Sharksinger

by Jay Aspen

  Saroyan is still stuffing her long fine braids under the security-guard cap as Alis steers her out of the door.

  The room feels suddenly quiet. There’s a strange restlessness running through my tiredness now, more than the usual dislocation of too-fast travel. Trying to get some sleep isn’t going to work.

  I notice Alis has left her quantum on the table. The experienced Qat agent must have guessed, or feared, we would run into trouble in Rhangaran. I wonder how much of the morning’s grumpiness is a cover for too many hours of worrying rather than objections to Severin’s parking technique.

  Severin doesn’t even get as far as his room, simply falling asleep sprawled face-down on the hover-couch, not waking or stirring when I pull off his boots. It seems unlikely that anything will wake him for some time so I take the opportunity to apply the quantum to his injuries of the last few days.

  I brush aside the strands of sunbleached hair falling across his forehead and carefully guide the quantum over the cuts beneath. He seems relaxed now, freed from the tension of his first deadly battle in which he lost a comrade in arms. I have a feeling it won’t be his last. Not with a mentor like Alis who will always be the first to know if any kind of emergency is brewing.

  And an adventurous temperament that urges him to leap into the thick of whatever battle is coming his way.

  My hand runs softly down the muscles of his bare arm, wondering if either of us will ever get to explore the other’s body without one of us being damaged or both of us dodging bullets. It doesn’t seem like there’ll be much chance in the next few days.

  It’s three hours before Saroyan reappears. She looks tired and despondent as she pulls off the uniform and tosses it aside as if trying to shed the memory of what has just passed along with the clothes. The mind-touch we shared in Rhangaran has faded now, except for the sense of fear and dread I’m picking up from her.

  ‘Saroyan? You all right?’

  The young Webdancer tries to straighten her back and get her emotions under control.

  ‘I love most of my work as Webdancer and truthseer, but not this. Interrogations are soul-destroying. You’ve experienced how exhausting it is, how two people have to really concentrate to make a mind-connection and even then only a few can exchange any kind of detail. What you and I did was rare. Your innate aptitude was enhanced by the residual ayan in your system. But eavesdropping on someone who is trying to keep secrets...’

  She turns away and I suddenly guess how it would be done.

  ‘I noticed I could pick up on someone’s thoughts if they were upset, not in control.’

  ‘That’s what I mean.’ Saroyan’s shoulders slump. ‘Alis is the most experienced interrogator I’ve ever seen in action. She doesn’t need to do anything physical but she really knows exactly what to say to strike terror into her subject.’

  ‘And you pick up the terror along with the names or images you’re searching for in someone’s mind?’

  Saroyan nods. ‘Yes. Of course. It’s marginally less awful than the way they do it on Rhangaran. Our interpretation of the law isn’t quite as civilized as the way things are done here in the capital.’

  Her words leave the difference between written law and the method of enforcing it hanging in the air between us. I’m starting to understand why she seemed in such a bad way when she boarded the recon back on the island.

  ‘What did Aluna do to the Rhangarian traitors, Saroyan?’

  And did you have to feel their pain while you searched for their answers?

  ‘I expect they’re shark food by now.’ She makes an effort to look me in the eye. ‘Now I’ve seen Alis in action without... causing damage, the way we do it feels wrong. But I have no say in the way things happen back home.’

  ‘One day, maybe?’

  Saroyan shrugs despondently. ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Do you have to go through the archives and match faces now? It’s what I had to do after scanning Deron.’

  ‘Already done it. At the start Alis gave the Commissioner a few moments to watch me standing by the door holding that enormous gun and trying to look ferocious before she blindfolded him so I could match faces in the archives on my holo-vis as we went along.’ She hesitates. ‘There’s something particularly terrifying about being blindfolded. It wasn’t easy trying to concentrate through it.’

  Alis walks in, glances briefly at the unconscious Severin on the couch and then turns to Saroyan.

  ‘I hope you’re right about that list being all of the high-ranking conspirators because I’ve passed it to the president and the head of the military. If there’s no one you’ve missed, we should have all of them behind bars within the hour.’

  ‘And if I’ve missed one person in the military, they’ll be forewarned and escape again?’ Saroyan is looking less confident by the minute.

  Alis is concentrating on messages coming in via her headset that we can’t hear.

  ‘Hm. Things aren’t going quite as smoothly as I’d hoped. I thought you might just remember someone... because they didn’t find Talaya and her parents at their house, so...’

  Saroyan slumps into a hover seat, hands over her eyes, trying to concentrate. I stare at Alis in shock.

  ‘But we’ve already captured Talaya! Ressay flew her back––’

  Alis’ response is sharp with exasperation, probably another effort to disguise her feelings over the loss of an old friend.

  ‘Ressay’s dead. His shuttle was following me back from Kar until we reached the city limits, and then it suddenly veered off and landed in one of the fields just outside. By the time I got there he and the prisoners were on the floor with bullet holes in them and Talaya had disappeared. That is why I’m still worried about a contact we may have missed. The flight recorder had been scrambled so I learned nothing there.’

  ‘You mean Talaya might have tricked Ressay into taking new orders from someone...’ I hurriedly unroll my holo-vis, wondering if there is something in the latest dark-news that might give me a clue.

  ‘The weird thing about dark-news is that once you know what its purpose is, you can sometimes use it to figure out what its authors are really getting up to...’

  I break off, staring at the screen. ‘Chaos! This is real news from yesterday. Ravan’s emporium was totally vandalized! Is he all right?’ I scroll frantically, sifting through layers of useless hype in my search for a few facts.

  Alis looks over my shoulder. ‘I’m afraid I’ve been focused on other things over the last couple of days, but I think I’d have noticed reports of a murder.’

  I’m trying to read and think at the same time and my restless tiredness isn’t helping.

  ‘I told Vander to take Ravan somewhere out of sight for a few days. Maybe the shop was trashed in retaliation for Vander not telling them what they wanted to know. Or not giving them their guns and drugs back. And not making himself available for another round of their version of interrogation...’

  Alis gives a snort of disgust. ‘What did they expect after what they did to him! How does this tell us where to look for Talaya?’

  ‘Wait, I think I’m getting there... Talaya knows we’re after her and if her parents were the ones fleeing the battle in Rhangaran, they’ll know as well. They won’t go home. If they got a message from their street-thug associates who found Vander’s apartment empty, maybe they figured it would be a safer place than their own?’

  ‘Right, I’ll send someone.’ Alis keys her headset to transmit. ‘Can you detail...’ She listens for a moment. ‘Hells! I guessed it was starting to run into trouble. Fight at the restricted weapons lab. If they don’t get that under control we may have a more heavily armed opposition to deal with. It’s down to us to get the wasp to Vander’s apartment, see if that’s where Talaya is.’

  She gives Severin a merciless prod in the ribs. ‘Which means getting your confounded recon out of the way!’

  Severin rolls off the hover couch and lands on the floor with a thud.

  ‘Uh, yeah�
��–what did you say?’

  ‘Up.’ Alis thrusts the key to the recon into his hand. ‘Get that thing out of my way so I can take the wasp over to Vander’s place.’

  By the time Severin is on his feet Alis has already disappeared out of the door. I follow Severin and Saroyan up the stairs and into the garage.

  ‘Severin? We don’t know how many of them might be there. Alis won’t be able to contain them on her own, never mind how tough and experienced she is.’

  He opens the shuttle door as far as it will go against the wall. ‘Get in. We’ll follow her.’

  He pushes us both inside as Alis yells across from her perch in the wasp.

  ‘And don’t scrape it on the way out!’

  Severin gives her a wave that might mean, ‘Heard and understood.’ On the other hand it might mean something else rather less polite.

  Three hours’ sleep could be what makes the difference but whatever it is, he eases the recon back outside, in reverse, with the rest of the camo-paint intact.

  A few minutes later we drop onto the Oceanside road at the back of Vander’s apartment tower just as the sun comes over the sea-horizon and bounces red flecks across the waves.

  Severin keys his headset to transmit. ‘Alis, stick the wasp on the wall round the other side above the front entrance and watch for movement. We’ll go in and look around.’

  ‘Since when do you give the orders around here?’

  ‘Common sense. Recons won’t stick to walls and anyhow, I’m not letting you go in there alone.’

  There’s a stunned silence for a moment before Alis can speak.

  ‘Fine. Good thinking. You’re learning fast.’

  It’s Severin’s turn to look surprised. He brushes it aside and motions Saroyan and I out of the recon.

  ‘Saroyan, will you stay here and watch for anyone on your mind-list of suspects while Alis is round the other side watching the street entrance?’ He hands her an alarm transmitter like the one he’d given me.

  Saroyan nods silently and leans casually against the sea wall like a tourist admiring the view.

  I lead the way round to the front, fishing in my pockets and trying to remember where I put Vander’s spare key. At the street entrance I glance up briefly to reassure myself the wasp is in position, a slight swelling on the iridescent white wall.

  I shove the door open and decide not to argue when Severin pushes me protectively behind him before heading cautiously up the stairs. He holds the dart gun steady in both hands as he approaches the apartment door.

  ‘Stand to the side as you open it,’ he whispers as I reach for the lock.

  19

  Severin steps through the door into Vander’s apartment. A faint smell greets us, peach brandy and old blood still congealed on the kitchen floor. The place seems empty. I watch as Severin cautiously approaches the bedroom door, wondering why every sense is screaming alert––

  There’s a tiny movement above the entrance door and I look up to see one of the five-tiles of security camera screen come alive as a woman and child cross the foyer and walk out into the street. I hadn’t noticed the screen before. Vander must have turned it off so as not to disturb our cozy evening here... and his unpleasant interrogators must have turned it off after they’d finished with him and left the place.

  So who turned it back on?

  They saw us coming and they’re waiting for us!

  ‘Severin don’t––’

  My words are drowned by the gunshot, too loud in the confined space. Severin is thrown forward into the abali-coated wall before crumpling to the floor. I turn to see Deron, bullet gun gripped in both hands and a confident smirk on his face. He’s standing behind the hover-couch where he must have been hiding when we came in. He steps forward, aiming at my head as I run towards Severin.

  ‘Hannik, leave him! There’s nothing you can do anyway.’

  ‘You just shot him in the back, you miserable coward! At least let me call the medic-team!’

  ‘I might let you if you behave meanwhile. Otherwise it might just be your arm. Or head––’

  He breaks off as Talaya steps out of the bedroom, gun in hand, every eyelash and layer of makeup in place.

  ‘Thanks, Deron. You’re such a precious darling. But don’t damage her, that’s my job. Or pleasure. I’m guessing they’ve got a recon or wasp parked outside. Just what I need. Let me know when you’ve got it ready for me.’ She gives him an adoring smile that disappears the instant Deron turns his back to leave.

  I watch Talaya closely, my recollections of her movements and habits from our previous fight running through my mind. All I need is an instant of distraction. As soon as the gun moves away from my head I can throw myself at Talaya, grab the gun and...

  I’d found it easy to work out aim and safety release on the gun I’d examined in Kar, but would I be able to put a bullet in another person? My eyes stray to Severin’s non-lethal dart gun, half-visible under his inert body. Blood is trickling from his mouth and pooling on the floor. My stomach lurches with fear for him. I have to get this right. Soon...

  My focus is disappearing and reappearing with a rapidity that is totally confusing. Somehow I’d known deep down there would come a time when it wouldn’t realign itself––but why does it have to happen now when the stakes are so high?

  Talaya watches me, a cold smile of victory on her perfect red lips.

  ‘Time for a few layers of payback, don’t you think?’

  ‘If I help you escape, will you let me get help for Severin?’

  Talaya’s laugh is as cold as her smile. ‘Didn’t take much to make you change sides did it? But don’t worry, you are going to help me escape, whether you agree or not. I expect I’ll need a hostage to get me out of here.’

  ‘You really think Deron will fetch your transport?’ I notice the tiny flicker of uncertainty on Talaya’s face before it’s instantly replaced by her confident mask.

  ‘I have a backup plan. Which I think I might actually prefer. Like I said, time for some payback after you went and wrecked both our transactions in Karesh.’ She glances at the security screens above the door. No activity. She shifts the gun to her left hand and pulls out her holo-com with the other. She keys in and speaks quietly.

  ‘How long before you get here? Fine. It looks clear in the street outside but stay out of sight. Use the café opposite.’ She slips the com back in her pocket as she uses her gun to motion me towards the door. ‘Time to go.’

  Even as I walk down the stairs I’m painfully aware that I’ve just had two chances to take Talaya down and my confused senses missed both of them.

  ‘Cross the street to the café.’ Talaya gives my neck a vicious prod just above the protective body-shield. ‘Yes. I think this is going to be very satisfying.’

  We cross the narrow street and my last hope is that Alis will be able to get a dart into Talaya if I can just deflect the gun from my neck for an instant...

  Then we step under the sun-awning at the front of the little café and the hope vanishes.

  There are no customers out here at this hour.

  Except one.

  Vander stands, pushing his chair back out of the way with one hand. The other is still encased in the thick black glove of the surgeon-clamp. His smile fades as he notices the tension between Talaya and I, even though I can sense how cleverly Talaya is keeping the gun behind my neck and out of his line of sight.

  ‘Hey, Tala. Good to see you again. I came as fast as I could but what kind of help did you mean? There’s no need for a cat-fight with Hannik. I only ever wanted you.’

  She ignores the last part. ‘Did you bring transport? Looks like your miserable little brother failed on that count.’

  Vander’s expression shifts rapidly from irritation at the mention of Deron to satisfaction that his brother has apparently lost all credibility.

  ‘Yeah, I brought it. Recon. It’s parked port side. Only a few blocks away.’

  ‘Stupid! I said get it close! To
o much risk to walk that distance.’ Talaya glances round and I get a partial sense of the energy vortex of her move-intent but once again I’m unable to make use of it.

  Vander is back to his usual charming efforts to please, keying his holo-com as if he’d planned this all along.

  ‘Vander here. Hop it over to the Porpoise Café. Instant pickup, no problems.’

  ‘No! Vander, she’ll kill the pilot as soon as she’s out of here!’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Tala wouldn’t hurt anyone––’

  I manage to stumble a little to one side as my outburst earns me another vicious jab in the neck and Vander sees the gun for the first time.

  ‘Tala? What... Look, whoever’s after you, I’ll stop them. I’m sure Hannik can’t be helping them––’

  ‘Shut up, Vander.’

  The hired recon is settling onto the street now and Talaya starts backing towards it, dragging me after her.

  ‘Tala! Why do you need Hannik? I can come with you...’ Vander’s confusion now has an edge of anxiety in it as he frantically tries to work out what is happening.

  Talaya hardly glances at him, her concentration fixed on reaching her escape transport.

  ‘No thanks. She’s far more useful for what I need than you are. You can hold them off till we’re away.’

  She takes a shot at a flash of movement by the street corner and a dark figure jumps back out of sight. The heat of the gun barrel is back at my neck before my muddled senses can act. We are at the recon now and Talaya half-turns to the pilot.

  ‘Don’t even think about disappearing before I’m inside, or she dies.’

  I can feel my captor’s awkward movements as she tries to get into the shuttle without losing her grip on my arm. Suddenly I have the overwhelming certainty that the instant Talaya has the pilot instead of me as hostage there will be a bullet in my neck. Just a few seconds of clear thinking is all I need...

  Vander runs towards us. Maybe he just figured out the same thing.

  ‘Tala don’t! You’re feeling scared that’s all. If you kill someone, that’s the end of any future we might have together.’ He reaches out and grabs her arm, clamping it tight in his good hand, holding her back. ‘I’ll say the smuggling was all my idea and then when I get out of jail we can––’