Alien Blues

by Lynn Hightower

  Mel scratched under his arm. “Hey, Dawn, you heard the sociopath theme song? Sung to the tune of ‘Home On De-Range.’ Goes like …”

  Dawn walked out and Mel followed her.

  David waited until the room was clear, the door closed. Halliday stared at him.

  “I want Myer,” David said.

  “Myer’s another issue. I’m giving it to IAD.”

  “Roger, Coltrane’s been in business a long time, and IAD hasn’t come close. People are covering. If they cover Coltrane, they’ll cover Myer.”

  Roger eyed him coldly. “You are awfully sure.”

  “Nobody knew about Judith Rawley but me and Myer. He suggested I go to her.”

  “What did he need you for? Why not go himself? Or send his people?”

  “Why? When the easiest thing would be to let me do the legwork and lead them to it. Then I got caught in the explosion, so they had to do it the hard way.”

  “I’d like to know what happened to Dyer’s notes.”

  David leaned across the table. “Two cops got killed. Judith Rawley was beaten, tortured, and her throat was cut. You saw her, Captain.”

  Halliday turned his face away. “It’s not our case.”

  “It is our case. If you want it done right, it’s our case.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “We find Dyer’s disks.”

  “They could be anywhere. Even Judith Rawley didn’t know, and she died for it.”

  “Maybe Dyer moved them.”

  “Della and Pete have been over and over his stuff. Nothing.”

  “All we have to do is convince Myer I’ve got them. Judith got killed for them, they’ve got to hurt. We’ll set him up to buy them back.”

  “He’s an old hand. He’d never go for it.”

  “Not if I offer them. But he might go for Winston.”

  “What makes you think Winston will work with us?”

  “Blackmail. If he won’t go along, I’ll blow his Elaki project to the press—make accusations that’ll have the animal rights people all over them. They’ll lose credibility. The project might even get pulled. Hell, they’re using people, Roger. The public will tear them apart.”

  “You can’t prove that.”

  “Reporters don’t have to. They imply.”

  “He care that much about it?”

  “I think he does.”

  “Will he believe you? That you’d do it?”

  “Not me,” David said. “Mel.”

  THIRTY-NINE

  David guided the Ford into a parking grid across from Winston’s townhouse.

  “I can’t believe I’m missing Gumby.”

  “String? Where is he?”

  “Don’t know. Said he’d be out of town. He’s a sneaky little sucker, I’d like to know … head’s up, there he is.”

  Winston was on the porch, locking the front door.

  “Jesus,” Mel said. “Taking his cat for a walk.”

  “At least he’s home.”

  “Come on, Alex.” Winston tugged the leash. The cat lowered his head and tried to work the leather over his ear.

  Mel stepped up on the curb. “Dennis, you got that cat registered with the local kennel club?”

  Winston stroked Alex’s head. “Walking is good exercise and he needs to lose weight. He won’t do anything, you know, but sleep and eat. Lick on a catnip mouse. And he hates those health pebbles they sell at the vet.”

  David put his hands in his pockets. “How’ve you been, Winston?”

  Winston’s grip tightened on Alex’s leash. “It doesn’t help me much for you guys to keep showing up here.”

  “We were wondering if you’d had any more trouble,” Mel said. “I take it you’re still cooperating?”

  “Nobody’s bothering me.”

  He did look better, David thought. Like he was sleeping again. His jeans were black, clean, snug-fitting. The white shirt was coated with cat hair, but otherwise pristine.

  “Look, thanks for stopping by. Everything’s okay, now.” Winston tugged the leash. “Alex. Come on, boy.”

  Alex collapsed on his side and purred. Winston nudged the cat’s rump with his toe. Alex lolled backward, exposing the soft white fur on his belly.

  “That cat ain’t going nowhere,” Mel said. “Come on, Dennis. Let’s go in. We got to talk.”

  “I really don’t think we have anything else to cover.”

  “Maybe we’ll just tag along with you.”

  The wind blew a dry leaf behind a bush. Alex sprang forward and disappeared.

  “Alex!” Winston dragged the cat from behind the bushes and tucked him under his arm. Alex purred, striped tail twitching.

  “Thing is,” Mel said. “We need your help.”

  “My help? Oh, please.”

  “Just information, Winston. You know a guy named Santana?”

  “Who?”

  “Come on, Dennis. Santana.”

  “Don’t know him.”

  “I think you do know him. Now we can do this one of two ways. We can check around quietly, use our contacts—that’s you, Dennis—and sort this out without causing any ripples. Or we can swear out search warrants, take people down to the precinct, and show mug shots on the evening news. But me and David, we don’t like all the fuss and bother.”

  “Which means you don’t have anything.”

  “We got you, Dennis.”

  “I don’t know Santana.”

  “Look, Winston.” Mel’s face was serious. “It comes down to this. If my partner and I got to go about this the hard way, it’s going to be noisy. We get the press in on this, no telling what could happen. The animal rights people have had it slack, lately, and they could use a target. You guys might face some pretty strict inquiries.”

  “You won’t do that.”

  “Really?” Mel cocked his head sideways. “Why won’t I?”

  “If you do, you’ll risk having Horizon shut down or discredited. You don’t want that any more than I do. We’re going to see the end of addiction—the beginning of a whole new era. And you care about that as much as I do. Maybe more. It will make your cop life a whole lot easier.”

  Mel stopped walking. “I’m interested in two things, Winston. Santana, and a dirty cop I won’t name just now. I think you can help me get them, but if you won’t, believe me I don’t give a rat’s ass about your project. I’ll come right down in the middle, and your academic credibility can go to hell.”

  Winston took a deep breath. “You guys are way out of line. I can’t help you.”

  “You mean you won’t.”

  “No chance. You’ll get me killed.”

  “We can protect you,” David said.

  “No.”

  “Let’s go.” Mel stretched and yawned. “Nice idea, David, but I told you it wouldn’t work. Let’s do it my way.” He turned to Winston and slapped him on the back. “Better be looking, pal. You’ll be out of work before long.”

  “We’re going to close it down,” David said sadly. “You understand that? We’ll go public with the information that the Elaki set up a drug cartel to study addictive behavior. That they’re using human beings as test subjects.”

  “Don’t forget the animals,” Mel said. “All those poor sick bunnies. Going to look bad, but, hey, I don’t blame you, Dennis. Some days, you know, no matter what you do, life just sucks. Let’s go, David.”

  Winston put a hand on David’s arm. “Please. Can’t you stop him? We’re so close. Give me a month. Just a little more time.”

  “I’m sorry.” David peeled Winston’s hand off his forearm. “I’d like to work something out, Dennis. But Mel’s right. We can’t let these people get away with what they’re doing. Nothing is worth that. And you’re part of it, Winston. We’ll come after you, too.”

  Winston squeezed Alex too hard and the cat miaowed. “Okay, listen. What if I help you? Will you protect me?”

  “You bet.”

  “I want to keep working.”
<
br />   “Risky.”

  “Look, I know this Elaki. She and Grammr were pouchlings together, and she was close to Puzzle. Did you know Puzzle?”

  “Yes.”

  “So she and I … I think maybe we can give you what you need. We can try it, anyway, can’t we?”

  “Depends on what we get,” Mel said. “Why don’t we go inside, Dennis. Talk it over.”

  FORTY

  The sky looked purple and bruised, dusk edging the sun away. The air was heavy. David rolled the car window down and hit the weather button on the dash. Possibility of showers, eighty percent. He knew tornado weather when he felt it. He was glad to be going home.

  The bullfrog wasn’t in the driveway, and Rose wasn’t out on the swing. Everybody taking refuge, he thought.

  David put the car in the barn. He heard a dog bark. Dead Meat bounded out the door, joyously twining in and out of his legs, showing off the bandages on her side. David scratched her ears. She smelled different—doggie, still, overlaid with medicine. Her tail wagged, thumping rhythmically against his leg.

  The kitchen window was bright with yellow light. David wiped his shoes on the mat before he went inside.

  Something smelled good. He looked in the skillet on the stove. Rose had made fajitas. The table was set for six. He heard laughter.

  “David?” Rose walked in the kitchen. “There you are. I knew I heard the car. That Elaki called you. Mr. String.”

  “What did he want?”

  “Said he needed to talk. I told him you’d call.” She hugged him, but did not meet his eyes. “Haas brought Dead Meat back.”

  “Hilde.” Haas paused in the doorway. “Hello, David.”

  David opened the refrigerator. “Beer?”

  “Please.”

  David tossed him a can, feeling mildly disappointed when he caught it. “Want one, Rose?”

  She left the kitchen without answering. David took a sip of beer and leaned against the counter.

  Haas winked at him. “You are not missing someone? Perhaps, three someones?”

  David went into the living room. Mattie’s foot stuck out from behind his chair.

  “Where’s my daughters?” David said loudly. “Didn’t we use to have kids, Rose?”

  “What kids?”

  The phone rang.

  “No girls on the roof, are there?” David opened the front door and peeped out. The wind was picking up, and dust swirled in the air. A good night to be inside.

  “Mattie? Lisa? Kendra? Anybody up there?” He heard giggles coming from behind the couch. He closed the door and smoothed his hair back into place. “Nope. Nobody on the roof.”

  “David.” Rose held out the phone. “Sounds like a crank. Definitely for you.”

  He took the phone. “Silver.”

  “David Silver?”

  “Yes.” He knew that voice. “Who is this?”

  “You said I could call you. If I needed something. And they … they came back.”

  “Who is they? Listen, relax, I’m right here. Tell me where you are.”

  “You know where I am. It’s me. It’s Naomi.”

  The girl who needed a magic box. David felt his mouth go dry.

  “They came back,” she said. “They’re going to get me this time. I was going to get directions on my box, and I saw them take her. Marion. I can’t believe they took Marion. Look, there’s a storm coming. I got to get back down.” She whimpered.

  Real trouble, he wondered, or imagined?

  “Naomi?”

  “Oh God.”

  “Naomi! Honey, don’t go back in the tunnels.”

  No one answered.

  Rose was staring at him.

  “Got to go,” he said. “Call Mel. Tell him to meet me in Little Saigo.”

  “David, what—”

  “Do it.”

  He heard one of the girls crying as he ran out the kitchen door.

  FORTY-ONE

  The wind was blowing hard and the car rocked back and forth in the grid. David kept both hands on the steering wheel. Dirt blew across the beam of his headlights.

  They’re back. They’ll get me. They’ve got her.

  David’s spine was stiff and twitchy. How much of what Naomi saw was truth—how much delusion?

  She had been right before.

  David clenched the steering wheel. Should he call Halliday? Send some uniforms? He pictured patrol officers clomping through Little Saigo. They’d arrive in a large group—cops hated the tunnels. And they’d be decked out in riot gear. Hell, they might take an armored bot with them.

  No.

  A vein of lightning lit the black smudged sky. David was moving at priority speed and the car bucked staying in the track. Mel didn’t have as far to go. He’d be there ahead of him. David hoped he’d wait before he went in.

  David parked two blocks away. He tucked his gun in a shoulder holster and took a raincoat from the trunk. He was hot in the coat, but it would be cool in the tunnels. His jeans fit snugly—no room in the pockets. He put quick loads in the side pockets of the raincoat, and sent the car on. He glanced up and down the street. No sign of Mel.

  The streetlights were on. The raincoat whipped loosely around his legs, the lapels blowing across his neck. The streets were barren. He could not remember seeing them empty before.

  There were no phones in Little Saigo, so Naomi had been up on the surface. Where would she go from there?

  The closest phone junction was by the side alley on Ashton. David walked into the wind, hair plastered backward, eyes watering. His coat flapped out behind him, exposing the gun under his arm.

  The phone terminal was empty. David smelled urine and rotting garbage. An empty box of Jack Daniel’s was crumpled in a corner. A phone receiver hung from the box. The wind snatched it up, smashing it against the wall of the terminal. David caught it and hung it back on the hook.

  Had Naomi Chessfield called from here?

  A flash of movement caught his eye. A man ran out of the main tunnel entrance. The wind blew his fine blond hair and made his T-shirt billow.

  “Winston?”

  David ran carefully across the broken, buckled sidewalk.

  Winston was a good runner, or he was scared. David put on a burst of speed, gaining slowly. He reached out, grazing the man’s shoulder with his fingertips.

  “Winston!”

  Winston faltered and looked over his shoulder.

  “Silver?”

  David grabbed him. Winston pulled away and David tightened his grip.

  “What’s up?” David said. “What are you doing down here?”

  “Nothing’s going on. Let me go!”

  “You’re not here to walk the cat, Dennis.”

  “Look, there’s no time. Tester’s down there. I got—”

  “Tester? An Elaki? You left him down in the tunnels alone?”

  “Her. Yes, alone. I have to get a car. Feel the wind, stupid. An Elaki would blow to pieces. Now let me go!”

  A siren wailed, and Dennis looked over his shoulder.

  “That your backup, Silver? Let me go, please.”

  “That’s the warning system, idiot.” David looked up and saw black clouds. “Tornado or genetic warheads. Come on.”

  They headed for the tunnels, running with the wind this time. David let go of Winston’s arm and let the man sprint ahead.

  A group of teenagers watched the storm from the main tunnel entrance. Winston raced past them. David thought about warning the kids to move inside. A tornado could suck them out of the tunnel and sweep them away.

  “Tester?” Winston stopped a hundred feet into the tunnel. “Tester?”

  An Elaki slid away from the wall. “Here. I am here.”

  Winston put a hand to his heart. “Thank God. Are you all right?”

  The Elaki rippled. “All right. Yes for me. The car you have?”

  “No,” Winston said. “Storm coming. The siren’s blowing; they’ve spotted tornadoes.”

  The Elaki s
wayed from side to side. “This tornado is a live thing?”

  “Dangerous wind,” Winston said.

  “Wind? Bad wind?”

  “You’ll be safe farther in,” David said. “Come on. This way.”

  The Elaki slid along behind them.

  David saw a side tunnel, and motioned both of them into the darkness. “Should be okay back here.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his raincoat. “Okay, you two, what’s up?”

  Winston and the Elaki looked at each other.

  “This is who?” Tester asked.

  “Silver,” Winston said. “The detective I told you about.”

  “The one that pushes with words.”

  “That’s my partner.” David folded his arms. “Tell me what you’re doing down here.”

  The Elaki’s belly rippled, then she turned slightly, looking from David to Winston.

  “The Santana is here.”

  David glared at Winston. “You knew he was coming?”

  “We just found out about it,” Winston said. “We were going to call you.”

  “After we check,” Tester said.

  “Check?” David glanced over his shoulder. Where the hell was Mel? Taking refuge in a ditch somewhere? He hoped the girls were okay.

  “We need to see. Is the job the victim snatch—or the drug going up?”

  Winston rubbed his chin. “What she means …”

  “What she means is you weren’t going to call me.” David looked from the Elaki to Winston. “So it must be a snatch. I thought we had a deal, Winston. I thought you wanted to keep your project going.”

  “But yes!” The Elaki began to sway again. “You take the Santana for snatching the experimental human, then so bad the community feeling! Take him for the drug going up—that will be okay.”

  David was breathing hard. “You’re still sitting back and letting them …”

  “No,” Winston said. “That part of the research is done. Santana’s not supposed to be doing this. There’s no point now. That phase of the operation is over.”