Torn From On High: Free City Book 2 (The Free City Series) (17 page)

“How
are you feeling, you big lug?” Mixion kissed his cheek.

“My
shoulder's killing me,” Jasper grimaced in the hospital bed, “I don't remember
much after I got shot.”

“Well
the Lieutenant says you'll get combat pay, if that means anything.”

She
fiddled with the bed sheets, “They managed to rush you here and the Emergency
Room Orthopedist took a bone sample. They're in the process of cloning a new
scapula and clavicle that will be transplanted in place of the bones that were
blasted away during the parade. Until they do the operation in two weeks you'll
be hopped up on painkillers.”

“Is
Dilma OK?” The big man gnashed his teeth, “Did they get the guy with the gun?”

“She's
fine; apparently the only reason that you weren't killed outright was that our
little kitten shoved the attacker just as he fired. The CRAMP's new redheaded
super-spy was trailing Dilma and her nanny. When all hell broke loose she did a
fair job of neutralizing the situation.”

Mixion’s
demeanor darkened, “Fortunately the Goon is downstairs right now, locked up in
the Prison Medical Ward.”

• • •

“How’s
Jasper doing?” Zmuda wondered when he slipped into the CRAMP Situation Room.

Mixion
produced a pleasant smile when you looked up from the monitor screen, “Well
enough, considering what he’s been through in the last few days.”

The
Lieutenant nodded, “That’s certainly good news.”

“I
have another bit of luck to report.” Mixion pointed at the latest satellite
images from high above the ruins of the Fort of Djaba.

Zmuda
studied the monitor.

The
first high-resolution photo showed three men with orange and green headscarves
apparently digging some sort of pit.

He
tapped at the image, “Isn't that right around where the Serfs buried Daniel
Kufuzu?”

Mixion
nodded and switched to the second frame taken about ninety minutes later.

Two of
the Desert Serfs were carrying a long white shrouded bundle towards the pit.

“Mmm;”
the Lieutenant stroked his chin, “I wonder if that's their most recent failed
attempt to reclone Kufuzu?”

The
final image showed the men filling in the pit.

Mixion
snickered, “Well that would be number two if it is.”

“Eventually
they'll figure it out,” Zmuda smiled.

• • •

“Alright
Inspector Trop; you may begin,” the stern Arraignment Judge stood over the
shackled prisoner in the Medical Ward.

Two
hefty guards watched over the proceedings.

“Thank
you Justice Dwan.”

Ryo
turned and glared at the heavily bandaged Goon, “This man, Herman 'Bowie'
Kowalski, has been charged with two counts of Murder in the First Degree for
the killings for the purpose of intimidation of Debris Retrieval Specialist
Third Class Nathan Briggs and Captain Philip Takahashi of the Low Earth Orbit
Salvage Ship
Billikin
. Additionally he is charged with two counts of
Assault with the intent to commit murder upon Dilma Trop and Jasper Pomeroy on Knutsford
Street in Free City.”

Copiously
restrained in his hospital bed, Bowie smirked as the old Inspector presented
the charges.

The
Judge turned to the cop, “What evidence do you intend to present at trial to
support these allegations?”

“HE'S
GOT NOTHING!” Bowie growled.

“Mr.
Kowalski,” the Judge snapped, “I will add one Contempt of Court Charge for each
additional word that you utter during this formality.”

The
Goon stifled further comments.

“We've
amassed quite a bit of evidence, Mr. Kowalski,” the old Investigator glowered
at the punk.

“You
were found to be in possession of a unique weapon that has been traced by a
preponderance of evidence directly to the murder of Nate Briggs. That weapon
produced a very unusual tissue avulsion upon the body of Mr. Briggs which was
nearly identical to a wound found on the remains of Captain Takahashi.”

“That
seems sufficient for arraignment but a detailed presentation will be required
at trial,” the Judge interjected. “What of the evidence for the Assault charges,
Inspector Trop?”

Ryo
smiled with satisfaction at the question, “Since the crimes took place during
the Bicentennial Parade, we have dozens of witnesses who will testify as to Mr.
Kowalski's actions.”

After
several seconds of pondering the matter Judge Dwan spoke, “Let it be posted in
the Official Daily Records of the Free City High Court that Herman “Bowie”
Kowalski is to be held without bail and bound over for trail for the charges of
murder and assault.”

“Thank
you, Your Honor.”

• • •

“It's
been a hell of a few weeks,” Zmuda noted as he sat at the Conference Room table
in the Inquisitor's Office.

“It
certainly has,” Helga wheezed.

She
turned to Ryo, “Summarize the final details of your investigation into the
misdeeds involving the
Billikin,
if you would Inspector.”

Ryo
shuffled through his paperwork, “On the 1st of August, a Retrieval Specialist
from the
Billikin
by the name of Nathan Briggs was murdered in Low Earth
Orbit for the purpose of intimidation by a punk named Herman 'Bowie' Kowalski.
I have very good evidence that Bowie and his gang called the Goons were hired
by Frédéric Rameau who was the EurAfrican Commander of Covert Operations for
the Northern District of Africa.”

“Rameau
also supplied the unusual weaponry,” Zmuda interjected. “Sadly, the Commander
died in a recent 'accident' at the Base.”

“Remind
me to stay on your good side!” Helga snorted.

Ryo
continued, “Sometime later, the Goons boarded the
Billikin
and murdered
the Captain and crew. Afterwards they were not shy about spreading the news of
the slaughter around the fleet of Space Debris Salvage vessels. This, combined
with several earlier acts of intimidation, greatly reduced the amount of scrap
material that made its way into the Metals Market.”

Helga's
bushy eyebrows arched up, “And that caused the recent run-up on the Metals
Commodity Market?”

The
old Investigator nodded, “Fortunately the prices are now edging down with the
resumption of normal salvage operations.”

Helga
tapped at her copy of the report, “There is no doubt in your mind that the
Kufuzu family was the prime instigators of this manipulation?”

“None
at all.”

“Alright;”
the weary Chief Investigator sighed, “I will forward that information to the
Prime Minister and the High Court for further action. I'm afraid that the
Kufuzus still retain a great deal of power in EurAfrica so nothing may come of
this.”

She
turned to the Lieutenant; “I understand that you are currently accountable only
to the Prime Minister, perhaps you would favor me with whatever information
that you wish to share regarding your recent activities involving Daniel
Kufuzu.”

“Much
of it is Top Secret, mainly due to the use of unusual personnel and tactics,”
Zmuda forewarned them, “but this is what I can tell you: Daniel Kufuzu, Former
Warlord of EurAfrica is dead and will not return.”

Both
Ryo and Helga smiled approvingly at the news.

Zmuda
continued, “Significant efforts by the Enlightenment Crusade in New Rome and
Nairobi have brought about many reforms in the local governments and some slight
improvements in the treatment of slaves and Serfs. Elsewhere in EurAfrica I'm
afraid that much work needs to be done to reduce corruption and to improve the
lives of all.”

The
Lieutenant stopped short, “That's all that I can share right now.”

“What
of Edict 343?” Ryo wondered.

“It's
still in full effect,” Helga noted. “Anything else, gentlemen?”

Ryo
turned to the Lieutenant, “Thanks for supplying the bodyguard for my kid.”

“No
problem; she is my beloved goddaughter after all. You're on you own for now.
The particular spy that saved the day is off on another assignment.”

“I
suppose that her nanny and I can look after her.” Ryo gathered up his
paperwork, “Helga, I'd like to request a two week sabbatical.”

The
cranky old Chief Investigator for the Free City Inquisitor's Office scowled at
the request, “Why do you need time off, Mr. Trop?”

Ryo
slowly smiled, “Four women have rather sternly indicated that I need to attend
a formal function in the Southern Hemisphere.”

Helga
sighed with visible annoyance, “Very well; but I expect you back in a
fortnight.”

The formalities would begin in two hours.

Considering
how somber the event was supposed to be, Luis Hernandez could not stop smiling
as he checked over the site.

It was
a beautifully clear morning on South Georgia Island, the perfect type of day
for a funeral.

As the
sun slowly warmed the normally frozen soil in the cemetery of New Grytviken he
surveyed the two deep rectangular holes. The sides bore the recent tool marks
from the arduous effort that had gone into chiseling the permafrost into
suitable gravesites.

He had
started the sad work in earnest two days after Seamus had died. Luis had first
sent the Official Death Notification to the Free City Bureau of Records taking
care to leave the location of death blank and listing the decedent's name as
merely 'S. Nelson.' Keira Norton had contacted him three days later to confirm
that the old man had died.

Both
Luis and Keira had been teary-eyed by the end of the sad exchange.

Several
hours later he checked on the old man's corpse. It had frozen solid on the
porch of the little white cottage where he had left it. Nearly a week later
when Luis's sprained ankle had mended enough that he could walk again, he
hobbled down to the harbor maintenance building and tinkered with the little
electric service vehicle that had sat forlorn there for several years.

Fortunately
the antique lithium iron phosphate batteries readily accepted a fresh charge
and the centuries old control system required only modest adjustments.

By
midday he was able to drive the plucky little cart up the bluff to the cottage.
With great care he'd carried Seamus's body down the stairs and gently placed it
on the back of the service vehicle.

As he
inched away from the cottage with as much reverence as he could manage, Luis
glanced back at the house that they had briefly shared.

There
in the front window watching over the sad cortege was Moresby.

Luis
then spent several hours preparing the old man's remains for a proper
interment. He carefully dressed the stiff old man in the one and only suit that
he had in his closet. Luis finished up by slipping the shiniest of the fat
copper half pence coins from their poker game into his shirt pocket for good
luck.

Luis
methodically measured the body and drew up the plans for a simple casket. He
hobbled around the derelict buildings of the harbor for several hours
collecting suitable scraps of wood for the project. When he had enough
acceptable material, the Harbor Master then labored for days to construct a
coffin for the old man.

When
the sad task was completed he gently placed the body of his friend into the
box.

Since
then Seamus had lain in state in the casket draped with a fine dark blue
tablecloth centered on three sturdy sawhorses in the frigid harbor maintenance
building.

Luis
had planned to bury the old man in the springtime when the ground thawed and
his ankle had properly mended.

Six
days ago his gloomy plans had dramatically changed for the better.

Keira
contacted him again with a carefully thought-out proposal and today was to be
the culmination of the intended efforts.

Now,
in the slowly warming morning air of New Grytviken, Luis gently trailed his
hand over the two caskets. One was the rustic homemade coffin that he'd
lovingly constructed for Seamus and the other was the modest commercially
produced box that contained Nate Briggs' body.

Both
men would be laid to rest today in the cemetery that overlooked Cumberland East
Bay.

Ryo
and Keira had brought the remains of Nate Briggs back to South Georgia Island
several days ago aboard an intercontinental aerial transport along with Ryo's
adopted daughter Dilma, her nanny Sabra MacFarland and Ryo's sweetheart Dr.
Jana Fesai. Jana's son Lev, who was also Keira's fiancé, had come along to help
out.

But it
was Sabra MacFarland who had caught his eye.

Keira,
Lev, Luis and Sabra had taken turns digging the two gravesites in the frozen
earth of the cemetery.

Luis
had spent a few hours with each of them in turn teaching them how to use the
jackhammer and bucket hoist that were needed to chip through the rock-hard
soil. Keira and Lev were merely mediocre at the task but Sabra attacked it with
admirable gusto.

He
soon found that he was working with increasing regularity along side the
gregarious and mud-stained young woman. Even little Dilma had tagged along and
helped out with the difficult work on several occasions.

During
a short break yesterday while he, Sabra and the girl were enjoying a snack in
the midday sun, Luis studied the two and briefly imagined what it would be like
if the woman stayed with him for good on South Georgia Island.

Sabra
had noticed his protracted stare and had winked at him across the mound of dirt
that separated them.

Last
night they had taken a long walk around the harbor together and shared a demure
kiss on the porch of the cottage.

This
morning as the rest of the solemn group prepared for the funeral, he and Sabra
had both sported pleasant grins.

• • •

“We
are gathered here together,” Ryo started, “to lay to rest these two weary
souls.”

Nearly
everyone had bowed their heads in respect for the departed.

Ryo
glanced sideways and noticed that Dilma was studying him with great interest as
he spoke, the girl had never experienced a funeral before and Sabra had spend
many hours beforehand describing the ritual to her in great detail.

“I
never knew Nathan Briggs, but I understand that he was a good man and certainly
a hard worker in his profession as a Space Debris Retrieval Specialist. Sadly;
he met his end when he was torn from on high by the unforgiving hand of gravity
and cast into the cold southern sea. Now, at last, he will find peace.”

Luis
and Keira nodded in agreement.

“But I
did briefly know Seamus Franklin Nelson. He had a wonderfully salty perspective
on life and was quite willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of
others. Both are admirable qualities in any man.”

Ryo
studied the others as he recounted his moments with Seamus.

Jana
stood next to him with the supportive appearance of a very dear friend. Their
rather sweet relationship seemed destined to slowly evolve into lifelong love.
That pleasant prospect caused Ryo to grin at her for several seconds.

Standing
across from him, Keira held hands with Lev and both had a profound look of
sadness.

As he
spoke Ryo wondered if their sorrow was due to the occasion or perhaps something
else. Both had seemed rather cross with each other during the last few days.

Luis
had covered his eyes and was sobbing. Sabra produced a tissue and handed it to
the big man. She appeared to be quite concerned about his forlorn state. Luis
finally dabbed his dark brown eyes. Of the seven mourners clustered around the
two coffins, he was by far the most emotional.

And
why shouldn't he be? Luis had lost his friend Seamus and had spent quite
sometime laboring to discover Nate's identity in order to afford the dead man a
proper burial.

Equally
disheartening, Ryo realized, in a day or two Luis would be alone again on South
Georgia Island.

“...and
so these two will return to Mother Earth from where we all sprang.” Ryo nodded
to Dilma.

The
girl approached the two caskets with the fine silk pouch that she had carried
with her from Free City.

Dilma
retrieved a handful of dried pale pink rose petals that she had collected for
the funeral from the garden near the War Atrocities Monument in Roscommon Park.

Her
voice cracked as she sprinkled the petals onto the caskets, “Although you are
no longer with us, you will not be forgotten.”

Nearly
everyone smiled at the girl’s efforts, she had practiced it many times for them
in the cottage.

One by
one they filed slowly past the two coffins to pay their respects.

Keira
laid her hand respectfully on Nate's coffin then erupted into a tremendous wail
when she touched Seamus' casket.

Lev
led her away.

Dilma
clasped Jana’s hand as they lingered for a time at the gravesites. Jana glanced
at Ryo and the two exchanged a warm smile about the little girl’s surprising
show of affection towards the woman. The twelve-year old and middle-aged
Research Scientist headed off together towards the cottage.

Ryo
stood for many minutes in silent reflection before he bowed a bit to each of
the boxes. He too finally walked slowly out of the little cemetery and followed
the others towards the cottage. Partway down the pathway, the old Inspector
glanced back up towards graveyard.

Sabra
and Luis stood alone together in the cemetery high above Cumberland East Bay.

Sabra
had sidled next to the big man and wrapped her arm supportingly around his
waist.

High
overhead a single Storm-Petrel glided fluidly through the sapphire blue sky.

Ryo
studied the man and the woman nestled together on the bluff. They were
obviously quite smitten with each other. The old Inspector smiled to himself,
Luis and Sabra seemed to be a near perfect match.

“It
seems likely,” Ryo chuckled as he turned back towards the cottage, “that I’ll
have to find a new nanny.”