by Alex Siegel
"Ma'am?" Liam said.
The legionnaire perked up. He was wearing a leather jacket and a black shirt which made him look tough. His eyebrows were so thick and dense, they appeared painted on. Whenever he looked at her, he always seemed a bit startled.
"This is your first mission. The level of violence will shock you. We may have to kill a lot of people to clean up this mess. I'll expect you to do your part without hesitation."
He flinched a little. "Yes, ma'am."
"Min Ho," Marina said. "Did you identify the girl?"
Min Ho nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Her name is Kelsie Green. Seventeen years-old. I was able to match her face against juvenile records. She was arrested twice for shoplifting and has a history of substance abuse."
"Where is she now?"
"I don't know. She ran away from home six months ago, and I presume she's been living on the streets since."
Marina frowned. "That's highly inconvenient. She's our best lead. Hanley and Katie, talk to the girl's parents. Maybe they have some idea of where to find her."
"Yes, ma'am," Hanley and Katie responded.
"Ipo and Liam," Marina said, "hit the streets. Start at the location where the girl stole the phone and work your way outwards. See if you can find somebody who recognizes her face. Talk to drug dealers and pimps in particular. It's their business to look for vulnerable strays like Kelsie."
"Yes, ma'am," Ipo and Liam said.
"Go! Meeting adjourned. Corrie and Min Ho, you can sleep."
The team quickly scattered.
Marina was left with Aaron. She stroked his handsome face and smiled. She was so in love with him.
"We still have a van full of evidence to examine," he said. "Shipman's laboratory. Remember?"
"Oh, right." She furrowed her brow. "I guess that's our job. We might as well get started." She stood up.
* * *
Hanley and Katie entered the lobby of a single-story office building in Redwood City. Lacquered wooden panels covered the walls of the spacious lobby. The floor was made of granite flagstones. A couch and chairs were upholstered with leather, and the furniture seemed designed more for style and elegance than comfort.
Hanley looked at Katie. "Ready?"
She nodded. "Sure."
They were wearing the dark blue uniforms of Redwood City police officers. They had badges, guns, and all the other requisite accessories. More powerful, less conventional weapons were hidden under their clothes.
Hanley liked how Katie looked. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a professional bun. Marina's rigorous training program had given her a leaner body suitable for a police officer, and the uniform showed it off well.
They walked up to the front desk.
"We're looking for Tanya Green," Hanley said. "She works here."
"Room 811," a man behind the desk said.
Hanley and Katie made their way through the building which was populated by offices for lawyers, accountants, architects, and other professionals. Conference rooms and kitchens were shared. To Hanley, it seemed like a nice place to work.
They found the right door, and a placard read, "Tanya Green, Attorney at Law." He went into the office.
A receptionist behind a small desk smiled at them. "Hello? How may I help you?"
"We need to speak with Mrs. Green," Hanley said. "It's about her daughter."
The receptionist's eyes widened. "Oh. She's in there." She pointed at a door.
Hanley and Katie went into the next room.
Tanya Green appeared to be in her late forties or early fifties. Her blonde hair was cut short in a boyish style. She was wearing a black jacket with large, triangular lapels over a white shirt. Her face was a little chubby, but he wouldn't call her fat.
Her office had a white desk with a marble surface, and there was a small, circular table off to the side. Black file cabinets completely surrounded her. Some real potted plants were on the windowsill.
She stood up with an expression of alarm. "What's going on?"
"We're here about your daughter," Hanley said in a professional tone.
"Kelsie? Do you know where she is?"
"No. We had the same question for you."
Tanya shook her head. "I wish I knew. She ran away last winter, and we haven't heard from her since. We even filed missing person reports."
"She was seen in Sunnyvale a few days ago."
"She's alive? Thank God!" She let out a sigh of relief.
"And she's in trouble," Hanley said. "Petty theft and maybe some other crimes. Do you have any information that might help us find her?"
"If I did, I would've found her myself by now. My husband and I tried everything. We went to all her friends and hangouts. We posted on the internet. We must've asked a thousand people for information."
"So talking to your husband won't help us, either."
"I don't think so," Tanya said. "We were giving up hope that she would ever come home."
He furrowed his brow. "Why did she run away?"
"We fought a lot, maybe too much. I wouldn't let her wear skimpy clothes or stay late at parties. Our last argument was about a piercing in a... private place." She slapped her desk. "But I love her damn it! I was just trying to be a good parent. Now she's gone!"
"Don't blame yourself. Kids do stupid things."
"The police looked for her before and couldn't find her."
"Maybe we'll have better luck," Hanley said.
"If you find her, please tell me right away. I would give anything to see her again."
He nodded, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to comply with her request. If Kelsie was involved in the rat control technology, she would be killed, and unfortunately, that seemed the most likely outcome. Her youth was no protection.
"We'll be in touch," he said. "Thanks for your cooperation."
"No, thank you," Tanya said.
Hanley and Katie walked out. They left the building and stopped in the parking lot far from any possible witnesses. The morning sun was bright and cheerful.
He called Marina.
"Yes?" the commander said.
"The mother had no information," Hanley said, "and the father probably won't either. The girl has been away from home for too long."
"I was afraid of that. I guess you two will have to work the streets just like Ipo and Liam."
"That could take a lot of time, ma'am, and it might not work. It's a very big city."
"Give it a shot anyway," Marina said. "Maybe you'll get lucky."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Bye."
He hung up and sighed. He expected the day would be long and hard on his feet.
* * *
Ipo pointed with his finger. "There it is."
Liam looked in that direction. A liquor store was in an awkward location behind a gas station. A sign had the playful name, "Bob's Booze," but there was nothing playful about the store itself. Neon advertisements for beer flickered behind dingy windows. There was shattered glass in the parking lot. Part of a white awning was sagging due to a broken support post. Only two cars were in the parking lot, and one had a flat tire.
The two legionnaires walked towards the liquor store, and Liam quickly spotted a man standing in the shade under a side awning. He was a beefy African-American in his late twenties. He was wearing a football jersey with shoulder pads, but his pants were ordinary jeans. He had bleached his hair to a pure white and had straightened it out. His nickname was "Quarters."
"I'll let you handle this one," Ipo murmured.
Liam nodded. "OK, but what if he doesn't cooperate?"
"Make him cooperate."
Liam pressed his lips together anxiously.
He put on a brave face and walked up to Quarters. "We heard you're the biggest dealer in this neighborhood."
Quarters narrowed his eyes. "Who da fuck are you?"
"We're looking for a girl."
"You think I'm a pimp?"
"This girl." Liam pulled a picture of Kelsie Gre
en out of his pocket and showed it to Quarters. "You might've seen her on the streets."
Quarters shrugged. "Never seen her. Not my type anyway."
Liam curled his lip and tried to appear tough. "You're sure? Take a close look."
"Hey, did you come here to do business or not? I don't have time for this shit."
"Right." Liam glanced at the nearly empty parking lot. "Customers are really lining up."
"Fuck you."
Quarters started to walk off. Liam reacted instinctively and tripped him. Quarters fell hard onto the pavement, but he was back on his feet in a few seconds, and he came at Liam like a charging bull. Liam stepped aside and allowed Quarters to ram his head against the white brick wall of the liquor store.
"I never gave you permission to leave," Liam said.
Quarters rubbed his head and wobbled a little.
Liam held the picture of the girl in front of his face. "Have you seen her? Think hard."
Quarters reached under his jersey and pulled out a switchblade. The knife that popped out was long and sharp. Liam backed off fearfully.
Ipo used his hand to chop the knife out of Quarters' grasp. Ipo looked at Liam with an expectant expression, and Liam realized he was supposed to do something, so he kicked Quarters in the jaw with enough force to knock him down.
"Try that again," Liam said in a harsh voice, "and we'll break both your arms."
Quarters spat some blood.
Liam shoved the picture in his face. "Look!"
Quarters squinted at the photo. "I told you! I never saw her! Now leave me alone."
Liam looked to Ipo for guidance.
Ipo shrugged. "Let's move on. If he had information, he would've tried to sell it to us."
The two legionnaires walked away.
* * *
Hanley scratched his palms.
"You should see a doctor about that," Katie said.
They were walking along a sidewalk in San Jose. The avenue had three lanes on each side, and there was enough traffic to fill all of them. Train tracks ran along the median. There was a crappy apartment complex on one side and a crappy motel on the other.
"I will, as soon as the mission is over." He pointed with his finger. "She looks good. Let's talk to her."
He was pointing at a skinny woman who was standing on the sidewalk. She was wearing red shorts which were so tight, she had a bad case of camel-toe. Instead of a shirt, she had a black bikini top. Black stockings and cruelly high heels completed the business suit of a prostitute.
The woman stiffened when she saw Hanley and Katie approach. The legionnaires were still wearing the dark blue uniforms of Redwood City police officers.
"What do you want?" the prostitute said. "I wasn't doing anything. I was just standing here."
"We're looking for a girl," Hanley said.
She glanced down at her own half-naked body. "You found one."
"Not you." He showed her a picture of Kelsie Green. "This girl."
The prostitute looked at the picture and shrugged. "I've never seen her."
"You're sure? I bet you keep an eye on the local competition."
"What are you talking about?" She straightened up defiantly.
"You're a whore," Hanley said, "obviously, but we're not here to bust you. We just need to find this girl. It's important."
"What's it worth to you?"
"Why? You have information?"
"I'm just curious." The prostitute took another look at the picture.
Hanley glowered at her. "You're wasting our time."
"Tell you what. Give me some money, and I'll ask around for you."
"How do I know you'll actually do anything? Maybe you'll just keep the money and play me for a sucker."
"You can trust me." She smiled, revealing yellowed teeth. "Five hundred dollars."
He snorted. "I don't think so. We'll do the 'asking around' ourselves."
"A hundred."
"No, thanks." Hanley started to walk off.
Katie followed him for a couple of steps, and then she stopped.
She turned back to the prostitute and said, "How can you do this to yourself?"
"Huh?" The prostitute gave Katie a funny look.
"Aren't you afraid of getting beat up or raped? You could catch some horrible disease, if you haven't already. Prostitution isn't a career. It's slow suicide."
"I got to pay my rent and my pimp. What do you want me to do?"
Katie shrugged. "I don't know, but this isn't the answer."
"When you figure it out, tell me." The prostitute sneered.
Katie caught up to Hanley, and the two of them walked off.
"How long are we going to have to do this?" she said bitterly.
"Until Marina tells us to stop," he replied.
Chapter Nine
Marina stared at the rat in the cage. A portion of the skull had been replaced with clear plastic, and electronics were embedded in the plastic. She could actually see where hair-thin wires went into the animal's pink brain. It had been the victim of a hideous experiment, and now it would be a victim again. She would have to destroy it.
Marina and Aaron were going through the evidence taken from Shipman's laboratory in the Hediger Institute. A lot of mysterious, high-tech equipment was in the pile. She didn't understand what the stuff was for, and Corrie was still sleeping, so she couldn't explain. Marina decided that was probably a good thing. The technology was forbidden, and the less she knew, the safer she was.
Aaron was flipping through notebooks, one page at a time.
"Find anything?"
He shook his head. "Just a lot of math and scientific gobbledygook. No clue about where Shipman went."
"We'd better find this girl," Marina said. "She's our only lead."
"Yeah."
The evidence formed a big pile in the middle of headquarters. Hauling it inside had been hard work, but they couldn't examine it in the parking lot.
Marina walked over to Jia. Min Ho had gone home to sleep, so Jia was the lone hacker on duty. She was wearing a cute, red dress more appropriate for a high-school girl than a grown woman. Her round, Chinese face was equally cute. She always sat up perfectly straight with her arms in the correct position for typing. Her delicate fingers were a blur on the keyboard.
"Jia," Marina said.
Jia jumped as if startled. She looked up. "Oh, hi, ma'am. You snuck up on me."
"It's a habit. I want you to tap into all the surveillance cameras in the South Bay. Run the video through some kind of facial recognition algorithm or whatever. Maybe we'll get lucky and catch Kelsie on camera."
"That will take a while to setup. I'll need to find enough computers to do all that live image analysis, and facial recognition isn't one hundred percent accurate."
"Do your best," Marina said.
She walked back to Aaron who was still going through notebooks. Some rats were running around in their cages and making a lot of noise. In total, thirty of the furry, brown rodents had been taken from the laboratory. The odor was starting to become noticeable.
"Maybe we should just destroy this stuff," she said.
He shrugged. "If you want. Let's finish checking the notebooks first. We might find a revealing comment."
"OK." She sat next to him.
He put a hand on her thigh and gave her a little squeeze.
"Hey," she said with a smile, "focus on your business, mister. There will be time for fondling the goods later."
"Yes, ma'am." He picked up the next notebook.
* * *
Liam furrowed his brow at what looked like a small apartment building. It was two stories tall, and each room had a sliding glass patio door. The lower floor had private patios, and the upper floor had balconies. Brown brick columns supported the balconies and the roof. The exterior walls were a light peach color which struck him as overly bland. A tall iron fence with spikes on top protected the property, and it was more security than he would've expected. There was no sign.
Ipo and Liam found the front gate, but it was locked. Ipo pressed a button by an intercom.
"Hello?" a woman said.
"We're detectives from the San Jose Police," Ipo said. "We need to come inside and ask some questions."
"Let me see your badges."
Liam spotted a surveillance camera on a tree branch. He had three wallets corresponding to three different cover stories, and he took out the one with the detective's badge. He held up the badge to the camera, and Ipo did the same.
The gate buzzed. Ipo pushed it open, and the legionnaires went through.
To get into the building, they also had to get buzzed through a locked door, but finally, they were in the lobby. It was about the size of a large bedroom. The walls were yellow, and black and white tiles covered the floor. Two little Mexican boys were playing with toy cars in the corner. A sign on the back wall read, "Welcome to the Family Support Center. You're safe here."
Liam knew the place was a shelter for women and children who were trying to escape abusive relationships. The center also took in homeless kids who had nowhere else to go.
Ipo went to a young woman who was sitting behind a desk.
"Hi." He showed his detective's badge again. "We need to speak to whoever is in charge here."
The woman escorted Ipo and Liam to an office in the back of the building. They were introduced to Kim Ruiz, the director of the facility.
Kim was a middle-aged Hispanic woman with big hips and big breasts. Her brightly colored dress had green, blue, and red stripes. Her long, black hair was pulled to one side, exposing a giant, silver earring in the opposite ear.
"How can I help you?" she said.
"We're looking for a runaway teenage girl," Ipo said. "It's possible she stayed in this shelter."
He showed Kim the picture of Kelsie Green.
"No offense," Kim said, "but I have to make sure you're real cops."
"Why? You don't think we are?"
"Guys try to get in here with all kinds of tricks. They want to get at wives, girlfriends, and children. Buying a badge is easy."