“Where do we start, Sir?” asked Sosa.
“We are still officially looking into the Money Munoz case. It seems to me that the more we look into this gangster, the more power and significance he appears to hold. The Senator is linked to organised crime and plenty of dirty deals. Munoz also looks to have his hand in anything dirty. We pursue Munoz and I am pretty damn sure we will start turning up leads on Malory.”
“That’s who we’re chasing, Sir, Senator Malory?” asked Jamal.
“That’s right. He’s as bad as they come, blackmail, extortion, murder. We know he’s a scumbag. We just have to prove it!”
“You’ll find all our case files stored on the Intrepid’s drives only. We cannot afford to risk anyone else intercepting our data. Right now, we need a fresh look at everything we’ve got. We took a hit today. Let’s take a seat and think this through. By the end of the day I hope to get our wounded back and be on our way. Until then, I want you all here and looking for leads. That’ll be all, get to it.”
He sat down at the head of the table and sighed wearily as he opened the files on the display. He’d already spent endless hours poring over the data, and the thought of anymore was already giving him a headache.
“Hey, Max, we got the scene photo from today yet?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah, the data has been combined from both crews into a temporary directory.”
Kaufman flicked through the files until he found the entry. The first photos sent a shiver down his spine as he remembered the brutal ambush they’d faced just hours before. Pictures of his dead comrades were a gruelling sight. He stopped on them to mourn their passing before quickly moving onto the images of their attackers.
“What are you looking for?”
“The guys that attacked us, Max. I want to know who they are. You remember the tactics they employed and the gear they used. They had no forms of identify on them and their vehicles had the identity chips removed. These were professionals.”
He looked closer at a few photos of tattoos that had been documented from the bodies.
“They are all ex-military, but from different units. My guess is that they are private contractors from a single firm.”
He taped the images and dragged them off screen towards the investigation board.
“I want to know who these guys are, where they are from and who employed them! My guess is a private security firm employing ex-forces personnel. It will be run by people who themselves have served. When we get those answers, I want to know how the Senator is connected. How does he know such an organisation?”
“Sir, the Senator served five years in the army. I remember it from his campaign,” said Lin.
“Really? That’s a good place to start. I want you and your team to pursue that lead. Find out who his army buddies were and where they are now.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Sosa, your crew are to get to work on identifying our attackers. Their hardware was substantial, so someone must be missing it. Check major arms dealers on Earth, the Moon and the nearest star bases. They may also have put some of it through clearing at various security checks. Follow all leads.”
“On it, Sir.”
“The rest of you, get back to work on Munoz. We need to make some headway there, and it could be the break we need. Barski, get a car. We’ve got officers wounded. It’s time we attended to them.”
Barski nodded, eager to both check on their comrades but also to get away from the grinding investigative work in the briefing room.
“Sir, given recent circumstances, I suggest you take backup,” said Lopez.
“Fine, you and Kaminski can join us, we leave in ten minutes.”
Kaufman paced out of the room and directly to his office. He immediately opened a channel to Denton, and moments later the Commander was displayed before him. He’d obviously been waiting for the Captain to call.
“What the hell is happening up there, Captain? Looks like a damn warzone on the news!”
“Yes, Sir, two dozen well armed and trained soldiers! We are lucky to be alive!”
The Commander was smart and he immediately picked up on what Kaufman was indicating. He shook his head, immediately seeing the connection to the attempt on his own life.
“What are our losses?”
“Three dead, three wounded.”
“Shit, losses that we cannot afford! The new crew, are they operationally ready?”
“More than ready, Sir. They saved our asses!”
“I should warn you, Captain. The initial reports are painting a grim picture of your actions. Some of the media outlets are already latching onto the destructive nature of your operations and heavy-handed actions. They say you are endangering civilian lives.”
“That’s bullshit. This was a targeted ambush, and nobody can put this on us!”
“The facts are irrelevant. The press want us to fail. It makes good news, and clearly there are people who would happily provide the ammunition to shoot us down.”
Kaufman dipped his head. It was bad enough that they faced such dangers on a day-to-day basis, but now they were being vilified for doing as such. The press had always been vicious towards him as a detective, unless he had something they wanted. The cutthroat mercenaries he thought, wouldn’t he love to get his hands around their throats?
“What are your intentions from here, Captain?”
“Sir, we must continue our pursuit of the Munoz case as we investigate the targeting of the personnel of our organisation.”
“Agreed, what can I do?”
“Try and keep the press off our backs. We are taking enough flak in the field as it is, so we don’t need their crap right now.”
“Good, have your people log the casualties and I will get in contact with their families. I can guarantee you that they will be well cared for.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Good luck, Denton out.”
The transmission ended and Kaufman lay back in his chair. He should be thankful for still being alive, but he couldn’t help but think of the losses. Officers killed in the line of duty, was nothing new to him. But so many in such a short space of time had made it a cruel year. The IBI had become the number one frontline force against major crime and they were paying the price for it. He wondered how many more volunteers they would get after seeing the fatality rate. The door buzzer rang and Barski came in. His cool headedness was gone. He’d been waiting to get something out.
“I want this son of a bitch, Eric! I want to rip his heart out with my own hands!”
He was quivering with rage. The comradery quickly established within their crew had made them a wicked effective force, but it made their losses all the harder to bear.
“I hear you. We’re going to break as many skulls as we have to until this is over. But when it comes to the Senator, he has to go down the right way. In humiliating defeat and shamed before the world.”
Max nodded, it was an even more fitting plan for the villain than his bitter hatred had been able to contrive.
“How long can we keep doing this, Eric? By all accounts we should be dead already, how long until it is our turn?”
“You know you can stop anytime you want. You have more than given your fair share to this organisation and the force before that. Nobody would think lesser of you for making a change.”
Max shook his head. He would never admit to wanting it to end, but Eric could see that he wanted to leave it all behind. He wanted to be surrounded by the friends he had made, but not like this.
“Let’s move, and we can talk on the way.”
* * *
It was half an hour’s ride to the hospital in the neighbouring city where their colleagues were being treated. Kaufman wondered at the ugliness of Mars and many of the moons they had visited. They rarely saw somewhere he could say was beautiful, and he asked himself why anyone would want such a life in these places? The only beautiful sight was Earth. It was a constant reminder of what life could be like.
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Thinking back to his previous time on the home planet, he wondered when he ever saw beauty. Despite the vast urbanisation, there were still countless sights of natural beauty, forests, rivers and great canyons. Yet he hadn’t seen any of them in years. He had not ventured into nature during any of the leave he’d had over the years. Maybe living in such a place was no different than the overdeveloped city he’d lived in, when you realise quite how little you ever escaped it.
“If we ever survive this, and if I ever retire, it will be to a small house by a lake and miles from the nearest town,” said Kaufman.
Barski chuckled as he looked at his friend. Kaufman was almost in a daydream at the wheel of the Ford.
“You think you’ll live long enough to see it?” said Barski.
“Don’t you?”
“You’re a stubborn enough bastard to survive it, so I figure I have a chance.”
Kaufman nodded, he agreed entirely.
“And you? No bullshit now, what would you do? Where would you go?”
“Hell, I don’t know. I’d just be glad to have enough money in the bank to pick and choose and have an easy time of it. Your idea of being out in the country doesn’t sound half bad.”
“No, a life of peace so many would kill for.”
They arrived at the hospital to find the local police officers on guard and waiting for them. As they approached the ward, they could make out the bloodied MILAL suits piled up in the corridor. Kaufman stopped as he saw a news screen displaying the scene they had so recently left. The carnage was being shown along with the bodies of their attackers, and the news anchor narrated.
“...many people are questioning the necessity of the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation as they continue to cut a path of violence across the Solar System. According to local sources, this recent battle with a smuggling ring has left dozens dead, including several of the IBI officers.”
“What the fuck? That was no drug smuggling ring,” said Lopez.
“You thought you’d be popular forever? We are the perfect target for those parasites right now,” said Kaminski.
“Path of violence? I’d show that bitch a path of violence. Idiot has no clue what she is talking about!”
“Easy, Max, she’s only reading what she is told to,” replied Kaufman.
“All the work we have done for these people and this is how they repay us?”
“We were the heroes of the moment, quickly forgotten and replaced by the next big news.”
“Hell of a way to honour our dead,” said Kaminski.
Kaufman turned around to the three officers fixated on the troubling news broadcast.
“Listen, all of you. We are being bated. We cannot afford a single mistake or it will be the end of us all. Just because some news bitch says as such, doesn’t make it true. Just as quickly as they are to condemn us, they will be equally as expedient to sing our praises if we give them enough cause.”
He continued on towards the piles of damaged armour to find their men. Kaufman didn’t turn back to the screen. He wanted nothing more than to forget what he had just seen. There were plenty of local police on guard, but they barely responded to the presence of Kaufman’s team. If it were any cop, they would be giving them first class treatment, but they were receiving less hospitality by the day.
They reached the window that looked onto their fellow officers. Morel was sitting up in bed, cradling his wounded arm and eager to get back onto his feet. The other two still lay flat but looked in relatively good condition. A doctor appeared at the doors and pushed through.
“Captain Kaufman?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I am Doctor Khan. Your three men here are lucky to be alive.”
“The other three were not so lucky.”
The doctor nodded as the grin waned from his face.
“Quite right, Captain, my condolences. Now, Officer Morel has sustained a light arm injury and will fully recovered within a couple of days. Officer Chan’s shoulder was dislocated by the impact against his armour, a few centimetres lower and he would have lost the arm. Wells’ leg will take a little longer but he will recover fully. It will be a couple of months before he will run again.”
“Okay, thank you, Doctor. Are they all ready to be discharged? We have much work to do.”
“Sure, they can leave whenever you’re ready. Providing they continue with the meds I have supplied to them and they take it easy, they are free to go.”
“Excellent, we appreciate your efforts, but we must get on. As you can imagine, my personnel’s safety is my major concern right now.”
The doctor nodded as Kaufman stepped past him and through the doors into the room where the three men were waiting. They all turned at his presence to both welcome him and to hear the news they had been waiting for.
“Sir, how’d we do?” asked Chan.
“We survived. Campbell, Laine and White did not.”
The officers were ghostly pale and feeling sick with the news. Kaufman was only glad that they had not seen the recent news story regarding the day’s events.
“We getting out of here, Sir?” asked Morel.
“Yes, immediately. It is not safe for any of us here.”
Smiles widened across their faces, it was the only good news they’d received all day.
“Get ready to move, we’re leaving now.”
Kaufman turned and walked out of the room. He was about to speak to his team when he noticed a group of police officials approaching. The man at the centre was high ranking, but Kaufman didn’t recognise the insignia of the moon authorities. They were on serious and official business.
“I don’t like the look of this.”
Barski’s hand reached carefully to the grip of his pistol. His hand moved away from the weapon realising that it was not a problem that could easily be solved.
“Captain Kaufman?”
“That’s me.”
“I am Commander Mallard. I am sorry for your losses. However, I have no choice but to ask you and your team to come in for questioning regarding the recent gun battle which took place in my district.”
“You’re fucking kidding me!” shouted Barski.
“I will remind you, Gentlemen, that I am the governing authority of this area.”
“I don’t give a shit who you are, you arrogant bastard! I’ve got men down and some major powers wanting us dead. As officers of the IBI, we have the power to operate across all colonies and we do not take orders from any local force!”
“Maybe before these events, Captain, but you must now come with us!”
Kaufman could see the five officers with the Commander reaching for their weapons and the situation was going south.
“Not a chance!” replied Kaufman.
The uniformed officers reached for their guns but Kaminski and Barski already had pistols training on them before they had a chance to draw.
“Captain! Tell you officers to lower their weapons!”
Kaufman remained calm, but his frustration and anger was building as he could feel his blood boil.
“Commander, you have no authority over me and my team. I will kindly ask you to step aside and let us pass. Meanwhile, I suggest you look into how a military equipped force was able to enter and operate on your soil!”
“You’ll hang for this, Kaufman! This is my city, and nobody holds me to ransom!”
Kaufman sighed and stepped slowly up to the Commander.
“Tell me honestly what you would do in this situation, Commander. I have a responsibility to my job, my officers and the people who are relying on me to crack our case. We are doing the right thing for the right reasons. Take a long hard think about whose side you are on!”
Kaufman turned his back on the Commander and stepped back past his officers towards his wounded men. As he opened the doors, he turned back to glare at the Commander.
“I am not asking for your help, Commander, only for you to be a decent human being. Don’t let some pe
tty power struggle make you forget what our purpose is here. We’ll be off your rock within the hour. Tell your superiors that I forced you away at gunpoint if you like. I don’t care, but do not stand in our way!”
He went into the room and let the doors shut behind him.
“There a problem, Sir?” asked Morel.
“Yeah, we’re still on this piece of a shit moon. We aren’t too popular right now, but it’s a long story. Let’s get you back aboard. I need you right back to work, so you will only be spared field duty until you are fully recovered.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, Sir,” said Chan.
“Alright, let’s move.”
* * *
It was a bitter journey back to the ship. Barski was still shocked at how quickly everyone could turn on them, but Kaufman knew it all too well. As the lead detective in so many high profile cases over the years, he was used to the flak.
“I God damn hope they have got some good leads, as we are rapidly descending into the shit,” said Barski.
Chan and Morel rode in the back of their cruiser, listening to every word.
“Sir, didn’t we do the right thing? We were attacked!”
“Yes, Chan, if that had happened when we were cops the support would have flooded in,” said Morel.
Barski nodded, they all felt the same pain and misery at being condemned for doing their duty.
“We are facing some pretty powerful people right now. A man like Malory can swing many stories the way he wants them. It’s pretty easy to make the authorities look like the bad guys if you choose your facts selectively. It isn’t going to stop, not until we can bring the bastard to justice and prove to the public that we were justified in everything we did.”
“And what if we can’t find overwhelming evidence on Malory, what then, Sir?”
Kaufman looked around to them with a blank expression.
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