by Steve Perry
She turned away from the approaching rain and back toward Starboard. "Tell me again," she said.
"They seemed just a pair of kids looking for a place to play dork-and-bush, like they hinted. Attractive couple. They were on an old flitter with local tags. I checked out the code and the flitter was registered in the name he gave me. I ran a background and the coolfile says he's a local boy, works in an agrocommune, a plant tech. I didn't see any sub-rosa gear, and my weapons' scanners came up empty."
Dirisha nodded. So far, nobody else had approached the estate in the week she and Carlos had been here. Beel was due up in a hour or so, but that was Beel.
"It's only fifteen klicks to the agrocommune," Dirisha said. "Not too far a trip if you're looking for privacy outside. There were signs of people who'd sneaked in before you arrived, right? Beer containers, picnic trash?"
Starboard chewed at his lower lip. "Yeah."
"But something doesn't feel right?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I dunno what, nothing I can finger, but something. I wish I'd had an electropophy set-up at the gate. I'd have felt a lot better if I could have shined a truth-sucker at the kid."
Dirisha considered what to do. It probably meant nothing; on the other hand, a good covered all her bets all the time. "Tell you what," she said, "you get one of the night-crew to cover for you and go check it out. Talk to the local cools at the commune, verify the boy's story. Find out about the girl. You can pick up some supplies while you're there. That make you feel better about it?"
"Yeah, it would."
"Go. Take the big aircar."
Starboard walked away, and Dirisha looked back at the distant clouds. The bottoms were almost purple now, and she could see the rain slanting in a dark gray wall to the ground. A cool wind blew over her, stirring the bonsai trees and flowers. Definitely coming this way, that storm. The spaces between the lightning and thunder grew shorter. There was a smell of anticipation in the air, positive ions stirring. The rain would play hell with her sensor system, even with full-filters running. She'd have to tune them down so low they'd only be marginally effective. The confounder detectors would be useless.
She didn't like it. The only remedy was to field more of the crew, and making them stand out in a driving downpour wouldn't gain her any points, but it couldn't be helped. They'd grumble that it was a waste of time; that it would be highly unlikely anybody could pass the fence-field or gate on foot, that only a moron would fly in a thunderstorm. They'd be right, too, but Dirisha had been trained too well to slack off because something was "highly unlikely."
"Highly unlikely" could get you and your client dead. And "impossible" was hard to come by. Better to cover it and be safe.
Reel arrived at the gate just after the storm opened up over the lodge. The constant patter of the rain nearly drowned the voice of the guard as he called Dirisha.
"-Fem Carlos, alone, rental aircar," the guard said.
"Don't keep her waiting," Dirisha said.
She broke the connection and turned to Carlos, who stood staring out at the rain. A gust of wind shook the lodge. Lightning flashed, and the thunder followed it almost immediately. Close. The lodge was faraday-shielded, so there was no danger from a direct strike, but a tree could fall on the building if enough wind or juice worked on it.
Dirisha went to stand next to Carlos. He slipped one arm around her waist, and cupped her hip. "I love to watch it storm," he said. "When I was a child on Earth, we lived in a semi-tropical region where there were a lot of electrical storms, especially in the summer. Sometimes I'd stand outside, under the overhang of a roof or with an umbrelfield, and just soak up the power I could feel."
"You weren't afraid of the lightning?"
"No. Too stupid for that. I thought I was invulnerable, that I'd live forever."
He turned away from the window and smiled at Dirisha.
"Beel is here. The gate guard just called."
Carlos slipped his other arm around Dirisha and drew her close. "Good. I think you'll really like her."
Dirisha put her hands on Carlos's back and rubbed gently. "I already like her, Rajeem. She gave me a pretty good present this week."
"Only 'pretty good?' I'm crushed."
"Yeah, you look crushed, all right. It was terrific, and you know it."
"Well," he said, "you aren't too bad yourself. For a woman who could tie me up in knots, if she wanted."
"Better watch it, I just might. I don't want to get out of practice."
The entry admit sang, a humming tone. "Oops, company."
"Great timing, my spouse. I'll get it-"
"You stay right here," Dirisha ordered. "We both know it's Beel, but you pay me to be sure."
Carlos inclined his head a fraction. "Your show, Deuce," he said. His voice was a fair imitation of Dirisha's.
She laughed. "A mimic. Is there no end to your talent?"
Carlos turned back to stare out at the storm, and Dirisha walked to the entrance. The doorway was in the lee of the building and there was a broad overhang over the porch, but the wind was wild enough to spray the area with mist. The camera lens mounted over the door picked up the image at the door and channeled it to a holoproj inset next to the electronic lock panel.
Beel, sure enough, and wet. Her rental vehicle sat only ten yards away on the lawn, but there were puddles like small ponds between the car and the lodge, and the rain churned these into rippling sheets.
Dirisha opened the door. Beel ran into the foyer.
"Great Holy Chang," Beel said, "I thought I was going to drown!"
Dirisha helped her remove her sodden overcloak. Beel bent to tug her dotic boots off; she tossed them into the corner with a clump, then turned back to Dirisha. "Hi," she said. She extended her arms, and the two women hugged warmly. There was no awkwardness for Dirisha, only a feeling of comfort and acceptance. After a moment, they released the embrace. Beel leaned back a little. "You look great," she said.
"I feel it. Thanks, Beel. For-for... all-"
Beel clasped both of Dirisha's hands with hers. "You're welcome."
The two exchanged grins. Finally, Dirisha said, "Rajeem is in the main room-"
"-staring out at the storm," Beel finished.
"Come on." Holding hands, Dirisha led Beel down the hallway.
Carlos turned and smiled when he saw them. "There is truly a Nirvana," he said. "I have passed into it, for certain." He spread his arms wide, to encompass both women. The three formed a human triangle in front of the window.
Dirisha had never felt so loved and protected before. She began to cry silently, the tears running down her face to soak into the clothes of these two most wonderful people.
Love, but not blind love, not the hyped romantic love of the holoproj fictions. Even as they waited for her, Dirisha did her security checks, and took the time to do it right. A full electronic scan, a quick basetouch with the guards. Now she could relax better. Maybe not totally, but as much as was possible for a matadora. Ah, Pen. I love you, too. For what you have given me.
When she had worked as a trull years past, Dirisha had sometimes been in a sexual triad with clients who wished it. It had felt awkward then; it did not feel awkward now. It was simply more-more hands, more lips, more of everything. It was all quite natural: that she should stroke a female breast while kissing a male one; that she should have a male organ inside her while touching a female mons. No one was in a hurry, no one was playing sexual power games, no one wanted anything except to express love and to give pleasure.
Dirisha had never felt anything like it; it was a peak experience, as the first time with Rajeem Carlos alone had been. Not simply sexual, it was due to what lay behind it: love. Mayli Wu had been right.
Hands and lips and breasts and all the rest flowered and touched and stroked. Dirisha's orgasm stretched like gold and broke gently, snapping her into bliss. She came again, and again, another new experience, and the night flowed like chilled honey, going on forever.
"I l
ove you," she said. And heard twin echoes in the warm darkness which enwrapped them. The rain on the roof continued. It was the sound which lulled Dirisha into contented sleep.
CHAPTER TWENYY-TWO
IN THE MORNING, it was still raining. Dirisha slipped from the big bed, leaving Beel and Rajeem wrapped together, and went to do her job.
The weathercast was succinct. Yesterday's storm was merely the leading one on a front. It would likely rain for the next two days. Dirisha smiled.
Somehow, the idea of being cooped in the lodge with Beel and Rajeem didn't distress her in the least. The crew outside might hate it, but they were well-paid pros, they'd stand it.
A quick check of her estate sensor gear showed Dirisha what she'd feared had happened. About half of the equipment failed to register on her board.
Probably a lot of the spikes were underwater, and between that and the electrical activity, it was a wonder any of them were operational. Well. When it dried up, they could be replaced.
The communicator cheeped, announcing an incoming call.
"Zuri here."
Starboard's voice came from the instrument. "Dirisha. I got stuck in the commune when the storm hit. A tree blew down on the road."
"I got a notation on that," Dirisha said. "Port logged in your earlier call."
"Yeah, well, he didn't log in what I dug up last night. We might have a problem."
Dirisha felt a sudden chill, and she fought to suppress an epinephrinic surge. She cupped her hands over her hara point and did a centering reiki.
"Let's hear it."
"The boy in the flitter came up status-clear. Local kid, no history of trouble, average/normal. I came up deadscreen on the girl with him. Nobody knows her. Worse, the boy—his name is Ashir—hasn't been around since I saw him. His dorm-cube shows he didn't sleep there last shift."
Dirisha considered it. "Could be he and the girl got caught in the storm, decided to sleep in the car."
"Yeah, maybe." Starboard sounded doubtful.
"Something else is bothering you."
There was a short pause, as if Starboard were gathering his thoughts.
"Things are pretty loose here, as far as security goes, nobody keeps indexes on comings and goings. But nobody I've talked to knows the girl Ashir was with. I gave out a good description and got null on her. This is a small place, maybe a thousand people, long-timers, mostly. Somebody ought to be able to place her."
"So she's not a local," Dirisha said.
"Yeah. Then where'd she come from? This is the only civilization for a couple hundred klicks in any direction. Seems strange that our boy Ashir would come up with an out-communer and then just happen to flit out to the estate. It just doesn't feel right."
Dirisha took a deep breath and released it. Instinct was what Starboard was talking about, gut-level feeling that defied rational explanation. Dirisha had seen it often enough to pay attention to it, especially when the person having it was trained in one of the Arts.
Starboard's reaction to the mystery woman triggered an uneasiness in Dirisha: something was wrong, and both she and Starboard felt it without having a logical reason. Zen-trouble, and enough to cause caution. She said, "Okay, I copy your feeling. I'd rather have you here than there; as soon as the road is clear, flit back to the estate."
"Copy that, Dirisha. Clear."
Dirisha turned away from the com. It might mean nothing; then again, it might mean a lot. With half her security gear inoperative, she felt vulnerable.
Maybe this trip hadn't been such a good idea.
She smiled at that. No, the idea was good. And what had happened so far was better than good. Only she couldn't afford to get slack, just because she'd discovered a Great Truth. People could get hurt that way. Rajeem, maybe.
That wasn't a pleasant thought at all.
Breakfast was a happy affair. Rajeem and Beel both glowed, and Dirisha felt as if she also shined with an internal fire. They were so relaxed, and so comfortable to be around. Rajeem cooked the meal-it was well-prepared, a mix of exotic cake-bread, fruits and tofu steaks-and everything tasted wonderful. Dirisha couldn't remember feeling so relaxed before.
Starboard's call broke the mood, and Dirisha's comfort. Dirisha smiled as she answered the com, but the smile faded quickly.
"The local cools found Ashir's flitter, a few klicks away. Burned up. The rain kept the fire from spreading, but it was enough to kick in the forestry station's smoke detectors.
Ashir was in the wreck, dead, but the rain apparently kept him from roasting too bad. One of the cools was a medic, he says the kid didn't die accidentally."
"How?" Dirisha broke in.
"Looks like a slap-cap, back of the head. No sign of the girl."
Suddenly the unknown woman became a real threat. Somebody had killed a local boy, a boy who had driven to the gate of the estate earlier, looking for... what? A way in?
"You get back here, stat," she said.
Behind her, Beel laughed at something Rajeem said. Dirisha tuned them out. She punched an all-report code into her operative caster, a simple key-in-to-show-you're-awake command. There were fourteen ops in the field, six off-duty, counting Starboard. Within thirty seconds, seventeen diodes lit on her control board. Starboard was out of range, that left two. Where the hell were they-? Another green dot blinked on. Dirisha coded that one and called him. "Where were you. Tam?"
"Sorry," the voice came back, "I was-ah-answering the call of nature. Had to shake it."
"Next time you take more than thirty seconds to answer my call you aren't going to need to shake it anymore, because it will be gone!"
Dirisha looked back at the board. One light stayed dark. She coded in Treacher's number. Nothing. She did a voice-all call. "Anybody seen Treacher? She's not answering."
Nobody had seen her. And Treacher was the gate guard. Oh, shit!
"Marz and Lusso, get to the main gate, stat. The rest of you pair-link and get to your intruder stations. We may have a breach! Move!"
The rain pounded steadily, and the sound of Dirisha's excitement must have communicated itself to Rajeem and Beel.
"Dirisha?" Rajeem began. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure," she said tightly. "One of my guards isn't answering her call."
"Maybe the rain-" Beel started.
"Maybe," Dirisha cut her off. "But let's not make any dangerous bets. You two see if you can dig up an umbrel-field or three, just in case we need to go out."
"Go out?" Beel said.
Dirisha said, "If somebody dangerous is on the estate, they'll be coming for the lodge. Better for you to be elsewhere, that happens."
"But surely with all the guards, that isn't likely?"
The com came to life. One of the pair of guards she'd sent to the gate called in. Marz, and he was yelling. 'Treacher is unconscious, looks like she's taken the blast of a hand wand at close range! What'll we do?"
"Put an aid kit on her and set up a field of fire to cover yourselves and the gate. Starboard is coming by car. Make sure it's him and let him pass. Spetsdod anybody else you see. If they're wearing armor, don't get fancy. Use your Parkers."
There was a bright green flash and a sizzle, as the curtain outlining the window behind Beel burst into flame.
"Move!" Dirisha yelled. She jumped up, ran three steps to Beel, and shouldered her away from the window.
Another flash rent the air, melting a hole through the glass window and splashing against the far wall. The wood took fire and began to smoke.
"They've got a charged-particle spitter!" Dirisha yelled. The in her took full control. "Stay down and follow me," she ordered.
Rajeem nodded and began crawling in a military elbowdrag. Beel looked at him. "Do what she says, Beel, she knows what she's doing."
The three of them made it into one of the unused bedrooms. Dirisha shut the door. Greenish light shined briefly under the door again. Dirisha ran to the window and looked out. They were on the opposite side of the house from the
ceepee spitter. The wind had slackened some, but the rain continued to pour unabated. Aside from a few of the bonsai trees twenty or more meters from the house, there was no cover. Dirisha didn't see anybody watching this side of the lodge. They could exit by the window and get to Beel's flitter, since view of the vehicle was blocked from the other side, where the shooter was. But-how many of them were there?
Smoke began to ooze under the closed door. The lodge was on fire from the particle beams. Not much time to think.
"We're going out," Dirisha said. "I'll go first. If somebody shoots me, stay put, otherwise, move fast and drop flat, next to the house, you copy?"
Both of them did.
Dirisha took a deep breath and shoved the spring window wide. She dived out, did a forward roll, and came up into a squat, her spetsdods pointing at forty-five degree angles from her body.
Nothing, just the rain.
Rajeem followed; Beel was right behind him.
The only sounds Dirisha heard were water dripping from the roof and background wind and rain. "Stay behind me, but close," she said. She began to edge along the side of the lodge. Water splashed from her orthoskins, but she ignored it.
At the comer, Dirisha lay flat on the muddy ground and peered around, her face at ankle level. The front of the house looked clear. Could they make it to the flitter? It was only a few meters away, maybe fifteen. A flitter's thincris and plastic were no protection from a military ceepee weapon, but if they could clear the lodge area, they would have a better chance. Why weren't there any other attackers covering the front? Could it be there was only the one, the woman? Some freelance out to make a name for herself? If that was the case, Dirisha could have Rajeem and Beel a klick away in a minute or less.
A big aircar fanned around the bend in the approach road, rotors churning up thick mists around itself. Dirisha recognized the vehicle and the driver: Starboard. He must have seen another flash from the particle weapon, for he veered to the right, tilting the car and spraying water to the side.
