Roen shrugged. “Tao happened, I guess.”
Damn right. But please remind her that I actually prevented you from assaulting Marc.
“Tao was egging me on the entire time. It’s a miracle I didn’t kill someone.”
And you wonder why Baji thinks I am a bad influence.
Sonya scowled. “You tell Tao that for a wise old alien, he’s an imbecile.” Her expression softened. “Look, you all should get to your rooms. It’s almost 9pm and security is stretched thin enough as it is. Tonight’s going to be worse than yesterday.”
The warning in her voice was clear. Roen excused himself and made his way toward his room. Like the previous night, he barricaded the window and made sure the doors were locked. He tossed and turned for about thirty minutes before finally dozing off.
He woke to the hotel phone ringing. Roen sat up with a start and looked at the clock: 12.30. Who could be calling him at this time? He waited for the phone to stop ringing before he turned over and tried to fall asleep again. A moment later, it rang again.
Roen sat up and picked up the phone. “Hello?” he said tiredly.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mr Tan,” the voice said on the other line. “This is Leon down in the hotel lobby. There is a Ms Tesser here to see you.”
Roen, no…
Roen’s mouth fell open soundlessly as he dropped the phone and ran for the door.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: UNINVITED
After the events involving the Chest of the Menagerie, I do not have much to tell that could show you any insight as to who I am. Because from that point on, it has been nothing but mindless war. I had given up all hope of an enlightened culture or of peaceful civilizations that innovated through stability. We used to be two sides playing chess with humanity’s evolution as the prize. Now, we play simply to defeat the other side. In a way, the Prophus fell right into the Genjix’s hands.
The hallways were eerily quiet as Roen ran to the elevators. He watched the numbers blink up to his floor, and as the doors opened, was greeted by a tall man in black Kevlar armor carrying a shotgun. His heart stopped as he instinctively sized up the potential threat: military repeating shotgun, two flashbangs, pistol at his waist, and knife in his boot.
“Sir,” the guard said. “I don’t suppose the ice machine is broken and you’re going up?”
“Down,” Roen replied, walking in and standing next to him. “Ground floor lobby.”
The guard looked him up and down. Roen’s own combat gear gave him away. The guard shook his head. “It’s past curfew. You seem like you’re up to no good. I don’t suppose I can talk you out of it.”
Roen shook his head.
The guard sighed and said, “Do you at least have a transponder on you?”
Roen shook his head again. “Tao, what transponder?”
Next time, read the security pamphlet.
The guard pulled a small metal box out of one of his many pockets and handed it to him. “Push the button if you require assistance. We’ll find you.”
Roen thanked him and the two of them waited in silence as the elevator music played. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the ground level.
The guard called to him again as he sprinted out. “The lobby is no man’s land, sir, as is the pool. The security detail is only stationed as far as the wing entrance.”
Roen thanked him again and ran to the entrance of the lobby. He nodded at the two men stationed there. They looked tense as he slowed to a walk and tried to appear relaxed. Their eyes followed him as he strolled toward the front desk. There were two more men – not dressed like the other guards – standing in the center of the lobby talking to Jill. Roen tensed, taking in the room: five exits, unmanned main counter, two visible unknowns, and no weapons in sight. Jill seemed unconcerned as she chatted merrily with them. It felt like walking into a lion’s den.
They are not ours.
She turned to him with a bright smile that disappeared when she noticed the stormy look on his face. “Hi?” she said playfully, arching her eyebrow.
“Could you come with me please?” Roen said tersely.
She gave him a curious look. “What crawled up your ass? And why are you dressed like Darth Vader? I should be the one that’s pissed. Your cell phone is off and Antonio tells me you’re here for some convention. How can my boyfriend come to Europe and not tell me? I haven’t seen you in two months and Frankfurt’s only a train ride away!”
I told you not to tell Antonio!
“It slipped; I didn’t mean to.”
Then you should have told him it was a Best Western in Utah.
“You know how bad I am at lying.”
“Is this the gentleman you were waiting for, miss?” one of the Genjix said.
Jill forced a smile on her face and turned to them. “This is Roen, my boyfriend, the one I was telling you about. Thanks for calling him down for me. I don’t know how I was going to reach him with the night clerk gone.”
This is a trap. Tell them nothing. Get back to safety.
Roen felt his face go hot as he tried to suppress his discomfort. Jill was chatting with the Genjix as if they were new best friends. One of the smug operatives stuck a hand out. Roen ignored it and grabbed Jill by the elbow, herding her back toward the Prophus wing. He was a bit rougher with her than he’d like, but panic was setting in. If something happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
Halfway across the lobby, Jill stopped and pulled her arm away. “Wait a minute, mister, why were you so rude back there to Leon and Ubei? And why are you acting so weird?”
Ubei is the Iranian Genjix host.
“Go figure. She’s best friends with them now.”
Careful. They are following.
Roen stopped in his tracks. The two guards at the entrance of the Prophus wing were gone.
“Something is wrong.”
The guards are down. Consider them compromised. Genjix behind you are two meters away.
Two more shadows stepped out from where the guards had been stationed, wearing the same black garb as the two Genjix operatives behind him. He would have to fight his way out of this. Appearing as casual as possible, he let go of Jill and put his hands in his pockets. With his left, he activated the transponder. With his right, he gripped the length of cold steel and silently thanked Sonya.
Jill stared at the two in front of them and then looked back at the two approaching them from the rear. “What kind of a convention is this? Why are all of you dressed like you’re in the cast of Cats?”
The escape route is through the entrance or down the hallway on your right.
“Which route is safer?”
The entrance out of the hotel is longer, but unobstructed. The hallway leading to the pool and garden is a good place for an ambush.
Roen cursed under his breath. “Listen,” he murmured out of the side of his mouth. “We need to leave right now. We can’t stay here.”
“What are you talking about?” Jill’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have another girl in your room or something? You do, don’t you? Well, I’m not leaving until I get answers.”
Roen rolled his eyes. “I can’t explain now,” he growled. His eyes darted around the lobby. He could have sworn he saw more shadows off to the side.
“You asshole!” Jill fumed, punching him in the arm. “I can’t believe…”
She gasped as he suddenly pulled the baton out, extending it as he turned, and striking Leon in the face. As Leon crumpled to the floor, Roen moved on to Ubei. Ubei dodged two wild swings before reeling backwards, the baton hitting him in the face. Blood exploded from his shattered nose as he fell backwards.