Crystal Venom (25 page)

‘Jan, Julie, Harry and Flint are on their way,’ he said to the ACEs. ‘Be here in about twenty minutes. The boss is informed. He will run interference for us with the local constabulary and the Military Police as well. Maestro, show us everything you have.’

As the data regarding the slaver individuals and of what Maestro’s own systems had recorded became available to them, Nail started to form a series of possible scenarios. He reached across and plugged himself into Glint and Tux using their processing powers, then uplinked to Fritz using another set of encryptions. Marko watched as the local net safeguards tried to lock onto what they were doing only to be brushed aside by Fritz. Marko knew that Fritz was plugged into a cybernetics array on the other side of the moon studying classical music composition — the course had been a gift from the major. He also knew that Fritz could effortlessly run two or even three intelligence-gathering operations simultaneously.

The plan started to come together as messages were sent — by what would be recognised as secure channels — that three new high-value ACEs were currently alone in a warehouse close to the shipyards in cryno tanks. Fritz then relayed the messages that the slaver group sent out to the other gangs as the other
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crew members strolled into the ice-cream parlour. Those who wanted it ordered the frozen sweet for themselves. Flint jacked himself into Glint so that he could taste the flavours as Glint slowly ate his third one. Harry very carefully walked past other patrons, which Marko thought odd until he looked at Harry again using
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crew electronic filters and saw that he had a large pack and was carrying a long bag, both concealed by chameleon-ware.

Nail soundlessly issued everyone their orders and as individuals or pairs they said their goodbyes and left.

Harry ponderously walked out of the shop, across the avenue and into one of the rapid transit tubeways. Fritz was watching his progress and fooled the security systems, allowing Harry to enter one of the capsules carrying a heavy array of weapons and ammunition in the ‘invisible’ bags.

The three
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ACEs left the parlour and quickly walked down through the crowded avenues with Flint climbing onto Glint’s back and Glint picking Nail up. On cue, they quietly blended into the crowds then vanished as their chameleon-ware was switched on.

Jan and Julie had arrived from their shopping expedition and both appeared to be wearing the latest designer clothes. Jan sat on Marko’s lap, gave him a long kiss, put her wide-brimmed fashionable hat back on her head and then departed with Julie, walking in the opposite direction to the ACEs.

Maestro and the two lizards made a show of thanking Marko before taking their leave. He waited a few moments then drained his soda and walked back to the transport office to sign out a small shuttle craft.

Once above the buildings, being flown on autopilot by Fritz, Marko sighed, smiled and gave himself a few minutes of peace. Seconds later it was interrupted by the major.

‘Crew. Interesting development. Sirius is back. And what’s more, the Games Board has covertly taken control of the public recording units in your area of operations. So the action is now sanctioned and being paid for. They have a two-hour time delay before it goes to air. You want to pull the plug or go on with the play?’

Marko burst out laughing at the madness of it all. ‘What are Fritz’s thoughts? Is this another set-up, or did we get sold by another party?’

‘Stand by.’

The shuttle was seven minutes from Marko’s destination so he knew they had a little time. Minutes later the major came back. ‘Fritz says Maestro is on the level. Checks out. The Walsh brothers are the culprits. Seems that the opportunity to create a nice little earner was too good a chance to pass up. Fritz has a recording of the call to the local Games Board hub at the time Glint was ordering his last ice cream.’

At that moment, Harry joined the conversation. ‘We do it. Everyone needs to blow off steam anyway. Time to go; see ya soon, boss. Stand by for everyone’s Soul Saver uplinks.’

Marko told Tux to seal up and a minute later the shuttle developed a runaway reaction in its fuel cell, engineered by Fritz. Marko was ejected straight through the canopy, still sitting on the seat, as the shuttle started to tumble down to crash into a cooling tower and silently explode. His seat powered up its tiny antigravity unit, landing gently seconds later. He unbuckled himself and walked to the damaged tower, which was right above the target chemist’s shop.

He reached the damaged building and saw to his delight that the access to the tubeway was clear so he simply jumped down a few flights of stairs and opened a large hatchway to be greeted by a grinning Harry, who handed over Marko’s weapons. The three-barrelled rotary pistol was clipped against Marko’s chest; his favourite small sword he tucked under his left armpit and the rotary shotgun he hefted onto his left forearm as Harry secured the magazines on his back.

‘Got the chemists. Typical know-it-all bastards thought I was just the usual dolt in a kaftan and sandals! I love this chameleon-ware. Just think of what you want to look like and there you are, all bright-eyed and innocent-like. Idiots! Told them to give themselves up peaceably and they started shooting .22’s at me. They are a bit battered but very cooperative now. Fritz has control of them. Yup, walking, talking dummies. They really should have stuck with the trade of being normal chemists. Not as though they don’t make enough money. Just put the headpieces on them and play nice music to them to put their minds in a polite place while Fritzy controls everything they do and say. Nice! Right-oh, you are good to go!’

‘Never sure why someone gets involved in crime. Even seemingly upright citizens do dumb stuff, Harry. Thanks for bringing my kit,’ Marko commented.

They walked down another short tunnel and into the rear of the chemist shop. The two chemists were standing at their counter serving customers and both seemed in a hurry to clear the shop, with one of them saying that they had an urgent appointment and had to close the store for a short while. As the doors closed and locked, the two relatively nondescript men sat at their terminals and stared blankly at the screens.

Harry grinned and nudged Marko. ‘They are going to be a bit buggered up after this! Fritz is treating their minds to late-twenty-first-century esoteric brass jazz. Not a fan myself.’

They settled in for a wait as high above them salvage crews started the cleanup of the crashed shuttle and the damaged building. On one of the screens the local news line was already covering the incident and the search for the sole occupant of the crashed shuttle, who was rumoured to be a media star.

~ * ~

Three

Fritz was keeping them updated with developments as half an hour later a transport slid in behind the store. The two men pushed up against the walls on either side of the double doors and their chameleon-ware engaged to make them look like tall filing cabinets. The chemists pulled the doors open in time for three cryno units to be pushed in by three clean-cut executives, two of them wearing the livery of a well-known banking establishment, while a fourth older man walked behind them. The four men and the chemists smiled at each other and talked for a few moments about one of the planet’s sporting team’s prowess and the wagers they had on it to win the next game.

The chemists busied themselves with their electrochemicals after pulling on cryno gloves. Controlled by Fritz, by signals sent via the local media channel, they circumnavigated the locks and opened the units, lifting out Glint, Nail and Flint and placing them on tables. Three of the executives jumped in excitement, pointing to the ACEs, exclaiming how much money they would make from
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crew members. The older one looked ashen-faced, saying ‘get rid of them quick’ because he had a bad feeling about them; they were too obviously high profile. One of the younger men quickly walked across to Nail and roughly inspected the ACE, saying that he always wanted to know what sex the cat actually was. They all laughed, except for the older man, who looked even more worried, complaining that they were wasting time. Marko was thankful that Nail controlled himself and did not give the game away. He smiled as he saw Fritz send the image of the obnoxious individual to the cat.

The chemists worked on the ACEs for a few minutes then said that the sentient blockers were all in place and that the ACEs were ready to take away. The cryno containers were pushed aside and, as one touched Marko, Tux made exactly the right sound of paint being scraped off a cabinet. One of the chemists chided the man responsible, who laughed it off. Minutes later they had bundled the ACEs into an oversized antigravity suitcase and left to go back into the tubeway.

Harry and Marko gave them a five-minute head start, reached out and pulled the skintight programmable camouflage covers off the chemists’ heads and slipped out, leaving two very confused men walking around their shop wondering what had just happened to them.

‘So you happy about us just being cordon control and leaving the capture and bashings to the ACEs?’ Harry asked Marko as they tracked the ACEs on the tubeway.

Marko gave him wide grin. ‘Oh, hell yes! I see that Jan and Julie have dropped off their purchases and are in position.’

Harry smiled and was about to reply when Fritz spoke. ‘Um, just to let ya all know. Games Board is aware of exactly where we are at. I see a bunch of their covert cameras and a few of their later model monitors moving in towards the slavers’ area. Even had a chunk of electronics try to piggyback on my comms. Are we being set up again?’

The major spoke. ‘Fuck this! I am breaking out a Maul. Time to muddy up the game plan. Fritz, get me the clearances.’

Harry grimaced, looking worried. ‘Ah, boss, a Maul? Yeah, I know we have one but isn’t that taking things a bit far?’

The major barked, ‘No! Fritz?’

A slightly rattled Fritz replied. ‘Right, I have you clearance to fly directly from
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to the nearest weapons range. Takes you within a couple of kilometres of the bonded warehouse target building.’

Minutes later the major, with the background sounds of hydrogen- and oxygen-powered turbines spooling up, and weapons magazines being filled, said, ‘Good enough for me!’

Marko looked at Harry and said on their private comms, ‘Well, this is about to get interesting. The major flying high cover in a heavily armoured ground-support vehicle might be a bit overkill, don’t you think?’

He told the tubeway capsule to stop at the next platform. Their chameleon-ware changed them into a pair of executives carrying suitcases. They exited and strode up the ramps, out onto the avenue and across to the warehouse frontage of the target buildings, to be confronted by a group of tough-looking young men. Marko did not break his stride, taking what looked like an apple from his pocket and tossing it in his hand. Each time it left his hand it softly spat tiny short-range darts which flashed across to embed themselves in the ears of the men. Each person instantly went rigid as the darts took DNA samples and broadcast them back to Harry’s suitcase, and then formed themselves into earphones playing Fritz’s music, which in seconds had them singing and dancing whether they wanted to or not.

Harry and Marko walked into the office spaces of the warehouse, smiling at the occupants as long-range darts flashed out from the suitcases, quietly changing the mood and behaviour of the men and women in such a way that they welcomed Marko and Harry as friends.

Marko flashed the message
Front of house secured.
On the other side of the building, Jan and Julie dealt with the hardened workers and security detail by simply sitting down on one of the loading ramps until a few of the toughs told them to move on. They carried on conversing until more of them gathered at which stage Jan took out an antique powder puff to adjust her makeup — her sealed combat suit chameleon-ware was showing her dressed in replica early-twentieth-century dress. The highly narcotic dust was inhaled by the men, who found that they had a burning need for beer and seconds later simply walked off the premises towards the local bar.

Julie grinned at Jan. ‘That’s just no fun! We didn’t break one of them!’ Then she sent the message
Back door secure.

Inside the warehouse, the slavers and the gang who had taken the ACEs captive gathered around the antigravity case, which opened to reveal three very awake ACEs.

The older gang member went bright red and screamed, ‘I fucking told you this was a bad idea! We’ve been set up!’ He turned to run but had not covered three paces before Flint leapt on his back and injected him. The wailing man fell to the floor and lost control of his bowels.

The other two pulled firearms from inside their waistcoats and started firing but the three ACEs effortlessly weaved though the bullets until the men were shooting at the slavers, then at each other. Both remaining gang members were hit as the slavers returned fire and combat suits deployed around them. They fought off the ACEs and retreated, although one got too close to Nail, who tore the slaver’s suit open, pumping into the woman’s flesh drugs which seconds later had her tearing at her own skin and screaming about the itch.

Flint leapt across to the nearest wall, racing up it to fling himself at one of the slavers, who was opening a cabinet and reaching for a shotgun. The spider snatched it from him in full flight and then fired the weapon, propelling himself high enough in the low gravity to cling to the ceiling and keep firing at the armoured slavers. They were still trying to engage the mechanical spider as Glint, almost nonchalantly, somersaulted over them, grabbing the weapons from their hands then ripping the suits themselves open so Nail could inject them.