Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Play Me Some More of that Old Blues ❯ Chapter 14 ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 14

Dr. Wilde's face drained of color as he stood over the bleeding corpse. The manner of death, the cause, was so brutal, so devoid of humanity…

Mr. Caulder stood behind him, looking around the cell where subject C had formerly resided. His voice was hollow as he spoke.

“It's over. It's all over.”

Wilde looked up into the emotionless face of his employer. “Sir?”

“Get someone down here to take care of the body, would you Dr. Wilde?”

Wilde nodded, but Caulder had already turned away. “Yes, of course sir.”

While the older man walked down the hall with his security men, Wilde knelt by the victim on the floor. A vicious blow to the left temple had disabled, and probably killed the man instantly. However, apparently not satisfied with that, the killer had proceeded to beat the victim with some kind of blunt instrument, the butt of the guard's rifle it turned out. The weapon lay a short distance away, the stock spattered with blood and bits of bone. Wilde wiped his mouth with a shaking hand.

“Mr. Caulder?”

The CEO turned; waiting while a guard strode up to him, an unreadable expression on his face. Caulder rubbed his eyes. “Yes?”

The older guard shifted his feet, a small movement, but significant. “What's the problem, did you find Mathis?”

The guard forced himself to a parade stance, squaring his shoulders and staring straight ahead. “We checked all the security scanners sir, they've all been disabled.”

Caulder straightened. “Who was in the security office during this time?”

“Anderson and Williams, sir. However, they reported no abnormalities on the screens. I checked them myself sir. Apparently, Mr. Mathis intercepted the signal with a recorded image. There was no indication that the system had been compromised.”

“Bloody hell!” Caulder turned to the two security men still at his side. “Emory, you stay here with Dr. Wilde. Dower and Nix, come with me. I want to go over everything in Mathis's office, tear it apart if need be. We need to get the subject back.”

Pausing once to regard the body on the floor, Caulder grit his teeth and walked away.

Wilde watched his retreating back until he disappeared. The doctor looked up at the guard standing over him. “Stay here with the body. I'm going to call up a few orderlies to take care of him.” The nervousness in the guard's eyes betrayed his youth, but he remained where he was without protest. Though he did lift his rifle a little higher.

In the office, Wilde took one more moment to himself to wipe the sweat from his forehead. `Damn, what a balls up.' He thought bitterly. He should have known there was something going on with Mathis; the guy had been too mercenary. Thinking back, Wilde realized he'd been played the whole time. He wondered how much of the work he'd done had even been ordered by Caulder. He decided that once he had the dead guard taken care of, his next order of business would be to make a detailed account of every test he'd carried out for the past six months. Mr. Caulder would need to confirm whether the orders came from him or Mathis.

Wilde just hoped he still had a job after this was all over.

Hell, he hoped he was still alive.

Faye growled through her teeth. “Hey pal, you may not have noticed, but I don't play the whole `fair maiden in distress' bit very well!”

Mathis smiled. “That a fact?” He tapped a few buttons on a hand-held controller. “You know, you should be proud Miss Valentine. It's not often a person can claim they changed the Universe.” He looked at her, his finger poised above the controller. “You truly are a wonder.” He pressed the last button, and Faye's muscles went rigid as something akin to an electrical current passed through her.

Mathis studiously checked Faye's vitals as she lay on the bed. A soft glow covered her, giving off a light charge. Her eyes were open, but Mathis knew she wasn't seeing anything. All the readouts indicated she was in a perfect state of induced coma. The electrical field also inhibited the devices in her blood, placing them in a sort of stasis. She was ready for transport.

Time to call his contacts.

The old bounty hunter hunched over his controls. The screen before him flickered, then came to life. A smiling face filled the monitor. “Jet- person!”

Jet glanced out the forward viewport, then back at the small screen. “Edward, you sure this will work? I don't really feel like getting shot out of the sky you know!”

Ed straightened, her face becoming uncharacteristically serious. “Of course Captain sir! Ed's program will fool the super big computer system into thinking Jet- person is ok to be there!” Her face split into a grin again. “Can you bring me a souvenir?”

Jet sighed. “Sure, I'll pick you up space rock or something.”

Ed screamed with glee and Jet quickly cut the connection, rubbing his abused ears.

“You better be right about this kid.” He muttered as he piloted the Hammerhead into the Gate.

Bill Hollis found Spike standing in the small library off the dining room. The young man had his hands in his pockets, and was staring out the window. Without turning, Spike spoke. “Lotta books, I take it you like to read.”

Hollis glanced up reflexively at the tall stacks. “I pick up one now and then. My wife is the big reader in the family.”

Spike turned, pulling his hands out of his pockets. “Thanks for the clothes.”

Hollis chuckled. “I know for a fact you wouldn't have worn them if my wife hadn't stolen your old ones.”

Spike managed a small smile before returning to the window.

Hollis stepped closer, staring out at the minimal view. “I know you aren't one to share a lot of details about your life with perfect strangers; that's pretty obvious. However, I like to think I'm a descent judge of character… you're more than welcome to stay here.”

“You planning on adopting me like some kind of lost puppy?”

Hollis stopped speaking, then put his hand behind his head with a deep chuckle. “God, sure sounds like that's what I'm planning, doesn't it?”

Spike slipped his hands in his pockets again, turning his head to regard the older man. “Hey, I appreciate the gesture but… I think it's time I got outta here.”

Turning his back to the view, Spike dropped into a nearby armchair. Absently, he rubbed at his leg. “You said a ship came in under my name, right?”

Hollis nodded. “Yeah.”

Spike leaned back, folding his arms. “Do you happen to know where it is?”