Drop Zone

by Amanda Carlson

  “Yes, they do.” Mina chuckled. “That’s exactly what I told him. He said he was prepared to take the risk. He was going to rile Waterbury up so that the thing latched on to the faster heartbeat. Or something like that. It was delusional. Thinking you can walk away from something like that is not in the realm of reality. Norm tried to get Wilbert put in a box for a long time. He finally succeeded. But Norm knew once Waterbury was sprung, he wasn’t going to let up until Norm was dead. Norm also knew that when they finally met up, under whatever circumstances, Waterbury would search him, so he had to be extra careful. A weapon wouldn’t work. So he was willing to go to those lengths to take the Syndicate fixer all the way out.”

  “Man, what a terrible way to go. Did you tell Webb that we’re going to secure Waterbury’s arrest? Does he know the plan to take the satellite out?”

  “No. Lee and I hadn’t gotten that far when we spoke with him earlier. I told Norm the plan would take a while to figure out. I asked him to be patient.”

  “I’m not sure that old spider knows the meaning of that word.”

  “It appears that way. If he’s not at the residence, he’s either staking out Waterbury, getting an implant, or consulting with somebody who can do the job for him. That’s my guess anyway.”

  None of it was good.

  Certainly not for Norm and definitely not for his relationship with Mina moving forward. Norm was shredding things faster than Mina could sew them back together.

  The proper, articulate voice came back over the drone’s aural system. “You are approved to land at the hub. A representative will meet you there. Be timely. The offer expires in three minutes.”

  She clicked off before Mina could respond.

  “I guess we’re about to see what this building is really all about,” Kaylee said. “I kind of wish we’d weaponed up. That woman sounds a little ominous. Like she loves reading, but she could toss a dagger into an eye socket at a hundred yards if she wanted to.”

  “That was a visual I didn’t need. Thanks. But I am thinking the same thing,” Mina said. “We just have to act like we have a few hidden lasers on us.”

  “Shouldn’t be too hard. My swagger is ice.”

  “It is. You go first.”

  Chapter 11

  They walked into the hub, Kaylee’s swagger out in front. It was more than ice, it was an arctic blast with a side of hot lava.

  No one was waiting for them.

  The only individuals occupying the space were a single bot situated inside a box of plexan and an older gentleman reading something off a handheld. He appeared to be waiting for a ride.

  Kaylee leaned in. “What are we supposed to do? Keep walking?”

  “Let’s head to the tubes.” Mina gestured to the right. “Maybe Bristol swabbed us in and just had to make a show of saying somebody would meet us.”

  The hub was modest, decorated very plainly with lots of whites and creams. Very nondescript, perfect for the clientele they thought might be occupying the units here.

  The tubes were ten meters away, four to a side.

  They were halfway there when a seamless door inset into a wall slicked open, and a man stepped out.

  Mina came to a stop, gasping. “Gerald?” Maybe her eyes were deceiving her, and she wasn’t really seeing an old manager from the Cullen op.

  “Monica? What are you doing here?” Mina’s telework manager settled his hands on his hips, his familiar platypus-heeled shoes beginning their double tap on the floor. “But that’s not really your name, is it? You deceived us all! I lost my job because of you.” He swirled an index finger at her. “The whole place shut down after your little event. Everyone was let go. You ruined people’s lives. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  The little event he was referring to was when Mina and Lee had brought down Rick the Rat, who had been embezzling funds from customers on Cullen’s orders for over a year and a half.

  “No shame here. Honestly, Ger, it’s a miracle you’re not boxed up right now, so maybe you should be thanking me for shutting down a highly illegal operation before you—or anyone else on the floor—became fully invested.” There was no doubt Gerald had known, on some level, that illegal activities had been taking place. If someone hung up their coat wrong, he’d talked about it for a week. He’d probably been interested in joining the upper ranks, but they hadn’t extended him an invite. Lucky him. Mina had been hoping she’d never have to set eyes on this irritating human again. He’d been a pain in her backside then and would be now.

  He sputtered for a moment. It was kind of his thing. “I was unaware and completely innocent of any wrongdoings at Cullen Industries. I ground my fingertips to the bare bones for those people every single day. I was horrified to find that things were amiss! How dare you speculate I was ever involved.” His eyes narrowed. If he’d had the ability to produce actual steam, it would be flowing out of his ears at top steam-spewing pressure right now.

  “‘Amiss’ is certainly a creative way to define siphoning trillions of tax dollars out of the hands of the government and into privileged pockets. I skimmed the report the other day. Cullen himself received ten years for that, as did a dozen or so board members. Ricky took the brunt and is now serving fifteen.” Rick the Rat was a young, clueless hacker who had been hired to do the dirty work—which he’d participated in happily and been paid handsomely for. “But it looks like you landed on your feet. Good for you.” She refrained from making a comment about his large, overly square-toed shoes. “You should be thankful they didn’t let you in on it. Instead of a box, you get to work here.” She waved an arm around the modest hub. “I’m assuming you were sent by Ms. Bristol to assist us?” She gestured at Kaylee. “This is Agent Poston. We’re here to find the resident of unit 107. Time is of the essence, so I’d appreciate it if we could get going.”

  Gerald cleared his throat, making a show of straightening his purple-and-green-striped overcoat, which was paired with silky navy tuck pants. It wasn’t quite a suit, but it had that feel. She couldn’t imagine him not dressing up, but she had to admit it suited him.

  “I’m supposed to take you up to that residence and let you inside. But nowhere else.”

  “Got it,” Mina said, gesturing toward the tubes. “Lead the way.”

  He seemed surprised she wasn’t arguing for more. He turned and began to walk, high-stepping in front of them, the soles of his shoes literally unyielding. At the tube, he stuck his finger in for a DNA swipe. The door opened immediately.

  They all stepped inside.

  “Level one hundred,” he commanded.

  Kaylee had remained quiet but shot Mina a knowing look. Mina had discussed the Cullen case with her bestie over the entire insufferable eighteen months she had spent there, one of her longest cases to date. She’d known the culprit was Rick but hadn’t been able to catch him in the act until Lee figured out the code.

  In normal circumstances, when an op went on that long, McAllister had the ability to end it or assign someone else. But the siphons bleeding from Cullen had crept into the trillions. That had demanded a conclusion, so she’d endured.

  Gerald had been one of the things she’d been forced to endure.

  “Do you work directly for Ms. Bristol?” Mina decided to make a little small talk. She was curious to find out how much Gerry knew about his new job.

  “I do,” he replied. “This is a delightful place to work. I’m an assistant concierge, and my job is to make sure all of our guests enjoy their stay.”

  The tube doors slicked open, and they stepped out.

  “Guests?” Kaylee said casually. “So this is kind of like a pay-a-day-type deal? Not permanent residences?”

  Gerald’s eyes widened slightly before he got them under control, bringing both of his palms up to smooth the lapels of his coat. Something he did when he was nervous. Mina knew his tells. “Um. No, we h
ave long-term residents. We just have, you know, a lot of turnover.” His face brightened like he’d found the right explanation. “Yes, turnover. People come and go a lot.”

  They walked toward unit 107.

  “That’s odd,” Mina speculated, using a light tone. “Residential lease agreements require a ton of work between the agency and the bank. The average length of stay once a person secures a residence is four to six years. So how often do tenants here come and go?”

  Gerald snorted. “You can’t finesse me anymore, Monica.” Then he growled, “I mean, Agent Kane. Whatever your name is. I don’t have to answer your questions. I’m enjoying my new job, and I plan to keep it.” He stuck his thumb against the smudger of 107 and leaned in for a retinal. The door clicked, and he turned the lever. Mina knew instantly that Norm was not inside the unit, because that wouldn’t have worked if Norm had set the interior security. “Here we are. Take a look around. Then I’ll escort you back to the hub.”

  Mina walked briskly past him, scanning the living area before heading back to the sleep room. None of Norm’s things were here. He hadn’t brought much, but it was completely empty.

  “I got something,” Kaylee called from the waste room.

  Mina walked in, holding her hand up to Gerald. “You stay here.”

  Gerry huffed, but remained outside the door.

  A set of numbers was written on the mirror in an unknown substance. It wasn’t blood. Mina wasn’t sure what he’d used. It didn’t matter.

  “This is obviously for you to find.” Kaylee indicated the mirror. “Do those numbers mean anything to you?”

  “Not yet.” Mina entered them verbally into her cuff. “Looks like a possible street address with an old mail code.” She pressed the input button on the side. “Analyze numbers, level five search,” she ordered. “Cross-check with numerical addresses paired with old postal codes up to eighty years ago. Display any matches in this city in holo immediately.”

  “Weren’t they called zips or something like that?” Kaylee inquired as they waited. “Why were cities and towns across America parsed into zips? I know they delivered paper mail back then, but you’d think it would be called something like blocks or zones? Zip is weird.”

  Mina didn’t have time to explain it was probably an acronym. Locations popped up on holo, hovering above her wrist. She scanned the list, then reached out and rubbed the mirror clean with the taper of her shirt. “I know where he is. Come on.” She breezed past Gerald. “Thanks for escorting us up and letting us in. We need to get back to the hub quickly.”

  Kaylee knew better than to ask for more information in front of the civilian. She simply followed Mina out into the hallway as they waited for Gerald to lock up and hail the tube.

  “I’m glad you located your friend,” Gerald said graciously. “He’s quite a character.”

  It was Mina’s turn to narrow her gaze. “You met him?” She saw Gerry retreat inward. She resisted the urge to grab him by the lapels. “Don’t lie to me. I’ll know it. I need to know what he said to you. Did you order a transpo ride for him?”

  Gerald began to sputter. Another go-to for him. “I didn’t…I never…”

  Kaylee settled a hand on his shoulder, causing him to refocus his attention on her. “Gerald, I know we don’t have a past together,” she said. “But you seem like a decent enough guy. From what Agent Kane has told me, you were a hard worker who got stiffed by Cullen and his crew. But all that’s behind you now. You’re on the right track, and I wouldn’t want you to mess it up by lying to us. The guy we’re looking for is an ex-marshal. A formal federal agent whose life is in danger. You can be a hero and tell us what you know, or we can secure a warrant and bring you in for questioning. Which I’m certain Ms. Bristol would frown upon. What’s it going to be?”

  The tube arrived, door whooshing open.

  “You can’t do—”

  “We can,” Mina said as they stepped into the tube. “This is exactly what I told your boss ten minutes ago. If you don’t cooperate, we get a warrant that says you have to, or you spend quality time in a box. You witnessed what happened when my partner and I brought Ricky down. Those same rules apply here. We’re on a case, the ex-marshal is part of it, keeping him safe is our top priority. We need to track him down. What you know will help with that. It’s all very easy. Anything you tell us will remain confidential, and it will go a long way toward us not bringing back a passel of agents to snoop into what’s going on in this high-rise. I’m certain your boss will want you to cooperate.”

  Gerald appeared like he was going to hold out, then he expelled an exasperated breath. “Fine. He called for a personal concierge. I went up to meet with him. He told me he needed private transpo, and he was willing to pay top currency. It needed to be stealthy and fast.” He held up his hand as Mina began to comment. “He didn’t tell me where he was going, and I didn’t ask. We don’t do that here. I met him down at the hub when he was ready. He was all smiles, relaxed, ready to go.”

  “How long ago?” Mina asked.

  Ger checked one of his cuffs. He had two. “Twenty-two minutes ago. I asked him if he’d like me to arrange something for the return trip. He told me he would take care of it himself. He cracked some jokes. Talked about the weather. That was the entirety of our conversation.” They stepped off the tube and into the hub. A few paces in, Gerald turned to face them, walking backward. “I cooperated with you, Monica.” He swished his hand. “Whatever. You’ll always be Monica to me. Now you keep your end of the bargain and leave here without asking me any more questions. And try never to come back.”

  “We’re leaving,” Mina said. For now. “But before we go, I’m going to do you a favor.” Gerald’s eyebrows rose. He stopped moving. “I’m giving you my call address. I want you to use it if you ever find yourself in trouble.” Mina surprised herself. She’d never thought she’d feel magnanimous when it came to Gerald the Jerkweed, which was how she’d referred to him in her head for a year and a half. But here she was, feeling magnanimous. “I’m assuming you know some of what’s going on in this place, but not all. When you uncover the rest or find yourself in any real danger regarding any of your guests or your bosses, contact me. I’ll help if I can.”

  “I don’t need your charity—”

  “Take it,” Kaylee urged. “Agent Kane doesn’t offer stuff like this on a regular basis. You cooperated, now she’s matching the favor. Whatever’s going on in this place, you’re likely to encounter…issues. When you find yourself between an asteroid and a meteor, you’ll have somebody to call. I’m pretty sure, at some point, you’ll be grateful to have it.”

  “Fine,” he said, lifting up his cuff. “I’ll take it, but I’m not giving you mine in return.”

  Promise? Mina set her cuff next to his, and a soft beep sounded. “Use it wisely, Ger. I wish you luck.” She gave him a three-finger salute as they headed outside to catch their drone.

  Once the craft doors slicked open, Kaylee muttered, “Everything you told me about that guy was spot-on. Although he became less of an asshelmet once you finessed him. I think there might be a decent guy under all that shellac clomping around in ridiculous square-toed shoes. Who knew?”

  “He definitely made work at Cullen interesting every day. Come to think of it, if I’d tried to finesse him back then, maybe my life at Cullen would’ve been a little easier. But he was too easy to rile. Made every day a little more entertaining than the last watching him overreact to the slightest comment.”

  “Like snatching a treat from a tot. Where are we going, anyway?”

  “Tanks.”

  Chapter 12

  “Norm left a clue for us written on the waste-room mirror,” Mina reported to her director over the drone’s aural system. “A series of numbers that appeared to be a street address along with a five-digit code resembling an old postal designation. I did a search combining those number
s, and one result came back as Tanks. It’s the bar where Norm met with Waterbury. We’re en route.”

  “I wonder if he’s trying to gather more information. It could be that Waterbury has been to Tanks since he’s been released,” McAllister postulated out loud. “Whatever the reason, we need to find Webb immediately. I just got word from the committee that they’re in the process of approving our plan. I contacted Agent Adams and Ms. Biggins, who informed me that they are able to complete the task without any outside involvement. With this news, I am almost certain approval will come down in the next fifteen. I’ve reached out to two magistrates I trust. One has an opening to hear this case in thirty. This is going to come together quickly, and we need Norman Webb to make it happen.”

  “Fully understood,” Mina said. “I will report as soon as we have him. We will deliver him to Government One immediately.” If everything went according to plan, it was a possibility they could have Waterbury in holding in a few hours. Mina didn’t know how long it would take for the stable heart to drop back to Earth, or for Lee and Harmony to work their magic on retrieving the data files, but since it weighed a ton, a two-thousand-kilometer descent should be pretty quick.

  “Have you heard from Colonel Kramer?”

  “No,” she replied. “I’m sure he’ll reply as soon as he can.” She’d made sure of that, as she’d carefully chosen a few words that would indicate to Vince that it was an emergency. It was imperative he knew that the Syndicate had his identity, or would soon have it, linking him to freeing Norm. Lee had specified a four- to six-hour window. It’d already been two and a half.

  “Keep me apprised on that. Good luck tracking Webb down. Hopefully, I’ll see you two back here in less than thirty.” He popped off.

  “Why would Webb go to a bar?” Kaylee asked. “Seems like an odd choice. Maybe McAllister is right, and he’s trying to find more information on Waterbury. But that doesn’t seem exactly right. Waterbury is being monitored. There’s not much to learn at the moment. Other than, you know, his penchant for torturing.”