Deep Space Intelligence : Complete Series

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Deep Space Intelligence : Complete Series Page 32

by Gary Weston


  ‘This is the police. Come out with your hands up.’

  ‘Jeez,’ said Raven. ‘I bet you’ve waited your whole life to say that. Gimme that microphone. Ok. Listen up in there. I’m already bored with all this. Do you actually have anything interesting to say?’

  ‘Nice try,’ replied Corey. ‘Face to face. I want your most senior officer in here, now.’

  Raven said, ‘Nice try yourself. We are not giving you creeps another hostage.’

  A slight pause, then, ‘Tell me. I’ve a laser rifle pointed at one of our captives. Name a limb. Shall I slice off a leg or an arm?’

  The calm way the man asked the question, told Raven this was no idle threat. ‘No need for that.’

  Through the speakers came the familiar crackling hiss of a laser rifle followed by a scream.

  Raven said, ‘Hey. Okay. No need to hurt anyone. That will not help your case. I’m coming over.’

  A sickening chuckle. ‘Funny. I thought you would change your mind. Unarmed. To the gate. Hands in the air. Do anything stupid, I’ll do more than nick his leg.’

  Tilly Jordan said, ‘You’re not going out there. I’m going.’

  ‘Like hell you are.’

  ‘Tagg. You have a baby on the way. I’m just me. Besides. I’ll just flutter my eyelashes at them and they’ll turn themselves in.’

  ‘Tilly. I’m the senior officer here. I say I go, end of discussion.’

  Tilly said, ‘Then I’ll have to shoot you here and now.’

  Raven looked down to see her holding a small D S I issue laser. It was still enough to blow a hole right through him.

  ‘You seriously expecting me to believe you’d shoot me?’

  ‘If I have to, I will. I loved you once, Tagg. I was the one who called you here and got you into this. I’ll not let you walk into their trap.’

  Raven grinned. ‘Remind me to fire you when all this is over. Ok. You made your point.’

  Tilly went to the rear door, the gun still in her hand, pointing at Raven. ‘Don’t try to stop me, Tagg. Let me do this.’

  All they could do was to let Tilly Jordan walk to the prison gates, which opened just enough to let her pass through. She entered and the huge steel slabs clanged shut behind her.

  Saltoe said, ‘I’m guessing that wasn’t exactly D S I regulations?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ said Raven, still in shock. ‘She was always the bravest woman I ever met.’

  Jett said, ‘She must have loved you one hell of a lot, Agent Raven.

  ‘Loved?’ said Casey.

  ‘Ok,’ said Raven, snapping out of it. ‘Did anybody here see Agent Tilly Jordan point a gun at me?’

  Detective Poacher said, ‘I saw it, Agent Raven.’

  Raven went to him and stared him in the face. ‘I’ll ask you one more time. Anybody see Tilly Jordan aim a gun at me?’

  Poacher suddenly got the message. ‘Gun? What gun?’

  Raven winked. ‘Good man.’

  Chapter 175

  ‘Welcome to our humble abode, Officer…’

  ‘Tilly Jordan. D S I.’

  Corey shared a look with Fritz. ‘D S I? Even better. My name is Nigel Corey. This fine gentleman is Karl Fritz. We’re about to be famous and very wealthy.’

  Tilly snarled. ‘You’re about to be very dead, you mean. I’ve a small army out there. You can’t get off the planet. My advice? Don’t make too many long term plans. Wait. Corey. Fritz. Got it. Drixolate slaves. Runners.’

  Corey said, ‘Runners, yes. Slaves, never. We worked for the Masters. But we were part of the elite.’

  ‘You two bastards sold out the human race for thirty pieces of silver. I’ve met scum before, but you have to be the lowest scum of all.’

  Fritz snapped, ‘I’d watch your mouth if I were you, Jordan. I’d just love putting a hole in your head.’

  ‘Fritz,’ said Corey. ‘That’s no way to treat a guest. Now. Agent Jordan. Follow me, please.’

  To emphasise the command, Fritz waved the rifle at her. They walked along the poorly lit, badly painted corridor to the cells. There was a barrage of noise when the men saw Tilly. Fritz blasted the ceiling to shut them up.

  ‘Tell me, Agent Jordan,’ said Corey. ‘What do you see?’

  ‘Men you two abducted. There were more. What happened to them?’

  Corey smiled. ‘Unfortunate statistics in a scientific experiment. These things happen.’

  ‘You murdering…’

  ‘Ah,ah,’ said Fritz, itching to kill a D S I agent.

  Corey asked again. ‘Take a good look, Agent Jordan. What do you see?’

  ‘Like I said, Corey. Men you two abducted.’

  Corey nodded. ‘Healthy looking specimens, wouldn’t you agree?’

  Tilly looked the men over. They all seemed in good health. ‘They’re all drixolate dependants. Corey. Have you kept their doses going?’

  ‘Ah! Finally. Drixolate. Now we are getting somewhere. These men don’t need it any longer.’

  Tilly didn’t understand. ‘You’re withholding the drug from them? Just letting them die?’

  ‘No. Let me clarify the situation for you, Agent Jordan. They are cured. With the antidote. The antidote I created.’

  ‘Bullshit.’

  ‘Don’t take my word for it. You, there. When was your last drixolate dose?’

  The man behind the bars said, ‘Three days ago. I should be dead by now.’

  Tilly said, ‘Three days ago? Nobody survives more than twenty-four hours without a dose to keep them going.’

  Corey said, ‘From the horse’s mouth, so to speak. Again. I, Nigel Corey, produced what scientists on many planets couldn’t. An antidote.’

  Tilly Jordan was stunned. Such a drug would free millions of humans from a dependency of drixolate. ‘If that’s true…’

  Corey just waved a hand at the men, the evidence of his claim.

  Tilly said, ‘Is that what you’re selling? The antidote?’

  ‘In a manner of speaking. I’m sure you already grasp the significance of this. And perhaps the true value of the antidote. I have certain requests of the Interplanetary Council.’

  ‘They won’t go for it, Corey. They won’t allow themselves to be a part of this extortion.’

  Corey shrugged. ‘I’m thinking they will. I think the great unwashed public will insist on it once they hear of this. And believe me, they will hear about it.’

  ‘Not from me, they won’t.’

  Corey said, ‘Perhaps not. Come with me.’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ said Tilly, pulling the handgun from her pocket. ‘This ends right here.’

  Corey shook his head and sighed. ‘Agent Jordan. Didn’t you think it a little slipshod of us not to search you when you walked through the gates?’ He tapped his forehead. ‘Here is where the working formula is. You’ll never find anything on any computer, or notebook. Only in my brain. Go ahead. Kill me.’

  He lowered his head so that the tip of the gun pressed against his temples. Tilly thought about those words. Corey was right and he knew it. She couldn’t kill him.

  Fritz held out his hand. ‘I’ll take that.’

  Tilly handed Fritz the gun. ‘Ok. I’ll go back and tell them what you want. What do I tell them?’

  Corey said, ‘Sorry, Agent Jordan. You are not going back outside. Follow me.’

  Tilly followed Corey along the corridor, then into a communication’s room with a good but basic televid consul.

  ‘Please take a seat, Agent Jordan. In a moment, I’ll tune this in so the police in that command vehicle can see and hear you. You will read to them what is written on this piece of paper. Do not deviate from it. If you do, it will be the last time you say anything to anyone.’

  Tilly sat in front of the consul. ‘Saying the words won’t make it happen, Corey.’

  ‘Then you’ll have to be very convincing, won’t you.’ Corey turned the televid on and tuned it until the face of the operator in the mobile command centre could be seen. �
�Do it.’

  ‘Can you hear me?’ Tilly asked. There came back crackle but no words. The operator moved out of the way and Tagg Raven appeared. Tilly could see him trying to tune in, then suddenly they could hear his voice.

  ‘Tilly. Tilly. Are you ok?’

  ‘Tagg. Yes. I’m unharmed.’

  Fritz said, ‘Tagg Raven? Raven’s here, Corey.’

  ‘Isn’t this just priceless, Fritz? We have one or two bones to pick with Agent Tagg Raven.’ Corey stuck his face in front of the camera and he waved. ‘Hi, Agent Raven. Such a pleasure to see you again.’

  ‘Corey, you son of a bitch. You touch one hair on her head, I swear…’

  ‘Agent Raven. Do please be quiet. Agent Jordan has a few important messages for you. You need to record these, by the way. Are you ready?’

  ‘Yes, damn you. I’m ready.’

  ‘All yours, Agent Jordan.’

  Tilly picked up the card. ‘Tagg. Listen carefully. Corey’s invented an antidote for drixolate.’

  ‘He what?’

  Tilly said, ‘It’s true, Tagg. Some of the men have been kept alive without a drixolate dose for three days. They’re healthy. I saw them. According to this note, one single dose is all it takes.’

  ‘Jeez. That’s…incredible.’

  Corey said, ‘Very kind of you to say so. Now listen. Go on, Agent Jordan.’

  ‘Tagg. This is what Corey wants. One. Total amnesty for any crimes he and Fritz have committed.’

  Raven said, ‘Is he insane? They will never agree to that.’

  ‘Quiet, Raven,’ said Corey. ‘Do not interrupt again. Continue, Agent Jordan.’

  ‘Tagg. Listen. They want total, guaranteed amnesty. Two. Tryzon becomes the manufacturing centre for the antidote, strictly controlled by Corey and Fritz. Three. For the antidote, they are to receive one thousand credits per single dose.’

  ‘What? But that’s…a lot. Many trillions of credits.’

  Corey said, ‘Don’t be so small minded. Anyone would find a thousand credits to be free of the drixolate. Personally, I think I’m being extremely generous.’

  ‘And if I refuse to relay those instructions?’

  ‘Oh, Agent Raven. Don’t take it so personally. This is just business. Leave it up to our illustrious leaders to decide. This is far too big for a mere minion like you to even contemplate. I’m going to ask you one more time. Will you relay that message?’

  ‘Tell them no, Tagg,’ said Tilly. ‘Don’t put Corey in charge of the human race. I’d rather die first.’

  Raven snarled, ‘You heard Agent Jordan, Corey. Go to hell.’

  ‘Very well, Agent Raven. You really leave me no choice.’ From his pocket, Corey took a drug injector and with one swift movement, touched the tip to Tilly’s neck and pressed the button.

  Raven saw it on his monitor. ‘Corey, you mad bastard. What have you done?’

  ‘That was drixolate, Raven. She is now dependant. Within twenty-four hours, without another dose…Well. You know how it goes, I’m sure. Don’t go away now, you hear?’

  Corey grabbed Tilly by her hair and pulled her to her feet. Then, backed up by Fritz, Corey dragged her out of the room, along the corridor to the solitary confinement cell. Fritz opened the steel door and Corey pushed Tilly roughly inside. Then the door was slammed shut.

  A few minutes later, a camera was watching Tilly Jordan through the peep-hole in the door. The image of Tilly was being transmitted to the mobile command centre outside the prison walls.

  ‘Agent Raven,’ said Corey. ‘I know you are getting this. There are three possible scenarios here. One, you start talking to our leaders, in which case, I will administer drixolate to keep Agent Jordan alive. If you are successful in convincing them to give into our demands, I will administer the antidote. If either you still refuse to talk to the leaders or they choose not to listen, then you can watch in glorious colour, as Agent Jordan dies most slowly and painfully.’

  Raven yelled, ‘You sons…’

  ‘Sons of bitches. Yes we get that. You really will have to come up with a new line in insults. Well. I don’t know about you, Fritz, but I could use a feed and a nice cold beer.’

  Chapter 176

  Joy didn’t like the look on Boss’s face. That wasn’t his happy face.

  ‘Something has happened, I can tell.’

  Boss said, ‘Calm down, Joy. Tagg is fine, at least as of one hour ago. I had contact with him, from Tryzon.’

  Joy busied herself in the kitchen making coffee for the two of them. With her back still to him, she said, ‘Out with it, Boss.’

  Boss said, ‘It’s drixolate related. But in a weird way. Tilly was on holiday, visiting her step-parents. Some men had gone missing, so she decided to get involved. Remember Corey and Fritz?’

  Joy turned around and handed Boss a coffee. ‘Not names I’m likely to forget. I was angry they were pardoned like most humans made into drixolate slaves. They are evil through and through.’

  ‘It turns out they’re not or ever were slaves. I guess they got lucky to be pardoned. Anyway, you’re on the money about how evil they are. It seems they became aware from the Masters of an antidote.’

  Joy was shocked. ‘Top scientists never were able to find an antidote. Corey and Fritz knew of one all this time?’

  ‘According to Tagg, yes. Naturally, they wanted to exploit that knowledge. They abducted test subjects already drixolate dependants, and experimented. Several died. Some,however, survived without their dose of drixolate, so it looks like Corey and Fritz cracked the formula.’

  ‘Right. Now I suppose they want billions for it?’

  Boss said, ‘Make that trillions. Plus total amnesty for all and any crimes they committed.’

  ‘I can’t see any of the Interplanetary Council agreeing to that.’

  ‘Sadly, neither can I.’

  Joy said, ‘Sadly? You want them to get away with it?’

  ‘Of course not. I’d rather they were shot. The trouble with doing that is the secret to the antidote would be lost. It only exists in Corey’s head. Which is why Tilly Jordan didn’t shoot them when she had the opportunity. Now they have Tilly as their hostage, and if the Interplanetary Council doesn’t give into their demands, Corey and Fritz will let her die by withholding drixolate.’

  Joy said, ‘But Tilly isn’t dependent. I know her enough to know that about her.’

  Boss said, ‘She wasn’t, but she is now. Corey deliberately injected her with drixolate. Tagg saw him do it on a police monitor.’

  ‘Those total bastards. If she doesn’t get a regular dose…’

  ‘I know. They even have a camera rigged up so they can see her die.’

  Joy said, ‘Those scum have to be put down.’

  ‘I agree. But it is Agent Jordan I’m concerned for. Everything she’s already endured, now this. I’ve passed on a recording from Tagg to the Interplanetary Council. They’re already locked in debate over what to do.’

  Joy said, ‘And in the meantime, Tilly Jordan is slowly dying by the minute.’ She stared at Boss. ‘Tagg won’t just sit back and do nothing. He’ll try to save her.’

  ‘No question about it. That’s why I thought I would come and tell you what is happening.’

  ‘Thanks, Boss. I appreciate that.’

  Boss said, ‘The least I could do. Joy. Tagg is my top agent. Tilly a close second. That gives me hope.’

  ‘If he goes storming in after Tilly…’

  ‘He won’t do that. That would get Tilly killed for sure. He has to come up with something better, and in a hurry.’

  Chapter 177

  The man who stood there when Ian Jordan opened his front door, was not one Ian was keen to see again.

  ‘Something has happened.’

  ‘Mr Jordan. May I come in?’

  From behind Ian, Sally called out, ‘Who is it, Ian? Oh. It’s you.’

  Their reactions weren’t unexpected. Raven said, ‘I have some news. I need to talk with you.’


  Ian opened the door wider to let Raven inside. There was an awkward silence as Raven tried to find the words.

  Sally said, ‘Has Tilly been hurt? Oh, God, is she…?’

  ‘No. Not of as a few minutes ago. Even before I got here, Tilly was on a case.’

  Ian said, ‘Those missing men.’

  ‘Yes. Working with the police. Do the names Corey and Fritz mean anything to you?’

  Sally said, ‘Everyone knows who those creeps are, the scum.’

  Raven said, ‘They’re the ones responsible for the missing men. They have Tilly as a hostage at the old prison.’

  ‘Oh, my God,’ gasped Sally. ‘Those animals have Tilly?’

  ‘Sorry, but yes. They demanded a senior officer to negotiate with.’

  Ian squared up to Raven. ‘Tilly? How come it’s her they’ve got, and not you, Raven? You are her senior officer. You should have gone in, not you.’

  ‘I agree. I was on my way to do just that, but Tilly pulled a gun on me and insisted she was the one to go in.’

  ‘I don’t believe you, Raven,’ snapped Ian. ‘You’re lying.’

  ‘No. There’s nearly twenty police officers who saw her get the drop on me. Anyway. I came to pick you up and take you over to the prison. Please come with me. I’ll tell you the rest on the way over there.’

  The Jordan’s grabbed their coats and made slush of the snow as they followed Raven to the waiting vehicle.

  Chapter 178

  They brushed the snow off as they climbed the three steps to the open door of the mobile command centre.

  Inspector Jett said, ‘Mr and Mrs Jordan. Please come in.’

  Raven followed them inside. ‘Any developments Inspector Jett,’ he asked, after the brief introductions.

  ‘Nothing as yet. I am so sorry this has happened to Tilly.’

  Sally cast a scowling look at Raven. ‘He should have been the one in there, not our girl.’

  Jett said, ‘He would have been the one in there, if Tilly hadn’t pulled out a gun on him. It was Tilly’s decision to go over. Agent Raven tried to talk her out of it.’

  Sally said, ‘Something bad always happens to Tilly when he’s involved.’

 

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