Erik chuckled. He doubted it, but it wasn’t impossible. “Maybe.”
“And I understand that it’s not going to be the same for me as for you and Jia,” Malcolm added. “Camila’s not coming with us. She made that clear.” He circled a finger in the air and rolled his eyes. “Yay for long-distance relationships.”
Erik hadn’t much thought about that angle and how it would look to the others, given his relationship with Jia. He wasn’t sure if he would have cared, but it was good that Malcolm was bringing it up and had no problem with it.
“And you’re okay with being away from Camila?” Erik asked.
“Yes, I am.” Malcolm inclined his head toward Emma. “I have a feeling that Emma’s not the only cool thing I’ll get to experience working with you, but I’m not going to lie about being bummed that I can’t bring my girlfriend along for quality time. Especially since she’s already a spy, even if she’s not the kind who shoots people with big guns.”
Erik chuckled. “Keep in mind, most of that quality time is going to involve fun like firefights.”
“All the better for bonding, Detective. Go to war with a woman, and she’ll respect you that much more, in and out of bed.” Malcolm winked.
“Don’t…do that.” Erik pointed to his own eye. “Ever…again. Please.”
“Uh, okay.” Malcolm shrugged. “Sorry. But to make things one-hundred-percent clear. I’m on board, even though I know some Tin Man with a laser rifle might shoot me.”
“Good.” Erik stepped away from the wall and dropped his arms. “We’ll figure out the best time for you to leave the 1-2-2. I think you should stick around a little longer than we do. Enjoy your old lifestyle before you experience what I experienced for decades—spending half your time on a transport while waiting to fly to the next place where someone might want to kill you.”
Malcolm laughed. “Again with the great salesmanship. It might not be fun, but at least it’ll be interesting.”
“That it will.” Erik tapped the access panel to open the door. “I’ll see you at work.”
“See you, Detective.”
Erik made it several meters down the hall before shaking his head. A geeky tech, a veteran, a corp princess turned cop, a snarky AI, and a mercenary pilot.
Their new team was shaping up to either be something special or a total disaster.
Chapter Twenty-Four
October 5, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Restaurant Crystal and Vine
Jia sat with Imogen and Chinara at a table covered with an immaculate white tablecloth. The entire dining room was dim, with flickering candles in the center of each table providing additional illumination and atmosphere.
A waiter had already taken their orders, leaving them with a bottle of wine that was supposed to be for all three. Imogen’s efforts already threatened to make it her personal bottle. Jia didn’t want to order the new bottle quite yet, but she suspected it wasn’t far off.
Imogen raised her glass of wine and smiled warmly at Jia, her cheeks pink from her first couple of glasses. “We need to have a toast. Why haven’t we had a toast yet?”
“A toast?” Jia asked, looking from one friend to the other. “Do we need one?”
“Are you messing with me?” Imogen squinted. “No, it’s you, so you wouldn’t be messing with me.”
Jia gave Chinara a pleading look. Her other friend shrugged, clearly at the same loss as she was.
“Yes, a toast,” Imogen clarified. “To your new position. This is our first time out together since you told us. It’s the perfect thing to toast.”
Chinara picked up her glass, a smile dawning with her understanding. “Oh. Yes. That makes perfect sense. A toast to Jia’s new position.”
Jia lifted her glass with her own smile. “A toast to my new position.” After they clinked their glasses, she brought hers to her lips and took a sip.
Chinara had suggested the restaurant for their girls’ night and Jia was surprised Imogen agreed, given the atmosphere.
Imogen usually preferred places that weren’t as fancy, but this gave them all an excuse to dress up in something other than clubwear. Jia’s choice was dark green, low-cut, and had a high slit that was sexier than she would normally wear in that type of establishment. She’d been thinking of Erik when she chose it, not girls’ night.
The heels were ridiculous, more weapon than footwear, but it didn’t hurt to indulge her feminine side. Wearing tactical clothes or suits all the time got old.
Imogen gulped down her entire glass and set it on the table. “It’s hard not to be a little depressed, you know. I get this is a great opportunity for you, but you’re breaking up the Peace Tree Oath Clubbing Gang!”
Jia grimaced. “That was back when I couldn’t hold my liquor. I don’t think that was a binding oath.” She took another sip of her drink. “And, yes, I know I’m the one who suggested it at the time.”
Chinara and Imogen laughed. Neither were polite enough not to laugh directly in Jia’s face.
Imogen’s mirth died. “I won’t hold you to it, but you really don’t know how often you’ll be off-world? I mean, if you have a schedule or something, we can plan around that. It’ll be annoying, but it’s not like we hang out every week, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world.”
“I wish I did know.” Jia shook her head. “I might spend months on Earth, or my new job could have me heading to the HTP tomorrow to fly halfway across the UTC. It’s going to be unpredictable.”
“I never thought you would be one to take a job like that,” Imogen murmured.
Chinara frowned at their friend. “It’s not like being a cop is that predictable.”
“Huh. I never thought about it that way, but when you say it like that, you’re right. Shows what I know.” Imogen giggled and drank more wine.
She kept trying to remind herself that she might not even have to leave Earth. It made sense that the conspiracy would be based on the home of humanity. However, whenever she convinced herself of that, she also had to accept that the leaders might be on Earth, but their operations extended all through the UTC, including all the way to the farthest frontier.
Molino had started everything for Erik and ultimately for her, and it was the very definition of a frontier colony.
As far apart as the two locations could be, one point at the center of humanity, the other on the fringe.
“It’s worse than unpredictable,” observed Chinara. She took a small sip of her wine. “Especially for you and Erik. Most cops don’t have to deal with the kinds of things you two have.”
That was truer than Chinara realized.
While they had stumbled into organized crime and terrorists, several key incidents were the result of the conspiracy pushing things forward. Jia had an unusual career because she was Erik’s partner, and he’d been targeted. She wasn’t sure that if she stopped helping him, she would be safe at this point.
“True.” Jia kept her smile, not wanting to worry her friends. “It’s a big change, and it’s not something I ever imagined myself doing even a few years ago, but now it feels…right. It’s still hard to wrap my head around at times. I don’t know if I’m excited, but I think I’ll be able to accomplish a lot in my own way. I just won’t be able to talk about it as much.”
“When you say it like that,” Chinara observed, “it’s like you’re going to be a spy,”
Jia laughed, raising an eyebrow. “It does sound like that, doesn’t it?”
Imogen grabbed the wine bottle to fill her glass, almost emptying it. “It’s funny how you’re the stiffest of the three of us, but you ended up living the most exciting life. I can party when it’s my day off, but it’s not like my job or boyfriend are anywhere as interesting as yours.”
Jia laughed. “Excuse me? Did you just say I’m the stiffest of the three of us?”
“Come on. You know it’s true.” Imogen set the bottle back down near the center of the table. “It’s a competition between you and Chinara, but y
ou’re the one who’s a cop. Anyone who can arrest someone has to be stiff.”
Chinara rolled her eyes. “Having a more controlled personality isn’t the definition of stiff, Imogen.”
“I’m not saying it is.” Imogen giggled again. “I’m just making observations here. In vino veritas. Am I right?”
“Sometimes the truth stings,” Jia replied.
Imogen sobered up, except in her slightly slurring speech, which gave up the lie. “You know I love you, Jia.”
Jia took another sip of her wine, enjoying the warmth in her cheeks from her previous efforts. “Yes. I get that I’m stiff, but I’d argue I am more laid back than I used to be.”
“Not saying it’s a good or bad thing,” Imogen insisted. “Just saying it’s there. But you’re right. You have loosened up a lot since you met Erik. Hot guys can have that effect.”
More heat assaulted Jia’s cheeks, and it wasn’t the wine. She took a few quick breaths, her heart pounding. “I…can’t deny that.”
Imogen stuck her bottom lip out. “I’m a little jealous. I like my man, but your guy has got that whole thing going on.” She mock-growled. “You know what I mean?”
Chinara averted her eyes and put a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter.
Jia blinked. “Now I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
Imogen scoffed. “Come on.” She leaned in to whisper, “He’s not just a man, he’s a man. A guy like that has to be great when the lights are out.” She giggled and drained more wine.
“Maybe?” Jia’s smile turned nervous.
“Maybe?” Imogen snapped upright. She gasped, and her eyes widened. “You’re not being coy. You’re telling me you still haven’t…”
Jia shrugged. “We respect each other. It’ll happen at the right time.”
“He’s attracted to you, right?” Chinara asked.
“Yes.” Jia shook her head. “It’s nothing like that.”
“And you’re into him,” Imogen insisted. “Right?”
“Yes, I am.”
Just thinking about Erik warmed her body. Physical attraction and chemistry weren’t their problems.
“Then what’s the deal?” Imogen pressed. “Why haven’t you taken this partnership to the next level?”
Jia sighed and set down her wine glass. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s complicated. There are a lot of things going on. We work together, and he’s so much older, and we both had baggage to work through. We’re still trying to transition from partners to something more. We both want it, but it’s hard to make that transition.”
“No, it’s not,” Imogen insisted. “It’s easy.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s easy.”
“Yes, it is.” Imogen threw up her hands in disgust. “You make the transition by sleeping with him, Jia. That’ll make it clear you’re not just partners anymore.”
“Keep your voice down,” Jia muttered through gritted teeth, her eyes flitting around. “This isn’t a club.”
“What are you so worried about? People will find out that a hot, famous cop has a sex life with her hot partner?” Imogen smirked. “Or find out she doesn’t have one? I know which of those two I’d be embarrassed about.”
Chinara shook her head. The look on her face suggested she was more amused than scandalized by Imogen’s behavior or Jia’s relationship choices.
Jia turned to her other friend. “Can’t you help me out?” she asked Chinara.
Her friend shook her head, pointing to her slightly drunk friend with her glass. “I agree with Imogen.”
“Really?” Jia groaned.
“That’s right.” Imogen nodded sagely. “I’m a relationship genius.”
Someone across the room grunted loudly. The sound was followed by the shock of glass shattering. Everyone in the room looked that way. Near a booth at the edge of the dining room, a waiter knelt on one knee, clutching his eye. Two red-faced young men in suits stood over him. One man had his hand tightened into a fist, his knuckles bloody.
“I told you it’s my birthday, you idiot,” one of the men yelled. “How can you screw something up like that on my birthday? I thought this was supposed to be a classy joint.”
Imogen gasped. “Can you believe that? Someone should call the...” her gaze slid to Jia, “police.” She grinned. “You go get him, Detective.”
The room filled with murmurs. Concerned waiters edged toward the drunken customers, uncertainty on their faces.
Jia sighed as she wiped her hands with her napkin.
So much for her relaxing evening with her friends. She reached the stun pistol in her purse before stopping. Traumatizing the other diners with gunfire wouldn’t help. A lot of them were like she used to be, stuck in the false image of what they thought Neo SoCal was.
They might read about salacious crimes on the news, but none of them believed they would ever be a victim. She stood and slid out of her heels. Walking in them was hard enough, let alone fighting.
She hoped the drunks would see reason, but the kind of men who punched a waiter in the middle of the restaurant were already past that.
The maître d’ approached the men, his face tight. “I’m afraid you’ll both need to leave. We won’t press charges if you leave right away.”
The drunk laughed. “Whatever happened to ‘the customer is always right?’ I had a bad day, and it’s my birthday. I just got passed over for a promotion and my girlfriend left me, and then your idiot waiter screwed up my order twice and got snotty about it. Can you believe that?”
The waiter crawled away, blood dripping from his nose. Jia narrowed her eyes. Desperate violence in the Shadow Zone at least made some sort of sense, but two men with enough money to eat at a nice restaurant should have been above such behavior.
Most corporate scumbags at least knew how to hide their cruelty or keep it at the office.
“You’re not doing yourself any favors, sir.” The maître d’ raised his chin, summoning a regal aura. “If you don’t leave immediately, we’ll call the police.”
The drunk and his friend advanced, squaring their shoulders.
“Don’t threaten me,” the drunk snarled, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “Or you’ll end up like that asshole I punched.”
A loud laugh popped out of Jia. They all turned their heads toward her.
The drunk glared at her. “What’s so funny?”
Jia walked forward with a confident smile. “It’s one of those ‘you had to be there’ things. I’m just reminded of how much I’ve changed because a major crossroad in my life began with a similar incident, although it was in a dance club, not a nice restaurant.” She shook out her hands. “Detective Jia Lin, NSCPD. You can sit down and wait nicely for uniformed officers to come, or we can do this the hard way. I’d honestly prefer the hard way, but I think it’d be disturbing for the other diners.”
The drunk swaggered toward her. “Am I supposed to be impressed? You don’t have a gun or a stun rod. And there’s two of us.” He motioned for his friend to advance. “You should stay out of this, little girl, if you know what’s good for you.”
“You’re threatening a police officer on top of committing assault, disorderly conduct, and threatening the other staff?” Jia clucked her tongue. “No wonder your girlfriend left you.” Her smile did not reach her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
More gasps erupted from the crowd.
“You bitch,” he snarled and swung his fist. Jia whipped her head to the side, dodging his clumsy punch with ease. She smashed her palm into his face. His head jerked, and he hit the floor hard with a groan.
“And now there’s the assault against a police officer,” Jia commented. “You thought you had a bad day before? Trust me, your bad day is just getting started.”
His friend charged. Jia spun to her side and snapped out with her leg, her slinky dress not confining her movements although it showed a little more of her than she would have liked. She connected with his chest, and the blow
sent him sprawling. His head slammed into the floor and lolled to the side.
The first drunk managed to stagger to his feet and wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve. “Lucky hit. It’s not going to happen again.” He spat blood. “Now I’m going to rearrange your face. It’s sad, too, because you’re hot.”
“I should have stunned you after all,” Jia muttered.
The drunk jabbed at her. Jia grabbed his arm, twisting and bending back his wrist.
The man hissed in pain and fell to his knees. “You’re gonna break my wrist.”
“Haven’t you heard?” She leaned down to hiss in his ear, the words easily reaching those around them. “Women don’t like pushy men.” Jia delivered three quick punches to his face with her left hand and dropped the now-unconscious man to the floor with a sigh. She nodded to the maître d’. “I think my table is going to need our food to go.”
“Of course, Detective.” The maître d’ stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes wide, before shaking his head.
Jia headed back to the table and retrieved her purse.
Imogen watched her, slack-jawed. “That was awesome, Jia. Like something on a show.”
“It was sloppy. I thought I could talk them down.” Jia fished out two pairs of binding ties. “But discharging a weapon in a crowded restaurant is never a good idea.”
Chinara reached over and patted her arm. “Seeing you do something like that in person isn’t the same as hearing about it.”
Jia shrugged. “They were just two drunks. They didn’t even have guns. That barely rates as exercise.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Erik laughed as he stepped out of the diner, Jia right behind munching on a half-eaten piece of toast. “If you wanted to beat guys up, you should have taken me out to dinner last night, not Chinara and Imogen. That sounds like a lot more fun than my evening.”
The diner exit fed into a sprawling commerce-level hub. They joined the flow of the morning crowds on their way to the parking platform outside the main hub. While some people glanced their way, no one approached them.
Maelstrom of Treason Page 17
