Hostile Territory

by Tom Andry

  "As long as we stick together," Guzel added.

  "But if he scares off the US..." Enrico let the sentence hang.

  It still sounded off to me. But I was no politician, "So," I looked back at the man, "do you have any proof? Anything substantial?"

  Guzel shook her head, "We've tried. He covers his tracks well."

  "Could he just be a patsy? Some sort of scapegoat? Is there anyone else that might gain from the removal of two US Ambassadors?"

  Enrico stepped forward, "We've explored every possible angle. We really don't see anyone else that could want your predecessors removed."

  My brows furrowed, "Are you sure?" I nodded at Guzel, "I thought she might be into me until we got here."

  Guzel let go her scratchy laugh, smoke pouring out with each chuckle, "Men. You are such easy prey."

  I looked at her, "If we are so easy, why haven't you found out for yourself? Taken a closer look at this Australian?"

  It was Enrico's turn to chuckle, "She tried. He said she wasn't his type."

  She scowled at her Argentinian friend, "I'm everyone's type."

  I shrugged, "I tend to agree but apparently not. But I have to ask you, where is your sentry? He's got one. I've, apparently, got one. But not you?"

  Her wicked smile returned, "Who would want to hurt me? I'm so innocent and silly. People lust after or hate the stupid, pretty girl. They don't think she might be conspiring against them."

  "What about other women? The ones that hate you?"

  Her eyes narrowed though the smile didn't waver, "Alliances and accidents - the cornerstones of any good foreign policy."

  A cold shiver crawled down my back. This woman was much more than I had thought. Obviously by her design. I'd have to remember not to turn my back on her. Still...if she thought it was in her best interest, what might she do? A few graphic images passed across my eyes. I swallowed.

  As if she could read my mind, she shifted position, sticking one hip out and taking a long drag off her cigarette. I took a deep breath and then pulled my eyes away. Enrico was glaring at me. Did they have a thing together or was he being played the same way she was trying to play me? Probably both.

  "Okay, enough bullshit." I put my chin down, talking as much to myself as to them, "It sounds like you two don't know crap about what's going on. You have suspicions, but they could just as easily be wrong. There is only one way to be sure."

  As I spoke, the door behind me slid open. I turned and a tall, potbellied man wearing a button-up shirt with a logo I didn't recognize on the breast and a pair of tight jeans stepped in. His skin was tanned and leathery except for around his eyes and toward his ears where he had obviously been wearing sunglasses. His hair was longer at the back than the front.

  At his feet, a pool of black followed him like a glossy, noonday shadow. He stopped a few feet from us, but the pool continued forward and undulated just before me. Bubbles appeared in the middle and I took a step back, bumping into Guzel who had apparently put me between the visitor and herself. The bubbles started to form a figure, which pulled up from the middle of the pool like some sort of marionette. It dripped black ooze for a few seconds before it coalesced into a vaguely humanoid shape. It gurgled violently at the super now standing in front of Enrico. Guzel put a hand on my shoulder, probably to keep me between the oily super and her.

  It looked back at the large tippy and nodded once, falling back into a puddle like it was a popped water balloon.

  The large man stepped forward, his hand extended, "G'day. I'm Garvey. Everett Garvey. Everyone just calls me Garvey though, mate."

  * * *

  Chapter 10

  I took the man's hand. It was a firm grip and slightly wet. He was at least a few inches taller than me and he smiled at me warmly.

  "You must be Bob. I've been looking for ya."

  I released his hand. The man smelled of suntan lotion, "That's me, Garvey. And you are looking for me...why?"

  He laughed, "Oh, just to make your acquaintance, mostly. I missed the last one from the States and I didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Ya want to walk with me? I'm on my way to dinner."

  I glanced back at the ambassadors from Argentina and Turkey. Their faces revealed nothing. It was as if they were all great friends. I raised an eyebrow, but put it down before I turned back, "Sure...I guess. Umm..."

  The other two ambassadors excused themselves, shaking my and the Australian's hand with the same vigor and enthusiasm on the way out. Guzel made sure to step well around the black pool still surrounding the feet of the Aussie. It inched toward her as she passed. The Australian stomped his foot.

  "Behave, you. You know she don't like that." Garvey turned back to me. "So, you got introduced to them flying discs, hey?"

  I nodded unenthusiastically, "Against my will, yes."

  The Australian Ambassador laughed, his great belly bouncing, "I know what you mean, mate. Bit too much like a coffin for me. But, when in Rome and all."

  He stepped out the door, the disc waiting. The bubble surrounded him and, from my vantage point, he simply vanished. I stepped up to the door and looked down. The large man was speeding down like he was shot out of a cannon. My view was obstructed as another disc slid into place.

  I swallowed.

  It would probably be fine. Everyone else appeared unconcerned. But they didn't know the supers like I did. Gale and I used to laugh at her stories. Lying in bed on a Sunday morning, talking about whose deathray malfunctioned and started shooting crickets. But it wasn't so funny when you needed to trust your life to it in order to save face. I considered calling Gale on my USB, but I didn't want to think about the repercussions. How she would react to me after our recent discussion and that flirty Turk, not to mention how calling Gale would be perceived by the Australian. Finally, I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

  For a moment, nothing happened. I turned, looking for another of those speaker panels. I finally spied it just inside the small hallway that led from the disc to the door, but before I could step off and see how it worked, the bubble closed around me.

  Now that I didn't have a beautiful woman sharing my space, I could be properly terrified by the journey. I was high. Very high. And the ground was rushing at me like I was driving my car toward it with the pedal down. I managed to look around. The bubble distorted my view, but I could see others using the discs. They all looked irritatingly calm.

  Before I could remember how to use the USB to call Gale for help, I landed. The bubble popped and I could suddenly hear everything clearly again. I shook my head, glad to be down.

  "That's full on, ain't it?" the Aussie was next to me. He slapped me on the shoulder good-naturedly, "It sure does have a lot of pucker power. The first few times, I needed a change of daks, but now I kind of like it. In an 'oh my God, I'm gonna die' sort of way." He nodded, "This way. I forgot, I need to grab some papers from my office."

  He led me back toward the large central area where I'd seen...or thought I'd seen...Doc Arts. I couldn't help but be extra wary.

  "Boy, you already got the look of a hunted man and you just got here." He motioned to a bench near one of the thickets of vines. I nodded and sat, "That'll serve you well around here. Lots of crocs in the water, if you know what I mean."

  I smiled, "I'm learning. So, Garvey, what can I do for you?"

  "Well, mate, I'm just going to play this straight. I know how that vixen that spirited you away can be. I'm just going to put my cards on the table."

  "How very...unpolitical of you."

  He laughed again, "I reckon you'd appreciate that. From what I heard, you're a bit of a lone wolf. Play by your own rules. People say I'm like that."

  "From what I hear, you don't have to be."

  "What'cha mean?"

  "Well, when you've got what the supers want, you make the rules."

  A broad grin spread across his tanned face, "I reckon you're right at that, mate. But, see, that's just the thing. That other guy, Sanders, he did
n't like me much. I reckon you blokes, if anyone, know what it's like to be hated just 'cause you're on top. So right now, we got lots of stuff the supers want. Lots of minerals, metals, and more that you may have, but you've got all that bureaucracy to go through. We don't. That ain't our fault. And it ain't our fault that we're taking advantage of it. Anyone else'd do the same."

  I nodded, "I suppose."

  "So, what I'm hoping is a bloke like you, well, maybe you understand that. See, I come from a long line of miners. If a miner knows one thing, no vein runs forever. Maybe you understand this ain't got to be about who's got what. We can all have some. Right now we have more. Later on, that may change. So, why squabble?"

  I leaned back, listening. The man seemed sincere. But then again, so had Guzel. His accent was thick and his informality could be purposeful. Was he trying to put me at ease or maybe cover how intelligent he really was? How many people had used informal language to cover devious plans over the years? Politics made my head hurt. Was this supposed to be a veiled threat? Was he telling me that I'd better fall in line with him or risk the same fate as my predecessors? Or did he really just want to have an ally?

  "That's easy to say when you've got the top spot," I tested. He just smiled, seemingly unconcerned. "So, you knew Sanders? I never met the man."

  Garvey rolled his eyes, "He was a seppo if I ever met one..."

  "Seppo?"

  "Typical American. Boring. Always counting pennies and talking about sport no one cares about. No sense of humor that guy."

  "Yeah, but 'seppo'?"

  The big man actually looked uncomfortable. "Yank. Rhymes with 'tank'. Septic tank. Seppos."

  "The inference being not only do the words rhyme, but we are all full of shit?"

  He shrugged, "I didn't invent the word. Though too often it fits."

  I frowned, "This coming from a politician."

  Garvey laughed, "Fair enough! But anyway, Sanders. He was all right most of the time. Drove a hard bargain. I was surprised he left. He was always hanging out with those two," he nodded back toward the auditorium. "But, I figured I'd make your acquaintance before they got their claws into you. At least then you could make your own decisions. I don't know what they've got planned, but you have to remember that, around here, it is us," he pointed at his chest, "then you, and then everyone else. That makes you a prime target for people trying to ride coattails. Russia's making a pretty good go of it lately, but I'm not seeing how they can really get past you. What with all that squabbling those guys do. They've got heaps of resources, but not the organization."

  I shrugged. I didn't know anything about Russian politics.

  "No worries," the Aussie stood, "I just wanted to put that out there. You're welcome to band up with those two like Sanders did, or whatever else. I don't rightly care. But I just hoped that this time around, we could at least keep some lines of communication open."

  I stood as well, "I don't see why not."

  The big man smiled again, shaking my hand vigorously, "Well, I certainly hope so. I've got to run. Got this meeting, but I wanted to meet you. Do a buck's night. Get rotten and forget all about these politics."

  I wasn't exactly sure what I was agreeing to, but it sounded like alcohol would be involved. I watched the Australian leave, greeting people boisterously as he went. He was loud and obnoxious and it didn't appear to be a show. I pursed my lips, trying to keep all the facts straight and came to the conclusion that all I really had was a bunch of hearsay.

  I looked around, realizing I had no idea which elevator bank was mine. I glanced down at my USB and found it displaying a map. I hadn't set it to do that so maybe that was the default state. I found that many of the buildings and locales were labeled as was my office and suite. I stood and made my way to what the USB showed as the northern set of elevators.

  I skipped the office and headed straight to the suite. The elevator opened to a huge room with a kitchen to one side and open area on the other with seating facing the large windows and one of the walls. In between was a substantial table with enough space for at least twelve, though I could guess by the amount of space around it that it could be extended to fit more. The furnishings were sparse, but tasteful, the colors a combination of pastels.

  I sort of hated this room, too.

  "Something to drink," I called out. One of the walls near the sitting area opened and revealed a fully stocked bar. I noticed a disproportionate number of scotch bottles. I smiled, picked one that looked expensive and poured two fingers. There was a hallway that led off the kitchen and back to the master suite. My luggage was neatly stacked on my bed. I headed for the bathroom, glad to finally have found one. I'd have to remember to be empty when I left the suite or office - I didn't seem to be able to walk two steps without running into someone who wanted me for something.

  After I finished, I secured the earpiece and sighed. It would be good to have Mind back. She could be annoying, but I could use her information and help, "I'm back. How much of all that could your hear?"

  I picked up my drink in one hand and the Multikey in the other. I'd need to place this somewhere near their computers. While pretty much all these tables and devices were tied into the main system, Mind had always insisted on me placing the key as close as possible to the controlling computer. It cut down on the number of systems she had to navigate to get at the main one and it was, she said, safer overall.

  "Mind?"

  Nothing. Using the Q-tip-like tool, I removed the earpiece and checked it. It was on and the little light indicated that it still had most of its charge. I replaced it in my ear.

  "Mind? Can you hear me?"

  Nothing. No static, no feedback, nothing.

  I sat on the edge of the bed, pushing the suitcase that was digging into my lower back to the side. I pulled out my 19 keychain and polished it on the bed sheet. Mind had been concerned that this might happen, but I hadn't believed her. The City might be shielded, she had warned. So I'd be on my own until she could take over the correct system so that she could bypass it.

  "Damn."

  I looked down at the Multikey, resisting the urge to plug it into the nearest socket. I wasn't in some tippy office. I wasn't even in a high-tech government installation. I was in the Super City. If she were going to get caught anywhere, it'd be here. I needed to find the main computer area. At least the building. That'd be enough. I'd seen Mind crack a system in literal minutes when I'd stuck the key into the actual computer. I'd also seen her take days when I couldn't get that close.

  The months I spent at EnviroKop were fresh. I didn't want to repeat that here.

  Ted. Ted would know. But how to ask him?

  A sound chimed. I stood, replacing the Multikey in my ankle compartment and my keychain to my pocket. I walked back out to the main room and noticed the front door glowing. I walked up to it slowly, not sure what to expect. When I got within a meter or so, the door started to vanish. No, not vanish. Become translucent like the walls of the transport. On the other side, oblivious to my presence, was Chris.

  "Um...open?"

  The door slid to the side and Chris walked in, his expression pained, "You could have told me you were back, you know."

  He stomped in and the door shut behind him. He plodded over to the couch and flopped down, sighing heavily. He reached into his shirt and, with a grunt, pulled out what looked to be a US flag pin, but with no back. Chris leaned forward, his head in his hands.

  "God, I hate this part," he grunted.

  With the uniquely awful sound of skin and bones stretching, contracting, and, it sounded to me, breaking, Chris' form changed. In under a minute, he was taller, but thinner, his dark skin glistening with sweat. He sat back and cinched up his belt to keep his oversized pants from falling off.

  I smiled, "Welcome back, Alan."

  "Ugh...I need a drink. Got any of that firewater you seem to prefer?"

  I laughed as the wall opened and Alan noticed all the bottles of scotch, "Yeah, a bit." I pou
red him a stiff drink and walked it over to him. "So, how was your day?"

  He shrugged, "Fine. Used that 'covert mode' of Ted's. Found out some stuff." His eyes narrowed, "Have you been smoking?"

  "No. That's from the Turkish Ambassador."

  "And is that lipstick on your collar?"

  I pulled the collar out. Sure enough, it was there. Obviously planted by the Ambassador. Boy, she knew how to play the game. I pulled my jacket off and started taking off my shirt. "That's from her too."

  Alan laughed, "Your afternoon seems much more interesting than mine. I'll go first. Your useless assistant is back. I sent him out to scout the area. Figure things out. He had just returned before I left to come up here. He says the word with the other assistants is that the ambassadors are tense. That they think something is up with all the new US Ambassadors and they're not sure what. The fact that all the big countries have started employing sentries hasn't helped."

  "Makes sense." I walked to my bedroom, Alan following. I noticed the tool I used with the earpiece on the edge of the bed and I threw my dirty shirt on it before Alan could notice. I opened my suitcase and started rummaging through for a fresh shirt. Right on top was one of my Supers Suck t-shirts. I grimaced, remembering Gale's reaction. I picked it up and stared at it for a moment, considering. Should I toss it in the hopes that Gale might end up here at some point? I shook my head at my own hubris. That was so far from reality I couldn't believe I'd thought it up.

  Still...

  "Alan, you want this?"

  Alan looked at me, "What? You love those shirts."

  "Yeah, well...you want it or not?"

  He put his hands up in mock surrender, "Bob, how you get away with wearing those without getting blasted off the planet is a mystery for the ages. I wouldn't touch one of those with a ten-foot pole."

  I shrugged and threw it to the side. I'd toss it in the garbage later. "What else did you guys find out?"

  "Not a lot. As I suspected, there is some sort of underground black market here. You can't have this many people and not have some sort of illegal activities. All supers are welcome here, even the 'evil' ones, so no one is surprised. All fighting has to take place in the Proving Ground area and killing is strictly prohibited. Though, I'm told, accidents happen."