Those Who Walk in Darkness so-1

by John Ridley

  Bo answered: "Now we reorganize a little." Turning to Yarbor-ough."I've talked to Rysher. I've given you the recommend for SLO. It's yours if you want it."

  SLO. Did he want it? Paperwork. That was a consideration. Lead officers had to do all the write-ups and reports from each call. They had to track bulletins from every other MTac both in and out of state. And if a call went bad, if people got killed, the blame got tossed squarely on the SLO's shoulders. Fingers very clearly got pointed their way. Yar knew, and would admit, he wasn't the highest-velocity bullet in the clip. The paperwork, the responsibility: Yar could go the rest of his life happy without being touching distance to any of that. But…

  Having the chance to be the first guy through the door when it came time to drop a mutie…? And didn't chicks dig top cops? Sure they did.

  "Yeah," Yar said."I want SLO."

  And that was that.

  Soledad and Vin gave Yarborough some goodwill and backslaps. Bo was proud father in his look. Yar was swimming with smiles.

  And then all the good-naturedness went away. Everybody went quiet. The guard was changing. Change is scary.

  Yar asked: "What about the fourth slot?"

  "TOL. Out of the academy."

  Soledad didn't like what she was hearing."Out of the academy?"

  Bo said: "You were academy once."

  "And I spent time in SPU before I went MTac."

  "We're shorthanded. We just lost four cops." Sheepishly, almost like a guy sneaking off a sinking ship: "Five counting me. Most of the blues, even SWAT, have no desire to step up to MTac, especially knowing there's a telepath out there. We got to take 'em like they come. Her marks are high." Sly smile from Bo."Higher than yours."

  Soledad handed the smile right back. Hers said: Don't think so.

  "Guess I ought to get things started." Bo got up, headed for the door.

  Yarborough was moving right with him."Bo…"

  He turned.

  "I'm sorry you're leaving the element. I've got nothing but respect for you. Nothing but. It's… it's an honor you should let me take your slot."

  Bo got a laugh out of that."An honor? You have a good sleep last night?"

  "Last night…?"

  "Let me tell you how your nights're going to be from here on. Every one of them's going to be spent sweating over the day: Did you make the right choice? Could you have done something different? If you had another chance, would things turn out some other way? Would one of your operators still be alive instead of a body on a slab? Bodies will end up on slabs, Yar. And all the should'ves and could'ves in the world doesn't change the hurt you'll feel. Know that. Believe that. Ask yourself if you can make up a duty roster knowing writing a name is no different than pointing at a man and saying: You get to come home in a bag today. And even when you think you don't care anymore, when you think you could send your mother on a call and still whistle Dixie, along comes the night. In the night you're alone. You remember names, you see faces. You care. If you're only one-quarter part human being, you care, and the distress and regret and pain is a big white light that won't let you have one moment's rest. So tell me, how'd you sleep last night, Yar?"

  "Okay."

  "Sorry it wasn't better."

  "Anything else?"

  "Yeah," Bo said."Congrats."

  Aubrey was scared. The quiet made him scared. Quiet was hard to come by in the city. Normally. But where he and Vaughn were now, out of downtown, hidden away, there was a good amount of quiet to be had. Enough, at least, to give Aubrey scares.

  Really it was the sometimes sounds, standing out in the silence, that ate away at him. Every rustle was police people closing in. Every creak of wood was an MTac cop taking aim with his gun.

  Vaughn needed the quiet to let his mind seep around where he and Aubrey hid. He really needed it now that police people and the others were looking for them. But why, Aubrey thought, did it have to be so quiet? And was hiding alone together better than being in the middle of downtown, getting lost in and around all the people of the city?

  Only, Aubrey knew the crowds and chatter wouldn't change anything. He'd be scared all the noise'd just make it hard to hear the police people coming. Under the sounds of the city they could kill Aubrey without him knowing they'd done the job. The thought of sudden, silent death made Aubrey all the more scared.

  Aubrey knew. No matter what, he was scared.

  But why should he be? Over there was Vaughn. Sitting. Thinking. Vaughn wasn't scared. Vaughn'd know if the police people were coming. He'd known the others were coming. He'd known, and when they showed up, Vaughn… Vaughn killed… Wrapping his arms around himself: "Unnnnnn. Vaughn…?"

  Yeah?

  Vaughn's voice in Aubrey's head. Aubrey didn't like it when Vaughn made words go in his head.

  "We're in trouble, huh?"

  No trouble.

  "'Cause, 'cause, what you did to the others, and the police people… we're in trouble, huh? The rest are gonna be mad. They're gonna be mad 'cause of what you did. They… they're gonna think you made things worse, Vaughn. And, and they're gonna—"

  They're not gonna do shit but keep on hiding. They're scared of the cops, and they're sure as hell scared of me.

  Aubrey stared at Vaughn. Vaughn just sat listening for thoughts sailing on the otherwise empty air. He didn't look at Aubrey, didn't acknowledge him.

  Vaughn's nonreaction, his counterpoint calm, jacked up Aubrey's fear."They won't help us. They won't help us if the police come."

  When. When they come.

  "Unnnnnnn…"

  And they're gonna come for us.

  "Stop putting words in my head! Vaughn…" Aubrey went to him, gripped his arm tight and hard."Let's, let's go! Let's go now! We could go… we could go to that other city!"

  Europe's not a city.

  "We could go there!"

  Vaughn looked at Aubrey. Aubrey was crying. The last time Aubrey cried Vaughn took him in his arms, held him, comforted him. That little bit of nothing had used up all the compassion Vaughn had. He couldn't find any to hold and comfort again.

  Instead: "You can go if you want."

  Vaughn said that knowing what Aubrey's answer would be. No mind reading required.

  "I… can't."

  Aubrey wouldn't leave no matter the fact staying was a good bet to get killed. Vaughn had murdered police. Police don't take to their own getting slaughtered. They would come and come and keep coming until they could notch up a couple more freaks on their guns. And Vaughn had murdered metanormals. Regardless of what he'd told Aubrey, God knows what they would do.

  But even if he fully understood the risks, Aubrey wouldn't take off on his own. He'd mumble something about staying out of loyalty. The truth: Aubrey was too frightened to be on his own. Frightened of the unknown, of having to make decisions for himself. If he could make decisions for himself. Frightened of dying in an alley alone. At least he'd been there for Michelle. At a distance. Hidden in a crowd when she…

  Aubrey would stay. Loyalty was a cover. Fear held him in place. By offering to let Aubrey go, Vaughn had offered him nothing except to keep sitting where he was and wait for bullets to come their way.

  Aubrey said: "I'm gonna stay, Vaughn."

  Good. Then you can help me. Want to help me, Aubrey?

  "Bad… bad things are gonna happen if we hurt more people."

  Listening, listening for thoughts.

  Aubrey said: "Michelle, Michelle wouldn'ta hurt no one back."

  That's… what is that? Ironic?

  A bitter lightness to Vaughn's thought.

  "… Wha…?"

  Ironic. The one of us who would've forgiven them is the one they killed.

  Eddi Aoki said she was confident. She said it without saying a word. She said it in the way she sat, self-sure. Straight up, shoulders back, chin high. But not too high. There was plenty of confidence in the way she locked eyes with whomever she was speaking with. And questions always got answered with a" sir" or" ma'am" atta
ched. It was a little bit of modesty. Just a little. It said: A good cop respects her superiors. A respectful cop gets the promotion.

  Eddi Aoki was real confident of getting promoted to MTac. That she told to Yarborough, Soledad and Vin—in actual words, not just body language—as they interviewed her.

  "And why is that?" Yar asked."Why you think you're ready for MTac?"

  Eddi's answer was simple: "Because I'm the best."

  When it came to officers being transferred among elements, the other cops had no say. They took what they got; whoever was available. But a new officer who was Top of List of available MTac candidates always had to go through an interview with the other members of the element they were going to be slotted into. No way MTacs were going after a superpowered whatever with a cop who didn't fit in, a cop nobody trusted their backs to.

  "Please don't take that wrong," Eddi said, modifying herself and adding just a touch of humility to her hubris."I don't mean that offhandedly; I just feel as though I'm better than other candidates. My scores are outstanding both in text work and field tests."

  "There's a difference," Soledad dismissed,"between being able to wing a few targets on a range and keeping your head when there's a flying freak swooping for you."

  Yar had nothing to add at the moment. Technically, as SLO, it was his interview to lead. Technically. But two things: Conducting an interview was like doing verbal paperwork. Paperwork of any kind held zero interest for him. Thing two: Eddi was seriously cute. Her marks were good, that Yar knew. She'd been rabbied with strong recommends. She was good cop. Beyond that, Yarborough cared more about what was in front of him than what was in Eddi's jacket. He took another bite of the apple he was working on. He let Sole-dad do the talking.

  Eddi rejoined Soledad with: "And there's a difference between target practice and actually having to exchange fire with an armed perp. You train as best you can, then one day it's time to take what you know to the streets. Whether patrolman or MTac, it's the same with any police officer."

  Soledad noticed that Eddi always said" policeman" or" officer." Never" cop." Always respectful. Annoyingly respectful.

  "No, ma'am," Eddi went on,"I've never actually engaged a metanormal. If I had, I wouldn't be going through this interview. However, I feel I'm more than ready for my first call."

  One word got written on the paper Soledad was using to take notes: cocky.

  Vin wanted to know: "Where you from originally?"

  "Philadelphia, sir."

  "How many MTacs in Philly?"

  "One platoon, three elements, sir. Good ones."

  "If they're so good," Soledad asked,"how come you didn't stay in Philly?"

  "One platoon and not a lot of metanormals, ma'am. It's hard to get a slot." Eddi paused, smiled, took in all her inquisitors. Like she was hanging medals on their collective chests: "Besides, there are no MTacs as good as the LAPD's."

  Vin returned the smile.

  Yarborough ate at more of his apple. For the fourth or fifth time he gave Eddi the once-over.

  Soledad started to ask: "How long have you be—"

  Eddi cut her off with: "That's not unusual, is it, ma'am?"

  "What's not unu—"

  "To relocate for the opportunity to be on the LAPD's MTac."

  "Did I say it wa—"

  "You're from Milwaukee, aren't you, ma'am?"

  "Stop calling me ma'am!"

  "Should I call you Bullet?"

  Soledad snapped the pencil she was holding.

  Yarborough about choked on his apple.

  Vin grinned harder. Fun was coming.

  Soledad constructed an expression out of contempt and anger."No, you can't call me—"

  "This may be inappropriate. I don't want you to think I'm trying to sway you…"

  "Oh, we don't." Vin, grin big as ever.

  Eddi went on."I'm very much an admirer of yours, Bullet."

  Soledad's face looked freshly smacked. Her hands looked like they wanted to throw a smack back.

  "Of course, I'm not the only one. You got to be the talk of the academy. A lot of time got spent trying to better your marks, Bull—"

  As she said whenever she wanted the world to quit spinning: "Hey!"

  Eddi stopped talking, listened.

  "Officer O'Roark. You call me Officer O'Roark."

  "Yes… Officer…"

  Casually Yarborough asked: "You single, Aoki?"

  "Yes, sir. There, uh, isn't a lot of time for outside socializing when you're in the academy. I imagine there'll be less when I make MTac."

  When. When I make MTac. More of Eddi's confidence.

  Soledad drove a fist through it."If you make MTac."

  Vin nodded at Eddi's belt."That a knife?"

  "Yes, sir." Eddi withdrew it, saying as she did: "It's a Hibben Bowie," giving it to Vin handle-first. Big. The blade was polished until it kicked light. It kicked it hard."Never know when a little extra stopping power might come in handy."

  Soledad: "Not exactly reg."

  "Can't always go by the regs," Eddi said back.

  Vin returned the knife."Nice."

  "My daddy always said all a man needs is a good watch and a sharp knife."

  Daddy. Soledad picked up on that right off. It was the first time Eddi sounded like a kid and not a suck-up. It was the first chink in her armor. Like a street fighter, Soledad went for the opening.

  Soledad, snide: "Daddy?"

  "Yes. My daddy."

  "And did Daddy give you the knife?"

  "It's his."

  "Daddy back home in Philly?"

  "No. My daddy was in San Francisco when Bludlust turned it into ash. I carry this," her hand on the hilt,"because one day I'm going to take Daddy's knife, slam it into some freak's chest and twist it until I carve its fucking heart out."

  The quiet that followed was filled by Soledad's self-conscious discomfort.

  Finally Vin helped everyone out of the wreck."Thank you, Officer Aoki. We appreciate your time."

  That said, Aoki stood, thanked Vin and Yarborough and even managed a pleasant good-bye to Soledad and left the ready room.

  Once the door had closed, Yar: "Well, ask me she's got what it takes. Wants to jam Daddy's knife into a freak's chest? She's on her way to BAMF." Yarborough tossed out what was left of his apple."Easy on the eyes too. No, sir, she don't hurt a bit. Maybe I should make sure she gets out okay."

  "Yar…"

  Without slowing down on his way out: "She's got my vote."

  Vin to Soledad: "So where do you fall?"

  "She's no good for MTac. Maybe one day, but—"

  Vin's laughter cut Soledad off."You interest me to no end," he said."What's under there?"

  "My clothes?"

  "Your skin. You had it in for the girl the second she sat down. You swing at her trying to draw blood, and the second you did you guilted off."

  "I'm doing her a favor. Let her get a little dirt under her nails."

  "Listen to the old man talking."

  "Screw off. The girl is cocky, hardheaded, she thinks she's God's gift in blue."

  "Okay."

  "Okay what?"

  "Okay, I get it. I get your problem. She reminds you of you, and that's what you've got against her. She reminds you of the mistakes you made, of what could've happened and how bad things could've been."

  "Should I be taking notes?"

  "Things worked out with your gun, but real easy they could've worked out another way. You were lucky."

  "Luck doesn't keep you alive where muties are concerned."

  Vin got with a smirk."You are like her."

  Soledad ducked the jab, came back with: "Tell me, Vin: What is it you don't like about me? You really take me blowing you off that bad?"

  "Who said I don't like you? You and me going back and forth like we do, that's what the movies call attraction."

  Soledad stalled. Wit, she wasn't ready for.

  Vin picked up the slack: "Aoki's cocky, yeah, but her marks are
solid. Sooner or later the girl's going to make MTac, and when she does, she's going to get herself killed and maybe take a few people with her. Instead of waiting for that to happen, we put her on our element."

  "To what? To give the freaks a fighting chance?"

  "To teach her. To help keep her humble without dulling her edge. Most important: to keep her alive."

  "Fine. You want her, vote her on."

  "It's unanimous, or it's not at all. Especially in this case. You learned a lot in a little time, and Aoki's going to have to do the same. She could be a hell of a freak hunter. One day. But she's not going to get there without you."

  Soledad read between the lines of Vin's" without you" capper. He was feeding her ego. The unspoken challenge: You think you're something, then show the girl how it's done.

  Only, Soledad was too sharp to fall for psychology. She had too many other things to think about, worry about, besides some hotshot, high-on-herself little girl.

  Little girl.

  Soledad felt at her throat and the scars that were given to her, months ago, and would be with her forever. She'd come into things thinking she was special. Only thing special: She had been more lucky than good. She was alive and still an MTac only by the grace of God and the sacrifice of others. Truth: At the end of the day she owed it to Bo, she owed it to Reese to do the same for the next hotshot who came along as they'd done for her.

  A pause for thought, to be sure of things.

  To Vin: "Okay. We put her on the element."

  A strategy's what they needed. Usually, for MTacs, their strategy was built on a simple frame: Some freak somewhere would raise up its head, MTac would go pound it down.

  This time was different. This time a little thought was required. Thought. Refinement. That's what Rysher, Bo—Sergeant of MTac Operations Bo—Yarborough, SLOs from the four other MTac units, some officers, including Soledad, were trying to hash out in the Em Ops of Parker Center.

  Em Ops—Emergency Operations—was the crisis command of the PD: dedicated voice and data lines, feed from surveillance cameras around the city, maps, blueprints, schematics computer indexed and ready to be displayed on the high-res monitors in the room. When there were riots or earthquakes, when the city was going crazy with itself, Em Ops was where cops went to deal with the situation. At the minute it's where the cops went to figure what to do about a telepath who'd started offing their own. Ostrander was going to lead the figuring.