The Immortality Game

The crowd thinned as he approached the entrance arch. The three corpses there looked like toy dolls that had been used as soccer balls. There were skid and slide marks all over from the pools of blood. The smell of gunpowder lingered in the still air. Christ! Zoya did this? Tavik had trouble imagining the little waif having the guts to blow away hardened gangsters. The thought wouldn’t compute. But who else could have done it? The general? And she did just come this way…

He crab-walked by the bodies so as not to slide in the gore. His eyes slid away from the faces; he had no desire to recognize colleagues at the moment. There were three bodies ahead and two more by the lift to the left. Good. That lift doesn’t go all the way up. If she went that way. He headed across the room toward the central lift that went all the way to Viktor’s office at the tip of the pyramid. The only time he’d seen this room deserted was on the rare occasions it was shut down for renovations. It was eerie to see it like this. Chips were left stacked on most tables and scattered on the carpet. He wished he had time to scoop them all up, but what mattered now was getting to Viktor before Zoya managed to figure out how to reach him. He looked back at the carnage and felt a swell of pride in his chest. That’s my girl!

Reaching the lift, he stepped in and said, “All the way up.”

“Oi, look at that!” Kostya said, pointing at the looming pyramid.

“What’s happening?” Tyoma said. Air cars were suddenly zooming out from the middle of The Pyramid like tracer fire he’d seen in war vids.

“They just keep coming,” Kostya said.

“Down there.” Tyoma pointed at the black maw of a lower parking entrance. “No one’s using that one.”

Kostya adjusted the car’s flight. They watched in fascination as the cars continued to boil out of the casino. “I hope Tyoma’s not a part of whatever spooked them. Oh, sorry! It’s hard to figure out how to speak about you when there are two of you.”

Tyoma smiled. “I can imagine. We need to come up with a nickname for me.”

Kostya studied him for a few moments. “How about meathead?”

Tyoma laughed. “You’re a shit, you know that?” He said it with affection. “Maybe you should call me Bunny. It’s what the gangster kept calling me.”

Now it was Kostya’s turn to chuckle. “Bunny? That’s a good one. You look anything but fuzzy and lovable.”

“Anyhow, you suggested I act like whomever this guy was, so if they called him Bunny, might as well stick with it. For now at least.”

The air car zipped through the garage entrance and slowed to a crawl. Most parking spaces were full, but there were some free ones farther from the door that led into the building. Kostya settled the car into one and the pair got out.

“Okay,” Tyoma said, “I’m going to play the mute once we’re around anyone in there. What reason are you going to give for hanging around with me?”

“We can say we’re going to pick up a wounded prisoner. Tyoma said they’re holding him hostage for General Andreykin.”

“The general is involved in this?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything once we get the real you and get the hell out of here.”

The door opened onto a corridor that ran left and right. Tyoma wrinkled his nose at the smell. To the right came the sounds of slot machines, clinking glasses, and lots of talking people. The corridor to the left had a small tube lift in one wall.

“This way,” Kostya said, pointing at the lift. “Tyoma’s in a basement somewhere.”

“Give him a call. Let him know you’re here.”

“Already on it.”

They entered the lift, though Tyoma’s bulky frame made it cramped and stuffy. Kostya tilted his head to one side.

“What’s he saying?” Tyoma said.

“He’s not sure what level he’s on. He’s consulting the AI.”

“The what?”

“I told you, I’ll explain later. Anyhow, he’s got it now.” To the lift speaker he said, “Subbasement six.” They began to descend.

“Ah, you’ve deigned to join us at last!” Viktor said, his death’s head mask grinning as always but his normally blue eyes flashing red.

The steel door slid down behind Tavik as he strolled into the penthouse suite. “You know where I’ve been.” He propped the stun rifle against one side of an armchair and, holding his ribs, lowered himself into it with a sigh.

“Yes,” Viktor said, “off letting a little girl get the best of you and your men. All day long! Look at your face.”

“Those combat cards are more effective than any of us imagined,” Tavik grumbled. “Plus she’s one lucky bitch.” He glanced around at the room’s other occupants, recognizing five of the seven armed guards. “You planning for an invasion?”

“You saw what she did downstairs. I watched you come in on the monitors. She shouldn’t be able to get past my door, but there’s no need to take chances. Who knows what surprises lurk in that card’s programming?”