The Predator and The Prey

by K. C. Sivils

  I glanced around for a subway entrance. For once luck was in my favor as I spotted one a block away. I turned to face the freezing wind, pulling the collar of my greatcoat even tighter around my throat. I felt my comm vibrate and pulled it out of my pocket.

  My gloves made my efforts to pull up the message clumsy. The cold wind and snowflakes that had started falling didn’t help. I shoved my comm back in my pocket. It would have to wait till I made it to the subway station.

  O’BRIAN WAITED NEXT to Dimitrivitz’s guard station while Markeson went to get the car. A valet had not been available, infuriating the detective, much to O’Brian’s amusement. While he waited, O’Brian surveyed his surroundings. He didn’t see what he was looking for, not that he was surprised.

  “Officer Dimitrivitz?”

  “Yes, Chief,” the guard responded nervously.

  “Why is it I do not see any CCTV cameras? This is a secure government facility. There should be digital surveillance in this area.”

  "Yes, Chief. I agree, but uh, well, it makes certain individuals nervous.”

  O’Brian smiled at the officer.

  "You're not as stupid as I thought. So, we agree then that for a variety of reasons some people would prefer their presence in this building not to be recorded."

  “Yes, Chief.”

  “Like Mr. Devereaux or any of Detective Markeson’s visits with, ah, female companions.”

  Dimitrivitz nodded.

  “We also know, that this is an Alliance planet. An Alliance Inspector General will show up, either unannounced or for the annual inspection and audit, which means there is a camera somewhere. Am I right officer?"

  Remembering exactly what would happen if he irritated the Chief again, Dimitrivitz nodded. “This way Chief. But please, don’t say anything. I have to spend my days around these people.”

  JOSEPHSON BRACED HIMSELF and stepped out of the hospital entrance. He needed to vanish now for certain. He’d done his job by getting the miners to a hospital with the right meds to treat their cough. A deadly disease they should never have caught. Simply by doing their jobs below ground.

  Hurrying in the falling snow, Josephson made his way toward the subway station a block away. He'd call Sully and give him the news, and then he'd leave town. Josephson looked around, feeling a bit of the paranoia the young detective presumed Sullivan felt. He watched for anyone or anything that looked suspicious. He blended in with other city dwellers hurrying toward the warmth of the subway, if you could call it that. At least it offered shelter from the wind and snow.

  Careful to maintain a safe distance from the other passengers as he descended into the light and shelter of the station, Josephson stepped out of the flow of human traffic and retrieved his comm. A final glance around to be sure he was safe, Josephson typed in his message, hit send to create the link, noted it went through and pocketed his device.

  He joined the queue and swiped his police pass and made his way toward the track that would lead him to the train station. Running his hand over the hard credits in his pocket that he’d withdrawn earlier so he couldn’t be traced, Josephson realized the mistake he’d just made.

  Using his police pass to pay for the subway ride just put him at that location. Anyone looking would know he’d been at the hospital. That he had been the one to get the miners to a doctor.

  I HAD TAKEN A SEAT on the bench near the men’s bathroom. I’d learned during my years in the Alliance’s Space Marines that rest was a weapon. I couldn’t sleep on the bench, but I could rest my body physically and clear my mind. Zone out for a bit. So that’s what I did.

  The insistent buzzing of my comm brought me back to reality. I pulled the device from my pocket and using my teeth, pulled the glove off my right hand. I typed into the device to unlock it and saw I had not one but two messages. I’d forgotten I’d received a message earlier.

  There was no ID for the first message. It was simply an address, nothing more. I smiled to myself. Joe or Ralph had a conscience.

  I looked at the second message and read it. Josephson had not followed my directions and left town. I was glad he hadn’t. I messaged him back ordering him again to vanish until he heard from me.

  I hoped the lead he’d gotten from the sick miners didn’t cost him his life.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  TWO CLEAR TUBES PROTRUDED from Toby's chest. One had globules of blood draining slowly. The other appeared to serve no purpose. Past experience told Father Nathan it was to allow air to escape from Toby's chest cavity so he could inflate his lung and breath.

  Not that Toby was inflating his lung on his own. It was more accurate to say one of the devices surrounding his broken body was inflating his lung for him. The nurses had told him it was a miracle Toby had survived long enough to make it to surgery. It was also good fortune the best chest surgeon in Capital City had been available along with a renowned orthopedic surgeon.

  Father Nathan prayed fervently the skilled hands of the two surgeons had not simply delayed death. As he sat and watched over Toby, the priest asked God to give him the words to tell the children in Toby's band of thieves Anna was a murder victim, and Toby nearly killed in an accident. It was a task he had not the strength for.

  “Father?”

  Father Nathan looked up from his prayers to see Toby's eyes still closed. The steady beep of the machine monitoring his vitals reminded the priest nothing had changed.

  “Father?”

  This time Father Nathan saw Toby’s lips move. He moved close to Toby’s head and leaned over, bringing his ear close to Toby’s mouth.

  “I’m here Toby. Don’t talk. Save your strength so you can heal.”

  “The gang?” Toby whispered.

  “At the parish dormitory. Miss Alice from Joe’s is with them.”

  “She’s good people,” Toby gasped. “I like her.”

  “Toby, rest. Don’t talk.”

  Toby’s eyes opened and focused on Father Nathan’s face.

  “It was a black hover car. Fancy sedan, a Hovertron X-1100. The driver saw me. He hit me on purpose. Tell your friend.”

  "I will Toby. I will."

  The youth's eyes fluttered quickly, and he closed his eyes.

  "He came out of the alley where Anna was. I saw him. I saw him in the Hovertron."

  Father Nathan sat up and glanced at the monitors. Nothing had changed. The slow but steady beep continued.

  ALICE STOOD IN THE door of the church dormitory, watching the street cleaners plow the streets clean of snow and trash. She needed to get back to work. Joe was a good man, but he had his limits. Ralph had stopped by and told her Father Nathan had gone to St. Christus Hospital to sit with Toby.

  The kids knew something was up and it wasn’t good. They had cleaned up the breakfast Father Nathan had prepared for them and gone back to the living area. With the two older youths, Toby and Anna, missing, the group appeared to be leaderless, not certain what to do.

  As Alice watched people walking about, she noticed the slender young woman who’d asked to come in out of the cold. The girl Inspector Sullivan was interested in. Alice waved to attract the girl’s attention, startling her in the process. She stopped and quickly glanced about, checking to see if anyone had noticed Alice’s attempt to gain her attention.

  Alice watched as the girl thought the situation over. With a final glance in each direction, the young woman hurried across the street. Once across, she lowered her head and made her way toward the church grounds. Slowing her pace as she approached Alice, the young woman looked about again before finally making her final approach.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you,” Alice apologized.

  “It’s okay,” the slender woman replied. “Can I help you?”

  “Do you remember me,” Alice asked carefully.

  “Yes. You were the waitress at Joe’s who was kind enough to let me get warm when I only had enough money to pay for a cup of coffee.”

  Alice smiled and nodded, happy the youn
g woman had remembered.

  "I know you don't know me, but I need to go to work. Father Nathan, the parish priest, is at the hospital. The leader of this group of kids, pickpockets, to be honest, was hit by a hover car and the older girl, Anna, was found dead this morning."

  “You need someone to stay with them don’t you,” the girl asked.

  "Do you mind? I have to work my shift. I can't afford to lose my job. I don't know when Father Nathan will be back. There is food to eat. I am sure it's okay, and you'll be warm. Well, maybe not, but you'll be out of the cold. When my shift is over I'll come back, and you can leave."

  Alice watched the stranger search the surroundings again; apparently worried someone was looking for her.

  “It would be nice to get out of the cold and have something to eat. Do you promise to come as soon as your shift is over?”

  Relieved, Alice nodded yes. “Let me introduce you to the kids. Just be patient with them. They know something bad has happened.”

  Alice led the young woman back to where the kids were. She explained she had to go to work but would be back when her shift finished. Relief filled Alice as the kids recognized the girl and warmed up to her quickly. She promised one final time she'd be back as soon as she could.

  MY COMM BUZZED AGAIN. I was starting to hate the thing. Bad news followed by bad news. I fished it out and looked at, a message from Father Nathan.

  For once, it was good news. Toby had survived his hit and run, but it was touch and go.

  My comm buzzed a second time. Toby had briefly come to and given Father Nathan a description of the hover car that hit him.

  I pulled over and turned on my flashing lights, turning my unmarked squad hover car into a marked unit. Other drivers gave me a wide berth. I needed to think for a moment, sort things out.

  The Cowboy was on a spree. More miners were getting sick, and it looked like there was a connection between the two. The dead mining foreman bore the predator's mark, and forensics didn't think it was a copycat.

  I had an address in what turned out to be the warehouse district near the spaceport. Manufactured goods, raw and processed ore and anything else shipped from Beta Prime could be found in the district. Space tugs lifted the loaded containers to the freighters waiting in orbit and brought down empty containers or other containers filled with goods for the planet's retailers and wholesalers.

  For a third time the blasted comm buzzed. I fished it out and checked. This time I decided to take the call. It was O’Brian. I listened without saying a word. When he’d finished his piece, I broke the link.

  More bad news. My I.A. hearing was finally scheduled. They planned to throw me to the wolves tomorrow morning. I let myself wonder for a moment what all I would be blamed for that was not in anyway my fault. Speculating about it did no real good. I was just a scapegoat. I knew it. O’Brian knew it. Everyone involved knew it.

  If I wanted to save my hide, I had to make progress on the mess that was the Cowboy case. I also had to make progress on the theft of the melanothorazine or more miners were going to get sick and possibly die. My gut told me if I solved one, I might solve the other.

  I looked at the message containing the address for a warehouse. I decided to head there and see what I could find. If that was a dead end, I’d stop somewhere and eat. I was getting hungry. Eating and getting warm would let me clear my mind and think.

  With a flick of my wrist, I killed my flashing lights and merged back into traffic. I took the on ramp to the hoverway and sped toward the center of Capital City and the spaceport. I hoped I'd find something at the warehouse that would make all of this make sense.

  JOE WATCHED A NERVOUS Alice. She was his best waitress, but her nerves were getting the best of her. Alice had gotten several orders wrong and even spilled a drink on a customer. Fortunately, Alice’s personality was such she’d easily smoothed things over, but still. She was a wreck.

  He knew the cause.

  The so-called Cowboy had cut up two young girls who were part of a gang of kids in the area. At least that was what the news blogs said. The boy who was their leader and took care of the kids was on life support after a hit and run. At least the new priest was with him. Joe liked Father Nathan. He wasn’t a particularly religious man, but it was good to have someone who looked out for those who needed help and didn’t have anyone to give it to them.

  Alice and Ralph didn’t have kids.

  The fact someone was killing children in the neighborhood made Joe sick, and he knew it was upsetting Alice. Kids were Alice's weak spot. More than once Joe had seen her sneak leftover food to some street urchin, food that someone hadn't eaten and was going to be thrown out.

  “Alice, call it a day. Go check on those kids.”

  “You sure Joe?”

  “You aren’t doing anyone any good here,” Joe replied with a gruff tone. “Go somewhere and do something useful.”

  Alice smiled and wiped her hands on her apron. Joe watched as she hurried into the kitchen and returned wearing her heavy coat. Alice stopped and kissed him on the cheek and smiled. She left quickly without saying another word.

  Joe looked at his two bouncers who were grinning at the scene they'd just witnessed. "Either of you says one word, and you're both fired. Got it?"

  "Got it, boss," the pair replied, quickly looking away.

  THE WAREHOUSE AT THE address was well constructed. Whoever owned it maintained it. I was surprised there was no activity at the facility. It appeared deserted. I'd walked around the building once and not found an easy way to enter.

  I pulled a small device out of my pocket and placed it above the lock on the main door. A second device followed, and I put it directly on the lock. I could have forced the door, but without a warrant, anything I found wouldn't be admissible. On the other hand, a warehouse with its main entrance open just begged for a search to see if anything was wrong.

  It took exactly three seconds for the two devices to unlock the door. Not even the best forensic expert could prove I’d picked the locks. I just loved these gismos. I’d lifted them off a dead burglar years ago. He’d made the mistake of breaking in while a jealous homeowner was waiting for his wife’s lover to arrive. One phase blast to the chest and it was over.

  I pulled the door shut behind me and waited a few seconds for my cybernetic eye to adjust to the light. The warehouse, to my surprise, was empty. Either somebody was playing me, or I'd gotten here too late.

  Still, I was here.

  An hour later I’d been through most of the entire place and had not found one single thing. That alone told me something. Whatever had been here was something nobody wanted any trace of its existence left behind. I walked to the center of the warehouse and changed vision in my right eye from normal to infrared. Moving slowly in a circle, I scanned the entire surface of the floor.

  In the far back, a rectangle roughly the size of a standard military coffin had a different temperature than the surrounding floor. I walked over quickly and was irritated I hadn’t noticed it during my initial search. Somebody had dug a hole in the original foundation, buried something and replaced the foundation material.

  Whoever had done the patch job had done a decent job. Just walking through and glancing at the floor was not enough to notice the repair. The difference in the repair material and the original was just different enough that each had a different heat signature.

  In general, I’m always happy with my cybernetic eye. I’d rather have the eye I was born with, but things being what they are, the one I had was a good replacement. Just this once though, I wished I had ground penetrating radar. Still, something was down there. I pulled out my comm and established a link to forensics.

  “Yeah, this is Inspector Sullivan. I need a team on location. I may have a buried body in the foundation of a warehouse.”

  I listened to the officer on the line for a moment ask questions I didn’t want to answer. First, I gave the address to the warehouse. Then I pressed my luck with the story I had fo
und the place open and had come in to check for theft or vandalism. In the process, I’d found what could be a burial site.

  The guy was annoyed, but he bought my story, or enough of it, to promise to get the warrant and have a crew out there in an hour. He broke the link.

  I had an hour to find something else that would possibly tie things together. I made another complete circuit of the building and found nothing. On my third circuit, I focused on the walls. Like a lot of commercial structures like this, the owner had not invested in interior wall surfacing, leaving the insulation and steel-supporting infrastructure exposed.

  And there it was, sitting on a steel crosspiece about 1.5 meters up from the floor, an empty box. As I pulled on latex gloves, I photographed the box with my right eye. It was a box of melanothorazine. A quick glance of the take by date told me it had to be part of the missing shipment that had led to the recent cases of Miner’s Cough.

  I’d found the smuggler’s warehouse.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHIEF O’BRIAN PUNCHED the comm unit on his desk breaking the link. He’d had about enough of the governor and his attitude. Markeson was worrying him as well. He’d agreed to use Sullivan as a scapegoat for the incompetence of his police department and the myriad of problems he was under the gun from IAPF officials to resolve, corruption being one of them.

  Now he was as dirty as everyone else if he let the hearing go as the governor and his cronies planned. O’Brian was starting to think Markeson was positioning him for a fall as well, allowing the bent detective to become the Chief of Police on Beta Prime.

  O'Brian reflected on how he had come to find himself in this position. He didn't think of himself as a bent cop. It was just that somewhere along the way he'd gone along to get along, to make a hard job a little easier. Now Sullivan was going to be sacrificed, possibly framed. Innocent of the accusations made.