Free Sullivan Saga 1: Sullivan's War by Michael Rose

some food and a couple of nights in a cheap motel. After that, he’d have to come up with a way to earn more money. First he’d have to survive, but he was confident that before too long he could thrive here and build up enough influence to put the next phase of his plan into action. And Abilene was just the place for it. A man with his skills could earn a great deal of money on a planet like this.
     
    10
     
    ALLEN AND HIS team had been on Abilene for two days. The security chief had proven to be mostly unhelpful. They’d asked around about Sullivan but had only been met with silence. Finally, a man in a bar told them that if anyone knew anything, it would be Orion Zednik. Allen knew the name from his research. Zednik was a big-time smuggler, dealing in anything from alcohol to drugs to sex slaves. According to the Bureau’s files, he stayed in power by compartmentalizing, keeping different aspects of his operation independent of one another. He employed a lot of people, but most never even knew that it was Zednik they were working for. Some even said that everyone on Abilene worked for Zednik, one way or another.
    Abilene’s security chief agreed to arrange the meeting. Despite what everyone knew, Zednik liked to portray himself as a legitimate businessman and so was happy to meet with the agents, or so he’d said on the phone.
    Allen turned to look at Zednik as he walked through the door of the security chief’s office. His eyebrows rose involuntarily. Zednik was tall with extremely fine features, an incongruity among the rest of the sullied inhabitants of the planet. He wore an exceptionally shiny suit in a deep shade of purple, and various trinkets of gold and silver dangled from his wrists, fingers, ears and from around his neck. A lime green pocket square puffed extravagantly from his breast pocket.
    Allen held out his hand. “My name is Special Agent Frank Allen. Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Zednik.”
    Zednik glanced at Allen’s hand then bowed slightly. “Not at all. I’m always happy to assist a representative of the Assembly.”
    Allen overlooked what would have been perceived as a slight back on Earth. There were so many local customs that Allen had long ago given up trying to keep track of them all.
    “Well, I’ll get straight to the point, Mr. Zednik.” Allen pulled Sullivan’s picture up on his tablet. “I’m looking for this man.”
    If Zednik recognized the photo, he made no indication. “Hmm… is he a local?”
    “No. He would have arrived about a month and a half ago.”
    “So many people come and go, Agent Allen. I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
    “You’re sure you haven’t seen him?”
    Zednik looked back at the picture. “Now that you mention it… no.” He smiled broadly. Allen felt like punching him in the mouth but smiled back instead.
    “Thank you for your time, Mr. Zednik.”
    “And thank you.” Zednik winked at the security chief, turned on his heels and walked briskly from the office.
     
    OF COURSE, ZEDNIK had recognized the picture. Sullivan had escaped only an hour before Zednik was called in to the security chief’s office, taking the girl and killing Wilson in the process. Zednik was damned if he was going to let the Bureau find Sullivan before he did. Sullivan was worth money, but so was the girl. Zednik would gladly kill Sullivan to get her back, even if it meant losing the reward money. Still, Edaline might give him something for pulling a thorn out of their paw. It wouldn’t be as much as if he’d turned Sullivan over to them alive, but Zednik had enough money. The satisfaction of killing Sullivan would be worth more.
    Zednik got into his waiting car. In the driver’s seat sat Hans. Franz, the man who’d opened and closed the door for Zednik, got into the front passenger’s seat. Those weren’t the twins’ real names, of course, but because of their long, unpronounceable last name and their distinctly Aryan features, the sobriquets had