A Toaster on Mars (24 page)

‘You'll never get away with this,' Blake groaned.

Badde smiled. ‘I already have,' he said, plunging his hand directly into the centre of Blake's chest. ‘You may not be able to touch me, but I can certainly touch you.'

At first Blake felt a stinging sensation. Then it grew more painful as the strength went from his body.

‘I'm going to squeeze your heart,' Badde said, ‘until it pops.'

Badde picked Blake up off the ground with his hand jammed in his chest. His strength was incredible. As he dangled Blake above him like a ragdoll, the pain in Blake's chest grew ever more crushing. He tried clawing again at Badde, but there was no way to touch him.

No
, Blake thought.
It can't end like this
.

Badde laughed. ‘What does it feel like to die?' he asked. ‘Knowing you'll never see your loved ones again?'

Blake's mind went back to Lisa and Astrid.

I've been such a fool!
he thought.
I should have been a better husband! A better father to Lisa!

Blake reached into his coat pocket.

‘Your gun won't help you,' Badde laughed.

‘I'm not reaching for my gun,' Blake grunted. ‘I need to ask you a question.'

‘What is it?'

Holding his hand up high, Blake flicked open the souvenir bottle that Lisa had given him at the Wet'n'Wild park. ‘I really need to know,' Blake said. ‘How deep is your love?'

He poured the bottle onto Badde. The suit flickered and sparked as Badde's eyes opened in terror.

‘No!' he cried.

‘Yes,' Blake said.

Blake dropped the bottle as Badde released him. The open bottle started to pass through the top of Badde's head as the phase suit failed completely. The bottle firmly jammed in his brain, the evil genius gave a soundless scream, hatred filling his eyes. He toppled dead to the ground.

Blake lay back on the red Martian soil. The pain in his chest was very bad. An eternity seemed to pass, and then—

‘Dad!'

Lisa and Nicki knelt beside him.

‘My heart—'

Lisa threw her arms around him. ‘Dad,' she wept. ‘Hold on!'

Blake gazed up at the pale blue sky. He was fading. Badde's last act had been to kill him after all. The pain was like a vice crushing his chest. ‘Stay strong, old man,' Nicki said.

Blake struggled to speak. ‘Listen…' he said.

‘Is it Astrid?' Nicki asked. ‘A message for her?'

‘No…' Blake grunted. ‘Can you move? You're kneeling on my arm.'

EPILOGUE

Blake Carter woke in a hospital bed to find himself surrounded.

Astrid was there, and Lisa. Nicki hovered in the corner, a worried expression on her golden face. Then Blake noticed Assistant Director Cecil Pomphrey in the chair next to the bed.

‘Welcome back, Agent Carter,' Pomphrey said.

‘Thanks.' Blake's eyes moved from one person to the other, trying to judge the mood. ‘Am I in trouble?'

‘No!' Lisa shot a look at Pomphrey. ‘My dad's not in trouble. Is he?'

Pomphrey's face was dark. ‘Trouble's not the word to describe it,' he said.

‘Maybe heroic is a better word,' Astrid said. ‘Nicki and my husband saved our daughter, stopped Earth from being destroyed by a Super-EMP and retrieved the phase suit. You should be giving them medals!'

‘Look, I can't—'

‘Big medals,' Astrid said firmly. ‘Otherwise we go to the media, and you know what they're like.'

Blake watched resignation fill Pomphrey's face. He may have been a tough guy, but the assistant director had not dealt with the likes of Astrid Carter. He glanced at Blake, beseechingly.

‘The ex-wife,' Blake said, as if that explained everything.

‘We'll leave you to talk,' Astrid said. ‘I know you're probably planning to catch your next evil genius, or planet eater, or whatever it is you do.'

Lisa kissed Blake's cheek. ‘I love you, Dad,' she said. ‘You're the best.'

It almost made everything worthwhile.

‘We'll see you for dinner when you get out,' Astrid said.

‘D-dinner?'

‘Yes,' she said, pausing in the doorway. ‘It's the meal at the end of the day when families get together.'

Blake Carter nodded dumbly, a catch in his throat. After they left, he turned to Pomphrey.

‘I can explain,' Blake began. ‘It was my idea. I ordered Nicki…no, threatened her to help me—'

‘That's funny. She said the same thing about you.'

‘Ignore her. She's out of control. Needs a reboot.'

‘Thanks,' Nicki said.

‘Anytime.' Blake turned to Pomphrey. ‘So…what
is
going to happen?'

‘Will we give you a medal?' Pomphrey asked. ‘Or simply toss you in jail and throw away the key? You and Agent Steel ignored my orders to drop this case and instead broke into a government facility. Jail is probably too good for you.' He glanced at Nicki. ‘No matter how long the sentence.' Sighing, he added, ‘But you
were
operating under duress. A young girl
was
being held hostage.'

‘And we caught Badde,' Blake added.

Nicki shook her head. ‘Not quite.'

‘What?'

‘Oh, you nailed Badde,' Pomphrey said. ‘Or the thing pretending to be him.'

‘The thing…'

Pomphrey nodded in Nicki's direction. ‘No offence.'

‘None taken.'

‘It was a robot you took out on Mars,' Pomphrey explained. ‘A very sophisticated robot. We believe Badde was using it as a front for his operation.'

‘So it was never really him?'

Pomphrey shook his head.

‘And the real Badde?'

‘Still a mystery, I'm afraid,' Cecil Pomphrey said, standing. ‘Blake, you are not to return to work until you're completely recovered. Nicki, I'll expect a full
report on my desk by tomorrow morning.'

‘Yes, sir.'

Pomphrey hesitated at the door. ‘I thought this partnership would work,' he said. ‘Looks like I was right. I've got an offworld assignment for you when you're ready.'

Then he was gone.

Nicki and Blake turned to each other.

‘Did we really get away with this?' Nicki asked. ‘No jail time? And maybe even a medal?'

It was almost too much for Blake to take in. They weren't in jail. Lisa was safe. And Astrid was expecting him for dinner.

But Badde had escaped.

‘That's unfortunate about Badde,' Nicki said.

‘I never would have guessed—' Blake stared at Nicki. She was wearing a strange expression. ‘What is it?'

‘There's something you should know,' she said, uncomfortable. ‘When they examined it…the robot…they found its components were manufactured in a particular way. Showing a particular craftsmanship, if you like.'

‘So?'

‘Whoever made it also made me,' Nicki said. ‘I don't know what that means. Did Badde make us? Or did he employ someone else to—'

‘It doesn't matter, does it?'

Nicki clenched her fists. ‘It does matter!' she snapped. ‘You have to know you can trust me!'

‘I know I can trust you.'

‘How?'

‘Because you're my partner,' he said, holding out his hand.

‘You're crazy,' Nicki said. ‘But it's your funeral.'

They shook.

‘I wonder what this special assignment is,' Blake said.

‘I don't know, but it involves Venus.'

‘Venus? How're we getting there?'

Nicki pushed a button on her wristcomm and a voice that Blake knew all too well sang out loud and clear.

‘Ay, landlubbers!' It was Captain Rasmussen Goyle. ‘They say we're flying to Venus next! Bring yer blasters! The planet's overrun with zombies and they'll eat yer face off as soon as look at yer!'

‘
Zombies!
' the parrot screamed. ‘
Zombies!
'