Chrono Inquisitor (Gods Be Damned)

by Rien Reigns

  Because practically every guest was in attendance, it took a while for me to find Beit in the crowd. Apparently it was hard for Kali to get an accurate ping with so many people in a closed space.

  It also didn’t help that people kept intermingling and talking about the different lectures and presentations that had been given throughout the day. In a certain sense I felt like an ant in a foreign colony. Everyone seemed to pretty much know everyone else, while I hardly knew anyone.

  I catered to a group for a little while and learned some interesting tidbits about the project and Beit. One of the people in the group worked for Alpha Guardians, Sam’s competitor. It seemed the owner, one Mr. Shepard Cook, wasn’t too happy about how things turned out. Supposedly, Beit had assured the man that his company would get the contract, but that wasn’t what happened.

  When I did finally manage to find Beit, I moved in close enough to overhear the man telling his partner in many senses, Nora Beit, that he was tired and was going to go lay down before the presentation in a little over an hour.

  Perfect, I thought. This might be the opportunity I hadn’t even dreamed about. No way was he actually going to take a nap. Something was up, and hopefully it would allow me to solve this case without any further effort.

  “Should I come wake you when it’s time?” she asked.

  “No,” Beit said, obviously hiding something and not wanting her to possibly disturb him, or find out what he was up to. “That’s quite all right. I’ll just have El wake me when it’s time.” I didn’t recognize the name. I had Kali do a quick search and found his CerA’s name was Leto. That had to be it.

  “As you wish, darling.” Mrs. Beit said without any apparent mistrust in her husband’s excuse. “I think I’m going to go for a walk in the gardens. You know how these crowds suck the life out of me.”

  “Maybe tomorrow night we can take a stroll together. Been a long time since we’ve done that,” Beit said, and kissed his wife on the cheek.

  “That would be nice,” she said with a wink, and returned his kiss with one on the lips. “I’ll try to keep my eyes out for some interesting things to see, maybe even a secret alcove where we can have some fun.”

  He smiled like a child who just received his first kiss. I was surprised by Beit’s reaction as much as he was by Mrs. Beit’s. He was obviously hiding something from her, and yet, he was surprisingly still quite in love with her.

  “Maybe I’m not so tired after all,” Beit said, pulling her closer and giving her an even more passionate pressing of lips.

  Have I been misreading him? Or is he that much in love that even though he’s hiding something, he’s still willing to blow it off just to have a little fun time with the missus.

  “No,” Mrs. Beit said, stroking his cheek. “You go get some rest. It’s been a long day, and there’s still three more hours of scheduled presentations. But maybe I’ll come wake you a little early.” She gave him another kiss and I couldn’t help but notice Beit give her ass a little caress as she did so.

  At least he’s still going off to do whatever it is.

  “I shall pleasantly await your wake up call,” he said once they disengaged, and then began walking off.

  I pursued Beit, but in such a way as to make it seem like I wasn’t. To my dismay, as I made my way through the crowd, I saw Paxton making his way towards me with absolutely no tact.

  The last thing I needed was Paxton blowing both of our covers and messing things up.

  And he’d been doing so well.

  It was at that moment I realized both him and Kali had been trying to get my attention for the last minute. I’d been so caught up in eavesdropping on Beit, I had somehow completely blocked the two of them from my mind.

  ‹“Hello? We have a big fucking problem,”› Paxton said, now that I was paying attention to him.

  ‹“You’re damn right we do. You’re breaking cover. Stop right where you are and relax.”›

  Paxton stopped. He casually took a drink from the server who was near him.

  ‹“Better. Now what is so important that you risked this operation?”› I asked.

  ‹“There’s a woman here who has seen me with Van Horne.”›

  Okay, that was problematic.

  ‹“Did she recognize you?”› I asked.

  ‹“She said I looked familiar, but couldn’t place me right away. It’s just a matter of time though before her CerA returns with a face recognition of where she’s seen me.”›

  ‹“Show me to her. Hopefully I can do something before this blows up in our faces. Any idea what she’s doing here?”›

  Had I given Paxton the Huginn & Muninn upgrades he would have been able to give me the memory snapshot of her, but since I hadn’t been authorized to do that by Frank, Paxton had to lead me to her.

  ‹“I have no idea,”› he said.

  He led me back to where he’d been, but the woman was gone.

  ‹“We can’t spend a bunch of time looking for her. It’s out of character and someone will notice. You also distracted me from following Beit. Hopefully I can still find out what he’s up to. I think we’ll be fine. Even if she does figure out who you are, your Chrono says otherwise, and that’s assuming she even has the capability to scan you. If you can help it, just keep your distance.”›

  ‹“Sure thing, boss,”› Paxton said.

  ‹“And just in case anyone asks, though they probably won’t, you sent me on a personal errand.”›

  I exited the banquet hall.

  ‹“Kali, direct me to Beit’s apartment.”›

  I doubted that’s where he was actually going, but I hoped I’d find him in the process.

  Beit had a permanent apartment in the Shareholders’ building which was connected to the Quest by a corridor which housed the resorts art museum.

  My painting was probably somewhere within, I thought, but I didn’t have time to search for it. I wasn’t even sure I was ready to see it in person. Just seeing a digital replica had stirred enough emotions. Did I really want to buy it, to be reminded of everything I’d lost over and over again?

  I pushed that depressing line of thought out of my head and made my way through the museum as quickly as possible. I was surprised to find the place was open 24/7, and it looked like there wasn’t any security. Anyone at the hotel could peruse it anytime they wanted. But then knowing Sam, just because one didn’t see security, sure as hell didn’t mean that it wasn’t actually there.

  When I neared the end the museum and was almost to the shareholders’ building, Kali informed me she had detected Beit’s Chrono still within the museum. Lucky me, Beit had apparently decided to take things slowly. Unless whatever he was really doing was taking place there.

  I paused and pretended to be looking at a hideous bronze sculpture of who knew what the hell it was.

  Kali continued to monitor Beit. He was slowly continuing on towards his room. He didn’t really pause, but he definitely took his time. The place seemed completely barren so I attempted to eavesdrop on him, but then I noticed that some classical music was playing throughout and it was just loud enough to block out any sounds. A minute later, Beit exited the museum.

  Had he already done whatever he was doing? I had no way of knowing, I hadn’t gotten closer for fear that I would be found out. As a servant I didn’t have a valid excuse for being there.

  I stalked Beit up to his apartment on the fifth floor, watched him go in, then stood outside trying to figure out what to do next. Maybe he’d done whatever shady thing he’d intended to back in the museum and I’d missed it? Maybe he really was tired and wanted to take a nap? But then again, maybe he was up to something and it still hadn’t happened? Maybe someone was supposed to meet him?

  Beit had slightly less than an hour until the presentation he was supposed to attend. Personally, I wouldn’t have even bothered to take a nap. What was an hours worth of sleep going to accomplish? He had to be up to something.

  I couldn’t just stand guard
outside his door. That would very likely scare off anyone Beit might be meeting, but I needed to stay close enough to monitor the situation. Damn, I wish I had my vault. Being in a tux limited the equipment I could carry. Luckily I had decided to pocket a few monitoring devices.

  Unfortunately, the walls were shielded. Nothing I had could penetrate whatever they were made out of. I should have known better. Kali couldn’t even ping past them. I had no idea if Beit, or anyone else was in his room.

  All I could do was wait and see if anyone came around. I had Kali direct me to a service supply closet. I grabbed some cleaners and then proceeded to clean the wall art monitors. I figured it was the best excuse I had for hanging around.

  Seven minutes later, a woman who was dressed in hotel staff attire came around the corner carrying a package.

  “You, there, stop what you’re doing” she said.

  Shit!

  “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

  “Deliver this package to room 817 in the hotel. Tell Mr. Butcher it is from Mr. Child and that he regrets the delay.”

  Damn it. On the plus side though, she assumed I was supposed to be there and had simply decided to pass her task off to me.

  “Right away, Ma’am,” I said.

  I took the package and headed off to deliver it. I immediately contacted Paxton as well.

  ‹“I need you to get to Beit’s apartment five minutes ago,”› I told him.

  ‹“What happened to you being there?”›

  ‹“Just get there now. I’m having Kali send you the directions. Oh, and go to the kitchen and ask for Charles, ask for the bag I brought down with me. If anyone asks, you’re delivering your gifts.”›

  ‹“Yes, boss.”›

  I was just outside the museum and about to take an elevator to the eighth floor when a woman’s voice said, “Inquisitor Yan.”

  Habit caused me to pause for half a second. I almost turned around but then remembered that wasn’t who I was supposed to be at the moment. I didn’t recognize the voice, so I kept on walking.

  “Inquisitor Yan,” the woman said again.

  I ignored her and pushed the button to call the elevator. The closest one was on the fifth floor. It rapidly descended, but not quickly enough. By the time it reached the first floor, opened its doors, and I got in, the woman was able to hop in with me before the doors closed.

  “Inquisitor Yan,” she said for a third time. Now I was facing her. She was an athletic ginger wearing a stunning green dress. She seemed familiar but I couldn’t recall her off the top of my head, and Kali didn’t return an immediate recall.

  “Were you talking to me?” I asked, still playing ignorant.

  She reached for something between her breasts.

  I dropped the package, not even caring if I damaged what was inside, shot out my hand, and trapped hers firmly between her cleavage. With my other hand I reached for the gun hidden in the back of my trousers and pointed it at her gut.

  “Do you have any idea how many laws you’re breaking?” She said without flinching.

  “How many?”

  “Enough to get you tossed in a hole for at least a decade.”

  “Is that all? And here I thought it was something serious.”

  “If you release me now, I won’t press charges, and I’ll show you why I was following you.”

  “For one, the charges won’t stick. You could be President Collins herself and nothing would happen to me.”

  She laughed at my remark and then said, “I’ll tell her you think so lowly of her tomorrow when I report back to her.”

  “You go ahead and do that.”

  “I will.” She grinned at me in a devilish sort of way.

  “As much as I’m enjoying acting like a child with you, I have grown up things to attend to. So, here’s how this is going to work, I’m going to release your wrist and you’re going to remove it nice and slow. If I don’t like what I see I won’t hesitate to break it next time it’s in my grasp, understood?”

  “What makes you assume I’ll allow you to grab it again?”

  God she was gorgeous. I wanted to kiss every little freckle that adorned her face. I felt a swell down below. The resting dragon was awakening. I had the sudden urge to grab her by the back of the head and give her a deep passionate kiss while I pushed her up against the wall. I wondered if she’d go for it. There was a look in her eyes that made me think she might, but I couldn’t quite tell if it was real or just my imagination.

  I decided she was just playing me. She had an agenda, and it wasn’t to hook up with me. Which meant I better focus.

  With a little bit of regret and hesitation, I released her. When she extracted her wrist from between her lovely, not too tiny breasts, she held a small star between her fingers.

  “I’m Ranger Alvarez, and you are Inquisitor Yan, are you not?”

  I smiled. “This has clearly been a big misunderstanding, you seem to have me mistaken for someone else. My name is Ze’ev. I’m the personal attendant of Mr. Alistair Fitz Walter Pierce III.”

  “I will admit,” she said. “It was a good decision on your part to play the servant rather than the socialite. No one ever pays attention to the help. Unless of course you are the help.”

  “I really am sorry, but you are mistaken,” I said.

  Before I knew it, Ranger Alvarez grabbed me by the wrist.

  I twisted and broke her hold. “Touch me again and I’ll break more than that wrist.”

  She stepped closer.

  Her smell was intoxicating. Her lips inviting. The dragon stretched and pulsed.

  “You’re in danger, Inquisitor Yan. The man you’re with. He’s dangerous,” she said.

  I had a hard time focusing on what she was saying, as I kept imagining the feel of her lips pressed against mine.

  Keep it controlled, I told myself. She must have been wearing some sort of pheromone similar to the stuff I had. Whoever her chemist was, they were good.

  I rolled my head and shoulders, causing a few pops and cracks, which helped me to rein in my desires.

  “By your admission, you believe me to be an Inquisitor, one of the highest enforcement authorities in all the world. What makes you think I’m in danger?”

  “The man you’re with isn’t who you think he is,” she said.

  “You’re interfering with an undercover investigation,” I said.

  “So are you. I have orders to arrest the man known as Paxton Thrass.”

  “Who?”

  “Enough games, Mr. Yan. Either you’re going to help me, or I’m going to have to arrest you as well.”

  I laughed. “I applaud your dedication, but you’re going to fail this assignment. It would seem we both have conflicting orders and only one of us is going to be successful in completing them. I fully intend to follow mine. If you want Mr. Thrass, you’re going to have to go through me first. And I warn you, if you attempt to do so, you’ll find out why people have come to call us reapers.”

  The elevator reached the eighth floor. The doors opened. I picked up the package and stepped out.

  I felt her follow. And then Kali informed me she detected a weapon pointed in my direction.

  A tingling sensation started in my lower back and quickly encompassed my body, sending a shiver down my spine like I’d suddenly been drenched in icy water. I slowly turned and found Alvarez with a bug zapper pointed at me.

  “That was the lowest setting,” she said. “It’s now set to max. We can do this in a cooperative manner, or, I’ll drag your unconscious ass out of here. My orders weren’t specific about the condition of anyone involved.”

  This has been the craziest assignment I’ve ever had, I thought.

  I stepped towards her.

  Alvarez fired.

  I had already determined she wasn’t bluffing, which is why I instigated her by taking the step, which had actually been the beginning of a pivot. The shock bullet missed me by mere millimeters, but, a miss was still a miss, no matter how clo
se.

  While I was pivoting to dodge the bullet, I fired my own weapon. Luckily for her, and in a way me, I had decided to only carry dozer rounds, and not one of my more lethal varieties.

  The dart landed true, sinking into the flesh of her neck. The drugs would take a few seconds to work their magic, which meant she was still a problem. It assuredly wouldn’t do me any good if she managed to land one of her shots, and we both ended up unconscious.

  I rushed towards her, staying clear of her attempts to get me in her crosshairs. I reached her quickly enough and grabbed at her wrist. I could tell the drugs were already beginning to take effect by her not fighting back as hard, though she did attempt to knee me in the crotch. At the last second I deflected the blow and took it to the inner thigh which still hurt like hell. I pushed her back, up against the wall, so that she wouldn’t be able to fight back as easily.

  After just a few more seconds, the fight in her rapidly depleted. I noticed the dart in her neck and it made me a little queasy. It was tiny, but I’d always had an issue with needles, even if they were tiny as hell. I pulled it from her flesh. Without thinking, feeling strangely sorry, I kissed the little red pin prick where it had been.

  “You’re in danger,” she said. “We all are.” Her eyes began to flutter closed. “Don’t…trust…”

  Her eyes closed and didn’t open. She began to collapse.

  I took her in my arms and laid her gently down against the wall in the hallway.

  I made sure she was in a comfortable position so that when she woke up in about an hour, she wouldn’t have some odd pain from an over stretched muscle.

  She looked like sleeping beauty. Her lips were too much to resist. I leaned in and gave her kiss on the lips. They were as soft and warm as I had hoped they would be.

  Then I got a nasty zap that shot me back on my ass, slamming me against the parallel wall.

  Damn. How the hell could I have forgotten about the Molestation Act.

  I felt a bad headache coming on and felt a buzzing in my ear. The headache was a result of the unwarranted kiss on Ranger Alvarez. The buzzing was a result of Paxton trying to get my attention.