Aeolus followed the automated guidance beam and landed gently. As he taxied to the unloading dock, DJ noticed the look of awe on the faces of the dock workers. The Aetós was such a unique ship that once seen, it would be hard to forget and quite the subject of conversation.
DJ thought about that for a moment. That would certainly separate his Falcon persona from his true identity. There would be no reason for his ex-wife’s husband or the Sheriffs to suspect that retired Staff Sergeant DeJarnette to have access to such a vessel.
As the ship powered down, Aeolus opened up the hatch and lowered the gangplank. “Good hunting, sir. Remember that I am just a short call away.”
“Thanks Aeolus, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Standing up, DJ snapped his helmet into place and exited the beautiful ship. Unsurprisingly, there were two members of the Sheriff’s department flanking the Customs Agent assigned to his arrival. Without waiting to be asked, DJ moved forward and thrust the datapad with all his documentations and credentials in the customs official’s hand. Turning his attention to the closest sheriff, DJ turned on his external speakers as he said, “I’m assuming from your presence here that you have new information on my mark?”
DJ was amazed at the internal HUD - Heads up Display - of his armor. The built in sensors immediately scanned the area and locked onto every target that could possibly be considered a threat. But what amazed him the most was that those same sensors began measuring the deputy’s rates of respiration, pulse and eye movement. And as soon as he began to speak, a meter popped up on his HUD showing the percentage that he was lying.
“Um…no, I…we are…”
DJ interrupted. “You realized by intergalactic law and the treaty of twenty-two zero-one that local magistrates are not allowed to interfere with a duly registered galactic bounty hunter while in pursuit of their quarry.”
“Yes, but…”
“Furthermore, I am only obliged to notify you of my presence in your jurisdiction if, I repeat if, I require your assistance or use of your detention facilities. Anything other than that is considered a professional courtesy.”
The deputy looked to his partner and back at the towering armored warrior. He didn’t know what to say. Never had a bounty hunter been up to date on the laws governing their interaction with local law enforcement agencies. He swallowed once and cleared his throat. “Sir, we are just here to offer our assistance to your hunt. If there is anything you need…”
“Thank you. I will call on you if need be. Honestly, the less attention you pay me the better. El Gato is as slippery as an Enceladus Eel and must have informants in the area or he would’ve been caught by now.”
DJ turned his attention to the customs agent while the deputies pondered if he had just insulted them or not. “Are you through with your inspection yet? Not even the JDL takes this long.”
DJ saw the customs official stiffen at being compared to a Jupiter Defense League agent. It would be like comparing a blonde to a brunette. Yes, they are similar but both would argue that they were better than the other and completely different.
“I’m finished here. I was just being thorough. I’m sure someone in your line of work can appreciate that Mister Falcon.”
DJ shook his head. “There’s no mister, its Red Falcon or just Falcon.”
Taking back his datapad with all his warrants and information on it, DJ ignored the trio and began walking away. One of the deputies reached out and grabbed his arm in an attempt to get his attention. DJ reacted out of instinct and moved with unbelievable speed. Evidently, the CSA augmented his strength and reaction time more than he was aware. When the deputy grabbed his arm, DJ moved with the pull and drew one of his powered gladii. Toggling it on, he had the razor sharp blade under the startled deputy’s chin before either of the two law enforcement officers could react. DJ looked down at the black and red uniform and read his nametag.
“Deputy Bunnell, if you ever want to advance in rank, you would do well to remember that I don’t like being grabbed.”
Releasing him, DJ slid his blade back into its sheath and turned his attention to the other sheriff. “Deputy Hagan, if you draw that weapon you have your hand on, I will be forced to kill you. The vid-feed from my armor and this docking bay will prove that I only acted in self-defense after your subordinate grabbed me. Is that what you want?”
Deputy Hagan slowly relaxed his grip on his weapon and nodded. “You are entirely correct, Hunter Falcon. I apologize for my partner’s behavior.”
Deputy Bunnell lowered his head. “I just wanted to say that your ship is a beauty. I’ve never seen the likes of it.”
DJ knew that he’d insulted the egos of the local LEOs – Law Enforcement Officials – with the ease at which he’d put them at such a disadvantage however he didn’t want to alienate them completely nor make them angry at him. Now was a time to allow the Sheriffs a chance to save face.
“That’s okay Deputy Bunnell. It is partially my fault. I am always a bit on edge when I’m on a hunt. I apologize for my threat and handling of the situation and I thank you for the compliment on the Aetós. I tend to agree, she is a beaut. Sylvan designed and constructed, I won her almost a decade back gambling and she’s served me well ever since.” All this was in the back story Iaido had created for him and logged somewhere out in cyberspace. It was a logical explanation for him to have such a unique ship, especially since the Aetós hadn’t been seen in this sector in over seven Terran years.
Deputy Hagan nodded. “That must’ve been a lucky hand.”
“Nope. Craps. I actually won her on back to back rolls of snake-eyes. It was the luckiest two rolls I’ve ever had.” With that, he turned his back on the sheriffs and moved into the main section of the Saturn Galactic Spaceport.
It wasn’t nearly as busy as Haven but it was busier that what he’d expected. His suit continued to scan for possible threats and nearly went into overload since everyone in sight carried a weapon of some sort. He actually had to disable the ‘target threat’ function of his suit. The major downside was the fact if there was anyone following him at the moment, his suit wouldn’t be able to warn him or track them. It was back to the use of eyeballs 101 but right now that was the least of his worries.
UR-L8 whistled to get his attention. “This unit is pleased to be this close to home and is looking forward to reuniting with mistress Kaitlyn.”
DJ waved a hand to quiet the ‘bot. “Stow that talk. We’re walking into the lion’s den.”
UR-L8 had no idea what the Staff Sergeant meant with the obscure reference to some sort of mammal’s house but understood that the intention of his command ‘stow’ meant to ‘put away’ which was enough to know that he wanted this unit to remain silent.
Their passage through the spaceport’s busy walkways seemed to become less crowded as he approached. DJ noticed that many of the travelers and workers gave him a sideways glance as he moved past, some even openly stared. He imagined that he must look rather daunting in the Red Falcon armor, which is probably why Iaido had crafted this persona in the first place. It is so far removed from his normal personality that no one would ever have suspected that the original Red Falcon was actually Iaido ‘Achilles’ Spartan. And since the Falcon had never been seen without his armor, he was able to take over the role. Which of course, allowed the imposter to do the same thing but that wasn’t his concern right now. Finding a way to get Kaitlyn off of Titan safely was his only mission.
DJ did notice several other deputies stationed strategically around the starport but he only spied two Coalition officers. They looked to have just arrived on Titan and were having a deep discussion. DJ was certain he hadn’t met the blonde before; a looker like her would be hard to forget. However, the salt and pepper haired commander looked vaguely familiar. It was probably just someone he’d served with during his time in the service. With a flick of his eye, he shunted the image to a file and added a reminder to do a database search later, just in case.
Whe
n a shadowy figure disconnected itself from a nearby corridor and discreetly fell in behind him, DJ was too busy to notice.
Chapter 5
When Jennifer and Ryan stepped off the network transport, they were met by two uniformed members of the Saturn Sheriffs. Though she’d heard rumors about the callousness of the SS, she had to admit that they looked rather dashing in their black tailored uniforms with white and red highlights.
Ryan actually seemed nervous around the para-militaristic lawmen but then, he was just a kid. However, Jennifer had learned to trust his judgment over the last few months. So if he was wary, she needed to stay on her toes.
The blonde haired sheriff stepped forward slightly and snapped to attention with a click of his heels. “Greetings Miss Moody, I’m Deputy Hagan.” As he held out his right hand in a welcoming gesture, his partner to his left also snapped to the same rigid attention stance with the clicking of his heels. “And this is Deputy Bunnell. We are to be your escorts.”
Jennifer decided that it was best to keep them off balance a bit, so she turned on her charm. With a flurry of batting eyelashes, she moved alongside and wrapped one arm around the squad leader’s arm while placing the other on her chest, which naturally drew his eyes downward as she leaned forward ever-so-slightly, showing off her wares. “Why Deputy Hagan…you didn’t have to go through all that trouble for little ol’ me.”
Deputy Hagan forced his eyes back up to meet hers as he answered. “Yes ma’am we did. Sheriff Kassinger takes the security of visiting celebrities very serious.”
Jennifer stepped forward with an exaggerated sway of her hips and looped her other arm around Deputy Bunnell’s arm. She noted that she was several inches taller than him which would allow her to, more or less wave her hefty chest right under his nose. She knew from past practices meant that he would be distracted and easy to manipulate. “So, you two handsome men are to be my escorts? Lucky me!”
When she said that last part, she shifted her posture a bit and innocently rubbed her ample breasts prominently displayed in a low-cut blouse against Bunnell’s arm. From the way he blushed and his eyes flickered only from where they were walking to and back to her chest, she knew she had him completely distracted.
Deputy Hagan cleared his throat. “No ma’am, lucky us. We were hand-picked by the Sheriff for this detail and are extremely honored to be here. However, I must stress that your safety can only be guaranteed while you are in our presence.”
“Why? Has there been some sort of threats?”
Deputy Hagan shook his head. “Not to my knowledge. But then, I only follow orders and those are to escort you from the Starport to your hotel in Titan City. Transportation has been arranged.”
Jennifer glanced over her shoulder at Ryan. Having an armed escort around Saturn and her moons was not something they had counted on. Nevertheless, it hinted that Titan Avionics had more to hide than they had guessed. Before she could turn back to Deputy Hagan, Ryan signaled that he was taping and pointed over her shoulder toward the line of taxis. Following his gaze, it didn’t take long to spy what had captured his attention.
“Deputy Hagan, who is that?”
“Who?”
“The mountain of a man in the red hawk-looking armor.”
“Oh him,” Deputy Hagan scoffed. “That is a notorious bounty hunter known as the Red Falcon. He’s evidently on the trail of some thief called El Gato. Galactic regulations force us to allow his kind here but don’t concern yourself with him. He’s nothing more than a common thug in some shiny armor.”
Jennifer felt her heart flutter. Without meaning to, Deputy Hagan had let slip more than enough information to arouse her curiosity. Telling her not to investigate would be like telling a mouse to ignore that block of cheese sitting three feet away. It wasn’t going to happen.
On the other hand, she was here for a story on Titan Avionics and judging from the deputy’s dismissive tone, she wouldn’t get much more about the bounty hunter from him. So, she turned on her charm and talked about nothing in particular but all the while drawing the two lawmen out of their shells. It wasn’t long until they were the ones talking, telling her all about their lives as sheriffs and serving Titan Avionics.
Jennifer nodded and listened. She would ask a probing question here and respond with a flirty gesture there. She had learned long ago that men were always a fool around a beautiful woman. Now she used that knowledge to her advantage. All the while, Ryan sat back and quietly recorded everything.
* * * * *
As he glanced at the waiting crowds, DJ weighed his options. He needed to get more information concerning the comings and goings of Retired Admiral Thomas. UR-L8 had given him detailed schematics of the mansion but knew nothing pertaining to the security systems. Then there was the transportation problem. He hated the thought of hiring a ride to take him around the moons but there weren’t too many choices available. Titan Avionics had intentionally set up the Saturn infrastructure where ninety-nine percent of the population would be dependent on mass transportation. This allowed them an inordinate amount of control over the masses. For those with the funds, this meant skimmers or shuttles. The major difference between the two was the range at which they could travel. Skimmers were limited in travel to one planet or moon while the shuttles could move about the Saturnian system with ease. Of course he knew from his research that neither flight paths were as strictly controlled or regulated like those back on Earth.
Directly ahead were the ferries. Big, cheap transport shuttles designed for the masses to carry them from the starport to any of the moons or the many domed cities of Titan.
He dismissed this option as quickly as he considered it. If he drew too much attention he might get challenged by some young upstart trying to make a name for himself. DJ had seen Iaido challenged a number of times over the last several months. It was often known as the ‘gunfighter’ effect. When you’re at the top of the ladder, someone below will always try to bump you off and take your place. Therefore, DJ didn’t want to be stuck on a ferry full of civilians. He might inadvertently endanger them during his passage.
To his far left were the limousines style skimmers. He had enough credits to hire one and it would certainly have the advantage of privacy but then, he wouldn’t be able to blend in...at least not in the places he might have to travel to pull off this rescue.
Upstairs, he could see the rental counter for Saturn Shuttles where he could rent his own skimmer or shuttle. But since he didn’t just need transportation from point A to point B, nor did he know where he was going exactly, so he had to dismiss that option even though it offered the most flexibility.
He needed someone who knew the back alley ways of Titan and her sister moons which meant the hiring of a cabbie and his taxi. There were about a dozen of them parked off to his right in a nice neat row. As one would get filled up by arriving passengers, it would depart and another would take its place. It was extremely efficient and commonplace. Whether they were designed for travel around town or between moons, every taxi looked the same, from Titan to New Atlanta. Built with easy access in mind with roomy interiors and plenty of storage for luggage, they all bore dented exteriors, a testament to the rough treatment their drivers put them through. All except one.
DJ paused to study the exception.
This taxi was completely different from the rest. Sleek of design, it gleamed with fresh polish. Although the red paint was faded, it was obvious that its driver took pride in his ride. DJ could also tell that the driver liked to ‘buck the system’ since every other taxi was parked neatly in a row waiting on fares. Not this one. He had backed his cab up against the far wall where he could watch the coming and goings of everyone. This would also allow him to pull out at any time and not be blocked in by the other waiting taxis.
DJ glanced back at the rows of taxis. They were dirtier and bore the mark of heavy use. The cabbies barely spoke to the passengers other than to get a destination and whoosh, they were off. These were the dri
vers of the establishment; easily tracked by Titan Avionics and the Saturn Sheriffs.
Looking back to the lone red taxi, he spied the driver leaning against the nearby wall smoking seemingly unaware of his surroundings. But DJ knew that to be a lie. The driver’s eyes darted to and fro, watching everything and everyone. The sensors in his CSA suit confirmed that he was smoking a marijuana cigarette, which wasn’t at all unusual or illegal. What DJ found unusual was the alertness of the driver while under the influence of the cannabis drug. Typically believed to be a hallucinogen, he knew it exhibited properties similar to some stimulants and depressants with a unique blending of properties. Even though completely legal throughout the Terran system, it was still considered a taboo drug.
Having made his decision, DJ moved away from the crowd and headed towards the red taxi.
The ebony skinned driver immediately tapped out his blunt and moved to the driver’s door. Even though DJ could see his pearly white smile, his body language was far from relaxed. As a matter of fact, he thought the driver would flee before he crossed the thirty yards separating them. Of course he was in the Red Falcon armor and must look rather intimidating, especially when compared to the civilians nearby.
Slowing his approach, DJ scanned the cabbie and tried to figure out how to calm him down without having to remove his armor. That’s when he noticed a green beret tucked into the driver’s jacket pocket which bore a small black and silver emblem. It was a crest with a sword pointing upwards with two crossed arrows over the blade and a worn motto written underneath.
“De Oppresso Libre.” DJ spoke the words aloud like an ancient charm.
Immediately, the cabbie seemed to relax. He nodded slightly and his big smile faded but was replaced by a small self-satisfying grin. “We Liberate the Oppressed; the motto of the Green Berets, my old unit. I haven’t heard anyone speak those words in many a year.”
“We chewed up some of the same ground during those days. Semper Fi.”
The Last Spartan 2: DJ's Mission Page 5