137 THE PIZZA GUY WANTS PAYNT IN LIFE
Exoren shrugged. "Interesting phrasing, when he says there are no permanent friends or enemies."
"What are your plans, cousin?" Garius asked.
"We change our plans," Exoren said. "Valtor Veyran is bringing back a large shipnt from the space rift. That's a ripe target—and far less risky than attacking the Aukouma HQ."
"Understood," Garius said, already calculating their next move.
-----
"Brother, you're a genius. No wonder you brought so much aur to the fortress—you were planning to outmaneuver the Aukoumas all along," Belgore said with a grin, his eyes glinting in admiration.
Valtor gave a modest chuckle. "I was coming to the space rift anyway. It would be wasteful not to seize the opportunity. If Zairgid Aukouma could strike a deal with Lord Nicaesa, then so can we."
"But why did Fortress Myrone suddenly change its mind?" Belgore asked, frowning. "They rejected us for weeks, then out of nowhere they agreed to sell to us."
Valtor shrugged slightly, his gaze following the last of the crates being loaded into the armored trucks. "Negotiation tactics, perhaps. The fortress has its own gas."
Outside, the cold wind swept across the plateau. The final convoy was sealed and ready to move.
At a distance, Eryn sat alone beside her mother's lifeless body, her shoulders trembling. Valtor watched her silently through the open hatch, but made no move to comfort her.
"Aren't you going to sit with your daughter?" Belgore asked softly.
"She must learn to grow up," Valtor said after a long pause. "She's too gentle—too sentintal... too weak. If she keeps this up, she'll never be able to lead the Veyran family." He exhaled heavily.
"She has to learn the world won't wait for her grief."
Monts later, the convoy rolled out, engines humming through the dust-choked plains. The sky was an iron gray, heavy and still.
But after a few kiloters, the lead vehicle ca to an abrupt stop.
"What's going on?" Belgore barked over the intercom.
"There's been a crash ahead, sir," the driver replied. "Two civilian vehicles blocking the path."
"Move them aside. Quickly," Belgore ordered, irritation rising in his voice.
Before the crew could act, the silence was shattered by gunfire roaring through the air. Drones descended from the clouds and autocannons were blazing.
"Ambush!" soone shouted.
Valtor turned toward the holo-display, his eyes narrowing. "Who dares attack us—? Who knew our route?"
"Only a handful of us," Belgore hissed. "Soone leaked it."
"There's no ti for that now," Valtor snapped. "They think a few drones can bring down the Veyran family? Let's show them otherwise."
The armored trucks swerved into formation, creating a defensive circle. Panels on their roofs slid open, revealing tall, antenna-like devices. Energy crackled along their spires, and within seconds a do of shimring force enveloped the convoy.
The drones' bullets ricocheted harmlessly against the barrier. The attackers circled, searching for a weak point—but none appeared.
Then, the light dimd.
A strange darkness began to spiral above them, twisting the air. The sky itself seed to tear open, and a massive shadow fell across the convoy, shrieking as it descended.
"Sothing's wrong with the force field!" a controller shouted over comms.
Valtor's heart pounded. "Report!"
"Our ta energy—it's being disrupted! Sir, it's an anti-ta field!"
Belgore's face went pale. "Anti-ta? Who in all of lrose has access to that kind of weaponry?"
The force field began to flicker, sparks leaping across the antennas. One by one, the protective dos collapsed.
"Prepare for combat!" Valtor ordered, drawing his weapon.
The brothers stepped out of their vehicles just as the last barrier failed. The air grew heavy with static and the sll of ozone.
Above them, the shadow circled again—closer this ti, darker, and almost alive.
Valtor clenched his fists, his ta aura struggling to manifest under the suppression field.
"Whoever you are," he muttered, eyes burning, "you've just declared war on the Veyran family."
-----
Dan slipped through the warehouse like a shadow.
Caras were angled away, alarms muted — after two weeks of low activity the Zetheris' security had slackened, and the super-hacker who usually watched this facility was nowhere to be found.
"I've disabled all the drones inside, but there are three tas on site," Kail's voice crackled in his ear.
He moved toward them wearing a delivery uniform, hands tucked in the pockets of a stained jacket. One of the tas barked, "Who the hell are you? How did you get in here?"
Dan held up the pizza box with an exaggerated flourish.
"Didn't you order lunch? The door was open, and nobody answered—my deliveries are piled up, don't you know how to co to the door when you order grub?"
"Who ordered pizza?" another asked suspiciously.
"Maybe the system did. They didn't bring us food today, so the logistics AI sent one. It even buzzed the delivery guy in." The clever one shrugged, already buying the lie.
Dan set the box on a tal crate and fished out a paynt terminal.
"Cash or card?" he asked, offering it.
One guard stepped forward, swearing about having been made to pay, "Why can't the damn system pay for this?" and then held his card for Dan.
Dan took it and swiped his hand.
Suddenly, the man convulsed with a spasm, then crumpled to the ground…. electrocuted.
"What did you do?" the nearest guard shouted.
"It's not , this damn thing is leaking electricity
Reviews
All reviews (0)