Suzy Spitfire Kills Everybody

by Joe Canzano

  But that’s not my call to make.

  He checked on his request for surveillance information. There was a recent call from Suzy to her mother’s address, and he should be able to hear a recording of it soon. He shook his head and looked at a smiling photograph of Danielle. I’m sorry, but Suzy’s a problem, he thought. I know you’re rooting for her, honey, but it’s not that simple—and she’s no angel. She was also a small issue compared to the situation with Blurr.

  Now Banks smiled, and he once again touched an icon that replayed a recording. But this one had been made an hour ago.

  “What happened to Suzy’s father, Antonio?”

  “I killed him! He was interfering with my plans. Any more questions, Captain?”

  Banks rarely allowed himself to be impressed with his efforts—but he’d handled this one just right. Yeah, he’d turned toward Blurr just as he’d been leaving, like it was an afterthought—and he’d gotten him to admit to his crime. Antonio Castillo had been a very important member of the Agency, and the people at Central Command would not take kindly to this news about his unsanctioned murder. Blurr had even bragged about it. Pride comes before a fall.

  And of course, Banks had followed the correct procedures to get the approvals necessary to record Blurr—because, yes, some people follow the rules. Now he just had to wait for a few more approvals to make his move. Unfortunately, no one had yet invented a way to make communications work better over vast distances of space. A message could only travel so fast, and it could only go so far before being drowned out by space noise. This meant it had to be routed through a series of drifting communication hubs and distributed onward.

  Hopefully, he’d get the green light before they reached Choccoban.

  He smiled and switched the screen back on. The hell with Blurr. He wanted to hear Danielle’s voice again.

  Chapter 40

  Suzy stood in the darkened cockpit and watched a blurry blip in the distance continue to grow. Now it was a glittering sliver; now it was a prickly mass of bumps and bristles.

  She knew the reality wasn’t so dramatic. The city-state of Choccoban was a 95 kilometer-wide conglomeration of domes, landing fields, and connecting arteries—a filthy maze of technology located less than a stone’s toss from the planet Jupiter. The city did not orbit Jupiter, but it moved in conjunction with that monster world, never drifting too far from its epic shadow.

  The shadows were a fitting place for Choccoban to be. Of all the great city-states, it was the most lawless. Of course, this didn’t bother Suzy. In many ways, it was also the most welcoming.

  She knew the city had been founded over 100 years ago by a group of enterprising pioneers looking to create a commerce-friendly outpost with limited laws and regulations. So they’d built a giant truck stop for pirates. The idea was a success, and as time went by their starry speculation turned into a sprawling metropolis complete with hydroponic farmland, fusion generators, recycling plants, and all the other things necessary to sustain a self-sufficient city-state. These things included places to eat, drink, and then drink some more. It was an easy place to find a party.

  A person could buy or sell almost anything on Choccoban—no questions asked. So it was a great place to unload stolen merchandise. It was also a great place to find the merchandise someone had just stolen, and this led to trouble. Local gangsters ran most of the action, and local law enforcement spent lots of time cleaning up the bodies.

  No warrants from other governments were respected. No treaties were honored, and extradition requests were laughed at. It was a fabulous place for a less-than-upstanding citizen to be found—or to not be found. But this didn’t mean it was completely safe for a fugitive. A guy like Blurr could have connections here, Suzy thought. He might have spies, and this possibility had to be factored into the equation.

  It’s all about the math.

  As Suzy watched the approaching city, she thought about how far she was from home. Would she ever be able to return? She also thought about Ricardo, and a sweet feeling rippled through her—but it was still mixed with apprehension. And where the hell was he? He was missing the view.

  She hit a button in front of her. “Ricardo, can you hear me? Where are you? You’re missing our approach.”

  The sound of his friendly voice came through the speaker. “I’m coming. You act like we’re on a cruise ship or something.”

  Suzy felt her cheeks getting red. She cursed and shook her head.

  What’s wrong with me? I’m acting like a love-struck teen or something.

  She took a sip of cold water and closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind. It had been a long time since she’d let anyone near that ice pile she called a heart. Then again, who was she kidding? She’d never actually let anyone in—not really. Aiko had suggested she go to a therapist, and she’d actually done it, and it had been the most ridiculous twenty minutes of her life. Why go to therapy when she could drink whiskey and blow things up?

  A flicker of light on one of the consoles caught her eye. For some reason, it stabbed through her head like an alarm. Someone had just sent a transmission.

  She put down her glass of water. Maria was still unconscious in the lounge, so the sender had been Ricardo. She felt her pulse start to rise. Think, Suzy. Don’t be an ass! She took a breath and tried not to let her mind leap into places filled with distrust. Unfortunately, her brain was a neighborhood covered by the smog of suspicion.

  There was no reason to be so wary. Ricardo had friends on Earth and so did Maria. Why shouldn’t he send them a status report? She had to be reasonable. She had to let him know she’d forgiven him for his previous lies—but come to think of it, had she?

  She heard a voice behind her say, “Hey, what did I miss? Is the city still there?”

  She whirled and saw a big grin on his face. In a flash, her hand lashed out and grabbed his shirt.

  “Why were you sending a transmission?”

  “What?”

  “Are you saying you didn’t just send a transmission?”

  He hesitated, looking confused. “I sent a transmission, Suzy. It wasn’t supposed to be a secret. Why don’t you just shoot me?”

  She kept staring into his eyes. Did he seem shocked? No, he seemed sad. Even worse—he seemed disappointed.

  She released her grip on his clothing. There was a sinking feeling in her heart, but she still heard herself say, “Who did you send it to?”

  “I sent it to my Aunt,” he replied. “And I sent it to Pablo. I sent them both the same thing, okay? So it’s not a transmission filled with plans to murder you. I told them Maria was hurt but she’ll be okay. I told them we’re pulling into Choccoban and the view is spectacular. I told them I met a girl I like.”

  He turned away from her and sat down in the pilot’s chair. He coughed and said, “Did you call in our approach yet?”

  She suddenly didn’t feel like speaking. “No,” she said.

  “They’ll need our landing pass. Since we have one, I doubt there’ll be any trouble when they board. Did you sleep okay? I was going to make you breakfast.”

  “Ricardo—"

  “Yeah?”

  She dropped down into the copilot’s chair and rubbed her weary eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry I was so suspicious. I guess it’s just my nature.”

  “I know,” he said with another big grin. “Hey, I can’t blame you. It’s not like I’ve been completely honest. But someday you won’t be suspicious of me, Suzy. Someday you’ll know that I’m pure.”

  “Pure?”

  “Like gold—a glittering nugget that never lets you down. Poetic, right?”

  She rolled her eyes and almost laughed. “Let’s land this bird.”

  She flipped a few switches and tried to control the giddy feeling floating around inside of her. Damn! Just the thought of it made her feel sick—but in a good way.

  They made contact with the spaceport’s control tower and were told to wait for a security check. They wer
e met by a space scooter with two officials on board. The officials boarded the ship and noticed Maria, strapped to the table and recovering from her injuries. They booked her a spot in the downtown hospital.

  They asked for everyone’s names but required no actual identification. This meant that no one had to give a real name. Suzy said her name was “F.U. Blurr.”

  Ricardo laughed. “Suzy, I realize you’re not passive-aggressive—in fact, you’re more like aggressive-aggressive—but don’t use that name.”

  “Why not? He probably knows we’re coming here, right? And if he doesn’t then he’ll never see it.”

  “Yeah, but I still think we should be subtle. Or at least polite.”

  “All right. My name is ‘Mister F.U. Blurr.’ ”

  The guy shrugged and put it down.

  A computer piloted the ship into a docking bay. The docking bays were recesses, punched-out areas that pockmarked a massive flat zone west of the blinking towers and soaring domes that formed the main city skyline. Of course, it cost some cash to dock. Freedom from laws and regulations didn’t make anything less expensive. Everyone had a hand out on Choccoban.

  Unfortunately, Suzy didn’t have any money.

  “Don’t worry,” Ricardo said. “I’ll hit the cash machine. I have a little saved.”

  The armored machine was right outside the docking bay. Ricardo punched in a string of numbers and then used an eye scanner. In a few seconds he had a wad of cash, and he handed half of it to Suzy. She wasn’t comfortable using Ricardo’s money, but she could count her options pretty easily.

  Maria was awake, but she still didn’t feel well. Suzy called a taxi to get her to the hospital.

  Maria didn’t want to go but they insisted. The bullet-shaped taxi was clean and modern, and it shot through a magnetic tunnel that went directly to the hospital. They took the lift up to the main floor of the buzzing complex and waited while a doctor put Maria though an intense examination. Choccoban was known for having excellent medical care. They were especially good at treating wounds from violence.

  The doctors decided Maria’s surgery had been a success but she needed a few touch-ups. She should also stick around for recovery and observation.

  “Don’t worry, Maria,” Ricardo said. “I won’t get killed while you’re in here. I’ll wait until you get out.”

  Maria frowned. “You’ll need to keep him out of trouble, Suzy. That means you’ll also need to keep yourself out of trouble. I know I’m asking a lot.”

  Suzy gave her a hug. “Yeah, you are. But at the very least we’ll try to stay alive. We’ll see you soon.”

  She went outside to take a look around.

  The city’s many lofty domes were all different. Some of them had an artificial sky of blue, complete with a single sun that rose and fell according to the timing on earth. Other domes were transparent bubbles that displayed the real and distant sun like a frosty gold coin, as well as the stars and the planet Jupiter—while still other domes were painted white like the inside of a cavernous warehouse. The hospital and its surrounding area was under a dome like this, and Suzy found herself in a bustling marketplace that heaved and surged like a slippery shopping mall for the medical profession. Drugs, transplant procedures, artificial limbs, and advanced cosmetic alterations—they were all for sale on Choccoban.

  One display caught her eye. It was a flashing pink sign on a silvery storefront, and it advertised organ replacements.

  Ricardo saw it, too. “Hey, let’s check it out.”

  The place was called Better Bio Systems, and it looked more like a jewelry store than a place to buy body parts. They went inside and found a slim woman in a pleated dress standing behind a row of glass display cases. Her face shined beneath the moon-glow lighting, and she wore a name badge that said Su Ling.

  “Do you have the BioSlam 500 heart?” Suzy said.

  “Yes, of course,” Su said. “For half a million earthos we’ll ship it anywhere in the solar system and have it installed.”

  Suzy didn’t have half a million earthos—but she had a pistol, and she could steal a heart as well as the next girl. In fact, even better. Unfortunately, she knew this particular heart could not be activated without a special code, and the code was not known by the people who sold it. It had to be supplied by the manufacturer on the day of the surgery. She wondered if her own heart had a special code that no one could crack.

  She glanced over at Ricardo, and that blood pumping organ in her chest skipped a beat—but not because he looked so sexy in his leather flight jacket. No, the issue was the shady-looking guy outside, walking past the window.

  “Ricardo,” she whispered. “The guy in the black jacket—I think he was in the hospital, too.”

  “I hear you,” Ricardo said without turning his head. “Maybe Blurr does have spies here.”

  “Right. And they want to track us.”

  “Maybe we should lead them to the wrong place.”

  “Yeah. Like a dark alley.”

  “No. He might be part of a team. We need to ditch him—or them.”

  She didn’t like the plan; she preferred to just shoot the guy. But what the hell, Ricardo had been right a few times.

  They went outside, trying to look nonchalant, while Suzy struggled to recall the layout of the city. It was a sprawling octopus of a town, and she’d never spent much time in this particular dome, mainly due to its lack of pubs—but she’d studied the 3D maps back on the Correcaminos Rojo, and she wanted to get to the downtown district.

  They started walking faster, weaving through the crowds, and Suzy started thinking. This city was not a safe place; anyone could be an informer. She felt like a net was closing in. She felt like they were walking between a pair of crushing jaws.

  I’ve got to stay calm.

  She grabbed Ricardo’s arm and pointed to a sign for the train station located on a lower level.

  “Let’s take a ride.”

  They ran down a flight of grungy steps and entered the station just as a train came screaming into sight. It was like a stainless steel rocket roaring out of a black tunnel. It squealed to a stop and they pushed their way into the car that was already crammed with people. From the corner of her eye, Suzy watched the guy in the black jacket hop into the next car down. Yeah, he was following them. He was probably communicating with some friends, too.

  She didn’t take a seat. Instead, she stood and studied the other passengers, mostly young guys dressed in business suits, bolo ties, and snakeskin boots. There were others who looked rough and scruffy and bruised, like they’d just escaped from a dungeon. Almost everyone was male, and they all seemed dangerous.

  Most of them gave Suzy a once over—and then a twice over. She didn’t acknowledge any of the looks. Meanwhile, Ricardo pressed against her. “Don’t worry,” he whispered with a grin. “Nobody in here is more dangerous than you.”

  Suzy was skeptical, and she kept her pistol close.

  The train stopped and Suzy stepped off. She stayed near the car, pretending to be looking at her phone while throwing a glance in the direction of their follower. Right before the twin doors slammed shut, she reached back and shoved her hands between them, forcing them open.

  “Let’s go!” she said.

  Ricardo was right behind her as they jumped back onto the train.

  She held her breath and looked out the window as the train lunged away. The guy was nowhere in sight. Had he hopped into a car farther down?

  It wasn’t likely but Suzy kept checking the crowded car as she stood pressed against the steamy windows. The train was approaching the next stop—and damn, there were a bunch of cops waiting on the platform, holding their cudgels and guns.

  “Uh-oh,” Ricardo said. “Do you think they’re looking for us?”

  “Yeah. Looks like we’re already the hottest act in town. Let’s get out of here.”

  They started pushing and shoving their way to the last car. As the train lurched to a stop, the cops were converging a
round the doors, but they needed to walk a bit farther to reach the end of the train. Suzy and Ricardo leaped from the last car. Her hand was reaching for the pistol strapped to her thigh.

  A cop saw them and yelled out, “Hey, you two—stop!”

  Suzy spun around in a crouch and fired two shots into his chest.

  Shouts and screams filled the air as Suzy kept blasting.

  She wasn’t firing fully-maxed bullets, and she figured they wouldn’t be, either. After all, she just wanted to put a few cops on the ground—and they just wanted to capture her and torture her to death.

  She ducked behind a pylon as a wall of energy blasts screamed her way. The shots pelted the steel beam and ricocheted around the station. A window of the train shattered and a few civilians were hit. Suzy gritted her teeth and returned fire while Ricardo did the same. But there were too many of them. They were moving fast, surrounding Suzy and firing from all sides. There was no escape.

  This is the end, she thought. She looked over at Ricardo and tried to smile—and then the lights went out.

  It was like someone flipped a switch and the entire station plunged into darkness. People once again shouted and screamed—but Suzy felt a happy jolt. What a break!

  Now don’t blow it, she thought. Think!

  “Ricardo, where are you?” she hissed.

  She had a tiny red flashlight in her hand. It had been a present from Aiko; it was supposed to “light her way.” The spiritual connotation had evaded her, but it had come in handy in a few dark places.

  “I’m here,” Ricardo said. He pointed toward the exit stairs fifty meters away.

  She turned off her light and started moving. Meanwhile, people were using the lights built into their various digital devices. But they didn’t provide much light. The station looked like a sea of blackness occupied by a swarm of fat, bobbing fireflies.

  Suzy and Ricardo bumped and weaved their way to the stairs and then ran up to the level above, where the lights were also out. The air felt stagnant—life support systems were down. No one seemed to be panicking yet, almost like they’d seen this before. Suzy wondered if the other thirty or so domes were dark.