Resistance is futile (VIII)

Matt picked up some sort of rock that had spilled from the decorative feature when one of the bikies had knocked it over. He lobbed it at the suited man, hitting him in the arm. This quickly got his attention as Matt kneeled down in front of him and said, "How much do they owe."

The suit who had been given a bad fright was starting to remember who he was and what he was about replied, "Sixty five g's, with the vig."

Matt nodded and waved his hand around to indicate the gore that used to be people. "I'll give you two hundred and we forget about the entire affair."

The man looked up at him sharply, "You've got to be kidding, how the hell am I going to explain the death's of three Commanchero's for only two hundred gee."

Matt shrugged before replying, "Not my problem, however I'm guessing your from the gold coast right. That and the fact that you can call on Commanchero muscle when you need it. However the Bandito's won't like the fact that you stepped onto their turf. You could always blame it on something random."

The man sneered, "Bandito's, like they've got the muscle or the inclination to go to war over a simple debt collection, no I think you're screwed so bad you must be crapping your pants."

Matt shrugged, "Maybe, of course I could always talk to a CIB detective friend of mine about you, one who I know has friends on the Chinese triad task-forces. Get your name banded about as a CI, or a mole for the triads. I bet your bikie friends wouldn't be too keen to have your back if they knew you worked for the chinks now would they. Of course I could always just turn you into goo like your friends over there and when the next guy comes looking plead ignorance, then just hand him two hundred gee. Your call."

The man's eyes snaked off to the gore patches and he nervously licked his lips before saying, "Two hundred gee, all upfront by end of business Wednesday or your life won't be worth living." Having made his deal the man hurriedly stood up, brushed himself off and looked around again before hurrying past Matt, out the door and to his Mercedes.

Matt pulled the chair that the loan shark had been sitting in over to the door and sat down, he sighed thinking that this was not how he'd planned to do this. He let his thoughts wander of their own accord until Emily's quiet sobbing brought him back to his present surroundings. He looked at Anna, then flicked his eyes to Emily. Anna nodded and she went over and kneeled by Emily, she whispered quietly that it was over and everything was going to be ok. That Matt wasn't going to harm her or Nick, that he wanted to help them.

Anna eventually managed to pry Emily away from her husband and moved her over to the couch in the den. Matt leaned forward and said, "I apologise for ruining the decor of your house with my passion, but such things can't be helped. Nick I'll be blunt, you've just cost me two hundred thousand dollars, which I have to somehow pry out of my investment fund by Wednesday. Before I do though, would you care to tell me why you're on the floor bleeding after being beaten by a collection team from the coast."

Nick coughed weakly, and spat up some blood as he sat up, the exertion making him moan in a low tone that indicated he was hurt badly. He looked at Matt with wary, pain laden eyes as he managed to croak out. "Now I'm in your pocket, the only thing I have to say to you is how do I get out of it and how long is it going to take."

Matt smiled at him, "I guess we can skip the formalities for the moment. I have a ship that I need repaired. One that I need fixed before anyone else knows I have it. Once the ship is fully operational, your debt to me will be discharged."

Nick grimaced at him as a wave of pain blossomed. He grunted as he smiled and said, "I think you're mistaken. I'm an engineer I've been on a boat maybe twice in my life, I wouldn't know the first thing about how to fix one."

Matt grinned as he undid the buttons at the cuff and rolled up his sleeve, his arm was bare though something about that wasn't quite right as several holes gaped in his arm. A moment later something shuddered, no that wasn't quite right phased maybe, into view. Matt held his hand up palm to his face as he showed Nick the skrill.

"This is an organic weapon, capable of shifting out of phase with the visible light spectrum. It can generate a pulsed discharge of coherent plasma particles on variable frequencies, wavelengths and temperatures. In layman's terms, it's an organic phaser, capable of stun, kill, disintegrate and apparently explode. It is sentient and reacts to both my thoughts and my emotions. You just saw it annihilate your tormentors, do you really think I want you to fix a boat for me Nick."

"If you come with me now, hear me out. I will see that your injuries are treated. After that I'm going to offer you a job, both of you." Matt said, turning his head to look at Emily who was being held by Anna. "One that you're free to turn down, I won't have someone beholden to me through coercion. I need to know I can trust you both. If you turn me down, you'll be required to pay back the two hundred grand weekly at an affordable rate and we part ways never to hear from each other again. Deal?"

Nick looked at him eyes wide open, he turned his head as he thought his way through the offer. "Fine, but I would like to phone my mother telling her I won't be able to talk to her tonight, that I will tomorrow."

Matt snorted, "Fine, whatever you need to feel safe. When your ready, have Emily follow us in your car."

An hour later as Matt watched Sam heal and induct Nick into his slowly expanding crew, Matt mused that there was something about near death experiences that opened the mind to the possibility. He watched Nick go through the rapid learning sequence, there really hadn't been any question about whether or not Nick would join. He had barely gotten past the airlock and he was ready to do anything Matt said in exchange for the chance to work on the ship.

Matt quietly left as Nick talked to Emily, no doubt they wanted to talk about what this meant for them as a couple. "Sam, when they're done, tell Nick that he can start tomorrow if he wants. Morning briefings begin at 0900 hrs for all personnel. Now you were saying that Ian's got something to show me?"