The Omega Cage Read Online Free PDF Page B

other man. "Is this it?"
    Scanner shook his head. "One more. Sandoz."
    "More mind games?"
    "No. Sandoz is nothing if not physical."
    Maro spun in a small circle, searching the yard, feeling for danger, looking for someone who carried himself or herself in a way that suggested more than usual competence. He was fairly good with his hands and feet—close combat was taught by the Melders as part of body control— but he wasn't good enough to do more than slow a real expert, without surprise on his side. But they had also taught him how to recognize a real expert. Look for balance, for centeredness, for confidence, open your senses and feel the ki . You can sense it, if it is powerful enough.
    There. There he was. A tall man, well-built but not like a bodybuilder, looking away from Maro.
    Maro walked toward the man, stopping three meters away. The other still had his back to Maro, but there was no doubt that he was aware of the smuggler.
    Maro took a deep breath. "Let's get it over with," he said.
    The other man turned as if surprised. He had ordinary features, was, in fact, so average in appearance that Maro felt he could blend into a crowd of two and be anonymous. He raised an eyebrow, then shifted his feet by maybe two centimeters.
    There was only one way he could survive this, Maro knew. He had to balance the other man's movements perfectly. The slightest misalignment would be fatal.
    This man was dangerous . He moved his own stance a hair, trying to stay tuned to the other's energies.
    Sandoz leaned, hardly a motion at all.
    Maro took a half step to his left.
    Sandoz grinned, as if to say, Hey, someone who knows how to play. He backed up six centimeters and twisted slightly to his right—and Maro lost the thread that connected them. He moved forward and slightly aslant to the right, realized his error, and compensated by quickly sliding to the left. The balance was struck again, but—
    "Slow," Sandoz said. "I could have taken you."
    "Yes," Maro said.
    "But not bad. You get points for recognizing me, and points for two out of three." He grinned again. "And we both know how it would have gone—right?"
    "We know," Maro said. The man could have killed him with no effort, had he chosen to do so. He was better than anybody Maro had ever faced, and that included his instructors.
    Sandoz extended his palm. "Welcome to the Cage," he said.
    Maro blew out his breath in a sigh. He had just passed the initiation and was alive to celebrate.
    Lepto's voice on Stark's com sounded very unhappy. Stark was more than a little amazed to hear what the guard had to say.
    "—nothing happened. I mean nothing , do you understand what I am telling you here? First the pervert bracketed him, then next thing you know the little turd was running away. This Maro, he never even moved, never touched the guy."
    "I see," Stark said. "And Sandoz?"
    "That was even weirder. He had maybe two words with Scanner and then stalked off to bracket Sandoz." Lepto paused there. Stark was surprised; nobody stalked Sandoz. As a personal assassin, he was second to no one in the cage. Aside from contract killing, he had walked the Musashi Rex, for fun . Never defeated there, and never missed a paid snuff. They would never have caught him, either, if a nervous client hadn't turned him in. Even Lepto, who feared no one else, stayed calm around Sandoz.
    "He and Sandoz shuffled around for a few minutes like a couple of old maids on a dance floor, then all of a sudden they were pals. I don't copy it, Warden. This guy's got something strange working."
    Indeed . Stark thought. But he did not say so. Instead, he merely said, "It doesn't matter. The Confed wants him. When they're done with him, I doubt he'll have much of anything left working."
    "Yeah, right," Lepto said. He didn't hide the glee in his voice.
    Stark shook his head in disgust. Lepto was a sociopath. Useful, but a star on the edge of going nova. Stark didn't want to be anywhere close when Lepto finally let go.
    "It