Different Senses (68 page)

“Gentlemen, please?”

Captain Largosen indicated we
should join him in the elevator, so we did, though I thought it was
a lousy idea. Shardul was a little worried but mostly curious. I
hoped he didn’t place too much faith in my ability to protect him
because in the current circumstances, I didn’t have anything like
as much influence as he might think.

We were headed to the
underground parking area, and as we left the elevator car a dark
auto pulled up. “Please get in,” the captain said politely, though
the option to refuse was missing from his tone.

“Where are we going?”

“Nowhere. This is more
discreet, that’s all. Please, Sri Ythen.”

So we got in, Shardul remarking
conversationally, “I wonder if the commander realises that it was
the assiduous way he referred to you as Sri Ythen, when all your
cop buddies always call you ‘sergeant’, which gave his plan
away.”

“Damn, you’re good.”

“Nice to know I haven’t lost
all my edge.”

The captain, climbing in beside
us, cracked a small smile. “Drive on,” he said to the driver.
“Clearly we have underestimated Sri Shardul.”

“Clearly,” I said, unamused by
just about everything. “What do you want, sir? Commander Reoda told
us to get out and I’m not inclined to give him a second
chance.”

“The commander isn’t in charge
of this particular operation. I am. I was listening to your
discussion. Sorry he didn’t handle it particularly well.”

I blinked. That kind of overt
criticism of superior officers didn’t usually come out of army type
mouths. “You’re not military.”

“Yes, I am. Just capable of
independent thought as well. Sri Shardul, do you know a man called
Sanjeev Unnat?”

“Yes. I’ve heard of him, that
is. He’s a businessman. Completely respectable. He’s the one you
wish to target?”

“If he was, how would you feel
about it?”

“Not immediately thrilled. Tell
me more, captain.”

“As you say, he appears
completely respectable. However, he’s been in frequent
communication over the last three months with Garle. We believe
radical elements in Garle may be supplying funds to militants here,
as well as inciting religious fervour. You’ve heard nothing of
this?”

“
None. I know of no one
in contact with Garle. Their path to the Spirit is not what we have
chosen.” He radiated faint disgust. Garle was something of a
swearword to the
udawathei
in Medele. “Captain,
you realise if you involve me in this, in the manner the commander
described, you’ll have no chance of prosecuting Sri Sanjeev on any
matter on which I’m supposed to have advised him? And that you’ll
compromise my reputation as an honest broker should you wish to use
me for less nefarious purposes?”

“Yes, I do. Both are acceptable
risks. We’re not interested in Sri Sanjeev. I want to catch those
behind him, and sweep up those who pose a danger. He’s a criminal,
but not our main target.”

“I understand. I wonder why the
commander could not have explained this without all the dramatics
and insults, and why you’re prepared to trust me now. I could,
after all, go straight to Sri Sanjeev and warn him.”

The captain smiled. “You won’t.
Not because you’re afraid of us, because you’re certainly not, but
because you’d never endanger your friend in that manner. I watched
your interactions yesterday and today. We’ve been watching you both
for some time—and before you bristle, sergeant, it’s only natural,
given your family and position. We gave you plenty of opportunities
to reject Sergeant Ythen personally, and yet you walked out of the
meeting just now together, united. Your loyalty to your race and
your religion does not supersede your personal loyalty to your
friend.”

“You planned this from the
start,” Shardul said. “It was never me and some random agent. You
chose me because of Javen, and Javen because of me.”

The captain nodded. “Yes. An
undercover operation of this nature can’t succeed without very
strong support and absolute trust. So I only need to know if you’ll
do it because I know if you agree, you can be trusted. As can,
indeed, Sergeant Ythen.”

I was lost for words. Even
Shardul was taken aback. “Does Commander Reoda know what’s going
on?” he asked.

“Not as much as he believes.
That’s for your protection too. Both of you.”

“If Shardul doesn’t agree, what
will you do?”

The captain shrugged. “Try and
find another way to gain Sri Sanjeev’s confidence. We can’t just
arrest and charge him because the terrorists will simply close off
that connection and find another. Our problem is the intense
distrust of the Kelons among the indigenous. Someone apparently of
mixed race with little connection to the community will be
automatically suspected of being a spy, unless we have someone of
Sri Shardul’s reputation to vouch for them.”

“A problem of your own making,
captain.”

“I’m aware of that, Sri
Shardul. Will you do it?”

He steepled his fingers under
his chin, glancing at me before he answered. “I need time to think,
and an assurance of no reprisals for refusing.”

“What would be the point of a
reprisal? It has to be unforced cooperation or nothing.”

“You expected him to refuse,” I
said, now more than a tad irritated by this game and the captain’s
ridiculously calm demeanour. I wanted to see him ruffled at least.
“The arrest was a test for me, not him.”

Largosen didn’t take offence.
“No, actually it was part of the profile we need to build up. Now
Sri Shardul has a perfectly legitimate reason to complain about the
police, appear resentful and in need of revenge. His arrest was
widely reported in the community, as we intended.”

“So nice to know one is simply
a cog in a great, malignant machine,” Shardul said, eyeing me.
“I’ll give you my decision in two days, if not before, but I want
the arrests being made now to be cut back. That’s my price. Fair
policing under the law. I shouldn’t have to ask.”

“I’ll do what I can but that’s
not under my control.”

“I’ll speak to Dad,” I said.
“Put it to him that it’s making attacks more likely.”

“Which it is. You’re
radicalising peaceful citizens.” Still looking at me, asking me to
understand.

“I’m sorry,” I said
quietly.

The captain interrupted. “You
can have your two days, but time is short, Sri Shardul. Please try
to be speedy.”

He ordered the driver to take
us back to the office block, for me to rejoin my own transport, and
Shardul to catch a taxi back to his office. “It would be unwise for
you two to meet again in the short term,” the captain warned,
leaning out of the open door. “The apparent lack of friendship
between you is useful to our plans.”

He slid the auto’s door closed
and drove off. Shardul and I looked at each other. “Is it apparent
or real?” I finally asked.

“I was never your enemy, Javen.
I have to go.”

I waved him off, conscious he
hadn’t answered the question I wanted answered. Maybe he never
would.

Chapter 5

Shardul only took a day to make
his decision, news passed to me by Captain Largosen. I tried not to
be disappointed he hadn’t called me himself. Now Largosen had what
he needed, the scheme to transform me into someone else was green
lit. He was gracious enough to let me say a proper farewell to Tara
and the children at the residence, but a lookalike boarded the
space cruiser in my place, and I never saw Yashi safely loaded in
his medipod. As soon as the family left the residence for the
spaceport, an auto arrived to collect me and take me to a secure
medical facility within the military compound at Paradok. The
facility would be my home while I healed and prepared.

Captain Largosen met me there,
and an assistant took us to the room where I would stay. The main
difference between it and a prison cell was the bathroom off the
side. Apart from that, the spare facilities and the depressing
grey-green decoration would have fitted perfectly in Hegal central
prison. The bed was softer, at least, than those in the police
station cells, and the media screen was certainly not a feature
there.

“The surgeon will be along to
talk to you after lunch. The procedures are straightforward and
shouldn’t cause you too much discomfort. You’ll be imitating this
man, Gafur Kawildin.” Largosen opened up the media screen, inserted
a data stick and showed me a picture. “He works as an
administrative officer in the central Hegal police station, under
its chief.”

“I’ll be taking his place?” The
man bore a superficial resemblance to me—or me to him. “Won’t
people notice?”

“
No, because you won’t be
replacing him as such. The man is Kelon, not mixed race, and of
impeccable loyalty. Your back-story will be different. You will
play the role of a disaffected mixed-race
banis
who has been raised as
Kelon by his divorced father, but resents being removed from his
heritage, and who now seeks to establish himself within the
indigenous culture and religion. This will explain your appearance
and your relative lack of familiarity with the language. This
officer will continue to work as usual, and has moved to a new
apartment under our instructions. He will keep to himself, the
better for us to shift you in and out of the scene as needed. If
and when Sri Shardul gains Sri Sanjeev’s confidence, he will drop
your name as a potential leak from the police service.”

Blending fact and fiction.
“This guy doesn’t mind having a reputation as a traitor?”

“He understands and supports
the plan. As I said, he has impeccable loyalty.” Nothing in the
captain’s tone or emotions said, “unlike you”, but I still heard
it. “Databases and records will be altered so that if anyone checks
DNA, prints, images, voice recordings and so on, the false identity
and history will be obtained.”

“You think you have a leak
already?”

“We have to allow for the
possibility, unfortunately. You will assume the role of a former
police officer, just as this man is, retired from active duty
because of injury. Unlike him, you will appear bitter over your
treatment by the service. It’s important you give a credible
impression of wanting a chance to get back at a race and an
employment you feel has treated you shabbily.”

“Understood. Uh, one problem,
sir. I’m empathic. If I’m introduced to anyone with the same
ability, they’ll detect that, and know my work history has to be
crap.”

“Already considered, sergeant.
One of the facial implants will contain a simple harmonic
canceller. The physical sensation you experience in the presence of
others with your ability is caused by the resonance of ultra-high
frequencies empaths emit. These hyperstimulate an area in the
brain, giving the feeling of tingling—quite harmless, except in
this situation.”

“Okay.” I wasn’t sure how I
felt about electronics being embedded in my face.

“Other implants will carry
tracking and monitoring devices.” He laughed. “ Don’t look so
worried. You won’t even know they’re there, and everything will be
removed once you finish this mission. I’m told you can even have a
free face lift at the same time.”

“No thanks. I just want my face
back how it is now, no better, no worse.” And, I hoped, the mirror
image of Yashi’s again once he finished the long road to recovery.
“So my preparation is...?”

“Brush up your Nihani, read
briefings from our officers, and meet with Kawildin to copy his
speech and mannerisms. That aspect isn’t essential—you won’t have
to imitate him to the face of anyone who knows him well. On the
data stick is a full assessment of him, images, videos, voices
recordings and other background material. Once contact is made, we
will have you and Sri Shardul meeting in public, to establish a
connection.”

“His friends know me very
well.”

He smiled unpleasantly. “By the
time our surgeons finish with you, sergeant, your own mother won’t
know you. If you can do your best to imitate Kawildin’s speech
patterns, tone down your own, that will help.”

“You’re pretty confident,
considering how much we’re relying on Shardul, and this Sanjeev
Unnat falling for the trick.”

“Would you prefer me to be
uncertain and fearful, sergeant? I believe this plan has a high
chance of success, at least so far as introducing you to Sri
Sanjeev. After that, it becomes more difficult to predict. I’m told
you’re a man of resourcefulness and intuition, so I’m relying on
that. You’ll have a chance to brush up your weapons and personal
skills. It’s up to you to identify what other assistance you
require, and I’ll do my best to provide it. Any questions?”

“Who can I remain in contact
with?”

“Your father, and only
infrequently. Meetings with Sri Shardul will be arranged by us, and
monitored. Your father will pass on messages from your
sister-in-law. When we don’t need you to be seen in public, you’ll
be at a safe house, where you’ll remain out of sight. This state of
affairs could last months, I should warn you.”

I nodded. “I accepted that when
I agreed. So, when do I start?”

“You should have your surgery
tomorrow. Sri Sanjeev was arrested this morning. Sri Shardul is on
his way now to offer his legal services. How long it takes you to
get out of here depends on Sri Shardul, and his progress with Sri
Sanjeev.” He stood. “Don’t go wandering around. The fewer people
who see you and know what’s happening to you, the better for all
concerned.”

“Yes, sir.”

He left and I sat on the bed,
staring at my would-be doppelganger’s face on the media screen but
not really seeing it. Instead, I thought of my brother, Tara, my
two energetic nephews, and my sweet, precious niece. All the
promises in the world couldn’t stop me thinking I’d never see them
again. If I did, would Yashi and I share the same face again, know
that moment of smug realisation that we two were unique, but not to
each other? Crazy to think that somehow not looking the same meant
we wouldn't really be twins any more, but my fevered, worried brain
kept throwing up all kinds of things like that to stress me
out.