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Richard Evans was a spy Richard Evans was a spy. Like all spies, he worked hard to look normal. He wore thin glasses that did nothing to impair his perfect eyesight under a crop of blonde hair, and a heavy coat concealed his muscular armored form and the small semi-automatic handgun shoved into his belt. The Danzig 9mm was a standard spy weapon, and Evans carried various types of ammunition for it besides the standard silenced rounds. He had a clip of Armor Piercing rounds for any drone guns or Special Forces troops that tried to stop him, and some EMP rounds for and robotic guards or computer terminals that needed destroying. Since spying was, naturally, illegal, Evans decided that some more illegal things wouldn’t really change much if he got caught, so he also carried a clip of Maneater rounds, which were deadly, exploding inside the victim’s body, with predictable results. Nonetheless, an extremely effective solution to any living thing that got in his way. With the rain pounding on the windscreen, Evans drove carefully through the traffic towards the base of his target. Weaving between the huge juggernauts carrying cargo to all the industrial companies producing life’s necessities, he approached the base, turning off the road when the turning came up. Halting at the barrier, Evans nodded to the guard and flashed the ID card he had taken off the body of a scientist who had recently met the wrong end of his Danzig. The guard nodded cheerfully, and raised the barrier. Driving through, Evans parked the black car in a handy space, and removed his coat. Turning off the engine, Evans slipped the lab coat on over his armor, and stepped out of the car, a perfect scientist. Wandering up to the research block, a large glass windowed skyscraper with plants climbing up it, Evans keyed in his hacked authorization code, casually nodding at another, older scientist who followed him into the building before the hydraulics shut the door with a hiss. The other scientist returned the nod, walking up to a console and busying himself in his current research. Evans walked up to a console, inwardly marveling at all the technology, but outwardly radiating the confidence of somebody who worked here every day of his life. Nine minutes later, a message came over the intercom, pleasantly informing people that the morning coffee break had started, and the security systems would soon be activated, and that all personnel should promptly leave the building. Ducking under his desk, Evans waited until he hard that chatter stop, and the door his shut. Nudging the side of his glasses gently, the room was suddenly filled with laser beams. His glasses were not just a useful part of his scientist disguise, but they also incorporated a useful infrared detector. He heard the door lock with a series of clicks, preventing spies getting in. Or out, Evans thought grimly. He slowly moved out from under the desk, avoiding the beam that crossed the console. Tapping at the keyboard, he smiled with satisfaction as it came on. His partner for this mission, Glenn, was a specialist computer hacker and he had unlocked the console so Evans could copy the files. In a few minutes, Evans had a data disk with several new projects on it. Ejecting the disc with a click, he carefully put it in its case and placed it into his breast pocket. Turning to hide under the desk until the break ended, Evans found himself looking down the barrel of a silver Magnum handgun. Focusing on the face behind it, he saw the features of the older scientist, now twisted into an evil grin. “My name is Jonathon Ridd. Please hand me the data disc.” The sentence was spoken politely, in clipped tones. Evans made no move. The name Ridd rang a bell. He had a reputation for being fast, and ruthless. “I’m not alone.” Evans replied, using the same tone of voice, his hand slowly reaching for his Danzig. Ridd smiled, but the cold glint in his eyes remained. “You mean Glenn here?” He said, and Glenn stood up from behind a nearby desk, his Danzig leveled at Evans. “We’ve been in on you since the beginning.” Ridd continued, the Magnum still steadily pointing at Evan’s head. “You want to protect the data?” Evans asked, intrigued. Glenn’s betrayal hadn’t come as much of a surprise, spies were always double-crossing each other. “No, I’m here for it. And the bounty on your head, of course.” He added coldly. “How would you like to die, Mr Evans?” he asked, stepping forward. One step too close. Evans moved like lighting, landing a solid blow on Ridd’s gun arm, grabbing the gun with the other hand. Firing it at Glenn, Evans heard a bang, incredibly loud to the ears of a spy accustomed to silenced weapons, and he almost cried out in pain as the recoil nearly broke his wrist. Ignoring the pain, Evans finished the move by leveling his Danzig at Ridd just as Glenn’s corpse hit the ground, a look of surprise etched on its features. Flicking his gaze back to Ridd, he saw Ridd had drawn a knife, and was almost close enough to slit Evan’s throat. Evans was just happy that he was holding Ridd’s gun. Any man fast enough to recover, draw a knife and attack in that amount of time must have ice running through his veins. Nonetheless, he didn’t fancy his chances of survival much. If he backed out of knife range, Ridd would lunge at him, and would probably kill him. If he pulled the trigger, Ridd could again probably cut his throat in the blink of an eye. Ridd wasn’t so confident himself. He knew he was fast, faster than Evans, but he still couldn’t dodge bullets. He would have to wait for Evans’ arm to get tired. A gun was much heavier than a knife. Suddenly, the door hissed open, and a guard was silhouetted in the light. He saw the two spies, and stood there, for a few seconds before his brain caught up with his eyes. A moment later, Evans fired his Danzig, the Maneater round punching through the security guard’s riot armor before detonating in a storm of blood and shrapnel. As the corpse of the security guard slumped to the floor, Evans could see why Maneater rounds were illegal. Messy, but effective. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ridd move, and by pure reflex Evans brought the Danzig down on Ridd’s knife hand, breaking a finger. Ridd dropped the knife, but the broken finger barely slowed him down at all. He grabbed for the Magnum in Evan’s other hand, and wrenched it from the grasp of Evan’s injured wrist. Evans brought his Danzig to bear, but Ridd laid on hand on top of the barrel, and with a flick of his wrist, tore the top half of the barrel off as Evans pulled the trigger. The bullet spun wide, with only half a barrel to guide it, smashing some expensive looking computer equipment. An alarm went off, locking the door. Evans would have smiled if given the time, because the alarm had just locked the door open. He could escape with his data, if he could only get rid of Ridd. Ridd swung the Magnum up, but Evans kicked him hard on the kneecap, and he heard a grunt of pain as he ran for the open door. His sixth sense screaming at him to move, he jumped sideways as a bullet tore through where his head had been less than a second ago, hitting his shoulder with less lethal consequences. The slug knocked him off balance, but flailing like a madman, Evans reached the door, and slipped through it, clutching his shoulder. He took his hand away, and it was covered in blood. His lab coat, stained with red, was useless as a disguise now, he thought, discarding it on the concrete. Reaching his car a few seconds later, Evans fumbled with the lock, half expecting to see a Magum shell to hit him at any time. Finally getting it open, he calmly and slowly drove it to the barrier, and the security guard unthinkingly raised it with another smile. It was only when Evans was long gone, that the thought that the polite and sedate driver might be a spy came, but Evans was too far away to do anything about. Driving with one hand, Evans pulled out the treasure that had made all this worthwhile with his other, bloodstained, hand, and flicked the data case open. Inside, there was a shattered data disc, and a glinting Magnum slug. Written by Repulser (Howitzer Joe)