Entanglement

by R S Penney

  A neatly-made bed was propped up against the wall to his right, and beyond that, a cabinet of polished oak wood was left open to reveal pants, t-shirts, sweaters and shoes. There was an easy chair in the middle of the room, a table and a shelf lined with all sorts of books. Not a bad place to live, all things considered; it reminded Jack of his old place. That was why the thought of this “cell” being home to one of the world's most despicable terrorists made him more than a little angry.

  Leo got out of the chair.

  He faced Jack in a pair of black sweat pants and a matching t-shirt, trembling from the effort of remaining upright. The man had an obsession with never showing even the slightest hint of weakness.

  He looked like crap though.

  Leo's cheeks were sunken, his skin pale and glistening with sweat. His blonde hair was in a state of disarray. “Agent Jack Hunter,” he said, his voice coming through a small speaker. “And here I thought today would be boring.”

  Crossing his arms, Jack frowned through the window. “Nice place, you have,” he said, eyebrows rising. “You should be thankful. There are people on my world who would have gladly thrown you in a deep dark pit.”

  Leo grimaced, turning his head to stare at something on the wall. “Yes. My people would do much the same,” he muttered. “But then these Leyrians always were soft. It'll be their undoing, mark my words.”

  “I'm not interested in your words.”

  “Then why are you here?” The shit-eating grin on Leo's face made Jack want to punch his way through the glass. “You walked right into that one, Agent Hunter? Have you lost that wonderful talent for quick quips?”

  Jack closed his eyes, tilting his head back as he took a deep breath. “No quips,” he told the other man. “I just want straight answers to my questions. Now, who replenished your supply of Amps?”

  “Director Breslan, of course.”

  “And where did he get it?”

  Leo turned his back, pacing over to the far wall with his arms folded. “I honestly can't recall,” he said with a shrug. “But…if you're willing to up my daily dosage, it might just jog my memory.”

  The nurses here were trying to wean Leo off Amps. Sadly, they couldn't just cut off his supply – the man had been taking Amps for so long that it had essentially supplanted his immune system – but they had lowered the dose. That was why he looked like roadkill that had been shot a few times for good measure. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that Leo was experiencing any number of withdrawal symptoms. Not that he didn't deserve every last ache and pain.

  Gritting his teeth, Jack shook his head. “So we're gonna play these games, are we?” he snapped. “Because you don't seem to grasp the fact that you have no power here!”

  Leo spun around.

  The man looked up at him with an open mouth, blinking as though confused by what he saw. “No, you don't get it, Agent Hunter,” he replied. “When I get out of here, I will find you, rip out your guts and use your intestines for a jump rope. Then I-”

  Jack pushed a big red button on the wall.

  Just like that, he was treated to the glorious sound of total silence. He could still see Leo's mouth moving, but he was spared from having to listen to whatever vile diatribe the other man came up with. “Frustrating, isn't it?” Jack said. “I can cut you off whenever I want, but you still have to listen to me.”

  He pushed the button again, but Leo said nothing. The other man just stood there with a sour expression, refusing to budge so much as an inch. This wasn't working. Time for a new tactic.

  Jack turned his back.

  He sat on the edge of the table with his arms folded, shaking his head. “It must be sad for you,” he said. “Trapped in here with no way out. Breslan's dead and Slade's under investigation. No help there.”

  “What's Slade got to do with it?”

  Jack looked up at the ceiling, his brow furrowing. “What's Slade but a second-rate policeman?” He pressed a fist to his forehead, massaging away an itch. “Believe me, I've often wondered the same thing.”

  He glanced over his shoulder.

  Leo stood by the window with his nose practically pressed to the glass, his face red and his nostrils flaring. It was a not so subtle reminder. The man was a predator. “One day I'm going to get out of here, Jack. And when I do, the very first person I look up will be Anna Lenai. She'll put up a fight of course, but she's Leyrian. They're all soft and sensitive. Just the way I like my women.

  “Breaking her will be an oh-so delicious challenge, and by the time I'm done, she'll be begging for it.” Leo smiled with a burst of wheezing laughter. “Of course, you could just kill me now and avoid that.”

  Jack stood up.

  No doubt that little speech had been intended to produce rage – or possibly fear; it was hard to tell with Leo – but the only thing he felt was mild exasperation. Taking the bait would be mistake, so he opted to leave the room.

  “You probably think I'm bluffing,” Leo said from behind him. “The wheels are turning in that analytical brain of yours. 'Of course Leo knows about Anna; he must have studied up on my past. It wouldn't be hard for him to get his hands on some old news articles.'

  “Well then, Jack, maybe you'd like to use those detective skills of yours to figure out how I could possibly know that Anna Lenai is here, now. On Earth. That she came here two months ago as the latest addition to your little team.”

  Jack froze.

  He felt the blood drain out of his face, then let his head sink until his chin was touching his chest. “So you have some insight,” he said. “Well, if we're gonna quote the classics, allow me to retort with 'that don't impress me much.'”

  Leo had his face pressed to the glass, his lips twisted into an ugly rictus smile. “Oh but it does, doesn't it?” he murmured. “I've been in here for months, and yet I seem to be well educated on current events.”

  Leo stepped away from the window with hands clasped behind himself, bowing his head to smile down at the floor. “Soon, Jack,” he promised. “Soon. When I get out, we're going to have a wicked good time.”

  Suppressing his rage, Jack left the room, and 'rage' was quite the understatement. The other man had done such a good job of working him into a lather, it actually gave him pause when he realized the implications of what Leo had said. Not only was Leo admitting that he had access to outside information – which implied that someone around here was still playing the role of nefarious benefactor – but he was actually flaunting it. Why? Why do such a thing?

  If there really was a mole in their organization feeding information to a captive terrorist, then making Jack aware of that fact would only result in tighter security, cutting off the very support that Leo gloated about. Of course, it was possible that someone had mentioned Anna in a casual slip of the tongue. But who would? Anna Lenai was just one of thousands of staff members on board the many space stations in orbit of Earth. It was highly unlikely that anyone who came into contact with Leo would mention her by sheer coincidence alone.

  So, a conspiracy or innocent but unfortunate circumstances? With Leo, you could never tell. That was the problem. Even when he was stuck behind bars, the other man had a talent for making Jack's head spin. “Are you all right?” Nurse Kari asked as he strode through the reception area.

  “No,” Jack answered. “I suddenly realize I need a shower.”

  Chapter 5

  One positive thing she could say about this week – and by this point, she was really straining – Daython had been served with a formal reprimand. His supervisor, a flustered man who went by the name Ress Ental, had been most apologetic. Anna was just happy they were taking action.

  She had decided to take her mind off her troubles by getting out of the apartment for a little while. The Earth holiday known as Christmas was coming, and – as she understood matters – it was customary to give gifts. She'd been musing on what to get Jack for several days now. Back home, her people exchanged gifts at the turn of every new year, but it worked a
little differently on Leyria. Whatever you chose to give was supposed to come from the heart. A society that had all its material wants provided put a lot of stock in sentimental value.

  Earthers didn't have fabricators; so they still purchased material goods from central shopping areas. She had expected crowds, but she hadn't expected…this.

  This section of the Rideau Centre was essentially a long, wide corridor with stores in each wall and tiny kiosks in the middle of the floor. Strings of colourful lights on the walls were supposed to make things more festive, but if the people noticed them, they gave no sign of it.

  Instead, they scurried around like bees gathering honey, jostling each other aside and practically trampling over anyone who got in the way. There was a sense of urgency to everything they did, a ferocity.

  Anna watched it all from above.

  She stood on a bridge in grey pants and a red sweater, gripping the railing as she peered down at the first floor. Total insanity, she mused inside her own head. No wonder these people are so stressed.

  Pressing her lips together, Anna narrowed her eyes. What drives them to act like this? she thought, shaking her head. It's like they think they have one chance to find that perfect gift, and if they fail, their families will stop loving them.

  She had been taught that a gift was supposed to come from the heart; half the time, she didn't even bother fabricating something. Alia had loved the painting of a waterfall that she had made some years back. She was trying not to judge Earth culture – she really was – but it seemed to her that this was very unhealthy.

  A part of her realized that she was musing on Earth culture to keep her mind off her real troubles. Four days had passed since Larani Tal had ordered her to never disclose the existence of the base on Ganymede, and so far, she had been able to keep the secret. But it gnawed at her.

  The Justice Keepers were supposed to stand for openness and integrity; clandestine operations were the antithesis of everything they claimed to believe in. Her government praised the virtues of transparency while simultaneously creating an installation to spy on their allies. A secret installation. She was beginning to wonder if Jena might be correct to distrust their superiors. It was a thought that left her feeling sick to her stomach.

  Had she dedicated her life to a lie?

  No. Of course not. If there was a sickness rotting away the heart of the institutions she was raised to trust, then she would find it and exterminate it. The only question…The only question was whether to open up and share her concerns or handle it alone.

  The silhouette of a woman appeared in her mind's eye, a ghostly image that came up behind her. “Sweet Mercy, it's cold,” Gabrina said softly. “I don't know how the locals can stand it.”

  Anna grinned, letting her head drop. “You get used to it,” she said, turning around to face the other woman. “Thanks for coming. Don't get me wrong; Jack and Ben are two very good guys, but I needed a little girl time.”

  Gabi stood on the bridge in beige pants and a big thick sweater under her coat, her long black hair left to hang loose. “It's my pleasure,” she said with a nod. “So precisely what is this place?”

  Frowning to herself, Anna turned her face up to the ceiling and blinked. “Hard to say…” she mumbled. “Malls are kind of an oddity. I'd say they were for shopping, but socializing seems to be a function as well.”

  “Is that why we're here?”

  Anna turned on her heel, striding across the bridge with arms folded. The grimace that tugged at the corners of her mouth was hard to suppress. “Well, I'm looking for a gift for Jack,” she explained. “I thought I'd fabricate him something, but I don't think he'd like another sweater…”

  Gabrina was at her side, staring off into the distance with a smooth expression. “So you thought you'd use some of that monthly stipend we're given,” she said. “I admit I've been letting mine sit unused for some time.”

  “I was thinking a book.”

  At the end of the bridge, a narrow walkway lined with stores stretched on to a set of escalators with a railing that overlooked the first floor. There were people, of course, most of them shuffling past with eyes downcast. Christmas shopping, it seemed, was not an enjoyable experience.

  Luckily, she only had to do it for one person. Leyrian New Year would not happen for another few months, and she already knew what she intended to give her father. She had been working on a painting for several weeks now.

  “Let me ask you something,” Gabrina said, halting in mid-step. “What's the situation with you and Jack? I know you two were close at one time.”

  “We're very close friends,” Anna replied. “He's a very important part of my life, but that's all.”

  “I see.”

  It occurred to her to wonder why the other woman might ask. The last she'd heard about it, Gabi had made it abundantly clear that she wasn't interested in Jack; however, this latest inquiry felt like more than idle-

  A scream caught her attention.

  Down below, a young woman with long brown hair came running out of one of the stores, trailed by a man in a suit and an older gentleman. They didn't seem to be chasing her; instead they all broke off in different directions.

  The store they had come from had a long crimson sign above its front entrance with the letters CIBC in gold. A bank then. One of the more prominent ones in this country. A sad disadvantage to placing physical currency in a central location was the temptation it offered to criminals. “Call for backup,” she told Gabi.

  Anna jumped.

  She flipped over the railing, calling on Seth to lessen gravity's pull. She dropped to the floor, landing crouched upon the tiles.

  Then she stood.

  With grim determination on her face, she looked up to stare into the distance, a lock of hair falling over her cheek. “So what is it this time?” she muttered, striding forward. “I forgot how much I missed Earth; the fun just never stops around here.”

  When she neared the bank, she took stock of the situation. A reception desk was positioned just inside the front entrance, operated by a young woman who was face-down with fingers laced over the back of her head.

  A large pillar in the middle of the room blocked her view of the teller line, and she could tell that whoever had caused this commotion was standing on the other side. The young men and women who stood behind the counter had their eyes fixed on someone she couldn't see.

  There were two other men who got her attention: both dressed in ski-masks and dark jackets, but one wore blue jeans and the other green cargo pants. Mr. Blue carried a stun baton in his hand.

  The third member of their little group stepped out from behind the pillar. Like the others, he wore a ski-mask, but his pants were black. “I'm going to make this simple,” he said, pointing a pistol at the tellers. A Sarax T-7 model, to be exact. Leyrian technology. “No one wants a scene; so just fill the bag with the cash and we'll be on our way.”

  Anna stepped into the bank.

  She strode past the reception desk, grabbing a basket of hard candies before the young woman could so much as blink. “Needless to say,” she began. “You're all under arrest. I'd like to get back to my day off; so can we make this quick?”

  Mr. Black spun around, lifting the pistol in both hands and pointing it right at her. He squinted from inside the eye-holes of that ski-mask. “Who in God's name are you?” he snapped. “Never mind. On the floor.”

  Cocking her head to one side, Anna smiled at him. “Do you use that line on all the ladies, Precious?” she asked, batting her eyes. “How's it working out for you? Because you could always go back to talking about how I've been running through-”

  “Shut up!”

  The man stepped forward and held the gun in shaky hands. “I said get on the floor. I don't want to shoot you, but make no mistake; I'll do it.”

  Closing her eyes, Anna took a deep calming breath. “I can tell you don't want to do this,” she replied with a soft rasp in her voice. “So let me offer you a w
ay out. Put down your gun; come with me willingly, and we'll show leniency.”

  “I'm not going anywhere with you.”

  Mr. Blue and Mr. Green backed up to stand on either side of their leader. It seemed Black was the only one carrying a firearm, but that stun baton wasn't exactly something to ignore. She'd have to make sure Blue didn't get too close. “I don't want to fight you,” Anna said in the most soothing voice she could manage. “But you're not walking out of here without an armed escort.”

  Green turned his head and studied the leader. “Do it, man,” he said through the thin fabric of the ski mask. His had no mouth hole. “She's not gonna back down. Do it… and we can get out of here.”

  Anna threw the candies.

  A hailstorm of individually-wrapped hard caramels flew at Mr. Black, causing him to raise his hands in an attempt to shield himself. His gun went off during the confusion, sending a slug up to the ceiling.

  Anna raced forward.

  Dropping to her knees, she slid across the floor tiles until she was positioned right in front of him. She drove a fist into Mr. Black's stomach. The sudden impact forced him to double over.

  Lacing her fingers together, Anna brought her hands up to strike his face, knocking him senseless in one blow. Mr. Black stumbled, dropping his gun, then collapsed on the tiled floor and moaned.

  She stood.

  In her mind's eye, she saw Mr. Green coming up behind her with his arms spread wide. He slammed into her, trapping her in a bear hug.

  Anna jumped, flying backward and carrying the oversized bastard with her. They collided with the pillar, but Green's body made the perfect cushion. He let out a groan as she slipped away.

  Mr. Blue was standing in front of her with the stun baton held up like a sword, the flashing tip swinging this way and that. No doubt the man was trying to ward her off. “I am not going with you.”

  He lunged, swinging at her temple.

  Anna ducked, allowing the baton to pass over her head. She slipped past him on the left, then kicked the back of his leg. Mr. Blue fell to his knees, heaving out a gasp when he nearly stunned himself.