by Andria Stone
Dorthea attended his graduation dressed in a navy suit, free of makeup, looking like so many of the other parents he almost didn’t recognize her. He introduced her as his step-mother. They had pictures taken, smiling with their arms around each other.
Her body was found the next day, bludgeoned to death in an alley near where she lived. Axel had wept that day, too.
The three most important people in his life, his mother, Dorthea, and Maeve, were all dead at the hands of men. He vowed to keep the four women he called friends safe from harm at all costs, but he also swore to seek justice for the deaths of the three who were gone forever.
Chapter 6
They landed in the northern hemisphere at Dome 3 in the city of Aurora. Passengers exited the craft, filing through an airlock tunnel into a domed surface with an excess of painted greenery. The lighting inside the dome reminded Mark of Alaska during a midnight sun.
After clearing checkpoints, they caught a van to the hotel. Keeping a low profile, they avoided the ritzier places, settling on two connecting rooms at the Mariner D’Eleganza, a boutique property in an area called the Village.
The driver pulled up to the walkway in front. Eva stepped out first. The minute she hit the sidewalk, someone tried to grab her bag. “Hey!”
Kamryn saw the perp, jumped out in a millisecond, and seized him by the neck. He let go of Eva’s bag and tried to squirm out of Kamryn’s vice-like grip. She grabbed his arm, twisted him around, and kneed him in the groin. He flew up into the air, then fell to the pavement like a meteorite. Axel and Mark were on him in a flash.
Kamryn extended both arms straight out in front, covering him. “No,” she hissed, “you can’t kill him. They may not let us check in.”
The doorman came charging out of the hotel, trailed by the concierge, both easy to spot by their neon green jackets. The cybers served as Eva’s guards while the chaos played out. Within minutes, two MPLE officers rolled up to the scene, cuffed the perp, took everyone’s statement, and hauled off the would-be thief.
As compensation for a less than stellar arrival, management upgraded them to the penthouse suite, which occupied the third floor, since no high-rises existed on Mars. Their rooms were shades of teal and coral, featuring one large window in the living room.
Kamryn, always the pragmatist, drew the drapes. “This is one-way glass, but keep these closed. Most drones can detect heat signatures. We need to check for monitoring devices. This whole scenario could be a set-up.”
After a thorough search produced no electronics, they unpacked.
Mark followed Eva into the room she shared with Kamryn. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I was just surprised. I won’t be caught off-guard again.”
“There’s still time for you to get some sleep before your brunch meeting with Dr. Lerner at MarzTek.”
“I’ll sleep later, but first,” she dragged him into her bathroom, pointing to the sunken garden tub, “I will spend an hour sitting in bubbles. Then I’ll take a nap. These beds are twice the size of my bunk on the ship.”
“If you want, Kamryn can accompany you later.”
“No, I have it all planned out. We’ll be careful. Don’t worry.”
Mark left to find Ohashi at a desk in the living room. “Did you get a faceprint of the purse snatcher?”
“Yep, he’s a career rob-and-run criminal named Paul Farts.” Ohashi dissolved into snickers.
“I might be a criminal, too, with that name,” Mark chuckled. “Have we heard from Torance?”
“Oh my god, yes. I’ve never known him to talk derisively about another officer. Wait, you need to see it for yourself.”
She keyed up the recorded vid as Mark walked over to stand beside her. The image blinked on. The rugged, white-haired, TMD doctor was perched on the edge of a desk, dressed in rumpled blue scrubs with a surgical mask dangling from his neck.
“First, I can’t tell you how stunned I felt hearing of Maeve’s death. None of us are indestructible, but she came closer than anyone. I also know how much Axel loved her. Those two were made for each other.” He frowned at the screen. “Axel has a past. He’s going to need all your help to rise above this.
“So, about Colonel Olivia Eleanor Rushing…she’s a bitch. A self-aggrandizing, foul-mouthed, sneaky as a water moccasin, nasty as a crocodile, back-stabbing bitch. I don’t know how she ever married once, but the second time must have been a figment of someone’s imagination. She’s the type who likes to play with her prey before she kills them. You’ve got two options. Stay away from her, or don’t make her angry.” He paused, a wicked grin creasing his tired face. “Knowing you people, it’s too late on both counts. The only thing left to do is run. Torance out.”
For the moment, Mark ignored the Rushing update, focusing instead on his friend. “What do you know about Axel?”
“Almost nothing, except he doesn’t have any family. During the holidays, he never left the base. Before Colonel Sorayne, he had lots of lady friends.” She rolled her eyes. “I heard he’s very, um…” she waggled her eyebrows, “virile.”
“Wow. A stud and a badass. With no family. Whose soulmate has been murdered.” Mark shook his head. “I’d be out looking for people to kill, too. Probably not choosy about who, either. When Coulter’s cyborg damn near killed my father, I wanted payback in the worst way. Those emotions were driving me down a reckless path, but Axel kept redirecting me. We’ll have to pool our efforts to do the same for him. Major Essex was afraid Axel would go on a homicidal rampage. What if it’s suicidal? Call Kamryn and Petra in here while I go make sure he’s busy cleaning guns.”
Mark found him near the door, adjusting the leg straps to his double holster.
Axel looked up. “I was getting ready to leave.”
“To go where?”
“Hunting for the Parkers. You forget that’s why we came?”
“Earlier, you said, ‘We all go, or no one does.' Remember?” For effect, Mark let a touch of irritation creep into his voice. “We’re going to hold you to that. Besides, I didn’t tell the others, but I’m not convinced the purse-snatching incident wasn’t a set-up.”
Axel fine-tuned his shoulder holster. “I’m not either.”
“And you were going to tell me this when?”
“I just did.”
Kamryn joined them. Judging by Axel’s state of readiness, she knew what he’d intended. “You were about to do something stupid, weren’t you, Von Radach?”
Axel spun toward her. “To hell with—”
Kamryn delivered a roundhouse kick that sent Axel sprawling with such speed Mark wasn’t sure he saw it. When Axel crashed to the floor, Mark seized the moment to pounce on his chest before he recovered.
Everyone came running. They stopped short when the enormity of the situation became apparent. Axel ignored the others, concentrating on Mark and Kamryn. Mark glanced back at Kamryn. Her face was flushed with anger. She nodded to the right. Mark rolled off Axel in that direction and moved to a safe distance. Kamryn extended her hand down to Axel. He hesitated for a second, then took it and got to his feet.
“You were going rogue, weren’t you?” Kamryn asked.
He gave her a killer look, but remained silent.
“You wanna’ hit me?” She shot the same look back at him, her nostrils flaring as she took a step closer. “Try it.”
Mark backed farther away. If she needed his help, he would give it, but he didn’t want to choose sides with tensions rising.
The muscles in Axel’s jaw tightened. His hands curled into fists. Now a foot from him, Kamryn’s voice became harsh, guttural.
“You were just thinking of Axel, you selfish dick. What about the dead agent Mark found? What about Wong and Nelson? What about the hundreds before them? They all had families, too. Who’s seeking justice for them?”
Mark was mesmerized by the raw emotions pouring out of Kamryn, while Axel struggled to keep his reactions in check.
“You need to get your head out
of your ass, Von Radach. Get serious about this mission. If you can’t, I’ll buy you a damned one-way ticket back to Terra, because you don’t belong here.”
Axel blinked. One tiny tell, the first breach in his wall. Kamryn saw it, too. She flung the door open, standing her ground.
“We’re a family. If you don’t want to be a part of this, then the hell with you.”
Time dragged. At last, Axel heaved a deep sigh and brought a fist to his chest, dropping his head in compliance.
Mark wondered what the emotional price tag had been for his friend to concede—and in front of the whole team. He secretly awarded the title of grandes cojones to Kamryn for accomplishing a move he never would have tried.
Kamryn offered her arm for the second time. Axel clasped it. Their eyes met, the rift fading as their bond knitted together again.
***
At Kamryn’s request, Ohashi’s research provided MPLE criminal stats on the city of Aurora. The highest crime rate district was called the Cemetery. The Dead Dog Bar sat right in the middle. Kamryn decided it would be their first stop.
Petra joined Eva in convincing them to adopt disguises. Eva combined a few chemicals from her cache to create a hair coloring compound. Petra rubbed the salve into Kamryn’s hair, waited five minutes, wrapped her head in a hot, moist towel for two minutes before removing it—and voilà! Kamryn was a blonde. To complete the transformation, she chose a pair of large, amber-tinted wraparound glasses, plus one gold-spiked ear cuff.
After Kamryn, the three women wore Mark down until he agreed to let Petra work her magic. His hair went from blond to blue-black. Mark couldn’t see it, but said he felt different knowing he’d adopted a dark-haired persona.
Axel refused. Remaining withdrawn, he opted instead for a shaved head; there wasn’t more than an inch to shave off, anyway.
Since the crew was splitting up, Kamryn showed Eva and the two cybers where to hide their stun batons. Eva chose to strap the mini stun baton to her thigh for easy access, since she’d be wearing a dress. Ohashi preferred to hide hers inside a sleeve, while Petra chose to tape it under her breasts. Functioning as Eva’s security, both cybers would be carrying pulse sidearms in plain view. Everyone set their comms to a new frequency, but kept one open to the MAVREK-II, just in case.
Upon leaving, Kamryn, Axel and Mark rode the service elevator down to the laundry, going out the exit, across the alley, and into the adjacent office building.
Kamryn stated the ground rules while they walked. “I’ve worked undercover before. Since neither of you have, it’s best if you follow my lead. What we need is information on either the Parkers or their arms dealers. Because Coulter was a woman, let’s say she groomed Valerie Parker to be the dominant figure of the twins, which means she’s the decision maker. If these people dealt with her, they’ll deal with me. That makes me the heavy. You two are my bodyguards, nothing more. Just guard the body. Don’t let anyone close enough to touch me. You need names.”
Mark checked Axel, who remained quiet, then suggested, “Jekyll and Hyde?”
She snorted. “Too high class. But Kell and Hyde will do. One syllable each.”
“And your name?”
“Marixa Tecton. It’s a cover I used years ago in a similar setup. If anyone checks, it’s got legend, plenty of background, lots of bona fides.”
To avoid being tracked by surveillance systems, they used a combination of buildings and going through back exits to alleyways. Further shielding their movements, they trekked for at least a mile before catching a green Martian hover cab to the chosen destination. The last several blocks were covered on foot to gauge the crime-ridden neighborhood and ingress to the bar. Flashing neon lights spelled out Dead Dog Bar in glowing cherry red.
“If you have to shoot,” Kamryn said, “use your pulse gun. No ammo to trace. Don’t target either. Take a moving shot, as if you were being attacked, so you fired in self-defense.” She pointed to Mark. “Kell, remember your training. Down and dirty, instant elimination. You’re a bad guy. Act like one.” Kamryn then pointed to Axel. “Hyde, don’t advertise your strength. Minimal effort for maximum effect.” She reached up to the neck of her tunic, pulling the tab down and exposing a red lacy plunging push-up bra, which held a generous helping of décolletage. She caught Mark eyeing her. “What? I like girly undies.”
Mark nodded his approval. “Exquisite.”
“Okay, boys, let’s make an entrance.”
Mark swung open the door to the dive. Swirls of smoky air gushed out, smelling of illegal substances, outdone by the unmistakable order of plumbing problems. Axel swept in first, scanning the interior, then stepped aside.
Kamryn strutted in, chin held high, eyes straight ahead. All sound ceased. She took long, slow, deliberate strides; twin pulse sidearms low on her hips, black coat flicking at her calves. As a tall, curvy brunette, she’d always garnered attention. As a six-foot, spiky haired blonde baring a chest full of cleavage, she’d become a real showstopper. She strode past men at the bar, leaving a trail of drool in her wake.
They sat at a small table, their backs to the wall, Kamryn flanked by her guards. All three faced the front door. The noise level ratcheted up and things returned to business as usual. The bartender didn’t waste time making his way over to take their order. He hurried back holding a tray of glasses and a bottle of Namuzko brandy.
Kamryn reached out, caressing his hand. “I need something else to go with this.” She licked her lips, batted her eyes, pouted.
The rotund man smiled. “Name it.”
“Argus Island Spices.”
“Their rep isn’t here.”
“Could you contact them?” She puckered up and blew him a kiss.
“Maybe.”
She nodded at Mark, who pushed a Terran hundred-dollar bill toward the fat guy.
He snatched it off the table. “Wait here. This might take a while.”
They sat listening to tawdry jokes and foul language for an hour, watching the insular clientele drink themselves into a stupor. Some outlaws were full of easy money, with a penchant for immoral outlets of spending it. On the flip side of the coin were crooks who needed money in the worst way and would do anything to get it, which left no shortage of suspects for any crime in the book.
The door opened, exposing a small, nondescript form. As it approached, Kamryn saw it was a slight man dressed in brown from head to foot, even his hat. He walked straight to her table.
“Good morning. I’m Captain Millson. And you would be…?”
“Marixa Tecton.” She gestured to the extra chair.
He sat, whipping out a tablet, tapping the screen with speed rivaling Ohashi’s. “Ah, yes, Miss Tecton. You’re a blonde now.”
“We have more fun,” she crooned, smirking.
“I can see that.” He tossed jealous looks from Mark to Axel. “I’m the Argus representative. What can I do for you?”
“We have need of your product.”
“What type of spice, how much, when and where?”
“My employer—”
Loud voices in the opposite corner turned into shouts. Expletives filled the air maligning someone’s mother. Chairs were knocked over as a scuffle ensued, then an all-out brawl erupted. Glass shattered, shots rang out, bodies fell.
Millson screamed. Not waiting to find out why, Axel picked him up and carried him toward the exit while Mark ushered Kamryn out. Half a dozen other patrons ran out as well.
Axel set Millson down in the alley, at which point the man collapsed. Mark knelt next to him, noticing a blood trail. He quickly found a shoulder wound. Kamryn bent down, snapping open a vial of AZ2 under his nose. Millson’s eyes flew open.
“You were shot,” Mark said. “Where should we take you?”
He fished out his tablet, thumbed up an address, then passed out again.
The address was four blocks away, but within the Cemetery neighborhood. Axel carried Millson as they jogged through back alleys to get there. His door fea
tured a biometric print scanner. Mark pressed Millson’s hand on it. The door unlocked and swayed back a few inches.
Mark entered with both guns drawn. Axel followed with Millson as Kamryn closed the door, which turned on the lights in the well-appointed apartment. Axel laid Millson on the center island in the kitchen and cut away the clothes covering his torso.
Mark inspected the wound. “A through and through. No ammo in the body, which means the shell could have hit any one of us.”
Kamryn said, “Give him a taste of pain meds.”
Mark complied. Kamryn produced a small syringe and stabbed Millson in the neck, followed by another hit of AZ2. Millson’s eyes flew open again.
Kamryn began firing questions at him. “Did you broker a deal between Argus and Valerie or Victor Parker?”
Millson blinked rapidly while nodding.
“Speak. Yes or no?”
“Y-yes.”
“How long ago?
“Two…days.”
“What was the price?”
He seemed confused.
“Captain,” she swatted his cheek in a very unfeminine manner, “what was the price?”
“Six hundred fifty…thousand.”
“Have the goods been delivered?”
“Y-yes.”
“To what location?”
Millson became drowsy, slurring his responses, but gave up information that half went to an underground bunker at Hillside 953B, with the remainder to a ship, the Citadel 76-M, docked at the Aurora Spaceport.
“What was your fee for brokering this deal?”
“Ten percent.”
“You will anonymously donate that amount to the family of MPLE Officer Carl Ivarsson two days from now. Confirm.”
“Y-yes.”
“Do you know a doctor who makes house calls?”
He nodded.
“Contact them to request treatment for a gunshot.” Kamryn handed Millson his tablet. She noted his passcode to unlock it, along with his direct contact information for the Parkers and Argus Island Spice.
