by G J Ogden
Hudson turned around to see Nadia Voss, arms folded and eyebrows raised.
“There had better be a bloody good reason for this…” she said, with an understated sternness that was typically British.
Hudson smiled and walked over to her, undeterred by her apparent humorlessness. As he got closer, Nadia smiled back and unfurled her arms, sweeping Hudson into a warm embrace. She planted a wet kiss on both cheeks, which she then brushed off with her fingers like an embarrassed aunt.
“I have a reason, but I don’t know if it’s a good one,” said Hudson, drawing back and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “Thanks for this, I owe you one as well.”
Nadia looked Hudson up and down and then folded her arms again, “I like the leather jacket, it’s different for you, but a good look.”
Hudson managed a weak smile, “Yeah, well it was given to me by a friend,” he said, but then he hesitated and stopped. He didn’t want to begin with a lie, no matter how white it was. “Actually, it used to belong to someone I cared about.”
Nadia’s eyebrow lifted another half an inch as she noticed the hole below the left breast pocket. “Sounds like that jacket has a story to tell…” Then looking back into Hudson’s eyes, she added, “and so do you, I’d wager.”
“You could say that,” Hudson replied, mysteriously, while rubbing his stubbled chin. “I’ll tell you all about it when we’re airborne.”
Nadia led them to her taxi flyer, which was neatly parked inside the warehouse building. Despite its weather-beaten decline over the years, the warehouse still provided ample cover from prying eyes.
“I take it the job with the RGF went as well as expected?” said Nadia as they strolled side-by-side.
“I quit,” said Hudson, getting tired of hearing about his poor career decision, “and don’t say, ‘I told you so’…”
“I heard you were fired,” replied Nadia, the corner of her mouth turning up ever so slightly as she said it.
“Damn it, Nadia, not you too! I quit before they fired me!”
They both laughed, though it hurt Hudson’s ribs to do so.
“So, where to now?” said Nadia, sliding open the door of her flyer and inviting Hudson into the front seat, next to her.
“Back to San Francisco. Bayview,” said Hudson. “There’s a debt I have to pay off.”
CHAPTER 26
Hudson stood on the balcony of the residential block, staring at the door of apartment forty-two where Ericka’s brother lived. He’d been outside for ten minutes already, unable to muster the courage to press the buzzer. His paralysis was partly because he didn’t have the faintest clue what to say to whomever opened the door. However, there was a selfish reason too. He knew that once he’d fulfilled his debt to Ericka, he’d have to face up to his own future. A future that was as uncertain as San Francisco’s famously changeable weather. He knew he had to do it, but he wasn’t quite ready. Not yet.
He stepped away from the door and leant on the balcony. The view overlooked the neighborhood that he’d once known as intimately as the face he saw in the mirror every day. However, despite having grown up in San Francisco in the Bayview area, it didn’t feel like home to Hudson anymore. This was hardly surprising, he figured, considering that he’d left at just eighteen. He’d now spent half of his life elsewhere in the galaxy. This in itself was something that amused him, as he’d never been particularly well-travelled on Earth. In fact, he’d seen more towns and cities on other worlds than he had on his own planet.
It had been three days since Nadia Voss had dropped him off in the city. Like Dex, she’d refused to take any payment. However, Nadia had allowed Hudson to buy her a burger and a beer, so they could talk some more about his alien adventures. It was only after she’d said goodbye, giving him another polite peck on the cheek, that the sense of loneliness had really descended on him.
Despite the restaurant being busy and crowded, it was like Hudson had become invisible. He felt empty, but not from hunger, at least not in the literal sense. It was emotional malnourishment that afflicted him now. He’d never had a problem with being alone, and enjoyed and often sought out solitude more than most. Yet being alone was not the same as being lonely. He hadn’t fully comprehended the difference until that moment.
In the days since Nadia had dropped him off, Hudson had employed his time usefully, and successfully. He’d auctioned off the alien CPU shards that he’d managed to smuggle to Earth in the lining of Ericka’s old leather jacket. The proceeds now sat in a new account – one that the RGF couldn’t touch. The alien crystal, however, had remained tucked inside the concealed compartment in the jacket. Hudson had considered sending it to auction too, and causing a stir in the markets as a new, undiscovered relic appeared for sale. Yet while the payout could have been substantial, it would also have drawn too much attention to himself. Thanks to the Switcheroo, he’d managed to lose Cutler Wendell. However, news of a new crystal alien relic turning up in San Francisco would be too much of a coincidence to ignore. It wouldn’t take much for an assassin who was well versed in the arts of detection to connect the dots.
However, it was also true that he was keen to find out more about the crystal. This was as much out of sheer curiosity as to gain a better understanding of its likely value. That was another task that would have to wait, though. To maintain secrecy, he’d need to pay a visit to a local black-market relic dealer. So, for the time being at least, the mysterious crystal remained safely hidden.
The money from the auction of the CPU shards had come in handy, given that the RGF had already emptied Hudson’s bank account and repossessed his apartment in Bayview. They’d even sold off all of his possessions, which is what irked him most of all. Hudson hadn’t owned any items of value, because he had never cared much for ‘things’. Even so, the RGF bailiffs had peddled off everything, including heirlooms that had only sentimental value. What they couldn’t sell they had incinerated, including the few family photographs he’d owned. This was seemingly for no other reason than to send a message.
He imagined Chief Inspector Wash signing off the order herself, with a gleeful flourish of her pen. He knew that she would have enjoyed such an act of spiteful vindictiveness. Sadly, he doubted it would be the last knife in the back he’d get from his former colleagues at the RGF. It seemed the rumors were true – there was no clean break from the Relic Guardian Force. No one quits the RGF, not without consequences… Hudson reminded himself.
Despite Logan Griff’s continual jibes to the contrary, Hudson wasn’t actually dumb. His time working freighters and doing courier and taxi flyer gigs had taught him plenty. Enough to make good money from the auction, and keep the profits off the radar of greedy RGF tax collectors. It was also true that he’d learned more in the last few days than in years of freelancing around the galaxy. However, while he wasn’t stupid, he had certainly been naïve, and it had cost a life. The only way he was going to be able to live with that fact was by making good on his promise to Ericka. It wouldn’t wipe the slate clean, but it would at least allow him to start a new chapter.
His previous flying gigs had also furnished Hudson with plenty of contacts who were good at tracking people down. The key was finding Ericka’s personal records, and in particular her surname. This had turned out to be ‘Reach’ – Ericka Reach. With a name that unusual, and the foreknowledge that her brother lived in Bayview, finding him hadn’t been difficult. However, it had still taken a full day for Hudson to walk up to the door, which he was now standing outside, procrastinating.
“Come on, Hudson, get a grip,” he spoke out loud into the foggy morning air. “Let’s just get this over with…”
He took a deep breath and then returned to the door, but it was almost impossible to press the buzzer. It was as if the gravity acting on his hand had suddenly intensified tenfold. Then the decision was made for him, because the door suddenly opened, and the aggravated face of a man stared back at him.
“Look, can you stop loiteri
ng outside the damn door. I’ll be out of here as soon as I can,” the man immediately protested. “The last guy that came said I could have two more days, and it’s only been a few hours!”
Hudson noted that the man was propped up by a crutch, and wore a hefty back and leg brace. Through the door, he could see a couple of kids – a girl and a boy, both perhaps six or seven. They were playing on the floor of the lounge, which was completely empty, save for a couple of toys and two small duffle bags.
“I’m not a bailiff, I’m not here to kick you out,” said Hudson. His mouth was dry and his voice wobbled like a buoy on a rough sea.
“Then what do you want?” said the man. He was curt, but not rude. Then he gestured inside the apartment and added, “If you’re selling something then I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“I’m not selling,” said Hudson, “I was a…” he thought carefully about his next word and chose, “…friend of your sister, Ericka. You’re Kelvin, right?”
Kelvin Reach’s face fell at the mention of his sister’s name. He glanced back to check on his kids, before gently pulling the door closer so that they couldn’t see the stranger outside. “Look, they don’t know yet, and I’ve got a lot of other crap to deal with right now. I don’t want to sound cold, but…”
Hudson held up a hand, “I understand. I won’t keep you for more than a minute.” Then he reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a credit scanner. “Press your thumb to this.”
“I told you, I don’t have any money to buy…” Kelvin began, but Hudson cut across him.
“I’m not selling, I’m transferring,” said Hudson, pointing to the display. Kelvin’s eyes landed on the number and his confusion only deepened, as did the frown lines on his forehead. “Ericka got a big score on her last hunt. I was with her when she cashed it in. So, this is all yours.”
Kelvin’s eyes danced from the display on the pad to Hudson’s and back again, “But is it all…?”
“Yes, it’s all legal and accounted for,” Hudson lied. He didn’t like lying, but this time it felt good. “She told me about you and your situation, and so after she…” Hudson paused and forced a dry, hard swallow, before continuing. “…I mean, after what happened, she asked me to find you and make sure you got this. So here I am.”
“But who are you?” said Kelvin, “Are you a hunter too? How did you find me?”
“Like I said, I was a friend of Ericka’s,” said Hudson. He now badly wanted to leave. Far from being cathartic and soul cleansing, the experience was only dredging back up the traumatic events he’d tried so hard to bury. “That’s all there is to it. Now, press your thumb on the pad, and I’ll be on my way.”
Kelvin hesitated again, but Hudson raised the scanner to his hand and looked at him. His eyes implored the man not to ask him any more questions. Kelvin’s lips quivered, and he appeared to be considering probing Hudson further, but instead, reluctantly, he pressed his thumb to the pad. The transfer completed and Hudson placed the credit scanner in Kelvin’s trembling hands.
“There’s enough there to buy this place, if you wanted to,” said Hudson, “and plenty more besides. Enough to get you back on your feet.”
Kelvin was still struck dumb, and so Hudson took the opportunity to leave. However, he only made it a couple of paces, before guilt stabbed at his chest. He pressed his hand to the leather jacket, feeling the outline of the crystal in the hidden compartment, and then turned back to Kelvin.
“There’s also this,” said Hudson, slipping the crystal shard out of the compartment and showing it to him. Under Earth’s yellow sun, it glistened and shimmered in a way no earthly object did. Kelvin stared at it, almost hypnotized by its ethereal hue.
“What is it?” he said, transfixed. “It’s stunning; I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“Very few people have,” said Hudson. “Your sister found it on one of the alien wrecks. So far as I know, it’s the only one of its kind. It could be worth a lot.” He held out the crystal, offering it to Kelvin. “You should have it too.”
Kelvin took the crystal and turned it over in his hands, admiring its unearthly beauty. “Look, you’ve done so much for me already,” said Kelvin, offering the crystal back to Hudson. “You could have taken this money for yourself, but you didn’t. I don’t know what planet you come from, but I don’t know anyone on Earth who would do what you’ve done.”
“Maybe you just need better friends,” said Hudson, smiling, but the joke was also an attempt to deflect the compliment. He didn’t feel particularly virtuous. He’d handed Kelvin the money as much to salvage his own conscience as to do the right thing by Ericka.
Kelvin managed a weak smile in return, “You’re probably right there.” He pressed the crystal back into Hudson’s hand and closed his fingers around it. “But I don’t need this. And I think she’d want you to have it. Maybe you can work out what it is, and write yours and Ericka’s names into the relic hunter history books.”
Hudson almost said, ‘Oh, I’m not a relic hunter…’ but he realized that this would just open a can of worms. He didn’t want to get into a discussion about his past with the RGF, as it would inevitably lead onto how Ericka died. And that was a conversation he didn’t want to have. Instead, he accepted the crystal and placed it back inside the compartment in his jacket.
The commotion of squabbling children then distracted Kelvin’s attention. He peered back inside the apartment where his two kids were now fighting over one of the few toys they had left. “I’d better get back inside,” said Kelvin, nodding in the direction of the warring siblings. “Plus, I need to make a few calls and credit transfers.” He extended a hand to Hudson, and added, “Thanks to you, I just got my life back. Ericka was lucky to have a friend like you, and I don’t even know your name.”
“I’m no-one, just an outcast of society, trying to do the right thing,” replied Hudson. “And I was the lucky one. I’m still alive.” Then he reluctantly took Kelvin’s hand and shook it. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring her back to you too.”
The two men said their goodbyes and Hudson left the apartment, ambling slowly back along the balcony to the stairwell. He was in a virtual dream state as he began to descend slowly to street level. He didn’t notice the silver-haired lady pass by him on the way up, carrying a brown paper bag full of groceries. He didn’t notice the ginger cat sitting on a windowsill, pausing mid-wash to regard him with curiosity. And he didn’t notice the surveillance drone humming in near silence outside, tracking his every move.
CHAPTER 27
Handing over the credits to Kelvin had lifted a weight from Hudson’s mind, but he still had a heavy heart. It should have been Ericka doing this, not me… he told himself. It wasn’t just her senseless death that weighed on him, it was also the injustice of how it had happened.
Hudson had a clear sense of fairness, and he’d always done right by people and his friends. Even when it became clear that the RGF was as crooked as he’d been warned it was, he still did things ‘by the book’. He remembered how Griff had relentlessly mocked him for using that phrase, and then it dawned on him why he was still so angry. Griff had spent his career swindling and thieving, under the mentorship and authority of another swindler and thief. And he had no doubt that Chief Inspector Jane Wash reported up the chain to ever more crooked superiors. Griff had flouted the rules with regularity and he’d always seemed to get away with it. Hudson had bucked authority once and it had gotten Ericka killed. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. And that pissed him off.
In an attempt to clear his head, Hudson went for a walk down towards Hunter’s Point, close to where his own apartment had been. Seeking solitude, he wandered into a deserted area of old warehouses. It was an area that was designated for the future expansion of the RGF base, but as usual budget cuts had delayed its construction. He found a tattered old bench, brushed off some of the peeling paint and sat down. A few minutes later, a ship launched and then blasted into orbit. He
couldn’t help wondering whether the crew on board included an idealistic rookie like he had been. Another ‘dumb rook’, foolishly believing that the RGF existed to ensure fair play. Hudson wondered if they would be tainted by its corruption and become just another Logan Griff or Jane Wash.
The light was fading and the air was turning colder, so Hudson decided to head back into Bayview. He was getting hungry, and he considered going to one of the soul food places off third street. However, as he left the bench and turned away from Hunter’s Point, he caught a glimpse of a shadow moving behind one of the condemned buildings. The area was deserted apart from him, and it was hardly a romantic spot for lovers to take a stroll. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled and he suddenly felt vulnerable and exposed. Perhaps someone saw or overheard me showing the crystal to Kelvin? Hudson wondered. He hadn’t noticed anyone else around, but he’d also hardly been discreet about mentioning the crystal’s potential value. If anyone had been snooping behind twitching curtains, they might have overheard.
Hudson adjusted his route back in order to put some distance between himself and the shadows. He hurried, while still trying to walk as normally as possible, and cut through a side-street. Quickening his pace, he checked behind as the thud of boots thumping against the asphalt grew louder. Two figures flashed past the entrance to the side-street and continued on the road parallel to where Hudson was now headed. In a few hundred meters, he’d be back on busier residential streets. He knew the area like the back of his hand, and was confident he could slip away unseen. However, he assumed that his pursuers would know this too, and so would choose to make their move soon.
Hudson quickened his pace again, almost to a jog, keeping the abandoned warehouse between him and the shadows. He scanned the ground around him, looking for anything he could use as an improvised weapon. It might not come down to a fight, he realized, but Hudson wouldn’t be caught unprepared again. From now on, he was going to fight first and ask questions later.