The Hunted Chapter 10 snippet (new writing)

Once she got out of Dublin, the traffic reared its ugly head again. While it was tempting to weave in and out of the traffic, Kate knew better then to draw attention to herself. If the bounty on her head had been enough to make Reyes’ adjunct become a turncoat, imagine what it could do to a lowly traffic cop. With anyone and everyone trying to collect the money, the wise choice was to keep a low profile.

But how low can I keep it when searching for the people behind it? Kate wondered while she dodged a car.

When the bounty hunters had grown tired of tailing Loving, it had thrown a slight wrench into Kate’s plan. If they didn’t want to chase after the decoy, then they had to have known she was in Dublin. Just how long could she stay ahead of them? Would they be waiting for her at Club Fever?

Kate sighed while she worked her way through the traffic. It really didn’t matter if they were waiting there for her or not because she had to meet with Williams. Without the information he held, there would be no way for her to get the bounty removed-or kill the one’s responsible.

If the bounty hunters tried to stop me, Kate thought, feeling the weight of her sword on her back. Then it would be their funerals.

Could this really be because she turned down the Syndicate’s offer of employment? Would the organization go through this much trouble to eliminate someone who turned them down or was someone else behind this? Those were the thoughts the filled her main while riding towards the confrontation with Williams.

Hopefully when I get there, she told herself, then the answers will be clearer.

###

Ty Williams was a confident man and because of that nature, he never worried. However, after hearing that Burgess was dead, and who had killed him, that opinion had changed. A quick glance at the security surrounding him and he felt even less confident of his survival.

While the Syndicate paid him well for his services, the trouble they caused sometimes outweighed the advantages. A woman like Almir wasn’t someone to be trifled with, yet his superiors were doing just that. Couldn’t they see that the easiest thing to have done was to have killed her back on Alpha Centauri?

He sighed while running a hand through his short, closely cropped black hair. If Almir had killed Burgess, then the next person on her list would be him. No matter how well he paid his security team, there was no doubt in his mind that a pissed off Intelligence agent would have a field day with them-and him next.

A chuckle escaped his lips and it was completely without humor. One of the security guards looked at his with a raised eyebrow and Williams ignored him. It wasn’t their jobs to know what he was thinking, there needed to make sure he stayed alive.

That’ll be something that will keep them occupied fully, he thought while entering the club.

Music and lights assaulted his senses when he stepped through the door. While music had changed over the centuries, for some reason music from Old Earth called “Disco” ruled the clubs now. Bands like the “Bee Gees” and “The Village People” played constantly in the club, while a kaleidoscope of lighting made the club goers look like escaped demons from hell.

Throngs of young men and woman danced the night away while Williams and his entourage passed by. While standard security protocol would have been for him to stay at his mansion and be somewhat safe, he had decided to throw it out the window. Club Fever was his place, he owned it and be damned if some bitch was going to run him from it.

Williams took a seat at his booth and watched the proceedings around him. With the crowds of dancers came money; credits from the cover fee, credits from the alcohol sales…all of it going to him. A broad smile crossed his face while he thought of the money he was making.

“Do you think this is wise?” his security chief asked for the thousandth time.

“I’m not going to hide from that bitch,” Williams said. “So here I am.”

“It’ll be nearly impossible to keep her away from you, sir,”

“I don’t care,” Williams lied. “Just do your job and let me enjoy the night.”

What might be the last of my life, Williams reminded himself.

He settled back and waited for Almir to make her appearance.

###

Kate dropped the kickstand and lowered the Ducati onto it. From where she stood, the lights of Club Fever filled the night and the throngs waiting to get inside were impatiently milling about. A sinking feeling filled her stomach while looking the scene over.

There’s no way in hell I’m getting in there, she told herself, unless I do something completely different.

An idea crossed her mind and Kate smiled at the simplicity of it. While Belfast had been one of the biggest slums in Dublin, the Liverpool section was known for its clubs and nightlife. Shops that sold sexy clothing and dancewear lined the streets and it was seeing them that Kate got the idea.

If I can’t get in there like this, she told herself, then I’ll play up my sex…that works every time when dealing with a man.

Kate crossed the street and entered the first shop she saw. Inside, a clerk looked up from reading a holo novel. It was obvious that at this time of night, the business wasn’t great and the young woman was bored to tears.

That won’t be a problem for a few minutes at least, Kate thought while picking some clothes off the rack.

She slipped into a dressing room and took off her clothes. It was time to drop the appearance of a common college age student and take on something more risqué. A pair of form fitting shiny, leather pants started the ensemble. The pants allowed anyone and everyone to see the delectable curve of her buttocks and the shapeliness of her legs too.

The best body money could buy, she thought with a snort.

The final piece of the puzzle was the tight shirt that left her midriff bare. If security thought to search her close, then Kate would be completely surprised. While the thought of using oneself for sex disgusted her, with the sheer number of people outside the club, this was going to be the only way to get inside.