Vigilantes Read Online Free Page B

supposed to tell Uzvaan before they even started that they had a deal. DeRicci would sign some kind of order declaring Uzvaan an individual under Alliance law, not a clone. But Nyquist couldn’t quite bring himself to tell Uzvaan about the deal.
    This bastard had tried to kill him, and that still angered Nyquist more than he could say.
    “I told you my conditions,” Uzvaan said, sounding like the lawyer he still was.
    “You’re not in a position to deal,” Nyquist said.
    “Detective, you believe I have information or you wouldn’t be here. So I am in a position to deal. And I won’t talk to you until you talk to your friend Noelle DeRicci.”
    Nyquist wanted to hit the release button, sending his little bubbly ship out of the Tunnels. He would have too, if this damn meeting weren’t so important.
    “Well, lucky you,” Nyquist said. “Security Chief DeRicci believes you actually have some value to the investigation. She’s willing to sign an order granting you individual status after we’ve heard what you have to say.”
    “Before,” Uzvaan said.
    “Look,” Nyquist said, leaning forward, elbows resting on the table. “If it were my choice, you wouldn’t get a fancy deal. You might get protective custody or you might be able to have your case severed from everyone else’s, but to be considered an individual, a person ? I think you lost that chance when you tried to kill thousands.”
    Uzvaan raised his head slightly. The bluish tinge near his eyes betrayed how deeply that comment had disturbed him, but his expression hadn’t changed.
    “You would not believe an apology,” he said softly.
    “No,” Nyquist said. “I wouldn’t. And I think, if you were truly sorry, or if you were truly forced to do this against your will, you would talk to me because it’s the right thing to do, not because you’ll get something out of it.”
    Uzvaan’s entire face turned blue. He looked down, and said softly, “I am a lawyer, Detective. I have not been trained to think of anything from that angle.”
    “Yeah,” Nyquist said. “We know how susceptible you are to training.”
    Uzvaan flinched. Nyquist felt a sense of satisfaction. He wasn’t sure he liked that about himself.
    Then Uzvaan nodded, as if part of the conversation had gone on without Nyquist. “I—am—you are right. I—um—it is logical to repent for one’s actions by going above and beyond.”
    Nyquist half expected Uzvaan to add, I often told my clients that , but Nyquist couldn’t quite imagine Uzvaan ever giving that advice.
    “Ask your questions,” Uzvaan said. “I will not withhold my answers.”
    Nyquist wanted to believe that Uzvaan was trying, but Nyquist had already made DeRicci’s offer. Uzvaan knew that if his information was valuable, he would get a deal.
    Of course, Nyquist didn’t have to tell DeRicci that Uzvaan took the deal. Twice since he started negotiating with Uzvaan, Nyquist had felt the urge to lie about any kind of deal with Uzvaan.
    For once, Nyquist had to fight himself to tell the truth about what was happening in these little rooms.
    “All right,” Nyquist said, hoping that his ambivalence hadn’t shown on his face. “Someone created all of you clones of Uzvekmt. Who? And why? And how many of you are there?”
    “That is more than one question,” Uzvaan said, then caught himself and looked away. “But I shall endeavor to answer all of them.”
    He pulled a little from side to side, his arms remaining in place. His hands were strapped to the sides of the chair. That had to hurt, considering he had been in the same position the day before.
    “Who created us?” Uzvaan said. “This I do not know, at least, not exactly. I do know that a corporation titled—”
    And then he spoke Peytin, which irritated Nyquist. He was trying to record this conversation like he had recorded the one yesterday, but he wasn’t certain if the prison officials would let him leave with it. Yesterday, the officials hadn’t