Shattered Truth

by Michael Anderle

  Shattered Truth

  Opus X™ Book Two

  Michael Anderle

  Shattered Truth (this book) is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  * * *

  Copyright © 2019 Michael Anderle

  Cover by Gene Mollica Studios

  Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

  This book is a Michael Anderle Production

  * * *

  LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  * * *

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact support@lmbpn.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  * * *

  LMBPN Publishing

  PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy

  Las Vegas, NV 89109

  * * *

  First US edition, Dec 2019

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-64202-399-2

  Print ISBN: 978-1-64202-400-5

  * * *

  The Opus X Universe (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are copyright © 2019 by Michael T. Anderle and LMBPN Publishing.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Books By Michael Anderle

  Connect with Michael Anderle

  The Shattered Truth Team

  Thanks to the JIT Readers

  Peter Manis

  Misty Roa

  James Caplan

  John Ashmore

  Dave Hicks

  Kelly O’Donnell

  Dorothy Lloyd

  Larry Omans

  Deb Mader

  Jeff Goode

  Jeff Eaton

  Paul Westman

  * * *

  If I’ve missed anyone, please let me know!

  * * *

  Editor

  Lynne Stiegler

  To Family, Friends and

  Those Who Love

  to Read.

  May We All Enjoy Grace

  to Live the Life We Are

  Called.

  Chapter One

  September 2nd, 2228, near the Hexagon, Neo Southern California Metroplex

  Erik allowed himself a grin as his MX 60 zipped around a corner of a glittering commercial tower, the reflection of his vehicle visible in the glass. He accelerated. He didn’t want to lose his prey.

  His target was a red flitter fleeing through the maze of walkways, towers, and platforms defining Uptown Neo SoCal. The suspect’s vehicle tilted before diving under a walkway. Long lines of other cars hovered in the air, stopped as if everyone in the area decided to form their own walls to complicate the escape of the criminal. But it was not spontaneous civilian assistance. It was a sign that people were paying attention to the police warning broadcasts.

  His grin widened as he banked around a stopped flitter. “I didn’t think I would get this lucky,” Erik admitted.

  Jia eyed him with an exasperated expression on her face. “What’s so lucky about this?” She waved to the vehicle trying to escape. “We’re chasing a random criminal through town. For all we know, he’s a terrorist.”

  “A terrorist?” Erik chuckled. “No, but the vehicle was stolen Uptown. Things have been getting boring this last week. Things were a little more interesting after all that crap with Winward and Ceres, but then it cleared up.”

  “Boring? Some people might call it peaceful.” Jia frowned at the fleeing suspect. This time, she pointed. “That’s not peaceful.”

  “Peaceful isn’t when the crime’s hidden.” Erik’s hands tightened on the yoke. He had to respect the other driver’s bravery, even if there was a thin line between that and stupidity.

  Erik’s prey dropped lower, dashing through several towers linked by walkways and the occasional tube. The thick gray and brown clouds of pollution grew denser with the altitude change. They were approaching the Shadow Zone. Normally, that might mean something, but blowing past the line wouldn’t garner any more police attention than the thief already had. Two detectives were on his rear because of fortunate timing, and reinforcements were on their way.

  Danger didn’t interest Erik directly, but when a day passed without something to keep his skills or instincts honed, he risked falling into complacency. Taking down the occasional thug or antisocial was entertaining, but his path wouldn’t end in Neo SoCal.

  Not while he was alive.

  His heart was beating as peacefully as normal. No one had been hurt yet, just some property taken. To the best of his knowledge, there was no dangerous gangster in the car, just a fool who picked the wrong tower.

  Erik pushed forward on the control yoke, his vehicle barely missing the walkway. “That’ll take a few years off your life.”

  “I’m going to take over if you keep that up,” Emma muttered, her irritated voice coming from all the speakers in the vehicle.

  “That might be a good idea,” Erik replied, an idea occurring to him. Unless the suspect left town, they wouldn’t be able to go full-out without too much risk to civilians.

  “What are you saying?” Rare surprise filtered into the AI’s voice, satisfying Erik all the more.

  “I want you to take control and keep up and fly us until we’re right next to or on top of him,” Erik explained. “It doesn’t have to be close. Get me within twenty or thirty meters.”

  “At this speed, that’s pretty close,” Jia observed.

  “Don’t worry,” Emma replied with her normal smugness. “The better driver is now taking control. After all, this is my body, too.”

  Erik released his grip. The yoke began to move on its own, and the MX 60 continued closing on the fleeing vehicle. Despite her earlier complaint, Emma skimmed the edge of the platform, only barely missing a collision.

  “I don’t want to test the latest scratch repair capabilities,” Erik noted.

  “You’re both out of control.” Jia looked out the window, a hint of a smile on her face.

  For all her desire to stick to the rules, there was never a lot of fear on her face. Erik appreciated that. He could always educate a naïve but brave woman, but it was much harde
r to instill courage in a coward.

  Time in the service had taught him that.

  “I know exactly what I’m doing,” Emma assured them. “The question is, does Erik? I’m presuming there’s something else I’m supposed to do besides follow the flitter.”

  The suspect’s vehicle spun on its side and passed through a narrow slot formed by intersecting walkways. Emma matched its move with ease. Erik’s stomach lurched. It was a good thing he’d had a light lunch.

  After taking a deep breath at the same time Erik’s stomach clenched, Jia turned toward him. “She’s right. What exactly is your plan?” Her eyes dipped to her legs and the concealed panel beneath them. “Shooting him with that cannon you pretend is for people and not something that should be classified as field artillery?”

  “It is a rifle. It just happens to be a huge, ravenous, and expensive-to-shoot rifle.” Erik shook his head. “He’s making this easy for us by heading lower. If we can just get him a little lower and find an appropriate stretch of the Shadow Zone, his grav field should be enough to keep the car intact.”

  He pointed at the suspect’s flitter as it passed through a cloud and then slipped between two buildings with only a few meters clearance on either side. Bravery could easily turn into stupidity. A soft grunt escaped his lips as the MX 60 again matched the maneuver.

  Jia’s smile slowly faded. Concern, not fear, filled her eyes. “Please tell you’re not going to jump.”

  The thought had not occurred to him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t pursue the idea for fun.

  Erik shrugged. “Why not? I did it plenty of times in the Army.”

  “Wearing an exoskeleton with grav boots, probably,” Jia pointed out.

  “You haven’t lived until you’ve done an orbital drop in a pod. The exoskeleton won’t save your ass if the pod’s breached,” Eric explained.

  Jia stared at him. “You’re just messing with me, aren’t you?”

  “Emma’s driving. Not like I have to pay that much attention. And I don’t need an exoskeleton for what I’m planning.” Erik reached under his duster to his holster. He grabbed his pistol and ejected the magazine. After removing it, he slipped in a new one with a blue stripe on the side.

  “Don’t discourage him from jumping,” Emma interjected. “It might be interesting. He’ll probably survive. Or is that a maybe? Is maybe less of a chance than probably? Hmm.”

  “Very funny, you two.” Jia sighed. “We just have to try to box the suspect in until other units can get here.” She looked down for a moment, her brow furrowed his thought. “Taking out one or two grav-field emitters will put him on the ground, and that is something you can do, Erik. I’ve seen you do it before.”

  Erik pressed a button on his door. His window slid down, the air that was rushing past them almost deafening. He jacked up his voice so Jia could hear, almost yelling. “I’ve got a better idea. I need to test something!”

  Jia stared at him. “You’re not going to jump through the window, are you? That doesn’t make sense!”

  “Nope. Not jumping out. Not today.”

  Jia let out a sigh of relief, then yelled so he could hear her, “Good to hear. I never know what you’re going to try.”

  Erik flipped off the safety on his pistol. “Remember when I sent the request for the department to install the EMP?”

  “Yes? What about it?”

  “They officially denied the request this morning. They don’t care that I’m using a private vehicle for cop work, but they won’t upgrade it, so I made other arrangements to accomplish the same thing.” Erik switched his gun to his left hand and stuck it out the window. “I went ahead and got myself some disruptor bullets.”

  “That’ll make the drop uncontrolled,” she argued, looking ahead of them to see where the flitter might crash.

  “I know. Just need to find the right place to do it.”

  The fleeing vehicle rose at a steep angle. Emma brought up the front of the MX 60 to match, jostling Erik.

  Jia looked down at the lidar and jerked her head to the right. “The backup is here.”

  Three black and blue patrol flitters approached in tight formation in the distance, spinning red and blue lights on the top. Having someone actually show up when called was nice, compared to when Erik had started at the NSCPD, but if they didn’t bring the suspect down soon, it would only increase the trouble. He needed to take the shot.

  Jia pointed to a mostly empty parking platform in the distance. Both vehicles were heading that way.

  “If you’re going to try your questionable plan, that’s as good a place as any,” she suggested. “I don’t see anyone moving down there.”

  “I’m not seeing anyone on my sensors, either,” Emma confirmed.

  Erik nodded. “Fine by me.”

  The suspect’s vehicle continued flying forward, the course taking it right over the platform. Erik waited for a sudden course correction, but the other flitter screamed over the platform, barely above it. It was like the Lady was serving the criminal up to Erik.

  The gift didn’t make up for everything she’d done, but he’d take it.

  Erik lined up the shot, steadying his arm. The disruptor bullets meant he wouldn’t need to be that careful or even use aim assist. The pistol spat the rounds. Blue sparks arced over the suspect’s flitter and it dropped, slamming hard against the parking platform, sparks flying as it ground to a halt a car-length shy of the edge. It left a small trail of smoldering dark-gray debris behind it.

  “Bring us down, Emma,” Erik ordered, pulling his arm in. “That was easier than I thought.”

  The MX 60 banked hard left, nose flaring up at the last moment and shedding all forward momentum before setting down.

  Jia was out in a moment, her stun pistol ready.

  Erik still needed to give her the customized pistol he’d purchased for her, but he had been waiting for the best time. All gifts had meaning, and part of imbuing them with that essence involved choosing the appropriate time and place.

  Erik holstered his pistol and reached into the compartment on the passenger side to grab his TR-7 rifle. A little escalation through superior firepower helped him solve most difficult cases, and it was possible that an idiot who would lead the police on a high-speed chase was also the kind of idiot who might shoot at them.

  Jia pointed her stun pistol at the car. “NSCPD!” she shouted. “Get out of the car with your hands on your head immediately.”

  The suspect hesitated, his hands not visible, his head slumped forward. Was he unconscious? A turn of his head revealed he wasn’t.

  Erik pushed out of his vehicle and brought up his TR-7. He leapt across the hood of his MX 60, the heavy rifle pointed at the flitter as he slid across.

  Jia rolled her eyes at the gratuitous display. He didn’t care. He’d always wanted to do that. The move was impossible with most military vehicles.

  “A bit much, don’t you think?” Emma transmitted directly to his ear. “I doubt this driver can put up much resistance.”

  “I’m pretty sure someone smarter than me said something about overwhelming your enemy without even fighting,” Erik whispered. He flipped his gun to quad-fire mode. “Trust me,” he shouted. “You aren’t getting out of this. I don’t care what kind of gun you have, mine’s a lot bigger. If you’re trying to restart your flitter, I nailed it with two disruptor bullets. You’re not going anywhere.” He inclined his head toward Jia. “You run, she stuns you. If you try to shoot at us, she stuns you, and I shoot you. Why don’t you just do everyone a favor and get out like my partner said?” he finished with a lopsided smile.

  It should be against the law to enjoy taking someone down so much, but with his luck, his partner would arrest him.

  The other three patrol flitters landed behind the MX 60, their lights still flashing. Uniformed officers rushed out, all gripping their stun pistols tightly, their expressions serious.

  The driver-side door of the disabled flitter opened. Everyone aimed th
eir weapons, ready for dangerous resistance.

  “Don’t shoot. I give up.” The suspect slid out slowly, his hands on his head.

  Erik was disappointed. The lack of a shootout didn’t bother him, but he had been half-expecting a Tin Man or at least a large gangster, not a gangly man he might see at the bakery where he picked up his favorite beignets. Not all criminals fit the stereotype.

  The suspect slowly walked around the back of the car, blood running down from a cut on his forehead. “Who does that? You disabled the flitter when I was still in the air!”

  “Turn around and get on your knees,” Erik barked. “And if you don’t want to get shot down, don’t steal flitters.”

  The suspect knelt, muttering under his breath.

  Jia hurried behind him, her stun pistol pointed at the suspect. She yanked his arms down and slapped on bright orange binding ties to secure him. “You are under arrest. All Article Seven rights apply. Do you need these explained to you?”

  “Nope, I’m good,” the man replied morosely. “As good as a man who just got nailed by the cops can be. Not my first time talking to you, but it is the first you all chased me like that. Damn. That was a nice flitter, too. I’m sure the idiot I stole it from had insurance. You didn’t need to come after me like that. It’s not fair.”