Secret War Warhammer 40,000 part 4

According to my wrist chron the wait in the line lasted only fifteen minutes but for me it felt like a whole frigging hour, did I say I hated waiting in lines? I did? Good so now it's doubly emphasized.

When we stood in between slight steps I tapped the tip of my shoe on the rockcrete and the whole way I smoked Lho as my attention darted around like quick silver. About half way through the line Elandria hissed at me: "really could you stand still for more than three seconds?"

I blew out smoke and replied simplistically, "no."

She kept quite after that, perhaps Elandria was smarter than I gave her credit for. Perhaps she was aware it was an intended ironic echo of her own catch phrase and then I made a mental note that I should make use of her "what ever" more often.

Once we had finally made it to the end of the line I whispered in Elandria's ear, "let me do the talking."

"What ever," she hissed back "just be careful not to knock out the Moody Hammer with one of your nervous twitches."

I pursed my lips, that actually wasn't a bad idea I had yet to come up with a decent plan for starting this brawl just looking over the line alone I decided that this task would be easier said than done, sure I could pick a fight with one patron easily enough but initializing the needed chaos would be a challenge. The majority of the patrons were upper class dandies who I doubted had ever taken part in a full on bar brawl in their pampered lives. If it was a lower hive bar, well enough said really.

We approached the huge hammer standing at the door, that despite his low browed, vat grown, square jawed appearance that a lot of his kind has his hooded, beady eyes gleaned a slight modicum of intelligence. He wore a suit not dissimilar to my own and he held a data slate in his huge, meaty paw. I quickly noted the large, black tattoo on his neck which showed he belonged to the "Greasers" a local gang who were one of the first our intelligence had reported to be reeled into Brutis Bone's little alliance, the holstered las pistol barely hidden under his blazer, the Microbead in his ear and not just that but two more huge hammers standing inside the shadowy entrance to the club.

The Hammer smiled a surprisingly welcoming, toothy smile and gave us both friendly nods, "Sir, Mamzel may I ask that you state your names please."

"Indeed," I said, I may have put on a hammy performance earlier for Elandria's sake but as Glaitis taught me the true art in undercover acting is subtlety to not get carried away and not let stereo types rule your mind set, but that is of course unless the role calls for it "I am Autius Davian-Meggs and this lovely young woman is Riculia Harviad."

As I said this the Hammer scrolled down his data slate, "…Sir Autius Davian-Meggs and mamzel Riculia Harviad you are indeed on the list. Welcome into the Twilight bar and may you enjoy your time here."

"Thank you and we will," I smirked slightly as Elandria and I turned into the club I was not surprised at the doorman's professionalism and politeness it would be a given for a club this high up and well known but the colleagues in the entrance way did not share the doorman's friendliness I could feel them glare at us, suspicious and unyielding with bulky arms folded in an "intimidating" fashion.

I pretended to ignore them and I assumed that they wouldn't treat their regular customers in such fashion (or else that their "bar" would have closed down along time ago) evidence so far was pointing to this being more and more to be a Brutis Bones operation.

This could also prove that our rival organization knows our faces at least.

I glanced over my shoulder at the doorman and saw him talking intently, his index finger placed against the microbead in his ear.

We followed through the three metre wide corridor, the hologram planning had proven true the corridor curled subtly to the north west, the steel walls dulled down into a dark crimson, metallic sheen and the walls trembled in time with the bass line, the way the building is designed is that the main entrance's corridor splits the club in half starting from the south east and ending in the for most northern corner, according to the information gathered the west side of the building was the private area for the VIP's and the east general club and bar.

"So? Do you have any kind of plan yet?" Elandria hissed right in my ear her soft voice causing me to start slightly from my thoughts.

"Some semblance…" I said twisting my pinkie finger in my ear.

"Which means nothing?"

"No it means what it means "some semblance," I'll think of something, I' m…Adaptable."

"Adaptable? Is that what you are calling it now?"

Before I could make a reply my pocket vibrated and swiftly I reached in and slid the small listening device in my ear.

"We're in," I said, though I knew that they would already know.

"Good work," Castella's voice came from the tiny speaker, "Where are you now?"

"Still in the corridor, not yet through the second security station the one with the metal detectors," I said "I find this place very interesting this is, very…Pretentious I can almost smell the pretentiousness in the air."

I heard Castella giggle on the other side, "what do you expect when it's called the Twilight Bar?"

"Well I expected that the main corridor would be darker and be more of a reference to its name sake, perhaps the building itself hates what it's called so much, so somehow, through sheer force of will, rejected it."

Again Castella laughed, "Alright, alright you know the drill you have four of these devices make sure you drop one in this corridor and another at the second station on your way in the other two keep with you and Elandria so we can communicate with you inside "

"Yes we know, we know didn't you just say that I knew the drill yourself?"

"I did but as you know one can never be too careful, you know, just in case good luck and may the god-Emperor's virtue be with you."

Then she cut the link.

Immediately I halted my walk, slipped off of Elandria, pulled one of the listening devices out from my pocket. Took off the back adhesive and stuck it against the wall. Immediately the advanced little device camouflaged its self in the wall's colour, texture all but invisible to the naked eye.

"One down and just one to go," said standing back to full height and offering my arm back to Elandria, "may we move my dear?"

Elandria begrudgingly took it and growled "if you call me "my dear" one more time-"

I sighed, "Yes I know, I know I will be sorely lacking my head, I know."


We walked through the detectors without consequence the listening devices were made from a rare and expensive Plasteek that was all but invisible to most scanners.

The two huge hammers posted at the checkpoint were just as affable as their colleague at the door and with the combination of my quick hands and the aide of Elandria I was able to successfully place the listening device at the checkpoint. When we entered into the club itself, dozens, upon dozens of dancers jumped and leapt to the music a huge orgy of activity which seemed to move like white caps on the sea, rising and falling, rising and falling. It was almost entirely dark the only light source lasers beaming down onto the countless cavorters, projecting patterns, numerous different patterns changing from flowers to even the Imperial Aquila, it was quite an amazing site to behold.

Quickly I changed my tact, glancing over the crowd my brow hooded in concentration and noticed three more gangers straddled through the crowd of cavorters each eyeing both Elandria and I with distinct suspicion and I barely held back a sigh. I knew they are low hive gangers, I knew that they were muscle but they wouldn't know subtlety if hit over the head with "A Guide to Infiltration and Espionage." Though it is an utterly terrible and pretentious book which the author (whose name I cannot recall) he blatantly did not do the research but it would help these idiots' skills in that field by leaps and bounds. That wasn't saying much of course.

Then it hit me, it frigging hit me and the realisation caused me to sigh and place my face into the palm of my hand, if these gangers were this pathetic and it has taken this long for Taryst's "elite" to find this place.

I didn't want to begin to think about it, it was depressing just damned depressing.

But, actually perhaps that was it. This "bar's" security was so stupid and sloppy that it wouldn't stick out from the rest of its ilk, or was I just over analyzing it?

I didn't know, I didn't care anymore.

"What the hell is wrong with you now?" demanded Elandria her raised voice heard barely over the music but I could hear her well, her words enhanced by the bud in her ear.

"I hate my job," I groaned, my voice muffled into my hand.

"What?"

I dropped my arm back to my side and said instead, "These guys are complete idiots."

Elandria smirked, "Please, do tell me something I don't know," she said, "I see three Hammers in the crowd, two armed with laspistols, one with a high calibre auto pistol all in torso holsters right?"

"Hmmm, interesting," I said.

"What?"

I gestured with a lazy hand, a small indistinct movement aimed toward the Hammer with the Auto pistol.

"See? His Pupils are dilated and even in this terrible light it is obvious his skin is a shade lighter than his norm, that Hammer is scared, very scared."

"Scared of what?" asked Elandria then a big, evil grin spread across her symmetrical face, "scared of us?"

I shrugged, "hmm perhaps, that seems logical. He may be a survivor, a survivor of one of our many skirmishes against Brutis Bones' organization over the past months he may even be the one which they had learnt our identities from."

Elandria grimaced in utter disgust, "a survivor! We were thorough! We let none escape!"

"See! It is that exact attitude that would have allowed for his escape in the first place but this we can turn toward our favour, though it also looks like we will have to revaluate our plans."

"Why?"

"Because we will both be killed if we don't. If we make one wrong step, even try slightly to start a fight he will shoot us, he's as twitchy as a frigging Obscura addict on withdrawal."

"Even shoot through a crowd of civilians?" she smirked.

I sniffed and glared at her side long, I knew she was ruthless but I was hoping that there would be some line for Elandria.

"Perhaps, but that is one risk I am unable to take, at first this was to be an innocent fisticuffs against other club goers but if we are to do anything we will have to take care of that Hammer first."

"Kill him?"

I grimaced, "if it comes to that but-"

Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and a cold shiver slid down my spine. The air temperature dropped dramatically and the once enthusiastic crowd halted its partying as every one shook in instinctive terror.

I had felt this before and I knew exactly what it was.

Elandria turned to me, her eyes white with animalistic fear, "psyker!"

My earpiece suddenly came to life and Castella's uncharacteristically urgent voice erupted over the mic.

"Attelus! Attleus! Cough if you copy damn it!"

I quickly complied.

"Good! We have two new additions to the line outside and-and the people they are just-just parting, letting them through, I!-I can't make out their faces but-but-!"

The line began to fizzle and crackle, warping Castella's words into indecipherable syllables then completely descended to nothing but static.

I felt my heart beat a thousand miles a minute and the fear! Oh the fear! The adrenaline pumping! But still I shivered in the unnatural cold and then I noticed Elandria who looked at me utter terror, whose lower lip shook and her body wavered.

"Why-why are you smiling?" she stammered.

"I'm smiling?" I asked, genuinely bemused, "well I guess I would now that everything is going according to plan, to my plan anyway."

I don't know if you had thought I had forgotten about Taryst's little psyker cadre or you had forgotten, but this, this I had actually seen coming, this I knew was coming, yesss.


I knew I had to act quickly that time was short so I moved. Dodging and weaved through the frozen club goers within milliseconds I reached the Hammer with the auto pistol, the ganger was never able to react to my advance as his glazed eyes stared dumbly to the ceiling, his mouth gaping open in stark shock.

I smashed my elbow straight into his solar plexus which impacted in a sickening "crunch!" and the Hammer let out a feeble gasp for air, his torso bending in under the force. I gritted my teeth and followed on, punching him in the kidney then the ribs and finally finishing him by sliding to his flank and delivering a brutal, low side kick snapping his knee inward and causing the Hammer to let out a strangled howl of utter agony. I now had his Auto pistol in hand (which unsurprisingly already had the safety off) and I fired one round into the ceiling yelling out at the top of my lungs, "down everybody down!"
Luckily the crowd were not so frozen in fear that they were unable to acquiesce to my request and with frightened yelps they did exactly as told, all accept the two remaining bouncer Hammers who were only just now numbly reaching for their weapons.

I shot them both, one through the head and the other in his chest the shots accompanied by even more screams of terror.

"Damn it what the hell are you doing?" demanded Elandria as she retrieved one of the corpses' Las pistols and raising it to cover the entrance way.

"Improvising," I replied.

"Didn't-didn't you just say that "everything is going according to plan?"

"All according to one plan, yes."

"Then it really isn't improvising then is it?"

"What ever," I sighed and I found the unconscious Hammer's three backup ammo clips and I slipped them into my pockets.

"So what is it that you improvise now oh you magnificent bastard you?"

I looked over my shoulder at her shocked, was that an actual joke? A backhanded compliment perhaps? Or something else entirely?

"Cover the door for me would you. I have unfinished business to attend to."

"Then what the hell will I do when that Psyker gets here then?"

"Prey to that Emperor of yours!" that was my reply as I turned into the corridor leading to the VIP area, my confiscated Auto pistol raised and ready as I advanced.

I had not forgotten about Taryst's psykers, I had an idea in the back of my head that this little independent operation of Glaitis' would have been tracked but that also begs yet another question, why would Glaitis have played this move?

She must have known of Taryst's psychic allies and was aware without taking the proper precautions that we would have be found out, I could hazard a myriad amount of guesses as to why but now was not the time to-

As the corridor began to curve southward I heard it, sudden and deafening, gun fire! Which reverberated within the corridor. I gritted my teeth, risking a look and what I saw made my eyes widen in fear.
One Hammer had lost his mind, he fired his stub automatic limply and indiscriminately into the crowd of terrified, screaming VIPs, two of which already lay dead.
The man was grinning mindlessly, foaming from the mouth and his body moved loosely like a marionette this was defiantly a psyker's work and this would have been nightmare fuel unleaded, if I had not seen it many times before and without breaking stride I shot him, I shot him straight through the face, the back of what was once a Human's skull exploded out into a cone of gore, the thick, red matter coating anyone near and the body dropped like a sack of spuds.

I left the corridor and out into a cacophony of cries as the VIPs all saw the small skinny bastard who held a smoking auto pistol walking right through their midst.
Are you really scared of me? Didn't I just save all your hides? I thought, Glaitis had once said that being a hero was overrated and once again she proves to be right and I kicked the corpse as I walked through, "shame about the face," I muttered.

I came to the door which led into the "restricted" area and studied the lock, it was one of your atypical password encoded things and to the consequential cry of many a onlooker I raised my pistol, turned away covered my face with a forearm and blew out the lock with one deafening pull of the trigger.
I kicked the door open then was forced to throw myself back into cover mere milliseconds before the torrent of Las fire cut through the air. I had actually managed a glimpse of the lone Hammer, the lone Hammer with crazed eyes, who stood six metres down the corridor and who still kept spraying on full auto despite my absence and who's insane screams of fear I could hear well over the rounds, he had no cover, nothing.

I only had to wait for several seconds for the fire to stop and to hear the familiar hiss of over heated Las weaponry then I stepped out.
"You idiot!" I roared as I put two rounds through his torso. Of course his idiocy and the other's fear could be explained buy the psychic presence. Now I could see my breath steaming and the ice on the walls, I grinned, thank you Taryst you are making this way to easy.

I kicked open the door at the end of the corridor and entered into what I remembered from the schematics a larger room and found it was a recreation room one that was already held and makeshift fortified buy three more of Brutis' Bones mooks. I was actually almost caught completely unawares, not prepared for an organized defence and was immediately forced back into hiding as they opened fire. I had accounted for the psyker's presence to be more lasting and at times like this I would really kill for a grenade or manstopper rounds they would easily blow fist size holes through the table which they had turned over. Looks like it wasnt going to be so easy after all.

I briefly leaned out and fired off my last three rounds which forced the Hammers to duck behind their table. Ejecting the empty clip and slamming a fresh one home without hesitation I leaned back out. Even now I am not sure if it was skill or luck which was the cause of me managing to scalp one of the Hammers as he rose from hiding but either way it shocked his comrades into submission long enough to allow me to sprint the distance and shoot them both through their faces at point blank range.

I vaulted over the table and retrieved a las pistol from one of the corpses, after checking the charge gauge was full, I moved on now with a big grin on my face.


The shots reverberated in the confined corridors as I fired two point blank rounds into the Hammer's chest and my front kick followed on colliding into the limp corpse and propelling the dead Hammer into the next of his colleagues in line. Both bodies fell to the floor in a mass of writhing limbs and screams. While lunging over the screaming Hammer and the corpse pinning him to the floor I shot the next ganger as he was bringing his stubb revolver to bear but the forth ganger in line was thinner and more nimble than the others as he slid past his collapsing ally and lunged into a hook punch intended on smashing in my head. I blocked the fist with a forearm, an inner-outer block which pushed the attack off course, augmented his momentum and caused his punch to connect straight into the rockcrete wall instead. His hand broke with a sickening crack and the Hammer bellowed out in of utter agony a bellow which was abruptly cut short as I pistol whipped him in the base of the skull causing his forehead to follow after his fist in cracking against the hard surface.

He also wasn't much taller than I was so hence an effective human shield and just in time I hooked my arm around the man's neck, turned the limp form to face the next aggressor as he opened fire. The human shield took three rounds from the the Hammer's auto pistol (I could only thank the Emperor that none of them wielded shot guns) Jarring the corpse with each and almost causing me let go before I managed to shoot the hapless team killer over the shoulder of his murdered work mate.

The next Hammer, an older and horrifically scarred monster attempted to follow my example as he roughly shoved his traitorous allies corpse toward me to mask his advance but I slid out the way, pushing my back against the wall and the two dead men collided into each other falling to the floor in a heap. The large ganger was on me and threw a deceptively fast hook that I barely managed to back peddle out the way from, he was actually pretty good much to my surprise and my attempt at bringing my pistols to bare was interrupted by his follow on, a right jab that I swayed under and then an upper cut I narrowly side stepped. The next attack was a lunging back fist that sent me back peddling even further and almost made me trip over the corpses that I had left in my wake.

The Hammer stopped his assault and glared at me balefully, one of his eyes milky white the other a piercingly clear blue

"Put those pistols away," he grunted as he cracked his knuckles "I see you are a worthy opponent so let us truly see who is the better fighter."

I sighed and complied dropping both my pistols to the floor with a clatter.

"Hmm right," I said, "but first, just one question, are you by chance Brutis Bones?"

"No I am-"

Before he could continue any further I knelt down, picked the pistols back up and shot him five times, the first exploded out his guts, the second blew a ragged hole in his chest, the third burst open his right bicep, the forth hit him in the thigh, causing him to spin around so his back was facing me and the last ripped out the base of his spine and he fell straight to the floor, flat on his face. I knew it was over kill but these "Honour Before Reason" idiots were usually tough bastards and that was the only way I could make sure he wasnt ever getting back up. Taryst wanted Brutis Bones alive so I would have made the effort if it was him.

Sighing again and wondering how the hell such an idiot could have lived as a Ganger. I casually lowered my Las pistol and put a neat black hole through the fore head of the Hammer who was still struggling to escape from under his dead ally.

I felt kind of dirty, sure I was sure I could have beaten the idiot eventually if I had done the honourable thing and fought fair but that would have wasted time and time was one thing not on my side.