Free Spectra's Gambit by Vincent Trigili Page B

answering a summons from the Wolf Pack’s leader, and I could not guess why he had called me. What I did know is that when one of the most dangerous and powerful criminals in the quadrant calls a special agent to a meeting, something big is up.
    The bar was in a space station in the middle of nowhere. The entire station was a haven for criminals and outlaws. It was unlikely any law-abiding citizen would even know about the place, never mind visit. If they did, there was a good chance it would be the last time they were ever seen. Fights to the death were common and there was no real law enforcement. There was only an uneasy truce, loosely controlled by the strongest and most feared of the criminals.
    I walked up to his table, doing my best to ignore the room around us. Like the last time I had met him here, his two associates Fang and Claw were nowhere to be seen but I knew they would be close enough to intervene should I try anything stupid.
    “Greetings, Special Agent Byron,” he said as I approached his table.
    “Hello. I must say I was surprised to get your message,” I said.
    “The last time we met you gave us a new set of blades,” he said, drawing one of the swords from its sheath.
    I had stolen the swords from the military and used them to trade with him for information, but when I gave him the swords they had each had a short, curved steel blade with a gold grip and were decorated with several colorful gemstones. The one he had just drawn was long, straight and pure black from pummel to point.
    “Yes, it looks quite different now, but works just as well. It appears that these blades pick up traits from their owners and change to match,” he said.
    “Interesting,” I said.
    “I must say, these blades are a true work of art. They cut right through most armor and are perfectly balanced. We have been very pleased with your gift,” he said.
    “I am glad, but surely a ‘thank you’ card would have sufficed,” I said.
    “Perhaps. I have information for you, information that I know you will need to act upon right away,” he said.
    “Information always comes with a cost,” I said.
    “Indeed. I believe that you will be useful to me in the future, so I am willing to let you owe me for this,” he said.
    As always, he held all the cards in our negotiations. He knew very well that I would not turn down the information he offered, because he knew that I knew he would not have summoned me out here unless it was extremely valuable information. The problem was that it put me in his debt again, and he was the kind of man who would call in his debts when he needed them; nor was he the kind of man that you said ‘no’ to.
    “You know that my ability to repay you is limited since I am, after all, on the side of the law,” I said. By right I should have been trying to find a way to arrest him, but I was not foolish enough to think I would survive such an attempt. Besides, it was advantageous having an underworld kingpin who saw me as useful.
    “That may not be true tomorrow,” he said.
    “Oh?” I had no idea what he meant by that. He sat there in silence, betraying nothing. Although completely expressionless, I suspected he was enjoying this exchange. “All right, you win. What do you have for me?”
    “Tomorrow, about midday, you will have a meeting with your boss. Correct?” he asked.
    “Yes,” I said.
    “At that meeting, Karl will present evidence that you are not human,” he said.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Karl has been gunning for your job for some time now and believes he can prove you to be a fraud. I think we both know what will happen next,” he said.
    I did. Karl was a young upstart with too much pride and self-confidence for his own good. Our commander would order a doctor to test my species in order to put Karl in his place, thinking he was doing it for me, but that would be the worst thing he could ever do. But how did Karl know I was not human?
    “You have options, of course,” he