Page 98 of Jump or Fall
The door to his office was open. The far wall was a black window, and he was seated at a large desk made of wood so dark it nearly matched hisonyx shirt. Across from him were four chairs, and he gestured for them to sit.
Millon eyed each of them, but his gaze lingered on Kimmie a few seconds longer than the rest.
“Mara, I’m sorry you’re now a member of the missing parts club. I take it your companions are the rogue enforcer—” he looked Kimmie up and down “—and the hacker.” His eyes flicked to Gordon.
“Kimmie and Gordon.”
Silva, barely containing himself, blurted, “What happened to the hand?”
Millon smirked. “It’s around.” He turned to Gordon. “I’d like you to put this on every newsfeed.” He slid a small key across the desk.
Apprehensively, Gordon took it. “What’s the message?”
“It’s a surprise. Once that’s up, we can discuss more.”
Gordon inserted the key into his tablet.
As he worked, Millon switched on the newsfeed against the back wall.
The feed changed from the polished face of the news anchor to an image of the silver-painted hand hanging from a large gate. The camera zoomed out, revealing a familiar location—Dawson’s house.
An address appeared beneath the image, followed by a chilling message:Let’s return the silver hands to their owner.
A list of names then filled the screen.
He sent a hit list to the entire city.
The owner of Hyperion had just waged a full-on war against the government of Teichus. Naxos’s hope of a semi-peaceful transfer of power was surely gone now with the Archon dead and the mayhem this would cause.
Millon sat back in his chair, smiling. She wasn’t sure if she had ever seen him smile before. They all stared at the feed, taking in the new reality of what was about to unfold.
“Why did you call us here?” Mara asked.
“I want you to help me take them down. You were already trying with your little ragtag group. Now you don’t have to steal from me to do it.”
Silva shifted uncomfortably. Millon continued, “All is forgiven—if you continue to help.”
Mara hesitated. “I don’t know how much help I can be anymore, Millon.”
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a small rectangular box then slid it across the desk.
Inside, was a bionic eye, along with a tiny vial and chip. The vial contained nanobots that when mixed with a drop of blood, would meld to the DNA of the recipient. The bots prevented the body from rejecting the implant and maintained the synchronization with the chip.
Her lips parted, but no words came.
“Mara, I was complicit in your mistreatment for far too long,” Millon said. “I won’t hold you to the theft, but I offer this in exchange for your continued service. Regardless of what many have whispered over the years, your position as Master Tailor was earned through hard work, not Secretary Knight’s influence.”
She carefully picked up the box and examined the false eye. Millon had managed to find an iris that was light brown, so it wouldn’t be too different from her natural amber.
“I will stay until he’s dead,” Mara replied. “After that, I’m leaving the city with Gordon.”
Gordon reached over and took her hand. The simple, open display of affection made her heart flutter.
Millon’s eyebrows rose, and he chuckled. “So, he was right. Well, partially—he accused me of seducing you.” He glanced at Gordon. “Where else would she get something like an override key?”
“Before we do anything else,” Kimmie interjected, “I want to trade my sister, Nella.”
“Of course, the only other Deluri in Teichus is related,” he mused. “What were you intending to trade?”
