by John Bowers
“I hope you don’t live to regret it.” She glanced at him again. “If you find Saracen—”
“When I find him.”
“What are you doing to do with him?”
“If he doesn’t resist, I’ll arrest him.”
“And if he does resist?”
“I just hope he does.”
***
Victoria Cross stood at the window of her hotel room and stared down at the street as Nick walked away. She simmered with anger, as much at herself as at Nick. This whole thing was sliding sideways and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Her goal had been to locate Nick, point him toward Ken Saracen, and cover his six while he took the bastard out. All she wanted was to see Nick get back on his feet, get his life back…
Or so she told herself. If she was completely honest, she had to admit that her actions were not a hundred percent altruistic. It had been almost fourteen years since she and Nick broke up, but she still loved him. Suzanne’s murder had been a tragedy, and Victoria would never have wanted such a thing to happen. But it had. It had changed both her life and Nick’s, and now, as much as she hated to admit it, she dared hope there might be another chance for her and Nick.
But it wasn’t looking very hopeful at the moment. They had fought twice yesterday and this morning he was cold, distant, shrouded in whatever gloom lived inside his head. She desperately wanted to break through that, but didn’t know how. For all his fame and notoriety, he was still a very private person, keeping things close to his vest. He could be open and friendly, yet difficult to penetrate. Suzanne had told her as much, had told her how difficult it was for him to accept her love and return it.
What really hurt was that he hadn’t been that way when Victoria first met him. Back in boot camp, Nick had been an open book.
Until she broke his heart.
This was all her fault.
***
She was in a foul mood as she descended the stairs toward the lobby. She had dressed warmly in a pair of snug jeans with matching denim jacket over a western-style shirt with snaps in place of buttons. She carried her rifle with one hand gripping the barrel and the stock resting on her shoulder, as if it were a shovel. The lobby was cold, the windows frosted on the inside. Viola Fricke was behind the desk and smiled as she saw Victoria.
“Good morning, Mrs. Jones.”
“Good morning.” Victoria stared at her a moment, then approached the desk. “Where can I find that taxi you told us about?”
“You mean Lard Davis?” Viola Fricke smiled and pointed. “He parks at the drugstore, just a few blocks down this street.”
Victoria frowned. “Drugstore?”
“Yes, the pharmacy. You can’t miss it.”
Victoria shook her head. “You sell drugs in stores?”
“We do. You don’t have them in the Federation?”
“I’ve never seen one. If you want prescription drugs, you have to visit a medical center.” She smiled. “How quaint.”
Viola Fricke’s smile faded a little. “Would you like me to call Lard for you? He’ll pick you up in front of the hotel.”
“No, thanks. I’ll find him. I can use the exercise.”
Victoria turned for the outer door.
“Have a good day, Mrs. Jones.”
Victoria pushed out the door without a reply. She knew it was rude, but didn’t care. Nick had left her feeling angry and out of sorts, and she was in no mood to be polite to strangers. The cold air pinched color into her cheeks as she turned toward the diner where she and Nick had eaten yesterday. Before hiring a taxi, she needed something in her stomach. Ten minutes later she left the diner with a hot egg sandwich in her left hand, eating as she walked.
She returned to the hotel and continued down the street in the direction Viola Fricke had pointed. Five blocks ahead she saw a red sign with the letters Rx on it, the universal symbol for prescription drugs. The idea of a “drug store” was novel to her, but she had to keep in mind that TC 4 was a backward society by Federation standards. From drugstores to steam-powered trains, she could probably expect anything from now on.
Her boots were wet by the time she reached her destination, but only on the outside. Her feet were dry and that was all that mattered. She finished the sandwich and stared at the yellow surface car parked at the curb outside the drugstore. A metal sign attached to the roof said TAXI; she was in the right place.
The vehicle was empty. She looked up and down the street, but only saw a few people out and about. She looked through the drugstore window and spotted a very large man seated at what looked like a lunch counter, reading a paper magazine while he sipped coffee and forked food into his mouth from a plate on the counter. She pushed her way inside and walked toward him.
“Are you Mr. Davis?”
The big man turned in surprise, the stool under him creaking from his weight. She tried not to stare but couldn’t help noticing that he must weigh well over three hundred Terra pounds. He looked about fifty, but his age was hard to determine due to the tangled, bushy growth sprouting from his cheeks and chin. His beard was grey, matted, and ugly as hell; he must not have shaved in twenty years.
“Yes I am,” he said in a gravelly, slightly raspy voice. “Lloyd Davis. And you are?”
“Victoria.”
“Nice to meet you. Do you need a ride somewhere?”
“I do. But I’m not in a hurry. Finish your breakfast first.”
He nodded in acknowledgement.
“I’m almost done. Five minutes, max. Have some coffee?” His watery blue eyes never left hers.
“Sure. Thanks.”
She slid onto a stool beside him. A teenage girl behind the counter had heard the exchange and poured her a cup.
“Where would you like to go?” Lloyd Davis asked, reluctant to take his eyes off her.
“I don’t really know. I just arrived yesterday and I want to explore the planet.”
Davis laughed, a rumbling chuckle that shook his entire body.
“Well, Ma’am, it’s a big damn planet, so that could take a while. Can you be more specific?”
Victoria sipped the coffee and rested the rifle butt on the floor.
“I don’t want to see the whole planet, just the part that’s been settled. How big is that?”
“Still pretty big, but manageable. If you string them end to end, the settlements stretch about four hundred miles or so. We can make it in a day if we don’t stop, but I suspect you probably don’t want to go that far.”
“Actually, I do. How many settlements are we talking about?”
He rubbed his mouth, then smoothed his whiskers.
“Well, the road out of Hardwood runs through thirteen of them, and that’s about three hundred miles. There’s a few others scattered around off the main highway.”
She shrugged. “Let’s stay on the road, then.”
He sipped his coffee and scanned her frame with his eyes.
“Be cheaper just to take the train,” he said. “Probably more comfortable, too.”
“I’m not worried about cheap. And if I want to stop, or take a side trip, I can’t do that on the train.”
“Well, I’m game if you are. I just wanted to give you the options. It won’t be cheap.”
“How much will it cost?”
“How much have you got?”
“As much as I need. The clerk at the hotel said you would do it for a hundred taus.”
“Close enough. You gonna take the rifle with you?”
“Yes. Any objections?”
“Not unless you’re planning to shoot me.”
“I’m not planning to shoot anybody, but I don’t like traveling unarmed.”
“Is it loaded?”
“Of course. A gun that isn’t loaded is about as useful as—”
She caught herself. She had been about to say something profane; she’d been hanging around Nick too long.
“An unloaded gun is worthless,” she amended.
He grinne
d and nodded. He took one last bite of his omelet, downed the last of his coffee, and stood up.
“I’m ready when you are.”
Chapter 15
Victoria asked for a paper cup to carry her coffee and followed Davis outside. He held the passenger door for her.
“Good thing I fueled up this morning. We won’t have to waste any time for that.”
Victoria climbed into the seat, the rifle beside her, but felt slightly off balance. The car had a definite list to it.
“Do you realize your car is tilted to the right?”
He closed the door and spoke through the window.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I had to have the suspension reinforced on the pilot’s side. For some reason, the damn thing keeps breaking.”
He walked around the car and climbed in. As soon as he settled into the pilot’s seat, the car settled a good fourteen inches. Suddenly it was level.
“That’s much better,” she told him. “I was afraid I was gonna get seasick.”
“Seasick? Don’t know what that means, but I probably don’t want to find out. You ready to go?”
“Ready.”
Davis fired up his turbine and let it hum for a moment, then put the car into gear. At the end of the block he made a right turn and headed down the street toward the edge of town. They passed the train station and the warehouse; within two minutes they were out of town, speeding down a two-lane road with the railroad on one side and a pine forest on the other. Victoria blew on her hands to warm them.
“Heater should kick in any second,” Davis said. “Takes a few minutes to warm up.”
“That will be fine.”
“So, Victoria, what brings you to Tau Ceti? You planning to make it a permanent residence?”
“No, I don’t think so. But it looks like a beautiful place to live.”
“Tourist, then. We don’t get many of those.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“What line of work are you in? You married?”
“I’m an attorney.”
“Really!” He glanced at her in surprise. “We don’t have many of those, either. You could probably find a good job here without too much trouble.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Where did you go to law school? I assume you’re from the Federation?”
“Actually, I live on Alpha Centauri, but I was born on Terra.”
“Ah, the mother planet. I’ve never been there, but I’d like to see it someday.”
Victoria didn’t reply. Davis seemed harmless enough, but she wasn’t comfortable with all the personal questions. She changed the subject.
“Did you say your name is Lloyd?”
His head rocked back and he laughed in a deep rumble.
“You heard the other one, did you? Most people call me Lard.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Why should it? I’m a really big guy. I weigh three hundred and forty pounds, but what most people don’t realize is that only about twenty pounds of it is fat. My dad was even bigger than I am and I weighed eighteen pounds when I was born.”
“Ouch! Your mother must have loved that.”
He laughed again.
“I think she had a little help in the way of a spinal block. But yeah, I’m sure it wasn’t fun.”
“Which name do you prefer? I don’t want to offend you.”
“The only way you can offend me is by wasting my time. Either name is fine.”
They passed through a small town, little more than a village—the sign said Sweetwater. It came and went in thirty seconds. The railroad curved to the left and the road followed. To their right the forest gave way to farmland for a few miles, then closed in again.
“Why does a pretty lady like you carry a rifle?” Lard Davis asked presently.
Victoria shrugged. The rifle rested between them, the butt on the floor with the barrel pointing at the car’s roof.
“Same reason anybody carries one—people with guns are safer than people without guns.”
“I can see carrying a gun, but a rifle is pretty big and kind of awkward. Wouldn’t a smaller gun be more practical?”
“Maybe. But I’m a better shot with a rifle, and rifles are a lot more intimidating.”
“You could be right. It sure worked wonders at the union meeting last night.”
Victoria turned to stare at him.
“You were there?”
“Oh, sure. Not much goes on in Hardwood that I don’t hear about, and when I’m not busy, I like to keep up on things. I think you saved that cowboy from a bad beating.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The fellow that you slugged is a union enforcer. Actually, he’s an Orosi cop. He and his buddy had two more friends outside, and once they got the cowboy out of the room, they were gonna work him over.”
“Do you know that for certain?”
“Ninety-five percent certain. I’ve seen it happen before.”
She continued to stare at him while questions raced through her mind. Before she could decide which one to ask, he continued.
“I liked what the cowboy said. His question was right on point, and Carter didn’t want anyone to ask it. So they wanted him out of the room as quick as possible.”
“You know a lot about the union?”
“Quite a bit. The best part of my job is that I talk to a lot of people. They say that priests, bartenders, and taxi pilots know more about a community than anybody else. Now I’ve never met a priest, and I don’t really know what they do—except I hear they make people feel guilty about sex—but I know a couple of bartenders and they’re a lot like me. They hear a little of everything.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Glad you think so. So here’s a question for you—the cowboy is your husband?”
“What makes you think that?”
“You two came in on the train together yesterday, checked into the hotel as man and wife, and went to the meeting last night. This morning he leaves alone and takes the train again, but you take a taxi instead.” Davis glanced at her. “Trouble in paradise?”
In spite of herself, Victoria couldn’t prevent her cheeks from turning red.
“That’s really none of your business.”
“Of course it isn’t, but I’m a nosy guy. You lovebirds having problems?”
“Something like that. Only we’re not lovebirds.”
“Lost the magic, huh?”
Victoria laughed. The man was shameless.
“Even if that’s true,” she said, “why would I tell you about it? You’ll just spread it all over the planet.”
“Not if you tell me in confidence. I may be a nosy bastard, but I know how to keep a secret.”
Victoria stared out the window, smiled, and shook her head. Davis fell silent and neither of them spoke for the next ten miles.
“We aren’t married,” she said finally. “Never were.”
“No? Business partners then?”
“I’m his attorney.”
“What does he need an attorney for? He been accused of rustling?” Davis hooted at his own joke.
“No. He’s had some legal problems, but nothing I want to get into.”
“So you’re not married, but there is something, isn’t there?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Hm. I would have sworn you’re in love with him.”
“What?” She stared at him again. “What gave you that idea?”
“Body language. Last night you were protecting him. This morning you’re pissed about something. The fact that he left you alone suggests you’re not real happy about that.”
“Are you a psychologist now?”
“Just a careful observer. You think I would take on a fare who was carrying a rifle and didn’t know where she wanted to go if I wasn’t pretty good at reading people?”
She shrugged.
He continued.
“For example, if I had to guess, I would say
your boyfriend is some kind of lawman.”
“And why would you say that?”
“He carries himself with authority; this morning he was wearing a gunbelt; last night you two showed up with the sheriff and his men. Being both cautious and curious, I imagine he came to TC 4 on some kind of mission. Maybe looking for a fugitive.”
“Who told you that?”
“Nobody. Like I said, I’m a careful observer.”
Victoria felt her scalp tingle. Lard Davis’s “observations” were disturbingly accurate. She unconsciously gripped the rifle stock with her left hand.
“Let’s say you’re right. What kind of fugitive would he be looking for?” she asked, keeping her gaze on the countryside.
“I have no idea. Most likely a killer. I mean, you two came from another star system, and that’s a hell of a trip to find someone who just robbed a bank or stole some jewelry.”
“Yeah, I guess it would be.” She turned to him with narrowed eyes. “Just for fun…do you know anyone on this planet who fits that description? Someone who is evil enough that a Federation lawman would come all this way to find him?”
Lard Davis shook his head.
“Not personally, but—”
“But?”
“Well, the fact that he showed up at the union meeting raises a couple of flags.”
“What kind of flags?”
Lard Davis pursed his lips and sucked a deep breath. He let it out slowly while he pondered how to answer.
“Why would a Federation lawman, who probably came to Tau Ceti 4 on a manhunt, attend a union meeting the first day he arrives?”
“You call that a flag?”
“Hey, I’m not a trained detective or a fancy Federation attorney—I’m just a dumb taxi pilot, so…yeah, for me that was a flag.”
“Anything else?”
Davis cleared his throat, spun the window down, and spat a gob of phlegm out the window. He spun the window closed again.
“Well, it got me to thinking. It could be a coincidence. I mean, maybe he checked in with the sheriff as a professional courtesy and was invited to the meeting to help keep the peace. That might be all it was.”
“That’s a good, logical answer—”
“But then I remembered something.”
“Go on.”
“I remembered that the union was formed about fifteen years ago. It was a big deal at the time, caused quite a stir. Lot of people didn’t like the idea of a union, a lot of others did. But it happened, and life went on. Prices went up and people griped, but people always gripe. Things quieted down and pretty soon most people forgot all about the union. It was an Orosi thing, didn’t affect anybody outside their district.”
