Crack in the Kill Code (AmpCore #2)

18 - Lurker

The woman looked up sharply as they entered, her eyes blazing and red with spent tears.

Doser's visor flashed over his eyes for a couple of seconds, then vanished. "Mrs. Portrelle? Gaia Portrelle, is it?"

She twitched; looked back down at the table. Doser sniffed, nodding to one of the empty chairs opposite her. Kirk breathed deep, and sat down, leaning back and clasping his hands together on his lap. She didn't look dangerous – hell she looked like she weight eighty pounds soaking wet – but something in that wild gaze made him not want to get too closer.

Doser slumped down beside him, an unlit cigarette between finger and thumb. He reached across silently, just holding it in the woman's field of view.

After a few seconds she reached out shaking fingers and took it from him. Kirk watched the ritual unfold as the detective lit it for her. She breathed deep, shakily at first, her bony shoulders heaving. A couple of drags later she seemed to relax, sinking a little further against her chair.

"Are you alright?" Kirk asked quietly.

Gaia looked up at him, eyes watering. "Am I alright?"

"I'm asking how you are." He cast a sidelong glance at Doser. "I figure no-one here's asked you that yet."

"So you're good cop?"

"I'm no cop." Kirk tugged his jacket open to the left and right. "See, no badge."

"So what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Outside consultant," Doser rumbled, shooting Kirk an irritated glance before returning his attention to Gaia. "I take it you're done swinging for people?"

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean... I was just-,"

"I know. People do a lot of silly stuff when they're upset."

"Upset?" Her eyes flashed angrily. "I'm not some crazy pill-popping error message. I know what I saw."

"What did you see?" Kirk asked, keeping his voice level. He could see it, that instinctive distrust of any kind of authority, twisting and grinding right beneath her skin. For her to have come here at all, she must have been scared out of her mind.

Her lips twisted. "Tried telling you already. Look where that got me."

"You're here because you assaulted an officer," Doser told her flatly. "I'd like to know what you saw that put you in that state."

"I..." She sucked on the cigarette to steady herself. "Shit, you're not gonna believe me. I don't believe me."

"I'm from Fare Row Range," Kirk interjected, leaning forward to put his elbows on the table. "I've seen plenty of crazy shit out there. Saw a codewraith – looked it dead in the eye."

"How come you're still sucking oxygen?"

"Thing wasn't after me. Just lucky I guess."

She smiled grimly. "Me too, I suppose."

"Gaia," Doser growled. "What did you see."

"I work sluiceway maintenance," she answered. "I was just doing my fuckin' job, alright? Wasn't looking for trouble. Me and my shift mate, Briggers."

"Where's Briggers now?"

"If I knew that I wouldn't be sitting here." The words started coming now, rushing out of her like she couldn't help it. "We're just down there, tryin' to patch one of those piss-weak Atlantis filter units, and the fuckin' power's down in that section too, so we're working with headlamps and prayers – slow as shit, behind on our quota. Next thing you know I'm hearing some kinda clanking. We think it's another piece of shitty spiv-tech giving up the ghost, so we go knocking." Gaia heaved in a breath; dragged frantically on the cigarette before continuing.