by John Bowers
He would settle for Saracen.
*
Nick was sipping his coffee and making notes in his ‘puter when, in his peripheral vision, a police car slid to the curb outside the window. He didn’t look up, but was aware that two officers stepped out of the car; they gazed down the street in both directions, then one of them spoke into a radio on his collar. They turned deliberately and walked into the diner. Customers stirred in curiosity at their arrival.
Nick risked a glance without lifting his head and wasn’t surprised that they were heading straight for him. They wore charcoal uniforms and peaked caps of a style that had gone out of fashion decades before the Federation was born.
They stopped six feet apart, flanking his table.
“Is your name Jones?” the older of the two asked. He looked about forty, with thin grey hair, a weathered face, and a stocky build.
Nick looked up, as if in surprise.
“Yes, that’s right. How did you know that?”
He smiled.
The younger officer, who might have been twenty-five, spoke next.
“Keep your hands on the table. Both hands.”
Nick held up both hands, looking at them as if they belonged to someone else.
“Where else would I keep them?”
“Just keep them away from your guns.”
“Okay.” He laid his hands down again.
“Do you know three gentlemen named Wannamaker, Gaspar, and Gough?” It was the older cop again.
Nick’s eyes narrowed in concentration, then he brightened.
“Oh! You mean, Sam, Charlie, and Joker? Yes, but they’re not gentlemen. Has something happened to them?”
The cops exchanged a cynical glance.
“I do hope they’re all right!” Nick said.
“We found them standing in the middle of the street about a mile from here,” the older cop said.
“Nekkid,” the younger cop said.
“Bare-assed,” the older cop added. “Freezing their balls off.”
Nick laughed.
“Oh, those guys! Always goofing around.”
“They told us that you stole their clothing,” the older cop said.
“And beat them up,” the younger cop said.
“And fired your weapon at them,” the older cop said.
“What do you have to say?” the younger cop said.
Nick leaned back in his chair and spread his hands, shaking his head and grinning like an idiot.
“You can’t believe a word those boys say,” he told the officers. “If you know them as well as I do, you know how they love to kid around.”
“They weren’t laughing when we talked to them,” the older cop said.
“They were mad as hell,” the younger cop said.
“They said you stole their clothing and their gun,” the older cop said.
“Well, I did take their gun and their garments, because they left them in the middle of the street and I didn’t want anyone to steal them. But you know how they get with all that horseplay. It just isn’t safe to act-up that way when you have a gun. Somebody could get hurt.”
“Where’s the gun now?” the younger cop asked.
“It’s in my pocket. I was just on my way to the police station to turn it in.”
“Of course you were,” the older cop said.
“If you want to take it off my hands,” Nick said, “you can save me a trip.”
“I will,” the older cop said, “but it may not save you a trip. I think you need to come with us.”
“Really? How come?”
“You aren’t being very cooperative,” the older cop said.
“What do you mean? I’ve answered all your questions.”
“Stand up,” the younger cop said.
Nick slid off the chair and got to his feet, keeping his hands away from his body.
“Which pocket is the gun in?” the older cop asked.
“Right jacket pocket. Be careful, it may be loaded.”
The older cop grimaced. “I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job.”
He stepped around behind Nick and reached into the pocket. Nick winked at the younger cop, drawing a frown in return. The older cop retrieved the weapon, stepped back in front of Nick, and handed it to his partner. For a brief moment they were both distracted.
In the blink of an eye, Nick whipped both Magnums out of his holsters and pointed one at each cop.
“Freeze,” he said quietly.
The cops froze. Their eyes expanded and they turned pale. The older cop found his voice first.
“You’re making a big mistake, Mister.” He practically whispered it.
Nick gave him a wide grin, raised both gun barrels in the air, then shoved them back into their holsters.
“Just kidding. But I scared ya, didn’t I?”
Both officers instantly drew their weapons. The older cop’s cheeks puffed as he exhaled.
“Holy Christ, man! Do you know I almost shot you?”
“Really?” Nick’s eyes were like saucers. “Your gun was in its holster and I had the drop on you. How the hell were you gonna shoot me?”
“You know, I should arrest you for that! Maybe I will.” He nodded to his partner. “Take his guns.”
Nick shrugged.
“Well, if you really want to, but then I’d have to tell your chief how I got the drop you because you’re both acting like a pair of rookies.”
One of the customers watching the exchange chuckled.
“He’s got you there, Williams! He coulda killed both of you if he wanted to.”
Williams, the older cop, glared at the offender.
“Keep out of it, Steiner! This is official business!”
He turned his attention back to Nick, but Nick was still talking.
“How long have you guys been cops?”
“None of your business,” the older cop said. He pulled handcuffs off his belt. “Put your hands behind your back.”
Nick ignored him.
“No, seriously…how long?”
Both cops frowned.
“Nineteen years,” the older one said.
“Three years,” said the other.
“What does it matter?” asked the older cop.
“You guys are worse than rookies. It’s disgraceful.”
“Now look here—”
“First of all, when you walk up on a subject who you know is armed, you always assume he might draw his weapon. The first thing you do is disarm him, and if you have to do it at gunpoint, then you do it at gunpoint. The next thing you do is demand some ID. Don’t take his word for anything, including his name.”
Nick shook his head sadly.
“How did you guys stay alive this long?”
“All right, Jones, you’re—”
“Third thing,” Nick interrupted. “Until you’re ready to actually pull that trigger, you keep your finger outside the trigger guard. There’s nothing more embarrassing than having to explain how you killed a suspect when you didn’t mean to.” Nick held up his forefingers. “You probably didn’t notice that I had both fingers outside the trigger guard when I drew on you. I also didn’t cock my weapons, because I didn’t want any accidents.”
“Who the hell are you, Mister?” the younger cop demanded.
“Ah!” Nick smiled. “Finally, you want to see my ID. I guess late is better than never.”
The younger officer holstered his gun and walked around behind Nick. He snapped a metal cuff over one wrist.
The front door to the diner opened. A trim, slender young woman walked in, hesitated a moment, then strode directly toward Nick.
“What’s going on here?” Connie Ventura demanded. “¡Nico! ¿Qué haces con la policía?”
Nick shrugged. “No sé. Me atacaron sin motivo.”
She turned to the older cop.
“What’s going on, Williams? Why are you arresting him?”
The older cop frowned in confusion. “You know t
his guy?”
“Of course I know him! He’s my cousin, Nico Jones.”
“Cousin!” Williams looked confused. “He doesn’t look much like your cousin.”
“His father is a gringo. I call him tío Jones. Nico and I grew up together. What did he do?”
“Well…we’re still working that out, but he isn’t being very cooperative.”
She stepped up to Nick and kissed him on the cheek.
“¡Nico, pobrecito! Dígales cualquiera quieren saber. Conteste sus preguntas.”
Nick managed to look persecuted.
“I tried to, but they won’t listen. I think maybe they don’t like me.”
“Oh, poor Nico!” She bathed his face with small kisses, then turned to the cops again.
“Turn him loose! Right now.”
“Sorry, Connie, but—”
“I’ll vouch for him.” She looked at the younger cop. “Take off that handcuff! If you don’t, I’ll speak to the chief, and you won’t like that.”
“Aw, come on, Connie! We’re just doing our job.”
“If you don’t do as I say, you won’t have a job! Now turn him loose!”
The younger cop looked at the older one. The older one shrugged.
“Turn him loose. If he murders somebody, we’ll arrest Connie for obstruction.”
The younger cop looked distinctly unhappy, but removed the handcuffs and hung them back on his belt. He stepped back and stared at Nick with flushed cheeks.
“Thank you,” Nick said.
He turned to the older cop.
“In answer to your original question, those three thugs jumped me and pulled a gun, so I kicked the shit out of them, made them strip naked, and left them in the middle of the street. If you really care about doing the right thing, you might do a background check and find out if they’re wanted or have criminal records.”
The older cop, Williams, ground his teeth.
“I told you, don’t tell me how to do my job.”
“You keep saying that. But you better read a book or something, because somebody needs to clue you in.”
***
Nick walked down the street with Connie Ventura at his side.
“How the hell did you pull that off? You sleeping with the police chief?”
She tossed her head and her eyes twinkled. “As a matter of fact, I am. It never hurts to have allies.”
“Jesus!” Nick shook his head.
“Hey, it’s not as tawdry as it sounds. He’s a single man and we really like each other. But what about you? How did you get yourself into a pickle like that?”
“I got to having too much fun and let my mouth run away from me. Good thing you showed up when you did.” He glanced at her with narrowed eyes. “What were you doing there, anyway? Were you following me?”
“No. I’m on my lunch break. I stopped in to get something to eat.”
“And you risked blowing your cover to help me?”
“A calculated risk. After all, you’re my cousin, so why shouldn’t we know each other?”
He nodded and managed a grin. “Good point. How’s Mr. Carter doing after my visit?”
“I think you scared him. I tried to find out who you were and what you wanted, but he wouldn’t talk about it. When I left the office he was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.”
“Interesting.”
She stopped walking and turned to face him. She glanced up and down the street, then lowered her voice.
“About that other thing…I think I know where your fugitive is hanging out. You want me to tell you now, or after you buy my lunch?”
Nick lifted an eyebrow.
“You want me to buy you lunch?”
“I think I earned it just now, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess you did. You can tell me now, and then we’ll go eat.”
“Okay. But after we eat, you need to get out of Orosi.” Her expression turned serious. “And don’t come back.”
Chapter 18
Trimmer Springs – Alpha Centauri 2
Kristina Norgaard-Green looked up as the bell above the outer door chimed. Business had been slow due to a light, misting rain that was falling outside and the boutique was empty of customers. Kristina was stocking the jewelry case and her business partner, Mildred Trimmer, was busy re-racking summer outfits in the junior section. As always, the shop smelled heavenly, a blend of new fabric and Vegan perfume.
For just an instant Kristina thought it might be a customer, but the figure who stepped into the shop was Kevin Dougherty, a Trimmer Springs city policeman. He was making his afternoon patrol and, as he did almost every day, stopped in to check out Suzanne’s. She hid a smile as he stamped the moisture off his feet and walked gingerly toward the jewelry counter. Dougherty was just north of twenty-five, six feet one, slightly rawboned, and kind of cute. What she found endearing was his attempt to hide his infatuation.
He pulled off his patrolman’s cap and tucked it under his arm. His jacket was beaded with rain and his face was wet, but he didn’t seem to notice. He extended a tentative smile.
“Hey, Kristina. How’s it going?”
“Good, Kevin. How are you?”
“Oh, just…you know, the usual.”
“Catch any bad guys today?”
“No, nothing much going on in town.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, actually. Makes my job a lot easier.”
“But?”
“Oh, you know, it gets kind of boring. I wouldn’t mind a little action now and then, as long as nobody gets hurt.”
She smiled and nodded. He sounded like her late husband Nathan, who had always craved action. She stopped what she was doing and rested her elbows on the countertop, giving Dougherty her full attention. He stood five or six feet away, as if afraid to come any closer. He unconsciously shifted from one foot to the other.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked.
“Oh, sure. Nobody’s buying anything today, but I think it’s the weather.”
He nodded. “Sorry to hear that. I’m sure it’ll pick up.”
“It always does.”
Kristina had known Kevin casually for a little over two years. Back when Suzanne was killed, when Ken Saracen’s terrorist group had been targeting Nick Walker, Nick had ordered Kristina and Nathan to Lucaston for mutual protection. Kevin Dougherty had been one of the cops assigned to protect them until Nick could get a handle on Saracen’s ARMO organization. After Nathan’s death, Nick had taken her to Vega 3 to live with relatives; ever since her return a year later, Dougherty had hovered around her like an older brother, checking in on her almost daily. That he was smitten by her was no surprise—most men, upon seeing a Vegan woman for the first time, were stunned by their beauty. Mildred had teased her about it.
“You better watch yourself,” she told Kristina on one occasion. “That boy is in love with you.”
“Too bad,” Kristina had said. “I’m off the market.”
“Hey, look…I know where you’re coming from. You’ve had a major disaster in your life, but you can’t live in the past forever.”
“What do you know about it? Have you lost the love of your life?”
“No, and I don’t pretend to understand how you feel. But, honey, life goes on. I know you’re not ready yet, but one day you’re going to take a deep breath and start living again.”
Kristina knew she was right, but it had been too soon.
Dougherty had never acted on his infatuation, had never once asked her out. He seemed content just to watch over her. Maybe he understood that she needed time, or maybe he just felt she was out of his league. Whichever it was, Kristina had known he would always be there for her. Having him around made her feel safe.
Today, for some reason, she looked at him with a critical eye, quietly amused by his presence, his shifting from foot to foot, his dogged persistence in checking up on her in spite of his vague discomfort. She’d been back almo
st a year, and he’d been there from the day she returned. Nathan had been gone for two years, and she had grieved all that time. But…
Maybe two years was long enough.
“Kevin…”
He brightened and gazed at her.
“What time do you get off shift?”
“Five-thirty. But I don’t get out of the station until after six. I have to write up my patrol report.”
She nodded and glanced at her watch.
“Do you have anything planned this evening?”
He blinked in surprise, then gulped.
“No, not really. Just…no. No plans.”
“You know where I live, don’t you?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“We close at five. Why don’t you pick me up at home?”
He looked blank. “Pick you up?”
“Yeah. Why don’t you take me to dinner? It’s been ages since I had a restaurant meal.”
He still looked blank. “You want me to buy you dinner?”
She smiled.
“I’ll buy yours, if you prefer.”
“Oh, God, no! I’ll pay! I just—I mean…you want to go out with me?”
“If it’s not too much trouble. No pressure either way.”
Dougherty’s face cracked into a smile and for a minute he seemed almost breathless.
“No, it’s no trouble! I’d love to take you out. I just—didn’t think…I mean—”
She put a hand on his arm.
“Kevin. You’re one of the best friends I have in this town. You’ve always been there for me, and I didn’t miss that.” She gave his arm a squeeze. “Pick me up at six-thirty?”
He nodded, beaming, and took a step back.
“Okay, you got it. See you at six-thirty.”
Her smile widened.
“See you then.”
He nodded and took another step back.
“Okay. I better get back on patrol. I’ll see you then.”
He took another step back and bumped into a lingerie rack, tipping it dangerously. He spun in surprise and grabbed it.