by David Bishop
Lleccas and Nyon kissed their broodling before retiring to the main bedroom and quietly closed the door behind them. Lleccas sighed as Nyon drew her into his embrace, careful not to brush against his injured limb. For the first time in too long, she felt safe again.
When Kasey regained consciousness all she felt was pain. The left side of her body throbbed. She had turned into the corner to keep the worst of the beating off her face and body, and had offered her left side to the belt her mother wielded. She was now paying the price for it: her left arm was all but useless, her left leg a mass of lumps, bruises already crowding both limbs. Angry red weals crisscrossed her skin where the fabric of her clothes did not reach.
Kasey did not know how long she had been in the darkness. A light still seeped from beneath the door of the bedroom she shared with her mother, but Kasey was not going back in there tonight. She had to get away. The little girl was not the brightest of children but none of the other children she knew in Oswald Mosley seemed to have marks like her. She never heard anyone else crying themselves to sleep at night. But where could she go?
Kasey, are you all right?
The voice in her head made the girl jump. She concentrated, trying to reply by only saying the words in her thoughts. Misch, is that you?
Yes. Are you hurting?
Kasey nodded before realising her friend could not see her. Yes, she thought. My mom hit me with her belt. She said I had to be punished.
Show me, Misch asked.
So Kasey recalled a little of the beating before the memory was too much to bear. See?
Why does she do that? My broodmother would never hurt me.
I think she hates me. She hates you too.
I know.
Kasey waited but no more words came into her head. Misch? Are you still there?
Yes, the R'qeen girl replied. I was just thinking. Would you like to come up and stay with me? We have plenty of rooms...
Could I?
Yes! It'll be an adventure!
Kasey shook her head. No, you'll get in trouble. Your mom might get angry and punish you too.
Not if we hide you.
All right, the human girl decided. But how do I find you?
Just concentrate on my voice. It will bring you to me.
Kasey stood and began walking slowly towards Misch's words.
Miller rode her Lawmaster into the dust zone, headlights turned off to avoid attracting too much attention. The full moon overhead might bring out the kooks but it also provided enough light to see where she was going. Even so, Miller kept to a low speed, not wanting to ride into a chem pool and find herself sinking into the acid-laced liquids. She activated the heat sensors on her Lawmaster's computer, scanning the surrounding area for movement. The hotter an object was, the brighter it appeared on screen.
Two dull red shapes were moving ahead of her from the east. A bright white shape was converging on them from the west. The computer identified it as a Lawmaster, the heat from its engine and exhaust emissions all too characteristic. Miller shut down her own motorcycle and continued ahead on foot, Lawgiver drawn. Perhaps Stammers and Riley had split up to hunt perps in the dust zone. That would explain why only one Lawmaster was evident; the other could be several klicks away, out of the computer's sensor range.
Another thought occurred to Miller, one that gave her hope for Riley's future. Perhaps only Stammers was involved with the arson attack? He could not have placed the incendiary device that torched Robert Hatch, but Stammers might have supplied it to someone else. A gruff voice in the distance brought Miller to a halt. She dropped to a crouch and moved sideways to take cover behind an abandoned roadster.
Ahead was a clearing illuminated by the moon; eerie blue light bathed the empty space. Two figures sauntered into view, their faces obscured by hooded clothing. Miller pulled tiny binoculars from her utility belt to get a better look at the pair. Despite keeping their faces hidden, both were obviously juves, neither of them eighteen yet. They looked about, seemingly expecting someone else to be present. "Hey, we're here! You can come out now!" one of the juves shouted. A Judge walked into the clearing from the opposite side.
"Keep your voices down," Stammers said, his gruff voice recognisable now Miller could hear him properly. "We don't need an audience."
The taller juve pulled back his hood and laughed. "It's gone midnight, lawman! There's nobody here but us." Miller didn't recognise his face.
"Even so," Stammers replied. "No need to take unnecessary chances. You did well at Robert Hatch."
"Yeah, and how did you repay us? By helping those bug-eyed freaks move into the top floor of our building!"
Miller smiled. That narrowed down the number of places where these juves lived considerably. Keep talking bigmouth, she thought.
"Sector Chief's orders. Nothing I could do about that," Stammers said.
"Well, we need your help to get them back out. Or else," the second juve said, pulling back his hood to reveal similar features to his partner in crime. Miller decided the pair must be brothers.
"Or else what?" Stammers sneered. He stepped towards the juves, Lawgiver held casually in one hand. "You boys shouldn't try making threats. You haven't had the practise to carry them off."
"Or else we tell your Sector Chief what you've been up to behind her back," the second juve said, trying not to be intimidated by the Judge. "Caine will rip you if she ever finds out."
"Then we'll have to make sure that never happens," Stammers said. "What can I do to help you?"
The two juves smiled at each other. "That's better, lawman," the taller one said. "Give us the codes to unlock the Citi-Def armoury in the basement of our block. We need those weapons to take on the vultures."
"Anything else?"
"Keep the rest of the Judges away from Oswald Mosley until dawn. It'll all be over by then," the other juve said cockily.
Stammers began laughing at them. "You two ought to be on tri-D..."
"Why you laughing at us, lawman?" the elder juve demanded.
"Did you honestly think I'd kow-tow to punks like you?" Stammers's Lawgiver spat twice, death punching holes through the protesting juve's head. The Judge turned to the other juve, ready to shoot again. "Now it's your time, stomm for brains." Another shot and both juves were dead on the ground, their bodies still twitching.
Kasey closed the front door of the con-apt quietly behind her. She did not often venture outside during the day without Ramone, Dermot or her mother to accompany her. Sneaking out in the middle of the night would provoke severe punishment if she was caught.
Kasey, are you all right? Misch's voice was inside the human girl's head, guiding her forwards.
Yes, Kasey thought. Now where do I go?
Turn right and walk to the turbolifts.
Kasey followed Misch's instructions, her progress hampered by the severe contusions down her left side. Her leg was already stiffening up, making it difficult to walk. Kasey staggered sideways as she approached the turbolifts, her shoulder brushing against a doorbell pad outside a neighbour's con-apt. She hurried on as best she could but the door to 721 behind her opened before the turbolift arrived.
"What the drokk do you want at this hour? Haven't I had enough disturbances for one night?" Kurt Sivell glared up and down the corridor, one hand trying to rub the sleep from his eyes, a gown wrapped round his ample girth. An immigrant from Euro-Cit, Sivell had little time for the Citi-Def squad, calling them power-crazed tin-pot tyrants. He was surprised to see Kasey by the turbolifts.
"Was that you, juve?"
Kasey nodded. "Sorry, it was an accident."
"Well, don't do it again," he replied, wandering towards her. "Where are you going at this time of night?"
Misch, what do I say? Kasey asked in her mind.
Tell him you're going to see a friend, the R'qeen broodling suggested.
Sivell was unconvinced by this explanation. "Does you mother know about this? Perhaps I should call her-"
"It was her idea! She says the further I am away from those things on the top floor, the better," Kasey replied at Misch's prompting.
"Quite right too." Despite being an immigrant himself, Sivell wanted no truck with offworlders. Mankind had enough problems learning to get along with itself. There was no need to throw aliens into the mix as well, in his opinion. "Well, your turbolift is ready. Off you go."
Kasey smiled at her neighbour before stepping into the turbolift. Without thinking, she pressed the button for the top floor and the doors began to close. "Goodbye," she said and waved with her good hand.
Sivell returned the wave and waddled back towards his con-apt. Only when the doors had closed did he look back to see where the turbolift stopped next. To his surprise, it was going up instead of down. He must mention that to Conchita in the morning. Right now he needed sleep and no disturbances. A good dose of Double-Doze ought to do the trick.
Miller could not believe what she had witnessed. Shocked from the first shots, she was too late to stop the second juve being executed. She held back, watching to see what Stammers would do next. He holstered his Lawgiver and began dragging one of the corpses towards a chem pit. The body slid down into the acidic liquid, bubbles and acrid smoke rising from the surface as the juve dissolved. Stammers went back for the second body. Miller waited until he had his hands full before emerging from cover, Lawgiver ready to fire.
"Don't move or I shoot!" she commanded.
Stammers looked up and grimaced. "Ahh, stomm!"
Miller moved into the clearing but kept a safe distance from him. "Is that all you've got to say? I've just watched you gun down two juves in cold blood."
"They were responsible for the arson attack on Robert Hatch. They planted the incendiary device that killed thousands of aliens."
"And we both know how much you care about offworlders, right?" Miller sneered. "You gave them the incendiary device, you probably told them the best place to plant it. Those juves were no innocents, but you're just as guilty as them."
Stammers let go of the corpse and straightened up. "So what are you going to do about it, Miller? Send a good Judge to Titan just because a few vultures got overcooked?"
"You don't honestly think I can overlook this, do you?"
He shrugged. "I could make it worth your while."
"Adding bribery and corruption to your crimes won't help, Stammers."
"Maybe not, but I'd be more worried about my own future if I were you."
Miller frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Something blunt and heavy smashed against the back of Miller's helmet, sending her sprawling. She narrowly avoided falling into the chem pit but her Lawgiver was not so fortunate: it disappeared into the bubbling liquid. Miller rolled over to see Riley looming above her, a Widowmaker rifle clutched in his hands. "Riley? Not you too..."
"Sorry, Lynn," he said, reaching down to snap off the microphone from her helmet radio. "You shouldn't have come here."
Miller could feel the darkness overwhelming her. Concussion, possibly a fractured skull, she decided. Got to stay conscious.
She tried to focus on the moon overhead but it had disappeared behind clouds. In the distance she could hear a pathetic gurgling sound and realised it was her own voice, trying to form words. Something warm and metallic filled her mouth, salty to taste - her blood, no doubt. Miller's legs had gone numb and she felt cold, far too cold.
Going into shock now.
Stupid way to die, so stupid-
02:00
Dredd had searched in vain for Maltin, determined to learn more about what had happened earlier outside Oswald Mosley. But the reporter had gone to ground, ignoring Dredd's command to stay put. The Judge began travelling back to Sector House 87 on his Lawmaster, the route still requiring a lengthy diversion while the Anton Diffring Overzoom was cleared of debris. En route Dredd called Control for Miller's whereabouts.
"She went off-radio twenty minutes ago. Said she was following a lead."
"Did she specify further?"
"Negative."
Dredd pulled into the sector house garage to find Tek-Judge Brady waiting for him. "I was wondering when you'd come back here," the mechanic said, holding out a small silver disc. "I've got a vid-message for you from Miller. She told me to deliver it personally. You can use the tri-D screen in my office."
After closing the door to the office, Dredd slipped the disc into the tri-D player. A mechanical voice announced the message had previously been played zero times, then a holographic image of Miller appeared in the air. She spoke quickly, her voice just a whisper but her features full of concern.
"Hey, partner. Sorry I'm not there but something's come up I couldn't broadcast over the radio. Seems Stammers 'borrowed' an incendiary device from the Armoury matching the sort used to torch Robert Hatch. Stammers and Riley have gone to the local dust zone so I'm going off-radio to find them, see if this hunch plays out. To be honest, it could be something or nothing. I don't know if Stammers is behind the fire and, even if he is, I've got nothing linking Riley to it. If I haven't reported in by three, you'll know where to find me. Miller out."
The holograph turned to a blizzard of static before the tri-D player switched off, ejecting the disc. Brady knocked on the office door before entering.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Time will tell," Dredd replied. "Thanks for the use of your office."
Conchita Maguire woke with a start. She had been dozing on her bed, with the lights still on. The last thing she remembered was hearing the front door opening and closing, and thinking it was Ramone and Dermot returning home. But she had heard nothing more since then, certainly not the usual late night jumble of noise she associated with her sons stumbling in. Conchita rolled over and realised Kasey was not in bed. Then she remembered the thrashing she had given her. Grud, that temper... She had better check Kasey was all right.
Conchita pulled on the khaki trousers and vest from her Citi-Def uniform before venturing out into the main room. She turned on the light but could see no sign of Kasey or the boys. Fighting back a rising wave of panic, Conchita hurriedly began checking the other rooms. But it was a tiny con-apt and there were only so many places the little girl could be. Conchita searched again and again without result. A chilling thought occurred. The noise of the front door earlier; maybe that had been Kasey going out, not the boys coming back in.
"Oh my Grud," Conchita whispered, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She pulled open the front door and peered out into the corridor, hoping and praying to see her daughter. But the hallway was empty. Only the erratic flicker of overhead lights provided any movement. Conchita went to the nearest con-apt and began pounding on the door, her spare hand pressing on the doorbell pad repeatedly. "Come on, open up! Please!"
Misch opened the front door of her family's new home and let Kasey inside. The R'qeen child was shocked by the new injuries Kasey had suffered since they first met. Why would anyone hurt their broodling like this? It didn't make any sense to Misch but there was much about the natives of this world she didn't understand. Metema might give you access to the thoughts and feelings of others, but it couldn't explain everything about them.
"Are you okay?" Misch whispered, keeping her voice quiet so she wouldn't wake her broodfather and broodmother.
Kasey smiled. "I am now." She looked around the interior of the main living space, amazed at how large it was. The con-apt's lights were off, but the room was still illuminated by the night-time cityscape beyond the floor-to-ceiling window. "You live here? Just the three of you?"
"Only for tonight. Tomorrow the Judges will take us away again."
"Mom says we're supposed to be shifting to the top floor when it's ready."
Misch took Kasey's hand and reached her thoughts into the human girl's mind. Let's talk in our heads - that way nobody else can hear us.
Kasey nodded happily. It'll be our secret!
Misch tugged on her hand. Come on, I'll sho
w you the rest of the con-apt. If you're going to live here, you'll want to choose the best room.
Evan Yablonsky was not having a good night. Since getting the anonymous tip-off about the incendiary device, Channel 27's news editor had been harassing his correspondents out on the skedways and pedways for proof so they could broadcast the story. All of them had come up empty, with the exception of Riff Maltin. The first-timer had sent back some great footage of a riot from outside Oswald Mosley with two Judges brutalising a crowd of residents (at least, that was how the footage looked to most viewers), and some nice comedy moments of Maltin being treated in the aftermath. But Riff had disappeared soon afterwards, with Yablonsky getting no reply from the rogue reporter and no signal from the hovercam.
When Riff finally did call in, the news editor was overjoyed and enraged at the same time. "Where the hell have you been?" Yablonsky demanded. "You're supposed to be impressing me with your professionalism. Not disappearing for hours at a time when you feel like it!"
Maltin protested his innocence. "I've already been threatened by one Judge, beaten by another and Dredd wants to interrogate me. So you'll have to excuse me if I decide to lay low for a while!"
"All right, all right," his boss conceded. "What's new? What have you got?"
"Nothing. I've been laying low."
Yablonsky rolled his eyes. "For the love of Grud, get back to Oswald Mosley. I think your hunch was right. That place is a tragedy waiting to happen and I want you on the inside, broadcasting every moment. You got that?"
"Got it."
"Do this right and you'll be famous overnight," the news editor said.
"Now you're speaking my language," Riff replied.
Conchita had roused all the residents on the seventy-second floor of Oswald Mosley, along with those on the floors immediately above and below. Each level had a representative on the block's Citi-Def squad. Conchita had her colleagues from seventy-one and seventy-three coordinate the search for Kasey on those floors, while she forced her way into the con-apts on her own level. Despite disturbing most of her neighbours, she had been unable to locate her missing daughter. Her sons were also absent but Conchita believed they would return soon.
