A smart criminal was always the most dangerous, and they required the best hunters, not ones bound by all the restrictions that came with being a municipal detective.
Jia slowed as she approached her flitter, her smile faltering. She whipped out her stun pistol and aimed it at the backseat window. It hadn’t been much, just an odd flicker of shadow in the back of her vehicle. While she couldn’t see anyone, she also couldn’t account for the shadows, based on the position of the vehicle and the nearby lighting source. She narrowed her eyes, angry at the violation. The only question was who was hiding in her flitter, stalker or conspiracy assassin?
Triad Tin Men joined the possibilities.
Whoever was in the back of her vehicle was using optical camouflage. If they weren’t moving, it could be basic tech potentially available to lesser threats, but there was no way of verifying that it wasn’t dynamic optical camouflage and a more dangerous enemy. Jia holstered her stun pistol and yanked out her slugthrower.
She wouldn’t allow herself to die in a parking lot.
“Direct command, lower left rear flitter window,” Jia muttered. The window dropped, but she didn’t lower her weapon. “Whoever you are, reveal yourself right now or I open fire. I’ve got a good, low angle, so I can empty my entire gun into you without risking anyone. I don’t care how much armor you have on, I’m betting I could hurt you doing that.”
The air blurred in the back of the vehicle, becoming a warped vaguely humanoid form before settling into a masked woman in a black catsuit with silver seams. The tight fit revealed a tall, toned body. Although it wasn’t the same design as she’d seen before, Jia only knew one person with something like that. The next few seconds would determine if she needed to gun somebody down in the back of her flitter.
“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy,” Jia offered, her voice almost a whisper, but her gun never dipping.
“The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide,” the camouflaged woman replied in Mandarin. She switched to English, the voice Alina’s. She pulled off her mask. “But you shouldn’t treat those as valid passphrases going forward. One-time use is our standard.”
“It’d help if you didn’t show up in my back seat without telling me first.”
“I had my reasons,” Alina replied.
Jia holstered her weapon. She didn’t speak again until she’d settled into the driver’s seat and activated the autodrive to return home. She needed her hands free to shoot Alina if the other woman was up to something. A chuckle escaped her mouth. Caring about flying her flitter had only come recently.
It was as if discovering her talent for flight had pushed her toward wanting to control every vehicle in her life.
“I’m that amusing?” Alina asked. “I can’t say I don’t try to be, but I haven’t said or done anything that funny during this little meeting.”
“I’m not laughing because of you,” Jia replied, watching as the parking platform grew farther away. “That was a stupid stunt. I could have killed you, and we’re not exactly in the middle of nowhere. What if someone was walking by? What about drones?”
“This isn’t my first time doing this.” Alina shrugged. “I timed it well, and I took measures. I know how to meet people almost anywhere and not get caught. Don’t mistake my use of a given method for reliance on that method. One of the reasons I don’t get caught is that I don’t always use the same techniques. Erik might have thirty years of experience in the Army, but I have as many in the Directorate.”
“I keep forgetting you’re older than you look,” Jia admitted. “Especially since you don’t have that residual gray like Erik.”
“That’s the problem with this modern world; no one is what they appear to be. Then again, they never have been. If they were, there would be no use for people like me.”
“You could have just contacted me,” Jia grumbled. “Or Erik, if you needed to make some quantum encrypted mess with Emma.”
Alina smiled. “Consider it more training. I’m aware of your piloting lessons, both ship and exoskeleton, and all the tactical training you’ve been doing with Erik. This is my contribution. The world you’re about to step into is different than what you’ve experienced. I don’t think you fully appreciate that.”
“Just because I haven’t been chasing Talos for years, it doesn’t mean I don’t have any experience with shadowy conspiracies.”
“True, but tell me I’m wrong when I say that being a cop made you approach everything differently.” Alina settled into a thin, almost mocking smile. “It’ll take a while for you to lose those instincts.”
Jia scoffed. “No offense, but can you get to the point? And why are you meeting me without Erik, anyway?”
“Because I wanted to make sure you are committed to this without him around.” Alina shrugged. “I don’t want some tragic Dido, pining for an Aeneas who leaves her to pursue his own destiny.”
“I’m not following Erik around like a puppy,” Jia spat. “I’m doing this because there’s something rotten out there, and I want to help clean it up. By force, if necessary.”
“This isn’t the kind of thing you can easily walk away from. I want that clear. A year from now, if you decide it’s too much for you, you won’t be able to go back to the department. I’m not saying I’m going to stick you on Molino mopping floors, but you won’t be able to pick up your old life.”
Jia snorted. “Fine. I’ll move to a colony and open a kebab stand.”
“This isn’t a joke, Jia,” Alina insisted.
Jia rolled her eyes. “I’m getting a little tired of people making sure I know what I’m getting into. I’m not some kid fresh out of a school. I’m already involved. I’ve fought Talos. I’ve fought yaoguai. Nanozombies tried to kill me, but they didn’t get that the old Jia Lin died a while back. Someone stronger and more clearsighted lives now.”
“Strength isn’t the only thing.” Alina's gaze turned frosty. “You’re stepping into a world where the line between right and wrong is far fuzzier than you’d like. You’ll both have to make some hard calls.”
“They won’t be that hard of calls.” Jia patted her holster. “The people we’re looking for have no problem killing hundreds if not thousands of innocent people. I’m not all that worried about taking them out if that’s what you’re asking.”
“What about what happens in between?” Alina asked. “If it were as simple as pointing you at the bad guys, I wouldn’t need you. To get to the most corrupt people, you have to deal with people who are swimming in the corruption, too.”
“I’m a detective. It’s not like I haven’t worked with questionable informants.”
Alina leaned back and shook her head. She let out a disappointed sigh. “The thing is, Erik? I understand him. He has the most classic of motivations—revenge—so I know he won’t get too stuck on what happens in between, but you’re not him. You’re a woman who grew up wrapped in privilege and blind to the truth around you. You say you’re more clear-sighted, but I think you’re still naïve, just in a different way. I’m far more ruthless than either of you, and if you work for me, you’ll end up the same way. I’m not going to say it’s not worth it for the UTC in the end, but it will give you some sleepless nights.”
Jia understood that. She’d thought a lot about it. Using Emma had already pushed her past the rules that were supposed to bind police. On the moon, they’d dealt with a bit more.
“I have one question.” Jia glanced into the back seat at Alina. “Would you kill an innocent person just because they saw the wrong thing at the wrong time?”
“What if I said yes?” Alina’s expression turned blank.
“Don’t answer a question with a question.” Jia glared at her. “Give me your answer.”
Alina shook her head. “I’m not in the ID because I have a love for excitement or because I was looking for a place that would let me kill
people and get away with it, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore someone like that. You may or may not have to choose between the greater good and an individual’s life, but I guarantee you, there’s no way we take down Talos and anyone else like them without at least making people uncomfortable. Nobody’s coming out of this with a completely clean conscience—not you, not me, not Erik.”
Jia turned back around, staring at the flitter in front of her. “I’ll worry about my own conscience. You two can worry about yours.”
Alina’s expression softened. “I’m not trying to be a bitch. You remind me of me when I was younger. I was idealistic and wanted to save people. Now people call me the Goddess of Death. They don’t even bother to do it behind my back anymore. Just realize this will require sacrifice, more than you might understand right now.”
“Anything worth doing requires sacrifice,” Jia insisted, her hand curling into a fist. “And I have things I want to protect.”
“Erik?”
Jia laughed. “Erik can handle himself. I want to help him, but I’m more concerned about innocent civilians going around thinking like I did. Neo SoCal exists because of terrorists who murdered millions. There’s no guarantee a conspiracy can’t do something like that again. The nanozombies made that clear. There are monsters out there, ones that haven’t been genetically engineered. Ones that are planning how to hurt people for their own sick purposes.”
“You’ll join him, then? My Perseus? Go into the Gorgon’s den and slay the monsters? Tragedy befalls would-be heroes, not just in myth, but in real life as well, Jia. Erik’s quest for vengeance is proof of that. His unit was filled with heroes who’d risked their lives countless times against terrorists and rebels, and they were cut down.”
Jia replied with a single curt nod. “You don’t get it. It’s already too late.”
Alina raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“I’ve seen too much already. I can’t go back to pretending it’s not out there. I can’t even go back to pretending that being a normal cop is enough anymore.”
“Good.” Alina’s smile returned. “Originally, I only wanted Erik for this, but I get now that he wouldn’t have lasted more than a few months without a good partner. I’m glad you’re on board.”
“Thanks.” Jia reached for the yoke. It was time to take control of yet another thing in her life. “I don’t know if I’m happy to be doing this, but I know it’s the right thing for me.”
“Enjoy your last few weeks as a cop. Take it easy, too. Once you’re working for me, it might be weeks of complete boredom followed by days of abject terror.”
Jia snickered. “You make it sound so fun.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Erik pulled a shrimp cracker out of his rumpled bag as he walked beside Jia.
They flowed along with the stream of sphere ball fans leaving the arena. He bit down, enjoying the crunch. People chatted happily, pleased with their team’s performance or commenting on their favorite plays that night. It had been a good match, with the outcome in doubt until the last few minutes.
Some people might prefer a blowout, but Erik liked a back-and-forth struggle unless it involved him fighting a group of thugs. A dash of uncertainty and tension could raise the mundane to the sublime.
He held up the bag and edged it toward Jia. “Cracker? I always love these things after the match. It’s like the last minutes of the match add flavor. I can’t explain it.”
Jia shook her head. “No, I’m good. A bag is enough for me for one match.” She sighed. “Good, huh?”
“They are good,” Erik insisted.
“I’m sure they are. Too bad I can’t say the same about our defensive wings.” She groaned and slapped her forehead. “Did they not get enough sleep last night? Were they drunk? What was going on?”
Erik laughed. “Our team won. The other team lost. What’s the problem?”
“They’re better than that,” Jia insisted. “That’s the problem. Look at the stats. They should have steamrolled that pathetic excuse for a team.”
“Come on, any team can win any given match. That’s how the league is balanced. That’s what makes the matches interesting.”
Jia shook a fist. “I understand that, but it’s not as satisfying to see a win if our guys aren’t playing to their maximum capacity. The score wasn’t them being outplayed. This was just our team making too many mistakes, allowing the other team to stay close.”
Erik munched on another cracker with a slight grin. No matter what Jia did, she did it a hundred and ten percent. He couldn’t doubt her passion for sphere ball, despite her approaching the sport from a different angle.
Not wrong, just different.
The crowd slowed as the front of the lines hit the exit and people broke away in different directions to head toward their vehicles. Erik wasn’t in a hurry. They had no active cases, and it was their day off. He had already run Jia through exoskeleton training earlier that day. Rather than going out for dinner, he wanted to relax with her at home. His apartment wasn’t going anywhere, and she needed to spin down from what was supposed to be their relaxing trip to the match.
A nearby fan pumped his fist in the air and slapped a friend on the back. “The defense made some mistakes today, but our offensive wings were on fire. Gods among men.”
“I’m going to miss this.” Erik shook his head. “I didn’t think I would at first, but now it’s hitting me.”
“Miss what?” Jia glanced over her shoulder. “Laughable defense? I won’t miss that! I would go to sleep content every night for the rest of my life if the team never played like that again.”
“No, it’s not this match. I’m talking about being able to attend so many matches in person.” Erik inclined his head toward a holographic replay above them that depicted the goalie blocking a last-minute goal attempt with a brilliant and agile pivot. “It’s not the same if you’re not here. If you’re not hearing the roar of the crowd. It’s why I never got into sphere ball before. I never bothered to go to a stadium, but once I did, I was hooked. I fell in love.”
“Of course.” Jia thought about it. “You’re right, now that I think about it, but it’s not like Neo SoCal is the only place with sphere ball. Even if we’re traveling, it doesn’t mean we won’t be able to attend matches.”
Erik grinned. “Oh, you’re a fair-weather fan now?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jia glared at him. “I’m allowed to criticize poor play. That’s the fundamental right of all fans.”
“I’m not talking about that. You don’t care what match you see, even if it involves another team?” Erik raised an eyebrow in challenge and combined it with his best infuriating smirk.
Poking her wouldn’t hurt.
“Don’t make me knock you out,” Jia muttered, flexing her fist. “I don’t care if we’re in public. Besides, keep talking like that, and I’m going to end up in a fight with this entire crowd. I don’t want the news reports to be all about how I had to knock out a bunch of people out over a match disagreement.”
“That would be entertaining. I’d put my money on you. Two-to-one.” Erik looked around. “Nah. This crowd looks weak. Four-to-one on you. I’d just watch and provide color commentary.”
Jia rubbed her chin, her head pivoting around, checking out the potential opposition. “Well, I am in a bad mood.”
“Next time, we’ll throw you in there as the goalie,” Erik suggested. “You’d do a great job before you fouled out for throat-punching every other player.”
“Who knows? Maybe I’m a natural.” Jia managed a smile. “At the game, not the throat-punching.”
“Knowing you, I wouldn’t doubt it.” Erik frowned. The crowd slowed even more. People farther up murmured amongst themselves. Someone yelled near the front. The dense crowd blocked the exit view, but there was no smoke or fire, or gunshots, for that matter.
Jia frowned. “Emma, is there anything going on outside?”
“No,” the AI replied.
“There’s normal movement and activity as people leave the building, but the rate of egress has decreased in the last couple of minutes. There is no unusual security or police activity. No assaults or other incidents have been reported since the beginning of the match. This is an orderly exit for such a large group of overly excited fleshbags.”
Jia’s hand drifted toward her stun pistol under her jacket. “The trouble might have started on the inside.”
“Trying to work out that aggression?” Erik asked.
“Maybe.”
“I’m not detecting any auditory evidence of gunfire or fighting inside,” Emma replied. “Oh. I see. Don’t worry. I think you’ll enjoy this surprise, but I can’t always be sure about you fleshbags. This shouldn’t require any gunfire on your part.”
“You say that, but you don’t seem like someone who understands people,” Jia challenged. She leaned over, trying to peer past the crowd. People began to part, excited chatter passing through the crowd like a wave.
“It’s them!” a man whispered in front of Jia.
A tall blond man walked through the reverential crowd with a shorter but more muscular dark-haired Asian man beside him. Erik understood the excitement.
The men were Kane Danen and Lei Li, the star offensive and defensive wings for the Neo SoCal Dragons. Erik downed another stale shrimp cracker, chewing as the players shook fans’ hands and made their way down the crowded hall. He reached for a new cracker as Kane and Lei stopped right in front of him, expectant looks on their faces.
Erik respected every player on their team for their skill, but he didn’t worship them like many fans. Nor did he become irritated about their individual match failures like Jia. They were just talented players putting on a solid performance most matches. That called for an appropriate response.
He lifted his bag. “Want a shrimp cracker?” His offer elicited laughs from everyone nearby, including the two players.
“Nope. I’m good,” Kane replied, extending his hand. “Kane Danen.”
Maelstrom of Treason Page 24