The cons looked at each other for a brief moment, and then one of them raised a hand in a crude gesture at the warden.
‘Go to hell warden, we’ll help you get there!!’
A ragged cheer went up and the prisoners charged forward again as Nathan held Xavier in his grip and reasoned with himself that there was truly no longer a reason to fight, for they would never escape this prison alive either.
Nathan closed his eyes and hoped that the first blow from a crude weapon would do its work quickly. He heard a massive, deafening thump and felt his body shift to one side as though struck high on the temple, heard amassed cries of anguish and plasma rifles firing and a rush of boots around him, and then he realized that the boots were running in the wrong direction.
Nathan opened his eyes and saw the bay doors behind him lifting as dozens of Marines plunged into the landing bay from a shuttle that had landed, Betty Luther at the controls, firing as they went into the crowd of prisoners who suddenly turned and fled screaming into the prison. Nathan stared in disbelief as the Marines dispersed the crowds, and then somebody crashed down alongside him on their knees and flung their arms around his shoulders. Above the stench of smoke and flames Nathan smelled a scent of her hair, like the orchards in California, saw it sparkling in the light of the flames like strands of gold in a sunset, and despite himself he knew that he had been crazy not to keep fighting even when all seemed lost.
‘You’re late,’ he said into her elfin ear.
***
XL
New Washington
Breaking bad news was never easy, no matter how many times one performed the act. Nathan stood outside the precinct’s waiting room as Lieutenant Foxx approached, two cups of coffee in her hands. It seemed that the old tricks were still used even four hundred years after Nathan’s previous job as a Denver cop, although he figured the coffee tasted better these days.
‘You ready?’ Foxx asked.
She was dressed in her officer’s uniform; black boots, hipsters – another fashion Nathan was glad to see undergoing a revival of sorts, dress jacket and cap. Although the shape and form of the uniform had changed over the centuries, Nathan would have known that he was looking at a police officer even if he’d never worked a day on the job. Kaylin’s shield on her jacket was highly polished, blue and gold, her unblemished face seemingly too young to be ranked as a lieutenant.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘Nothing,’ Nathan said as he reached for the manual door, ‘ladies first.’
He thought he saw her stifle a small smile that curled from her sculptured lips as he opened the door, and then he heard her take a deep breath as they walked inside.
Roma and Erin Reed awaited them inside the room, Xavier Reed’s mother and daughter holding each other’s hands and looking up at the two detectives as they closed the door and sat down opposite them at the simple table. Foxx placed two coffees before them as Nathan joined her.
‘What’s been happening?’ Roma asked, her ageing eyes creased with worry. ‘The DA’s office told us that Xavier had been freed from the gaol? Why can’t we see him? What’s happened?’
Nathan remained quiet, letting Foxx take the lead.
‘Roma, we travelled to Tethys Gaol in our investigation of the case that led to your son’s conviction. Nathan.., Detective Ironside actually went inside the prison and stayed with Xavier in order to protect him while we tried to get to the bottom of what happened.’
Roma looked at Nathan in wonder as though he had just sprouted wings and a halo.
‘My boy, that was so brave,’ she whispered.
‘It’s what we do,’ Nathan replied, ‘for men like Xavier.’
Roma’s eyes glistened with pride as Lieutenant Foxx went on.
‘What we discovered was that your son had been the victim of a clever deception. There was a third shooter in San Diego, and a conspiracy to see him framed for the murder of Anthony Ricard. Through diligent police work, we discovered that Ricard was in fact the real target of the entire operation. He was part of an illegal smuggling ring, shipping military grade weapons off Tethys Gaol to Earth and the orbiting stations. We think that for some reason the people he worked for decided he was a liability and needed to be removed. Xavier was a colleague and somebody who had worked closely with Ricard, so he was targeted as a patsy to take the fall for the killing.’
Roma’s lips began to tremble with suppressed grief as Erin squeezed the older woman’s hand gently.
‘Have you caught the person who is responsible, and where is my husband?’
Foxx looked at Nathan, who spoke in a soft voice.
‘Xavier was with me on Tethys Gaol when there was an outbreak of prison violence, which we think was coordinated by the smugglers in order to free large numbers of inmates and the contents of the prison’s armory. We can’t talk about what happened up there, but at the time there were military operations ongoing which meant we were unable to call for support from Polaris Station or the fleet. Although the Marines did eventually arrive we lost a few good men that day, and Xavier Reed was wounded during the riot. I’m very sorry to say that he didn’t make it.’
Roma Reed let out a howl of grief and buried her face in her hands as Erin stared blankly at Nathan.
‘He’s gone? My husband is dead?’
‘Xavier risked his life to save mine,’ Nathan said. ‘The autopsy will confirm that he pulled a knife from his own body and used it to kill another convict who was in the process of trying to murder me. The removing of the blade caused heavy blood loss and Xavier lost consciousness before we could get him the medical assistance that he needed.’ Nathan looked at Roma. ‘I’m very sorry. Your son was a true hero that day. He refused to surrender even when it seemed we could never make it out alive. I wouldn’t be here if Xavier hadn’t made the sacrifice that he did.’
Roma nodded through her tears, and then she buried her face in Erin’s shoulder as the younger woman held Xavier’s mother.
‘Xavier Reed is to be exonerated of any crimes,’ Foxx said as gently as she could. ‘Given his heroism at Tethys Gaol, as attested by the Warden Arkon Stone, he will be put forward for the highest award for honor and bravery in the police department. The DA’s office is already looking through the evidence that we have submitted to them and they hope to ensure that a miscarriage of justice like this never occurs again.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Xavier Reed’s name will be remembered by this department and by all law enforcement for many centuries to come.’
Roma did not respond, but Erin looked at them with eyes filled with tears.
‘Do you have any hope of catching whoever was behind this?’
Nathan shook his head.
‘Sadly there was insufficient evidence at the scene of the crime in San Diego to pursue, and the aftermath of the riot at Tethys Gaol and the death of one Zak Volt, an inmate believed involved in the conspiracy, closed what few remaining leads we had. At this time it remains an open case but I doubt that we will ever catch the man who killed Ricard. It’s just been too long and it could simply have been an anonymously hired hitman, pretty much anybody.’
Erin sighed and hugged Xavier’s mother in silence as Nathan stood up with Foxx.
‘Again, we’re very sorry for your loss,’ he said.
Nathan turned and followed Foxx from the room and left the grieving family alone. Nathan made his way to Captain Forrester’s office and stepped inside as the big man waved him in.
‘Ironside, what can I do for you?’
‘I need to speak to Scheff,’ Nathan said. ‘Is he still in custody?’
‘He’s in holding, pending transport to jail,’ Forrester replied. ‘Why do you want to speak to him?’
‘It’s important,’ Nathan assured him, ‘and we need to set up a meeting.’
‘Where?’
‘San Diego.’
‘Nathan, it’s over,’ Forrester said as he leaned back in his seat. ‘Xavier’s gone, and there’s no way we can tie anybody else to this because we’re out of leads.’
Nathan smiled grimly. ‘No, we’re not. I need you to run a search on a citizen ID chip, and we need to cut a deal with Scheff to get him to cooperate and close this case.’
***
XLI
San Diego
‘Fresh air.’
Detective Allen sprawled in the hired cruiser that sat on its landing pads alongside Little Italy’s Waterfront Park, the canopy popped open as Detective Vasquez sat beside him and sipped coffee.
‘It’s not so bad.’
‘Not so bad?’ Allen uttered in disbelief. ‘You didn’t just spend a couple days cooped up on a prison ship.’
‘Did you good, no doubt.’
Allen appeared momentarily speechless before he got his thoughts back in order. ‘Well thanks for the fatherly moment.’
‘You never thought much of being planet–side before,’ Vasquez pointed out, ‘having been brought up here all your life in the lap of luxury. You want a little napkin there for your delicate little lips, bro’?’
Allen smiled to himself. ‘Everybody can benefit from a little refinement.’
‘So you’re sayin’ I’m not refined, now?’
‘I said everybody.’
‘Exceptin’ yo’self, right? You ever thought about joining the Senate? Us poor unwashed masses might benefit from some of your worldly advice.’
‘That’s not a bad idea,’ Allen said thoughtfully. ‘Just think how much better your life would be if you were to take some of my advice.’
‘My life’s just fine as it is.’
‘You kidding me? I’ve seen your apartment.’
‘What the hell’s wrong with my apartment now?’
‘Nothing, it’s all your trash inside it.’
‘I like to know where everythin’ is.’
‘By hiding it under everything else?’
‘This conversation’s over,’ Vasquez uttered as he closed his eyes and soaked up the warm sunshine.
‘It sure is,’ Allen replied as he closed the lid on his drink. ‘There’s our mark.’
Vasquez looked across to where a tall man with long, dark braided hair was striding across to a parked cruiser. The man climbed in and moments later the vehicle hummed into life and glided out over the main through fare and accelerated into the distance. Allen started the cruiser and it lifted gently off the surface before he moved off in pursuit.
‘Don’t get to close bro’, this ain’t New Washington.’
‘Thanks, dad.’
The cruiser drifted above the wilderness, the glittering waters of San Diego bay on one side and the rows of soaring skyscrapers behind them towering like silver swords into the perfect blue sky. To the east was nothing but wild lands, the vast tracts of the American continent long since given over to nature while the human population of the planet gradually reduced as space faring and off–world living became the more affordable option for most people.
‘You got any idea what we’re even doing out here?’ Vasquez asked his partner. ‘The case is dead with Reed gone. I’m not complainin’, I jumped at the chance to get on board planet–side, but what’s the point in coming all the way out here?’
Allen smiled. ‘You’ll see.’
The cruiser followed the mark for almost fifteen miles, heading north out of the city on the main route for Los Angeles. Vasquez had begun to consider the possibility that Nathan Ironside might have been wrong after all when the cruiser slowed and descended off the legal altitude and heading markers and turned toward a clearing to the west.
Allen keyed the communications radio and spoke softly but clearly as he had agreed to prior to travelling down to the surface.
‘I’m on my way ma’, will be there within fifteen.’
A woman’s voice replied on the channel within moments, easily identifiable as Foxx.
‘Thanks son, looking forward to it.’
Vasquez checked his service weapon as Allen cruised on by as though nothing unusual had happened, flying off into the distance for at least five miles before he then cut out the autopilot and descended before turning hard left. The cruiser banked steeply, G–force pushing them into their seats as they turned and headed back south at low level over the barren desert of hills peppered with thorn scrub.
*
‘Will you get your hand out of my as..’
‘Ah sorry,’ Nathan said as he crouched alongside Foxx in the dust behind the low ridge.
The sun in the blue sky above was scorching, the desert air dry as it gusted across the lonely plains toward the pine valleys of Mount Laguna. From where they waited he could just see the distant Pacific Ocean, a faint gray band in the milky haze of the bright horizon.
‘I got movement.’
Foxx’s whisper was harsh as he waited with her inside a simple concealment tent, its markings identical to the surrounding terrain. The living–mesh tent was covered in tiny photocells that mimicked the ground to either side and then generated a natural image that perfectly concealed what lay beneath, in this case two very hot and uncomfortable detectives crouched one behind the other.
‘You should’ve got a bigger tent,’ Foxx complained in a whisper.
‘I didn’t think we’d have to wait this long.’
‘Maybe they got spooked.’
Nathan watched as a small blue cruiser swept in a graceful turn and then settled down into the dust of a shallow valley below where they crouched. Its exhaust sent a billowing cloud of dust up into the clear blue sky and then the silence returned to the desert as Nathan watched a tall man with densely braided hair and bio–luminescent tattoos climb out of the vehicle and wait in the sunlit silence.
‘One down, two to go’ he whispered.
Foxx looked up into the hard blue sky and then she gasped. Nathan looked up too and spotted a flash of sunlight off metal as a second craft descended toward the desert. As he watched so a smile spread across his face and he nudged her gently with his elbow.
‘That’s Detective Samson's ride,’ he said. ‘C’mon, let’s hear it.’
‘I’m saying nothing until we know for sure.’
‘We’ve got a bet, remember?’
‘Yes I do, and I disagreed with your thoughts and bet against you,
remember
? Scheff’s here, and that other vehicle is going to be his dealer.’
‘You’re gonna
owe
me,’ Nathan teased as he watched the craft hove into view and landed near Scheff. Moments later, Detective Samson climbed out.