by James Cox
Robin marveled at Robert's new hotel. Moderately expensive this time and nothing like any others they'd used, neighborhood-wise.
"Elementary precaution, luv," he explained, "Never develop a pattern when you can help it." He handed her a go-box from the - nice! - restaurant downstairs. "Now eat quickly, hon. We have a lot to discuss."
Halfway through the meal the door beeped. Robert moved to open it and Carl put his hand into his bag. Robin put down her fork and prepared to move quickly. Robert moved back and four CA officers walked into the room. Carl relaxed and put both hands in plain sight. The officers swarmed the room and checked the fresher. Robin felt herself go pale again. She expected to feel the fingers of fear but they didn't come.
"So," she said, "The two of you are CA."
"Nak," said a new voice, "Nak. They're not. I am."
Robin turned to the door where stooped an odd man. He shuffled into the room, looked around, half-looked at her and finally faced Robert. Two of the officers left and closed the door while the other two took seats and relaxed.
"I thought you weren't going for her."
"Doing things properly takes time," said Robert, "Did you encounter any complications?"
"Nak. Did you get... Do you..."
"We found what we need," said Robert, "I shan't complicate your life with the details. Robin, this is our friend Ivan."
"Polar," said Ivan. Then he walked slowly toward Robin, met her eyes for a second and mumbled something like "Nice t'meet'cha." Then, to Robert, "So you're done?"
"Plus-plus," said Robert, "One or two details but nothing... complicated."
Oddly, this agitated Ivan. He paced about, half-looked at Robin again and finally settled.
"Polar polar polar," he said, "She can go into protection now. Plus-plus. She gets protection."
That chilled Robin but Robert spoke first.
"Nak! She's part of the details we need. She's with us. We still..."
"NAK! Nak! Unplug! Purge." Ivan fidgeted then paced again. "I have to... Nak. My orders... She gets protection."
"Ivan," said Robert, "we need..."
"Polarize," barked Robin. Then, when she had Robert's attention and Ivan's almost-attention, "Let us consider, for a moment, what Robin wants."
"Ahh," started Robert.
"Shh," said Robin.
She walked to Ivan who almost-watched her and patted his arm. He jumped.
"What Robin wants is very simple."
Half an instant later she stood behind Ivan and held him in a solid neckbreaker. He squeaked and the officers drew weapons. Blindingly fast, Carl and Robert did as well. Carl covered one of the CA officers and Robert covered... her?!
"Stop," said Robin, "Just stop!" She looked at the officers. "If you stun or blast me there's a better-than-average chance I'll break his neck in dying." Ivan mewled at this. "Robert, I hope you're aiming at him."
"Don't be foolish, luv," he said, "I don't want to blast you but I will. There's a better-than-average chance that a head shot from this distance will kill you before your muscles can react."
Robin bit down on her feelings. That hurt!
"Slib," she said, "In that case let's talk."
"We're listening."
"First of all Robin is very, very tired of other people deciding where she goes and what she does. Second, Robin is very tired of not knowing what her alleged friends are doing and why. Finally, Robin is very tired of being used as a pawn on a board she doesn't know and for reasons she isn't told. That's what Robin has to say."
Ivan sniffled. Moving very slowly, Carl tipped his blaster up, ejected the clip and put it on the table out of easy reach. Then he sat. The officers both shifted aim to her.
"Robert," she asked.
He shook his head.
"Information," said Carl, "since we met on Echo Bend Robert and I have been trying to decide whether you are what you claim or are in collusion with Vinsley, or Everett, and his gang. Information: you almost had us convinced when you ran away. Information: at that very time all of our other leads mysteriously vanished or became exceptionally hard to track."
A hollowness formed inside Robin.
"Information," continued Carl, "our second 'rescue' of you outside Hibson nearly cost us our lives. Information: everything we found beforehand indicated significant inside information and knowledge of our tactics. Information: only the timely intervention of our friend Ivan, whose life you are currently threatening, pointed us toward the information we needed. And, incidentally, you.
"Information: Vinsley is working covertly for the Consortium. By implication, then, so are you."
"But... But... I'm not. I'm not!"
"Prove it," said Carl, "Let Ivan go."
"I want them not to shoot me. Or you, Robert."
He shrugged but the blaster didn't waver.
"I said don't shoot me!"
"We heard you," said Robert.
Thoughts raced lightning-fast through Robin's mind. Given what they said, and assuming truth to it, she could see how they drew such wrong conclusions. Then one thought settled: she hadn't lied about breaking Ivan's neck. Notwithstanding what Robert said any sudden muscular tension would complete the hold. She felt him trembling and she heard quick, panicky breaths. She had no desire whatsoever for his death on her soul.
Robin loosened her hold and Ivan flopped to the floor. He scrambled away, an awkward wind-tap of arms and legs. Robert unbraced but kept his blaster steady on her. She swallowed hard. One of the officers looked at Ivan.
"Nak. Nak!" Ivan spoke from behind Robert. "She's cryo! Annette Robin Macy..." He summarized her life in incredible detail. "... and she's not working for... them!"
Robert put down his blaster. "Fair coin."
At a gesture from Ivan the officers sheathed their weapons. Robin sagged with relief.
"So what does Robin want to do," asked Robert, "Ivan can offer solid protection and likely reduce or quash any criminal charges."
"Truth," said Ivan.
"What about you? We had a deal!"
"We'll honor it," said Robert, "but again your best chance is with Ivan. We have a way to accomplish our goals now and that necessarily includes yours. I suggest you take Ivan up on his offer."
Robin thought hard. She considered every implication she could fathom and followed them to their logical conclusions. She calculated consequences and their effects on her. She looked at Robert.
"We had a deal. I think maybe I need to stay with you two until you prove you can live up to it."
"Slib," smiled Robert, "Ivan?"
"Cryonic," said Ivan dejectedly.
"Is your life still complicated?"
"Plus-plus-six-sigmas," said Ivan, "We need to leave now."
Robin walked up to him. "Ivan, I'm sorry. I just..."
Ivan yelped, jumped and scattered most of a package of nibblers across the floor. When Robin stepped back he made a fast line for the door. The officers moved to follow but Carl stopped one of them.
"Two things," he said, "We need a hover to vanish traceably. Its original owner and any other interested parties must be able to discover its fate."
"I know where it is," said the man, "We'll impound it."
"Second, I need a way to contact you and only you securely. I'm assuming you can reach friend Ivan."
The man handed Micah his card. "Done and yes, sirra." He touched his cap and left.
"What now," asked Robin.
"We give them a few minutes to leave and we change locale. Then we talk."
Robin sat at the table with Robert and Carl. True to their word they changed hotels swiftly, Robert checked the new room and pronounced it clean.
"We need sleep soon, hon," he said, "but we can handle a few questions."
"Did you really think I was... I was..." Robin let the words trail off.
"Trust is a luxury we can't often afford," said Carl, "We trust you now."
"Slib. I guess that was the major one."
"Cryo," said Robert, "In tha
t case let's all grab some eyelid."
Chapter 15. Hard Choices
When Carl roused himself the next morning Robin was awake.
"Did you sleep," he asked.
"A little. It wasn't pleasant." She looked at him evenly. "Does it... Does it ever get easier? Killing someone?"
"If you want it to. Do you?"
"It... It was horrible!" Robin's guts twisted inside her. Again. "It was awful! I wish I hadn't... I should have... I don't know!"
"You know that lash would have killed you after a few more seconds. He locked it in place. If you hadn't hit to kill you probably would have died then and there." Carl looked at her closely. "Don't you think he deserved to die?"
"Yes. No! I don't know! I'm not a magistrate! I can't judge that."
"But you did. You judged and acted."
Robin put her face in her hands. She still tasted bile and her nightmares were truly horrible. She felt his hand on her shoulder.
"I think you did the right thing." His expression grew distant. "I've killed more people than you should ever hope to know. For what it's worth I hated every one of them."
Robin unfolded her legs and reached for a 'stick.
"I noticed something else," said Carl, "You fought under a nerve lash on full power."
She shuddered. "He used it on me. Everett. A lot. He made it... worse. Evil. Slimy. The pain was just pain but what he did was... horrible!"
"Think about what you just said, Robin. 'The pain was just pain.' Just."
"Well... It was."
Carl smiled. "I seem to remember telling you once that you're only as weak as you allow yourself to be. Don't let killing weaken you."
Robin nodded. "Slib. Three is enough for a lifetime."
"Three?"
"Y-yes." Robin felt tears forming. "Th-there was my solicitor from Echo Bend. Lorna Gallaway. She hired an investigator to find me. She thought I was in trouble. Everett... He killed him right in front of us. Then when we left that house he killed her too." She wiped away the tears now falling.
"Hrm. We can't help the investigator but he didn't kill Lorna. She's currently in protective custody and very not-pleased about that."
"What?! Blather!"
"Truth pure and pristine!" Robert popped open three self-heating chogs and passed them around. "When we hit that house in Hibson we ended up with her. At first we thought she was you, then that she was in collusion too."
"That's wonderful news! Plus-plus!" Robin smiled genuinely as a weight, or a third of one, dropped off her shoulders. "Now who is this Ivan?"
"He's a CA burner," said Robert, "and a ruddy good one, no blather. I'm pretty sure he's SpecOps and that you scared the drips out of him when you grabbed him."
"I didn't mean to," said Robin, ashamed, "I just wanted... you know."
Robert shrugged. "Happens, hon. I'm sure he'll feel better once he jacks in."
Carl cleared his throat.
"Yes. Since we're up and chatty would you care to hear our plans for the day?"
***
Robin powered up her terminal and jacked in. Carl waited outside but by stars she'd not need him! She had seven biometrics and a target system courtesy of Robert plus a thermal-spiked box full of warez.
Success! The second set of metrics matched and the site opened. Robin launched her most potent acid probes into the structure of the node and waited for it to work. It didn't take long for the security to react. Exactly what she wanted! She bloody-sneezed the dogz entirely off the net and launched four blatant gooey grapples into the biggest files she saw, daring the backup security to find her. It did but not before she launched a massive throbbing needle into the CA. When its security activated she lured the dogz tracking her into it and stealthed herself.
The CA site responded aggressively and before long Robin's burn was an insignificant sideshow against the other fight going on. She jacked out, powered down and headed outside. She took Carl's arm and they both strolled nonchalantly down the street.
"Well?"
"All of that with chocolate chog. Robert?"
"Six-sigmas dead on the beam."
They took a tran to another datamart.
Robin connected carefully. Just as carefully she invaded the FCN again. Her first two cheap doors didn't work but no matter. She still penetrated the outer security easily. She scanned the system for certain users. The first four were not logged in but not so the fifth. Ace reporter Megyn Vulpin would receive a massive boost to her career today!
Robin reached in, terminated Vulpin's apps and owned her box. She nulled all the security Vulpin tried to deploy and opened a message box to her.
'Come watch,' sent Robin, 'Make sure your logs are hot.'
As Robin sent the message she activated Vulpin's loggers.
Robin rammed her probes into her last target: the Consortium embassy, only now recovering from her previous attack. Security activated quickly, of course, but now she had its scope and measure. She began grabbing files and sending them to Vulpin. She forked copies to other places but put most of her effort into the FCNA reporter. She couldn't hold the connection long, the embassy had a hard-sever in place, but she managed to transfer enough. As the embassy connection vanished and Robin began collapsing her own tunnels Vulpin sent her a message.
'Thanks! ++!'
***
Robin, Carl and Robert had a nice, long dinner at a very nice restaurant that evening. They had Coastland Blue, good appetizers and the best meal Robin had eaten in a long time.
One story dominated every news channel on the holovee: after considerable investigation FCN ace reporter Megyn Vulpin uncovered incontrovertible evidence of criminal activity funded by the Interstellar Rim and Rift Consortium, supposed allies of the Nebula Worlds Federation. Federation politicians accused and Corpse officials denied and both sides demanded copies of the evidence.
"I wish I'd gotten more," said Robin.
"You got her plenty, hon," said Robert, "We have full content and more than we actually needed. I was quietly slirping while you were setting of plasma grenades. I'll give you copies and we'll make sure our friend Ivan has them as well. But, as I said, Signora Vulpin has ample fodder. She should at least make half a career of it, if not more."
"There's enough there to expose at least a dozen verifiable operations," added Carl, "The Consortium will have to phase down its operations here or have more of them exposed. That's bound to spill over into other worlds and other governments once it all gets out. That's good for everybody."
Robin nodded, not wanting to argue. "That leaves one loose end. Everett."
"We'll deal with him presently," said Robert, "For now let him stew."
She raised her glass to that.
Robin scowled at her terminal and broke the connection. Across from her Robert shook his head and did likewise. They left the datamart, picked up Carl and headed to their rooms.
"We should have had him," said Robin, "He can't have any Consortium support, you two took care of most of his people and we rutted up most of his transfer orders. He can't have a lot to work with!"
"He is slippery, though," said Robert, "Right now I'd bet five standing he grounded hard. He'll be consolidating what he can get, cashing in what he can't take with him and looking for a way off of the planet. If he's even still here."
"He is," said Robin quickly, "Unless he changed his personality completely. He'll want plenty of ready cash, of which we blocked a lot today, everything he can stuff in his pockets, of which we deprived him, and plenty of people around him to take the fall. Then he'll be ready to leave."
"We may just have to let him do it," said Carl, "Like you said you two blocked transfer on a lot of his merchandise. Robert and I... erm... acquired a lot while you were gone plus we locked away a lot of his data. We have access and he doesn't even know where it is. We also canceled or at least cut down his powerful backup, too."
"No blather there," added Robert, "Maybe we can tag some of the data, put it where he ca
n find it and at least try to get an idea of where he is. Major has the main starport but there are secondaries. I also cannot imagine that Ivan will leave us loose too much longer. He does have his own agenda."
Carl sighed. "I don't relish the idea of tracking him into another system or government but we may have to do just that. If we can't find him soon he will scrape together enough resources to leave."
"Wait." Robin thought hard about her next words. Carl would likely reject her idea out of hand but if she didn't speak she'd spend her life regretting it. "There is another way. You don't have to find Everett. Make him find you."
"Good theory, hon," said Robert, "but exactly how do we do that?"
"Offer him something he absolutely will not refuse. Me."
***
Robin glanced out of the office into the massive room behind it. Thanks to one of her salami taps she now had a warehouse. Carl approved of that part but stopped her from calling her ersatz business 'FoxBird Inc.' Now Stone Shipping, Inc. had six laborers, including Carl, and enough merchandise to keep them all busy.
"Don't ask, luv," said Robert, when she did just that, "Carl and I were busy during your absence. Might as well turn a profit from the legal stuff."
Then they started burning. Robin admired the subtle way Robert managed to insert the data on the goods they stole from Everett right where he could not help finding them. They also posted several good holos of Robin on their store netsite, even though they didn't use any of her known names.
"For truth," said Robin, "If we don't catch him soon we'll have to start an honest business. We're running out of room!"
"How uncryo," said Robert, "Real work!"
The door beeped. According to the chrono on the wall it was fifteen minutes before closing time. After a full day of heavy storms slamming the city Robin didn't care about the workers staying until the last minute and Robert had just left to dismiss them.
"Signora Goldvin? There are people here to see you."
"Thank you, Ricky," said Robin. Ricky, their floor manager, sounded nervous. She dismissed it since he tended to overthink details and fret over the smallest things. "Show them in, please."
Ricky stepped away and three raincloaked figures walked in. They pulled back their hoods.