Page 7 of Even Robots Die
“I wish I could tell you I will see you around,” she says as her head shifts to each side of the street. “But I’m not so sure.” The barmaid moves to the back door of the bar and without aiming at anyone in the street, she adds, “She’s here. I’ve done my part. See you tomorrow.”
The barmaid is not even trying to be loud, but I know they can hear.
I know, because there is no doubt in my mind among those five people circling me, there’s at least one bat.
Fuck.
I’m screwed.
Those bastards are the fastest shifters. I’m good with a gun, but I’m not sure I’mthatgood.
Anyway.
I’m not going to let them catch me like I’m prey.
“Can you give me the exact positions?” I ask Milton. I’m not making a sound. I just have to move my lips and the message is transmitted to the AI. The same way, no one can hear when Milton talks to me through the earpiece, because it’s not really an earpiece. It’s hooked on my ear, but the main part is against my temple and the only thing the device does is vibrate. And my brain knows exactly what those vibrations mean.
It might also help that Milton is following where each of the shifter’s holo’s are and that I can see them move on the map Milton is projecting on my visor.
I turn on the silencer on my guns and start shooting.
Let’s get rid of as many of them as I can. Maybe it’ll help me make a grand entrance.
5
Florentine
Istart with the side where I can see three holos coming my way. Two of them look like they’re following the walls, so I start with those.
I can’t actually see them because the street is really long and there isn’t even a sliver of moon shining tonight. There is also no light on this street. I bet that’s why they picked it in the first place.
At least I can use my visor.
I aim at the guy following the wall on the side of the bar and see the little line showing where my bullet will hit on my visor.
I love that little gadget. I aim the second gun in the direction of the guy following the other wall and shoot with both guns at the same time.
They don’t see it coming. I aim again for the last guy on this side of the street and his fall is immediate and, well … noisy. I turn in the other direction right away and aim.
But I’m not fast enough this time.
The sound of the person falling on the other side of the street definitely clued them in and now they’re moving in a way that makes it harder to aim. I can’t use both guns at the same time anymore.
I put the one in my left hand back in my pocket and pull one of my blinding grenades from my left pocket.
I throw it and cover my eyes. The people in front of me don’t have the same reflex—can’t blame them, they’re clueless—and the two moving targets finally freeze where they are.
If I was a better person I would just run, but I didn’t come here to make friends, so I aim at one of the targets and shoot. Then I change my aim and …
A hand wraps around my wrist from beside me. And then another comes to curl at the dip of my waist.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a deep and velvety voice says in my ear.
Shit, one of them didn’t have a holo.
I feel my body shiver under the entrancing voice’s melody.
Except I know that voice.
