She let out a merry laugh. “I’m lucky for a number of things that come with being me. That one is a minor consideration.”
Erik ignored the smell to take a more careful look around. Bullet holes and scorch marks covered the nearby walls. The scorch pattern around the huge gaping wound in one building was indicative of a plasma grenade. This wasn’t just a refuge for the dispossessed.
“Did you pick a place you could kill me, and it’d look normal or like death by stench?” Erik asked. He gestured to the nearby bullet holes.
“I have people droning around here. This place hasn’t seen a lot of traffic in the last few days.” The colonel scoffed. “And if I ever need to kill you, it’ll be out in the open, and you’ll be coming at me first.”
“Good to know,” he answered, his eyes watering.
A loud whirring noise sounded, and the back of the cargo flitter flipped up.
Erik couldn’t see inside the vehicle from his position. “You didn’t tell me what this was about. I’m assuming it’s important.”
“It’s about your request.” The colonel nodded at the cargo flitter. “You wanted heavier ordnance, so I’m about to provide you some. This isn’t for everyday use or normal idiots, but the next time you run into a King sentry or an anthill filled with terrorists and you don’t have TPST support, these might help. I need you to not die until my son’s been avenged.” He shrugged, a small smirk fleeing across his lips. “Feel free to commit suicide by terrorist or assassin or upset girlfriend after that has been accomplished.”
A soldier pushed a hoverpallet loaded with black cases and crates, some long and narrow, others tall and squat. Getting everything inside the MX 60 would be a challenge. He’d purchased the vehicle for speed, handling, and cover.
Not cargo capacity.
“Getting this wasn’t easy.” Colonel Adeyemi frowned. “And it’s not like I can route Army equipment to random people because I feel like it, so we had to play this strictly by the book.”
“Which book?” Erik asked. “And what does it say?”
“In a few minutes, you’ll be receiving a message confirming your official receipt of a sponsored license to deal in surplus military equipment.” The colonel pointed at the approaching pallet. “That was the only way I could get you more than a few rifles, and the only way you’d be able to legally possess this stuff, even as a cop and a vet. I understand that you’re willing to bend the rules, but I also know someone is gunning for you. They probably haven’t flattened you yet because someone else is running interference, but the fewer angles of attack we give them, the better. It’s not crazy, looking at us from the outside, that I might have a business relationship with you, so it provides a plausible cover.”
Erik shrugged. “Fine by me.” He stretched his neck a bit to get a better view of the containers. “What did you bring?”
The colonel strolled over to the pallet, his boots thudding on the hard pavement.
He tapped his PNIU, and all the locks clicked open. “I’ll send the access codes to you.” He opened one of the long and narrow boxes to reveal a black missile launcher. “Laser-guided. That big enough for you?” He pointed to a shorter, wider box next to him. “It’s not like I can give you a hundred missiles, but at least you’ve got some. I’m sure Emma can interface the system so you can use drones to paint your targets. These have decent guidance and range, so you can do some indirect fire with her help.”
“It would be trivial,” Emma insisted, sounding exciting. Erik eyed the Taxútnta. Can an AI have PTSD as well?
He wasn’t sure if he wanted the AI to be so eager to fire a missile.
He focused on the weapons again. “That would have been nice to have on Halloween,” Erik agreed.
“Exactly.” Colonel Adeyemi closed the case and opened a nearby crate. Several assault rifles were packed inside. “You probably don’t care about these because of that monster you already use, but if you ever want something with a little more control and ammo efficiency, here it is. We’ve got a lot of other useful toys, including a couple of pairs of tactical goggles, so you don’t have to rely on drones for night vision or thermal. Two assault infantry-grade tactical suits. Those should stop the bullets from your typical scumbag criminal better than those cop vests they give you.”
Erik chuckled. “I thought you didn’t want me using this equipment against normal idiots?”
“Eh, I’ll leave it to your discretion, but you have a habit of running into big threats. But use this too much, and it’ll start raising questions we might not want to answer.” Colonel Adeyemi closed the crates. “I’d get you an exoskeleton if I could, but there’s no way we can get you a military-issued exoskeleton without a bunch of alarms going off on a lot of people’s systems. Then our little investigation will be over.” He slapped the top of another crate. “Lots of ammo in here, different calibers. I’ve got ammo for the rifles, and I put in some for your TR-7. Besides more disruptor rounds, there’s also a bunch of armor-piercing and explosive rounds.”
“Thank you. That will come in real handy.”
“I would hope so.”
“You’re going to stuff all that into my body?” Emma asked. Her holographic form appeared next to the pallet. She leaned over the boxes and crates, her lips pursed in irritation. More than one of the others glanced at her before resuming their surveillance. Erik was sure they wanted to get out of this smelly location as badly as he did.
Unless they had smell protection?
Erik shrugged. “It’s not like I can have the colonel drive this thing to my residential tower.”
Emma let out a long, melodramatic sigh. “I do hope this doesn’t end with me exploding.”
Colonel Adeyemi frowned. “Can we do without the commentary? I’d like to finish going through this and get out of here.”
Emma stepped away from the delivery with a faint smirk on her face. “Touchy, uniform boy.”
The colonel snorted and nodded at another box. “Grenades. Frag, plasma, and stun.” He pointed to a case. “Tactical short-radius EMPs.” He walked to the other side of the pallet and opened a long, narrow case. Inside was an unwieldy gray rifle with a narrow barrel and a thick body. The weapon was almost as large as the missile launcher.
“Wait, is that…” Erik whistled and leaned toward it. “I thought they couldn’t make them this small. I was always told it would never be an infantry weapon, and that the required tech wasn’t practical.”
Colonel Adeyemi managed something approaching a smile. “That’s right. It’s an assault infantry tactical laser. It’s heavy as hell, and you don’t get a lot of shots from a single charged power cell, but they are starting to use them in a few units. A good shot from one of these aimed the right way could down a flitter.”
He looked at the man. “And I can have this legally?”
The colonel nodded. “As a licensed dealer, yes. This weapon isn’t classified. It’s just not in widespread use. They’ve even talked about them on the news. Typical hype—the weapon that will change warfare. That kind of garbage.”
“I don’t pay a lot of attention to the military news these days.”
“I don’t blame you, but the summary version is, I wouldn’t be surprised if, in twenty years, nobody’s using a slug thrower anymore.” Colonel Adeyemi glanced at the laser rifle with a hint of longing. “The Zitarks haven’t made their move yet, but that doesn’t mean they or another race won’t, or that some of the schemers in Parliament won’t get their preemptive war. The DD is pushing hard to close some of the weapons tech gaps. Those damned space raptors are probably the weakest of the aliens, and they still have the advantage in certain areas.” He closed the case. “I’ve got a few extra power cells in there for you, but those things take a long time to charge, so don’t try to use that thing to mow down an entire army by yourself.”
Emma folded her arms and sighed. “I suppose it’s inevitable, but some of the drones I’ve…borrowed are picking up suspicious people circling th
e area on mini-flitters. There is currently a single gun goblin approaching directly.”
“Rider gang,” Erik muttered. “Those guys are usually smart enough to stay away from something dangerous.”
What kind of idiot saw a bunch of men with rifles and decided he wanted a piece of them?
Colonel Adeyemi frowned. “Everyone, ready up.”
The soldiers raised their rifles. A few more soldiers jumped out of the cargo flitter. They opened the doors and took up positions behind them.
Erik pointed to the laser rifle. “I think I’ll try it out.”
The colonel snorted and opened the case. He lifted the rifle with a grunt and tossed it to Erik. If he didn’t have a cybernetic arm, it might not have been manageable. Some weapons needed an exoskeleton. He crouched behind the hoverpallet and rested the rifle on top.
“A single gun goblin will be here in about thirty seconds,” Emma reported. “Many of his associates are hovering overhead, just out of your line of sight.” She vanished.
The colonel readied his pistol, his face a mask of annoyance. “Always roaches ready to scuttle out of the darkness, but they might not be total idiots.”
An overconfident thug approached astride on a dark mini-flitter decorated with elaborate yellow and white stripes. His helmet was painted to resemble a skull. Erik hated it when they tried so hard.
The rider stopped a few yards from the MX 60 and grinned. Erik assumed that the spikes all over his clothes and the angry mongoose on the front of his jumpsuit were supposed to mean something, but it wasn’t like he kept track of every petty gang in the Shadow Zone.
Riders were annoying, but they lacked the influence of groups like the Gray Circle. The local EZ cops kept them in check.
“I’d suggest you leave,” Colonel Adeyemi barked. “This has nothing to do with you, and you can see we’re not just tourists.”
The thug shook his head, a gleeful smile on his face and greed in his eyes. “Sometimes you get lucky, you know? That’s us today. We’re normally not even over here. No one comes over here except the dregs, but the one time we do, Little Wang says he sees something strange. He tells me he thinks he sees some dealing over here.” He patted the handlebars of his flitter. “And I’m thinking, you guys don’t look like people from around here, so you need to pay the local taxes, you know?” He licked his lips. “But those don’t look like drugs. Guns? My boys could use a few guns.”
“You think you can threaten us?” the colonel snapped.
“I think you don’t get that I have my boys ready to fly in here and kill you all. We’ve got the flitters, and we’ve got the numbers.” The thug patted his handlebars. “But it doesn’t have to go down like that. I’m not asking for everything. This ain’t a robbery. I’m asking for a small donation. You can leave here without any trouble, and we’ll know you’re reasonable. Maybe we could even do a few favors for each other.”
The colonel glowered at the man, his right hand twitching and hovering near the pistol in his belt holster.
“Can I handle this?” Erik asked. “I know how to deal with these kinds of people.”
“Be my guest,” the colonel replied.
“I think you don’t want to be involved in this,” Erik suggested. “I think it’d be best if you turned around and left before there’s trouble.”
“Something nasty and illegal going on here,” the thug commented. He sucked in a breath. “Shame, shame. You’ve gone and brought crime into such a nice area.” He chuckled through his smile.
“Actually, this is all legal,” Erik explained. “I can show you my license.”
“Legal? You expect me to believe you’re in some nasty part of the Zone because…what? You love the smell?”
“Something like that.” Erik matched his grin. “But I’d hope you wouldn’t be stupid enough to do something you’ll regret. You didn’t come in shooting, which means you’re smart enough to know that if you try something, you’ll lose people.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m what you call…resourceful.”
Erik let out a mocking laugh. “You’re right. I’m picking up guns here.” He hefted the laser rifle. “Do we look like the kind of people who are going to be intimidated by a few riders?”
“You’ve got balls, sure, but being brave ain’t the same thing as being smart.” The thug narrowed his eyes. “Who are you? You seem familiar.” He snorted. “Not important. It’s a good deal. You just hand me a few of those boxes, and I’m on my way with my boys. Otherwise, there will be trouble. I’ve got a lot of my boys ready to come down here. You’re on the ground, and they’re in the air. If they start shooting, you’ll be dead. Maybe one of my boys gets shot. Maybe not.”
“I’m transmitting indicator arrows pointing to his boys to your smart lenses,” Emma sent to Erik and the soldiers.
Twenty small arrows appeared. The thug wasn’t bluffing about the numbers, but he also didn’t seem fazed by the fact Erik was holding a huge laser rifle. Even if he didn’t know what it was, anyone who saw it could make a reasonable guess that the weapon was dangerous.
The soldiers spread out and raised their rifles.
The thug pulled out a pistol. “You could shoot me, but if you do, you’re dead.”
Erik pointed the laser rifle at the man’s chest. “It’s like you said. You’re brave, I’ll give you that. Stupid, perhaps, but brave.”
The thug offered a toothy grin. “You don’t get to be the leader if you flinch because someone points a fancy gun at you. I know you’re not going to shoot me since you don’t know where and how many of my boys there are. If I die, they’re going to fly down here and pick you all off in seconds. At least my second will have a lot of new toys to hand out.”
“You’ve got ten seconds to get the hell out of here,” Erik replied. “Nine, eight, seven…”
“I’ve seen your face before, and it’s really bugging me.” The thug jammed his pistol into his waistband. “I know I’m the first person you’ll shoot.” His flitter lifted into the air. “But this ain’t over. You finish up, and you get the hell out the Zone if you know what’s good for you.” He crested the roof of a roughly thirty-meter-tall building and disappeared.
Emma added a new, differently colored arrow for the thug. “They’ve all stopped moving,” she reported. “He’s now violently gesturing to the others.”
“Prepare for aerial assault,” Colonel Adeyemi ordered.
The soldiers had spread out to cover both sides, their rifles pointed up. Determination, not fear, covered their faces.
Erik hoisted the massive rifle, aiming for the leader’s arrow. The indicators started moving.
Erik held position and waited for the thug leader to clear the roof, along with his swarm of friends. They emerged in seconds, all with their pistols out. Guided by Emma’s arrows, the soldiers knew exactly where the enemy would emerge. They opened fire.
The echoes of the rifle shots overlapped as the first volley went out and ripped through the riders. Confusion swept through the would-be ambushers, but a few managed to shoot back, their bullets bouncing off the armored flitter or going wide. Carrying a gun didn’t mean they had practiced and drilled with it.
Snarling, their leader pointed his gun at Erik and fired. His first bullet wasn’t close and struck the wall behind Erik. The detective pulled the trigger in response. An invisible beam blasted from the rifle and tore a large hole through the center of the mini-flitter. The laser rifle’s indicator dropped by a fifth.
The thug leader screamed as his vehicle spiraled toward the ground. He dropped his gun and desperately tugged on his handlebars. Thousands of years of technological advancement had led to man being able to soar through the skies with the ease of the bird.
That advantage had been taken away in an instant.
Several of the riders looked his way, their distraction allowing soldiers to pick them off. The flitter smashed into the ground, doing little to cushion the collision. The mangled rider flew from the wreck an
d his body rolled several times before stopping, joining the other dead riders and their smoking vehicles on the ground.
The wide-eyed survivors whipped their mini-flitters around and fled over the rooftops, all picking different random directions.
“Cease fire, cease fire!” Colonel Adeyemi ordered.
“They are not circling back,” Emma reported.
“We tried to warn him.” Erik walked over and set the rifle on the pallet before pushing it toward the MX 60. “Let me get this loaded, and then Emma, you can fly around the Zone while I chat with the local cops. Colonel, you and your team should get out of here. I’ll clean up. As far as they are concerned, it’ll just be the Shadow Zone Task Force doing its thing.”
Adeyemi nodded once, and in moments, his team was loaded and heading out.
Erik sighed, then sneezed. “DISGUSTING!” he spat.
Chapter Forty-One
March 3, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Police Enforcement Zone 122 Station, Office of Detectives Jia Lin and Erik Blackwell
Jia couldn’t help but frown at Erik. He sat at his desk, feet up, his head cradled in his arms as he read through a few reports. The whole look was as casual as a man checking sphere ball scores.
Earlier, he’d described what had happened in the Shadow Zone with all the seriousness of a man relating a funny anecdote from his day off.
She didn’t understand him, not completely. The grinning façade covered a well of dark vengeance, but half the time, he acted like none of it mattered, and all he cared about was entertainment.
She knew that wasn’t true, but it was hard not to be deceived.
It was a ruse, which was something she needed to remember. The vengeance propelling him had brought him to the attention of dangerous enemies. The more he played the carefree gun-toting fool, the easier it was for him to surprise them, as he had several times already.
“You should have brought me,” Jia declared.
“Huh? Brought you where?” Erik lifted his head to look over. “To the breakroom?”
Investigating Deceit Page 30