Ancient Hunter
Chapter 8

I cautiously opened the door. A short if only slightly taller than a T’Arni man stood there dressed in a hotel uniform his nametag said ‘manager’ no other name it could see. He had short dark hair and a sun tanned face. In his hands was a large box it looked large on him.

“Ah Miss Hunter it is alright to call you that?”

“Hunter will do,” I replied wondering if he was going to ask me to leave.

“Hunter it is then,” the manager said. “I must apologise on behalf of the hotel?”

I was confused about that. “About what?”

“I have to apologise, “ he repeated and handed me the box. “We’ve had these on display in the ballroom.”

I was even more confused.

Divested of his burden he took a step back. “Enjoy your stay.” He turned and hurried to the elevator.

I watched him go a perplexed look on my face. I had no idea what that was all about. I took a quick look around before retreating to the comparative safety of my room. I placed the box on the table that overlooked the windows. It was a square plastic box with little depth. There was a clip on one side I opened the box and stared at the contents in shock. Inside was a folded dress. The last time I had seen this dress was at the Gala where one of Ljufu’s forensic officers had stripped it off me. It had been covered in blood none of it mine. The blood had belonged to one of my attackers. It looked like someone had cleaned it I couldn’t see any stains on it. The dress had been handmade for me by seamstress aboard the Valorous Star the Alliance ship I was on. The purple and green panels had marked me out as an Imperial more than my accent did. They were the Empire’s colours and I knew of no Valkyrie Clan with those colours as far as I was concerned. With it was the gold linked belt purse that Xenai had lent me. With it was the leather Valkyrie training harness I’d worn over the top. It had saved my life although I hadn’t worn it for that purpose. The dress was form fitting and showed things I would rather be hidden in polite society. The harness had been my only choice I was glad of it I saved me from getting stabbed with a knife coated in a neurotoxin.

Putting the dress and the harness aside I opened the belt purse and emptied the contents on the table. It was all there, the only item missing was the sonic disrupter. An illegal weapon in both the Confederacy and the Empire. Ljufu had given it to me in the car on the way to Gala. It had looked like a lipstick with a large jewel on its side. The jewel was the trigger, she had given it to me with permission of the Saros Government. A one shot weapon and I used it. I felt myself shiver at the thought. I’d killed a man with this turning his brain to jelly. Ljufu must have taken it back. A small relief in a way but I shuddered at the thought that they had this on display in the ballroom. I suppose they were making a statement, I’d saved the hotel for being blown up. I bundled up the stuff and put it in the wardrobe. Just as I did that the door chimed again. This time it was room service I was glad to have fresh food.

I wasn’t sure why I’d selected a Valkyrie meal it wasn’t my intention but it was the only thing I could think of as really fresh. A cold leaf and Voedi bowl called lihasalja a mix of savoury salad and strips of meat. From cattle that looked more like Aurochs prehistoric cattle from Earth than what I knew they looked like. It was a taste of food I’d taken a liking to on Alfheimir. Then any freshly made food would be better than weeks of starship ration packs. With my bowl of lihasalja I had ordered coffee. Not the stuff from a plastic cup that tasted like it had been recycled for weeks but the expensive stuff imported from Earth. It wasn’t that I was getting this free I fully intended to pay the bill when the time came. I had my consultancy pay from the Alliance at least Admiral Komana hadn’t stopped that when she exiled me to Earth. I suppose she considered it a bribe to keep me in my place. Except I hadn’t I would have found a way back eventually. I was virtually kicked off Earth by Lady Broaden. It did feel it like I wasn’t wanted anywhere, well anywhere except Alfheimir and even I didn’t want to go back. Feeling full from my meal I took a long relaxing shower in water that didn’t smell like it had been boiled in bleach. Once I was dry again I headed to bed. The only thing that marred my enjoyment of sleeping in a proper bed was that it was too soft for my liking. It appeared I’d become too acclimatised to the Valkyrie style of sleeping.

I woke to a glorious sunrise. I stretched and yawned trying hard to forget the crick in my back. I took another shower luxuriating in the hot water because I could. Shower time aboard the ship had been timed and short. I ordered a breakfast T’Arni this time. It consisted of bright yellow cream and berries. T’Arni never ate meat at the first meal of the day. I never had asked why and I wasn’t about to do that now. After breakfast I changed into clothes I was sure I wouldn’t mind getting dirty or bloody. I put dark blue vest top and jeans and my combat boots. I wasn’t expecting trouble I was going to see a Valkyrie. Ljufu would want a fight not out of malice it was the Valkyrie way. I shrugged myself into a dark faux leather jacket and picked up my Seven Double ‘M’. I placed my weapon into a holster I’d sown into the back of my jacket. I’d learned a few useful things living with the Valkyrie sewing being one of them. The gun wasn’t because of Ljufu I was being cautious I’d been in precarious

situations without one before and I didn’t want a repeat. Chloe was at the reception desk as I exited the elevator. She waved to me with a smile as I approached.

“Miss Hunter?”

“Chloe,” I replied.

“The room to you satisfaction?” she asked.

“Is there any chance you could change the mattress to a harder one it’s a little too soft for me?”

“I’ll get it done immediately.”

I handed her my keycard. “I’ll be back later.”

I exited the hotel and hailed one of those red teardrop cabs. I didn’t go straight to Central Processing the name for the Security Headquarters. I took a side trip knowing that Ljufu wouldn’t be at work yet. I had unfinished business at my old apartment. It was part nostalgic, part practical. I’d left a few things behind. I had doubts they’d still be there but I could ask where they had gone. The building was a pastel yellow concrete block with narrow windows, the one beside was a pastel blue. I suppose it was better than unrelieved grey. My former apartment block was five floors high and mine was on the third floor. The doors to the atrium opened to my comms. I frowned at that I could have been anyone and as far as I knew there were no security cameras installed. Now wasn’t the time to worry about trivial things like security it had been one of the reasons I’d picked it in the first place. Shift workers rented nearly all the apartments so I wouldn’t be disturbed at this time of day. I stood in a rather plain and unassuming lobby deciding on two choices. The stairs or the rickety elevator, I chose the stairs. At the top of the stair was a long corridor my door was third from the left. I approached the door careful and tapped in my code half expecting it to fail. The door slid open to reveal a very dusty room.

The apartment was open plan almost like a hotel room. A small kitchenette was off to my left with a counter and two stools. To my right was a cramped shower/toilet. The rest of the room consisted of a couch and a couple of tables, a closet and the bed. A thick layer of dust covered everything. There was no power to the lights. I ran my finger over the counter top it hadn’t been touched for a while. The only thing that had power was a holo terminal on a small desk under the rooms only window. Opening the terminal I noted it was still registered to me. Out of curiosity I checked for messages. The first few where from the mining company I’d used to legitimise my stay on Saros. They had put me on extended unpaid leave. At least I hadn’t been fired. The next one wasn’t so pleasant it was an eviction notice only for the mail after it to rescind the eviction. It appeared that the Saros Government had taken over paying my rent. I’d originally come to see if I’d left anything behind but now it looked as it I’d found myself a base of operations. I’d told Chloe two days and it would take me at least a day to get this place clean again.

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