Free Skybreach (The Reach #3) by Mark R. Healy Page B

him as the others from the meeting trailed off to see to their duties.  “What do you want, Roman?” he said impatiently.
    “I want to know why you’re being such a dick.”
    Aksel rolled his eyes and began to walk away.
    “Get out of my face.”
    “Hey, I’m talking to you!” Roman said, following close behind.
    “No, you’re actually just spouting garbage at me.  I don’t have time for that.”
    “Who do you think you are, anyway?” Roman said.
    Aksel rounded on him suddenly, eyes blazing.  “Who do I think I am?  I’m the guy who happens to be the lynchpin of this entire operation, that’s who.  Who the fuck are you? ”
    Roman was somewhat taken aback.  The Aksel he’d first met out in Link had been a shy, retiring young man, edgy and unsure of himself.  It seemed something had changed in the week since, something that had chipped away at that uncertain exterior, revealing the rawness beneath.
    It was only natural, Roman figured.  He should have been expecting this.  The attack on Skybreach by Capper and his men must have been a harrowing experience.  Talia had told him as much.
    “I’m doing my part,” Roman said, attempting to recover his poise.
    “Yeah, and what’s that?  Scrubbing the damn toilets?”
    “Not exactly.  I wired up half the surveillance room, as it turns out.  It was a mess until I got to it.”
    Aksel scoffed, turning and continuing on his way.  “As if there aren’t a dozen people here who could have done that job.”
    Roman followed after him, and they entered a small room where a pile of dishevelled blankets lay in one corner and a couple of scratched terminals sat on the floor nearby.
    “Everyone was busy doing other things.  It wouldn’t have been done if I hadn’t taken ownership of it.”
    “Look,” Aksel said, turning back to Roman.  “I have a shitload of work in front of me that needs to be done yesterday.”  He pointed down at the terminals.  “I’ve been living in this corner since we got here.  You know why?  Because the work that I’m doing can’t be done by anyone else.  It’s up to me.  If I don’t get it right, this whole thing falls over.”
    “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
    “Huh?”
    Roman glanced at the doorway, as if worried that he might be overheard.
    “The things you know are pretty unique, man.  I mean, hacking the Consortium network… as far as we know, that’s never been done before.”
    “It hasn’t.”
    “And you just admitted you have more work on your plate than you can handle.  So why are you keeping this knowledge to yourself?”
    Aksel smiled sourly.  “Oh, I get it.  You want to cut my lunch.”
    “What?”
    “You’ve seen the way people look at me, and you’re jealous.  You want a share of the attention.”
    “Go fuck yourself,” Roman spat.
    “No, that’s it, isn’t it?” Aksel goaded, grinning, evidently enjoying having the upper hand.  “You want me to hand over my knowledge to you so that you’ll finally start getting some respect around here.”
    “I don’t give a shit about respect.”
    “No?”
    “No.  I was going to suggest that Knile should be the one you bring into the fold.  The guy is a pro, man.  He’d pick it up quick, and after that you’d effectively cut your workload in half.”
    “I don’t know how many times I have to tell people this, but the answer is no.  I don’t want anyone else digging around in my system and screwing things up.”
    “That’s a bullshit answer, and you know it.”
    Aksel stepped forward suddenly, his eyes intense.
    “I know what it’s like for you, Roman,” he said fervently.  “I know what it’s like to be a nobody.”
    Roman inadvertently edged away from him.  “What are you talking about?”
    “All of your life you’ve lived in the shadow other people, haven’t you?  Better people.”
    “The crap that comes out of your mouth–”
    “You wish that you were someone like Knile, someone people