The Hunt for Pierre Jnr (32 page)

He wasn’t sure how, but the raging torrent was blocked out, the window closed so it could be seen and not heard. Inside, he floated and was able to see that there was only a dark figure standing at the far end of a dark cell. He grabbed Gock by the collar and dragged him from the room.

Pete: Do what you have to do. Gas first, Ten. You don’t want to go in there with him awake.

~ * ~

The journey home was silent. Pete practised his new skill. On, off. Open, shut. How the block worked was hard to explain. It was like opening and closing your eyes, not so that you couldn’t see out but so that no one could see in.

Now that he knew the difference it seemed only a small effort to raise and lower the drawbridge of his mind. He felt silly that it had taken him this long to discover it. All his life he had been like a talkative moron who could not close his mouth.

‘Another excellent performance,’ Gock repeated Ryu’s words verbatim. Unfortunately Gock was still shaky from his exposure to Arthur’s field and he did not manage to convey Ryu’s message with the assurance intended.

Pete too couldn’t get his mind off Arthur.

‘Thank you, Prime. I didn’t know what else to do. I’ve never seen a psi like him.’

‘You followed procedure to the letter.’

‘What will become of him now?’

‘Well that, Peter, is up to you and Geof. If you think you can work with him, he may be of use to you.’

‘How so?’

‘His sensitivity is unprecedented. He could be useful as a sniffer.’

Pete nodded. Early psi detection.

‘You said Geof and I. Does that mean we can have contact again?’

‘Yes. I will inform him once we are done.’

‘Is my trial over then?’

‘No. But your performance today, with Arthur, and reporting your possible contact with Tamsin Grey, has been noted.’

And now he is beginning to trust me
? 
Did it really take so little
? Pete wondered. 
Or was there more to this? Was this just preparation for something else?

‘How do you feel about Arthur Grimaldi?’

‘I feel sorry for him.’

‘Oh, and why is that?’

Peter struggled to formulate an answer. He felt bad for Arthur because he had felt the darkness he lived within. He was unable to control his powers and had to shut himself away. ‘It just didn’t seem like a good life.’

‘No. And why do you think Tamsin Grey would have been there, at the same time as you?’

Ah, so the trial continues. First he praises, then he questions. 

’I don’t know about the timing, that is most likely coincidence, but I presume she was trying to win Arthur to her cause.’

‘And he did not go. That is interesting, isn’t it?’

‘Not every psi wants to become a combatant.’

‘Such as yourself, you mean?’

‘Yes.’ Pete articulated the word precisely.

‘Did she offer to free you?’

‘No.’

‘But you had one of your conversations with her, did you not?’

‘I was trying to locate her. I notified the squad as soon as I knew she was close.’

‘So you say.’ Gock felt better being able to inflict some discomfort on another after the day he had had. He was looking forward to double tranqs and sleeping this nightmare off. ‘Tell me what took place in this conversation.’

‘She said she liked my haircut.’

‘Don’t play games with me, Mister Lazarus.’

‘She said that I had become like her and warned me not to let you break me.’

‘And have we broken you yet?’

‘No, sir.’

‘We will have to try harder then.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘If you disobey me, Lazarus, you will be shipped to the islands. It is as simple as that.’

‘To live out my days in peace and harmony?’

Ryu saw Gock sneer. He had no need to answer.

‘You have left me no choice but to obey.’

‘I did not intend to. You could try to escape if you wanted. Tamsin Grey has proven it can be done.’

Ryu to Gock: Smile.

The Prime ordered Pete’s symbiot to give him a loving squeeze. It tightened on his arm, the blood pressure rising toward the pain threshold and Peter’s fingers mottling to purple.

‘Okay.’ He gave out. ‘I’ll do as you say.’

Ryu allowed the symbiot to relax and Pete flexed his hand to restore the feeling.

‘What do you want me to do now?’

‘Geof Ozenbach will make contact with you. I’ll wait for his recommendation on what to do with Grimaldi. Prime out.’

~ * ~

Geof and Peter had their first direct connection while both were immersed in the surveillance streams of Grimaldi’s lockup. Pete watched Arthur through symb-overlay. Geof was doing the same from wherever in the world he was. It was a strange way to remeet.

‘Hello, Geof.’

‘Hello, Pete.’

‘How have you been?’

‘Much the same. Working for the Will.’

‘And the Colonel?’ Pete asked.

‘No contact for twenty-six days now.’

‘Any parting message?’

‘Not to me.’

‘Nor to me.’

‘He’s on another team,’ Geof added.

‘Oh.’

Pete wished he could talk properly with Geof, without the interpretations of Services oversight. It felt like Geof was standoffish, but how else could he act? He switched to message mode, which was less personal anyway.

Pete: What do you think of this guy then?

They turned their attentions to Arthur Grimaldi. He had been cleaned up and dressed in a wrap shirt, drawstring pants and a thick pocketed obi; standard 
accoutrements gratuits
 that were available to any Citizen who needed them. He could blend into a crowd in any of the megapolises now.

Geof: He seems calmer. Perhaps the medications are working.

Pete: We won’t know for sure until there is a live person in there.

Geof: True. Who should we send in?

Pete: Gock?

Geof: Larks. No, it has to be you.

Pete: Why me?

Geof: Because you’ve already been exposed and you seem to have found a way to resist the effect. Have you managed to develop the psychic block you were jealous of Grey for?

Pete: I think so. Are you really Geof? This is sounding a lot like how the Prime cross-examines.

Geof: I apologise. Since I have been put in charge of the investigation, I have been trying to make my decisions carefully. It all rests on me now.

Pete: I understand. But you can trust me.

Geof: I appreciate that. Now what about Arthur Grimaldi?

Peter sighed. That Geof had changed his attitude to him couldn’t be more obvious.

Pete: He is unique. But his ability to leave an impression is the same as any other telepath.

Geof: How do you mean?

Pete: He affects the mind, but in a different way. It is more emotion than thought.

Geof: And I thought mind control was bad enough.

Pete: You admit then, that you have lost trust in me?

Geof: Not in the way you think.

Pete: You don’t have to be a telepath to spread fear, or ideas. That has been happening for centuries.

Geof: We can debate this later. Is he of any use to us?

Arthur hadn’t moved. He sat in his chair, one hand resting on the symbiot he had been fitted with.

Pete: If he can be kept under control, his sensitivity could help us find Pierre.

Geof: That is what I hoped. I have a lead on Sullivan St Clare. We could test him on a collection.

Pete: Do you still think delving into Pierre’s origins will help us understand what he has become?

Geof: We follow the leads we have. We have a shortage of information so anything helps make a picture.

Geof had patterned a set of unconnected reports of a denizen who regularly appeared on the outskirts of Seaboard, driving a beat-up hover that was covered in mud and dust. Every year before winter he appeared in town, buying portable batteries, fertiliser and boxes of general dose. Each year the same reports were recorded of an untrimmed, unwashed denny with a bank of cash.

The hover was found five hundred kilometres toward the red centre, at the mouth of a narrow valley, covered over with sheets and leaves. The area was meant to be uninhabited.

Geof: It could just be a bushcracker, but the height and age match Sullivan’s profile. I want you and your squad to go into the valley and find him.

Pete: Into the bush? On foot?

Geof: The squad knows its business. And you have passed enough tests for the Prime to trust you.

Pete: Can’t we just do a fly-through?

Geof: It’s too narrow and dense for squibs. Eyes have been through but not thoroughly enough.

Pete: Hasn’t anyone looked for Sullivan before? Surely if he was there, Services would have found him by now.

Geof: You’re misunderstanding the Will. Not enough people wanted to find him. Some attempt was made eight years ago, but after such a long time hidden, not causing anyone any trouble, most wanted to forget the PDP ever happened.

Pete: Like Pierre? The world just wanted to forget?

Geof: It wasn’t a priority.

Pete: The Prime suggested I may have been controlled by Pierre. That he may have pushed me to volunteer for the hunt.

Geof: And?

Pete: There is still no evidence that I had a sister.

Geof: And?

Pete: I have doubts.

Geof: Ah.

‘I wish you knew my mentor. If Shen doesn’t already have a wise saying for every topic, he has the knack for coining new ones.’ Geof had switched to audio. ‘Do you know what you do when you have doubts?’

‘No.’

‘Keep going. A man with doubts is like a ship in a storm; the fastest way out is to keep sailing.’

‘I’m not sure I know what you mean.’

‘There’s only one way to find the answers you seek, Peter.’

Pete nodded and thought about this for a moment. He took a long look at the projection of the prisoner. He hadn’t realised before how old Arthur looked, how close to starvation. Liquids were being drip-fed into his body as he sat stroking the symbiot that was new to his arm.

Pete: How physically demanding is this trip you have planned for us?

Geof: You’re right. If you want him, we should wait a couple days for him to stabilise.

Pete: You still think we should take him?

Geof: I haven’t been exposed to his field, Pete. I think we need some sort of detector. Why don’t you see how he is now?

Pete: Is that an order?

Geof: I don’t like this belligerence you’ve developed. You and I both have the same goals.

Pete: You’re right.

Pete entered the box Grimaldi was being held in and stood waiting.

Geof: Are you feeling anything?

Pete: Something. Not much. Not like before.

Hello, Peter. I can hear everything you are saying to your friend.

‘Hello, Arthur. Do you remember me?’

‘Peter Lazarus.’

‘That’s good. You seem much better than you were a few hours ago.’ Arthur shrugged happily and continued stroking the back of the symbiot. ‘You seem to like that thing,’ Pete said.

‘It tells me everything will be alright.’

Pete couldn’t help thinking about the chemical control it was also distilling to keep Arthur calm. Arthur only smiled at the thought. ‘I don’t mind, Mister Lazarus. I haven’t felt this happy in ... as long as I can remember.’

‘How long is that?’

‘I don’t know. I guess I should know that kind of thing.’

You spoke of a taint before. Can you tell me more about that
?

‘Hmm? Oh, I did?’ 
He leaves his mark wherever he goes. Yes. I can tell when someone has had contact with him.

And I have it?

Yes. But it is okay. He did not bring the darkness upon you like he did for me. He likes you.

Pete shuddered.

‘Would you like to take a trip with us, Arthur? We are looking for a man.’

‘Sully St Clare. I knew him well.’

‘We think he is in the wilds.’

‘We can go camping. I’ve never been camping.’

‘Will you help us find him?’ Pete asked.

‘I am happy to try.’

What is your reach?

Higher than I care to count. Perhaps four or five hundred paces.

Pete looked hard at him. ‘I need to know something.’

‘You may ask.’

‘How do you feel about what we are doing?’

‘Trying to stop Pierre Jnr? It doesn’t matter. It may be the narcotic combo in my veins, but I feel happy being here. This feeling will come with us, won’t it?’