by Dan Fairview
“No sign of movement here. All clear,” Victoria said.
“Clear here too. You would think someone would come out to see what’s going on. I think I’ll just go knock on the door.”
“Are you nuts?”
“Probably.”
John ended the call, and moved toward the front door, every nerve alert. He scanned the windows. There was still no movement, but he kept his weapon at the ready.
He dashed across the distance to the house; his heart was pounding in his ears when he reached the door. Sweat poured down his forehead, so he wiped it with his sleeve, and then knocked.
There was a long pause.
“Just a minute,” a woman yelled.
If he’s in the house with a woman, where is Clarissa?
He didn’t have time to work it out. The door swung open, and John’s weapon slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
It can’t be.
“It’s about time.” His wife Melanie placed her hands firmly on her hips, and gave him the look he got every time he had done something stupid.
Victoria sat the jumper down in the sand next to the dock.
There was no movement. She pulled her weapon, released the safety, and eased herself down the ramp.
Crackles from the cooling engines competed with the waves slapping against the rocks.
She scanned her surroundings. Nothing moved, except the palm trees swaying gentle and slow.
Come out, come out, wherever you are?
The large outbuilding stood silent. If anyone was here, they were in the house. A group of gulls patrolling the water were the only signs of life.
She approached the boat. It was tied fast, and the main hatch was open. She crept on board. There was no sign of movement when she reached the hatch, so she took a breath and stepped in. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. Crates were scattered everywhere, but one box stood open. She went over to take a look.
Saltshakers?
A shadow crossed the hatch door and something struck her hard, plunging her into oblivion.
Melanie threw her arms around John and squeezed him.
How is this possible?
He stood in the doorway with his arms limp, his weapon forgotten and kicked to the side. Melanie pulled him inside and shut the door.
An involuntary twitch cracked the edges of his mouth. He wanted to laugh and cry, all at the same time. His knees buckled, threatening to collapse, so she took him by the arm and led him to the kitchen at the back of the house, and sat him in a chair. He stared slack-jawed at her.
“You look exhausted,” she said. “I’ll pour you a cup of coffee and you’ll feel better.” She went to a cabinet and pulled out a cup.
John’s mind raced.
How could she be here?
He swallowed hard on a lump of questions.
Where has she been all this time?
She set the coffee on the table, humming to herself as she stirred in some sugar. “There, just like you like it.”
John wrinkled his nose. “Uh, I take my coffee black now.”
“What?”
John's gut began to churn. His face flushed, and his ears grew hot. “Where’ve you been all this time? I thought you were dead!”
She looked at him, confused. “Dominique contacted us and said you were on a very dangerous case, and that he was supposed to keep us separated until it was safe for you to come get us. When he told me it was safe to get Clarissa, I knew you wouldn’t be far behind. We are safe now, right?”
John rose and paced a circle. Something was off. She looked like Melanie, sounded like Melanie, but something wasn’t right.
“Where is Clarissa?”
“She’s playing in her room.”
He pushed past her into the living room, where he heard noises at the end of the hall. “Clarissa!”
The door opened and Clarissa rushed down the hall into his arms. “Daddy!”
Worry lined John’s forehead as he settled her on his hip. He looked her over. “Are you okay, baby?”
“I playing.” Clarissa’s nose wrinkled, and she pointed at Melanie. “That not Mommy.”
John tilted his head to one side and tried to make sense of what was happening. Slowly the pieces fell together in his mind.
She’s a clone.
He looked deeply into her eyes. There had always been a certain spark, but he couldn't find it. She should have read him and known that he didn't want sugar in his coffee anymore.
This was not his wife.
She was gone, and wasn’t coming back.
John looked at Clarissa, and found that indescribable spark staring at him. Suddenly, all his questions dissipated like a morning fog.
“I know that’s not Mommy, baby. Let’s go home.”
“I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere,” Dominique Graspeau said.
John turned to face the barrel of a blaster.
Eleven
Instinctively, John reached for his weapon, but it wasn’t to be found. Then he remembered dropping it. He sat Clarissa down. “Go play, baby. We’ll be leaving soon.”
Graspeau moved in front of Melanie, who was still in the kitchen area, as John gently pushed Clarissa back down the hall.
“We have unfinished business.” Graspeau motioned over his shoulder to Melanie. “With that device, I can restore her telepathic abilities, and unlock the key to creating more. Think of the possibilities.”
Out of the corner of his eye, John saw Melanie pick up an object from the counter.
“I'm afraid I won’t be giving your daughter back,” Graspeau said. “She could soon start exhibiting abilities of her own, but if she doesn't I have plenty of genetic material to create more. So hand over the device, or would you prefer torture? I could say, peel your fingernails back, one at a time?”
Graspeau let out a bloodcurdling scream as Melanie plunged a large kitchen knife into his back.
Stunned, John watched as Graspeau swiveled towards Melanie and discharged his weapon. She slumped to the floor.
John regained his senses and grabbed the handle of the knife. He tried to twist it, but Graspeau fell against the counter, pulling it free.
John swung to stab him. Graspeau deflected the swing, so John looped the knife back around and slammed it into Graspeau’s gut, pushing upward into the vital organs.
There was a flash.
Graspeau’s blaster slid from his hand and he slumped to the floor.
John put a hand to his side. It was wet. He lifted it to see, but darkness crowded in on him.
John woke to the sound of beeping instruments. His mouth was dry, and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He tried to speak, but could only manage a croak.
“You’re in the infirmary on Hishu,” Victoria said. “Clarissa is here too.”
He tried to wipe the grit from his eyes, but a hose prevented him.
“Hold still a minute.” She moistened a towel and wiped them for him. “There.”
The light was bright at first, but his eyes quickly adjusted. “Where is Clarissa?”
Victoria gave him a drink of water. “She went with the sitter to get a treat. She’ll be back soon.”
“How long have I been out?” John asked in a hoarse voice.
“Two days.”
He reached for the bandage on his side.
She put her hand on his forearm. “Doc says you’ll heal. A little more to the left and you wouldn’t be here.”
John pointed to the bandage on her head.
“I’m fine. You know how hard-headed I am.”
He wanted to laugh, but the pain prevented him.
“I just want to say right now, that I signed off on your application and your license is approved.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded, and went on to explain how she had found him lying on top of Graspeau.
She seemed reluctant to ask something. “That woman, was that your wife?”
“A clone.”
“I see.” He could see her relax. “Director Cornwall has been trying to get in touch with you.”
She reached into her pocket, gave his comm unit to him, and then raised his bed so he could sit up. He made the call, while Victoria poured him a glass of water.
Cornwall’s face appeared on the tiny screen.
“Ah, Detective Finder, hope I find you well. Miss Sidewell has told me what happened. I wanted to thank you for solving our little mystery. We have the couple in custody, and with Miss Sidewell’s cooperation, we have confiscated all their assets.”
“Then my suspicion about the lady’s eye was correct?”
“Some type of bionic eye for sure. She was using it to read the cards. They’ve confessed to partnering with this Graspeau fellow in exchange for a clone of their dead son. We found bags of hard currency stashed away at their house and on their boat. They weren’t just scamming us, were they?”
“No sir. They were hitting every casino on the island.”
“That will be our little secret . Miss Sidewell has informed me of your intention to remain here and start your own agency.”
John glanced at Victoria. She was smiling at him.
“Uh, sure.”
“Before we settle up, I wanted to offer you their island as part of your percentage. It has a luxurious home and a boathouse, complete with three boats. That should alleviate any housing and transportation problems you have. What do you say?”
John couldn’t believe it. “How much money would that leave me?”
Cornwall leaned outside of the viewer’s angle for a moment. “After deducting the value of everything we discussed, if you agree, I’ll transfer just under two million to your account.”
The comm unit slipped from John’s hand and it rolled to the floor.
Victoria doubled over laughing.
Epilogue
Maynard Bricker waited in the shadows until certain no one watched, and then slithered into the warehouse.
He slid his way through construction equipment, remaining unseen. Voices came from the office on the second level.
“See ya tomorrow, boss,” one said.
Bricker listened to the steps of the man, as he came down the stairs and exited the building.
Slowly, he climbed the stairs and appeared in the doorway.
“Damn Bricker, one of these days, that sneaking shit is gonna get you shot.”
“Just messing with ya.”
“I’m serious. Don’t do it again.”
“All right, all right. I need a fix.”
Dick Taylor leaned back and laid his weapon on the desk. “Piss off.”
“C’mon, Dick. Don’t be like that. I was just playing. I got money.”
“Oh, you have money now?”
“I just finished a job.”
He shouldn’t have messed with Taylor, but he couldn’t help himself. “How about it? You got some?”
Taylor gave him a long, considering look.
“I may have a job for you,” Taylor said.
Bricker’s pulse quickened. He rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. “What is it?”
“I have a problem I need taken care of. You do this for me and I’ll give you two kilos.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Their names are …”
Finding Purpose preview
CHAPTER ONE
The sky turned from orange to pinkish blue and finally to dark purple. Viata's first moon, Krenor, cleared the horizon. The second and smaller moon, Banta, wouldn't be up for another hour.
John Finder sat at his usual table, next to the kitchen in Barnacle Bill's bar, watching the lights of the boats crisscrossing the bay. The day was ending for some, but just beginning for others. A breeze blew in the scent of salt and brine.
John tossed back a shot of rum. He enjoyed the slow burn as the liquid slid down his throat. He had acquired a taste for it after arriving here on Viata.
Bill's bar had become his favorite place to hang out. Mostly because of the friends he had made with the staff, but partly because he could leave his cabin cruiser docked here and drive his roamer to work.
Sabrina, the young new bartender, dressed in a size too small Barnacle Bill tee shirt, brought him another shot while he waited for his to-go order, then returned to the bar to wait on customers. John wondered what his daughter Clarissa would be like when she reached Sabrina's age.
A whiff of rotting fish floated on the breeze making John’s nose wrinkle. Three men walked in and John could tell they were tourists by the clothes they wore. One was tall, one was short, and one was stocky. The loud-mouthed stocky one was clearly the leader. They ordered drinks at the bar, while loud mouth flirted with Sabrina. He tried to ignore the obnoxious banter that loud mouth flung at Sabrina. He supposed she would have to deal with people like that while working in a bar.
A loud smack caught his attention.
Loud mouth was stretched across the bar trying to grab Sabrina, while his buddies laughed.
John rose and immediately closed the distance between them. "Leave her alone.”
They turned to face him.
"Are you okay?" John asked Sabrina.
"This jerk grabbed my boob."
Loud mouth puffed his chest out and got in John’s face. "It's none of your business. You her daddy?"
John appraised the situation. Short round wasn't going to engage, he was already backing away. Stretch looked too drunk to be a problem, but loud mouth might be if it turned into a wrestling match.
"You need to leave," John said. People began clearing a space around them.
"You going to make us old man? What you grinning at? I'll knock that damn grin off your face."
John couldn’t help but smile bigger.
Loud mouth took a swing at him. John stepped aside and grabbed loud mouth's arm, using his momentum to toss him to the floor, knocking over empty tables.
Stretch stepped forward, and John met him halfway with a crushing blow to the mid-section; he doubled over into a fetal position at John's feet. Short round held up his hands, and backed further away.
When John turned his attention back to loud mouth, he got a fist to the face. It sent him sprawling. John jumped back to his feet and the wound in his side flared in pain. It was still healing from a blaster shot from a previous case. He needed to end this quick.
Loud mouth came at him like a charging bull. John timed it perfectly with a knee to the face and he went down. He put a foot on his back to keep him down, but it wasn't necessary. He wasn’t getting up anytime soon.
Warin, the short Hawaiian cook, came from the kitchen carrying a stun weapon in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other. "Security is coming, they'll be here in a minute. Anybody who needs to leave better go now." He waved the cleaver at short round. "Except you tubby, get over there with your friends. You okay John?"
John rubbed his side as some of the regular customers slipped quietly out. "I'm fine."
Sabrina started picking up overturned tables. "Thanks John.”
A jumper hovered overhead for a moment and then landed in the sand. Bright lights radiated from its sides, illuminating the beach area. After a pause, a ramp dropped from the rear and Victoria Sidewell with two of her deputies stepped out. She tugged the hem of her blue security uniform and surveyed the area, then headed up the beach into the bar with stun weapons in hand.
Victoria smiled and slid her stun baton back into its holster when she saw John. "Should've known you'd be involved."
"Good to see you too.”
"What happened here?"
Sabrina spoke up. "That one grabbed me. John asked them to leave but they wouldn't."
Warin spoke up. "I heard him ask them to go, but by the time I called you and got out here it was over."
Victoria motioned for her deputies. "Put them in the jumper."
John pointed to short round. "He wasn't involved. He just came in with them."
Victoria paused, looking from J
ohn to short round.
"You're free to go," she said, and he shuffled away.
As the men were being carried away, Victoria turned to John. "How's Clarissa?"
"She's good. You should come and see her. She would like that."
"If I can ever get out from under that pile of work on my desk. Well, better get going. Stay out of trouble."
John laughed. "Not likely."
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