by Joe Canzano
Suzy scowled. Who did these gangsters think they were, trying to tell her how to fly a spaceship? They should stick to smuggling unsalted snacks or whatever and stop trying to tell her how to kick ass—but wait. What was this? She stared at the winking display and felt some of the tension drain from her body.
Ricardo’s plan was working. The interceptors were falling behind.
“What did I say?” he said with a smirk. “This thing is fast.”
Suzy sat back in her chair. “They probably just wanted to disable us, anyway,” she mumbled.
“Yeah, maybe. But accidents happen. And anyway, if they disable us we get caught, and if we get caught we’re in deep shit.”
“We’re getting another message,” Maria said. “This one’s from Earth.”
Ricardo flipped on the radio again and Suzy recognized the voice of Blurr crackling through the cockpit.
“Aiko, turn around,” he said. “You can’t escape, but turn around now and I’ll make a deal.”
“You motherfucker!” Suzy said to no one in particular. Then she pressed the button in front of her and said, “Blurr—you motherfucker. This is Suzy. Aiko is dead. You killed him.”
There was a moment of silence. Then Blurr said, “Hello, Suzy. So you’re all grown up now, and you’ve started killing people like a real adult—congratulations... If Aiko is dead, that’s too bad. Did he tell you where he stashed the AI?”
Ricardo was pulling a finger across his throat and under his chin, indicating that Suzy should stop talking.
“You’ll never find the brain,” Suzy said. “And by the way, I’m going to kill you. That’s a promise.”
Blurr laughed. “Is it? I’d call it an ignorant threat. You really need to control yourself, Suzy. That temper of yours will just keep getting you into trouble.”
“When I need your advice, Blurr, I’ll just blow your head off, okay?”
“Right. Listen, I’ve got no vendetta against you. Turn the ship around and head to Tycho City, and then wait for me. They won’t arrest you for the murder rap. We’ll have a little meeting and you can go on your way, assuming that’s what you want.”
Suzy gave a snort. “Do you really think that’s going to happen?”
“No, of course not, because you’d rather be angry and tough than smart and alive... Look, if you come back at any time, the deal stands. Are you listening? But if you keep on going I’ll find you—and I won’t be so charming.”
There was a clicking sound, and Blurr’s voice was gone.
Maria looked at Suzy. “So I guess you know this person?”
“Yeah,” Suzy said, gazing off into space. “He killed Aiko. And my father.”
“Oh. And you want revenge?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Maria nodded her head. “I hope you get it.”
She turned and left the cockpit.
Ricardo grinned as Maria walked away. “She’s really very nice when you get to know her. By the way, I don’t think we can go to the moon now. We need a new destination. Any ideas?”
Suzy hesitated. “Set a course for…Riviera.”
Riviera was a city-state about as far from Earth as Mars. It was also currently in the general direction of Choccoban.
Ricardo crinkled his forehead. “That’s a long way.”
“Is it too far for you?”
“No,” he said with a smile. “I like going too far.”
“Hey, that’s my line.”
“I guess we’ll have to share it.”
Suzy just looked at him with a blank stare and then walked away.
Chapter 7
Blurr eased his black hover-car to a stop in front of a reddish ranch house on the outskirts of Diego Tijuana. The house looked neglected, with a sun-faded façade, and a sandy front lawn filled with weeds, and a smashed up hover-truck in the driveway. He parked in front of a palm tree, figuring it might give them a little shade. Then he stared at the building in front of them, incredulous as always.
He looked over at Captain Banks. “This is the place. Can you believe that Antonio Castillo was living here?”
Banks gave a grunt. “It doesn’t look so bad.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t look so great, either. The guy was a genius, but he cared more about building a better brain than building a bedroom suite with a hot tub.”
“Not everyone likes to soak in a tub. I guess he was more interested in his research.”
“That’s great, Banks, but was he interested in his wife? Because she would’ve liked that tub—trust me.”
“Maybe so, sir.”
“Definitely so. Anyway, here’s the situation: Antonio’s widow, Jane, is about as dangerous as a bowl of rice pudding. But Antonio’s mother-in-law, Jenny, could be a problem. Of course, we’re not looking to hurt anyone—not yet, anyway. We’re here to fulfill an obligatory visit before getting a new surveillance order; I want total communications surveillance on these people. ”
“From what I understand, they’ve had their share of bad luck.”
“Yeah, but they caused most of it. That’s usually the way it works.”
“Yes, sir.”
Blurr laughed. He could tell Banks didn’t agree and that was fine. Not everyone saw the tangled jungle of humanity through his unbiased eyes. They walked up the wooden, weather-beaten front steps and pushed the doorbell. No sound seemed to happen so Blurr knocked hard.
A wispy woman with reddish spaghetti-hair opened the door. Her mouth dropped open. “Blurr,” she said in a shaky voice. “What are you doing here? Are you going to ransack my house again? I told you I don’t know anything about Antonio’s business.”
“Hi, Jane,” Blurr said with a smile. “I’d like to apologize for that.”
She cowered a bit before his height. “Okay, fine. But I don’t think you came over to apologize.”
“That’s true, but I wanted to start off friendly and then let things deteriorate. Can we come in? This isn’t about Antonio. It’s about Suzy.”
“I don’t want to talk about Suzy!” she blurted. “I don’t know what she’s doing. And I haven’t talked to her for a long time.”
“I understand, but it’s important.”
Jane bit her lip and stood aside as the two men entered.
The house was a mess, with every battered object looking like it had given up hope. Jane didn’t ask them to sit but Blurr did it, anyway, on a sunken futon. Banks was more polite and remained standing.
Blurr smiled again. “Jane, I know your life’s been a shambles these last couple of years, and I don’t want to upset you, but here’s the situation: Suzy is mixed up in some serious trouble with the government.”
Jane threw up her hands. “She’s always in trouble. She’s been in trouble since she learned how to talk.”
“Probably true, but this trouble doesn’t involve her big mouth. This is new trouble, and I need to find her. I know you said you haven’t talked to her in a while—but have you had any kind of communication from her at all?”
“No.”
“Did she send any kind of package here?”
“No. I told you that last time.”
“So she never contacted you? Even though she was just here on Earth?”
“Suzy was here?” Jane’s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked away from Blurr’s gaze. “I didn’t know that. She didn’t come here. She didn’t call.”
“Okay. So I guess you’re not her favorite mom. Where’s Jenny?”
“She’s sleeping,” Jane said in a rush. “She can’t see you. Her condition is getting worse.”
“Right. Refresh my memory. What exactly is her condition, aside from a tendency to be hostile and sarcastic?”
“She needs a new heart,” Jane said. Then she mumbled, “I don’t expect you to be sympathetic—a heart isn’t something you’ve ever needed.”
Blurr gave a snort. “Is that so? Do you think you’re the only one who cares about anyone, Jane? I’m doing my job. ”
; “My daughter made one mistake.”
“No. She made a whole bunch of mistakes. And then she made a really big one.”
Jane burst into tears. “Leave Suzy alone! She has a good heart and now you want to kill her.”
Blurr sighed. He reached out and put a hand on Jane’s shoulder—but Jane shoved it away.
Blurr stood silently and shook his head in disgust.
Captain Banks stepped forward. “We don’t want to hurt anyone, ma’am,” he said. “We’re just enforcing the law. Your daughter will have her day in court.”
Jane wiped away a few tears and said nothing.
Banks said, “Are you sure we can’t see Jenny?”
A voice from nearby said, “Yeah, you can. But you’ll have to come in here—because dogs come to me.”
Jane started to object but Blurr and Banks were already heading into a room located down a short hallway. It was a stuffy bedroom just big enough for an old brass bed and the tiny woman lying in it. Her body was propped on a pillow, with her long hair splattered out behind her head, framing her face like a tangerine sun. Her skin was gray like dead ashes but her eyes still burned.
Blurr said, “Jenny. It’s been a long time.”
“Has it?” she said in a raspy voice. “It seems like you were just here tearing the place apart.”
“Yeah—come to think of it, it hasn’t been that long. Look, I’m sorry about that. I just lost control. I was looking for something.”
“So I figured. And since you’re here again, I’m guessing you didn’t find it—too bad. You’re just lucky I gave my gun to Suzy.”
“Oh, really? You were going to shoot me for trying to locate some stolen property?”
“No. I was going to shoot you for being an asshole.”
Blurr laughed. “Jenny, I’m going to ask you one time: Have you had any communication with Suzy or Aiko in the last couple of weeks?”
“Do you think I’d tell you if I did?”
“No. But then again, you’re getting old. Maybe your inclination to lie and deceive is getting clouded by dementia. Either way, I want it on record that you lied to a federal agent.”
“Oh, now there’s a crime!” she spat. “Put it on my record. Record it like some worthless accountant.”
Blurr frowned. “You can call me a lot of things, Jenny—but I’m no accountant.”
“That’s true. You’re a thug. How’s that?”
“A bit primitive.”
“You’re a goddamned gangster!”
Blurr’s face brightened. “Better—much better. Thanks.”
Banks cleared his throat. “We’re really not trying to cause any trouble for you, ma’am,” he said. “But we have reason to believe that Suzy and Aiko have knowledge concerning some valuable research that’s been lost. This is the research Antonio spent his life working on. I think he’d want you to help us.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what my son-in-law was working on, but I know that the things you told us were lies. And I don’t believe his death was an accident! And I also think—"
Her words were cut off by a gasp and a grimace as she clutched at her chest. Her face turned crimson as she struggled to breathe.
Jane charged into the room and leaped between Blurr and the bed. “What are you doing?” she said. “Can’t you see that she’s sick?”
Banks said, “I can call an ambulance.”
Jane began frantically handing Jenny some pills from a nearby bottle. “No! She’ll be all right. Just please leave.”
Blurr watched Jenny continue to struggle with her breathing.
He cocked an eyebrow. “You know, it would be a shame if Jenny couldn’t get any more medication.”
Jane shot him a frightened look. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m just thinking,” Blurr said. “You get your medication from the government, right? And your doctor works for the government. This project I’m working on is important, and you’d be surprised how many people I know—and what I can make happen or not happen.”
Jenny snarled and started to open her mouth but a fit of coughing cut her short. In an instant she was once again gasping for breath.
Jane put her hands up to her temples and started to cry again. “I don’t have any of Antonio’s things,” she said. “And I don’t know where Suzy is! Why can’t you just leave us alone?”
Blurr started to sneer—and he stopped.
“Crying won’t help anything,” he said.
Jane didn’t seem to hear him. She collapsed down into a chair and continued to sob. Jenny lay there gasping and glowering at Blurr.
Blurr stared at Jane with stony eyes. He knew Banks was looking at him with a curious expression, but Blurr didn’t care—he was too busy feeling—what?
“Stop crying!” Blurr said. He felt his face getting red as his voice rose. “I know you care about your daughter, okay? And I appreciate what she did—I really do. But we’re going to find her, and the tears won’t help.” Then he sighed and said, “I don’t want to hurt Suzy. I really don’t.”
He turned and left the room.
Banks didn’t move for a few seconds. Finally, he glanced outside the door to make sure Blurr was gone. He leaned forward and said, “Please forgive us for getting a little carried away, ma’am. Nothing’s going to happen to your medicine.”
He took out a business card and put it on top of Blurr’s. Then he also left.
Chapter 8
“Ah, crap,” Ricardo said. He was staring at a flickering screen in the cockpit. “One of the engines is having a problem. It was damaged by those shots from the interceptors. Or maybe it just doesn’t like us.”
Suzy studied the side of Ricardo’s face, illuminated by winking stars and digital displays. He had a sexy profile.
“I think this ship likes me just fine,” she said. But she didn’t feel like talking.
Ricardo kept looking at the screen while shaking his head. “This could be bad. We need to know we can outrun anyone who comes along—because the wrong people always seem to come along. I should go back there and check it out.”
“Do you know how to fix an engine?” Suzy said.
“Sure. Just be nice to it and give it a good massage. Kind of like a woman.”
Suzy gave a short laugh. “Sometimes a massage isn’t enough.”
“The massage is just the warm-up, Suzy.”
“And what if she’s already warm?”
He stopped looking at the screen and moved closer to her. He put his hands on her hips.
“Then it’s full speed ahead,” he said.
She smiled. Then she pushed his hands away.
“Sorry. I’m not that warm right now.”
Ricardo smiled back at her and shook his head. He returned his gaze to the ship’s controls.
Suzy hesitated. Somehow that hadn’t been as hilarious as she’d intended. She played with her hair for a second and realized she did feel warm.
“Hey, I was kidding,” she said in a quiet voice.
Ricardo gave her a friendly wave of his hand. “That’s okay, Suzy. It’s a long ride to Riviera.” Then he was silent for a bit. Finally, he said, “I’m sorry about Aiko. And I’m sorry if I didn’t seem sympathetic—but I know how you feel. I’ve lost friends, too.”
She nodded her head. “It happens. I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Yeah, it happens when you grow up the way I did. But I won’t bore you with all that now.”
“How did you grow up?”
She wasn’t just making small talk.
Ricardo shrugged. “I grew up right where you found me, in a bodega in Diego Tijuana. My parents owned the place. But it wasn’t in such a nice part of town. My parents worked hard and never made any money. I didn’t want to do things that way and neither did most of my friends. So a lot of them took shortcuts, and some of those shortcuts didn’t have happy endings.”
“What about you?” Suzy said. “Are you taking a shortcut?”
Ricardo laughed. “You’re damn right I am. But I’m not going to end up like that. I’m going to take one big shortcut and get the hell out.”
“Prisons are full of people who had that plan, Ricardo. Prisons and graveyards.”
“Yeah, I guess. So what kind of shortcuts are you taking? It sounds like you’re more wanted than I ever was.”
Suzy narrowed her eyes. “My trouble didn’t start over money. It started with other things.”
“Yeah, but can you tell that to the judge?”
“I didn’t even try.”
“Well, okay. I understand that. And I’ll tell you something—if I ever get caught, I’ll tell the judge the truth. It wasn’t about the money, and it wasn’t about getting away from my neighborhood. It was about escaping the ordinary. I didn’t want to end up like a lot of other kids I knew in school. I didn’t want my biggest adventure of the week to be a couple of coupons for frozen fish sticks down at the local supermarket. Do you understand?”
She nodded her head again.
“Yeah,” she said, “I do.”
“I know you do, Suzy Spitfire. I know you do.”
Now she looked at him and paused. In the back of her mind, something clicked.
What the fuck?
Her hand moved to her thigh and grabbed her pistol. She aimed it at Ricardo’s head.
“How do you know my name?” she said.
“What?”
“My name! I never told you my full name. I just told you I was ‘Suzy.’ "
He looked confused—like a guy groping around for that last blurry can of beer. Then he broke into a quick grin. “I heard you talking about it with Aiko, I guess. Where else would I hear it?”
“You used my name once before—when you called me on the phone, and I was under the dumpster.”
“Oh, right. I guess I saw it in your phone.”
“No, you didn’t, Ricardo. My name’s not in there. And those guys who showed up at the spaceport and saved us had to be Los Pocos. Who else would take on a Strike Force team? But they sure wouldn’t do it without a very good reason, right?”
“Suzy, you’re just being crazy. You’re just being paranoid.”
