by Terry Mixon
“And if she and I meet, I want you to come along. Then you can hear how a real detective takes someone’s tall tale apart.”
He smiled. “This is going to be fun to watch.”
“Keep saying that, right up until I charge you with being an accessory to something.”
Quinn activated the com. She must’ve found Price’s number. After a moment, she spoke. “Miss Price? Detective Amelia Quinn, station security. I just spoke with Adam Hale. If you’d like to meet, I have a few questions for you.”
After a moment, the woman nodded. “I know the place. We’ll see you there shortly. I’ll be the one annoyed at all the bullshit this case is generating.”
The detective disconnected the call and slid the com back over to Adam. “I’m not happy about these games, Mister Hale. This had better be worth my time.”
“I think you’ll agree it wasn’t a waste once you see what she has.”
“You’d better be right.” Her tone promised he’d regret it if he wasn’t.
Price had better be damned convincing.
* * * * *
Rachel had chosen a small park with a lot of potential exits for the meeting. They could adjourn somewhere less public once she’d convinced the detective she wasn’t insane. The bench was surprisingly comfortable.
The larger area had the benefit of allowing Rachel to be sure there weren’t any extra people moving in to take her into custody. A few hanging out nearby as backup was prudent, so she’d let that pass. She expected no less of the supposedly canny security detective.
On the minus side, it meant there was no way to be absolutely sure that one of the bad guys wasn’t going to find her.
She couldn’t watch every angle, but she’d placed cameras in all the major access corridors leading to the park. If the ex-spy showed up, her comp would warn her.
That did nothing to protect her from other people working for the man, so she’d just have to be vigilant. Since Hale was coming along for the visit, he could help. He was ex-military. He should be able to spot an ambush before it closed on them.
Her comp tagged Hale and an unknown woman coming down one of the corridors half an hour later. It also spotted the two security patrolman that she’d spoken to at Hale’s place, trailing along in civilian clothes. They’d be Detective Quinn’s backup in case things went sour. All fine and good.
The detective walked across the open space, put her hands on her hips, and scowled down at Rachel.
“I don’t appreciate having my time wasted, Miss Price.”
“Then have a seat and I’ll make it worth your while. Hale, do us the favor of keeping an eye out for any unwanted visitors. Not the two security patrolmen lounging near the café across the way. I know about them.”
“I told her you’d spot them,” he said smugly. He stood behind the bench and started scanning the people in the park.
Rachel ignored him and turned her full attention to Detective Quinn. “I’m sure you found my story a little hard to believe.”
“That’s a significant understatement. So, let me get this straight. You’re a RIS agent. A spy.”
“I am. I’m sure you’ve run my ID and something looked off.”
“You mean that it’s a fake? Yeah, I saw that. You must’ve paid a good sum for something of that quality.”
Rachel smiled at the security detective. “It’s not a fake. It’s a cover ID I use for travel. It has my real name because I’m not supposed to be on an active case yet. Still, it never hurts to make sure that someone can’t trace it back to my real ID number.
“But because it’s an official ID, it has a means of verification built in. One that your system will recognize, if I give you the correct code.”
Quinn raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? You honestly expect me to buy into that? Fine. Give me your code.”
“Bring my ID up on the system and tab into the traffic citations listing.”
Rachel waited for the detective to get her com out and do so. “Now type in your own badge number.”
“There’s no place to do that here.”
“Do it anyway.”
Quinn’s eyes widened. “It opened a data entry box. What the hell?”
“All Republican security systems have this hidden authentication built in, but only active and retired RIS agents know about it. Type in this code.”
She recited a long series of numbers and letters that the detective dutifully entered. When the woman’s eyes widened even further, Price knew she’d gotten the official verification that Rachel was an active RIS agent and instructions to assist her as much as possible. It also had a number the woman could com for verification.
Quinn’s eyes narrowed as she turned her full attention on Rachel. “You have my undivided attention. I can’t see any way you could’ve buggered our security systems, but even if you did, that means you’re not a normal citizen. So, for the moment, I’ll give you more time to convince me.”
Rachel launched into her story. “Adam Hale’s brother is my partner. He came here to investigate something that I think involves both the Janus Corporation and the RIS. It goes back at least to the attack on Mars.
“I believe the man behind the curtain here is Randy Evans, a vice president with Janus. His sister is my boss’s boss. I strongly suspect that she played a hand in assigning the agents to the Mars mission.”
The detective nodded. “Let’s say that’s true. Why should I believe the Janus Corporation—for whom I work—is involved in something like that? What would they hope to gain?”
“I’m not sure,” Rachel admitted. “I’ve managed to connect the dots, but I have no idea what their ground game is. Honestly, I doubt the entirety of Janus is involved. That plot is a little too baroque for my taste.
“All I can tell you is that the ex-RIS agents that were on Mars are here, too. Let me show you the video from Adam Hale’s helmet cam.”
The detective watched the video dispassionately. “Well, that could’ve gone better. I assume you’re telling me that the shooters were the ex-RIS agents in question.”
Rachel nodded. “Here are their dossiers.” She showed Quinn their files. Then she brought up the Janus personnel files.
“They certainly look like the same individuals,” Quinn admitted. “Mister Hale said that one of them made an attempt on your life. Which one?”
She pointed out the dead man. “This one. He attacked me at the hotel, but I escaped. I’ve seen the other one tailing Mister Hale. Both of them purportedly work for Randy Evans.”
A blatant lie in the case of the dead man, but confessing even a self-defense killing to the security detective was further than she was willing to go. Much less telling the woman she’d incinerated the body.
Quinn looked her in the eye. “Why didn’t you call us then? Have you seen your attacker since the incident at the hotel?”
“At the time, Mister Hale hadn’t vouched for you. I can’t be sure who is working with this cabal. And no, I haven’t seen the man since the attack.”
And no one would ever see him again, she added mentally.
Quinn considered her for a moment with an expression of professional doubt. Rachel made no move to fill the silence. She knew all about interrogation techniques.
“What are you hoping I can do for you, Miss Price?” Quinn asked after a moment.
“Honestly? Stay out of my way. Investigating this is hard enough. Doing it while security suspects me of trying to murder Hale is impossible. I doubt the attempt on his life was connected. It feels different. By the way, they’re trying to frame Jason Chang.”
The detective shrugged. “Maybe. Perhaps even probably. I still have to prove someone else is a viable suspect before we can shift our attention.”
“We have company,” Hale said softly. “Don’t look up, but the man who was following me is over to your left. He just arrived. Past the patrolmen, over by the artificial trees.”
Rachel spotted the man out of the corner of her eye. He looke
d as though he were reading a handheld and drinking coffee. He had dark glasses and a hat on. She wondered how he’d gotten past her hidden cameras. Ah well, she couldn’t cover every access route.
Just then, her com went off. She casually glanced at it and spotted the living ex-RIS agent coming down the corridor. He wasn’t alone.
She smiled at Quinn so their watcher wouldn’t know anything was amiss. “They’re coming. We need to get the hell out of here.”
Chapter Nineteen
Adam listened to Price with a growing sense of detachment. Combat—or the possibility of it—always put him in that frame of mind. Cold and ready. Too bad he didn’t have a gun.
Quinn stood when Price did, but she resisted leaving the bench. “Even if people are coming, they’re not going to try anything in public. I have men watching us and can call more quickly.”
Price shook her head. “They wouldn’t be coming in force if they were worried about security. I’m not willing to take that kind of chance. We go.”
The detective raised her com to her lips. “Quinn to Backup One. Move in and beware of potential hostiles. Lock down the park.”
There was no response to her command.
“They’re jamming us,” Adam said. “Move to the corridor beside the deli. I know a place we can relocate to.”
Price took advantage of Quinn gesturing for her patrolmen to come over and slid a sleek pistol out of her jacket. She covertly slipped it to Adam, and he hid it behind his leg just in time to avoid any awkward questions from the security detective.
The man he’d spotted as part of the ambush was watching them closely and speaking casually into his com.
It was as though a switch flipped inside him. He felt his military training snap into place as though he’d never left the service.
“They know we’re onto them,” he said. “They’ll shift forces to block our retreat. Get moving.”
The man on the com stepped behind the trees as soon as they started moving. Detective Quinn saw that and made the correct call.
“Gun!” she shouted, drawing her pistol and assuming a two-handed shooting stance.
The two patrolmen spun and drew their own concealed weapons.
The man behind the tree fired at them, but they hit him first. The shooter staggered back and fell.
Everyone in the park started screaming and running in every direction. In moments, the scene had devolved into total chaos.
Adam turned his head and spotted two men running into the park from the corridor beside the deli. They had weapons out and didn’t look like security. When they raised their guns, he knew for sure.
He opened fire on them. At this range, he was shocked when one of them actually fell. The other hit the ground and continued shooting.
Price opened fire with another weapon, but not at the man in front of Adam. A glance told him half a dozen other hostiles were coming in behind the security men.
They wisely retreated, firing at the new threat.
Without waiting to see if anyone was behind her, Price ran toward the deli. She fired at the prone man while on the move.
Adam tugged on Quinn’s arm, and she fell over. Not from the yank, but from a bullet wound to her chest. He scooped her up and hauled ass after Price. He hoped the patrolmen were taking the chance to run like hell.
Price must’ve hit the man on the ground because he stopped shooting. She crouched beside him and covered Adam’s retreat.
The men chasing them continued firing, and Adam heard a round snap past his head as he ran. He made it to the corridor.
“Where are we going?” Price asked as they mixed in with the terrorized crowd fleeing the shooting.
“If we can lose them for just a few minutes, we’ll get away. How’s Quinn?”
“Bad,” Price said. “We need to get her help fast or she’ll bleed out. The patrolmen have the others held back, but they won’t last long. They’ll have to retreat or die. Go.”
He sprinted into the crowd, using his bulk to force an opening where he could, but not knocking anyone down. The last thing he wanted on his conscience was a mass trampling.
The hospital was too far away to make any difference for Quinn, but he knew a guy one deck up that might be able to help.
By some miracle, they made it to the stairs and up without anyone shooting at them. He ran down a series of turns in the corridor and into an ethnic Chinese apothecary. Jason’s cousin ran it.
Not that Adam expected herbs and poultices to help the gravely injured security detective. Thankfully, Paul Wong was ex-Republican Navy and an emergency medical tech.
Wong was quick on the uptake and motioned for them to follow him into the back. “Holy shit, Hale. Did you shoot someone?”
“Not her. She’s a security detective caught in the crossfire. We can’t run for our lives and save her. I need you to do your magic.”
“Call emergency services,” the smaller man told Price as he grabbed a bag of gear and started ripping things open. “Get someone here now or she’s not going to make it. You know I’ll have to tell them what happened.”
“I wouldn’t expect any different,” Adam said. “Do what you can while we try to keep anyone else from dying.”
Price set the shop com down beside Chang with the line open to emergency services. Then she tugged Adam away from the table where the other man was struggling to keep the detective alive.
“We need to get out of here. They’ll be monitoring the emergency response lines.”
He shook his head. “They’ll kill them both before anyone gets here.”
“Not if we find them first. It’s time to spring our own ambush.”
She examined him critically and grabbed a jacket off a hook on the wall. “Put this on.”
“It’s way too small.” He nevertheless took it from her and slid it on. As expected, his arms protruded a good four inches, and there was no chance he could fasten it.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said. “You’re covered in blood. Security would snap you up in five minutes.”
He scanned the street as they left the shop. “I can’t believe they came gunning for us like that. It’s completely insane. The Republic will investigate something like this, no matter how they try to cover it up. They’re going to find the Janus link. That’s suicide for them. They have to know it.”
“Or they know something we don’t. I’m tired of being on defense. Let’s go take one of them prisoner.”
He felt himself smiling. “Now we’re talking.”
* * * * *
Rachel had Hale take them back toward the park. They’d only been on the run for a few minutes, but the others would find them quickly. They had no choice because security would be all over the area very shortly, in spite of whatever they’d done to jam the coms.
The enemy had to strike now or give up, and they’d made this a huge public spectacle. They might as well take advantage of the moment. She’d do everything she could to help them come to that conclusion.
Once they were safely clear of the apothecary, she found a closed shop. It only took a moment to force the lock. That might set off a silent alarm, but with security spread thin, they’d be a while responding.
“Set up across the street,” she told him.
Rachel ran to the back of the shop and opened the com she’d picked up off the dead man she’d paused beside. It wasn’t the only thing she’d filched. Waste not, want not.
She selected the last incoming call and called it back. When a man answered, she set the com on the floor.
“We should be safe here for a while. The owner won’t be coming in with all the ruckus. You can go wash up in the back. I’ll keep an eye out front.”
With that hanging in the air, she slipped silently back out of the shop and over to where Hale was waiting. There was no one else in the store with them, so he must’ve scared off the owner.
“I signaled them on the dead guy’s com. They’ll be along as soon as they trace it. When they go
in, we take one of them. Hopefully, we’ll get the big man himself. He’ll probably let the hired guns rush in first.”
“We take one of them if the opportunity presents itself,” he argued softly. “We might make this happen against two people, if they’re so focused on getting us that they make a mistake. If they stay in groups, we abort.”
Rachel grimaced. “Fine, but if I make the call to move, you back me. Once we have our target, we slip out the back way and get lost.”
He checked his weapon. “I’m low on ammo, so we can’t afford a firefight. In any case, these guys can’t stay in one place too long or security will catch them, no matter how buggered the com systems are. They’ll move in fast, so we have to be ready to go as soon as they get here.”
She handed him her spare magazine. “I can get by with the pistol I stole from the guy I took the com off of. And I have an ace up my sleeve.”
They hunkered down and waited. It didn’t take long for the bad guys to spring their ambush. Unfortunately, it was from the rear of the shop across the way.
The windows to the target shop blew out in an unexpected blast, showering the corridor with glass. Someone had tossed in something explosive. Then the shooting started. What they were aiming at was anyone’s guess.
“I hope the owner had insurance,” she said.
“It looks like you were a little too convincing,” Hale said with a smirk. “They breached the back entrance and came in hard.”
Rachel sighed. “They’ll come out front to make sure we’re not hauling ass down the corridor. With all the people running around, they won’t be sure. Get ready to pounce if someone stays back to cover the shop.”
The attackers came out of the trashed shop in force, sending everyone running even faster. They spotted something interesting to the right and headed off as a group. She didn’t see the ex-spy.
He came out last, talking rapidly on his com while two men covered him.
“Let’s move back from the window and out the rear of the shop before they spot us,” Hale said softly.