by Scott Rhine
He only recognized her as Roz when she shrieked and leapt back to the path. No doubt low station gravity had left her with the need to strengthen her bones through exercise. Heaving, she gasped, “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“No. I—”
She touched the music player strapped to her shoulder. “Security breach on the desalination towers.” To him, she said, “Better run, mister. I just called the police.”
In the unlikely event that was true, the police would take at least five minutes to respond. However, her response reminded him that as a stickler for safety and procedure, she would be at the top of the “accident” list. He looked around, his knees over the low, metal railing. “This is public property. Why can’t I sit here?”
Defiant, Roz began listing reasons on her fingers. “One, you could break your fool neck. Two, the platinum that the filters extract from the seawater is actually valuable. Three, if you fried yourself on the electrostatic layer, the whole city would go without showers … something you may not appreciate, but—”
Max held up both hands and slid down to catch the cross pipe. “You’ve convinced me.” When he dropped to the ground beside her, she fumbled a bottle of combination sunscreen and bug repellent spray out of her belt pouch. That would hurt the eyes just as well as mace. “I lived up there in my teens. Just goes to prove I was stupid, and you’re one of the most competent engineers I know.” Up close, she looked confused and flawless. “Ivy did a great job.”
“How? Who?” She pointed at his face and squinted. “Mr. Culp?”
He bowed. “Did you get the invitations from the governor yet?”
That kept her off-balance. “Invitations?”
Poor thing looks so befuddled that she can’t be a spy like her friend. “I told Helena I needed to thank you for your help and make up for the trouble I caused you at work, so she included you as my plus one at the luau in eight days. Ivy said everything was fine as long as she got to come along to the party to protect your virtue.”
“Ivy?”
Max shook his head. “She didn’t talk to you yet? I’m so sorry. Hold on while I call her.” He showed her the link on his wrist unit and hit Call.
The woman responded with visual off and a sleepy, “Someone better be dead.”
He made an “oops” face and walked off a short distance from the puzzled engineer. He whispered into the phone. “Ivy, at least thirty-four CU positives have been assassinated this year by Mbutu. Neither one of us wants Roz ending up on that list. I’ll walk her back to your place, but you need to stay by her side until this mess blows over. Otherwise, we’ll never get that date.”
“Who the hell are you, Culp?” He could hear clothing rustling in the background.
“A friend who got you both an invite to the biggest diplomatic shindig of the year. Please play along, and I’ll introduce you to the governor, his wife, and mistress. That would make your career.”
“Hurt Roz, and I will hunt you down,” Ivy threatened.
“That instinct is why I contacted you with this information,” Max said into the wrist unit. “Run my name and photo through your people. If you don’t like what you find, you have eight days to cancel—no questions asked.”
Ivy sighed. “Hand her the phone.”
Awkwardly, Max passed Roz his wrist unit. “Here.”
“Sorry, honey,” Ivy said. “He ruined the surprise date.”
“Date?” Roz echoed. “Nobody’s asked me out in five years.”
Max glanced down at the tight jogging suit. “You’re kidding.” When she took a step back, he said, “It doesn’t have to be a date. You could call it a diplomatic favor.” She stopped moving. “Saurians think a man who can’t find a woman is defective, and there are only so many women on this planet who can get clearance in a week.” She’s wavering. “If you don’t go with me, they’ll make me take the Trout from the embassy staff. Frankly, I’d rather stay in the bush and take my chances with the Mbutu.”
She smiled. “Why not stay home?”
“It’s embarrassing,” he said.
Ivy broke in with an inadvertent, “Holy crap!” A moment later, she said, “Um … sweety, the governor’s throwing the celebration because Dr. Culp is being awarded one of the highest medals in the Union for valor … cosigned by three other species.”
Max backed away this time. “I told them not to. I—I’m sorry.”
Roz caught his arm. “Hey. Bravery always matters.”
Hearing his own words echoed gave him pause. Her kindness made him feel like a heel for being sneaky. “I’d owe you one.”
Smiling shyly, she said, “Oh yeah? What did you plan on offering as payment?”
“A tour of a prototype Magi ship.”
He glimpsed a hint of tech lust in the engineer’s face. “Deal.”
If I knew that’s all it took ... “I mean, you might have to give us a ride back up, but I can take you anywhere you like on the vessel.”
“Us?” Roz asked.
Ivy chimed in on the comm. “His friend Reuben and I will be coming along as chaperones. I made him promise.”
“Oh.”
“Honey, we can talk about it when you’re back here safe.” Ivy clicked off, and Roz resumed jogging back to the city.
He kept pace with her easily, earning a nod of respect. “Most guys would be heaving their guts out by now.”
“I have to keep my bones strong, same as you.”
Her eyes darted toward her hips. “Bones. Yeah. No offense, but why are you dressed in native clothes that reek?”
“I’m undercover, taking some Saurians upriver for a hunt.”
“That’s awful.”
“They won’t catch what they’re after if I have anything to do with it, but I promised to do the job.” Max thought about what might happen to her if he didn’t come back from this mission. “If you need another job, the Turtles might help.”
“Why would I need another job?” asked Roz.
“Originally, I thought the station master was just practicing nepotism. You’re the most qualified person on the crew, and he has you running in circles. Then I figured out that they couldn’t be running the drugs out and the forbidden tech into the preserve without his help.”
Roz slowed as she processed the revelation. He could see her putting pieces together.
As the two of them reached the parking lot, a deputy stepped out of his jeep, hand on his hip holster. Another electric vehicle sat in the lot, recharging. The fiberglass frames of the two-person buggies were designed to float in case of flooding or tidal wave.
She wasn’t kidding about the call. Max raised his hands. “I startled Ms. Mendez when I tapped her on the shoulder. She had her headphones on, and I don’t make any mind noise.”
The deputy’s hand eased away as he recognized everyone involved. “You’re that bounty hunter. What did you need to track her down so early for?”
Max tried to look sheepish. “I wanted to catch her away from her roommate to talk about our date next week.”
“Is this true miss?”
Roz blushed. “Sorry.”
The deputy moseyed away smiling.
Soon after, Ivy ran up in sandals and an oversized T-shirt. Most women wore that sort of shirt over a bathing suit, but Max had a suspicion, from the extent of the jiggling, that Ivy hadn’t had time to don undergarments.
Roz was still chewing on an earlier statement as she crossed the street. “Ivy, did you know my boss was working with the cartels and never intended to promote me?”
“Yes, honey. Did Mr. Culp tell you that?” Ivy glared at him as she climbed her porch steps. The two-bedroom bungalow was small but clean. White shutters offset the turquoise siding.
“How did you both figure it out from a distance when I didn’t see it in a year close up?” Roz wasn’t accustomed to feeling stupid. “Is it because I’m mind-blind?”
Ivy opened the front door. “No. You believe the best in people, and I di
dn’t want to ruin that. You shower first.” She slammed the door to prevent Max from following.
Ivy’s glare was withering as she whispered, “She’s a civilian and my only friend.”
“I understand. Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.”
“Who are you working for?”
“Right now, I’m just trying to save my own friends,” Max admitted. “I wanted Roz out of the line of fire.”
“How much evidence do you have about this war?”
Max ran a hand over his newly-cut hair. “If the other side is as good as I am, there won’t be any evidence until it’s too late. But ask yourself: what happened to the last governor?”
“He had heart failure while fishing in stormy waters,” Ivy explained.
“According to?”
“His personal physician.”
“Who died when?”
“An accident the next—oh, crap.” She put some pieces of her own together.
Max’s wrist unit chimed, interrupting further speculation. “Captain Zrulkesh, how can I help you?”
The captain asked in angry Banker, “Why did you slip away from your watcher? Or didn’t you think we’d find out? Whose home are you at?”
Ivy improvised in sultry English. “Mmm, baby, come back to bed.”
“I should have known. You can’t stay away from the females.” The Saurian laughed. “Unless you meet my team at the spaceport in thirty minutes, the Goat dies.”
“Yes, sir,” Max said, terminating the link.
Chapter 24 – Proof
When Max arrived at the front doors to the terminal, crew members flanked him. Most of the Saurians had come down to take care of business. Only the pilot, copilot, and two thugs were missing. “Where’s Jubalasch?”
Ace was one of the smarter card players, which made him the de facto leader of the group. “He dropped us off with a delivery. He’s loading fancy booze to take back with him, better than that demon piss you brewed on the ship.”
“Rum or wine?”
Bortral shoved Max’s gear into his arms. “Enough. We ask the questions.” He glowered. “Boss says you were yanking my tail. There’s no way the Mbutu would stab us in the back by hiding Vrilkesh. They’re one of our biggest customers. You’ve been wasting my time.”
Oops. Max turned to Ace and dropped some authentic details from his conversation with Vrilkesh. “Two days ago, the restaurant in town served someone matching our quarry’s description a meal of tree-possum almondine and a bottle of expensive vintage from Napoleon.”
“That’s his favorite,” Ace admitted. “You couldn’t have known about that.”
“Before we do anything else, you need to buy disguises at the shops and send some back to the ship for those guys,” Max said gleefully.
“Why?”
“Because otherwise, the underworld Humans think we’re Yellow Slash security and refuse to talk,” Bortral explained.
When everyone had arrayed themselves in a rainbow of overpriced track suits and delivered a matching set to the shuttle, Ace asked, “Where’s our target staying?”
“That’s the thing. The hour our ship docked, some ranger saw him hop a tour shuttle with McCool Travel, a known pilot for the cartel.” Max prayed that his accomplice had planted the evidence already. “McCool is gone, but I bet if we search his office, we’ll find a flight plan or something.”
With five irritated Saurians, the search of the lobby and ill-kempt office was quick and violent. Max tried to stay by the front door in case he had to make a run for it. Fortunately, the shops weren’t open yet. In minutes Ace was sniffing a pair of fine leather gloves and commenting on the ink stains. “These could be his. The scent is recent.” Then the con took a dangerous turn. “Since these were in the lost-and-found bin, McCool must have returned from his trip already. We only have to question him to find out the truth.”
“Whoa. Torturing another Human, even a lowlife like him, is not something I signed up for.”
The decision was removed from Max’s hands when a furious McCool burst through the security door from the tarmac to his office. He had long hair that corkscrewed in every direction and a tank top. He wore baggy military pants with several pockets. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you know who I am? The kind of grief that can rain down on your asses if you don’t back off right now?”
Since the tirade was in English, it had little effect on the visitors. Max asked in Banker, “Did you just make a delivery to the Mbutu up at the lake?” This was deliberately vague, as most landings on the planet were on rivers or lakes. They couldn’t afford runways.
“Yeah. What’s it to you?”
Bortral and another miner grabbed his arms. Ace asked, “Who did you take?”
“Mr. Jass. Uh … middle name Hugh. Asian fellow, first name was Mai,” replied McCool.
“Mai Hugh Jass.” Ace repeated the joke name several times. Each time McCool snickered more.
“He had a friend. Mr. Wong. I could page him if you want.”
Ace puffed out his chest. “You will try to call for help. What is his first name?”
“Tai-mai.”
Max covered his face with a hand. “Don’t mess with these guys. Just tell them what you know about the Saurian accountant Vrilkesh.”
Ace found the PA and announced, “Tie my wong to the tour desk, please. Tie my wong to the desk immediately. You have an urgent message from my huge ass.”
McCool laughed so hard that tears poured from his face.
When Max peeked into the back room, he spotted the cameras and made sure to stay out of view. After Max explained what Ace had just announced, the Saurians pummeled the tour operator in the back room until a blood drop leaked. “Stop! We don’t harm innocents.”
Striding into the cramped room, Ace shoved a file cabinet out of the way to make more room. “Do you know who this Human is who travels with Saurian killers and holds them back? Does the Vampire ring a bell?”
He’s using my reputation as a war-criminal hunter to make himself more frightening, already trying to steal my mojo.
McCool turned pale. “I don’t work for the Phibs.”
Max pulled the dart gun from his bag and slapped in a clip of sedatives strong enough for Saurians that would work on Humans too. He invented a link to his past that might explain this line of questioning. “A Saurian at the New Hawaii Turtle Embassy leaked floor plans and guard placement to the enemy.”
Swearing, McCool tried to back away. “Nobody told us. Vrilkesh is a number cruncher and a lousy tipper. You can have him.” He now spoke flawless Banker, odd for a drug burnout.
“Where is he?” Ace demanded.
“Near the embassy here. He knocked up some school teacher and lives with her.”
Ace roared, “You lie!”
“He already told us where he made the last delivery.” Max pumped a tranq dart into the tour guide to save him from further abuse. He pointed to the blinking, red alarm light with his gun. “He’s playing for time. Other cartel members are on the way. We need to get out of here, or they’ll know we’re onto them. The dart will keep him out for a few hours and fuzz his memory.”
The miners dropped the limp tour guide into a chair.
“Retrieve my dart, and the others will think he’s high. Did you guys find any drug samples?”
Bortral scooped up a dislocated desk drawer with white powder and a credit stick taped to the back. He took the stick for himself and handed Max the bag of powder.
Max had them rub a little of the powder under McCool’s nose and drop the bag on the desk.
As the group hustled out of the spaceport, Max asked, “Don’t you need your baggage for the trip?”
Ace nodded to Bortral. “He has a tent. We didn’t bring any more because we thought you were lying.”
“Well, the fuse has been lit. We don’t have time to get more now.” That will make my job that much easier. I’ll whittle away at your group until the captain has to co
me down himself. He cinched a belt with four Special Forces pouches around his waist. “Head for Rivergate. We’ll catch a steamboat to get there faster. You’ll need to pay.” Max checked his wrist unit for prices and times.
The Saurians grumbled, knowing the expense would come out of their profits, not the captain’s. Eventually, they agreed.
“Next boat is scheduled to leave at noon.”
Over the radio, Zrulkesh complained about the trek. “Our comms won’t work unless we’re in geosynchronous orbit above you. I’ll have to bribe the station to leave dock without a flight plan.”
“Tell them you’re flying backup for a safari,” Max suggested. “If someone has a life-or-death emergency, it’ll give you an excuse to land your shuttle in restricted airspace.”
Ace asked, “How likely is that?”
“You should have nothing to worry about as long as you follow my instructions. The first rule of the bush is never to drink unfiltered water. Only alcohol or town water from your canteen.”
“Alcohol?” asked Ace.
“This is a gambling riverboat, one of the few places where it’s legal here. If we spend time in the common area, it’s traditional to buy a round of drinks for everyone,” Max explained.
“Why do I have to pay for that?” Ace argued.
“Because you’re the reason we have to take the boat in a hurry. You used my real name in front of a Banker spy.” Max didn’t think this was true, but the Saurians needed something to light a fire under them.
“Banker?”
Bortral seemed more interested in the gambling aspect. “Can anyone play?”
“Yes, but be careful. Several players working together can squeeze out a new guy every time.”
