Read Star Risk - 04 The Dog From Hell for Free Online Page A

she's lying or not�"
    "I'm not! I swear to you!"
    "I happen to believe she is speaking the truth," von Baldur said. "Grok, if you'd take her in the next room, and Chas, if you would keep her from getting into any mischief�"
    The two obeyed. Grok came back.
    "It is not unlikely," von Baldur said, "that whoever the boyfriend is was working a false flag, or that he in fact told her nothing.
    "Those apparati are a bit unusual, however. Grok, can you tell anything about them?"
    Grok took an amazing number of tools from a belt pouch and set to work on the com. After a few minutes, he grunted, set it aside, and began autopsying the radio.
    "Interesting," he said. "Neither device has any maker's marks on it, nor can I find anything on the components themselves. Interesting to find something� somethings� that sterile."
    "Maybe," King said coldly, "but not that unusual. Grok, you and I know a company that works like that."
    Grok whuffed air in surprise.
    "We do. We do. And I should have Goodnight torture me a little for general stupidity."
    "Cerberus Systems," Jasmine said, unaware that she was hissing like a cobra.
    Cerberus was one of the largest security firms in the known galaxy, known and feared for their complete amorality and ruthlessness. Cerberus was King's ex-employer who'd tried to get out of paying her by accusing her of being a robot. Grok, too, had worked for Cerberus, leaving their employ both out of boredom and because he disapproved of their unwillingness to back their personnel if anything even vaguely catastrophic happened.
    The alien had no particular feelings toward Cerberus now, but King hated them with a bleak passion.
    "So what does Cerberus want with these girls?" Riss said. "Or maybe, more likely, with Porcellis, Miss Rosewater-Jones, and these girls."
    "We do not know, and I would like to very much," von Baldur said.
    "The second question becomes," Riss continued, "whether Cerberus wants the girls as a threat to someone, conceivably Rosewater-Jones, or for blackmail purposes; and whether, worst case, they're willing to physically harm them."
    "I find that hard to accept," von Baldur said. "They certainly kill adults� look at the numbers of times they've tried to kill me � but children?"
    "I think they're capable of anything," King said. "But I freely admit to prejudice."
    "I suspect," Grok said, "that we have to operate on the assumption that they'll do anything�and guard ourselves accordingly."
    "Confusion and more confusion," Goodnight muttered.
    "And it is very damned unlikely we'll get anything from Sims." Jasmine said. "It sounds like they ran a nice, clean operation."
    "The question now becomes," M'chel said, "how quickly you can get your spitkit ready to lift, Freddie."
    Von Baldur nodded, went to a com, began dialing.
    "And," she added, "what we're going to do with Sims."
    The Monkey Business was fueled and supplied within the day, and the girls were rushed aboard.
    Von Baldur had the lifters take circuitous courses from the hotel to the yacht.
    As they loaded aboard, Erin asked where Miss Sims was.
    "She got a com from Earth," Goodnight answered. "A family emergency, and she was very sorry she didn't have a chance to say good-bye to you."
    "Oh," Erin said, looking puzzled. "I thought she once told me she didn't have any family."
    Goodnight made no answer.
    M'chel waited until the girls were on the ship, then leaned close to Goodnight.
    "So what happened to the idiot? Did you leave her facedown in some back alley?"
    "I wouldn't dream of such a thing. In fact, I consulted a map, and found a primitive area not an hour's flight from where we were. I left her in the middle of that, making sure she wasn't tied too tightly and would be able to work herself free and walk back to civilization in a day or so."
    Riss looked at him skeptically.
    "You're generally not that soft-hearted� or happy with loose ends, Chas. Are you telling me the truth?"
    "M'chel, I'm hurt! Would I ever lie to you?"