As he pushed his way through the hordes of people, he was surprised at how few fled and the little interest they showed. He broke through a group of civilians to find a body on the ground and looked up for any sign of the shooter. But the passersby barely acknowledged the body. He knelt down beside the man and felt for a pulse, but he was already dead.
The man was little more than a teenager and had a sizeable whole in his torso where a bullet had torn into his heart. Barski arrived and looked down at the body.
“Where’s the shooter?”
Kaufman holstered his pistol.
“No idea, but he’s dead. Nobody seems to even care.”
“Clear the way!”
The shout came from two uniformed cops pushing their way through the crowd, though with little urgency. They strode up to Kaufman who was still kneeling by the body. One of them spoke into his comms.
“I’ve got a looter dead on Floor 17, Red District. We’ll need a recovery team up here.”
Kaufman watched at the officer who didn’t seemed to care that a man had just been shot, only that a dead body littered the floor.
“Officer, this man was just shot in a public corridor. Will you do nothing to find his killer?”
He sighed as if he was offended.
“That’s just another looter. He probably tried to rob someone and got what was coming to him. It’s not my problem.”
“Well whose problem is it?” insisted Kaufman.
The officer straightened up as if to exert his authority. His hand reached for a shock baton that rested on his side.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Kaufman righted himself and pulled back his coat to reveal the gleaming shield on his belt. The officer squinted to recognise it for a moment before turning back with a grin on his face.
“It’s you assholes, wondered when we’d be seeing you.”
“I don’t much like your tone. I am Captain Kaufman of the IBI.”
“What can I do for you, Captain?”
The man spoke slowly with a defiant and bored tone. Barski leaned forward towards Kaufman.
“Eric, we’ve got work to do. We don’t have time for this,” he whispered.
Kaufman turned and nodded. It sickened him to have to leave the situation to an inept officer who had no care or empathy, but he had to move past it quickly.
“Officer, this man deserves to have his murder investigated the same as anyone else, and to be treated with a little more respect.”
“Clearly you aren’t familiar with these bastards, Captain. They are street urchins. They beg and steal. One down can only be a good thing.”
He glanced down at the body and back up to the officer; he knew it was a lost cause.
“We have work to do, so we’ll leave you to deal with this.”
Kaufman turned back to his officers who felt just as hopeless as he did.
“Let’s go.”
The sleazy officer was sneering at them as they left. Kaufman wondered what hope there was when the local authorities were so hopeless and care free.
“I hate to say it, and he was an asshole, but he may also be right,” said Barski. “You saw that kid. He probably had a decade of crime under his belt, and there never was any hope for him.”
“That’s beside the point, Max. As long as the local officers act with such arrogance and attitude, things will never change.”
“Not like anything is much different in the crappier areas of LB, Sir. I worked those streets and the same shit happens everywhere,” said Wells.
Kaufman stopped.
“That doesn’t make it right! If, as officers of the law, we don’t try to make a difference and give a shit, who will?”
“I agree, Sir, but we can’t save every lost soul,” said Kaminski.
She was certainly right in that regard. He had already come to hate the base he’d never before seen. The civilians were obtuse, the officials rude and complacent. He wanted nothing more than to leave and never return.
“Let’s focus on the job at hand, then the faster we can get out of here.”
“Agreed,” replied Barski.
They continued on through the huge sector that was little more than endless bars of a dubious nature. He looked down at his screen and stopped at a corner. They had entered a more upmarket district.
“This is the place.”
They were at a broad fronted club that was lit up with countless neon lights. It was called The Passion Chamber. They could already see from the door that it was a strip joint.
“Martin Chambers, The Passion Chamber. He really thought about that one,” said Barski.
“Lovely.”
“What, you never seen pole dancers, Kaminski?”
“Yeah, just the clubs back home are a little classier.”
“You’ll have to show us someday,” said Barski.
Kaufman turned around with a serious expression that warned them to focus on the task at hand.
“I don’t believe for a moment that Chambers is stupid enough to cause trouble, but neither is he at liberty to give us anything. Do not provoke him. Unless we are seriously at risk, avoid drawing weapons at all costs. Let me do the talking.”
“Sure thing,” said Barski.
Kaufman drew back his coat, pulled his badge from his belt and went up to the burly bouncers on the door. They were both a head taller than him, one bald and the other had a neon blue mohawk. They wore black leather coats, not the common imitation fabrics that were far less costly. He lifted the badge as he got nearer to them.
“I’m just here to talk to the boss.”
The mohawk bouncer looked at the ID and then chuckled.
“You’re that hotshot bitch on TV.”
He turned to his friend. “We have a celebrity right here.”
His friend grinned at the far from witty comment.
“I am Captain Eric Kaufman of the IBI. I wish to speak to Martin Chambers. We are not here to cause you trouble.”
The grin left his face.
“Wait here!”
The man disappeared into the club. They could see that he was talking on the communicator piece he wore, but they couldn’t hear over the music. The huge Mohawk wearing bouncer smiled at them, amused by their presence. He was intimidating and Kaufman knew that Barski would like nothing more than to bloody his nose and pride. A moment later the other man came back.
“Alright, three of you can go through.”
Kaufman nodded in gratitude as they went through the towering guards. His eyes darted around the entire establishment, ignoring the women dancing on podiums. He was eyeing up the security and location of everyone inside. Within a few seconds, he’d identified Chamber’s position on a balcony section at the very back.
Chambers was staring at them from the moment they entered the room. He was utterly fascinated by their presence. As Kaufman grew closer, he had a better look at the gangster. He wore a white suit and tie with a contrasting black shirt. One leg crossed was over the other, and the diamonds around the soles of his shoes gleamed. He was in good shape, well tanned and his hair was slick and shiny. A cigarillo was in his hand. Smoking Cosaline so publically could only be achieved with a man who held massive power in the district.
The decadent gangster beckoned for them to come closer. Either side of him were scantily clad women and a couple of goons sat opposite. Chambers was every bit the iconic and sleazy low-life that it was almost comical. It was an image he milked and enjoyed every bit of. They stepped up the lit stairs towards him and stopped at the top step.
“Captain Kaufman! Well, well, well! What brings the leading officer of the IBI to my fine establishment? My taxes are paid, I assure you.”
“Mr Chambers, we’re here to talk.”
“Really? You’ve come a long way for a conversation, but please, sit. I am interested to hear how I could assist the famous Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation.”
Chambers nodded to his goons to clear space f
or the Captain. Kaufman took a seat on the lavish leather and hardwood sofa. He looked across at the smirk on the gangster’s face.
“I am after a man, and I believe you may be able to help me.”
“With all your power and resources, you come to me, a local businessman?”
“Let’s be straight here. I know you deal in Cosaline, and I also know you’re a big player.”
Chamber’s eyebrows lifted. It was clear that no other man would dare enter his club with such accusations.
“I know this and I do not care. There may come a time when we lock horns, but it is not now. I have no interest in what happens on L2.”
“Really? Big words, for a man who is so far from home. You have stepped into a dangerous place with that tongue.”
“I don’t want any bullshit. I need information.”
“And what are you offering me, Captain? I am a reasonable man, but I did not become a successful businessman by simply giving things away for free.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Then what can you offer me?”
“Speaking frankly, I don’t give a shit about the Cosaline trade. It may be illegal but it is low on my scale of problems in society. I do, however, care about the more heinous crimes that certain Cosaline dealers use in their business.”
“Go on.”
“In return for information on a particular individual, I would be willing to guarantee that the IBI will not pursue you for any Cosaline related offenses for the next three years.”
Chambers smiled and lay back in his chair, stretching out.
“You are asking me admit guilt.”
“Far from it. I am merely offering a guarantee that we will not pursue any case in regard to Cosaline for that time.”
“You are bating me into bribing an officer of the law and I don’t like it. I am going to have to ask you gentlemen to leave.”
The two goons righted themselves and prepared for action.
“No, Sir. This is not an official trade. No record will be made at all. This is an agreement between gentlemen, or is that notion truly dead?”
Chambers stroked his chin in consideration. Kaufman knew that he had tipped into the man’s twisted sense of honour and tradition. He never imagined himself making such a deal with a man like Chambers, but it was a far lesser evil than many options that had presented themselves.
“Tell me, Captain, who is this man you want information on?”
“Money Munoz.”
One of the goons scoffed at the name as Chamber’s eyes widened.
“You clearly don’t know me at all, Captain.”
“I know that Munoz runs a lot of the market which you would like a hand in. You are an ambitious man, so it must be hard to make headway when Munoz controls so much of what goes on.”
“I’m listening.”
“Whatever your connection to Munoz, I am positive you will have some information that could lead us to him. That is all I ask.”
“It is an interesting proposal, Captain. I have to say I am surprised that you would make such a deal. Though, with your recent presence across the news channels, you must be keen to redeem yourselves. But I am still having difficulty understanding why I should trust you.”
Kaufman knew he had to give Chambers something more to earn his trust.
“I don’t want Munoz because of Cosaline. Many years ago, when Munoz was a small time dealer in LB, I believe he had a cop killed to protect his identity. That cop was my father.”
Chambers smiled, it was the reassurance that he wanted.
“So this is a personal case for you, I am surprised your superiors would allow as such.”
“You let me worry about that. Munoz is going down by my hand. You stay away from cop killing, and anything as stupid, and we can live in peace.”
Chambers nodded, it seemed he liked the deal more and more. Kaufman was offering to take down one of his leading competitors, doing all the work for him. It was a mutually beneficial situation that was hard to refuse.
“I think we might have a deal, Captain.”
* * *
It was not long before Kaufman and his team were on their way, glad to have left behind the grim sight of the vice central on the station, something which would not soon be forgotten.
“Why on earth would you choose to live like that with all that money, Sir?” asked Kaminski.
“To some people he is living the high life that they’d always dreamed of.”
“After a good dozen vodkas maybe,” replied Barski.
They arrived back to their ship and Sergeant Lin made her way to the front to speak to the Captain.
“Was it a fruitful meeting, Sir?”
“I believe so, Sergeant. Time will tell.”
Kaufman tapped his communicator.
“Those with me, break away at the nearest opportunity, rendezvous as instructed.”
He looked back to the Sergeant.
“Our time is up, Sergeant. Keep moving and keep digging. Most importantly, stay safe, good luck.”
“And to you, Sir.”
Kaufman looked up ahead where they were coming to a busy intersection and nodded to Barski to signal for them peel off there. He looked back to Lin who was far from comfortable with having to continue in command. He smiled at her to give some reassurance that things would turn out okay, but he still doubted they would. They reached the intersection and turned immediately left at the crossroads.
He didn’t look back. He didn’t want to remind himself of what he could be losing. In the few months that they had been working together, Kaufman had become highly dependent on his crew. After many years of working with too few resources and too little power to open doors, he was not looking forward to the long hard grind in the city he had been glad to leave.
Seconds later they were gone from the team’s sight. Lin glanced down the line one last time but had already lost sight of them. A single tear fell down her cheek. She was a tough officer, but she knew that there was a good chance that she would never see her colleagues again, except in a prison cell or a morgue. She turned and quickly wiped her face to hide any emotion from the rest of the crew.
Kaufman pulled out a cap from his coat and pulled it on as he made his way through the masses of people. Barski was close behind him as they headed for the shipyard. Ten minutes later they had wrestled their way through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and out into a more peaceful corridor.
The shipping areas where construction and sales took place were some of the oldest sections of L2, and the thick bulkheads showed their age. The paint was flaking and the robust old ironwork was proof that their forefathers had poured in hundreds of years of engineering skill and knowledge.
“You think we’ll get anything decent here?” asked Barski.
“Sure, with all the illegal trade between the colonies it will be easy to get something good. We’ll just have to pay well above the odds to get it, especially if we don’t want too many questions asked.”
“Alright, so we’re going shopping with someone else’s money, what else do they sell round here?”
Kaufman laughed. Barski was able to find the good in the worst of situations. It was one of the great many reasons he was glad to have him at his side. They took a corner and were met by a grandiose sight across an open hangar. Ships were strewn about in an almost random fashion. Some were being worked on and others had huge price tags and info banners.
“Wow, this really is the space supermarket.”
“Remember, Max, we are wealthy stock traders looking for a toy, that’s all.”
Barski chuckled and clapped his hands together. They were looking at ships of all shapes and sizes, from luxury liners to freighters, escort craft and day boats. They stepped forward beyond the repair crews and were immediately set upon by the first sales staff.
“Welcome, Gentlemen. Anything you’re looking for we have it and at the best prices in the System.”
“I very much doubt that,”
said Barski.
The salesman grinned. He was a well-dressed man in his early thirties. He had clearly become a career salesman and had the confidence to do well on commission. Kaufman looked him up and down. His cheap suit had been altered to resemble something far more than what it was.
“Let me guess, you want something luxurious to pick up the girls and show them a good time? Enjoy a few evenings playing cards with your buddies and drinking whiskey while watching the beautiful view of the stars.”
Kaufman looked to Barski, reminding him that they were trying to be subtle.
“We’re after something small and fast. It’ll need to hold a car and be reliable.”
The salesman grinned. It was the typical request of a drug runner and he knew it. Nobody ever said as such, but buyers and salesmen alike knew exactly what was going on.
“I have just the thing, right this way.”
He led them along a line of a dozen ships varying greatly in age and condition. He had ships from brand new and top of the line, to twenty years old and well worn. Going past a huge freighter the salesman turned and smiled.
“The Spacerunner A180X. You won’t find anything faster out here. She’ll leave the cops for dust and get you where you want to be quicker and comfier than anything else on the market!”
Kaufman turned to the salesman.
“You know, Mr...”
“Moran, Freddie Moran, at your service.”
“Well, Freddie. We aren’t looking to run from anyone. We want to cruise in style.”
“Right, got you, Sir. Let me show you inside.”
Barski strolled over to the info board with the specs of the ship. He looked back at Kaufman.
“This is the baby.”
“How much you asking for her, Freddie?”
“For you, because you haven’t busted my balls and you seem a decent chap, I’ll do it at four hundred and fifty K.”
Barski’s face went pale as he gasped and nearly choked.
The salesman looked around surprised and wondered if he had underestimated the two buyers. Kaufman could already see that the man was beginning to doubt their buying power, and that was attention they did not need.
“Will you take cash?” asked Kaufman.
Freddie looked around, unsure as to whether he was having him on. He spluttered for a moment before he could find the words to respond.
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