REHO: A Science Fiction Thriller (The Hegemon Wars) Read Online Free PDF

position to keep others from interfering. If anything went down, it would go down right here.
    Instinctively, Reho dashed through the two men standing guard and grabbed the leader’s wrist, squeezing until he felt the bones bend and shift, forcing him to release his uncle. The man fired a kick backward into Reho’s chest, flinging him into a table full of startled patrons six feet away. The other men stepped closer, ready and waiting. Reho had two choices. But it always just came down to one.
    Reho sprang toward the closer of the two goons. His fist landed where he intended, sending chills down his spin e as a snap caught the attention of everyone near them. The goon grabbed his face and flailed on the ground. The other sidekick attempted to restrain Reho.
    Reho avoided his grasp, then landed his foot behind the goon and crushed his palm into his chest, sending the thug backward. Recovering quickly, he leapt from the ground. Reho prepared for the second assault.
    The ringleader approached them, cradling his broken hand. “Stop!”
    Most of the RT patrons who were not out in the crowd had abandoned their tables and pushed through a side door across from the bar. He noticed a group in a back corner booth had stayed and were now watching. From the stage, the music continued.
    Reho motioned to his uncle. “Get out!” Ron stumbled as he rose from the table.
    “You think you can protect him?” the ringleader asked. “Who’s the real criminal here? He owes a debt, which makes him the bad guy. It’s amazing how easily people confuse the good guys with the bad guys.” His two sidekicks joined him across from Reho.
    Reho took out a smartcard. “Whatever he owes, it’s here.” He tossed it in their direction, and the sidekicks flinched. The one with the broken jaw caught it, the sudden motion sending a wave of pain through his body.
    “Scan it!” Reho said.
    The broken-jawed goon did as he was told.
    “Holy hell! There’s thirty-seven thousand on here, boss!”
    “Take it. My uncle owes you nothing.”
    The head goon stepped closer and smiled. “Your uncle? I didn’t see it at first. But yes . . . Now I do.”
    Reho stared. This man, charged with either collecting my uncle’s debt or making an example of him, knows me?
    His smile soured. “Your uncle is no longer an interest, but what you did to my men is. You might want to crawl out as quietly as you crawled in.”
    Crawled in?
    “You come back and expect no one to remember what you did?” he asked. “You killed Dink. No one forgets something like that. No one forgets a coward, especially one who runs away before the community has a chance to question him. Everyone knows you let him die to win that race. I mean . . .” His words had become like boulders in his mouth as he tried to spit out each one without exploding in anger. “You plowed through him! ” He took several steps closer. “ You...left…him…to…burn .”
    Reho saw it now, the large forehead and wide chin.
    “Dink was family?” Reho asked.
    “He was my brother!”
    “Then I’m sure you know your brother played dirty,” Reho replied. “And that he would have just as easily killed me to win that race.” His body tensed, he knew what was coming next.
    Dink’s brother’s body twitched. “But he didn’t.” He clenched his fists. “It’s you who killed him.”
    All three moved in unison. Reho pushed away a kick meant for his head and successfully grabbed the arm of one of the sidekicks. He twisted and heard that familiar crunch. Then the goons overwhelmed him. Several punches found a home on his face. Reho pushed, knocking them back. The larger thug grabbed a nearby chair and swung. Reho blocked it, sending broken pieces of wood across the room. The other sidekick revealed an OldWorld pistol. The shot tore through Reho’s leg, blasting pain throughout his body.
    Reho positioned his hand under the shooter’s arm and brought the gun up, breaking his arm as he had the other . Reho