The Widowmaker: Volume 1 in the Widowmaker Trilogy Read Online Free Page B

himself.
    "What the hell is going on?” muttered McNair, backing away and striking a defensive position.
    Nighthawk said nothing, but launched a spinning kick that would have beheaded McNair if it had landed. McNair blocked it, reached inside his tunic, and suddenly was holding a long, wicked-looking knife in his hand.
    "Who are you?” demanded McNair, feinting twice with the knife, then thrusting toward Nighthawk's neck. Nighthawk blocked the thrust, grabbed the assassin's wrist, ducked and twisted—and McNair flew through the air and landed next to his bodyguard with a resounding thud!
    The young man, not even breathing hard from his exertions, kicked the knife out of McNair's hand and across the room, then gestured for him to get to his feet.
    "What do you want?” rasped McNair. “Is it money? We can deal!"
    Nighthawk feinted for McNair's groin, then took the heel of his hand and landed a powerful blow to McNair's nose, which was driven into his brain, killing him instantly.
    Nighthawk heard a humming noise behind him, and turned to find himself facing a fully-charged laser pistol.
    "Hold it right there, son,” said Blue, holding the pistol in his good hand.
    "There was paper on them,” said Kinoshita, who hadn't left his table.
    "Not my concern,” said Blue. “You don't kill people in my establishment."
    Nighthawk shot a quick glance at Kinoshita. It seemed to ask: Do I kill him too?
    Kinoshita shook his head, and the young man relaxed.
    "We'll be happy to leave as soon as you put your pistol away."
    "I haven't said that I'm going to put it away,” replied Blue.
    "And we'll make restitution,” continued Kinoshita.
    "Yeah?” The interest was in Blue's voice; his face was without emotion, his unblinking eyes trained on Nighthawk.
    "There's six hundred thousand credits due on those two,” said Kinoshita. “Half a million on McNair, the rest on his friend. We can't have racked up that big a bill in just three days. I'll instruct the authorities to turn the reward over to you. Pay our tab with it, and keep the rest."
    "And the Demoncats?"
    "What about them?"
    "Always a market for good trophies."
    "They're yours."
    Blue stared at Nighthawk for another moment, then put his pistol back behind the bar. “You got yourself a deal,” he announced. “Have one more Dust Whore—on the house."
    "That's very generous of you, Blue,” said Kinoshita, gesturing Nighthawk to leave the bar and rejoin him at the table. “We accept."
    Nighthawk plunked a coin down on the bar. “I can afford to pay for my drink,” he said with a hint of childish pride.
    "You did well, Jeff,” said Kinoshita. “Those were tough, hard men you killed. You pulled it off with a minimum of effort, and with no damage to yourself."
    "So what?"
    Kinoshita smiled. “ That was your graduation ceremony. We will each drink a Dust Whore. Then we'll go back to the chalet, and in the morning you'll take off for Solio II.” The small man paused. “When we entered this establishment, you were a clone, all potential, all promise.” He raised his glass in a salute. “Now you are as good as any man, and better than most."
    "I always was."
    "I know, but—"
    "You don't know anything,” said Nighthawk angrily. “You think I was created in a laboratory just to kill someone on Solio II."
    "You were, Jeff,” said Kinoshita. “We've never hid that from you."
    " I'll decide what I was created for,” said Nighthawk in low tones. “I'm a man, just like you.” He stared unblinking into Kinoshita's eyes. It was not a pleasant stare. "Don't you ever forget it."
    Well, now I know what got you so riled.
    "You saw what I did to those two,” continued Nighthawk, gesturing toward the corpses and downing his drink with a single swallow. “I could get to where I like killing things."
    He got to his feet and stalked out of Six-Finger Blue's, heading toward his chalet.
    Kinoshita watched him go.
    Yeah, no question about it; you're the Widowmaker, all right. You just