by Kim, Penny
“Or maybe she doesn’t want to face him,” Quill quipped back.
Pulling himself up into a standing position, he sighed heavily.
“Listen, man, I’m all for defending our girlfriends . . . ”
“She’s not my . . . ” Vin stopped himself, feeling his face blush.
He thought back to their intimate picnic. She had been so aloof—it was impossible to tell if she returned his feelings. If only he could convince her to be with him, they could take this on together.
“Ok, whatever,” Quill continued, rolling his eyes. “You’ve got to wise up before she pulls you down with her. It’s clear she has some alliance with Julius—you want to get involved in that?”
“I’m already involved,” Vin growled. “What’s more, Director Hay asked me to bring his daughter back.”
“Oh, you’ll bring her back all right—to jail,” Quill said.
“Julius is the real threat here,” Vin reminded his friend.
“I think you’ll find they are one and the same,” Quill responded.
“Oh, screw this,” Vin cried, slamming the door on his way out.
He retreated to his cubicle—there was nowhere else to go. Sitting down heavily, Vin ran his hands through his hair, thinking anxiously of Kanon.
Sighing, he turned on his reading pane, intending to review Julius Arnold’s case files for any possible clues. Before he could, an icon at the top of the reading pane illuminated. Clicking in it, Vin realized it was a recording. Wondering what it was from, he clicked the play button.
He heard his muffled voice and Chief Smiley’s high-pitched response.
Vin laughed out loud. Remembering the early conversation he recorded in Chief Smiley’s office. The exchange didn’t go on for very long, as Chief Smiley dismissed him after several minutes. Vin listened anyway, hearing sounds of movement which he assumed was him exiting the office.
He was about to turn the recording off when he heard a ringing sound. It was Chief Smiley’s reading pane. Sitting very still, Vin listened intently as Chief Smiley answered the call.
“Hello, yes, I was just clearing that bit up.”
Vin strained to hear who was on the other line, but all he heard was static. After a pause Chief Smiley continued.
“It’s clear the blame will fall on her.”
Vin put the reading pane to his ear, his heart beating faster.
“As I told you once before, only I control Central Computer. I’m not handing access over without assurance.”
Vin heard what sounded like shuffling papers before Smiley spoke again.
“Yes, I understand. Goodbye.”
The conversation stopped.
Vin listened for the next few moments, elated with what he had discovered. Here was hard evidence that Chief Smiley was helping someone on the outside. If the person on the other end of the line was Julius Arnold, Vin had the proof he needed.
Reeling from his discovery, Vin set his reading pane down, unsure of what to do next. As soon as he placed it on the desk the screen lit up, and the scrolling sign for Standard D appeared—still holding steady.
Vin stared at it, shaking his head.
“All the things we’ve done, and not one change in Standard D,” he said aloud, watching the icon as it disappeared across the screen, and the reading pane switched to silent mode.
Staring at the blank screen, Vin was gripped by a new and intriguing idea. Acting quickly, he drafted a message to Director Hay.
Meet me at your office ASAP, I have important information about the case.
Vin heard a door slam and whirled around, watching as Director Hay appeared in the hallway. Outfitted in his usual trench coat, he reached his office in several long strides. Giving the slightest of nods, he held the door for Vin to enter.
“I have a budget meeting in thirty minutes, so let’s make this quick. I thought I told you to keep your head down and work the case.”
“The situation has changed. There is a mole in the Directorate. It’s Chief Smiley,” Vin blurted out.
Director Hay stopped fiddling with his reading pane and looked at Vin with piercing blue eyes. He raised a finger and pointed it accusingly.
“You better talk fast.”
Vin drew out his reading pane, hitting the record button and leaning forward to explain.
“My reading pane picked up a conversation between Chief Smiley and someone who either is Julius Arnold or is connected to him in some way.”
Turning on the recording, Vin watched as Director Hay listened to Chief Smiley’s voice, his frown deepening. After re-playing the recording several times, he pushed the reading pane away.
“Turn it off, I’ve heard enough,” he barked.
Vin retracted the reading pane, anxiously watching Director Hay as he rubbed his temples vigorously. He stopped, looking up at Vin.
“I trusted him like a son,” he said, before looking up at him accusingly, “You are absolutely certain?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is there anyone else?” Director Hay asked.
“I’m not sure how far the corruption has gone, but it’s safe to say the only people I trust are you and Kanon,” Vin answered.
“Where is she?” Director Hay asked.
“I’m not sure, but I have a feeling she is with Julius. We have to keep the ruse up that Kanon is somehow involved,” Vin cautioned.
“How does Smiley fit into their plans?”
“He has access to Central Computer.”
“Which is why Julius has been one step ahead of us this entire time. My deputy was the one giving him a heads up. Goddam it!”
Director Hay looked for a reading pane to smash, but Vin held his firmly at his side.
“Chief Smiley may have been working with Julius for longer than we realize.”
“Why?” Director Hay asked, still unable to wrap his mind around the accusation.
“Smiley craves prestige—power.”
“I gave him that,” Director Hay retorted.
“For some people, it’s never enough,” Vin replied. “Despite his reasons, it’s clear he needs someone to take the fall for helping Julius. In his conversation, he mentions a scapegoat.”
“Meaning who?”
“Your daughter sir,” Vin replied. “The good news is he needs her alive—so she can be identified by the Directorate as the mole.”
“Once the budget crisis is over, I’ll have no choice but to send my inspectors after her,” Director Hay said in a strangled voice. “I can’t let them go after my own daughter.”
“Not if I get to her first,” Vin stated. “I need to find out where Kanon is—we need Chief Smiley to tip us off.”
“And how are we going to do that?” Director Hay asked, looking at Vin skeptically.
“Standard D,” Vin said, pausing for effect. “We are in complete control of how that number is reported. If, say, Standard D went haywire . . . ”
“We can’t . . . ” Director Hay began, as Vin cut in.
“Respectfully sir, we absolutely can. Julius isn’t playing fair, and neither should we. His vision is unregulated time travel for the masses—he thinks Standard D is a complete fabrication. What if that number goes off the charts? We pull the rug right out from under him.”
Director Hay looked at him for a few moments, arranging his thoughts. He pushed back from his desk, looking pensive.
“It will send a message,” he said, straightening. “It might also tip the budget talks. I’m fighting for our livelihoods, Vin. I never knew it would get this bad. The combination of Julius and the threat of Standard D might just do it.”
“And when the government is back online, inspectors will come through that door,” Vin said, pointing behind him. “Ready to go after them.”
“You think he needs her alive, that he won’t hurt her?”
“I’m positive, sir,” Vin said, leaning forward across the desk to make his case. “Besides that, Kanon can obviously take care of herself. I’m
sure she’ll be happy to act as bait.”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know that. She might think that . . . ” Director Hay began, his eyes suspiciously watery.
“She trusts you,” Vin said simply.
His words found their mark, Director Hay slapped his reading pane down.
“I’ll have to make a few hard edits to the system,” he growled, tapping furiously. “Watch Smiley carefully—he’ll probably panic. Your first priority is to find Kanon and bring her home, don’t worry about Julius. Once the budget crisis is over I’m going to send everything I have after him. This time, there won’t be a snitch on the inside.”
“Yes, sir,” Vin said, rising to leave, elated with the recent turn of events.
Returning to his cubicle, he went over the Julius Arnold’s case files again. Searching for something, anything that might lead him to where he might be hiding Kanon.
Despite his confidence with Director Hay, Vin was deeply aware of how delicate the evidence was against Chief Smiley. His arguments fit neatly, but there was always that nagging doubt that Julius would outwit them all.
Checking the time, Vin noted the budget talks would begin at any moment. He was just about to grab some food when his reading pane signaled a breaking news alert.
Vin watched as the ticker for Standard D appeared in angry red font. He blinked at the number. This would send a message all right. Vin belatedly hoped it wouldn’t cost Director Hay his job, but concern over his daughter had obviously blinded him to any potential fallout.
Seconds after the ticker appeared, an incoming message from Smiley flashed on the screen.
“Well, well,” Vin said. “What could you be up to?” he asked aloud, reading the terse missive.
Disruption in Standard D, all inspectors to await further notification from Central Computer.
He wondered why the message came from Smiley’s personal account and not from Central Computer. It must mean he was out of the office.
“He is traveling. Maybe he is with Kanon,” Vin said, his heart racing.
His suspicions were confirmed when he heard the sound of a locker being slammed in the deployment room. Standing up in his cube, Vin watched a harried-looking Chief Smiley fly down the hallway.
After waiting several seconds, Vin followed, watching the back of Chief Smiley’s head as he threw open the door to his office. Though it was clear he was furious, Vin couldn’t pass up an opportunity to question Smiley—Kanon’s life may depend on it.
Eyes glued to the door, Vin slowly walked towards it—careful not to make a sound. Hearing excitable conversation from within, Vin belatedly realized Quill must still be inside. Vin strained to make out their conversation. Failing in this, he took a blunt approach, pushing the door open.
“Vin!” Quill said sharply, as Chief Smiley turned with a grimace.
“Everything okay?” Vin asked casually, taking a seat from across them.
They were standing behind Chief Smiley’s desk, neither looked pleased to see him.
“Haven’t you seen the alert go out?” Chief Smiley snapped. “Standard D is going haywire. The present world as we know it is at risk. How could this happen. What . . . ” Chief Smiley stopped himself.
Sitting down heavily, he pulled his reading pane toward him and began tapping angrily.
Quill was equally flustered. Fumbling with his reading pane, he gave a little cry, throwing it on the desk.
“Look!”
“What is it?” Chief Smiley quipped.
“Read it!” Quill cried in anguish.
Vin leaned forward, it was another breaking news alert.
Budget agreement reached following a jump in Standard D. Director Hay to address American public following this message.
“Open the link,” Vin demanded.
When no one moved, he clicked on it himself, activating the 3D screen. The projection was poor, Director Hay must have recorded it from his reading pane. Looking very much like a silent movie villain, he began his address.
“First let me thank the American public, for your patience during the government shutdown. I am happy to say just this evening we reached an agreement for the Time Travel Directorate to resume operations. As you know, this agreement was preceded by a shift in Standard Deviation.”
Vin glanced at a silent Chief Smiley as Director Hay continued.
“This shift is attributed to the criminal Julius Arnold, who has taken advantage of the government shutdown to conduct a crime spree throughout history. He traveled to restricted areas and committed numerous atrocities. I’m positive it was his actions that have impacted Standard Deviation. Now the shutdown is over, my immediate action is to deploy every inspector to interdict him.”
Vin watched as the resolute nature of Director Hay cracked ever so slightly. He knew what was coming next.
“He has infiltrated the trust of many within the Directorate and has been successful due to the cooperation of my daughter, Kanon Hay. As such, I’m hereby directing every inspector in the vicinity to deploy immediately, to discover the fugitives Julius Arnold and Kanon Hay—dead or alive.”
Vin’s stomach lurched. He was so confident that Smiley needed Kanon alive he had forgotten the rules of engagement. No wonder Director Hay was anxious for Vin to find her.
Vin looked blankly at his raptured audience as the video ended.
“What happens now?” he asked.
Instead of Chief Smiley flying into a rage, as he expected, he seemed to have formulated a plan.
Calmly, he put his reading pane to one side and gave Vin a saccharine smile.
“Report to your area of responsibility. When we get a tip on where the fugitives are, you’ll be contacted via Central Computer.”
“Was I ever formally assigned an area of responsibility?” Vin asked, trying to figure out what Chief Smiley was up to.
“Indeed,” Chief Smiley replied. “Now that Inspector Hay is a wanted fugitive, you can deploy to pre-revolutionary France—use the wardrobe room for a disguise. Report any unusual activity immediately. Now, if you’ll excuse us. Quill started a filing project for me.”
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Vin responded, rising to leave.
After closing the door, he stood in the hallway for several moments, unsure what to do next before he remembered Chief Smiley’s words.
“Wardrobe,” Vin repeated, an idea formulating in his mind.
Turning, he walked toward the deployment room, and as the thought blossomed, he broke into a run. Scanning his badge, he entered, hoping his instincts were correct. His stomach lurched when he saw the deployment room in disarray.
In Chief Smiley’s haste to return to headquarters, he had left his locker wide open, its contents spilling out onto the floor.
“Finally, you slip up,” Vin cried, studying the garments carefully.
A black jacket, black hat and trousers could only correspond to one particular point in history—the location in which Julius Arnold had first overstayed.
Salem, Massachusetts.
Vin took out his reading pane and referenced the case files regarding Julius’ visits to Salem, focusing on the years 1692 to 1693. He still had no clue what exact time location Kanon was held. Vin would have to use the web as Kanon did—with his will.
He’d better act quickly. The Directorate wouldn’t be empty for long. Vin wondered when Chief Smiley would tip off Kanon’s location—deploying inspectors en masse. He would have to be ready for anything.
Vin took his web out from his locker. Standing on the trap door, he looked around the empty room—not sure if he would ever see it again. All of his training led up to this moment, there was no margin for error.
Looking down at the blinking reading pane, he pushed the red button.
15
Kanon knew she was in Salem. The one-roomed home with its stark accoutrements fit the Colonial era—combined with the fact that it was the first location Julius had overstayed. It was hard to build up personas, as she knew from
experience. Julius must be anxious to continue where he left off.
As she studied the room, Chief Smiley appeared beside her. He whipped off his web and tucked it into his belt before taking her web away.
“Change into this,” he directed, pulling open a chest and tossing her a black dress.
Kanon dutifully followed orders, hastily assuming her garments and tucking her elaborate court gown into the chest as Smiley delicately looked away.
Her movements on autopilot, Kanon tried to get a handle on the situation. By now, Vin would know she was missing. Hopefully, he could glean some information regarding her current whereabouts.
Feeling a rush of air, Kanon turned, watching as Julius Arnold appeared in the cabin.
“Ahh, Salem,” Julius said, smiling broadly at her.
Taking a seat at a modest wooden table, he propped up his feet.
“So, I’m assuming you have made your decision?” Julius asked.
“Once I have an idea of what your plans are,” Kanon replied, fearing she was running out of time.
If she refused to help them, she would be abandoned—alone, without a web. That was assuming Julius was feeling charitable.
“My, my, Inspector Hay, it appears as if you are stalling,” Julius commented.
“Nonsense,” Kanon replied, her voice wavering. “May I have my web back?” she asked.
“Out of the question,” Chief Smiley replied.
Julius shifted his attention, fixing Smiley with a stare.
“I’d like to see some more assurances that everything is laid out according to our plan,” he began. “Starting with where you’ve stashed all the webs.”
“I’ve given you no reason to doubt me, or our friend,” Chief Smiley snapped, moving towards the hearth.
Kanon’s ears perked up. Who was their friend? Could it be Inspector Habit? Kanon decided to take advantage of the obvious tension between them.
“I have access to Central Computer,” she noted. “I can help you find any inspector you wish.”
“Nonsense, I’ll feed you the information,” Chief Smiley said, giving Kanon a dark look.
Julius gestured for her to sit down.
“Did you say you had access to Central Computer?” he asked.