?”

  “I do. That will narrow the search parameters.”

  “Unless Vash is an everyday name. Then …”

  “That’s why I’m enlisting your assistance. Cutting days of work down to hours. Now, there are two intersecting points we’ll also need to explore. The first one is their cult. Lumen can categorize it anyway she damn well pleases, but I know what it means when everyone wears the identical tattoo in the same location.”

  “Which is?”

  “They’re committed to something they can’t be talked out of. She says her group is well-positioned in all walks of life. If that’s true, identifying that tattoo and the group’s core principles won’t be hard. Finding out how they’re integrated into the long-haul shipping industry will be more complicated. Last thing is her connection to Cardinale.”

  “You don’t believe her story?”

  “About the tributes? Sure. But it’s too goddamn easy. Lumen’s operating in Horax territory. Why haven’t they taken over the town and grabbed the whole damn pie for themselves?”

  Theo tapped against stone.

  “Said she made a prior arrangement with the government.”

  “So? If Cardinale moved her people in here but continued to wet every beak, nodamnbody would put up a fuss.”

  “A fair point, Royal. How would you like to proceed?”

  I didn’t fall for Theo’s shift in tone. He sounded professional and cooperative, but that wouldn’t last for long.

  “I’ll suss out the cult. That part won’t be difficult. The rest will be trickier. She came to Desperido thirty-one years ago. Do the math. That’s 5358. Big damn year in human history.”

  “The original Collectorate collapsed that year. The colonies were left on their own.”