The Dark Edge Chronicles - Hardwire

Redemption has a New Face

"Save them for now." Dee pushed open her door and stepped out. "You can bring them up after we meet Duffy, upstairs."

The aforementioned crusty old ex-pat Brit was sifting through several thick file folders of information sitting on Dee's kitchen counter when Dee pushed open her apartment door to step in. He looked up with a frown.

"Took you long enough, detective," he noted dryly tightly, rubbing the three-day's growth of stubble on his bejowled chin. "I expected you two a couple of hours ago."

Dee grinned.

"Traffic, Duffy. What do you expect? That, and we found out that the jet taking Mordecai's replacement to Ottawa was blown up an hour or so ago over Saskatchewan."

"What?" Duffy exclaimed in astonishment as Dee threw her bag that she had been carrying over her shoulder, filled with her equipment from the transfer, onto her pint-sized couch, indicating that Mordecai could drop his box onto the same place.

"The whole bloody plane? Gone?"

"In a cloud of whirling debris," Dee confirmed with a nod as she stepped to the opposite side of the counter to take a quick look at the stack of folders, most of them stamped with the Interpol seal. "It would appear that the Brotherhood has moved swiftly to act against a threat to their plans."

"Bloody hell!" Duffy said with a shake of his head before rubbing at his face. Then, without warning, he was sticking out his hand to the bemused Mordecai.

"Cal Duffy, at your service."

"Mordecai," the big man replied, taking the offered hand to give it a quick shake before dropping it.

"Yes, our mysterious final witness." A weary smile appeared on Duffy's worn features. "A stroke of luck the Brotherhood missing you twice now, I'd say. And a break for us: now the Brotherhood thinks you're dead. I believe we should use that to our advantage."

Mordecai held up a quick hand.

"While I appreciate what you and your associates have done in getting me 'released' from police custody, I'm afraid I have a couple of issues I must bring up before you continue your plotting."

With Duffy and Dee both looking at the big man with frowns on their faces, he went on.

"Obviously there are some things here that are going on without your knowledge. And, before you ask me what they are, I must tell you that I've taken a vow never to reveal my people and their disposition to you, the Normals."

"Normals?" Dee chewed on the inside of her cheek at the label.

"Yes. What my people refer to your people as. Normal, without the advantages that my people have over you."

Duffy's eyebrow climbed at that and he quickly glanced over at the thoughtful Dee before he spoke.

"Indeed. Sounds a bit like you lot have some sort of superiority thing going on there."

Mordecai smiled tightly.

"Perhaps. Regardless, I won't assist you in uncovering my people to the Normal populace at large."

"And does this 'vow' extend to the Brotherhood? They seem to be your people too," Dee pressed.

A tight scowl appeared on Mordecai's handsome face as he slowly shook his head.

"The Brotherhood, while being of the same race as my people, have divorced themselves from us by their blatant disregard for the Shield and their attempted resolution of the Armageddon Project."