Enforcer Read online

  Enforcer

  Book One of the Four Horsemen Sagas

  By

  Kevin Ikenberry & Quincy J. Allen

  PUBLISHED BY: Seventh Seal Press

  Copyright © 2019 Kevin Ikenberry & Quincy J. Allen

  All Rights Reserved

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  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it wasn’t purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  * * * * *

  Cover Art by Ricky Ryan

  Cover Design by Brenda Mihalko

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  From Kevin:

  For My Girls

  From Quincy:

  For Vicki, without whom none of this would have been possible.

  * * *

  This book is also dedicated to every person, living or dead, who ever held truth, justice, and honor above all else—it is to those who put these things ahead of family, friend, team, and even country, because it was the right, moral, and ethical thing to do.

  There are times when we are called on to police our own.

  * * * * *

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Glossary of Terms

  About the Authors

  Following Kevin and Quincy

  Connect with Seventh Seal Press Online

  Excerpt from Super-Sync

  Excerpt from Book One of the Salvage Title Trilogy

  Excerpt from Book One of the Revelations Cycle

  Excerpt from Book One of The Fallen World

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  Chapter One

  3,000 km above Godannii 2

  ISMC Corporate Ship Rumiar

  Dolamiir Ka Shien, Director of all Iron Sky Mining Corporation operations on Godannii 2, absentmindedly fiddled with the gouge in his black-furred left ear. He was aboard the Rumiar, one of many ISMC corporate vessels, which had been his home and the headquarters of all ISMC operations on the planet below for eight years.

  The lush forests and wide oceans of the world spread out beneath him as he stared down at it through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Rumiar’s executive conference room. Godannii 2 was his—or at least, his responsibility. It rotated 3,000 kilometers below as he listened carefully to the negotiations—if you could call them that—taking place at the V-shaped conference table behind him. As he listened to the GenSha union reps list off their complaints, he contemplated having his bodyguard, Satuur Nu Kovat, shoot the representatives where they sat. It was a dalliance in wishful thinking. He knew where executing them would lead, and he sincerely wanted to avoid a full-blown revolt on the planet if at all possible. Everything depended on a peaceful resolution or the wholesale extermination of the GenSha, and the latter would be an expensive endeavor in credits, cover-ups, and public opinion, making it cost-prohibitive.

  “Enough!” The sharp voice belonged to Bith Sundo, the senior GenSha representative.

  At the sound, Dolamiir let out a long breath. The older GenSha had interrupted his own subordinate, and there was no missing that Bith’s frustration had reached a dangerous plateau. Dolamiir turned slowly, taking a sip from the bottled water provided only to his people—a calculated and very deliberate slight. The expensive, electrolyte-infused beverage was meant for those who could afford it.

  To his right sat the union reps in their washed but deeply stained overalls.

  In the middle sat Bith Sundo, an aging but still muscular GenSha whose mostly yellow fur showed the orange hues of his age, highlighted with forest green stripes. Like many of his species, he had piercing yellow eyes that seemed to judge everything in a glance. Dolamiir considered him exceptionally intelligent but rooted in the pragmatic attitude of his people without the ability to see the larger picture of long-term profitability. To Bith’s right sat Gorn Dokai, a massive GenSha with bright yellow fur and pale green stripes. His eyes were an almost burnt sienna, dark for his species, and he stood half a meter taller than most of his kind. In form and demeanor, Gorn would give any Oogar a run for its money in temperament. To Bith’s left sat Saul Kotur, a younger GenSha with a slicked-back mop of hair covering his head. His fur was the pure yellow of youth with bright green stripes, and his calculating eyes were a piercing yellow, leaning toward white.

  “Listen, Korvan,” Bith said with an edge to his deep, rumbling voice, “the list of grievances is a kilometer long, and damn near all of them border on breach of contract infractions. Your director isn’t paying attention, and we’re getting tired of listing things you already know.” Bith’s eyes flicked briefly to Dolamiir and then returned to the Jivool who sat opposite him at the table.

  Korvan Di Mobiar had been Dolamiir’s assistant for nearly fifteen years and was one of the best negotiators he had ever seen. In recent years, Dolamiir had permitted Korvan to handle most negotiations, speaking up only if and when his intervention was necessary. He wore a shimmering, mauve suit that covered a corpulent body of brown fur. His claws were manicured, and Dolamiir suspected his deep green eyes had been accented with black eyeliner.

  Just behind Korvan and to his left stood Satuur Nu Kovat. He was a particularly muscular Jivool specimen, with dark eyes, nearly black fur, and a menacing countenance that would set him apart in any crowd, regardless of species. He had not spoken a word during the negotiations and never would.

  If Korvan was the voice of Dolamiir’s interests, then Satuur was the strong right hand holding a needler in plain sight. Needlers were small, sleek weapons that quietly accelerated high-density needles to sub-sonic velocities that then expanded inside their targets. Favored by assassins, security personnel, and covert ops, they were both deadly and easy to conceal—perfect for someone like Satuur. He was rumored to have been kicked out of several Jivool mercenary companies for extreme brutality and killing innocents, but those were only rumors unsubstantiated by evidence. To look at him, however, it wasn’t hard to lean toward believing the tales. His every glance held the promise of cold, calculating death.

  “I can assure you,” Korvan said in a silky-smooth tone, “that we are getting tired of hearing them, Honored Bith, and I think it’s important to point out that you did use the word bordered. ISMC and its representatives, here, on Godannii 2
, have perfectly and completely met all commitments contractually agreed on. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure why we’re even talking today. I consider it to be an ISMC courtesy, and you should, too. None of your people have starved to death. None of them have frozen or fallen victim to accidents as a result of negligence on the part of ISMC.”

  “That’s Izlian shit, and you know it,” Gorn barked. The big GenSha’s eyes flared, and he clenched one fist where it sat on the table. “You increased the work force by 15 percent 90 rotations ago and didn’t adjust the dispensation of anything…not food, fuel, or general supplies. On top of that, you increased the prices by 17 percent over the same period. You’re bleeding us.”

  Korvan’s features remained placid.

  “While we were required to increase the labor force to off-set revenue losses elsewhere,” he said with all the composure of a statue, “there is no provision in the contracts your people signed that requires any adjustments to dispensation of materiel provided, and we are within our rights to increase prices as required to meet corporate revenue goals.” Korvan looked mildly apologetic. “I’m sorry, but your legal team should have done a better job representing your interests.”

  Gorn snorted like an animal and started to rise out of his chair, his teeth gnashing.

  Satuur, who had been behind Korvan a moment before, now stood at the edge of the table, his chin lowered and muscles tensed for combat. His right forepaw flexed around the needler he grasped, but he did not raise it. His eyes bored holes into Gorn’s broad chest.

  Bith placed a hand on Gorn’s arm.

  “Don’t,” he said in his own language, holding Gorn firm. His features were a mask of restrained fury, but his glare was reserved for Korvan. His eyes slid from Korvan’s fine suit to the opened bottle of untouched water on the table before him. He did what he could to slow his breathing.

  The faint drone of the Rumiar’s power systems filled the silence for several seconds.

  “Something’s got to change, Korvan,” Saul Kotur injected. “You may not see the suffering of our people, but it’s there below the surface of the community. Many must work harder to support those in need who can’t meet the growing quotas. That number grows daily because you increased the workforce, as Gorn said, without adjusting dispensation of the very goods that provide our people food, water, and shelter. Taking that away breeds a discontent that even our leadership will be unable to assuage.”

  Korvan snorted. “Are you threatening me?”

  “Merely stating the fact that you and ISMC dance around this situation like it was Izlian feces.” Saul Kotur spoke slowly. “A fact that could have devastating consequences for both sides.”

  Bith leaned forward, his serious countenance turned not toward Korvan but toward his younger charge. “Speak not of violence. Like all things, there is a time and place for such things. It is not today.”

  Korvan leaned forward. “Wise counsel, Honored Bith.”

  For a moment, a blanket of calm washed over the room. Satuur leaned away from the table and slowly holstered the needler. Korvan sipped from his bottle of water and calmly folded his paws over his ample stomach. Most importantly, the ferocity in Gorn’s eyes flickered and dimmed.

  A politician always knows how to disarm his enemy, be it praise and manners or a stab in the back while smiling, Dolamiir thought.

  Korvan had been at it for over three hours, wrangling with the GenSha Union reps, ever since their shuttle docked, and the offensive-smelling miners had taken their seats. He’d expected an impasse on the first day of negotiations, but the discontent in the GenSha was palpable. That the young one implied violence could be a factor was disconcerting, but not worrisome. There were arrangements in place. Dolamiir tapped his slate and activated his security forces aboard the Rumiar and on the surface.

  As he finished, he caught Korvan’s eye and nodded once. It was time to begin again.

  After a soft sigh, his deputy spoke. “Honored Bith. All GenSha laborers signed their contracts, and ISMC doesn’t broach renegotiation. Perhaps if we stopped sending those expensive shipments of food and fuel supplies, they might be better motivated to get back to work and meet their quotas.”

  Gorn snorted. “You would attempt to feed our colony with less than 85 percent of our need? You’re flirting with disaster.”

  “What are you insinuating?”

  “Your approach to business is a disaster.” Bith raised his eyes to Dolamiir. “Yours, too, Director. Simple oppression of your workforce will end badly, perhaps with violence. Many good beings on both sides could die. It has happened before and, gods help me, I do not want that hurt again. I remember it all too clearly.”

  Dolamiir’s paw slipped up to his ear, and he ran a finger over the torn flesh and cartilage. He, too, remembered the cost and let his eyes pass over Bith, wondering if the GenSha’s memories were as violent as his own. At just that moment, Bith’s slate vibrated on the table where it lay in front of him. His eyes flicked to something on it, and he let out a long breath. He raised troubled eyes to Dolamiir. There was a warning there, he could sense it.

  Korvan leaned forward. “Perhaps your people will listen to your wise counsel. Especially if you agree to have them meet their quotas so they may receive their shipments.”

  Bith shook his wide head. “I will do no such thing. I speak for my people. I do not tell them what to do. They signed their contracts with the understanding that you would provide for them as stipulated in the contract. You’ve tossed all that aside in the name of profit.”

  Korvan shook his head. “That contract is valid, Honored Bith. Certainly, you are aware of that.”

  “I am. I am also telling you trouble is coming, and I don’t know if I can stop it, even if I want to.” He glanced again at his slate. “In fact, it may have already begun.”

  There were several simultaneous chimes from the ISMC slates. Dolamiir glanced down and read the notification with a scowl. He looked up and met the laughing eyes of Gorn. Bith’s, however, were steely and resolved.

  “Sabotage? You stage this now for the benefit of your position?” Korvan asked.

  Bith shook his head. “No. I found out about the doings of our young ones a few seconds before you.”

  “This is unacceptable!” Korvan hissed. “Your people have damaged seven mining rigs. That’s more than 400,000 credits worth of equipment and materiel. Can you not control your people?”

  Bith remained implacably stoic, but Gorn raised one side of his long maw in a smirk.

  “It gets more difficult every day,” Gorn said with a good deal of satisfaction.

  “Hunger does strange things to a being.” Saul Kotur played with the mop of hair on his head. “It appears as if you, Honored Korvan, have never known the pangs of hunger…and to excess.” He let his gaze slide down the front of Korvan’s expansive body, making the insult obvious.

  Gorn barked out a laugh, and his eyes filled with thinly veiled contempt for the corpulent Jivool that was fast becoming the object of his ire. For the first time, Korvan’s placid features showed signs of irritation at the open insult. His nostrils flared and his ears twitched for several moments before he got control of his emotions and let out a long, forced breath.

  Bith’s mouth worked from side to side. “This sabotage was unexpected and the timing most unfortunate. We did not plan this, Honored Dolamiir, but as we feared, tensions have risen above the level of simple discourse and, as you put it, re-negotiation. I sincerely hope it is not already too late.”

  Well played, Dolamiir thought. He had to admit Bith was a competent leader of his people. They both knew the stakes—and the cost. Gorn and those like him, however, could make the situation untenable. He kept his face straight as he stroked the fine fur along his cheek and grabbed his bottle of fizzing water. He did not, however, raise it to his maw. He noted Korvan’s eyes on him and approved of his deputy’s calculated pause.

  A good politician always knows when to walk away in the pretense o
f progress or a larger threat.

  “Honored Bith,” Korvan said, reclaiming his composure, “I believe a short recess is in order so you can get your people under control. We will reconvene tomorrow at oh-nine hundred standard. Tell the workers to stop their vandalism and get back to work while we continue to discuss how best to handle what is a very delicate situation. I am prepared to ignore these attacks and associated sabotage as a token of good faith in you and your fellow representatives rather than ordering our security forces to exterminate the vandals along with anyone who assists them.”

  Dolamiir nodded once at Korvan’s choice of words. There was no question what the consequences would be if the situation wasn’t addressed by the GenSha leadership.

  Bith started to speak, but Gorn cut him off. “You’re not listening to a thing we’ve said, Dolamiir.”

  “You are correct, Gorn.” It was the first time Dolamiir had spoken, which surprised the GenSha. His smile was wide and full of menace. “Your list of grievances amounts to little more than thinly veiled threats. That you’ve permitted your people, through incompetence or lack of direction, to vandalize our equipment and interrupt our operations only speaks to your desire for us to acquiesce to your rather expensive demands. ISMC does not respond well to threats.” His eyes shifted to Bith. “History has proven this, as well you know.”

  Dolamiir turned away from them and moved smoothly away from the viewports, striding quickly past his subordinates and out of the room.

  “These proceedings are adjourned until tomorrow,” Korvan said as Dolamiir disappeared. He stood abruptly and followed Dolamiir out, with Satuur close on his heel, leaving the three GenSha sitting with their mouths open.