Free Molehunt by Paul Collins

had not adjusted the configuration of the growable rooms – they could reconfigure in an hour or two when a resident was out. Anyway, there was a charge for that. She could see into the kitchen and bathroom from where she stood. The room she was in had the usual entertainment devices: viewer plate, music player … a large ornamental aquarium containing species of fish from twelve different planets.
    Her gaze flicked past the aquarium, then back to it. It probably held 500 litres of water. That was a lot of water.
    Anneke looked down at her feet, imagining the pressure pad. A primitive device. One that needed a power source.
    She switched her zip gun to low yield; a level she hoped was below the activation level of the bomb. She took aim at the aquarium and pressed the tab of her zip gun. A soft hiss told her that a beam was boring into the side of the aquarium. A spot on the plasglass started to glow. She kept her beam centred there.
    The soft
tick-tick-tick
seemed to grow.
    Suddenly the side of the aquarium burst spilling its contents. In moments the whole floor was flooded. There was a soft pop and sizzle noise under her feet and the ticking stopped.
    Anneke swallowed.
    â€˜Guess now I find out if I’m right or dead wrong.’ She stepped off the pressure pad. And noticed that she was still breathing. But she couldn’t stick around and congratulate herself.
    She got out fast, using the stairs to reach the lobby. On her way out she activated the hotel’s fire alarm. No point letting anyone else get hurt.
    Outside she melted into the crowd, putting distance between herself and the hotel, heading for the Draco Quarter and a safe house. She moved quickly, but took enough time to keep her tracks clean and make sure no one followed her.
    She had only found Kilroy’s worm after she booked into the hotel, and then she had made one big mistake: she had gone back there. Well, never again. That was how it was in this business: if it didn’t kill you, you learned a bit more about staying alive. It was a very unforgiving business, because your first mistake was generally the big one.
    Still, she
was
still alive. And she had learnt something.
    The mole was spooked. No matter how embedded he was in RIM Command, he did not feel totally secure. Good. She could exploit that weakness.
    She also learnt that the mole didn’t trust Kilroy, but then who would? He had known Kilroy’s worm wouldn’t work; yet he had let Kilroy walk into a trap. Of course, Kilroy would figure this out too and wouldn’t be too happy with his employer. Maybe he would do something about it.
    Kilroy was a professional assassin and a merc – it was written all over him. He would have professional pride and a reputation to maintain. The mole had trashed all that. Was the mole rapping him over the knuckles, reminding him who was boss?
    Interesting dynamics
, Anneke thought, as she moved through the darkening streets of the city’s sleaze quarter.
    The next morning she contacted Uncle Viktus.
    â€˜Anneke? Where are you? We sent a priority transport to bring you to Lykis, but you were gone.’ He sounded rattled. ‘I thought –’
    â€˜You worry too much.’
    â€˜That’s what you do when you have kids. That’s all you do. Worry.’
    â€˜I need to see you, Uncle.’
    â€˜Anytime, Anneke. Why not now?’
    â€˜Can’t.’
    â€˜No such word.’ There was puzzlement in his voice.
    â€˜I don’t know who to trust.’
    There was a silence at the other end as, it seemed, and Viktus digested this. ‘Someone’s after you?’
    â€˜Not someone.’
    â€˜The mole?’
    â€˜Everything’s compromised, Uncle. Don’t trust anyone.’
    â€˜You’ve spoken to him?’ There was a sharp note in Viktus’s voice.
    â€˜Well, not exactly. More like he spoke to me. As he was trying to kill me.’
    â€˜I’ll give you immediate