Chapter 6: A Former Closer
Kellogg was watching the news. Something he did every night. It didn’t matter if he had company or not. It was part of his evening ritual. It was something he had started years before when he first got to Trena. Now as he ate his evening meal he viewed the news reports on the closer being killed in the city. He grunted and commented to himself, “dumb bastard. You don’t mess with the Thonians they don’t have a sense of humor.”
He saw the closer’s ID on the holo, and said, “Foster, you never were too bright! Damn shame they got you. I wouldn’t have been so lenient. If Foster’s here that may mean Hozenbur is here. I’ll have to tell the crew that Hozie's about.”
He made a few notes and went on to bed. In the morning before he went about his usual rounds, there was knock on his door. He opened it and saw a young bioboy who had only been on world a few weeks. One of the guys had him found street walking, or attempting to. There weren’t many street walkers on Trena, not with prostitution being legal with brothels of every price range available. They didn’t know much about the boy except that he was a gamma who had escaped from Holly. Holly was a production world several light years away. Kellogg who been on Holly years before had, had a closed door session with the youngster. Satisfied that the youngster was not a production bio he decided his association could keep an eye on the boy. He was the youngest biopeople to ever escape and one of two who had ever escaped from Holly. Gamma models were designed to be a concubine, or a companion. Kellogg told his association that they would take him under their wing. Kellogg didn’t want the kid working in the brothels, or being a young gigolo to someone. He knew the boy could be better than that. Now the young man was standing at his door. Kellogg had enrolled him in school and knew that was where the kid should be.
“Stephan, why are you here I thought you had school today?” Kellogg asked his tone of voice and the look he gave the kid accusing him of playing hooky.
“I don’t have to be at school until after lunch today for my gym class,” Like many Trenan school children some of his schooling was at home and some at school. Today was a, at school day. He was always surprised that Kellogg knew so much about what was going on with him. “Mrs. Manch asked me to give you this as I went to school.”
This was a plain envelope with his name written on it, which the boy handed to him.
“Thank you,” Henry put the envelope in his jacket pocket, “Want a ride to school?”
“No I rather walk sir,” Stephan responded. Kellogg nodded and locked his door and walked with the youngster out of his apartment building. Stephen knew that the people he was around were into something; but he wasn’t sure what. He thought it might have something to do with keeping his fellow escapees safe.
Once in his car watching the boy walk down the street he opened the envelope. Inside was a simple message, “Lady Wilson would like to see you at the palace.”
As Kellogg pulled out of his parking spot he thought about how to approach the Palace without being shot on sight. He had heard about the hunting license the Marshal had issued to the security staff. One of his team members had gave him a heads up about marshal’s order. While he was not an active closer, he was still on their list as one. Some company officials still made contact with him on occasion to see what he knew. It worked to his advantage. The company thought he was undercover here, he was sort of. He knew about every bioperson on the run heading towards Trena, and made it his business to see that they got to safety. He also sent data back to the company that the clone had been brutally killed. It was amazing what could be done with the help of an AI. Jonesy, the AI at Boeing had helped him more than once accomplish this. He wasn’t too concerned about getting into the Palace. He and Francine had worked out a onetime entry method if he needed to talk to her in an emergency. No, he wasn’t worried about getting in to the palace, getting out alive was what he was worried about.
Every Last Mother's Child Page 53