Holstering her stunner, she jumped toward him, slamming her left fist into the side of his neck. The effort hurt her hand, but it had the desired effect. He gagged and started coughing.
“Next time, it’s a bullet,” she growled. “Now get down on the ground so I can cuff you.”
With a glare, Grogovit complied. “I can pay you,” he said. “Anything you want. More than you’ll make in ten years.”
She finished the cuffs and sneered into his face. “What I want is you out of business. Just shut up.”
Reese took his iTeev and made him give her access. No surprise that his device worked. Apparently trust of his employees didn’t go as far as allowing Teev connections on the premises without a special code. She immediately called division for backup. That completed, her mind was free to worry about Bay. Something terrible must have happened to him.
But even as the thought came to her mind, he burst through the double doors leading into the factory floor. His hair was disheveled and he was breathing hard.
“Reese,” he called, sprinting toward her.
Relief seeped through her, but she masked it by giving a warning kick to the bodyguard who was already stirring on the floor. “Stay still or I’ll put the bullet in your heart this time.”
She gave Bay a once-over as he reached her. Besides a cut on his forehead, he didn’t look too bad. “It took you long enough,” she growled. Gesturing to the kneeling Grogovit, she added, “You missed all the fun.”
“Oh, I found plenty.” He leaned over and cuffed the sprawled bodyguard. “Ran into two like these. Plus, all the employees started leaving. I was only able to detain nine of them. I had to blast them with a temper and lock them in the employee lounge.”
Reese groaned. “Don’t tell me you welded the door shut.” He’d done that once as a rookie and had talked about it ever since.
“Hey, why not? It’s a tried and proven method. At least we know they’re not going anywhere. We got witnesses. That should make you happy.”
He was right. She wanted as many witnesses as possible, though there should be enough drugs in the room to send Grogovit to a colony—or worse.
“You don’t have anything on me,” Grogovit said into the lull of conversation, his sneer changing his face into a hideous mask. “I own this building, but I have no idea what they’re doing here.”
Reese laughed. “I have a recording that says differently.”
He paled. “You can’t do that.”
“Oh, yes, I can,” she said without expression. “This is the CORE. Not some weak pre-Breakdown society. We won’t allow you to tear down what we’ve built.”
Grogovit hadn’t been born in the colonies. He couldn’t possibly imagine how good it was out here compared to inside, and even if she was sometimes uncertain about the CORE’s methods, the Elite had created peace after the horrible chaos of Breakdown. They had protected the weak and the sick, and even the lazy. All Grogovit and his ilk did was bite the hand that fed them.
Two more enforcers appeared at the far end of the room. “Looks like our backup’s here,” she said.
Bay reached down and hauled Grogovit to his feet. “I’m going to enjoy this,” he said. “Every last bit.”
“You can say that again,” Reese returned with a grin.
And he did.
Chapter 6
TWO DAYS LATER, on Thursday, the Controller’s office convened a hearing under the direction of the Director, leader of the CORE. The Controller’s office was over all enforcers and was responsible for making sure people kept the law, but only the Director’s office could pronounce final sentence on the most severe cases. With Kordell Corp being as powerful as it was, Reese knew from the beginning that the Director’s office would be involved in Grogovit’s sentencing.
The Director wouldn’t be conducting the proceedings herself, of course, but her Magistrate Assistant would be present as her representative and would pass sentencing. Reese and Bay were called to be in attendance, though they weren’t needed as witnesses since Reese’s suit camera and the evidence at the scene was deemed to be more than enough for the Magistrate to make her decision.
The cavernous, circular hearing room located in New York’s main administration building smelled of antiseptic, as though someone had scrubbed the burgundy walls, the shiny black tile floors, and the circle of ebony columns ringing the room in preparation for a medical operation. In front of the Magistrate’s raised dais, upon which perched an impressive wooden desk, sat a U-shaped row of a dozen chairs. Only half of them were occupied. Grogovit and his advocate—not the same advocate who had come to speak for Cruz—were on the right edge of the chairs, close to the Magistrate’s left side. Next to them were two uniformed enforcers Reese didn’t know, an unfamiliar man dressed in a green medical jacket, and a tech guy named Zeka from her division.
The room was lit only in the middle by several large spotlights, and though proceedings were by invitation only, Reese felt an uncanny sensation of being observed from the shadows at the edges of the room, perhaps by someone peering from behind the columns.
Grogovit stared at them as they passed him, his sneer apparent on his fleshy mouth, but Reese ignored his stare and headed for the chairs on the opposite side of the U.
They were barely seated when a disembodied female voice called out in a measured, slightly mechanical tone, “All rise for the Magistrate.”
They came to their feet and watched as a black-robed figure appeared out of nowhere and strode onto the dais. It was only then Reese understood that the dais and the desk and the Magistrate herself were being projected via holoscreen. The Magistrate settled in the tall-backed chair behind the desk, looking every bit as real to Reese as Grogovit.
“Please be seated,” announced the disembodied voice. “The proceedings are now in progress.”
“Is it just me,” Bay whispered to Reese as they settled in their seats, “or does Grogovit look a little too cocky?”
An unidentifiable fear prickled through Reese’s body. “Maybe.”
“And his advocate too. He looks like a rooster with that wave of hair slicked back on his head. I wonder if he filed the appropriate forms to dye it that bright red. I’ve half a mind to check so we can arrest him.”
“Shh,” she said. “The Magistrate’s looking this way.”
Or she appeared to be. It was difficult to tell the exact direction of her gaze under the black mask that protected her identity. No one knew her real name except the Director and the three heads of CORE government, and possibly a handful of chosen Elite. It was a system designed to carry out justice swiftly while still allowing the Magistrate to pursue a personal life. For all Reese knew, maybe she wasn’t even female. Her collar-length hair was slicked to her head in a non-identifying manner, and she appeared tall enough to be either sex under the heavy-looking robes.
How did Grogovit feel not being permitted to see the face of his judge and jury? Reese studied him for any sign of reaction and had to admit he didn’t seem worried.
Once they were seated, a full minute passed and no one moved. Then, as if by some unseen signal, the Magistrate began talking, her voice husky and casual, but full of power.
“Tadum Grogovit, you are accused of manufacturing juke and distributing to the detriment of the CORE. What do you have to say in your defense?”
The advocate arose and started to speak, but the Magistrate waved him to silence. “I asked Mr. Grogovit.”
Grogovit came to his feet, bowing slightly before speaking. “I own the building in question, Magistrate,” he said, his voice placating and softly pleading, a tone Reese was sure he’d practiced for the past two days. “Or rather, I’m part owner since the building belongs to Kordell Corp. We have multiple holdings and are responsible for nearly all of the readymeal packaging in the CORE.”
“I am aware of your company’s reputation,” the Magistrate said without intonation. “I want to know why you were manufacturing juke on the premises.”
> Grogovit gulped audibly, and when he continued, his voice had lost some of its confidence. “After I heard that an employee of mine had confessed to running juke, I was in the process of doing an onsite inspection of all our buildings to make sure our business wasn’t compromised in any way. I was as surprised as anyone with what I found.”
There was a momentary lull, in which the advocate said, “May I speak?”
The Magistrate shifted her head slightly and nodded.
The advocate bowed, and the red wave on his head tilted dangerously. “The manager of the building has confessed to setting up the drug operation. And every employee we’ve talked to so far has denied that Mr. Grogovit had knowledge that his building was being used for such a despicable venture.”
Shock reverberated through Reese, and she exchanged an uneasy glance with Bay. Grogovit had assured them he’d get off, but could he really convince so many people to lie for him? Surely under questioning, they would break. A shot or two with the mood-altering temper laser would make them pliable, and there were stronger drugs to get to the truth, if authorized.
“I understand the manager committed suicide last night,” the Magistrate said.
“That’s right.” The advocate lowered his eyes as if saddened by the loss.
Reese felt a growing sense of disbelief. The manager was dead?
“What a coincidence,” Bay whispered grimly.
The Magistrate looked down at the desk in front of her for a moment, studying something not visible to her audience. “I was also informed that all of the nine detained employees and three guards have come down with a fever that renders them incapable of coherent speech.”
The advocate nodded firmly. “We believe it was due to a bad batch of their drugs, which is poetic justice, if you care to look at it that way. Most of them should survive, in time.”
“I see. That will be all. You and your client may sit.” The Magistrate gazed in the general direction of the green-robed man. “Doctor, I assume you have the employees under your care?”
The man arose, nodding vigorously. “I do. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before, though. I’m not sure any of them will make it, but I’ll know more about their prognosis within the next few days.”
“Thank you.”
The doctor nodded and settled again in his seat.
Reese wanted to leap up and protest. Could the Magistrate see what was going on here, or was she completely taken by Grogovit’s lies?
For a time, a tense silence filled the room, and then the Magistrate said, “I also understand there is a visual and sound recording of the arrest,” she said finally. “I would like to see that now.”
The tech guy arose. “I’m Hap Zeka, representing the New York Enforcer Division. I had planned to show that here,” he said, casting an apologetic glance in Reese’s direction, “but I learned just before this meeting that the feed has been compromised.”
The Magistrate’s back stiffened. “How?” The single frigid word seemed to reach inside Reese’s brain with the force of a command.
Hap’s shoulders lifted in a shrug. “At this point we’re not sure. It was fine when I first got it and then when I tried to cue it up today, the sound was gone and the images were distorted. My whole team can testify that no one messed with it. We simply don’t know what happened.”
“But you saw what was on the file?”
Hap shook his head. “Only part of it. The beginning.”
“Will you be able to recover the recording?”
“Perhaps. We’re working on that now.”
“How long do you need?”
“A day. Maybe two.”
“Very well. I will expect to see it on Saturday morning, so let’s get it done.” She paused a heartbeat before adding to the still-standing Zeka. “You may sit.”
Now the Magistrate’s face shifted in Reese’s direction, the dark eyes glittering briefly through the holes in the mask as they caught the light in the room where the Magistrate’s body actually sat. “Detective Reese Parker?”
Reese stood. “I’m Detective Parker.” She could feel Bay beside her, and despite the intense focus of the Magistrate, she glanced at him, grateful for his support.
“I understand you were an eye witness?” the Magistrate asked.
“Magistrate,” the advocate protested, jumping to his feet, “this is highly unusual. Historically, only proper enforcer surveillance is admitted in these types of proceedings.” By type, he had to mean when medical enhancement was likely to be the result of a guilty verdict. Reese wondered if that meant Grogovit wasn’t as confident as he looked.
The Magistrate, her mask barely tilting in his direction, waved a hand, as if flicking away his comment. “Nevertheless, I will hear what the detective has to say.”
“But we were not aware that Detective Parker would be a witness. We are not prepared with her background information, and under CORE law, we are permitted to request a delay.”
This time the Magistrate looked at him for a full three seconds without response. Finally, she spoke. “Very well, but I do want to determine if she will be able to testify in these proceedings.” Not waiting until he was fully seated, her head swiveled back to Reese. “Did you witness the events personally? Please tell me briefly how you came to be at the location.”
“I witnessed everything my suit camera did,” Reese told her. “As to how we got there, we went to Mr. Grogovit’s office and the information there led us to the factory where we arrested him. I must add that it might be significant the Teev feed has no record of Mr. Grogovit leaving his office or arriving at the factory.”
The Magistrate asked, “Are you suggesting that he was masking his CivID?”
Reese wanted to agree, but next to her Bay cleared his throat softly in a way that she knew meant she should think about that carefully before she spoke. He was right. She might believe Grogovit was purposefully avoiding being tracked, which was clearly against CORE law, but she didn’t want to be seen as having a vendetta against him.
“I only know that for nearly half the day the Teev cameras could not track him as it did the other employees.”
The Magistrate nodded. “Very well. I will take that into account. I want you prepared to testify on Saturday morning. I know it isn’t usual procedure, but I’m not entirely confident they will recover your recording. I believe your testimony will be useful.”
Reese sat down, not missing the furious stare the advocate shot at her.
The Magistrate again looked down before saying, “Detective Danvers?”
Bay hefted himself to his feet. “That’s me.”
“You were also at the factory. Will you be able to testify to a conversation between Mr. Grogovit and his employees?”
“No. We were separated at the factory. But we did arrest Grogovit there, and I did hear him tell us he’d get free.”
Grogovit’s advocate popped to his feet once again. “Because he’s not guilty! Magistrate, it’s clear these detectives are prejudiced against my client. I request that—”
“Sit down, advocate,” the Magistrate ordered. “Do not make me ask you again.”
Grogovit’s advocate shut up and sank to his seat. Silence stretched out in the huge room, and Reese felt an urge to fiddle in her seat like the tech guy and his three companions. But she kept herself still. Waiting.
At last, the Magistrate spoke. “We will reconvene again on Saturday morning. I don’t need to tell any of you that it’s a weekend, and I’m sure we all have better things to do. I want all the evidence and witnesses present. In the meantime, Mr. Grogovit will remain in custody. You are dismissed.”
“No!” Grogovit shouted, but his protest rang out on empty ears as the holoscreen depicting the Magistrate, her desk, and the dais vanished, leaving only empty space on the shiny black tile.
The enforcers stepped forward and seized Grogovit, whose head twisted as he craned to see his advocate. “You said you took care of it. You’d better fix this!”<
br />
“I did everything I could, sir,” the advocate protested.
“Not yet, you haven’t,” snarled Grogovit. “I’m still here, aren’t I?”
“Come on,” said one of the enforcers, pushing him a little. “Let’s go.”
“Fine.” Grogovit shook off his hand. “I’ll go. Don’t touch me.”
The advocate stared after Grogovit and the enforcers in open-mouthed shock as they marched toward the exit.
“That was unexpected,” Bay muttered. “I wonder how he got to your recording.”
“I don’t know,” Reese replied grimly. “At least we got him off the streets for two more days.”
Bay grinned. “You mean you did. Good job, partner. Maybe some of that glow around you will rub off and I can retire early. Letisha would like that with the baby coming.”
“Not a chance in Breakdown of that. We’ll both be working until your kid has a kid of his own. Unless you have a rich Elite relative in your family history that I don’t know about.”
He chuckled. “Well, you never know.”
They started to walk past the advocate, who seemed to have fallen into some kind of trance. Bay hesitated near the man, looking as if he might say something. The advocate jerked his head to meet their gaze, his eyes haunted. “I’m a dead man. You know that, don’t you?”
“Do you feel you need protection?” Reese asked him.
His stare dropped to the shiny floor that reflected the circles of light from above. “Doesn’t matter what you do. I’m dead. You are too. We all are.”
Reese stared at him. “Is that a threat?”
Bay tugged at her. “Don’t mind him. Come Saturday, it’ll be over one way or the other. And with all the mysteriously disappearing evidence, I think I know which way the Magistrate will rule, especially given your record. There’s nothing more anyone can do for now.” His words were matter-of-fact, but his expression was spooked.
As her partner pulled her toward the door, Reese felt the advocate’s gaze digging into her all the way across the room. Weapons weren’t allowed inside the chamber, so she carried only her knife inside a hidden pocket on the side of her right leg, just above her knee. Her hand went to it now. She’d bagged the biggest arrest of her life, a bigger case than most detectives landed in a lifetime. She had to believe that Zeka would repair her recording and that Grogovit would be taken care of permanently. After his enhancement, with a tiny, exact portion of his brain removed to adjust his attitude, he’d have no more will to betray his people in the CORE for personal benefit. He wouldn’t hurt anyone again.
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