Gold Rush

by Clay Moore

  Kandace was already home. He heard the Hyper exit alarm. Brian ran to the pilot’s couch. As he settled the stars appeared.

  “We have a good hyper by Gazetteer Satellite for Eridani. They put a hyper program on the satellite for us.”

  “Execute hyper!”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Amarantha reoriented the ship. Then fired the engines to give them some momentum. Then she engaged the Hyper generator. They were now in Hyper.

  Brian still was seated in his chair. He strapped himself in his chair. Then starship Amarantha appeared at the Hyper Exclusion zone. Brian applied twenty-five percent power to the Starjets. Then he went to fifty percent power.

  Brian was trading shamelessly on his status as a Special Agent of the Eridani Secret Service. He passed up slower ships. Brian used his maneuverability to dodge other ships. He also noticed that he was being escorted by the revenue squadron. Brian got to the atmospheric interface. He passed control to the Secret Service starport. They brought him in a little faster than was usual. You just don’t impede a Special Agent.

  Brian went into his Quarters and changed into the gray suit. He included his weapon and knife. Then he walked out of his ship. Cody would have his stuff including the cash moved on to his apartment.

  Outside a Limo pulled up. He got into the backseat with Carla.

  “Quite a Day,” said Carla.

  “An Unexpected day.” He looked outside. The dawn was just beginning. “Who would have expected Julie to be chosen by the agent?”

  “I knew that this was going to happen eventually. I’m just glad we had everything in place when it did happen. Dan was a rock for Julie when she needed it. He seems to think that you are the agent in charge.”

  “I am. We discussed this. If it is one of ours, we’re in charge.”

  “That’s nice to know. When were you going to tell your Director?”

  “I guess it escaped my mind.”

  “No more. You guys decide to operate in a different way you will tell me or the chief of staff.”

  “Okay.”

  She knew her agents. With this agent, an “okay” was all you could expect. She liked the independence of the Special Agents. Some of the Special Agents were having trouble adjusting to the wide latitude she gave them. Dan was an officer in the Army when he came over to the Secret Service. He was surprised by the Fox Hunt. He caught his fox and was laying on her. Then she kissed him. They had no further trouble from Dan. He understands that we mean what we say.

  Brian jumped in with both feet. His only trouble was doing something against his moral code like assisting a suicide. Then there was the inexplicable attraction between Brian and Kandace. Brian likes to play golf, but Kandace loves to play golf. She keeps him centered when things get weird.

  Brian just had to get to Julie to let her know he was here. He ordered the Limo to stop. Brian jumped out. He ran to the security checkpoint. He jumped the turnstile. One of the Guards waved him on. Brian ran to the elevators. It opened He touched the button for the sixth floor. The doors shut and waited for the passcode to proceed. He typed the code, and the elevator moved to the level selected.

  The sixth floor felt empty. The sixth floor was being reserved for the Special Agents. The only one he knew was Dan in the office opposite his. Brian came to his office door. He pushed the door open. He saw the cot and the unmistakable sight of a woman’s ass.

  Brian snuck up on the woman sleeping in his office. He pulled the cover back trying to see her face. Instead, she sat bolt upright and uttering inarticulate noises. Then he noticed that it was Julie.

  “Julie, you’re naked.”

  “Brian, I know.”

  “Well, it’s sort of like walking in on your sister in the bathroom by accident.”

  “That’s what I thought. I was trying like hard for you think of me as a normal woman.”

  “Can’t do that while you are sitting in my office naked.”

  Brian picked up the dress, panties, Bra, and shoes. He handed her the shower stuff. Then he opened the door He stepped outside. If you go north up the corridor, in the end, you will find an executive washroom. He handed her his door pass. "This will let you in. The stalls are individual. There are some luxuriant towels. Leave them in the dirty towel receptacle. I’ll order breakfast. What do you want?”

  “An egg two strips of bacon, and a stack of pancakes. I’m hungry.”

  “A little excitement yesterday?”

  “Yeah. I thought I was going to wreck the whole operation.”

  “I think that he interpreted your nervousness as you liking what he asked you to do. If you don’t stand there and tell him that you were nervous, how is he to know? He makes a guess based on what he is doing. Your nervousness was interpreted as a girl hot for him.”

  Julie shuddered which informed Brian that everything on Julie was homegrown goodness. She stepped into the hall and ran up the corridor. He started to have impure thought about his Personal Assistant. So was his equipment. She made it into the Executive bathroom.

  Brian walked back into his office He unlocked the connecting door to Julie’s desk. The entrance to Pamela’s lair suddenly opened revealing Dan.

  “Brian, you’re back.”

  “That is what happens when I occupy a locus, here.”

  Dan chuckled. “Glad to have you back. I’ve prepared a full briefing.”

  “Brief me as we go along.”

  Dan started to answer, and then realized what Brian was saying. “You want me to team with you.”

  “Only Fair. You did all the prep. Now it is time to arrest him. Only Fair?”

  “I always admired and hated the easy way you have with people. Now I am the beneficiary of your largess.”

  “Look I got breakfast. I ordered an Eridani Breakfast buffet. Tell Pam she is invited. There will be enough food.”

  “I will.”

  “Where does the cot go.”

  “In the back of your office.”

  Brian folded the cot. Julie walked into the office. The dress Brian picked helped to show off her curves. She leaned into Brian.

  “The panties and Brassiere don’t fit me.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “Not really. I added about 10 pounds.

  “Bum and bosom?“ Dan asked.

  “I agree.”

  Julie stood there embarrassed by the two men dissecting her body.

  “Julie,” said Brian. “You are one hot mama. Plus it is very fun to tweak you now and again.”

  Then the Breakfast buffet arrived. Dan called the Sleazers to come. Brian invited Carla. The reputation of the Headquarters Kitchen was like eating at a first class restaurant. The proof is that no pastries were left at the end of the day. The Kitchen made a profit for the Secret Service.

  Julie had never been the center of a party before. Everyone between forks of delicious Breakfast lauded her for her Bravery. Even Pam has things to say to her. Then Carla talked to her. This was the Director, a commendation given by the Emir. Julie felt gratified by her kind words. The Brownian moment of people finally brought her to Brian.

  She looked up at Brian’s smiling face. His face changed to a grim smile, his business face. “Dan and I need to brief you. His office.”

  “Should we run them out of the office?”

  “No, everybody is having a good time. Let the others continue having a good time.”

  Brian brought her to Dan’s office. Dan offered her his chair, which she took. Dan started the briefing.

  “When you come into the Tea and Sandwich look only for Harminio. Do you trust Brian and me?”

  “Implicitly.”

  “Then know that we will be there. We wouldn’t miss today for the world, right Brian?”

  “Not for the world. It’s not often that we get to be policemen, especially in front of a beautiful woman.”

  She blushed.

  Brian and Dan had a conversation that consisted of facial gestured. Brian brought out the da
tastick. He held it in front of her. “When Harminio sees this, he will not be interested in you. I want you to wear it here.” Brian pushed the datastick between her breasts. “Does that feel secure?”

  She shimmied, and it did not move. Although Brian thought that his tool might have moved.

  “Why Julie I did not know that you had it in you.”

  Julie blushed prettily.

  Brian consulted his watch. “When do you go to lunch?”

  “Noon.”

  “You leave at noon, or you get there at noon?”

  “I get there at noon.”

  “Okay, Dan and I will have to go. You leave exactly at noon. Don’t order anything. Sit at his table. When he asks for the datastick, give it to him. That will be our cue. All we have to do is escort him back to the one place he wanted to be. You look hot Julie. This dress is good for you. I’ll get you another, and a couple of correctly sized panties and bras.”

  Brian and Dan left the headquarters building signaling the beginning of operation: mousetrap.

  ARREST

  Both Special Agents jogged from Headquarters. When they got to Police Headquarters. Brian remained behind. Dan went on to the Tea and Sandwich. Ten minutes later Brian walked speedily to the shop. Brian ordered Julie’s favorite chamomile tea. He sat at an open table Where he had a good view of everyone. He kept dousing the tea bag in hot water.

  About ten minutes after noon Julie entered the Tea and sandwich shop. She did not order her usual lunch. He had to train out of her. She walked to Harminio’s table.

  “May I sit here?”

  “Of course.”

  She sat down.

  “Do you have what I requested??”

  Julie indicated the datastick stuck between her breasts.

  “Please retrieve it and give it to me.”

  Julie smiled as she put her hand on the datastick between her breasts and pulled it out. She put the datastick in front of him. Harminio stuck his hand out and pulled the datastick to him. There was a sudden cough. A man in a grey business suit tried to vault from where he was seated.

  Harminio grabbed Julie. He had a knife to her throat. She fought his grasp, and the blade cut her a little. Brian had his pistol on Harminio, but the spy was using her as a human shield. Dan joined them also with his gun.

  “You can’t leave,” said Dan. Dan was the negotiator.

  Brian was the killer and the interrogator. You can’t really interrogate the man until he is no longer in a situation of power. Brian noticed something. Julie was making a fist and releasing it. This is what he taught everyone. The fist pumping was merely an indication to someone else what you are going to do. Brian nodded.

  Once given permission, she acted. She held her left hand at waistline. Then she powered the fist to the vulnerable spot. Every man in the shop felt the blow as deeply as Harminio. To further deal damage to him she did a spinning backfist into his head.

  When she saw what she had done her mouth made a moue. Dan and Brian had him down, and they put on the cuffs. They stood up with Harminio between the two Special Agents. Julie came up to the man and spat in his face.

  They started moving him to the Secret Service Headquarters building.

  “Tell me something, Dan.”

  “What do you wish to know?”

  “Why is it women either want to pee on a defeated enemy or the very least spit on him?”

  “That is one of those inscrutable things that no man will ever know.”

  Julie chuckled loud. “Would you like to get peed on after being beaten by a woman? It’s a further humiliation. Spit is the other thing that available when you can’t drop your drawers.”

  Brian and Dan chuckled. Julie could tell that Brian took what she said to heart. Apparently, a woman peed on her enemy and Brian was there to see that.

  The two men did not want anything to happen to Harminio. Dan was moving forwards, while Brian was facing the rear. There would be a pair of eyes forward and a couple of eyes going backward. They assumed this formation after they went through the Police Headquarters. Julie followed them. In many ways, this was her part of the story.

  As they walked away from the police headquarters. Brian searched around him. Then he saw a bright reflection coming from above him. Then he noticed the red dot on Dan’s head.

  “Dan duck!” Brian reached for his weapon. He aimed his gun at the sniper. Brian fired the same time as the sniper. Brian made sure by spraying the area where the sniper had been.

  Dan was hit. There was a streak of blood along Dan's scalp. Brian saw it and thanked providence. Dan ducked. All Dan got was a crease from the dart. A police medic was there to check for broken bones. Felicity was standing amid a circle of uniformed cops surrounding Brian, Julie, and Dan. Felicity was looking at them with arms akimbo.

  “Here you are making my life entirely too exciting,” said Felicity.

  “We thought that you might like to know that spies are now on the menu,” said Brian.

  “And Assassins,” said Dan.

  “Then you are going to bring this one into my holding cell. We are the law enforcement service tasked with investigating Spies.”

  She looked at Brian who looked like he was about to trump her play with his own. She looked like she desisted.

  “You may come to the interrogation. We have our hands free when we interrogate. The Supreme Court may use the fruits of that interrogation to further your investigation.”

  “Brian, my Investigators say you hit the assassin with four darts. Four for four.”

  “Dead?”

  “Yes,” said Felicity. “What would you expect when you hit her with four darts.”

  “Damn.”

  “She was living in a hole between the flight platform and a corner of the structure. That was a treasure trove of information. I’ll share that with you. Allow me to escort your prisoner.”

  Felicity snapped her fingers. Two uniformed officers relieved Dan and Brian of their prisoner. When they reached twenty feet of the front door to the Headquarters. Then three uniformed guards came out and took charge of the spy. Brian told the guard to take him to the cells.

  “I meant what I said,” Brian said to Felicity. “Only you are allowed. You will get all the products of the interrogation. You can even talk to us to ask specific questions.”

  “I accept.”

  “Brian,” said Julie. “You said I could—”

  “Yes, I did. I want to warn you that it is not going to be pleasant.”

  “I have to hear it.”

  “Okay. This is top secret. You can talk to me, or Dan, but no one else. Understood?”

  Julie nodded.

  “Sorry, Hon. I need to hear the words.”

  “I understand.”

  “Let’s go to my office. I can order lunch for us. A barbecue buffet?” Dan was not known for being a social animal. Which is why whenever possible he watched how Brian does things. The Breakfast Buffet was a roaring success. The buffet was even attended by the Director.

  The Barbecue Buffet arrived. The Director showed up as well as the other 3 women Special Agents. That brought the number to 5. He had been asked for as a fox for them to hunt. Two of the Three women caught him. They were his friends, and now they were friends with Dan, too.

  During the party, the Director took him aside.”We really need to debrief you on the Gold Rush Operation.”

  “Believe it or not this interrogation is related to Gold Rush. I know it.”

  “Do you mind if I attend the Interrogation?”

  “You are always welcome, Director.”

  “When are you going to begin the interrogation?”

  “Dan and I are going to wait for a couple hours. The turnkey is giving us reports on the prisoner. The turnkey is supposed to emphasize the reality of his situation.”

  “You and Dan are teaming up for this?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I owe Dan for how he treated Julie. The least I can do is include Dan. I also found that he and I w
ork well together.”

  “Excellent, just don’t get too close.”

  “Yes, we hear you.”

  “You were trained to be a solo act. Too hard being a solo act and then a partner, and then resuming solo.” Carla looked long and hard at Brian. He smiled in response to her look.

  Brian heard the Cells’ turnkey.

  “He wants to cut a deal.”

  Brian held his hands up. “The cells just called up. The man’s ready to break. Those of you observing follow the Director. Dan and I have to get ready.”

  “Dan, do you have druare?”

  “Sure do. Dan bought the small kit just for interrogation. Everybody left for their position, interrogators, or observers.

  INTERROGATION

  Harminio wondered what he was going to do. He had heard of prisons that no one knew about. You would not be allowed to express your rights because no one knew that you had been captured in the act of espionage. What got him here?

  Julie Brio must have seen through his disguise. One day she looked like a good candidate. When she returned somehow, she had grown a bosom, and her ass had become a attractive. She lied to him first. Yes, that was it. She had lied to him first.

  He wondered if there was some kind of law here that forbade police officers from tricking a suspect. The Turnkey walked by on his periodic visits.

  “Why am I being kept here?”

  “You tried to have an Eridani national steal top secret information. The Special Agents are conferring on what to charge you with.”

  “Is there any way that I could cooperate for a reduced sentence.”

  “Let me call them up.” The Turnkey picked up his portable com. He called Brian’s portable com. The Turnkey knew that he was talking to Brian through his earbug. The Turnkey listened. Then he turned to the prisoner. “They want to talk to you.”

  Harminio felt the Turnkey put on the cuffs. When he was younger, he could turn the cuffs around. Now he was stuck with his hands behind his back. He went the directions that the Jailor told him to go. Harminio came to a reinforced door. The Jailor unlocked it. He pushed Harminio into the room. Then the Jailor locked the door.