Claustrophobia

Chapter Seven - Amirerea - 4

The kar that C.A.T had planted for her in case of emergencies was nearly a mile away, back by the ship. She could never hope to get back there and chase them down in it, and the clock was already ticking.

     Standing in the center of the plaza anxiously looking around her for something of use, she saw nothing. Nothing of use.

     The Halo-Core sprang to life and Lar.4G stuck his head through the holo. 'Z9? Is that you?'

     'Where are you?' she asked, beginning to jog to the kar in sheer hope. Her eyes were peeled all the time, however, looking for transport. Transport left just for her. A taxi passed her on the road and another flew overhead, but they wouldn't be fast enough. She needed something specific.

     'In a little cafe called 'Mirrored Dreams.' You have to come here and try some of this stuff...' He faded out, and she knew that was because he was thinking of all the interrogations he had gone through, might still be going through.

     Might they still be there? Might he still be in custody? Police custody? Might they be hearing every word she was saying? She'd give the game away like this. They'd know it was she that took Grohaw and brought him to his knees. That was fine. If they had to know, they had to know, but that wasn't the issue.

If they knew, then Mysen would find out. She'd be in the same position as Lar.4G.

She very much wanted to go back to the shadows.

     'Lar.4G,' Z9 said. She halted next to the river to try and keep her composure level, her breathing still. It's easier to convince someone you're trustworthy if you don't sound like you've wandered through the desert for a year. 'The people listening in.'

     Lar.4G's eyes widened. 'How did you know?'

     'I didn't. I guessed. Security custody?'

     'Actually in the main city station. Asking questions...' the phone was taken from him roughly, judging by the sudden covering and uncovering of the Core's speaker, and the square head of a Kakr officer faded into the holo.

     'This is D.I Ko'gunn,' the Kakr said in the tell-tale gruff, deep voice. 'Who the hell are you?'

     'It doesn't matter who I am,' Z9 said.

     'I'm going to end this...'

     'No,' z9 said, fingers splaying in her eagerness, 'don't end the call. There are men on their way to kill Lar.4G in revenge for the ship. Men with guns. Big ones with lots of canisters who don't care who gets caught in the crossfire, civilian or police or celebrity.' Her heart stuck in her throat. Which way would they take this? It was all in this gamble.

     'Young lady, this is the most secure...'

     'I don't give a fuck where it is. These people are going to throw every explosive, every laser, every shot they have, until they've caught him and drilled a hole through his head and they're not going to stop. Not now, not ever, because their boss has got bigger plan. Do you hear me? This isn't an isolated incident, but it will be very bloody if you don't act now.'

     'Believe her,' Lar.4G said out of shot. Z9 saw nearby, propped up in a stand by a cafe, a Zoomus dozing idly under the galaxy above them.

     'I'm on my way,' she said. 'In the mean time, get every single officer down there this instant. Your little station is about to go bang.'

     She ended the call, pocketed the Halo-Core, and scampered over to the Zoomus. With a quick flash of one of her bangles, the chain holding the Zoomus to the rack had one of it's chains snap. The whole chain fell to the ground with a ghostly rattle.

     'Hey,' said a local who was about to dig into an incredibly delicate meal that looked to be no bigger than the size of Z9's little finger. 'That's mine! Get off it!'

     Z9 paid no attention, swinging a leg over and activating the main panel.

     PASSWORD PROTECTED.

     'Shit,' she said. 'Hey, you,' she shouted to the angry owner coming towards her, red faced and a fork ready to spear downwards. 'What's the password for this thing?'

     The man actually stopped for a few seconds, and a slight smile crinkled at his lips. 'You think that's really going to work?' His smile faded when the barrel of the XF-54 was levelled at his forehead. He quickly saw the names of his children flash across the gleam of the barrel as it danced light in ethereal purple. 'HIERARCHY,' he said.

     Z9 typed it in with the other hand, gun still pointed at his forehead. You never could tell if these guys were lying or not.

     'Please don't shoot me,' he whimpered, and Z9 thought he might actually fall to his knees and beg for his life, he had so much to live for, he was just trying to make a living, they'd recently found they would be grandparents, oh please would she spare him?

     The dashboard flickered into full life, the anti-grav kicking in. Thank you,' she said, bringing it out into the street. 'I'll try to get it back to you when I'm not in a hurry.'

     She flicked a paddle by her right knee and the steering rack changed. She pulled back and the machine began a graceful ark upwards, ascending to the sky. She gunned the throttle and leaned into the banking as she pulled into free traffic lanes, beginning to hurtle past taxi after taxi, knees clamped to the metal to keep her in the seat and not falling to the ground.

     Z9 tapped with one hand onto the dash and brought up a map of the city. 'Directions to the city station,' she spoke, and a second later a dot appeared not far from her. She put her head down and chased after it down like a dog hunting down a group of foxes, wind blowing her hair behind her like a comet trail.