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eimarraBodyguard of Lies is a serialized science-fiction novel updating once a week on Tuesdays. If you missed last week’s episode, Digging Deeper, it can be found here. You can catch up on the entire serial on this page with a description of the story and links to all published episodes.
Bodyguard of Lies
Episode 56
Dirt Exposed
Charly rubbed her forehead and answered the incoming call — Sabra. “You doing okay?”
“Not exactly.” Sabra nodded toward a pair of cops in the background. “I got picked up for disturbing the peace.”
Charly snorted. Sabra could do a lot of disturbing, no question about that. She hadn’t looked to have the energy for it when she left that morning, though, however mad she was at the world.
“You do anything in particular?”
“Got into a street fight. Gareth and a bunch of his goons jumped me.”
“You get hurt?”
“A bitch reopened the cut on my arm.” Sabra shrugged. “Police medic patched it up, put on an ointment. Should be fine in a day or two if no one else decides to use me for knife practice.”
Charly nodded. That sounded like Sabra. “You need a lift from the station? I’d think it’s on a major bus route.”
“What I need is bail. Disturbing the peace, incitement to riot, don’t remember the other charges. Problem is, it’s more than I can afford. I was wondering if you could get through to Leo for me — the mercs don’t seem to want me to talk to him.”
More than Sabra could afford? Her net worth was pretty damn high for a non-corp. No use asking the arena manager to bail her out, either, not with her off on a freelance job.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
She ended the call but stared at the blank vid screen. She was headed up to talk to Leo anyway. The chit was ready. But if Sabra was being targeted, maybe she’d be safer in jail.
Her vid chimed. The flag on Johansen’s file had been tripped.
She recorded his calls as she watched them. Mabel — she could trace the name. There couldn’t be too many Violet Mabels the right age to have kids twenty years ago. She started to program the search while keeping half an eye on Johansen’s activity in case he’d do the same thing. He didn’t. Rather, he ordered up copies of records for Leo’s wife, Mabel.
Charly sat back in her chair. Leo, her father?
He wouldn’t take her word for it. She grabbed another chit and dumped Johansen’s conversations onto it. She might not tell Leo today, ask why — well, she knew why. She wasn’t normal.
Before she went to show him the repaired chit, she called Cinn. Charly couldn’t tell her the truth, but just seeing Cinn helped Charly focus. She manufactured a plausible reason for the call. “Can you do me a favor?”
“If it’s quick. Don’t have a bout for a couple hours.” Her smile made Charly’s spine tingle. How had she gotten so lucky?
The favor was small. Call complete, Charly headed up to Leo’s office. She stared at the floor in the lift. She was going to see her father, tell him about the traitor inside his corp, and ask about bail for Sabra. Plenty enough emotions there without complaining about being abandoned.
Growing up Gray had never bothered her much. She got by, she learned a lot, she moved up the colors. Looking at the luxury around her, though, it was hard not to resent what she’d missed out on. If she hadn’t come up the way she did, though, she’d never have met Sabra. Or Cinn.
The thought of Cinn brought a smile to her face, and it hadn’t faded when the lift doors opened. A pair of mercs flanked the doors. They moved to block her entrance.
“Leo didn’t send for you.”
“I didn’t know I had to call ahead,” she replied.
They didn’t move. At least they took their job seriously. Leo glanced up and smiled. “Come in, come in. You have some information, then?”
Charly held up the one chit. “Got everything off the smashed one. You going to tell these lunkheads to let me through?”
He stood and walked around his desk toward her. “Do come in. Ignore them. You’re always welcome.”
Click here to continue reading with Episode 57, Bailing Out a Friend.
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Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.
