Dorian Jaiban was a tall, dark skinned man with dark black hair tied into a ponytail that reached his lower back. “You’ve come at on odd time to be proposing trade agreements,” he said.

Blake and Razen had been temporarily relieved of their weapons after being escorted into Dorian’s fortified house. They seemed surprised when they found Marcus had no weapons on him.

“Rork would like this deal secured as soon as possible,” Blake said.

They were all sitting down in chairs set up in a semi-circle around a crackling hearth now, two of Dorian’s guards waiting at the door.

We’re inside of a gangster’s palace, Marcus told himself. He couldn’t believe it. He could Imagine Kaisa yelling at him right now about how stupid he was. But Marcus wasn’t here by choice, though he had to admit, as scary as this all was, it was a thrill he’d be regaling people with until the day he died. Dan and Shane were probably in the mansion right now, looking for that missile guidance system.

“I admit,” Dorian said. “I did not expect to be approached with new trade deals so soon after denying your leader that piece of tech my men captured right below his nose.”

“And he still wants that tech,” Blake said. “But since you seem reluctant to trade it, he has decided that the Iron Kin of War should make advances to further our mutual needs, so that we can be on better footing in the future.”

Dorian scratched his chin. “Ah. So he wished to acquire this device in the future under good faith that our clans might do such business in reverse some day?”

“Precisely,” Blake said, smiling. “There’s no need to fight over valuable drops from our...” Blake seemed to be thinking for a moment. “Off world allies.”

Marcus kept from frowning in thought. Off world allies? Did that mean the Iron Kin of War had contacts aiding him from off world? Was Cerberus Station involved?

Dorian narrowed his eyes.

“Introductions can be made so that the Dust Dogs might be mutual beneficiaries in the future.”

Dorian nodded. Then he smiled. “I would like that very much. But you understand that I cannot allow you to have the guidance system until you come through on such a promise. When can such an introduction be made?”

“You know Rork doesn’t want a conflict with the Dust Dogs, but he wants that tech. You should take it on good faith that he will make the introduction. But first you have to show your willingness to cooperate.”

Dorian sipped his drink. Marcus didn’t know what it was, but it smelled alcoholic. “Rork might lead the strongest clan on the planet, but he can’t march into Purgatory Valley without a real fight. A fight that would leave his forces nearly decimated.”

Blake smiled. “As I’ve said, Rork does not want conflict. Both clans have an opportunity to benefit greatly, if you would just show a measure of trust.”

Dorian scoffed. “Trust... The Iron Kin have shown in the past how far they can be trusted.”

“That was before Rork took control,” Blake said. “Things are different now.”

“Still, what is your hurry to acquire this guidance system? How do I know Rork won’t direct his missiles to hit this valley?”

“We don’t possess the necessary mechanical or technical expertise to make surface to orbit missiles hit ground targets.”

Dorian didn’t seem to believe Blake. “I’m keeping the tech until you prove you will come through on this introduction.”

* * *

Dan jumped over the wall after Shane. They’d had to stack some wooden crates against the foundation in order to reach the ledge and hoist themselves up, all under the noses of the guards who weren’t alert enough to do their duty.

Lack of training just makes my job easier.

He smiled, bending low below the ornamental shrubs surrounding the manor house. Most of the windows had the curtains closed.

Now all they had to do was find Susa Jaiban and the guidance system and they could get back to Life City.

Shane motioned for Dan to move forward after he peeked around the corner. Dan moved up. “How the hell do we find them?”

The heavy boot steps of a guard ten feet overhead on the balcony walked by. The mansion was surrounded by that brick wall, and had about twenty feet of clear ground with green grass that separated the house from the outer shrubs below the wall. They had to find a way into the manor without being detected.

They kept moving, Shane at the front. The scared bastard peeked over a shrub and into a window that had the curtain open. “Let me see that analogue again.”

Dan pulled off his boot and fished the picture out of his sock. Shane made a face. If they’d been caught for some reason and Dan was found holding that photo, these Dust Dogs would probably torture him for information. It was best to hide it in a good spot.

Shane kept moving, peeking into windows here and there and then ducking back down until they finally reached a back door.

A man opened the door and Dan’s heart leapt into his throat. He pushed himself against the shrubs, their prickly spines digging into his back.

The man tossed some empty crates into a pile and then went back inside. By the look of him, he was probably a cook of some kind, with that white apron that looked like it hadn’t been replaced in a decade.

Shane reached into his boot and pulled out a knife. Blake had supplied them both with combat knives and hold out pistols for this little mission. The weapons were in excellent condition, either kept that way for a long time on this planet, or Rork’s off world friends were also supplying him with military grade weapons and gear, besides the high tech gadgets he was getting.

Dan pulled out his holdout pistol, then fished the silencer from his other boot and screwed it on. Shane was at the head. He would go in stealthily and take out whoever needed to be taken out as they searched the mansion for the guidance system and that girl. Dan would be backup—just in case something went wrong. His pistol might be silenced, but it was still loud enough to alert anyone in the next room if he were to discharge it.

But do these guys even know what a silenced firearm sounds like? he wondered. Probably not, but he wouldn’t take that chance. The pistol was for emergencies only, so Dan held his combat knife in his other hand, propping his pistol hand up with the knife jutting out the bottom of his left hand.

Slowly, Shane opened the back door, peeked inside, and then entered, Dan directly behind him. They went down the hall and reached a door that was slightly ajar on the left wall, a thin crack of light jutting out like a lance.

Judging from the sounds coming from the next room, that was the kitchens. The cooks were hard at work probably preparing the night’s meal.

So the clan leaders sat around eating and drinking like kings while warming their feet by the fire, everybody else working their asses of to support them and their soldiers.

How typical.

It sounded a lot like the alliance. Very top down, centralized bullshit with the politicians getting fatter and fatter by the day.

Shane skirted past the door, Dan directly behind him. The hall split left and right. They peeked around the corners and found nobody.

“Let’s head to the upper levels,” Dan whispered.

Shane’s eyes darted down the left hall and to the right where some stairs were. He nodded.

* * *

Blake couldn’t get Dorian Jaiban to concede on the part of getting the surface to orbit missile guidance system back. He hoped he could retrieve the device without the commandos having to do it.

Dorian finished his drink and got up. “My men will escort you to your rooms—“

Blake hurried out of his chair. “That won’t be necessary. We have a lot of work to do and...” He trailed off when something bumped the floor above them.

Shouts started to ensue and Dorian frowned in what seemed to be half alarm and half bafflement.

Blake rubbed his forefinger against his thumb, feeling the thin sheen of sweat between his fingers.

A sharp discharge rang out next and Dorian put his two men on Blake, Razen and Marcus. “Sit down and don’t move,” the leader of the Dust Dogs said, then left the room yelling for his guards.