Helix: Episode 4 (Anomaly) by Nathan M Farrugia

Author:Nathan M Farrugia [Farrugia, Nathan M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Anomaly Press
Published: 2018-01-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Budapest, Hungary

Jay planted a bottle of vodka on their table and pulled up a seat by the fire. He sat between Nasira and one of the babysitters, Felix. He’d barely said a word and wasn’t even drinking, so Jay poured a glass for Nasira first.

‘Vodka.’ Nasira inspected her glass. ‘I asked for alcohol.’

They were waiting out their hours in a less-than-legal drinking den, tucked in the courtyard of a ruined building. The neighborhood looked like it hadn’t been touched since the Second World War, with exposed pipes and holes in walls. At least they’d decorated: there were potted plants, colored light bulbs, a Communist-era television that flickered a soundless sports channel, and an open fire for cooking goulash. The locals drank vodka and wine, their chatter loud enough that no one could overhear anything Jay said.

Nasira aside, Jay wasn’t too impressed with his company.

With large, inquisitive eyes, Ezra watched everyone in the bar. She pressed a finger under her earlobe, adjusting the concealed earpiece. Everything about her was precise and considered, from the dark hair curling against her neck to the hint of blue steel on her hip. At a confident guess, it was a Taurus PT 24/7 pistol.

Jay poured her a glass, which she ignored, so he poured one each for Felix and Hélio. Felix was at least polite enough to thank him, he even drank some to wash down the last of his goulash. He hunched over the table and suppressed a cough.

Jay laughed. ‘Homemade.’

Felix cleared his throat. He had stringy brown hair that covered the stubble on his neck. If there were grooming requirements for Intron’s operatives, Felix was ignoring a lot of them. When Nasira removed her cigarette packet, he offered his lighter. In return, she offered her packet.

‘I’m cutting back.’ Felix took one.

Ezra finally took a swig of hers. ‘If we die from methanol poisoning, you’re taking full responsibility.’

Nasira poured another. ‘Actually, for methanol, it ain’t that bad.’

‘Your definition of bad worries me.’ Felix excused himself to the restroom.

Jay leaned over to Hélio. ‘Thanks for doing this.’

Hélio met his gaze. ‘We’re not doing it for you.’

‘You’ve made that clear.’ Nasira crushed her cigarette in the ashtray. ‘Why do you work for Intron?’

‘Not everyone’s evil like the Fifth Column, you know.’

‘You’re not answering my question.’

‘Death is a disease.’ The fire pit reflected in Hélio’s eyes. ‘I joined Intron to cure it.’

‘You wanna live forever?’ Nasira said. ‘You know Denton tried that once, right? Didn’t work so well.’

Hélio glanced between them. ‘Who’s Denton?’

Nasira lit another cigarette, then leaned in to speak softly. ‘You’re in competition with the Fifth Column—with Project GATE technology—and you don’t know who Denton is? Well, shit.’

‘I don’t need to,’ Hélio looked away, momentarily. ‘Should I?’

‘He’s only one of the most dangerous psychopaths on the planet,’ she said.

‘He made good cupcakes though,’ Jay said. ‘We used to get them as treats when—’

Nasira held up her hand. ‘Dangerous psychopath.’

‘What makes him so dangerous?’ Hélio asked. ‘He’s just one man.’

‘One man trained in a clandestine OSS program, then recruited by the Fifth Column,’ Nasira said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.