Gaia's Brood

by Nick Travers

  Chapter 31

  This isn’t going well. Somehow I need to persuade Bateman to take Jed’s money. I swallow hard and straighten up, I can feel cold sweat breaking out on my brow and my palms. There is no way I can leave now.

  If I return to Jed without his supplies, whatever they are, he will kill Trent. “I need to see the goods before I leave so I can assure Jed you really have them,” I say. It’s really lame, but I cannot think of anything else to stall him.

  Bateman glares at me then waves over a heavy and murmurs into its ear. The Heavy closes the money case and takes it with him into a dark passage. Is that a good sign? Moments later the Heavy returns pushing a six foot trunk on a glide trolley. I was expecting a small package holding illicit drugs, but this is something else. Weapons? There is only one way to find out.

  “Open it,” I instruct.

  Bateman just laughs. “No way, this thing is so hot I don’t even want to know what’s inside. I’m even thinking of giving it to you for half the price just to get rid of it.”

  Really? Now I’m even more curious about the contents of the box. How can Bateman not want to know what’s inside the container? “I’m happy to take it off your hands right now,” I try. I vaguely notice the street has gone silent outside. The Heavies are looking nervous again so I guess they’ve noticed too.

  “Nah, not really, kid.” He grins. “I’m also contemplating charging Jed double to compensate for my lost sleep. But a deal’s a deal, and I reckon I can go without sleep until you return. Now get out of here.”

  I glance over at Fernando who gives me a barely perceivable nod.

  But Bateman notices it too. “What the—’

  The intercom buzzes urgently. “Mr. Bate—”

  Boom.

  The walls explode inwards. Plaster dust fills the room. Fully armed constables pour into the office waving blast riffles before Bateman’s Heavies can draw their weapons. Everyone freezes as the dust swirls and starts to settle. Through the gloom strides an officer of the law. Whatever happens now is in the hands of this Captain.

  Bateman, still seated behind his desk, speaks as if nothing has happened. “Hello Officer, can I help you?”

  “Hands away from the desk and tell your Heavies to surrender their guns. This is a raid.”

  “You don’t say,” Bateman sneers, and nods to his Heavies, who carefully draw out their guns using a finger and thumb and lob them onto the floor a safe distance away. “If there is something specific you are looking for, perhaps I can save you the trouble, Miss.”

  I notice Bateman is studiously not looking at Jed’s large box. It has suddenly become the elephant in the room.

  “We’ll look for ourselves, thanks.” The Captain’s blond ponytail swings as she turns her gaze on me. “Who are these?”

  “Time wasters, they should leave and take their trash with them.” Bateman nods briefly towards Jed’s box.

  I see his game. He knows the constables are searching for the box and he’s now more than happy for us to take it off his premises before they start their search. I’m happy to oblige him if I can.

  “It ain’t trash, Mr Bateman,” I whine, playing along, “and the proceeds are all for charity.”

  I make puppy eyes at the officer, trying to look my most innocent.

  It works. “This is no place for the likes of you. Take whatever you are trying to sell Mr. Bateman and don’t let me catch you around here again.”

  Quickly, I grab the glide trolley and, with the help of Izzy and Fernando, steer it through a gap in the wall past the heavily armored constables.

  Although every fiber of my body is screaming, “Run!” and my palms are sweating nervously. I force myself to maintain a quick walk. Drawing attention to ourselves could ruin everything.

  Izzy suddenly laughs. “I can’t believe we got away with that.”

  “Wait!” It’s the law officer . I stand stock still, my heart beating so fast it’s threatening to burst out of my chest. Does the she know what is in the box? If it’s as hot as Bateman says, perhaps she’s realized her mistake.

  “I don’t know what sort of trouble you are in, Cousin,” the Captain continues, addressing Fernando, “but there was an officer of the New Frisco police looking for you the other day.”

  She can only mean Jack McGraw.

  “Word is, the Lieutenant with him is a really nasty piece of work—some of the hardest crooks I know ran at the mention of him. Just thought you ought to know, Cousin.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief—she doesn’t know, or if she does she’s choosing not to notice.

  “Oh, and I hear there’s a Microtough fleet in the area so watch yourself. Take care Cousin, and a pleasure doing business with your friend. Better get going while we clear up here.”

  Now we run, pushing the glide trolley towards the docks as fast as we can. All I want now it to put clean air between Serendipity and the Shonti Bloom.

  As we mount the boarding ramp, Izzy grins broadly with relief. “Brilliant idea, Nina, using Jed’s own money to purchase an exit plan with Fernando’s cousin.” She feels the same way I do about trading favors with Fernando’s family.

  Fernando shakes his head. “An unnecessary risk,” but he’s also grinning with relief.

  I slap him on the back. “It’s all thanks to you, Fernando. Without your clan connections we might not have made it. Lucky the trouble your cousin was having with the constables was just passing their entrance exam.”

  Scud gets the Shonti underway and we stow the massive box in the Map room.

  “It looks like a sarcophagus,” Izzy says seriously. “You don’t suppose this box is really as hot as Bateman says?”

  “Nah, if it were that hot we’d have the whole planet after us.”