Chrono Inquisitor (Gods Be Damned) (35 page)

“You never said where I was going.”

“The elevator will take you straight to me.”

“And where might that be?”

“You ask too many questions.”

“I am an Inquisitor, it comes with the job.”

“I’m in a bunker beneath the golf course.”

“Another thing not in the blueprints.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know.”

“And I suppose you got answers to all my questions?”

“Go! Now! To the elevator.”

I shook my head in frustration and helped Cook to his feet. “She could have gave us a better heads up.”

I opened the door and the two of us ran out of the panic room, into the office, through the entertaining room, the foyer, and out into the hallway. No one was in sight, but gunshots could be heard somewhere off in the distance.

We raced down the hall towards the elevators.

“Shit,” I said, realizing something. “She never told us where exactly this elevator is located.”

Two meters ahead, off to our right, a digital painting slid to the left,  revealing what we’d been looking for.

“Ask, and you shall receive,” Cook said with a smile.

As we got closer, I realized the painting was Lightning Strikes. I smiled.

We got into the elevator and the painting slid back into position.

The ride was unpleasant, especially when it reached the bottom and suddenly went sideways. I nearly threw-up. Cook had to help me remain standing.

When the door opened, Sam and Nora were waiting for us.

Nora ran and hugged Cook. “I knew you wouldn’t betray us,” she said.

Betray us? I wondered.

“What happened?” Sam asked.

“Well my darlings, it would seem someone drugged me and tossed my ass in the panic room in my suite.”

“You up for sharing?” Sam asked him.

“Ready when you are my dear.”

Sam motioned Cook to a chair in front of a desk. She took the one behind it, across from him. When they were both seated she said, “Okay, go.”

I hadn’t thought to ask for his memories of what happened, but then I’d been too busy just trying to stay alive and un-imprisoned.

Since Nora didn’t seem to be busy while Sam was reviewing Cook’s memories, I went over and sat next to her on the couch.

“So, you and Ranger Stevenson, you two know each other, don’t you?” I said.

“What makes you say that?” she said, coyly.

“You’re a key suspect in the mysterious murder of your husband. We went to interrogate you, yet it turned into more of a visit with an aunt you haven’t seen in a few years. The whole thing was a sham. I was there in the banquet hall when your husband said he was going to take a nap. It seemed suspicious. From my understanding, he isn’t one who normally takes a nap.”

“What are you implying?” she said.

“I thought your husband was meeting someone, and he wanted it to be a secret, but then he acted like he was willing to blow it off to be with you. You on the other hand, you blew him off. To take a walk in the gardens. There was a vibe I picked up between you and Kody. Thought you might have been visiting him while taking your walk.”

There was a look in her eyes. A look which indicated I’d just backed a badger into a corner.

I was saved when Sam shouted, “Damn!”

“What?” Nora and I asked at the same time.

“
Shep didn’t see or hear anything. I thought there would have been something useful.”

“So what?” I said. “You have Noble in custody. He’s the one responsible. He and Dewhurst are the ones who disabled your security systems, and I’m fairly certain they were the ones who killed Beit.”

“Lillian knocked him out. We can’t extract his memories when he’s unconscious. And without either the footage, or his memories, we don’t have a case. ”

“Someone want to clue me in on what’s going on?” I asked.

“I’m afraid this is all our fault.” Sam said.

“Want to be a bit more specific?”

“I killed my husband,” Nora said, catching me completely off guard. She put her head in her hands and sobbed.

Sam immediately came over to us. She knelt down in front of Nora. “You did no such thing, and I won’t hear any more of that kind of talk.”

Nora lifted her head. “But if I hadn’t infected him, he’d still be alive.”

“You did what you thought was right, and if you hadn’t, either you or someone else would probably be dead right now. Either way, you aren’t responsible for what happened. You didn’t kill Julius.”

“Hold on,” I said. “You’re making things worse. Did she, or did she not, kill her husband?”

“No!” Sam said. She looked at Nora rather than me in order to drive her point home.

“Then why does she seem to think she did?” I asked.

“
Samii,” Cook cut in. “Maybe we should talk in private about this.”

He’d gotten up from his chair. He seemed completely back to normal now. Not that I really knew what normal was for him. I’d forgotten just how imposing he was. When he’d been dazed he’d hunched and hadn’t seemed quite so intimidating.

Sam stood and looked at him. “Travis needs to know what’s going on. We can’t keep him in the dark any longer.”

She turned to me. “I’m sorry, Travis, but this is all my fault.”

Cook interjected, “You’re walking a fine line, Samii. We can’t afford for anyone else to end up like Julius.”

“I know that
Shep.” Sam said, and then turned her attention back to me.

“I’m sorry,
Enki, I’m afraid I’m the cause of all this mess.”

I was beginning to want to rip my hair out or strangle her, probably both. “Just tell me what the hell is going on.”

“I can’t,” she said, looking upset and then turned away.

I felt my anger rise a couple of degrees above simmering. “In case you haven’t heard, not only am I being charged with theft by the Rangers for a crime I didn’t commit, apparently I’m also now wanted by
ChronoGen for being E3. You say you’re responsible somehow and that you have answers, but that you can’t tell me anything. I might as well just end my life now and save myself the grief.”

She turned and faced me again, shaking her head. “Now you’re just being overdramatic.”

“Am I? Please do tell, how should I be reacting?”

“There is a way to get the answers you want, but you won’t like it.”

“Yeah, and what would that be?”

“I can’t tell you, you’ll just have to trust me.”

“So there’s nothing you can tell me.”

“Only that there are answers.”

“Was Julius E3?” I asked. “Do you know that answer?”

“No.”

“That was two questions. Which one?”

“No.”

“Whatever. Do you know an Annabel Li Kwan?”

“Yes.”

“Is she E3?”

“No.”

“Are you?”

“No.”

“Samii,” Cook said, giving her a look to keep her mouth shut.

I smiled. “Well, would you look at that, you just answered my questions.”

“Only because you asked the wrong ones.”

“Let me guess, you know the right ones, but you can’t tell me.”

“Correct, at the moment.”

“Did Noble kill Beit?”

“No.”

This surprised me. She could be lying, but why would she?

“Then it was Dewhurst who did the deed.”

“No.”

Now I was confused.

“Do you know who did?”

“You’re asking the wrong interrogative.”

“What?”

“That’s a start.”

“Gods be damned, Sam, you’re worse now than when we were married.”

“I’ll give you all the answers you could ever want and more, but first you’ll have to do something which you won’t like. It’s also irreversible once it’s done.”

“
Samii!” Cook said, and grabbed her by the arm.

I stepped forward to assist, but it was unnecessary. Sam gave Cook a stern look and he quickly let go.

Sam turned back to me, but I was sick of all this roundabout bullshit.

“Fuck this and whatever mysterious magical answer key you got,” I said. “I have enough answers to go on. I now know that Beit, and whoever Mrs. Kwan is, aren’t Corruptors. If you’re telling the truth, that is. It shouldn’t be too hard to prove their innocence, thus proving my own.”

I turned away from them all. “How the hell do I get back to the resort?”

“Travis,” Sam said with a detectable hint of pleading. I knew she was concerned and being serious by the fact she used my preferred name.

I turned back towards Sam. “What?”

She came to me and placed her hands on my face. I wanted to push her away and pull her closer at the same time. “Don’t walk out that door. Don’t make the same mistake I did,” she said.

She seemed to be on the verge of tears. I felt my own eyes begin to mist.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked.

“Trust me. You can’t do this alone. I, we, can help you. I can give you an upgrade to Huginn & Muninn, and if you do all that I’m asking, you’ll get the answers you need.”

An upgrade? There was already an upgrade when it hadn’t even been released publically yet?

I sighed. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

“I hope not,” she said, and stroked my cheek.

For a second I thought Sam was going to kiss me, but she didn’t.

“Follow me,” she said.

“You the white rabbit now? You gonna take me to Wonderland?” I asked.

Sam let out a little laugh.

Gods, I missed that laugh.

Sam pulled Cook and Nora aside for a second. The three of them had a whispered, yet heated conversation. When it was done Cook didn’t look too happy with whatever Sam had said. It seemed like she’d ordered him to do something. Nora looked concerned and like she wanted to speak with Sam separately, but she didn’t.

In the end Nora and Cook got into the elevator.

Alone with Sam, she beckoned me to follow her into the next room.

When I started to follow, Kali decided to express her opinion of the situation.

‹I feel I must warn you. I detected she was lying during your questioning.›

‹“About what?”›

‹When you asked her about her being E3, her response came .349 seconds faster than any of the others and her voice was 3.6 decibels higher. I believe this to be an indication of deception.›

‹“You can detect those things? How come I’m now just learning of this?”›

‹I simply have not attempted to use these abilities in the past, but considering the circumstances, and our lives being in danger, I am now doing everything I can to ensure our continued existence.›

‹“So what are you saying, that I shouldn’t trust her? Can you tell me what else she was lying about?”›

‹The fact that she lied indicates she can’t be trusted. I am re-analyzing the conversation now and it seems there are hints of dishonesty in regards to both Mrs. Beit, and Inquisitor Noble, having killed Mr. Beit.›

‹“Are you saying that Nora and Noble were working together, and that somehow Sam knows and is covering for them?”›

‹I am uncertain. All I know is that there were physical clues which suggests she was in some way not telling the full truth when it came to Beit’s murder.›

‹“So you’re saying that I should walk away and take my chances trying to solve this before I get thrown in prison for the rest of my life?”›

‹I am not suggesting any course of action. I am simply trying to make you aware of the possibilities. My current analysis for the ‘walk away scenario,’ is a 97% probability that you will be captured by either the Horsemen or the Rangers, before you can clear your name.›

‹“Well that’s dismal. What are my odds if I stay and do whatever it is Sam wants me to do?”›

‹I cannot say. I do not know what she knows, nor what she intends, therefore I cannot make a prediction as to how it will help or hurt us. I just thought you should be aware that she is lying.›

‹“You didn’t by chance happen to catch any of what was said between the three of them?”›

‹I caught a few words from Mr. Cook due to his heightened emotional state.›

‹“Care to share?”›

‹“Unjustifiable risk - with your heart – too dangerous – be trusted.”›

“You all right?” Sam asked. I’d been so caught up conversing with Kali, I hadn’t noticed that we’d stopped and I was staring off into space.

“Huh?” I said, and shook my head. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine, just going over things in my head.”

“You ready?” she asked.

“As much as I’ll ever be I guess, considering I don’t know what it is you intend to do to me.”

I realized then we were in a room similar to a Methuselah chamber. To my right was a tech table.

“Lie down on the table,” she told me.

“Do I need to undress?” I asked.

“Yes, go ahead.”

‹She is lying.›

I smiled. ‹“That’s a good sign.”›

‹I thought you didn’t want to think with that head anymore.›

‹“Habit is a hard thing to break and sometimes the positives outweigh the consequences. Besides, it’s Sam. I’m willing to be killed by her.”›

‹With an attitude like that, you are going to get us both killed.›

I happily undressed. Sam did a good job trying to make it seem like she was unaffected and that it was actually part of the procedure, but there were a few furtive glances that I noticed.

“How long is this going to take?” I asked, and hopped up onto an examination table.

“It only takes about twenty minutes.”

“So what exactly is the procedure?”

“I’m going to inject you with a syr
inge full of modified M-mytes. They’ll make their way to the ones already imbedded within your brain as well as your hands. Once they’ve located the old ones they’ll assimilate them.”

“And what exactly are these new ones supposed to do?”

“I can’t tell you until they take effect.”

“And you have this upgrade?”

“Yes. We all do. Shep, Nora, and myself.”

Something suddenly dawned on me.