“Good. Don’t take risks, Ruby. We don’t know what’s going on in there. You won’t know who to trust.”
In that case, I’ll trust no one, she thought.
“I need to go,” Ruby said, “I’ve got to see how Dad is.”
“I hope he’s better soon. Take care.”
She ended the call and put her hand on the glass. Everything came back to Nikoli. He’d seen something that this killer didn’t want anyone else to find out about. A secret worth killing more people over. It felt like things were moving quickly and she was barely able to keep up. The more she intervened, the further behind she became.
The door to the stairwell opened and Dr Pemberton looked up at her. Relief suffused his features. “I’ve been looking for you. Are you OK?” he asked.
Ruby waved dismissively. “Sure. I’m fine.” Inside, she felt like a rope was pulling her down to the ground. “How’s Dad?”
“Calmer. I’ve given him a light sedative. He’s dozing.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. This wasn’t anything to do with you. If adjusters did this to him, we’re in dangerous territory. It looks like they’ve left something behind to prevent anyone doing what we just attempted.”
“So, what’s next?”
“I’m not sure there is a next. I’ve got to report what’s happened to the hospital administrators. They’re likely to request that I stop trying to treat his condition.” He held up his palms in a conciliatory gesture. “I’m not sure what more help I can be.”
3:15 PM
Ruby was back at her dad’s bedside when she saw Fin appear in the doorway. She motioned to him to stay out in the corridor—Dad hadn’t seen him yet, and she wanted to speak to Fin in private first.
“I'll be right back, Dad,” she said and lightly touched his arm. After the day’s events, he was still sluggish and with the help of his sedative had been drifting in and out of naps. Out in the corridor, she closed the door. Fin put his arms around her and they hugged not saying a word, both enjoying the pressure of another body against theirs. Eventually, the moment passed and they pulled away. Fin brushed a stray strand of her hair to one side and kissed her forehead.
“How is he? What happened?”
“Let’s walk. I can tell you on the way.” And Ruby led Fin away to a small garden at the back of the clinic. As they walked, she talked, detailing as much as she could remember about the afternoon’s session.
“Oh my God.” Fin looked agitated, eyes wide and sad. “Is he OK?”
“They’ll keep him overnight. In the morning they’re going to evaluate him to see whether he's fit enough to be discharged.”
“Why do you think he did it?”
Ruby sighed. The image of her dad with his hands around another man’s throat came unbidden quickly to her mind. Never before had she witnessed such rage and anger on his face. “It was like it wasn’t even him.” She wanted to say it was like a stranger had taken over Dad’s body—a possession of sorts but realised how ridiculous that sounded.
“You think it was something this teep did to him?”
Ruby shook her head. “The medical teep triggered something but I can't see how he would have been the cause of it. He said someone’s been inside Dad’s head and messed with his memories.”
“Who could do that?”
“Adjusters.”
“And they are?”
“Secretive, mostly. We don't know where they came from, nor why they were formed, nor even who they’ll loyal to. They're not officially attached to OsMiTech. We don't have any records on them at the DRT. What we know is they don't get involved lightly. If adjusters are involved, a line’s been crossed somewhere.”
“So who do they work for?”
“No one knows.”
Fin sat down and Ruby followed suit. It was a lot to take in and possibly unfair to unburden herself on Fin like this.
“Why would they be interested in messing with his memories? Your dad worked for the police but he wasn't super-important, was he?”
“I don't think so. He worked as a beat officer for most of his career.”
Fin peered at her face. “If that’s all he did, why would the government be interested in him?”
Ruby didn’t have a good answer. If adjusters had done something to Dad, then they must have had good reason to. How much of Dad’s career did she know anything about? Whilst she was growing up, he rarely spoke about work and once she’d left home, she never thought to pry.
“What do we do now?” Fin asked.
“I need to find out more about these adjusters. Work out why they took an interest in Dad.”
“And how are you going to do that? You're going to attract attention.”
“Why is that a problem?”
“You’ve said it yourself. If these adjusters are involved, and they've gone to these lengths to hide whatever it is your dad knows, do you think they'll stand by and watch you poke away at them? What's to stop them coming after you next?”
Ruby stiffened. This isn't what she needed to hear from Fin now. He was meant to be supporting her, not shutting her down.
“If they come after me, I'll deal with it.”
“How? Oh, I forgot, you're DRT. You guys can take care of yourself.” His tone dripped sarcasm.
“Nice, very cool.”
“But, that's what you believe isn't it? That you're somehow untouchable because of your position? Nikoli’s dead. He was part of your department as well, or had you forgotten that?”
“Of course I haven't.”
“But, you still think you're invulnerable?”
“How am I even to answer that? Of course, I don’t. Why are you being such a jerk?”
Fin glanced at his shoes, then he met her gaze and said with solemnity, “You should leave the DRT. It's too dangerous. I spoke to Glynn. I know that you took off after that rogue on your own at the InfiniteYou event. What the hell were you thinking?”
Ruby’s heart quickened. She could barely register what she was hearing. “You've spoken to my boss?”
“I had to. You've been acting so weird recently. Not like yourself.”
“I've a lot on my plate right now in case you hadn't noticed. A friend was murdered last month. I've got my dad in this clinic eating away at what little money I've got left, and you want to be sanctimonious with me.”
“Another reason you should walk away from this. You can't afford it.”
“Maybe if you got yourself a better job.”
Her words scratched like claws across his skin. They glared at each other for what seemed like an age, then Fin turned and headed out the way he'd come. She knew that going after him was the right thing to do. Having a pop shot at his income wasn't fair. Fin might be many things but to imply that he was lazier than her or less employable would never help mend bridges. She watched him head for the exit, wondering if he’d stop. He had to see that he was being the idiot in this argument. But then, she always told herself that.
Fin didn't come back.
Ruby found her dad dozing again in his chair by the window. She hesitated before tapping him on the arm. He jumped into alertness, momentary panic flashed across his brown eyes.
“I'm sorry. I wanted to say bye before leaving.”
“It can't be time to go yet. Sit with me a while.”
So, she sat and held his hand, both of them staring out of the window. Clouds were gathering.
“The weather's on the turn,” he announced without looking around.
“I spoke to Glynn earlier,” Ruby said, “I’ve got Nikoli’s position at OsMiTech. I start tomorrow.”
“That's good news. That's what you wanted.” He sought her eyes. “It is what you want?”
“I think it's the only way I will get any closer to working out who killed him.”
Her dad remained quiet.
Ruby frowned. “You agree with Fin don't you?”
�
��What am I meant to be agreeing with him about?”
“You don't think I should get any more involved, that I should walk away and let the police handle the investigation.”
“Is that what he says?”
“Yes.”
“Then he's an even bigger idiot than I thought. You know, you haven't spoken much about this friend of yours. What happened to him?”
Ruby had deliberately not told her dad everything that had happened since Nikoli’s death. What would be the point in confiding her fears to a man who was fighting his own fears daily? But, here was a chance she didn't want to miss. This was the most lucid he’d been in weeks. Perhaps confiding in someone was what she needed more than anything.
“I told you about Nikoli. He died the night after I went to the InfiniteYou launch. Both him and his wife were murdered.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“But, I didn't tell you he was an unregistered telepath or that someone at OsMiTech was blackmailing him.”
He tipped his head to one side and his eyes narrowed. “You know, I found a diary stone in my laundry basket. You put that there?”
Ruby nodded. “It was Nikoli’s. He hid it on me the night he was killed.”
“Have you opened it?”
“No. I can’t,” she said. “It has an echo lock.”
He tipped his head. “Unreliable things. Few use them now. Popular once amongst certain criminals.”
“How do I get in it? Nikoli’s dead.”
“It might not be keyed just to him.”
She hadn’t thought of that possibility.
Her dad continued, “But why hide it at my flat… you’re worried someone is watching you.”
Her dad’s ability to zone in on the crux of the problem hadn’t waned since his illness. Years of police experience seeped through his being like oil on wood.
“I'm just being cautious. There was another man who wanted access to files he claimed Nikoli had created.”
“You think the information you need is in the diary?” her dad asked.
Ruby shrugged. “It's important, but I’ve no idea why.”
“Your friend left it with you. Not the police, but with you. He trusted no one else.”
“He was cornered that night. His choices were limited.”
“He’d have found a way to get it to them, or asked you to hand it over, but he didn’t.”
“He meant for me to have it.”
“I think so.”
“He must have known he was in danger. I keep going back over that night and wishing I’d pressed him harder. Got him to tell me what was going on.”
Her dad squeezed her arm gently. “It’s not your fault he was killed. That had nothing to do with you. All you’ve done since is try to make things better. That’s what you’re good at. What you’ve always been best at.” And then to Ruby’s horror, she saw tears welling in her dad’s eyes. “You’ve got to do what you think is right. Trust yourself.”
Ruby embraced her dad and squeezed him like he was the last person on Earth. A lightness crept into her chest and the tension that had been burrowing away there since her argument with Fin suddenly vanished. Still holding on, afraid that by letting go the magic would fail and her confused father would return, she whispered, “I’m doing this. I’m going to find out who killed Nikoli and why, and if I don’t like what I find at OsMiTech, I will tear that place to pieces.”
Monday, 6 May 2115
7:44 AM
Ruby flashed her card at the guard who checked it without a trace of a smile before he hit the button that opened the gates. From the outside, OsMiTech was a massive monument on the skyline, a giant crescent edifice towering above the rest of its surroundings like a parent amongst toddlers. The compound was surrounded by a stone wall, reclaimed from several sites demolished during the Clearing. The walls held a grandeur that drew the eye along the perimeter as it reached around the site with an imposing solidity.
The police had spoken to Ruby about Anna. They had sent a sergeant round to take a statement about their meeting last night. Ruby had given him as much as she felt she could without compromising her investigation. She told the detective that Anna had been short with her and left the meeting abruptly. This seemed to resonate with the detective who nodded and apologised for disturbing her. She didn’t get any suggestion from the detective what had actually happened to her other than confirmation that her body hadn’t been found yet.
As the steel gates opened, Ruby’s car automatically continued into the compound, the tyres rolling silently on the smooth plasticised road, the charging plate underneath the vehicle taking a charge from the capacitors hidden under the surface. Ruby slid the tinted window down and let the breeze tickle her hair.
“Where are we going, Artie?”
“Parking level 2, bay 19,” her car replied.
The car plunged into the tunnel entrance of the parking garage and navigated quickly to its designated bay. Ruby stepped out, picking up her briefcase from the seat beside her. For a moment, she was unsure which way to head, both the left and right aspects were filled with rows of cars, then she noticed a man approaching from a small lobby area at the corner of the garage. The man wore a sharp suit in deepest blue with a heavy black pin stripe, and he smiled as he came closer.
“Ronald Langer,” he said, offering his hand.
“So glad to be here at last,” she replied, smiling the smile she usually reserved for those rare occasions when the BEP leadership were making their rounds back at her office.
“How was the traffic?”
“Fine thanks. Artie didn’t complain once.”
“Artie?” The man frowned.
“My autopilot.”
“You named your autopilot. How quaint.”
Ruby forced a laugh. “I know, silly of me.”
He ‘humphed’ and turned on his heel back toward the entrance. “Should we get started?”
“Please. I’d like that.”
She followed as he strode back towards the lobby area. The man liked to walk fast, and she struggled to keep up without looking like she was about to break into a run.
“Congratulations on the job. They must have a lot of confidence in you.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m just happy that I can pick up where Nikoli left off.”
“I’m sure,” Langer said. “I worked with Nikoli. He was very competent. I’m sad that he’s gone.”
“Yes, me too. I hope I don’t disappoint. I know I’ve large shoes to fill.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
Inside the small lobby, Langer pressed the call button for the lift and seconds later, the doors opened with a delicate sigh.
Ruby followed Langer inside and the lift swiftly descended.
“I thought we’d be going up into the main building.”
The lift arrived at their floor and Ruby followed Langer out into a bright blue corridor. Floors, ceilings and walls all fitted out with the same bright blue material. “And this would be blue level then…” Ruby said with a wry smile.
Langer didn’t return the smile. “This is level six.”
“I’d hoped to get a tour.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have time today.”
Ruby nodded. “Of course.”
Langer led her along the corridor. Ruby tried to focus on the door at the far end of the corridor as the entirely blue surroundings made her feel nauseous. On either side of the corridor were white doors, each with a discrete nameplate indicating its use. None of the names were ones she recognised, so she tried to take in as many labels as she could and file them away for future reference.
Langer stopped so abruptly that she almost walked into the back of him. As it was, she halted suddenly and had to steady an arm against a wall to stop herself tumbling. He turned to look at her and the smile he’d greeted her with earlier had gone. “I hope you find your time here informative, Ms Parry. I’d hate for you to leave without gaining an appreciation
for the valuable work we do for your department.”
“We’re all one big team, aren’t we?”
“Quite,” he said, nonplussed by her comment. “And this is your office.”
He opened the door they’d reached, Ruby noted that no label had yet been fixed, and led them inside. Lights bloomed up to full luminescence as Langer walked up to the desk, a neat grey object with simple legs and a clinical aspect. The chair behind it seemed likewise unwelcoming. Ruby didn’t intend to spend much time sat in this office at all if she could help it.
“Was this Nikoli’s old office?” she asked innocently.
“No. His was further along the corridor.”
“It’s very functional. I’m sure it will do fine.”
“Yes.” Langer looked to the open office door and seemed eager to leave. “You should have enough to get set up now. I’ll send an assistant down to see you soon. They’ll be able to show you the rest of the facilities you might be needing.”
“Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”
Langer nodded and left the office, closing the door behind him. Ruby was alone. She glanced at her HALO, thinking she might call her dad and let him know that she was alright, but a message scrolled along the ring’s surface.
‘All signals blocked as per OsMiTech terms and conditions.’
What the hell did that mean? How was she meant to keep in touch with the others at the office if her HALO would be blocked?
The office was about as minimalist as you could get without painting the walls stark white and removing the one photoprint from the wall. Nothing like her own office back at the DRT. This place felt more like a government facility than the technological hub of the UK that it was meant to be. Ever since Devan Oster had set up OsMiTech and manufactured his first vidphones, the place had been shrouded in secrecy: much more so than the administration at the time had been happy with, but word was that various deals had been put in place between Oster and the government to give him enough free rein to implement security however he saw fit.
Sitting, staring at the blank wall, Ruby felt alone and vulnerable. She was finally inside the belly of the beast, and truth be told, it scared the hell out of her.
The Infinity Mainframe (Tombs Rising Book 3) Page 14
