EpiloguesAugust 6th, 2075
11 PM
Site 13The lights flickered in an abandoned warehouse where old parts and machinery rested like ghosts of the past. Pools of grime and chemicals had coalesced with murky water. All the windows had been blacked out by tinted shade frames. Leon stood underneath a single light with Laitinen bound and gagged.
“That wasn’t part of the agreement,” Leon said.
Marcus Laitinen opened his eyes, dazed. He saw Leon in his round rimmed glasses standing next to him. He pieced together several shadows in the darkness before him as men.
“I brought you Laitinen as you wanted,” Leon said, “Where is the girl?”
One of the shadows spoke, “Leon, that was excellent work, but our situation has changed. The girl is safe. We just need you to do one more job for us.”
Leon flicked open his suit and held an automatic pistol at Laitinen’s forehead.
“Really now, Leon? Is that necessary? We’re only asking one more favor and then you and her are free to go. That’s all. Just strap that bastard to a bomb on the LR Line. We’ll give you the time and date. Once that’s done, all debts are paid off. We both walk away.”
Laitinen’s screams were muffled.
“How can I be sure?” Leon asked, “You’ve crossed me once already.”
“Scout’s honor. Leon, you’ve been a very good associate of ours. There wasn’t anyone else we could entrust with such a vital task. Your skills are why we asked for your help.”
Leon holstered the pistol and disappeared into the darkness.
August 7th, 2075
7:30 AM
Nansoko PenthouseThe Nansoko penthouse sat secluded from the rest of the nearby high-rises by a winding driveway. A small garden surrounded the exterior even though the trees were not tall enough to blot out the skyscrapers in plain view. At the main entrance of the complex was a landing pad for VTOLs. The hologram police line cordoned off the entrances while a set of officers stood in a ring around the building’s exits to enforce the line’s significance. A small crowd of reporters had already arrived on scene waiting for details outside. A car shaped like an obsidian shell pulled up to the police line. A hologram of credentials blinked on the driver’s window for one of the officers to inspect. The officer waved the car through the line.
The car’s butterfly door opened and Coen stepped out while wrapped inside his black trench coat. Upon entering the building, he took out a cigarette and flicked open the lighter. He saw three women adorned in colorful lingerie, sitting on the couches, and smoking. Their eyes shifted about and their feet tapped unsteady on the floor. Their arms were crossed and they looked ready to leave. Two LSP officers stood in the lobby lounge talking to one another before one noticed him and approached him.
Coen tapped his wrist unit and his holo credentials blinked into existence, “Detective Yoon, MCU.”
The officer sifted through the screen of data and then glanced back at the three women. He introduced himself as corporal Gafarov.
“What do we have here corporal?”
“Well, the Nansoko is definitely dead. Sliced up, according to Wayne,” Gafarov stated.
“I thought it was a cleaning woman that found him?”
Gafarov pointed a thumb back at the three women, “They’re the ‘cleaning women.’”
Coen nodded and took a puff of his cigarette, “Did anybody else see anything? Cameras?”
Gafarov shook his head, “Nope. Abikiwe didn’t allow cameras to be installed because he liked his privacy. We only have cameras for the complex’s perimeter. You can see why,” he glanced back at the women again, “We also had several officers on duty including myself.”
The otherofficer offered the women bottles of water to which they warmly accepted despite the traces of fear running down their faces.
“Who was the first on scene?”
“Myself and Corporal Morris over there. We found no evidence of forced entry or exit of any kind. I mean the only other possible entrances would be the balcony.”
“You sure one of them didn’t do it?” Coen nodded at the three joygirls.
“Our boys had the doors covered the entire night. They came this morning and found him when they came in.”
“Who was on security detail last night?”
Gafarov nodded at Morris, “Myself and Corporal Morris. Nobody came in or out except for Abikiwe.”
“Where’d he go?”
“One of the c-stores for vodka and rum around six last night, came back within half an hour.”
“Did anyone accompany him to the c-store?”
“His chauffeur.”
“Besides his chauffeur, what about security?”
The corporal cleared his throat and shifted his feet, “No.”
“Why not?”
“Well, sir, he always goes for a vodka run every night around that time. We didn’t think it would be any different.”
“Why didn’t he ask someone else to get him the vodka?”
The corporal shrugged, “Nansoko has a penchant for drink I guess.”
“I’m going upstairs. Keep an eye out for these ladies yeah?”
“Mr. Wayne is up there already.”
Coen stubbed his cigarette in one of disposal units by the elevator lifts. He arrived on the floor of the Nansoko’s suite where officers went in and out. More police tape, but for the most part the hallway seemed untouched as though a murder had never happened. The place probably ran for several million credits on a bad day in the market.
Coen entered the suite where he saw the living area in front of him. The balcony was beyond that with tall plexi-glass walls that probably gave Abikiwe a decent view of the Lumaire. Wayne, a forensics specialist, and scientist android, collected samples around the room, but mainly around the dead prince. Wayne had the likeness of a human being with kempt blonde hair combed as though he had a mother who groomed him. His smiles were a constant source of jokes. Wayne claimed that the facial gestures of his model were not of importance to the development team at Sans Limites at the time. He was made to be a straight-faced researcher, but he found smiling as a better way of interacting with associates and coworkers.
Abikiwe sat on his chesterfield couch with a bottle of rum in one hand and vodka in the other. His head bent awkwardly back on the neck of the sofa. His face looked as though he died pleasantly in his sleep, drooling while dreaming. His chest had been split open in various parts, leaking hydraulic fluids of all sorts that stained the couch in alien colors. Cuts, probably by swords, no bullet holes.
To Coen’s left was the kitchen area, though few would have expected Abikiwe to cook for himself. He had a personal chef that came in and out to cook him meals. Housemaid bots usually cleaned up after him because being the heir to a megacorporation allowed one to sit on their ass with a bottle of vodka every day. Neither the chef nor the housemaid bots were around when Abikiwe died. The chef was due to make breakfast at eight. The housemaid bots usually came around at five in the afternoon, or so the intel suggested.
Coen approached the android who recorded everything through his oculars.
Wayne smiled at Coen, “Detective Yoon, good to see you again.”
“Wayne,” Coen nodded, “I thought we’d agree you’d work on your smile. So, it looks like he was sliced up bad. Any ideas who did it?”
The android stopped smiling, “Not particularly. The blood hasn’t congealed yet, leaving the time at approximately within an hour ago.”
Coen looked at the body, “He looks like he was sitting down and not exactly expecting it. Otherwise there’d be signs of resistance or attempts at escape.”
“Indeed,” the android noted and continued surveying the body.
Coen glanced around the suite and saw the hallway to his right which led to Abikiwe’s bed room. His field of view became slightly distorted before he determined an outline usually generated by a cloaking device.
“Hey you!” Coen drew his pistol at the same time as the cloaked figure realized he’d been discovered.
Wayne noticed the commotion, “We need officers up, there’s an unauthorized person in the crime scene.”
Coen activated the recording in his contacts and fired several shots at the phantom outline all of which missed as the figure turned left. The detective ran after but he stopped at the doorway to the Nansoko’s bedroom. He could see a large vanity mirror placed at an angle that allowed him to catch part of the reflection. Through the mirror, he saw the transparent drapes leading to the bedroom balcony move.
Yoon spoke into his throat mic,
“This is Yoon, suspect is heading out bedroom balcony.”He turned the corner and spotted the individual de-cloaked.
Coen caught two seconds worth of visual details before he fired a round at the woman, “Stop right there!”
She had a pair of swords, katanas, sheathed in sayas mounted on her back. She appeared decked out in a full muscle suit. Her face was covered with a visor. She returned fire with an automatic pistol with high velocity rounds that cracked and punctured the walls. Coen activated his shield, but he retreated several steps back into the hallway as splinters and debris flew into a small cloud of smoke obscuring his view.
Coen turned the corner again to see the cloaked outline leap from the balcony balustrades. The detective ran to the balcony, his eyes scanning the premises before spotting the outline flee into the small forest surrounding the complex. Even if he jumped, she already had a head start on him. He slowed his heavy breathing and noticed a dull pain in his shoulder. He looked down to see a hole and blood seeping out. He realized that his personal shielding system had not activated in time. He fell back against one of the walls and passed out.
Up in the air, two members of 2nd squad were en route in their mech suits. The suits resembled headless bodies with three cylinders for a claw-like hands. The cockpit was concealed entirely behind a bulletproof carbon frame. Visual data was acquired via interlinked exterior cameras. Machine guns and missiles were the primary weapon systems, while thrusters were the primary propulsion system.
“Viper to HQ, we’re circling the penthouse now,” Ioanna Nikos spoke into her comms inside of her mecha.
“HQ to Viper, maintain visuals on the surrounding areas. It’s possible the suspect may have just escaped from the crime scene. Be on alert.”“Understood HQ, let me know if you find anything.”The unit pulsed ahead followed by the other mech piloted by Farwell. As they pulled closer they saw through their cams Floreal Marat’s mech already maintaining an altitude above the penthouse.
“Viper to Lily, see anything?”“Nothing yet, I’ve got infra on.”“Viper to Frost, head to the other end of the complex. Maintain positions and report if you see anything.”“Aye chief,” Farwell responded.
The mechs maintained a triangular formation around the complex as they surveyed the LSP officers on the ground.
“By the way Lily, Hammer got you coffee this morning.”“That’s nice of her, tell her I owe her,” then Marat caught movement out of the corner of her cameras.
Coen’s voice entered their channels,
“This is Yoon, suspect is heading out bedroom balcony.”“Copy that Yoon, this is Lily, I’ve spotted the target, in pursuit,” Marat engaged her thrusters to the other side of the building.
She spotted the balcony just as soon as a woman landed on top of her mech and threw off her balance. The individual leapt off and recloaked.
Nikos and Farwell followed quickly behind. Marat spun around and activated the infrared vision system as she chased after a red form on her screen moving through the forest. Marat pulled the trigger in her right-hand controls which sent the mech strafing some rounds at the ground near-missing the target’s feet despite the dense foliage. The target then spun around and fired something at Floreal. She wove away from the blast, but then her IR visuals shut down. The red form on her screen vanished.
“Lily, this is Viper, my IR is out, are you still following the target?”Floreal magnified her optics and continued along the same direction as the target was running, but realized it was no use.
Floreal closed her eyes,
“This is Lily, I’ve lost visual on the target.”8:07 AM
LSP HeadquartersTitus Gretien sat in his office with a giant display in front of him. The faces of many journalists and press correspondents were on screen. Gretien held a livestream press conference regarding the death of the Nansoko, which had spread quickly even if the LSP had not offered a public statement until that moment. The affair had evolved into a public relations bomb. Gretien was merely the bomb squad.
In another section of the screen, live footage of LSP officers outside the Nansoko penthouse played.
“That’s all the details we have right now as the investigation is pending. Thank you all for your time.”
The faces and screens began to shut out one by one except one that remained, Kelly Pahlavi, a reporter for Lumaire News Network.
When Gretien saw her, “Kelly, I swear to god…”
“You guys really fucked this one up by letting the murderer get away, and I thought you were an atheist?”
Gretien clasped his hands before his mouth and listened, “Kelly, listen…”
“Titus, please don’t beg me, it’s pathetic. I’ll cover your ass this time, but you owe me a favor.”
They had known each other for a long time. They were in an on again off again relationship before Gretien started working for the LSP. Though, that was assuming that sleeping together was enough to be labeled a relationship.
“What is it?”
“I’ll come to collect when the time comes,” Kelly continued, “You know, normally, we’d have something when you guys don’t. But we’ve got nothing, this one looks bad. I’ve been hearing from my contacts at Hayworth about a presumed merger with Nansoko to break the power-lock with MHC.”
“That’s nothing new.”
“So, you think it’s an inside job?”
Gretien rubbed his eyes, “Frankly, that’s all speculation at this point, but they’ve been saying that for years. What makes you think this one to be any different? They never cared about the Nansoko in the first place.”
“But you guys do…” she paused before changing the subject. “You look tired.”
Gretien looked away when she commented on his appearance, “Stating the obvious won’t help.”
He looked back at her again and saw she had that look in her eyes. The look that would have resembled a come-hither hand gesture.
“Kelly…”
She chuckled, “Not even lunch for old time’s sake?”
Gretien smiled, shook his head, “Maybe another time.”
“Suit yourself.” She smiled and disappeared from the screen.
As soon as her face disappeared, so did his smile. He exhaled and reclined in his seat.
10:15 AM“C.K.’s been injured?” Captain Mountbatten leaned forward in his seat in his office.
He sat in front of a screen with Alexandra’s face on it.
“He’s in critical condition. The bullets went right through him before he could activate his shielding,” Alexandra responded from the cabin of a VTOL taking a quick tour of the city.
She preferred to be out in the field early in the day, so she could lend support wherever it was needed if she was on the move. Though, she was no netrunner, so the only support she could provide was with a gun.
“They’ve managed to stabilize him for now. We lost the suspect. She was using a cloaking device, probably military grade thermoptics. They disabled one of the MGs’ infrared vision systems to escape.”“That’s unfortunate,” Mountbatten paused,
“Did he manage to capture an image?”“He’s putting it into the report right now in the hospital. I’m heading back to MCU, do you want me to grab you anything, donuts? Tea?”“Tea, preferably.”Alexandra turned off her comm. She wondered why Mountbatten still drank tea before she ordered her pilot to take her back to LSP headquarters.
1:15 PM
La Boheme RestaurantLa Boheme was an upscale restaurant located on the top floor of the Stockman Tower in the northwest side. The restaurant was praised for its collection of wine and ribeye as well as its magnificent view of the city. The rich and famous often enjoyed dining there. On this afternoon, the rich and famous that dined there was Mathieu Legrand, a Lumaire assembly member.
He dined in solitude save a few bodyguards on standby, but he sat alone by the windows. He was neither gaunt nor portly. He looked several years younger than he really was without surgery of any kind. He had a few graying streaks of hair over his brown at his temples, and his eyes resembled steel. Mathieu did not look like the type to smile often.
One of his bodyguards walked in as he finished wiping his mouth on a cloth napkin.
“Sir, your brother was found murdered. Is there anything you want us to do?”
Legrand set the cloth napkin on the table and shook his head. He gestured for the guard to leave him. He stared out of the window as he clenched his teeth.
2:05 PM
LSP HeadquartersMinna Patel stood in Lieutenant Paris’s office, but she may as well have been standing in front of a firing squad. The agent was to answer for anything that officer Vitali Zhang did and did not do on his assignment. After Agent Patel had reported the results, the lieutenant let the silence engulf her. Alexandra decided she would lash out against the intern in lieu of railing Vez because the latter was not present.
Alexandra stared directly into Minna’s eyes, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Mountbatten walked in, but, as soon as he heard those words, he walked back out. The intern had her eyes to the floor because she couldn’t keep up with the lieutenant’s gaze. She would have done anything to get the captain back into the room because at least he could have been of some comfort and maybe shield her against the lieutenant’s wrath.
“Ma’am, Agent Vez was certain the flames wouldn’t spread.”
Alexandra fumed, “And if they did? Who did you think was going to pay for those infrastructure damages? We are officers of the law, not bounty hunters. He could have easily called in a drug enforcement team to confiscate all the evidence necessary to put Choi away for years,” she massaged her temples, “Do either of you know how reckless that was of Vez?
Alexandra took the agent’s silence to press on, “Why didn’t you stop him?”
“We have an arrangement. I give him information that he needs to apprehend suspects, but I don’t have any say as far as his methods. It’s how we’ve operated for a while now, and we’” Minna cleared her throat, “Ma’am.”
“Riveting,” Alexandra’s brow creased further.
Minna continued, “From what he told me, the dealer made him try the YX7 to test if the contents in the parcel was legitimate, and that was where things kind of got…out of hand.”
“Out of hand? He takes the drugs and ends up slaughtering all of them during a drug-induced rage. Then burns the entire lab as well as the bodies, which, trust me, does not look good from any angle. I suppose he did us a favor by burning the bodies to cover up the fact. Do we look like action flick heroes to you?”
“No ma’am. He was under the influence only when he killed off gangers, but, in his defense, what’s wrong with killi-“
Alexandra raised a palm, “Agent Patel, you are to remind agent Zhang that there is a book that we play by. That’s the only thing that separates us from them. I trust that the both of you will try better to observe that in the future. This is Lumaire, not some fuck-all shantytown in Eastern Europe. There’s a level of respectability that must be maintained.”
Minna remained silent for a long time before conceding, “Yes ma’am.”
Alexandra looked at the intern up and down again before her face relaxed and she pivoted, “How is he?”
Minna glanced at the lieutenant, she had to process a moment before responding, “He’s…fine. He has some painkillers. No major injuries, the parameds patched him up.”
Alexandra nodded, “Dismissed.”
The intern left the room with her ears burning red. The Captain waited outside.
Mountbatten stopped Minna as she walked by, “Don’t mind the lieutenant, she’s just got a lot of paperwork,” he paused, “Good work today Agent Patel. I’m glad the LSP can count on men and women like you and Zhang.”
Minna looked at the captain for a moment, “Thank you sir.”
Mountbatten nodded. Minna walked off, unsure if she needed to have the ‘talk’ with Vitali. The kind of talk that might ruin their otherwise stable work relationship. The captain entered the lieutenant’s office but stopped in the doorway. Alexandra saw him watching her.
He cleared his throat, “I believe you may have overcooked the poor intern.”
The lieutenant rolled her eyes.
7 PM
LSP Headquarters“I swear I was just in there for flowers!” Avinash sobbed uncontrollably even as LSP officers shuffled by staring at him.
Tia and Alexandra exchanged some uncomfortable glances, while also hoping the other would say something to stop him.
“My wife would kill me if she found out I didn’t get her flowers! I’ve already forgotten her birthday!”
“I am not dealing with him right now,” Alexandra walked off to Mountbatten’s office.
Tia raised her palm up to pause the man, “Hey. Shut up. Okay? We know you’re innocent of any wrong-doing…”
“I don’t know who those men were, please, I don’t want to go to jail,” he wailed.
Tia cleared her throat, “You’re not going to jail. Just let us take care of some paperwork and we’ll let you go soon. Sit tight and not another word.”
Avinash sniffled.
“You want anything to drink? Water, coffee?”
“Coffee, cream, no sugar, and lactose free milk. I’m lactose intolerant.”
“Do I look like a fucking diner to you?” Tia stared at Avinash, “Besides…can’t you get like a replacement intestine for that?”
7:35 PMCaptain Mountbatten was in his office when officer Chavez, MCU’s newest detective-to-be, entered with a lively stride. No doubt she radiated confidence after successfully nabbing the thief, which, Mountbatten supposed, warranted some level of pride.
“Good work probationary officer Chavez, with a couple more like that, and you might be turning that probationary badge in for a JG detective’s badge. We’re proud to have you with us whether it be MCU or MGU.”
She told him about the details surrounding the events that occurred within the flower shop. The mention of Cael Meint was significant. Mountbatten’s visage would have darkened had he owned facial implants. His chrome exterior provided the benefit of a poker face. Meint was involved in several Neo-Terra related incidences and operations. He became whatever Neo-Terra wanted him to be for the organization as a whole. His appearance anywhere was significant.
While a flower shop seemed surprising, it was located within the northwest side near many of the major corporate offices. The mention of the black woman caught his interest, but he dismissed the probationary officer before probing further about the woman, as he felt such information was on a need-to-know basis.
“I’ll start questioning Khedira soon about anything she knows regarding NTS. I’ll let you know what we find regarding this mystery woman. Off you go sergeant.”
The captain tapped into a separate channel once Chavez left, “Miss St. Cloud, Officer Chavez mentioned a woman was present alongside Cael Meint in the flower shop. Can you find me any details on that woman?”
8 PMThe day ended with one less member present than it started in Captain Mountbatten’s office.
“So, looks like Emmett is saddled up for the long haul regarding the Omega41 murders of Damien Legrand and a Melanie Monroe,” Tia swiped along her screen, “But, without a doubt, it is the same person. He’s thinking it’s a cyborg. Mangle believes that to be the case as well.”
“It’s certainly better than nothing, I think you should give him access to the files for the previous cases,” Mountbatten offered.
“I wonder what Legrand’s brother will say. This is a pretty high-profile murder,” Alexandra noted.
Tia nodded, “It seems like the Bernard Choi situation was wrapped up nice and tidy…” she glanced at Alexandra.
Alexandra rolled her eyes and sighed.
Tia continued, “I’ll make sure everyone keeps an eye open for Meint. I heard about what happened to C.K.”
Mountbatten paused, “Yes, he’s stable for now. Thank goodness…”
“Any ID on the suspect?”
Alexandra crossed her arms, “We know she’s a woman, and we could assume she was behind Nansoko’s murder, but that still doesn’t answer the question as to why she remained at the scene.”
“We should ID her first before we start thinking about an MO,” Mountbatten suggested.
Tia nodded, “I’m turning in for the night.”
Mountbatten waited until she left to turn to Alexandra, “So…do you think he’ll consider it now?”
“He wouldn’t really have as much reservations as before, but I could be wrong.”
“I’ve noticed that he’s been rather uncomfortable about the idea.”
Alexandra mumbled.
“I don’t blame him. Being a tin-can is about as dull as it gets,” Mountbatten laughed.
“I’ve never said you were dull.”
“Didn’t need to.”
Alexandra scoffed, “Anyway, Captain…”
Mountbatten cleared his throat, “I was going to ask if you were interested in grabbing dinner with me some time?”
Alexandra took a step back, “Are you…are you asking me out on a date?”
“Not exactly.”
11 PM
A Dark Room SomewhereChong Yi Petrov replayed the security feeds on multiple screens. He watched the unidentified man consume the YX7 and fall unconscious, only to awake in a few seconds and enter a blind rage. Petrov’s eyes narrowed as he watched the man dismember everyone present including Bakhtin. Then he watched the unidentified man take Choi and burn the lab. He knew his boss wouldn’t be happy to find Bakhtin dead, Choi taken, and the new YX7 operation trashed.
He sighed, and began to make a call, “Hey, let me talk to Lucky Lin. I got some bad news.”
August 8th, 2075
7:05 AM
LSP HeadquartersChief Kyung sat in her office watching the reports that filtered into her feed as well as news streams about incidents occurring around the city. LTV anchor Javed Mukherjee, with his famed jawline, delivered his prompter lines on one screen that Kyung decided to listen to. Even as Mountbatten, Nikos, and Alexandra entered her office, her attention remained fixed on the story.
“…talks continue at the Chicago convention as several other cities call for the revision of the first proposed draft of a new constitution. However, Tukana and Nueva Miami have announced their withdrawal from talks for the time being. This comes just days after Martian representative Julius Baltar of the Martian Neo-Socialist Party announced his North American visit culminating with his arrival in Lumaire, where he will remain for two weeks. Representative Baltar has been noted for his efforts to broker stronger relations between Earth and Mars…”
Without looking at either of them, “The mayor gave me a call earlier.”
The others looked at one another.
Kyung continued, “He wants us to help manage security for that guy,” she referred to Baltar, “…when he comes to town. I honestly wonder if he’s seen the news today,” without missing a beat, Kyung looked at the two of them, “What happened?”
The captain spoke, “The suspect escaped from the penthouse grounds, managed to injure one of our agents, but not before he acquired a visual recording of their appearance.”
Nikos continued speaking where Mountbatten stopped, “During the suspect’s escape, they jammed the infrared vision on our mechs during the pursuit. The suspect also used a cloaking device. They’re certainly well equipped.”
“We’re lucky the news hasn’t leaked yet. Jesus…having the Nansoko’s assassin slip out from under our grasp,” Kyung assessed the data coming in, “We’re on the defensive right now.”
Kyung changed the channel. LNN came on the screen with a story regarding the Nansoko homicide reported by journalist Kelly Pahlavi. Chief Kyung gestured for the system’s volume controls to increase.
“The death of the Nansoko comes as a shock to many. Some believe that he was assassinated in his penthouse. Details surrounding his death has yet to be confirmed or dismissed by the LSP. Meanwhile, the Nansoko Board of Executives has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the matter. Though many already begin to wonder, what will this mean for the Nansoko Corporation?”
“Jack shit,” Alexandra muttered.
Chief Kyung glanced at Alexandra, “Tell me that any of you have good news?”
Mountbatten spoke, “The lead on Neo-Terra was confirmed. The girl, Naima Khedira, had affiliations. Cael Meint was present as well.”
“Cael Meint? Jesus-fucking-Christ. Who was there for that one?”
“One of our new probationary officers, an MG pilot.”
Nikos smiled when she knew he was referring to Chavez.
“How did she escape?”
Mountbatten glanced at Alexandra, “Her shields, from Chavez’s account, handled all the small arms fire that Meint and his goons directed at her suit as she carried Khedira and the civilian out. Call it miracle.”
“Meint spared her. She didn’t bother calling in backup? We could have nailed the sonofabitch.”
“Apparently, the area was a communications dead zone. It wasn’t until after she escaped that HQ received her calls for backup, likely the courtesy of Meint and NTS. Based on Chavez’s multiple vision systems, she didn’t detect any other signatures besides Khedira and the civilian before she entered. That means they have technology that covers them from IR and x-ray. It seems they were planning to kill Khedira and end their business relationship for good.”
“Really? That seems really timely. Meint shows up to kill Khedira as soon as we send someone out to arrest her. Where’s Meint now?”
“He vanished,” Mountbatten took Kyung’s extended silence to mean they were dismissed, “We’ll update you if we find anything.”
Kyung stopped them before they left, “Also, what the hell happened in the 8th Arrondissement?”
7:30 AMMountbatten tried to inhale the aroma of his earl grey tea, not that he could. He could only partake in the appearance of inhaling his native beverage. He was about to pour some down his digestive receptacle, that is, until he was startled by a chime from his communicator.
“Bollocks…” he muttered, as it was a call from Miss St. Cloud.
“Yes, Miss St. Cloud?”
“Captain? You wanted information regarding the woman present with Cael Meint in the flower shop?”
Moments later Tia paced in Mountbatten’s office while Alexandra looked out the clear skies of the day.
“From Officer Chavez’s reports, this is what I found,” Tia blinked a screen before Mountbatten displaying a black woman.
“Zora De Vries, she’s an arms dealer. She mainly deals in small arms, light weapons, and…disruptors. She’s based in Tukana. Her clientele is strictly high-profile, which includes mafia and yakuza crime families, the triads, and, as of our discovery yesterday, NTS. Our independent informants believe that she’s here to conduct a sale. We have a plausible time and location already.”
“What have you found regarding the Laitinen abduction?”
“NanSec combed the R&D center clean, so I’ve got nothing to go off right now. Still trying to ID the abductor. I’ll let you know when I find something.”
“Anything else?”
The screen changed to show two faces with colorful hair and a variety of tattoos.
“One of the street cams caught the Dominguez siblings playing a little rough. They shot and killed someone. Pfeiffer’s Seven had the two in custody until they managed to break out and escape. So they’re on the loose now.”
Mountbatten returned to his cup of tea, “Very well, and the briefs?”
“Already on their way,” Tia smiled.
-
Omega41 187 (Cont.)To Detective Tigron –
I am granting you access to case files regarding the four previous cyborg homicide cases since you believe they share the same suspects. Wayne has determined that the Nansoko’s cause of death fits the same characteristics as the other cases. You can visit the penthouse to comb for evidence if you wish. Wayne will be down at the morgue with the body if you need to see it. I’ve also scheduled a meeting with Damien’s brother, assembly member Mathieu Legrand, maybe he might know something regarding Damien’s murderer.
- Captain Niles Mountbatten
The Lady of WarTarget – Zora De Vries
Information –
Yesterday morning, one of our officers found a woman accompanying the notorious Cael Meint of Neo-Terra to buy some flowers. This woman was later identified as Zora De Vries. She’s an arms dealer based out of Tukana, and it’s a wonder how she managed to get into this city undetected.
She deals mainly in small arms and light weapons like assault rifles and rocket launchers. However, she also has her own home-made, patent-pending, disruptors. These babies sell for a hefty tag. If you’re chromed and have ever been hit by one of these, you know how much they sting.
Our informants tell us that she’s in town to make a sale. The deal is going down in the port district as we’ve determined that her goods are coming in the old-fashioned way, by ship.
Also on the market today is a Republic of South Africa Z74, a military grade hardsuit. We don’t know how she managed to acquire that, but we’re not surprised. Maybe someone in their military is selling her the newest R&D schematics. This thing packs a punch, but we’re thinking it’ll be cradled in packaging so it won’t be a factor.
The other party is believed to be Akihiko Ishimura, representing the Ishimura-kumi, a prominent yakuza family. If De Vries’ appearance with Cael Meint means anything, expect NT goons to be present and armed.
We’re deploying a full task force with 2nd squad in support of this operation. Bring in De Vries and Ishimura, and secure the contraband.
Recommended Agents – 2.
Dynamic DuoTarget – Benny and Cha Cha Dominguez
Information –
Benny and Cha Cha Dominguez are wanted for murder. The cameras pretty much caught all the action in the south-east side when they gunned down a man named Danny Leitch. They didn’t even bother hiding it, but they quickly figured out the deep shit they were in. They head a small gang in the 8th ‘s southerly neighborhoods called the Rabbits. They’ve been at this since they were in their teens. Their gang runs a protection racketeer on the residents living in that area.
We put up a warrant for their arrest and a small private recovery firm, aka bounty hunters, called Pfeiffer’s Seven managed to arrest the two. Unfortunately, the Dominguez siblings didn’t remain in their custody for long. While the bounty hunters were waiting for an LSP extraction veet to take Benny and Cha Cha in for processing, the Rabbits struck and killed several of the recovery agents. Benny and Cha Cha escaped and went into hiding.
So now they’re wanted for more than just one count of murder.
You’ll know it’s them when you see the colorful attire and hair, that’s just how they roll. Bring in Benny and Cha Cha alive.
Recommended Agents – 1.
- Tia Marie St. Cloud