He could see the occasional advantage of the stun pistol, but he didn’t think he would start using one.
“We just got an update.” The other cop clenched his jaw and glared at the floor. “They raided the detention center. With everyone here and the traffic snarled, they got in and out with Jeanne Caron while we were finishing off their friends.” He tilted his head as he listened to something. “We have to go.” He turned and circled with his arm extension in the air before pointing out of the dining room.
The TPST broke things; they didn’t clean up.
Jia headed over to Erik, her mouth tight. She sucked in a breath. “All of this was just a giant, bloody distraction?”
“Looks that way.” Erik glanced at one of the dead terrorists in the banquet hall and then at the bodies littering the lobby floor. “What the hell does Caron know that’s worth losing so many guys over? I don’t think they planned to die with all the hostages while trying to force me into the lobby.”
Jia sighed and nodded. “They probably thought they would kill you and then flee. We cut the timing pretty close. If we hadn’t started the fight, they might have been able to make a run for it, especially if they fired off a few more missiles.”
Uniformed officers in tactical vests and medics with hoverstretchers made their way into the banquet hall and toward the frightened crowd. A few former hostages were bruised.
Others had nasty gashes on their heads or held their arms, but there were no obvious gunshot victims.
“Propaganda and a distraction,” Jia suggested, weariness in her eyes. “That must have been the idea. They get to kill a famous cop and show how they can get to anyone while grabbing the person likely responsible for their operational terrorist plan. We stopped them, but Caron must be planning something huge.”
“They had missiles, multiple flitters, and rifles.” Erik shook his head. “Something doesn’t make any sense. They could have taken on the detention center directly. Splitting your forces like this, especially if you can’t guarantee a victory, is bad for long-term organizational health. They might be a bunch of Grayheads, but they are a bunch of Grayheads who have managed to not only gather a lot of weapons but to not get caught.”
“Maybe.” Jia rubbed her chest beneath her neck, then used a couple of fingers to pull something he couldn’t see out and toss it onto the floor. “A half-dozen TPST officers with a rapid response to the detention center might have been enough to hold them off, and the cells aren’t exposed directly to the outside. This might have been more a plan of desperation than careful foresight, but I get what you mean. My…gut is telling me there’s something wrong. Given that the CFM responded as quickly as they could, I think that’s evidence enough there’s no leak.”
“Yeah. Looks like.” Erik surveyed the room as hostages embraced each other and medics passed diagnostic wands over them, checking for wounds. “But Caron’s out now. You heard the kind of crap she was peddling in there. For all we know, she has some nano- or bioweapon she’s going to deploy.”
Jia brushed small pieces of wood off her jacket. “I doubt that.”
“You do?” Erik asked, his voice tired. “Give me some confidence, Jia. I don’t want to believe she’s got a WMD.” Erik pointed to her head. “Missed something.”
“A complicated plan, including purposely getting arrested, and this sort of thing wouldn’t be necessary. They would just deploy and go on the OmniNet to take credit.” Jia picked a few more wood fragments out of her hair, then ran a hand through it. “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s something more personal. I’d bet an assassination of someone they expect to be well-guarded or a raid on a particular facility.”
“Without more direction, we don’t have a clue where to begin to search,” Erik hissed in annoyance. “Screw it. For now, let’s try to hook up with Antonio and figure out what happened at the detention center. The Evolved Six just tried to kill me.” He opened his hand and closed it in a fist. “This just got personal.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
October 4, 2228, Central Florida Metroplex, Police Enforcement Zone 78 Station, Conference Room B
Antonio looked at Erik and Jia as they took seats at the table.
His expression alternated between respect and pity. “How are you two doing? I’ve been a cop for a long time, and I’ve had a few close calls here and there, but nothing like what you had to go through. Sure, every cop worries about that kind of terrorism, but it’s always something you think is going to happen to some other city, not yours, and missiles and hostages? Whew. That could have gotten bad.”
Jia had been thinking about how she felt since their return from the hotel. Complicated and conflicting thoughts swirled in her head, but what came out of her mouth was far more an expression of irritation than deep soul reflection. “They blew up my sister’s souvenirs with a missile. I’m annoyed. They were the last ones in the shop.” She furrowed her brow. “Or maybe they were lying about that at the shop.” She stopped and thought for a moment. “Yeah, I’m still pretty annoyed.”
Erik chuckled. “Yeah, that’s terrorists for you, always screwing with gifts. They probably used a special anti-souvenir-seeking missile.” He shook a finger at her. “But if you hadn’t bought anything and allowed it to be the sacrifice, some poor tourist might have been blown to bits.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them,” Jia grumbled.
Antonio blinked, uncertainty weighing on his face. “Anti-souvenir missiles?” It sounded like he was half-convinced such a thing existed.
“Just a joke,” Erik clarified.
The other cop looked relieved. “But, you’re upset about your gifts getting blown up? I…” He shrugged.
Jia sighed and closed her eyes. “No, psychotic terrorists launching missiles on a hotel in a metroplex and then taking a room full of hostages bothers me far more, but we already took care of the people responsible. There’s no use worrying too much about dead or arrested criminals.” She opened her eyes. “Sometimes, you have to focus on the little things.” She sighed again. “This isn’t over yet, is it? We now get to worry about the living criminals who got away.”
Antonio pursed his lips, weariness lining his features. “Yes. After drawing all our major tactical resources to that hotel, the Evolved Six used some pretty heavy hardware to blow into the detention center and free Jeanne Caron. It wasn’t even some big clever hack thing. They slammed it with an explosive-filled flitter and drones and then showed up with other flitters filled with men. They rushed in to get her. The guards did a decent job of defending the place, all things considered. We’re unsure about casualties. A lot of wounded still being treated. We aren’t sure, though, if the terrorists actually had a plan beyond rescuing Caron.”
Erik leaned back in his chair, resting the back of his head in his linked hands. “What do you mean? I assume she’s got the keys to whatever big explosion they’re planning in the CFM. Isn’t that why they went after her? She’s a big lieutenant, right?”
Antonio shook his head. “Turns out it’s a little different than even CID thought. The terrorists screwed up. They got overly excited during the rescue. According to audio recorded at the detention center, we now understand why they were so obsessed with rescuing Caron in particular. She’s not just any leader in the Evolved Six, she’s the leader of the entire organization.”
Erik raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“How can you be sure?” Jia asked. “I doubt they stood there and announced, ‘Oh, Supreme Leader, we are here to rescue you.”
Antonio chuckled. “No. They used a codename for her that CID says they only use for the top person. And that fact is consistent with what else we know, such as that the organization had recent changes at the top. I’ve been bouncing back and forth with our CID contacts over this. We still don’t get why she let herself get caught. Maybe we’ve been overthinking this, and she’s just arrogant. Maybe the traffic cop was too paranoid for her, and she knew she’d get stunned anyway.”
/> Jia let a mild scoff. “If it were that simple, she would have been caught a long time ago.”
“I understand that, and so does CID, but those are the facts in front of us.”
Erik stared up at the ceiling, his eyes half-closed as if he were in deep thought. “It still seems like overkill.”
“Agreed,” Antonio answered. “I’ve been thinking about that. I’m trying to figure out how you fit into all of this. So is CID.” Antonio offered them an apologetic look. “If you want to talk to them directly, you can. I figured I didn’t want to force you two to be involved with a bunch of bureaucracy when originally you were just showing up to do us a favor.”
“I’m not all that eager to chat with CID. If you want to hog all the facetime, that’s fine with me.” Erik dropped his hands and sat up in his chair. “You agree, Jia? Or do you want to talk to them?”
She shook her head. “The more personal mobility we have right now, the better, I think. It seems this isn’t a stalling tactic. They fired those missiles at our rooms with no guarantee that we would escape. If it were just about blowing up rooms, they wouldn’t have been so specific in their targeting.”
Something close to suspicion appeared in Antonio’s eyes. He adjusted his tie. “That’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“What did you need to know?” Jia replied.
Antonio cleared his throat. “Let me start off by saying I’m not accusing you of anything, but when I was talking to CID, they pointed out that some questions remain about how you avoided the initial missile attack.”
Erik snickered. “So CID thinks that we’re working with the terrorists?”
Jia rolled her eyes. “Yes, because when you’re a secret terrorist, you demonstrate your cunning by gunning down large numbers of your own people.” She looked at Erik. “We must also be secretly working for the Gray Circle and the Prospectors.”
Erik eyed her. “It would be a good plan. Eliminate the competition.”
Antonio waved his hands in front of him. “I’m not saying I believe anything like that, and I told the CID as much, but you know how those guys are. They see terrorists under every rock, and from what they say, things have been rougher this last year. More chaotic than a lot of people know. There have been a lot of close calls, and the government doesn’t announce all the incidents.”
“Of course.” Jia folded her arms. “We can’t let anyone think the Earth is less than perfect, can we?”
Erik barked a loud laugh. “And they think I’m working with the terrorists?”
“They just don’t understand the timing and how you knew to avoid the missiles. Your initial statements were unclear to them.” Antonio shrugged. “I guarantee you that as long as you’re working with me, CID won’t make a move. They’re just suspicious.”
Jia took a few deep breaths. It wasn’t Antonio’s fault, but that didn’t make the anger fade any quicker. “The same way he knew about the hacking, and the same way I was able to get off the shots in the hotel. Custom sensor mods in his MX 60 and good remote operation. We’ve had a lot of recent trouble in Neo SoCal, so we need to be more careful. If the CID agents are suspicious, have them call Captain Ragnar and ask about the mods. Because of the kind of cases we’ve worked, we have to be a little more prepared than an average cop, which is why we’re not getting blown up by surprise missile attacks, and we’re able to stop terrorists before they butcher rooms filled with innocent people.” She stood and gripped the edge of the table tight enough that her knuckles turned white. “And I would think CID would be more concerned about protecting a police officer who was almost assassinated as part of a distraction.”
“Maybe,” Erik suggested with a shrug, “they really hate vets.” Jia’s head swiveled to look at him. “Hey, with no UTC military, it’s easier for aliens to take over. There are plenty of terrorists, not just Grayheads who hate soldiers. We’re one of the main groups wiping them out everywhere else in the UTC.”
Antonio couldn’t look Jia or Erik in the eyes. “I’ll communicate your concerns and explanations to CID. I want to be clear. I told them I thought it was crap, and I think after the way you guys saved those hostages, they’re going to have no choice but to back off. The lead agent already seems pretty convinced. No one wants a big PR blunder, and I think accusing the cops who saved a bunch of lives could be a CEE.”
“A what?” Jia asked, her tone harsh.
“Career Ending Episode,” Erik translated.
Jia lowered herself back into her chair, her gaze smoldering with rage on behalf of her partner.
On one level, she could understand CID’s suspicion, but after everything they had gone through the last few months, let alone that day, she wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone questioning Erik. It hadn’t been the CID agents rushing through the hotel, desperate to save innocent people’s lives and getting shot at.
Erik slapped the table, a disarming grin on his face as if he didn’t care that CID agents implied he was working with the same people who had tried to kill him. “Forget defending my honor. The real problem is Caron’s still out there. Unless you guys do things way differently in the CFM than we do in Neo SoCal, she should have had a tracker implanted during processing. Why aren’t you guys following up on that? If she heads to a spaceport or airport, it’s going to be too late.”
Antonio winced as if struck. “We were following up on that. It took a couple of minutes for everyone to figure out what had happened, and by the time we had units on the way, the implant went dark. We’ve got officers sweeping the general area where it went dark, but we’re not hopeful. It’s not exactly easy to find one woman in such a large area, especially a woman who isn’t using a normal PNIU.”
Jia let out a rueful chuckle.
The detective was right. So many of the modern world’s procedures, investigatory or otherwise, were built around the assumption that people wanted to be plugged into that world and the OmniNet.
Unfortunately, everyone assumed antisocials would be rare enough to be irrelevant. She wasn’t so sure of that anymore. It was too easy to be a criminal or a terrorist if a person was willing to defy the basic social order underlying society.
Erik nodded slowly. “In other words, the terrorists got their leader out of jail, and we have no idea where she is.”
“Yes, but they took a big hit,” Antonio countered. “They lost a lot of people tonight, thanks to you two and TPST. We’re interrogating the survivors, but it looks like they don’t know the master plan. We did get one to admit that Caron would know, even if they didn’t want to confirm who she really is.”
Jia rubbed her temples. She was glad they had saved civilian lives, but she didn’t like the idea of some vengeful Grayhead wandering the metroplex thinking of new ways to assassinate Erik. “So, where do we go from here?”
Antonio cleared his throat and coughed into his hand. “We would like you to stay at the station. I know it’s not a nice hotel, but given everything that has happened, it might be best.”
Jia narrowed her eyes. “Meaning what, exactly? You want to keep an eye on Erik?”
Erik smiled. “A lot of people like the way I look. I can be the new tough mascot for the CFMPD.”
Jia shot a glance his way, unsure of why he could be so relaxed about the situation. They both had been attacked, but at least she could draw some small comfort from knowing she hadn’t been the target.
Antonio shook his head. “Without knowing where Caron is, we don’t know if she’ll come after Erik again. The last time her people did, it involved missile strikes and hostages. I don’t believe he’s involved with them, but I do believe they want him dead for whatever reason. I also believe they don’t care who they kill along the way.” He stared at Erik, his eyes steely. “You saved those people in the hotel last time, but you can’t be sure it’ll go down that way again.”
Erik grunted. “Fine. We’ll stay here for now, but you and CID need a better plan than sitting on your thumbs and hoping Car
on will get caught by a traffic cop again.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
October 5, 2228, Central Florida Metroplex, Police Enforcement Zone 78 Station, Break Room
Erik lifted the donut to his mouth and took a bite. He chewed, letting the sweetness and texture play in his mouth.
He waited until the only other cop present besides Jia departed before swallowing and shaking his head. “I don’t care what anyone says, Jia. It’s not the same, and no, a beignet isn’t just a sub-type of donut. That’s beignet blasphemy, and I’ll go to my grave before I accept that. I would have thought you, of all people, wouldn’t want to support ignorance.” He gave her a serious look. “You have my back, don’t you?”
Jia sighed from across the table, stifling a grin. She gobbled down another bite of her strawberry-glazed donut before holding it up to the light as if to study it. “I’m not saying a donut’s the same as a beignet, Erik. Well, not exactly the same. You’re right. Specificity is important. I’m just saying there are certain similarities, so I don’t understand your obsession with that particular type of baked good over, say, other…donuts.” She smiled as she plopped the rest of the donut into her mouth, reaching for another as she swallowed. “Don’t get me wrong. I like both. I’m just confused.”
Erik grinned. “Oh, everything’s the same now? Catfish is the same as salmon? They’re both fish, right? Why even bother to eat different types of fish? We can all have sardines. Good enough.”
“Oh, please. Now you’re just being stubborn.” Jia lifted the donut, her expression faux-menacing.
“I’m good at being stubborn,” Erik replied. “I’m an expert at it. It’s why I’m still alive. And this is also about knowing what I like. You know how hard it is to find a good beignet out on the frontier? You’d think that since they can all produce the basic ingredients, they could make a good one, but there’s always just some subtle thing that’s off, whether its natural or artificial ingredients. And that’s if people are making them without being asked. That’s one thing I’ll say for Neo SoCal.” Erik shook the donut. “They know how to make a good beignet. Let the rest of the UTC burn as long as I can get the food I want.”
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