Chrono Inquisitor (Gods Be Damned)

by Rien Reigns

  “Oh, shit!” Paxton said. “Longshot’s probably already reported back to Van Horne, and if that’s the case, fuck! Damn it! I was so concerned about what was going to happen to you, I didn’t think about my own damn family. Fuck!”

  I put a hand on Paxton’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m going to settle this. I promise, I won’t let anything happen to them.”

  With some new attire, and feeling like a million creds, which I better be looking and feeling like, considering that’s what I’d just spent, I was ready to show this devil that the reaper is king.

  I was about to ask Kali what the status on my pad was, when I felt a tickle. I immediately answered the call.

  ‹“Hannah, I knew you’d come around.”›

  ‹“Hannah?”› Frank said. ‹“Who’s Hannah?”›

  Damn.

  ‹“Never mind, it was a mistake.”›

  ‹“Are you all right? I got word that your pip was destroyed and that you were undergoing a baptism.”›

  ‹“I’m fine. But yeah, my pip is toast.”›

  ‹“What the hell happened?”›

  ‹“Answer this first, is this assignment legit?”›

  ‹“What do you mean?”›

  ‹“Come on, Frank, don’t play games with me. You can’t seriously think I’m that stupid. Sending me to a hotel where Sam is going to be, come on?”›

  Knowing Frank’s propensity for long conversations, I motioned for Paxton to follow me. Realizing that I was starving, and that Paxton probably was as well, I lead us to an eatery a few shops down inside the Peach Pit.

  ‹“All right, all right,”› Frank said. ‹“You got me. Loosen your belt a few notches before you cut off circulation to both your heads. I did know that Sam was going to be at the resort. It was Henry’s idea. When he found out about the Beit case, and that Sam was going to be at the Regency for this conference, well, he thought it’d be a good idea to assign you. You know Henry, he’s a hopeless romantic. He thought getting you and Sam together in a romantic setting, well, you get the idea. For the record, I was against it. But you know Henry, once he’s got a scheme worked out, he’ll swap heaven and hell to make it happen. It’s how he hooked me, remember?”›

  So I was being set up, and the case was legit. Shit.

  ‹“I still can’t believe you’d go along with it”› I said. ‹“You say this is a real case, a big fucking one at that, and yet you were planning to send me in blind. With Sam there? What did you think was going to happen? My cover would get blown in two seconds.”›

  ‹“I was thinking you could go as yourself, under the guise of reconciliation.”›

  ‹“Are you kidding me. Reconciliation? Sam and I are through. We haven’t spoken since the divorce. It’s been almost nine years. No way would she believe that I was there to win her back. Not to mention it’d be a lie and she’d see right through it. I like my life now. I get to do whom and whatever I want, when I want. Being married, it’s insane these days. No offense.”›

  ‹“Okay, okay, I get it. You don’t want to go. I’ll pull you off the case.”›

  ‹“Stop screwing me over. I’m taking the case. That’s my bounty, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let some two bit ass-clown steal it out from under me. I’ll be at the Regency come tomorrow.”›

  ‹“Why tomorrow? You can still get there tonight.”›

  ‹“You want to know what happened?”›

  I told Frank the whole story, and how I was going to teach Van Horne that you don’t fuck with Inquisitors.

  ‹“Don’t worry about this Van Horne fella. Look, you just head on over to Texas and I’ll have the Four Horsemen pay this guy a visit.”›

  ‹“Thanks, but no thanks. I need to do this myself. If I can’t handle this guy, I might as well hang up my badge.”›

  ‹“You don’t have a badge anymore, remember, it nearly got you killed.”›

  ‹“Ha, ha. Everyone’s a fucking comedian today.”›

  ‹“Speaking of which, how’s your uncle?”›

  Of course Frank would stir the ‘things I wanted to ignore they existed’ pot some more.

  ‹“I don’t know,”› I said. ‹“I haven’t spoken to him in quite some time.”›

  ‹“Really?”›

  ‹“Yeah, really.”›

  ‹“I just thought that since the two of you are only like an hour away at the moment, you’d have spoken to him.”›

  ‹“I was thinking of seeing him, but, well, every time we talk, he brings up my mother.”›

  ‹“You could use some therapy Trav. She’s been dead, what, twenty years?”›

  ‹“Twenty-two.”›

  ‹“Exactly. It’s not good to hold a grudge for so long.”›

  ‹“Again, what do I need Sam or any wife for when I’ve got you.”›

  ‹“You sure I can’t convince you to let the Horsemen handle Van Horne? You could go see your uncle and then make your way to Texas.”›

  ‹“For the last time, this guy is mine.”›

  ‹“Heaven forbid you and Henry ever conspire together. There’d be no stopping you two.”›

  ‹“I’ll keep that in mind if I ever want to set some one up.”›

  ‹“Well, since it seems I can’t change your mind, I’ll let you get to whatever it is you’re going to do. Just do me a favor, don’t get yourself killed. I hate funerals.”›

  ‹“What are you talking about. You can’t kill the reaper, he kills you.”›

  ‹“Okay, keep me in the know.”›

  ‹“Will do.”›

  Frank ended the call. Paxton and I finished our meals. I’d ordered a veg-stew and seed salad. The stew was pretty good.

  Kali had regained control of the pad and sent it to the local ChronoGen service station for a complete diagnostic, and to have the security systems upgraded. Before we’d finished our meal, I’d instructed Kali to bring my pad to us.

  Finally ready to leave, Paxton and I exited the Peach Pit, and found ourselves blocked in by a sea of Human Purity fanatics, waving signs about blasphemy, abominations, and sin.

  So much for avoiding these zealots.

  “Are you happy?” Frank asked. “I told you he wasn’t E3.”

  The cyborg in white shook his head. “His innocence has yet to be proven.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Frank said. “His vehicle was sabotaged, just like the others. He nearly died.”

  “Exactly,” The red cyborg said. “He nearly died. While on the other hand, the other Inquisitors you assigned to the case are dead. I find it disturbing that the one believed to be a Conspirator, is the only one who just so happened to have survived.”

  “You heard what happened, if it wasn’t for that gang attacking him, he would have died in the explosion.”

  “It’s a good cover story,” the black armored cyborg said.

  “Cover story?” Frank responded vehemently.

  “Yes,” the white one said. “How do we know that he isn’t responsible for the deaths of the other Inquisitors? He could have tipped off his co-conspirators, found out who else you assigned to the case, and had them eliminated. Inquisitor Yan isn’t stupid, I’ll give him that. He probably realized suspicion would fall on him so he staged his own attack.”

  “Yeah,” said the cyborg in red. “Look at Yan’s response when we suggested you send us to deal with Van Horne. He refused, said he’d take care of it himself. Seems to me he doesn’t want us finding out the truth.”

  “Hey,” the Black Horseman, Famine, said. “Let’s not forget, he even tried to get out of the assignment.”

  “No he didn’t,” Frank said. “I offered to take him off the case and he refused.”

  The White Horseman, Victory, answered, “True, but that’s probably because he was hoping you’d refuse his refusal and just take him off the case. He probably knows he’s under investigation, or would be because of what happened, and was hoping that you’d take him off without him having t
o file an actual request, thereby making him look even more suspicious.”

  “Come on guys,” Frank said. “You’re supposed to be the best this company has to offer. I think it’s pretty obvious by now that Cassius was discovered. I bet E3 found out he was a mole and they fed him false information. Then they killed him before he could figure out he’d been played. I bet this whole thing was a setup. Think about it. E3 discovers we planted Cassius, they feed him false names, but not just any names, they give him some really important people to our cause like Julius Beit and Inquisitor Yan. They knew we’d investigate Beit, so they set a trap and killed the Inquisitors we sent.”

  “There is no we,” War, the red cyborg said. “You only had to make sure Inquisitor Yan was assigned to the case. You’re the one who chose the others. You’re the only one who knew their identities. Frank Grenadier, you’re under arrest for possible conspiracy and the murder of four Inquisitors.”

  “You’re arresting me?” Frank said in disbelief.

  He got up from his desk as War and Famine stepped forward.

  “Just while we investigate your possible involvement with E3,” Victory said.

  Frank extended his wrists. “You want to investigate me, do it. I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ve dedicated my life to this company.”

  Travis, you had better be innocent, otherwise, I’m going to kill you, he thought.

  10: Bible Thumping

  Paxton and I descended the stairs of the Peach Pit, into the torrent of zealots. Their prayers and blessings accosted my ears. I countered them with curses, blasphemery, and profanity.

  Some of the protesters covered their ears, as if hearing sinful things tainted their puritan souls.

  “Don’t you all have a rocket to catch?” I shouted at the masses.

  I caught the eye of a woman dressed in Puritan attire, leaned in close and whispered, “For you I’ve got a rocket right here.”

  There was a look of astonishment in her eyes before she remembered herself, blushed, and then slapped me. I rubbed my new beard and smiled.

  Several men formed an arch ahead of me, blocking my path. I could see my pad parked just on the other side of the mob. If only I could talk Kali in to running them all down.

  They held out bibles as if that would expel the demons I kept locked prisoner inside.

  I reached into compartment 7 and brought out a little book of my own - The Inquisitors Jurisdiction, my bible. Without hesitation, I thumped the guy directly in my way with it, right in the forehead. My bible wasn’t as thick as theirs, but it had a metal cover to compensate. Instead of a cross on the front like most of theirs, mine had a scythe, and because it protruded, it left a red imprint on the man’s forehead – the mark of the reaper.

  One of the man’s comrades grabbed me by the shoulder. I turned around and thumped him as well. The man stumbled back, rubbing his head. Another mark.

  “Do you see this?” I asked, holding up my book, turning so all could see. “This book grants me the power to do whatever I wish. Here and now, I am the judge and jury.” I snatched one of the protesters bibles and raised it in my other hand. “This book, so you claim, says I won’t be judged until after I die.” I raised my book a little higher. “According to ChronoGen, they’ll make it so I’ll live forever. Now the question you all should ask yourselves is this, ‘Are you ready to put your beliefs to the test and be martyred today?’”

  My little speech didn’t go as I had planned. The protesters got even more riled by my remark.

  A torrent of voices washed over me.

  “Trust in the Lord…”

  “…Do not put your…”

  “…test the spirits to see…”

  “…Father except through…”

  “…eternal life…”

  What the hell is happening to the world? I wondered.

  The man whose bible I’d taken reached out and snatched it from my hand.

  I decided it wasn’t worth it. I had a job to do. I put my bible back into its compartment and continued on my path, for all of a meter. The men had reformed their arch. Others had joined them and a circle was almost complete with a second layer of reinforcement.

  I walked up to one of the men and got so close that the man’s exhalation was my inhalation. I balled my fists, waited and timed it so that when I took a deep inhalation through my nose, I wasn’t competing for the gaseous fire fuel which life depended on.

  ‹You are severely outnumbered and your body cannot withstand another baptism so soon after already having undergone one,› Kali said, deciding to add her assessment of the situation.

  I breathed out, trying to expel the aggression I was feeling within. “Will you please let me pass?” I asked with as much politeness as I could muster.

  For a second I thought the man was going to be troublesome, but then the man smiled and stepped away, saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

  I wish.

  “Let these wayward souls pass,” the man said. “And let us pray that they will see the error of their ways and turn back towards the light of God.”

  For the second time that day, people parted like the Red Sea, but this time, I wasn’t Moses, the other man was.

  As I walked by I patted the guy on the shoulder and replied, “Best of luck with that.”

  Just when I thought I was home free, a young woman called out Paxton’s name.

  Paxton turned. “Maddie?”

  Great, the Missus.

  I turned and saw a woman with long blonde hair wearing a plain light blue dress approaching them.

  “Paxton, what are you doing here? What are you doing with him? Are you in trouble?” With each question she asked, her voice got higher in pitch.

  Paxton went to her and embraced her in a hug. At first she welcomed it, but then she pushed him away.

  Everyone was looking at the two of them.

  “Don’t you all have some protesting to do?” I said.

  The people slowly turned away and began their chants about salvation again. I motioned Paxton and Maddie towards my pad for some privacy.

  They didn’t go in, instead they just walked around to the other side.

  Following them I said, “Don’t worry about Paxton, he’s in good hands.”

  Maddie gave me an uneasy smile.

  “What do you care?” Paxton asked, his mood suddenly different. Thirty seconds ago it had been that of a young man in love, now it was cold and distant, like a man who’d had his heart broken.

  “How can you say that? Of course I care. I love you, Paxton. You’re the father of my child.”

  “Yeah, except you won’t let me see him.”

  “I never said you couldn’t see him.”

  “Your parents did, and you didn’t disagree.”

  “Is that why you left?”

  “I told you I was leaving. I asked you to come with me.”

  “I didn’t think you were serious. I’d just had a baby, and you were asking me to leave everything I knew.”

  “It’s not like we hadn’t talked about it before. Do you really want to go live on Mars?”

  She hesitated. “No, but everyone we know is going. My family. Yours. Come with us, it’s not too late to repent.”

  “I’ve told you, I can’t pretend anymore. I don’t believe in God. Not that one, anyway. But I do love you, Maddie. Isn’t that enough? Stay. Stay with me. We can go somewhere new, start over. You, me, Charlie, we can be our own family. Live by our own rules, how we want.”

  “What would we do, Paxton? Where would we go?”

  “We could go anywhere. We could do anything. We both could get jobs. Women make more money outside the compounds, especially since you have a kid. I’m not saying it’d be easy at first, but we would be free to live our lives how we choose.”

  I felt awkward just standing there while these two kids were emotionally trying to plan their lives. At least when Sam and I were young and stupid we didn’t have a k
id in the mix making things even more complicated.

  With a shake of her head, she said, “I can’t, Paxton.”

  “Yes, you can. I know you’re afraid. I was too. I’ve made mistakes, but I’m fixing them. This guy,” Paxton pointed at me. “He’s an Inquisitor, and if I help him with his problem, he’ll help me with mine. He can help us. He’ll take us somewhere new.”

  Great, how’d I know he’d drag me into this?

  Paxton looked at me with a kind of sad, puppy dog face which said, ‘back me up.’

  “Look,” I said. “I’m not a charity, but yes, if he helps me out, I’m willing to return the favor.”

  She shook her head. “You’ve made a deal with the devil, Paxton.”

  Does she mean me?

  “What would your mother say if she knew what you’d done?” she asked.

  “I don’t care what she’d say. I don’t care what any of them think about me. All I care about is you.”

  She started to cry and shook her head. “I can’t.”

  And that was it. She turned and ran back to the crowd. To her people.

  I looked at Paxton and saw that he was holding back tears. After a few seconds he said, “Let’s go.”

  The sun was setting and as we stepped inside the pad, I gave the crazies a little wave goodbye.

  Walking to my weapons arsenal I grabbed a Glock and placed it in the empty holster on my thigh, replacing the one that had been left behind in the desert. I didn’t have another Maelstrom, but I did have a Smith & Wesson SuperNova, which I grabbed along with every SolarFlare in my arsenal. I stuffed every pocket of the vault with an assortment of weapons and fun little gadgets.

  “You planning on another attack?” Paxton asked.

  “No, this time I plan on doing the attacking. Like I said, I’m taking the fight to Van Horne. If you really want a fresh start, it begins with him.”

  “Do I get a toy then?”

  “Hmmm, I recall something about you saying how you’d cherish the last gun I gave you, and yet, you left it in the desert along with the rest of my stuff.”

  “Well excuse the shit out of me. Would you rather I’d grabbed it and let you die?”

  I tossed him a Glock.