Grey Sky Blues_An Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller

by K. C. Sivils

  The priest shoved the half-man half-machine to the floor and turned to accost another augmented. A red headed woman with multiple ports and USB cords protruding from her skull and running to different parts of her body grabbed the priest by his neck.

  He didn’t hesitate and jammed his right thumb into her left eye socket, destroying the cybernetic eye implanted there. Blinded, the lost creature kept strangling Father Nathan. Frantic, he began ripping cords from the woman’s body. On the fourth cord, she froze and let go, crumpling to the floor.

  Holding his throat, gasping for air, he turned to face the other two augmented humans. His first victim still screamed, the constant, unvarying wail.

  “I don’t want to hurt you. I just need to turn Sally, the A.I. off before she harms anyone else.”

  An Earth African woman with flawless chocolate skin tilted her head to the side as if receiving a signal. She smiled. “That is something we cannot allow.”

  Father Nathan backed away from the two augmented humans as they moved towards him. His hip bumped into the desk behind him. Relief swept over him as he felt the touch of the phase weapon in his belt. Drawing the weapon, he aimed and fired as the two augmented humans charged.

  He curled his nose at the smell of plasma and singed flesh. At least they were alive. Reading the labels on the servers, the priest gave up. Pulling power cords he cut off the power to the servers, shutting down whatever services they controlled.

  He stopped at the server labeled life support.

  “I have to be close.”

  The next server emitted chilled air from the built in super cooler unit. Engraved in the manufacturer’s tag was the unit designation in all capital letters: S.A.L.Y.

  He glanced about the wreckage of the room. Settling on a steel and plastic chair, Father Nathan first ripped the power source for the A.I. from the wall. The unit powered down, lights flickering as it shut down. His blind rage ran loose as he began slamming the steel legs of the chair into the metal frames protecting the fragile components contained within. Coolant from the ruptured cooling lines vented into the room, filling with a toxic white cloud.

  Coughing, Father Nathan tossed the chair aside and grabbed the two unconscious augmenteds and pulled them from the chamber. Returning, he grabbed the red headed woman and dragged her towards the door, stopping only to give the screaming idiot a swift kick to propel him out the door.

  He dropped the woman on the floor and hurried to the guard kiosk. Grabbing the frightened guard, he shouted over the blaring klaxon.

  “Check to see if any riot doors have been activated!”

  “What?”

  Father Nathan screamed his order again. The guard jerked in response but looked down at the monitor controls in his station.

  “Right here,” he pointed.

  “Open them!”

  “They’re riot doors. I don’t have the authorization.”

  The priest drew his weapon again and aimed it at the guard’s nose. He blinked once and opened the riot doors.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  MARKESON SAT DOWN AT the table where Josephson and his C.I. were busy. It would take days to process the arrests. He grinned. It would take longer to process the payments to have that little arrest dropped from their record.

  “Sir, Detective Markeson?”

  He looked up. Standing before him was an officer of the Alliance fleet.

  “Can I help you? I’m a bit busy, so please, keep it simple.”

  “Sir, if you would, there is someone who requests a private audience with you.” The officer paused. “Someone from the Alliance.”

  The detective didn’t like the sound of this. “Who is this someone?”

  “Sir, I’m afraid I will have to let them introduce themselves. Would you please follow me?”

  Without waiting for Markeson’s response, the officer walked down an unused corridor. Worried about this sudden intrusion, Markeson followed. The man stopped at a door and waited at attention.

  He opened the door and motioned for the detective to enter. Markeson walked in to find another Alliance officer. The door shut behind him, alerting the waiting officer. The man smiled graciously and motioned for the detective to take a seat in one of two chairs in the room. Pulling the legs of his dress pants up, Markeson sat down slowly, keeping an eye on the other man.

  “Now, now, no need to be so suspicious,” the officer chuckled.

  “I’m sorry? I don’t know you. You drop in on my raid and demand to see me. And I’m not supposed to be suspicious?”

  “I suppose I should thank you for your paranoia. You’ve contained this mess quite well for us.”

  Markeson looked at the man, taking in every detail he could, wishing Sullivan was present so they could download the images from his Inspector’s cybernetic eye.

  “Who are you?”

  “That is not for you to know,” the Alliance officer answered, the smile vanishing from his face. “You made an audible, yes, an audible. I think that is the correct sports terminology. MacAuliffe did a poor job of handling you Detective Markeson. He did not make a poor choice in your recruitment. You should have been passed along to a higher up for your recruitment and indoctrination.”

  Hiding his fear and growing concern, Markeson remained silent, watching the stranger.

  “We admire the fact you have the ambition to take over our operation here. To take control of a planet you are so already heavily invested in. Make us come to you on your terms as it were.”

  “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about,” Markeson answered.

  "Yes, detective, you do. Excellent raid by the way. We will not make as large a profit as we expected and of course, the fights will have to stop. For now at least. But you will not reap the benefit of our efforts.”

  Angry, Markeson jutted his jaw out in defiance.

  “I expect to be compensated. My officers as well, under...”

  “Yes, yes, I know all about the statute you are referring to. Don’t worry. Everyone including your judge will be compensated. You will be allowed to prosecute some of the lesser guests in attendance. The arena will be shut down, preserved of course, but its primary entrances sealed.”

  “Any business that runs through Beta Prime, it runs through me,” Markeson insisted, watching the officer.

  “That would go without saying. My operatives found MacAuliffe’s body.”

  “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”

  "No, but you did take care of a particular loose end we needed to be cleaned up."

  “I’ll have to think about things.”

  “Don’t think too long Detective. Your Chief O’Brian put in his papers to retire shortly after you and your strike force took off from Capital City.”

  Markeson grinned. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll have to wait that long.”

  The officer smiled and stood.

  “I have one question if you don’t mind.”

  “How did we know to intervene? Let’s just say,” the man paused ominously, “you need to think only of me as your overlord. Nothing escapes my attention when it comes to the Society.”

  I WOKE UP WITH A HORRIBLE hangover. At least that’s what I thought it was till I remembered I’d given up booze years ago.

  Bright lights are not my friend when I wake up in the first place. They didn't help matters now that I had a headache. Carefully, I opened one eye for just a second to see where I was. Not spotting any immediate threats to my life, I waited for a minute or so before trying a second time. This time I left the eye open. It was my left eye and being a real one, it took a bit for it to adjust.

  “You’re awake I see,” a male voice droned.

  I squinted a bit, and Father Nathan came into focus, sitting to my left. He was dressed in his cleric's attire again and reading what had to be his Bible or some other theological treatise on his tablet.

  I answered with a moan.

  “Use your other eye,” he commanded, the irritation in his voi
ce evident.

  I opened my cybernetic eye and glared at him with it while I closed my left eye.

  “Where am I?”

  “The hospital on the space station. You buddy Markeson shipped you off Persephone as quickly as he could once he found you. Sent Josephson and that sketchy C.I. of yours, Bill, I think that’s his name, along on the next shuttle.”

  This little fact got my attention.

  “He’s up to something.”

  “Of course he is.”

  “We need to go back. More crimes are being committed this minute.”

  Father Nathan went back to scanning his tablet.

  “No, really. We need to go back.”

  “You nearly died. Again. You aren’t going anywhere except home. Oh, and you’re welcome.”

  I don’t give up easily.

  “I didn’t go through all that to let Markeson loot that crime scene.”

  Father Nathan looked at me over his tablet.

  “Word is, Markeson got his feathers clipped.”

  “His what?”

  “Old Earth expression. Some hush hush Alliance cruiser arrived in the middle of the raid. Some mysterious high-ranking shows up talks to Markeson in private and leaves. Markeson’s been a terror ever since.”

  “So the good guys won?”

  He grinned at me. “The good guys won. For the most part.”

  “Yeah, for the most part.”

  “Oh, by the way, just a reminder, services this Sunday are at 0800 and 1100 hours.”

  Not being religious, I gave my friend a spiteful look.

  "Did I tell mention while you were being suffocated by that deranged A.I. I fought four augmented humans by myself, by myself, in order to destroy that A.I? From the look on your face, I can see I haven't. Then, despite being grievously injured and exhausted, I raced to the guard kiosk and opened the riot doors, saving your life.”

  “Thanks. I mean it.”

  “Quid pro quo, my friend.”

  My friend can be annoying when he shows off his fancy priest education.

  “I don’t speak Latin.”

  “You owe me. For saving your life.”

  There was going to be no getting out of this. “1100 hours it is then.”

  I took a quick look around the tiny room. “Where’s Sarah?”

  “Walking around. She can’t take being cooped up inside much longer. I figure we won’t see her for a couple of days once we’re dirtside.”

  “She’s got an open ended ticket. What’s she still here for? Joe will feed her. She’s got a key and the lock code to my place.”

  Father Nathan ignored that question.

  “Ellie’s in the lockdown here on the station.”

  “Why?”

  “It would seem you insisted Ellie be transferred to a psychiatric care facility in Capital City. Care paid for by the Alliance. Markeson signed off. Didn’t bat an eye.”

  “He’ll want something,” I warned.

  “Yeah, for you to be quiet about everything you saw.”

  “I owe you again,” I told my friend.

  “Yes, you do. Did I mention among my many priestly talents I can forge your signature perfectly?”

  “This means two Sunday’s in a row?”

  “The entire month.”

  Distinct footsteps were coming down the hall. Bootsteps to be more accurate. The door eased open, and Sarah's face appeared. As if the beating she had taken in the ring had never happened, her face looked like that of a porcelain doll again. Who ever designed her DNA had earned their pay when it came to Sarah's ability to heal quickly.

  “You’re awake.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Father Nathan bailed on me. He got up and left. Sarah eased in and shut the door behind her. Standing next to the bed, she ran her fingers through my hair once, brushing it out of my eyes.

  "You nearly died," Sarah said the words like she was accusing me of something.

  Her pretty face clouded up as she pushed her lips together to form a pout. “Saving my sister.”

  I shrugged, a bit confused.

  “That A.I. tried to suffocate you. When you passed out, you smacked that thick skull of years on the floor and gave yourself a wicked concussion.”

  “Explains the headache.”

  Sarah shrugged off her black coat, followed by her blue jacket beneath. Each was folded carefully on the chair the good Father had been sitting in. Watching me carefully, Sarah sat down and pulled her boots off.

  Without asking my permission, the little minx climbed onto my bed and stretched out next to me, resting her head on my left shoulder. With care, Sarah arranged her long hair, pulling it behind her shoulders.

  “Thank you for bringing Ellie so I can take care of her.”

  “She’s going to be in an institution.”

  "I know," Sarah answered, her expression sad. "But nobody will know she’s a clone. I can visit. Ellie will get help. We can try to be sisters again.”

  Being so close, and being a beautiful woman, clone or not, Sarah was making me nervous. She didn't speak again for a long time. I just listened to her breathing while she lay still.

  “Why are people so evil?”

  I didn’t have a good answer for that one.

  “Just are. Father Nathan says it’s because we’re separated from God. Makes us sin, harbor evil in our hearts.”

  Sarah sat up, offering me a glimpse of a smile.

  “I can’t stay. I just can’t.”

  “I know.”

  “Can I use the ticket?”

  It was my turn to smile back. “Promise me you’ll go to Joe’s first thing and let everyone know you’re back. You come to work when you’ve got it out of your system, okay?”

  I felt her slender fingers run through my hair again. Sarah smiled one more time and vanished. Like she always did.

  I had never felt so frightened before in my life.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  TWO MONTHS LATER...

  “Inspector, you haven’t thought this through.”

  I looked at Markeson, trying to get a read on him as he leaned back in his chair. The chair in his new office as Chief of Police for all of Beta Prime, its two moons, and the surrounding space station and satellites.

  I couldn't place my finger on it. Did Markeson want me to stay because he needed me? Or was it more a need to keep an eye on me. So I didn't disrupt anymore of his questionable after duty enterprises. I finally settled on both.

  “Chief, I’ve been shot at, blown up, beaten, trampled, lied to, stabbed and too many other things to list them all. I want to help people. Not play games.”

  Markeson caught my drift.

  “If somebody needs to be set straight about how they treat their wife or property needs to be reclaimed in a way that it’s never borrowed again, you’d like to have the freedom to do so without certain hindrances. Is that what you mean?”

  I nodded. The new Chief was as crooked as they come, but underneath it all, Markeson needed, no, wanted law and order on Beta Prime. His enterprises couldn't flourish without it. He was an excellent detective when he wanted to be. Sharp, intuitive. He'd even made some changes to how we policed on Beta Prime that was positive, making our jobs safer while reducing certain types of crime.

  “What about Sarah?”

  “She’s going with me.”

  Markeson sat thinking for several minutes. I was getting bored and had better things to do with my time. I was about to leave when he finally spoke.

  "Look, you'll need a revenue stream till you can establish yourself.”

  “I’ve got a little money saved up.”

  "Please, you'll need an office, advanced computers, you're going to have to break down and pay for Sarah to get some actual training, don't give me that look, and there will be insurance, you'll need someone to fast track your private investigator's license..."

  I was curious to see what he was up to.

  “The department got a real windfall from that r
aid at Graham. Who would have ever believed the murderer was a computer? At any rate, let me hire you as a consultant and swear you in as a volunteer police officer. Sarah too.”

  I laughed. “You just want to keep Sarah from showing up at a restaurant when you’re entertaining one of your lady friends.”

  Markeson frowned, not happy at hearing me reminding him of the unfortunate incident.

  "Seriously, Sullivan, it's a good deal for both of us. You get a steady revenue stream. I'll pay your current salary plus an annual allowance for expenses. You'll have access to Josephson to legally snoop in the database instead of having to sneak around to get him to do it. Bones will be able to look at things for you when time permits.”

  “And if you need some fact finding done without a warrant?”

  He grinned like a genetically engineered Primian cat.

  “You see, this is a good deal for both of us! Plus, if I have a really tough case, like the Cowboy killer, I can call you in.”

  “No regular office hours?”

  “No. Unless I need you on a case, your time and your cases are you own. If you want, I’ll even pay you to train officers. I can cut the budget for training and know my officers are better trained because I paid you to do it rather than having those off world stiffs the Alliance sends and makes us pay for."

  He leaned forward, the expression on his face serious.

  “This is a good deal in so many ways for both of us. Take it.”

  Markeson was right. Right for all the reasons he pointed out. Just as right for all the reasons he didn’t.

  “I’ll need to discuss it with Sarah and Father Nathan, but, unless they object, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  “Father Nathan? The priest?”

  I stood up, enjoying the expression on the Chief’s face, sort of a cross between being puzzled and concerned.

  "Yeah, he's got some free time. Wants to fix up the parish buildings. Figured he's a good man in a pinch, so why not? I get a third set of fists or eyes when I need them, and he gets the money for his repairs."

  Markeson sat still considering this bit of news. I might stray over the line of legality from time-to-time if justice required it and Markeson knew it. The idea of a priest with Father Nathan’s reputation worried him.