Free The Trade by Barry Hutchison Page B

myself.
Breach
!’
    A portal opened up on the floor beside Van Kleiss’ bed. Another opened beside Biowulf and Breach. They stepped through it and disappeared.
    â€˜You, too,’ growled Van Kleiss, pointing a clawed finger at the technician.
    â€˜N-no thanks,’ the technician stammered. ‘I think I’ll stay here.’
    Van Kleiss scowled. ‘So be it,’ he said, then he rolled sideways off the bed and fell through the portal.

CHAPTER 20
    T HE TECHNICIAN STOOD BEHIND his machine. Only his eyes were visible through his mask. They flitted nervously across the faces of the other people in the room.
    â€˜I’m … I’m sorry for the trouble I caused,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t me, it was … it was the mask.’
    Reaching around to the back of his head, the technician undid the mask. Rex braced himself, expecting to see the twisted face of an Evo creature looking back at him. Instead, he saw the face of a young man, not much older than himself. A scattering of soil fell out of the mask as he tipped it upside down.
    â€˜Van Kleiss, he put his soil inside the mask. He … he used it to make me do things. He controlled me.’
    â€˜Mind control soil?’ said Rex. ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me!’
    â€˜The control was broken when his nanites swapped with yours,’ the technician explained. ‘If I’dhave gone back, he’d have been able to take control of me again. So I decided to stay here, and face whatever punishment you deemed appropriate.’
    Dr Holiday and Six exchanged a glance. Six nodded.
    â€˜How does forty-eight hours a week on minimum wage, with a
terrible
staff canteen sound as a punishment?’ Holiday asked.
    The technician’s eyes went wide. ‘You’re offering me a job?’
    â€˜I’m offering you a job,’ Dr Holiday nodded. ‘You can help keep our equipment running. How does that sound?’
    â€˜Thank you! I can’t believe –’
    White Knight’s face appeared on the screen once again. ‘Six. Holiday. Rex,’ he barked. ‘I want a word with you. The rest of you, leave. Now.’
    When Bobo and the others had left the room, White Knight cleared his throat. ‘It appears that I owe you an apology, Dr Holiday,’ he said.
    Dr Holiday could hardly believe her ears. ‘Uh, sorry, sir, but did you just say –?’
    â€˜No need to rub it in, Doctor,’ White Knightreplied. ‘You were right. I was wrong. Recovering Rex should have been our priority. Had I listened to you, none of this would have happened.’
    â€˜Let’s all agree now that recovering Rex should
always
be our priority,’ said Rex. ‘Can we vote that in right now?’
    Agent Six spoke to Holiday, but didn’t turn to look at her. ‘And, uh, sorry from me, too. I should’ve gone along with you from the start.’
    â€˜Look, I’m voting “yes”,’ chirped Rex, raising his hand. ‘Anyone else?’
    Dr Holiday smiled warmly. ‘Apology accepted,’ she said.
    â€˜You all did a great job out there today,’ White Knight told them. ‘But Rex, you’ve been through a lot. I’m ordering you to rest up for a few weeks.’
    Rex’s ears picked up. ‘Rest?’ he said. ‘You mean I’m getting time off?’
    â€˜That’s exactly what I mean,’ White Knight nodded. ‘I’ve arranged for a selection of movies and video games to be sent up to your room. I believe Noah’s out collecting pizzas now.’
    Rex bounced up and down excitedly on the spot.‘You know, White Knight, no matter what Six says about you, I think you’re awesome!’
    Still bouncing up and down, Rex threw his arms around Six and Holiday. Turning his face to theirs, he licked both of their cheeks in turn. ‘Thanks, guys!’ he cried, before bounding off towards the door.
    Six wiped the