by Neil Hunter
“Don’t rule out the Outfit sending in reinforcements. Shultz and Lorenzo aren’t going to let Brak get away without a fight,” Cade said.
“Sounds to me like one hell of a mess,” Tragg said.
“All in a day’s work,” Cade said.
“When do you want to move in?” Tragg asked.
“I’d like to choose my time,” Cade replied. “But I don’t have that luxury. Brak’s on the move, setting up his operation as he goes. I have to take my shots the minute I see them. So we can move any time you’re ready.”
An hour later they were riding across the dusty Kansas plain, following an unmarked trail that would bring them in on the far side of Mid Town from behind a range of low hills.
Tragg was in the lead, Lee bringing up the tail end. In between were Cade and Janek.
The horses needed little guidance. They knew the way and took it at their own pace. Cade sat on his homemade saddle with self-conscious unease. He felt like a character out of an old Western. After a half hour of the swaying ride he decided John Wayne was welcome to it. The dust, the heat and the constant swarm of flies convinced him that riding in a cruiser was a damn sight more comfortable.
As far as Janek was concerned, the horse as a means of transport was definitely something out of a nightmare. He found nothing to praise—but a lot to criticize. He mastered the art of sitting in the saddle and controlling the horse with no trouble. After that the whole experience nose-dived. The cyborg, registering the horse’s rocking movements, figured the human race had to be crazy to fall in love with such a mode of transport—uncomfortable, slow and boring.
He reviewed the code numbers from the traffickers’ computers. The sequence of numbers and figures, constantly being analyzed deep in the recesses of his electronic brain, were beginning to make sense. At this stage they were no more than spaghetti. Scanning them, Janek was able to translate them into some kind of order. He pushed them back through the circuits, tidying up the haphazard jumble, seeking the key that would cause them to fall into place. The permutations were endless and needed constant shuffling. Janek’s sophisticated brain was able to do this on an endless cycle, sifting and storing each new combination, searching, rejecting.
Then it came. The sequences unfurled, the numbers and figures scrolling into recognizable formations. Janek double-checked them, then locked the result in his frontal memory. He allowed himself a moment of congratulation, smiling as he pushed his horse alongside Cade’s.
“Want to hear something interesting?”
Cade glanced at him sourly. His face was streaked with sweat and dust, and he had never looked less ready to receive information.
“I hope this isn’t a lecture on the right way to sit on a damn horse.”
“Not as much fun.” Janek grinned. “But you’ll like it.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
Janek resisted mentioning that he couldn’t hold his breath anyway. “I’ve decoded the info we took from the computer.”
Chapter Eight
Mid Town’s central position made it the major distribution point for the nation’s freight. Tragg’s description of the place had been exact. The town itself was no more than a service area that offered everything required to keep the sprawling maze of freight yards and warehouses operating twenty-four hours a day.
The town was a noisy, neon-lit area comprised of diners and hotels, stores and a red-light district that catered to any sexual desire and deviation imaginable. Tragg had said that it was possible to buy anything you wanted in Mid Town. From the brief glimpse of the place as they led the horses along the outskirts, Cade was inclined to agree. Mid Town had the feel and sound of a wide-open frontier settlement, where the whims of the population were granted in order to keep the business side moving.
They arrived in late afternoon. Now Tragg was guiding them to the Mid State Freight yards. Both Tragg and Lee had wanted to join the Justice cops on their assault, but Cade had advised against it.
“I’m grateful for the help, Tragg, but I don’t want you involved in any hostilities. If you and Lee are spotted, it’s going to make it hard on your people.
Right now you have enough problems. No point adding to them.”
Tragg didn’t like the advice but he acknowledged Cade’s reasoning.
“He talks sense, Tragg,” Lee said. “Kicking ass is okay, but these bastards could hit us later when we don’t have anyone around to hold ‘em off. We got women and kids to think about.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
Lee patted Janek’s shoulder. “These two will leave Dekker and his bunch something to think about. Right, Janek?”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” the cyborg said.
Concealed behind stacks of timber, they studied the layout of the vast freight yard. Beyond the yards, thronged with powerful long-distance semitrailers being loaded and unloaded, stood the warehouses with the operations center on top.
“T.J., on the roof,” Janek said. “Couple of choppers. One of them has New York registration.”
Cade could see the helicopters but could not read any numbers. Janek’s optical system, with its powerful magnification, allowed him to see far beyond the range of human vision.
“We could be in luck, partner,” Cade said. “Could be Brak is still in town. Let’s roll before he decides to move on.”
“You sure you don’t want us to stay around?” Tragg asked again.
“Thanks, Tragg, but no. You and Lee get back to your people.”
Tragg grasped Cade’s hand with his three-fingered hand. “You’re not a bad mother, Cade. Maybe no Mutant, but you’re okay.”
“The freak ain’t bad, either.” Lee grinned amiably, raising a hand in farewell.
Shouldering their weapons, Cade and Janek cut across the rail tracks toward the Mid State Freight yard.
Following the rows of freight cars standing idle on the spur line, they moved closer to the yard. Crouched in the shadows beneath a white refrigerated car, they decided on their final approach.
“Rear-entrance strategy,” Janek suggested. “We go in any other way, we’ll attract too much attention.”
Cade scanned the area. He nodded agreement. There were too many people around to allow frontal entry. Then there were the innocent workers. He didn’t want to put lives at risk if things became hostile. It added another dimension to the game.
“How about the fire escape?” Cade suggested, indicating the metal structure on the end of the building. It ran from ground to roof, with access doors on each floor.
“It’s all we’ve got,” the cyborg said. He focused in on the fire escape and checked it carefully. “There’s an armed guy watching the base,” he said. “Probably more on the roof. Don’t forget they do know we’re still alive and kicking.”
“As far as they know, we’re still out there, wandering around, looking for a ride.”
“Maybe. If I was running the operation, I’d expect the worst.”
Cade ran a quick check on his powerful SMG. The weapon had a full magazine, and Cade had two more inside his jacket.
“Okay, Mr. Cautious, shall we do it?”
Janek unlimbered his own weapon, snapping back the bolt. “Ready when you are.”
They broke cover, crossing an open stretch of ground that brought them behind a small building housing an oil store. Empty steel drums stacked in untidy piles provided the cover they needed while they checked the way ahead. The noise from the busy freight yard drowned any noise they might make. Dust thrown up from the constant stream of vehicles cast a drifting mist into the air that mingled with the diesel fumes pumped from the tractor units.
“Correction,” Janek said. “Two men guarding the base of the fire escape. Both armed.”
“I want them taken out without any noise,” Cade said.
“The way they’re lounging around, that shouldn’t be too hard.”
Cade watched the armed guards patiently. When one offered his partner a c
igarette and the pair got involved in lighting up, he told Janek, “Go.”
Cade slipped around the oil drum stack, watching the guards, his weapon held across his chest. At first Janek was close behind, but then he increased his power level and moved into the lead.
The guards, sensing sound and movement, turned, faces registering alarm as they saw the Justice cops. They made futile grabs for the auto weapons slung from their shoulders.
Janek caught the first guy, swinging a powerful arm around his neck and sweeping him off his feet in a rush. The guy uttered a single, startled cry as his head was slammed against the wall. He slumped to the ground without another sound. Kneeling beside him, Janek pulled a pair of plastic cuffs from a pocket and quickly secured the guard’s hands behind his back.
Cade’s man managed to free his weapon and slip a finger across the trigger. Then Cade’s SMG clouted him across the jaw. The guy grunted, feeling the hot gush of blood spill over his shirt. Cade hit him again, hard in the belly, doubling the guy over, and followed through with a knee into the guy’s jaw as he toppled. Cuffing him, Cade relieved him of the compact walkie-talkie clipped to his belt.
Jerking his thumb toward the fire escape, Cade snatched up his SMG and followed close on Janek’s heels. The cybo climbed the metal stairs fast, reaching the top well before his human partner. By the time Cade reached him, the cyborg had pinpointed the pair of armed guards on the flat roof.
Peering over the parapet, Cade checked out the two choppers resting on the painted landing pad. The one bearing New York registration numbers stood beside a powerful pursuit model painted blue and white, with the legend Mid Town Police Department on its side.
“We could be getting lucky,” Cade said. “Looks as if the whole damn gang is home.”
“FU believe it when I see it,” Janek muttered.
“Let’s get this party on the road.”
Cade crept silently toward the closer guard. The guy had barely turned his back when Cade reached him.
Snaking an arm over the guard’s shoulder, Cade locked his forearm over his opponent’s windpipe, yanking back hard. Choking, the guard reached up to claw at Cade’s arm, forgetting about the auto weapon dangling from his shoulder. The more he struggled the tighter Cade’s arm locked around his throat. Heaving back, the Justice cop lifted the man off his feet. Panic began to set in as the guard’s entire body weight dragged against the arm at his throat. He thrashed about, his choking turning into a harsh cough.
Janek turned his full attention to the other guard. This guy was some twelve feet away, facing them. As he noticed Cade, the second guard made a grab for his auto weapon. Janek vaulted the parapet, his feet digging in as he hit the roof. The cyborg’s ability to accelerate quickly became self-evident as he powered across the roof, covering the distance in a time no human could have contemplated.
The guard, still pulling up his weapon, saw little more than a swift moving shape hurtling in his direction. He had no time to retaliate or even move aside. Janek’s powerful shoulder smashed into the guard’s chest and pushed him across the roof in a helpless tangle.
Dazed and gasping for breath, the guard tried to push Janek aside as the cyborg bent over him. He felt himself in the grip of powerful hands. Janek hauled the man to his feet, using one hand to rip the auto weapon from his shoulder. Janek searched under the guard’s jacket and located a handgun, which he pulled from its holster and tossed aside. Without a word the cyborg crossed to the parapet, raised the guard and swung him over the edge, letting his legs dangle in space.
“Question time,” the cybo said coldly. “I ask, you answer, and it had better be the right one.”
“Jesus Christ!” the guard croaked, still trying to regain his breath. “You crazy or something?”
“I said I’ll ask—you just answer. Or I’ll drop you.”
The guard glanced down between his swaying feet, not liking what he saw. His scared eyes flicked back to Janek’s impassive features. “What?” he pleaded.
“Dekker’s office?”
The guard waved an arm in the direction of the roof’s access door. “Through the door. Bottom of the stairs and along the passage. Double doors at the end. Dekker’s office.”
Janek held the man’s gaze, letting long seconds slip by.
“It’s the truth, man,” the guard whined. He was really getting scared now.
Janek let his arm sag a fraction, just to emphasize his point. “You won’t be going anywhere, so it better be the truth.”
He pulled the guard back over the parapet, spun the trembling guy around and cuffed his wrists and ankles. “Sit down and stay there,” Janek said, seeing Cade approach.
He turned to his partner. “Follow me,” Janek said breezily as Cade rejoined him.
They reached the door and slipped down the stairs. At the bottom a passage stretched away from them. The walls and ceiling were tastefully decorated, accented by concealed lighting and expensive floor covering. The double doors at the far end were protected by a gleaming security droid.
“Looks like we need some ethnic input here, bro,” Cade said dryly.
“The human intellect at its basest,” Janek observed. “But I’ll bail you out for old times’ sake.”
The cyborg handed Cade his SMG as he stepped off the stairs and along the passage.
Registering Janek’s approach, the sec-droid activated itself and stepped forward, raising a massive titanium steel hand.
“I don’t know you,” the droid said, its voice flat and mechanical. Janek recognized the model; it was ten years old and primitive by his standards. The sec-droid had a limited-mode performance range.
Janek took out his badge and held it up. The droid’s eyes flickered as it scanned the bar code.
“Marshal Janek, may I help you?” Programmed to respect authority, the droid was incapable of resisting Janek’s presence.
“I need you to submit to a Code-14 inspection,” Janek said evenly.
The droid stepped forward, turning slightly, accessing a small panel in its side. This allowed official inspection of its program system by authorized personnel. The Code-14 legislation had been introduced to prevent anyone altering android programming for illegal purposes. Janek needed access for a different reason. He reached into the cavity, bypassing the normal check terminals, and keyed in an override sequence that shut off the droid’s power. The steel droid became inanimate.
Janek waved Cade to join him, taking back his weapons.
“That was neat,” Cade said, indicating the droid.
Janek inclined his head. “It was nothing,” he said coyly.
“Shall we dance, partner?” Cade said, raising one booted foot and slamming it against the doors.
The doors flew open with a crash.
“Justice Department, folks,” Cade announced as he went into Dekker’s plush office. “Nobody moves— nobody gets hurt.”
Chapter Nine
Cade followed his warning with decisive action, aware that any hesitation would lose him his advantage. He moved into the spacious office, with its panoramic window and expensive furniture, the SMG covering the tight group of men clustered around a computer console.
“I want to see everybody’s hands! Now! No sneaky moves or this goes off.”
“His doesn’t, mine will,” Janek added, swinging the doors shut and standing with his back to them.
“Cade! You stupid bastard!” Chief Thornton yelled angrily. There was no mistaking his identity. The big man’s cropped red hair and dark uniform stood out clearly. “You’re a fuckin’ idiot if you think you can bust into my town and get away with it.”
“Sounds like another John Wayne fan,” Janek murmured quietly so only Cade could hear. “He’ll want a noon showdown next.”
“What’s that droid sayin’?” Thornton raged. His wide face was fast turning as red as his hair. “Jesus, I hate mouthy droids.”
“Best not to start him off, then,” Cade advised.
He was checkin
g out the group as he spoke.
Just behind Thornton, the local police chief, Loren Brak was eyeing Cade with a surly expression. Lean and sleek, his wiry frame clad in expensive designer clothes, he had the look of a barely-tamed wild animal. His eyes were bright with reckless anger. Cade’s sudden appearance was threatening his grand plan. Brak’s scheme was beginning to crumble, and he had too much invested in it to allow that to happen. Cade decided he was going to have to keep a close eye on the man.
Dekker, identified by a tag on his tan work shirt, was holding himself in check with obvious difficulty. Anger flared in his narrow eyes. Cade figured Dekker would be a dangerous man if let loose. A true believer in the power of brute force.
The fourth member of the group was a lean, dark-skinned man seated at the computer.
While Janek kept the four covered, Cade moved among them, disarming each after a thorough body search. He ejected the magazines from each weapon before tossing it into a waste bin beside Dekker’s large desk.
“Keep the fingers off the keyboard,” Janek called out to the computer operator.
“Move away, pal,” Cade said. He caught hold of the man’s collar and hauled him out of his seat, pushing him clear of the terminal. “I’d be disappointed if I thought you were going to clear that screen.”
“Maybe I’d better take a look,” Janek cautioned, crossing to sit at the terminal.
Cade ushered the four men across the office.
“So where do we go from here, Cade?” Brak asked. His voice held the trace of a sneer. He sounded like a man who still believed he held a winning hand.
“Back to New York,” Cade said. “A lot of people have interest in you, Brak. And that doesn’t include your ex-partners. They want you, as well, but for different reasons. I think you pissed them off.”
“Shitheads,” Brak said. “A bunch of no-hopers. They were going nowhere. So I helped ‘em on their way,” he added with a snigger.
