by K. C. Sivils
Kilgore didn’t have any choice. With General Savier and this Colonel Sandra O’Donnell dead, he had to call the brass. Within forty-eight hours as scary a bunch of Military Intelligence types as I’ve ever seen descended on Beta Prime. Twenty-four hours later they were gone.
Along with what they believed was every scrap of proof clones ever existed on Beta Prime, along with any evidence of illegal activity violating the Anti-Cloning Treaty. Drives containing as much evidence as I could collect and hide had been locked away in a safe, the location of which only I knew.
Somebody had to pay for this. If nothing else, it was leverage. When I’ll use it, I have no idea, but I have it for when the time comes.
It looked like Markeson was going to get away with whatever scam he pulled. Without the evidence of the illegal cargo, there was no way to prosecute the freighters, all owned by the same shipping company. The same company owned by the family of a late trillionaire by the name of Spencer Devereaux. A man, by the way, who had died in disgrace in our jail right here in Capital City.
One of Markeson’s former associates as well I might add.
I went and visited Markeson in the hospital. That red head really messed him up. He had to have a new calf muscle regenerated and a steel scapula installed. We joked about having manmade parts. I think he knows I suspect him of being involved in this mess, but knowing and proving are two different things.
I’ll say this for Chief O’Brian. He surprised me on this one. He backed me on everything, from start to finish. Covered for Markeson as well. Nobody on our planetary force got a single reprimand in our jacket. The Chief looks awful, but he didn’t ask too many questions, just took the heat for us. Once he learned enough to have an idea of what had gone down, he just told us to do our jobs and leave the rest to him.
It bothers me though. I know a cover-up when I see one. All the government did was move the operation and cleanup its mess. They couldn't crush the people who uncovered what they were up to without the public at large getting wind of things. So we got a pass.
Makes me sick. We got a pass for doing the right thing, and Chief O'Brian loses a year or two off his lifespan from stress for backing his people, including Markeson.
This clone thing has me worried. I’ve read some of the logs I copied. Some of the clones cut loose on the civilian population had demonstrated signs of psychopathy. I’m pretty sure the clone I blasted when Father Nathan lost it was one. The scientists were tracking the clone, studying his behavior. There was no record of how many innocent civilians died as a result of this one psycho.
As hard as it is for me to believe, I'm convinced Sarah is telling me the truth. At least what she believes to be true. I have no doubt her sister Ellie exists, and I've decided to take her fears of being hunted seriously. Her ability to blend in and vanish is amazing. So is her ability to withstand the extreme weather of Beta Prime.
Great qualities for a soldier to have, making her a desirable piece of property for the wrong interested party.
Father Nathan and I haven’t talked about what happened, but we're friends again. I guess he'll bring it up in the future and we'll have to hash it out. I'd be okay with things if he just left it alone.
I'm worried about Josephson. Shrinks make me a bit nervous. I don't really trust them. They want you to tell them all this stuff, stuff deep from inside you. The stuff that keeps me awake at night, things like remorse and guilt, the nightmares I have.
Stuff that can be used against you.
Despite all that, I’ve been making sure he sees the department shrink. I take him to the appointments myself. It irritates the shrink I won’t go myself, but I make sure the pup keeps his appointments.
I might even have him talk with Father Nathan. He's a good kid, and if he sticks with it, Josephson is going to be a solid Inspector one day. I just don't want him to wind up like me.
Depressed and alone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
I watched Josephson enter Joe’s and make his way over toward my table. He sat down and looked out the window, watching the people passing by on the cold streets.
“Inspector, would you be offended if I asked you a personal question.”
I had an idea of what Josephson was going to ask. To be honest, I was surprised it had taken him so long to get around to it.
I just nodded.
“Sir, how do you deal with it? Just shooting someone, like when you shot that clone when we found Father Nathan or when you shot the guy who grabbed Sarah.”
"Is it bothering you, the fact you killed that mercenary? That you shot that scientist?"
Tears welled up in his eyes as he nodded yes.
“If the mercenaries had just dropped their weapons as ordered, that man would be alive. You had no choice. That scientist, well, not the smartest thing to do, I’m gonna have to say. But that scientist was a stone cold killer, butchering people in the name of science so somebody could make money selling body parts. I'm not sure you should feel so terrible about that one either."
“But sir, I didn’t think. I was just so angry. I mean, I know Sarah's a clone. She's…odd, I know, but Sarah's our partner, sort of. That could have been Sarah; you know how she goes on and on about the hunters looking for her. I just saw red."
"I'll agree with you, Sergeant. You shouldn't have done it. I'm just saying, it's not like you shot an innocent civilian or another cop.”
He nodded, but my words seemed to make it only worse for him.
"How do you do it, Sir? How do you deal with it?"
He needed an honest answer, so I gave him one.
"Don't let my demeanor fool you. It bothers me, every time. Take that guy who drew on me in the concourse for example."
“Yeah, but he drew down on you Inspector. That and forensics says it was his weapon that killed the dead SP that started all this.”
“It bothers me because I needed to protect Sarah. I baited him into doing it. As many people as that man murdered, and we’ll never know how many clones were in those containers, I’m not sure he deserved to die like that. Josephson, I’ll tell you this, what bothers me was what he said to me before he died.”
The pup looked at me with his watery eyes. “I didn’t know he said anything to you.”
I shook my head in disbelief at the memory of the dying man’s words. I’d replayed my recording several times just to make sure I hadn’t imagined the incident.
“He thanked me. Before he bled out, he thanked me for giving him an honorable death, a soldier’s death. He thanked me and then mumbled something about the Society wouldn’t have done that for him.”
We sat in silence, each of us alone with our thoughts.
“How do you thank somebody for killing you,” I asked Josephson.
“Maybe he’d lost his dignity because of all of this. Dying the way he did, maybe you gave it back to him. That would be something,” the pup offered.
“For him maybe, but I had to pull the trigger.”
Josephson nodded. I doubt he understood, but he had his own demons to deal with. I certainly had enough of my own.
“Inspector, I’m going to go. I’ll see you at roll call in the morning.”
He stood to go. I reached out and stopped him.
“Don’t lose your idealism, Josephson. It’s what makes you who you are. Whatever you do, even if it means leaving the force, don’t wind up like me. Promise me that.”
The pup looked surprised. He smiled for just a moment and nodded. I hoped he understood what I was asking of him. I planned on reminding him. I’d see to it he got fired myself if that’s what it took to save him from a fate similar to mine.
I watched him leave, waving to Joe, Ralph, and Alice as he left.
A few minutes later, Alice brought me my evening meal and sat it before me. “You okay Inspector?”
“I’ve had better days.”
“I gather you can’t really talk about it.”
I just nodded.
“Sarah’s had
a hard time lately too. She hasn’t said much, but I can tell.”
“You’ve seen her?”
Alice nodded. “At the dormitory a few times. I think she doesn’t want you to see her when she’s upset. Sarah understands things in ways we can’t. She knows you’re having a hard time and seeing her upset would just make things worse for you.”
“Not knowing she’s okay makes things worse for me,” I snapped, immediately regretting it. “I’m sorry Alice, this has all been just a bit much. Not being able to say anything makes it harder.”
“It’s okay. Just know you have friends and we’re worried about you.”
She meant well, but her kind words just made things worse.
"Any how," Alice said with a happy smile, "Sarah stopped by after you had breakfast. She was in a good mood; wearing that snappy black greatcoat, you bought her. She said to tell you she'd be at roll call tomorrow morning. She's ready to go back to work."
Alice gave me one last smile before she left me to eat my meal alone.
Alone with my thoughts, thoughts like how did Kilgore know Sarah was a clone and Maria was her sister.
---
Markeson tried to get comfortable in his bed. He decided being shot hurt, a lot. In the future, he'd be more sympathetic when one of his detectives got shot. Well, at least he'd act like it.
The doctors had been cutting back on his pain medication, and he was less than happy about it. A glance at the chronometer on the wall told him it would be fifteen minutes until the nurses changed shifts. Lech that he was, Markeson smiled at the idea. He was making slow but steady progress with the cute brunette nurse who had the next shift.
He turned his mind toward the events of the recent past. Shooting the Colonel had eliminated a very loose cannon that could have been trouble. Sullivan had cleaned up the remainder of the mess for him when he'd gunned down the Colonel's right-hand man. Even better had been the fact the Colonel's henchman had destroyed the evidence of smuggling for him.
Markeson couldn’t have cleaned things up better himself.
The only thing worrying him now was the identity of the man who’d left him the cryptic warning on his bathroom mirror.
---
Kilgore watched the Seabees finish filling in the open pit that had been the underground research facility. From his superior’s perspective, things had gone pretty well.
He’d found the illegal cloning operation. Whether or not it had been stopped was above Kilgore’s pay grade. Who was behind the operation was an answer to a question he didn’t know.
All things considered, it was a difficult op that had gone well, if only he'd not let slip the fact he knew about Sarah and Maria to Sullivan.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
With ease, Sarah lowered herself onto the balcony of Sully’s place. With an innocent grin displayed on her face, she bypassed his security system and entered her own secondary code into the lock.
It pleased her when the lock clicked. She liked having a code even Sully didn’t know about. It allowed her to use the balcony to come and go and not the key Sully had given her.
Sarah enjoyed the warmth of the apartment for a few moments and then carefully shut the door to the balcony behind her.
A quick examination of the kitchen told Sarah it was time for a trip to the grocery store. She'd let Sully know at roll call in the morning. After making a sandwich and eating it, Sarah cleaned up the kitchen, leaving no trace of her presence.
She stood on the balcony and looked out at the lights of Capital City as she ate her sandwich. It wasn't home just yet, but Sarah decided she felt more comfortable living on Beta Prime than anywhere else she'd lived. Having finished her sandwich, Sarah set out to do what she’d come to do.
What she had done every night for the past three weeks.
Pressing her ear against the door to Sullivan’s room, she listened to make certain he was asleep. Hearing the sound of gentle snoring, Sarah let her self in and moved to stand next to Sullivan’s bed.
For nearly ten minutes Sarah watched the man who both fascinated and frightened her. Twice now he had saved her life and risked his own to do so, the idea of which attracted Sarah.
Sullivan moved his head in his sleep, causing a lock of his hair to uncharacteristically fall across his forehead, covering part of the scar running vertically from his hairline down to his jawline, bisecting his right eye in the process.
Sarah carefully brushed the lock of hair back into its place and studied the scar once again. Many individuals would consider the scar ugly, even hideous. Sarah decided it gave Sully’s face character.
It was proof he understood people suffered in life.
She smiled at Sully and turned to go. She paused at the door for one last glimpse. Sarah decided she liked Sully.
And then she was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
For some reason, the stars seemed brighter this night. Ellie didn't like to look up at the stars too often, doing so reminded her of Sarah.
Sometimes, like tonight, the temptation was too much, and Ellie would spend hours staring at the stars. Wondering where Sarah was, what she was doing. Sometimes it made Ellie angry, knowing Sarah was free, able to do what she wanted. Other times it made her sad. It was then Ellie would miss Sarah the most.
She would think of their short time together. The really good times in Ellie’s short life had been spent with her sisters, especially the short time with Maria. It had been hard when Maria died and even more challenging when Ellie had to run, leaving Sarah behind.
When she did let herself think of Sarah, Ellie remembered things the sisters did together. Things like laughing, playing dress up, combing each other’s hair and so often as sisters are wont to do, they bickered over the silliest of things. The best thing of all was sharing secrets.
Tonight she found herself missing Sarah more than usual.
For Ellie had so many secrets to share.
Want to learn more about Inspector
Sullivan and the universe he inhabits?
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For more information about Inspector Sullivan’s universe, you can go to my author website and search the pages in the Universe of Thomas Sullivan page on the site.
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Other works of fiction by K.C. Sivils:
The Predator and The Prey
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author of over twenty non-fiction books, including an Amazon Best Seller, Sivils has now ventured into the realm of fiction with his Inspector Thomas Sullivan series. K.C. and his wife Lisa are the parents of three children. Sivils is a dog lover and a fan of Classic Rock bands like The Rolling Stones and New Wave rockers The Cars.
Science fiction and classic crime novels have long been favorites of author K.C. Sivils. The combination of film noir and science fiction in director Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s sci-fi classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep into the masterful Harrison Ford vehicle Bladerunner encouraged him to consume as much of both genre’s as possible.
A fan of past noir masters such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Sivils also enjoys the current generation of storytellers like Renee Pawlish and Alex P. Berg.
Sivils has traveled extensively, visiting three continents,
twelve countries and forty-seven states. An avid reader and fan of classic films, The Chronicles of Thomas Sullivan, reflects his interest in classic film noir movies and science fiction.
Last Train to Nowhere is the second installment of The Chronicles of Thomas Sullivan series by author K.C. Sivils. Author of over twenty works of non-fiction, including an Amazon Best Seller, Last Train to Nowhere is Sivils second work of fiction to appear in print.
For more details about the universe Inspector Sullivan inhabits (along with his friends and enemies) and to be notified of releases of future books in The Chronicles of Thomas Sullivan, please visit www.KCSivils.com. Sign-up for the FREE newsletter The Inspector’s Report to receive details not revealed in the books along with the occasional short story about the characters.
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