The Rings of Grissom: Tales of a Former Space Janitor

by Julia Huni

  While we watch from the courtyard, a small team follows Vanti into the house. They send drones flying through the halls. Team members hurry to open doors.

  “There are some locked doors on the third floor,” a short man reports to Vanti.

  “Those are probably ours.” She hurries away, the little guy following behind.

  While they finish the scan, Serena grabs O’Neill’s arm. “Can we let people back in? Lili was ready to put her dress on. The guests will be arriving in twenty minutes!”

  He calms his mother, walking her back to the lounge. My ring vibrates—a vid message. I pull it up. Unrecognized caller. I send the number to my search app and run a check on the message content. Nothing dangerous. I make a copy and store it in my quarantined backups, then flick play.

  Bobby Putin’s face appears in my palm.

  Thirty-Four

  “Ty!” I yell.

  In the recording, Bobby laughs. “Are you having fun, yet? I hope you didn’t have too much trouble getting away from Vern. He’s pretty useless when it comes to physical restraint. But I couldn’t make it too easy.”

  “Got one!” someone yells from the third floor.

  “—emptied the building by now. Let me know when you find my little present.” Bobby shakes his head. “Oh, wait, you can’t. You have no way to find me. I’ll just have to watch. It’s not over, though. I told you I’d make your life a living hell. I’ll slowly threaten and kill everyone you love. Starting with…” He pauses. “You’ll just have to figure that part out for yourself.”

  O’Neill arrives just in time to see Bobby wave and disappear. “What—”

  I try to replay the message, but it’s gone. As I pull the copy from my quarantined memory block, I ask, “What did they find?”

  “Explosives in your room—under your bed. And in Vanti’s and the avenger boys’.” He grins a little as he uses the nickname. “But the one in your room wasn’t wired properly. And the other two were small—they might have maimed anyone inside the room, but they wouldn’t have killed.”

  “He said he’s going to target people I love,” I say, slowly. “Those explosives were decoys. He’s going after someone else. My family. Kara. You.” I replay the quarantined copy of the message.

  Vanti appears at O’Neill’s elbow. “I’ve already sent a message back to the office. They’ve doubled up security on Dame Morgan and Ser Chaturvedi. I’ll check in with the office on Kaku and have someone detailed to Kara.” She turns away as she flicks her holo-ring.

  “Can we please get those caterers back inside?” Serena hurries into the courtyard, Angie hot on her heels. “Guests will be arriving any minute!”

  “Maybe we should shift back to the venue.” O’Neill runs his hands through his hair. “Or cancel the wedding all together. Hold it later.”

  “He said he was targeting those I love,” I say. “Not that I don’t love your family, but they hardly seem close enough to be his victims. He also said he’s going to make this last for a long time—he wants us to be constantly looking over our shoulders.”

  “She’s right.” Serena grabs O’Neill’s arm. “You’ve checked the house—I saw all those drones. Surely, this is the safest possible place. This maniac is trying to rattle you, and he’s succeeding. I refuse to live in fear.”

  Vanti finishes her call and turns back. “They’re sending someone to watch Kara.”

  The tight ball of terror in my stomach relaxes a bit. My head gets kind of light, and I sit down on a chair nearby.

  She turns to O’Neill. “Your mom’s right. This place is more secure than the venue, and it’s just been scanned for explosives and hidden threats.”

  Before O’Neill can answer, Serena hurries away, calling out to the caterers, who can’t possibly hear her yet. “Come back inside!”

  As the caterers file back in, O’Neill and Vanti stop each of them for identity checks. Enzo, the baker, and his blonde assistant Seline, straggle in at the end. I wander over as they make some last-minute adjustments to their cake.

  “I thought you couldn’t move the cake?” I nod at the floating cupcakes. “Where’s the seventy-five hundred kilo grav generator hidden?”

  Enzo’s face goes red, and the woman cackles. “She got you, Enzo! I told you not to exaggerate that much.”

  Enzo inhales a deep breath and blows it out, hard enough to make the closest cupcakes wiggle. I make a mental note not to eat those. “I’ve been studying Chef Pierre.” He ignores the woman’s continued laughter. “When he takes a commission, he claims it’s impossible to complete. That there’s no way anyone could possibly pull it off—whatever it is. There isn’t enough time.” He flings his arm up. “The materials necessary aren’t available.” He flings out the other arm, then drops both and shrugs. “Then he miraculously delivers exactly what the client requested. People go gaga. They think he’s a magician. I’ve been trying it myself, but it always backfires.”

  The blonde stops laughing. “Chef Pierre is a master at the technique. You could ask for a cookie, and he’d have you believing it was impossible. Then, viola! The cookie appears, as if by magic. Enzo hasn’t really perfected the technique.” She chuckles again.

  “I guess the key is to make your stumbling blocks less heavy.” I smile. “I’m glad you made it work. I gotta get dressed.”

  I leave the bakers and hurry up the steps to my room. When I arrive, the door is open, and my belongings are strewn everywhere. The rugs have been flung back, furniture is dragged away from walls, and my clothing has been pulled from the closet and flung on the bed. I guess I should have expected that—they said they searched. I detour to Vanti’s room and knock on the door.

  “Come in.” The voice is muffled.

  I push the door open. A large box lays on the bed. The top has fallen to the floor, and piles of tissue spill across the bed and carpets. Vanti stands at the foot of the bed, staring into the box. “You bought me the dress,” she whispers. “Why did you do that?”

  “You looked amazing in it.” I squirm a little under her intense stare. “That dress needed you.”

  She chuckles, but tears roll down her cheeks. “I can’t accept—I’ve never had anything so—”

  “You should hang this up.” I take the dress from the box and shake it out. Vera, the bridal salon lady, must have sprinkled it with magic. It hangs from my fingers, perfect and unwrinkled. “Or not. Just put it on. You’ll look amazing.”

  “Why?” She wipes her cheeks on her shirt sleeve and turns to me. “Why did you buy it?”

  “Because we’re friends. Because I could, and I wanted you to have it.” I hold it toward her. “Put it on.”

  She takes the dress and lays it back on the bed. Standing with her back to me, she stares down at it. “I really shouldn’t.”

  “It’s already done,” I say. “They won’t take it back. You may as well wear it. Otherwise, it will just go to waste.”

  Her fingers hover over the dress, as if a force field is keeping them away. Finally, she touches the skirt. In a flurry, she twists around, flings her arms around me and squeezes hard. Her arms drop away, and she spins back to the bed before I can hug her back. “Thank you,” she whispers.

  “You’re welcome. Put it on. I want to see you in it.” While she slips into the dress, I pick up the tissue paper, blinking to keep from crying, too. “Hey, why is my room such a mess, but yours isn’t?” Aside from the box and tissue paper, everything is in its place. “They even pulled back the carpets in my room.”

  She clears her throat. “You’re the principal. Your safety is our priority. Do you want help putting it back?”

  “No, that’s fine.”

  “How do I look?”

  I turn. “You look fabulous. I need to get dressed, too.” I move toward the door, but something Bobby said flickers on the edge of my memory. “Did they search your room at all?”

  “Of course. But they know better than to mess with my stuff.” She smirks.

  “What about
Ty—did they search his room?”

  “They searched all the rooms.” If she says anything else, I don’t hear it. I’m racing down the stairs.

  I stare at the closed doors along the balcony. I don’t know which one is his. “Ty!” I yell as I pound on the first door.

  It opens. “Why aren’t you dressed?” Akiko asks. She’s wearing the midnight blue gown she tried on yesterday. The style looks fabulous on her curvy form. Aretha, dressed in a more severe style in the same color, peeks over her shoulder.

  “Where’s Ty?”

  “His room is down there.” Aretha points. “You should get dressed,” she calls after me.

  I race along the balcony and pound on the third door. Aretha didn’t specify which one. “Ty!”

  Ro pops out. Or maybe it’s Yuri. “Sorry, wrong room. He’s next door.”

  I run to the next one, but it opens before I can knock. O’Neill stands there, wearing dark blue dress pants and an unbuttoned white shirt. My breath catches in my throat as I stare at his bare chest.

  “Triana?” He grips my shoulders. “Are you all right?”

  The room has gotten too hot. Air isn’t reaching my lungs, and my head swims. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

  “Triana?” He shakes my shoulders, but his face swims in and out of focus. “Ro! Get a MedChek!”

  My legs tremble and disappear from beneath my body. I slide sideways, the walls swinging around me.

  Thirty-Five

  I blink at the ceiling. This isn’t my room—the light is all wrong. And this ceiling is blue not white. I turn my head. Vanti sits in a chair near the window, her beautiful green skirt filling the chair. The room is quiet, but the clink of glasses and chattering of people provides a soft layer of white noise.

  “You should be at the wedding,” I whisper.

  Vanti’s head snaps toward me, but I can’t see her face with the evening light streaming in behind her. “How do you feel?”

  I sit up. “I’m okay. What happened?”

  “Food poisoning.” She stands and moves closer. “Some of the desserts were literally poisoned. You happened to get one of them when you filched a snack. The MedChek recommended an antidote that put you right, though. Otherwise, you’d be at the clinic in a pod.”

  “Where’s Ty?”

  “I made him go down for the wedding.” She shrugs. “It’s his sister getting married.”

  “Did they throw out all the food?”

  “Yeah. The girls were not happy. But we ordered a bunch of stuff from local restaurants. Hot wings and barbeque ribs. The twins were thrilled. Jie seemed pretty happy, too.”

  “What about the wedding cake?” In my mind, I can see the cupcakes orbiting their larger brothers.

  “It seems to be okay. The bakers were able to provide vid of the bakery—no one came in or went out except them. And that Chef Pierre guy, but he didn’t go anywhere near the cakes.”

  “So, it’s safe to eat?”

  “Probably not. We’ll have someone test each piece as they cut it.” She grins. “We’re billing it all to Don Putin.”

  “He won’t pay it.”

  “He will if we can catch his scumbag son.” Her jaw tightens. “And we need to catch him. Having this hanging over your head every day is going to get old really fast.”

  “You’re telling me.” I flip back the covers and get out of bed. “Any chance I can get you to retrieve my gown?”

  “It’s in the bathroom.” She points. “You feeling ready to party?”

  “I don’t know about partying, but I’m ready to go downstairs. Whose room is this?” I look at the dark walls, the Lether chair, and the heavy, old-fashioned books.

  “It’s Griz’s. You collapsed, so he put you on the bed.” She smirks. “Don’t worry, I was here the whole time. Nothing untoward happened.”

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not worried about that.” I move slowly because my head feels like it might crack open at any second.

  “Are you in pain?” Vanti follows me to the bathroom.

  “No, just not feeling particularly solid. I’ll be right out.” I slide the door shut and do my business. Then I shuck my clothing and step into the gold gown Hy-Mi sent for this event. It slides on, smooth and cool against my skin. The asymmetrical neckline frames my face, and the fabric fits snugly against my upper body. The full skirt flares out from my waist in a swirl of liquid gold. I slide on the matching sandals.

  My hair is another matter. I stare in the mirror at my frizzy red corkscrews. “What am I supposed to do with this?” I wail.

  Vanti knocks on the door. “You need some help?”

  I fling the door open. “Why does your hair always look so fabulous, and mine is such a rat’s nest?”

  “Mine’s naturally straight.” She shrugs. “I would have killed for curls like these when I was a kid. Let me help.” She sits me down in the Lether chair and starts to work.

  “Something’s been bothering me.” I look back at her, but she grabs the top of my head and twists it forward. “I wasn’t quite sure what, but it’s just there—on the edge of my brain.”

  “Maybe if you don’t think about it, it’ll come clear.” She wields her comb in silence for a few minutes.

  “Ouch!”

  “When’s the last time you combed this mess?”

  “This morning, believe it or not.” I flick away a tear. “Ow! Watch it!”

  “I’m watching. I’m always watching. It’s what I do.”

  “Yeah, but you’re not an aesthetician.” Her words jiggle something in my brain. “Always watching—Bobby said he’ll be watching! He’s watching the wedding.”

  “He said something about your holo-ring, too, didn’t he?” She yanks another strand of hair.

  “Yeah.” I flick my ring and start a diagnostic running. “But I don’t think he can watch me through it. I mean, he could track me. But there’s no way to—unless there’s a routine that trips nearby cams and sends their signal to him? He made it sound more immediate than that.”

  “Done.” Vanti steps back. “Not too shabby. Go take a look.”

  I hurry to the bathroom. She’s combed out a few of my curls to make ringlets around my face. The rest have been pinned into an elaborate updo. She’s tamed the frizz and threaded something through the hair—a narrow strand of fabric that matches my dress. Hy-Mi must have included it. I twist around, trying to see the back.

  “Here, hold still.” She flicks her holo-ring and takes a pic. “Here’s the back.”

  I stare at the pic, not seeing her amazing creation. “Could he be using my ring to activate other people’s cams?”

  “Wouldn’t he have to hack into everyone’s ring to do that? Who else was at that ceremony? Wait, Griz was there, wasn’t he?” She flicks the pic away and clicks on the communication icon.

  I grab her hand. “Let’s just talk to him. My hair looks fantastic. Thank you.”

  She smiles her tiny smile and heads for the door.

  We pause at the top of the last flight of steps. The courtyard has been transformed. Tiny lights glint in nets strung across the open space, creating a flickering ceiling above the guests. The cakes float in the pavilion, lights glinting off the tiny sparkles. Smartly dressed people watch silently, all focused on a single spot.

  Lili and Jie stand beside the small pond before a woman in a flowing white robe. Behind her, the tapestry I spotted in the cloister earlier forms a backdrop that looks like a fairy tale landscape. Lili’s beautiful silver gown sparkles against the dark blue of her family’s clothes. Ty, Brad, Ro, and Yuri tower over Serena, Angie, and the girls. Jie’s family, dressed in black, provides a backdrop for his bright red suit.

  The white-clad woman stretches her arms wide, and her voice rings out. “Is there anyone present who believes this joining to be unlawful or misjudged?” She stares around the room, eyes narrow in her dark face. “So be it! Jie, do you pledge to honor, love, and cherish Lili as your wife today and every day, for as long as y
ou both shall live?”

  “I do,” Jie says, his voice strong and steady.

  “And Lilian, do you pledge to honor, love, and cherish Jie as your husband today and every day for as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do.” Lili’s voice squeaks a bit, and someone giggles. She grins. “Really, I do.”

  Everyone laughs.

  As the minister launches into a lengthy dissertation on what “forever” means, my mind wanders. I let my gaze travel over the people assembled here, thinking about Bobby’s threat. He could hurt me through so many of these people. Ty, obviously. Bobby wouldn’t hesitate to take him down, given the chance. But the others mean something to me, too. Serena and Brad. Ro and Yuri. They’re like family to me now. Aretha and Akiko are like those sisters you don’t quite get along with. And Angie—she’s the grandma I would pick for myself, if I could.

  I frown. I don’t know any of my grandparents. I’ve never met any of R’ger’s family, and the Ice Dame sprang fully formed from the top of SK2, I think. But these people are what family is supposed to be. People who annoy the heck out of you, but you still want to spend time with them. I could happily watch their children grow up and grow old.

  Which reminds me. Could Bobby be watching us right now? I pull up my hacker tools and scan the building. Vanti’s friends didn’t find anything, and I didn’t notice any strange transmissions from outside. But maybe Bobby hadn’t activated them yet. I turn slowly on my step, running my scanner across the rooms behind me. Around the balconies. Across the courtyard.

  There.

  “Vanti.” I nudge her with my elbow and point my eyes at my holo, carefully held below the balustrade so the wedding guests won’t notice. “What is that signal?”

  Her eyebrows draw together. “I don’t know. It’s coming from over there.” She juts her chin toward the wedding party.

  “Who is that next to Serena? The blonde?” I hadn’t noticed her a moment ago. “She’s part of the family—she’s wearing a blue—no way.” I send a message to Angie.