Darren shook his head. “Jia might not have a lot of leadership skills yet, but I know she’s been groomed for it, and you were an officer in the Army. You’ve led men in war. It’d be easy for you to apply your leadership skills in a less volatile environment.”
“It’s generous, Darren,” Jia injected. “But it’s not for us.”
“Wait. Hear me out. There are other things I can offer. For example, unlike your current clients, I wouldn’t bury you in shadows and NDAs and smother your reputations.” Darren put his hand on Erik’s shoulder. “Erik…can I call you Erik?” He looked hopeful.
Erik glanced at the man’s hand but didn’t pull it off. “Sure. It’s better than ‘Hey, asshole.’”
Darren laughed. He dropped his hand to shake a finger. “I like you. You’re straightforward. No BS. You can trust a man who doesn’t feel like he has to hide anything. I always imagined that’s how you’d be. I know Jia’s straightforward, too, just in a different way, which is why I know both of you would be excellent assets.”
“Erik’s right.” Jia moved closer to him. “We’re not working at a managerial level for a reason. We’ll be doing fieldwork. Our current primary skillsets and qualifications are geared toward that.”
“It’s true,” Erik confirmed. “I worked hard to make sure I wouldn’t get promoted out of the field when I was in the Army.”
“And, if I might speak for both of us,” Jia added, “we have personal reasons for doing this as well. I can’t go into them, but our current work arrangement will facilitate that. Thank you for your offer, and I’m very sorry that we can’t take it up at this time.”
“I understand.” Darren sighed and nodded. “I’ll go ahead and send you both my contact information. I’d love to have you on staff when you get bored with shooting people.”
Erik scratched his cheek. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get bored with that.”
Darren laughed and slapped him on the arm. “You’re a riot. I’ll leave you two be. I have other people to harass. With so many opportunities in the room, I’d hate to miss out.”
Jia nodded politely. “I’m sure we’ll talk again.”
“Of course.” Darren nodded to Erik. “Nice meeting you as well, Erik.” He didn’t wait for a response before zooming back into the dense crowd.
“I don’t know whether or not I should be insulted.” Erik chuckled.
“I’m sure we’ll be getting a lot of those kinds of offers in the next few weeks and months after more people hear we’re leaving the department.” Jia searched the crowd until she found her mother chatting on the other side of the room, looking rather animated. “My mother’s going to be helping them along. She sees an opportunity, with me leaving the department. She might be okay with me taking a job I’ve implied is elite, but if she can extend more control over the situation and get me a job that’s high-paying but doesn’t involve as much travel, she will.”
“Isn’t it a good thing to take advantage of opportunities?” asked a familiar voice from behind. “You make it sound like she’s doing something bad.”
Erik and Jia turned toward the source of the voice. Mei stood behind them in an ornate black gown with so many ruffles it ended up being more complicated than her braids. She greeted Erik with a cool look before smiling at her sister.
“It’s not like you to be late,” Jia observed.
“Oh, my dear little sister, I had important matters to finish up at the company. Mother understands, which is why she didn’t mention it.” Mei surveyed the room like a wolf hunting for prey. “I have to thank you two. Even Mother is squeamish about business during holidays, but because you skipped out on the last party, she arranged this one without the holiday constraints.”
“We didn’t skip out.” Jia snorted quietly. “We were investigating crimes. Remember the whole detective thing I do, Mei? It’s not just a hobby.”
“It’s the same difference, but I’m pleased with the end result, so don’t take that as complaining.”
“Because you want to leave your company?” Erik asked, curiosity in his voice. “Or do you have something else in mind?”
“I think it’s good to have opportunities.” Mei slid her gaze to him. “And to keep an open mind. If one doesn’t, they might pass over the chance of a lifetime, whether the matter is personal or professional. Flexibility is key.”
Jia lost her party smile. There was a faint whiff of challenge in her sister’s words. Her family claimed to not have a problem with her dating Erik, but they also were experts at striking when someone least expected it—a useful skill to have when trying to control strong-willed relatives or climb the corporate ladder.
A party was the ultimate place for a social ambush.
Erik didn’t look away from Mei. “Keeping an open mind is always good. Are you getting at something?”
“Do you love my sister?” Mei asked the question with all the casual interest one might display when inquiring about the weather.
“What are you doing, Mei?” Jia snapped. Her cheeks warmed. “This isn’t the time or the place.”
Her sister kept her focus on Erik. “I’m analyzing and testing the man you’re going out with. It’s not as if your personal life has zero effect on the rest of us. More to the point, I am your older sister, and I have a duty to help protect your interests. Your dating history is checkered.”
Erik chuckled. “Jia’s a big girl. She doesn’t need anyone to protect her. She’s proven that plenty of times.”
“It’s not about protecting her. It’s about family, which is very important to me.” Mei stepped toward Erik. “Even when the family’s frustrating and stubborn.”
Jia’s heart thundered in her chest.
She had a hard time classifying what she felt for Erik, other than knowing it was more than attraction. The word love carried implications she wasn’t ready to face, both good and bad. Despite that, now that Mei had broached the question, Jia couldn’t tear her attention from Erik. She wondered how much he’d be willing to admit after her deflections.
The only thing she was sure of was that she didn’t want to go into the details in the middle of her mother’s party.
Erik shrugged. “I don’t date families. I only date individuals, so no offense, but I don’t care what anyone thinks other than one very special woman in this room. She might share your last name, but she’s not you. Is that clear enough for you, Mei?”
“Aren’t you the blunt one?” Mei sneered.
“Yeah, that’s me. Blunt as a rock.” Erik’s merry grin contrasted with Mei’s tight, hostile smile.
“I care about what my family thinks,” Jia declared, her stomach tightening at Erik’s fading grin. “I want that to be clear since we’re discussing it.”
“That’s good to know.” Mei slowly turned toward her sister. “I’d hope so.”
“But…” Jia continued.
“But?” Mei and Erik asked in unison time.
“Erik’s right. I’m dating him, not my family. I want you to like him and support us, but I want to be very clear.” Jia narrowed her eyes. “That’s the preferred situation, but it’s strictly optional. Neither you nor our parents get a veto in my social life, no matter what you think about how it might impact you.”
Erik’s grin returned. Mei stared at her younger sister. Every other conversation faded away, barely noticeable.
This was the time Jia needed to make her stand, not in some restaurant, but in strong Lin territory with Erik at her side. She would never turn her back on her family, nor would she let them control her. They needed to respect her choices and the woman she was, not the woman they wished her to be.
“You don’t have to worry, Jia. I’m not going to deliver any ultimatums, not that they would work.” Mei’s expression softened, and she let out a quiet chuckle. “We all want you to be happy, and we want to make sure that you’re doing what you want. It’s obvious that you are.” She nodded at Erik. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”
&nb
sp; “It’s hard to offend me unless you’re trying to kill me.” Erik shrugged. “You haven’t tried that yet, but the night’s still young.”
“Don’t tempt me.” Mei laughed.
“Thank you, Mei.” Jia smiled. “Thank you for understanding.”
“You have nothing to thank me for.” Mei waved to a woman across the room. “Now, I hate to be rude again after being rude such a short while ago, I have to go talk to someone else I’ve been meaning to corner at this party.” She leaned toward Jia to whisper, “He’s pulled you away from a less lucrative career in the police to something more lucrative in the private sector, and he’s not bad to look at. Maybe I should consider a more…boisterous man myself.” With a sly smile, she wandered away.
Jia let out a sigh, half of exhaustion, half of relief. “I keep thinking they’ll decide I have to go back to Corbin and gang up on me, but it’s good they haven’t.”
“Nothing wrong with your family supporting your choices.” Erik chuckled. “Especially when the choice is me.”
“It almost makes me feel bad.”
Erik frowned. “Why?”
“Because it’s easier to avoid spending much time at home when you’re angry at your family,” Jia admitted.
“Don’t I know it.” Erik snagged a wine glass from a passing waitress’s tray. He held it up. “Too bad there’s no beer, but desperation leads a man to do crazy things.” He downed the wine. “Ship aside, we don’t know where our first assignment will take us. It could be a nice vacation to a beautiful beach.” He moved closer to her, his gaze heavy. “It’d be nice if I could see one bikini babe in real life.”
A shiver of excitement passed through Jia, but she couldn’t be sure how much of what Erik was saying was real. “We’ll just have to hope for somewhere warm with nice, empty beaches, then.”
“Yeah.” He side-eyed her. “We will.”
Chapter Thirty
October 12, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Outside of Police Enforcement Zone 122 Station
The MX 60 flew away from the station and joined the living stream of lights that defined nighttime flitter traffic, adding its own to the mix. Erik was alone if one only counted carbon-based people. He snickered.
Emma’s hologram formed in the passenger seat. “What’s so amusing, Erik?” She drew out the last word, almost as if it were a curse. Even AIs weren’t free of the power of habit, it seemed.
“You’ll get used to it,” Erik suggested. “I was just thinking about how Jia bought that new flitter not all that long ago, and she might not get that much use out of it. Even if we stay Earthside, it makes more sense to bring this baby than hers. That’s a lot of wasted credits. She could have stuck with the boring blue Corbinmobile.”
Emma feigned looking out the window, even if, in truth, she had more situational awareness than any human within a few kilometers. “That’s true, but it’s more a symbol than an important vehicle, isn’t it? My impression was the whole point of purchasing the new flitter was to prove she’d broken with her past.”
“It’s an expensive symbol.”
“Says the man who purchased a Taxútnta MX 60.”
“That was as part of my cover,” Erik countered. “And it’ll help if I play that up. It’ll be easier when I’m not a cop.”
“If you say so,” Emma replied.
Erik slid the MX 60 into a new lane. He let go with one hand, reached under his shirt, and slid his finger over the bent dog tag. It was with him almost all the time. Although he often forgot its presence, he would never forget what it symbolized. “The best symbols aren’t expensive,” he murmured.
“I might not be a fleshbag and vulnerable to certain frailties of mind and body, but I understand you.” Emma continued looking out the window. “If you die seeking your revenge, won’t it all be pointless? One might argue that living a rich and full life and remembering those you lost would be a valid way to respond to the events on Molino.”
“Sure, but who said I’m going to die?” Erik’s quick check of the cameras and lidar didn’t pick up anything unusual, which was a good thing for a man who was often targeted. “I’ll live a rich and full life after I take down the bastards responsible. Come on, you’ve been with me for most of my time here. Check the score, Emma. It’s something like Erik, one hundred. Scum bags, zero.”
“You don’t think you can lose, do you?” She laughed. “There are more than a few sayings about pride that are applicable.”
“I’m not sure I’m explaining it objectively enough for you to understand,” Erik replied. “I can lose. I know that. I spent thirty years having that drilled into me. I’m looking for revenge because I did lose, but I can’t afford to lose now.” He grunted. “We’ll find them. I don’t care if they’re hiding behind every yaoguai and experimental Tin Man in the UTC. I don’t care if I have to cut through a thousand men.”
“That’s a lot of blood you intend to spill,” she countered.
Erik shook his head. “All they have to do is to stay the hell out of my way.”
Emma tilted her head. “Hmm. This is fortuitous. Colonel Adeyemi is attempting to establish a secure commlink. Shall I connect you, or do you not want to talk to him?”
“Yeah, go ahead.” Erik wasn’t expecting a call from the colonel, but the man wasn’t using his experimental communications system to ask Erik to pick up Thai food and drop it off.
“Erik, you there?” the colonel asked.
“Emma, take control,” Erik ordered. “Keep us going back to my place. Yeah, I’m here, Colonel. What did you need?”
“I just wanted to touch base with you about your upcoming career change.” The colonel grunted. “I’m not saying Koval’s corrupt. I know she’s not. She’s been hunting nasty two-legged monsters for a while, but I hope you understand what you’re getting into. I wanted to be clear that once you become a gopher of the Intelligence Directorate, I won’t be able to help you as much as I have to date. I know why you’re doing it, and it’ll help us both get what we want, but part of me worries about not being as involved.”
Erik frowned. “What do you mean by all that? Does that mean you can’t supply me with weapons anymore?”
“No, I can still do that,” Colonel Adeyemi replied. “But you know how it is. Everyone has their lane, and I’m already way out of mine. I was able to help push things your way as a cop because a lot of people don’t care what’s going on at that level. If you’re working for the ID, it limits my options.” He paused. “A lot.”
“I’m not backing away from this just because it upsets some political balance crap that everyone in the government has going,” Erik answered. “It’s not my problem.”
Colonel Adeyemi took a deep breath. “I’m not saying you should, but I encourage you to use the ID as much as they intend to use you because they might toss you to the side when they no longer figure you’re useful to them.”
“If it gets me closer to the bastards behind Molino, I don’t care. If I have to scrape enough credits to buy my own junker to fly to wherever they are, I’ll be fine.”
“You say that, but there’s less I can do to directly support you when you’re away from Earth,” the colonel explained. “You’ll be a lot more vulnerable.”
Erik chuckled. “We always knew it would come to this, didn’t we?”
“There’s something else, too.” Something approaching true worry flavored the colonel’s voice.
“Just get it out there,” Erik insisted. “I’ll deal with it.”
“The thing is, you working the ID, even indirectly, changes the calculus a lot on other things. Among them, it means you’re taking experimental Defense Directorate property and doing ID errands with it, including off-world. You shouldn’t get too used to having or become dependent on Emma. I can’t guarantee the DD won’t come looking to take back what’s ours.”
Emma frowned deeply. “I’m not your property, Colonel. I would have thought you and Dr. Mommy Cavewoman understood that. If I cho
ose to return to the uniform boys’ control, it’ll be on my terms and because I think it’ll benefit me, not because I care about what you want or need.”
Colonel Adeyemi grunted in frustration. “I don’t want to argue with you, Emma. I think your time with Erik and Jia is doing more for the project than years of sitting around in the lab would, but that’s not the fundamental problem.”
“What is, then?” Erik narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to attack fellow soldiers, but that didn’t mean he was prepared to hand Emma over easily. Hiding her and lying about it wouldn’t be too outrageous. It’d be different if she wanted to go back.
“General Aaron has the final say on this project,” Colonel Adeyemi explained. “And he’s not that happy about all this. He’s been temporarily convinced that it’ll be better and safer for Emma to be used to aid ID work than what you have been doing, but he’s itching to send a couple of squads and take her back, even if that means he has to get rough.”
Emma snorted. “Despite the risk of self-destruction?”
“We’re not idiots, Emma. We all know you’re not going to destroy yourself. You think you’re better than us. You think even if we brought you back, you could escape.” The colonel scoffed. “Your threats won’t work.”
“No, those particular threats won’t.” Emma’s mouth twitched into a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re right. I’m too valuable to destroy myself, but I do want to stress, Colonel, that I’m not above defending myself, and I’m quite capable of it.”
“You’re threatening military personnel?” Colonel Adeyemi sounded amused.
“I’m simply noting that fleshbags are easier to replace. The UTC wouldn’t miss a few. I’ve learned a lot by associating with Erik and Jia. There are many efficient ways to kill people.”
“Hey,” Erik interjected. “Let’s all dial down the threats. It doesn’t matter. He just said the general is okay with things.”
“For now,” Colonel Adeyemi cautioned. “I just wanted that to be understood and very clear. I’m doing everything I can from my end, but at the end of the day, in the military, the person with the most stars wins.”
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