in the alley three nights ago. It wasn't like her and he was worried.
He walked the same route she had that night through the safe zone
-around the headquarters, then into the dark alleys of Hollowtown, the
-area to the west of APD headquarters. He knew he was crazy to wander
-these alleys alone, but he had to see for himself. Garbage was piled
-high along the sides of the buildings. Some people just threw their
-refuse at the disposal openings and walked away, even if the noisome
-waste splattered against the side of the building. The openings to the
-trash disposals weren't all covered. He shuddered as he thought what
-could happen if a child climbed in there.
+around the station. He was headed into the dark alleys of Hollowtown,
+the area to the west of APD headquarters.
+
+But before the condos sprang upward to the sky, there was a large
+open, empty area. Anything that had been there before was gone.
+
+Looking around, he realized that he was in what had been the Gardens
+of Callough. He remembered the Gardens, filled with larkspur and
+hollyhocks, nasturtium and daisies, with fountains and a little stream
+running along the flower beds. There were dozens of flowers from
+Earth. There had been some from Agalder as well. The colors had been
+overwhelming: reds, blues, yellows, purples, greens, and every vibrant
+shade in between. All gone. The area was blasted. Grays and blacks,
+dirty browns were the only colors here now. He turned away. It hurt
+too much.
+
+There had been voting booths here, too, gaily decorated with the
+purple and green of Agalder. He had voted here, voted for Manchester.
+She had been by far the best candidate for President of the Republic
+and had won in a landslide. And then had been gunned down on the steps
+of the Capitol as she was taking the oath of office, along with her
+Vice President and dozens of others.
+
+On duty that day, he was standing at the base of the steps, thirty
+feet below the President-elect. She had stood straight and tall, proud
+to receive the honor. He had seen the guns coming out. How had they
+gotten them inside the barricades? He had pulled his weapon and
+started firing, already knowing it was too little, too late.
+
+Wounded, he had lain on the steps for hours before someone discovered
+that he was still alive. But he hadn't cared. Manchester was dead. He
+had heard much of the talk around him from the invaders. The coup had
+been a total shock to everyone on the ground. No one, including the
+security advisors, had ever heard of the group that took over. Tavis
+had learned later that they were a group of itinerant pirates who saw
+an opportunity and took it.
+
+Just because they were taken by surprise didn't mean that the people
+of Agalder didn't fight back. They fought. And they fought with a fury
+and a hatred engendered by the slaughter of Manchester and her people.
+
+The new President wasn't just wildly popular. She represented the
+whole history of Agalder. From the lost colony that was almost reduced
+to cannibalism before it was found to the exploitation by the Xei
+Empire and the rebellion, through the fall of the Empire and the Iron
+Wars, until a greatly reduced population on Agalder had banded
+together to throw out the remnants of the invaders.
+
+Manchester had come from the lowest class on Agalder. A street orphan,
+she had no idea who her people were. But she had understood the
+concept of a free society and its ramifications for all the people.
+She had educated herself and clawed her way upward. In many ways,
+Manchester had been the symbol of freedom on the planet.
+
+Ten years had gone into drawing up a Constitution, delineating the
+powers of the government with enough checks and balances to choke a
+chaupoo. The temporary government had agreed to step down when
+Manchester had taken office. Everything was going so well. And then
+the pirates struck. There was a fleet of them. Their soldiers had been
+off-loaded on an uninhabited island just off the coast. The first clue
+the people of Agalder had was seeing Manchester shot down. Then the
+troop carriers had skimmed by overhead. The tanks and JVDs had come
+rumbling into the city.
+
+Men, women, children, all had taken whatever weapons were available to
+attack the enemy. For a time the pirates were pushed back by the sheer
+ferocity of the attacks. The attacks came from everywhere. No pirate
+could walk alone in the city unmolested. Children as young as six
+would drop from windows with knives and razors, or spades and forks,
+whatever could pierce skin, put out an eye, or slit a throat.
+
+But children with box knives and sling shots couldn't defeat trained
+men with modern weapons. A lot of people died for nothing, thought
+Tavis. Yet the Resistance had persisted, Maybe soon they would take
+back the planet before the pirates destroyed it entirely.
+
+The spirit of revolution in the people of Agalder still flamed. But it
+had been nearly twelve years since the Pirate Regime had taken over.
+That's what Agalder called the usurpers. They called themselves the
+Democratic Advisory Council of Agalder. He shook his head. They were
+so good at putting their boots on the natives' necks. That was about
+the only thing the bastards were good at. Except of course, for their
+talent at taking every last cent you earned and their adeptness at
+making people they didn't like disappear.
+
+He knew he was crazy to wander these alleys alone, but he had to see
+for himself. Garbage was piled high along the sides of the buildings.
+Some people just threw their refuse at the disposal openings and
+walked away, even if the noisome waste splattered against the side of
+the building. The openings to the trash disposals weren't all covered.
+He shuddered as he thought what could happen if a child climbed in
+there. Kids got into everything, especially when told to stay away. He
+remembered his son climbing...
Movement to his right caught his attention and he turned, drawing his
laser gun. A shadow appeared farther down the alley. He had started in
back silently and sliced through his spinal cord. He dropped like a
discarded puppet, regretting that he wouldn't have time to finish his
work. He looked at the shoes next to him as a hand reached over him
-and twisted the knife. Then his eyes only saw eternity.
+and twisted the knife. Then his eyes saw only eternity.
==== Harlan: Thief ====
by, staring at them with open curiosity.
When he reached the little trail into the park, he disappeared along a
-faint trail that led to a clearing. By the time Alfie reached the
+faint track that led to a clearing. By the time Alfie reached the
clearing, he had discarded his female disguise, turning the raincoat
inside out and ripping off the lower half to form a leather jacket.
His wig turned inside out to become a leather cap and the scarf went
Cassidy sighed "I am not going to stand here and debate philosophy
with you. Suffice it to say that I think Harlan is a spy working for
-the cops. He's a traitor. He's not an innocent. Now goodnight."
+the cops. He's a traitor. He's not an innocent. Now goodnight." He
+trudged off.
Alfie stared after him, speechless.
told him to get rid of Harlan. He couldn't even confirm that the
orders came from the head of the Syndicate, Chas Hawkins. Cassidy
talked to him alone each time. No witnesses to what he said. It was a
-dead end unless they could get their hands on Cassidy.
+dead end unless they could get their hands on Cassidy. The woman from
+forensics had managed to get her ties off in just a few minutes and
+reported to the team. She backed Alfie up on what Cassidy had said.
But Cassidy lived in the big house and rarely left. When he did, he
was surrounded with his bodyguards. If they tried to grab him while he
the wall and saw the tiny switch in the three dimensional art.
"So why did you send Alfie to kill me?" he asked softly, his eyes as
-cold as space.
\ No newline at end of file
+cold as space.
+
+Cassidy met his gaze. "We figured you'd come after us if we killed
+your father. So we decided to eliminate a threat. 'Cept Alfie screwed
+up."
+
+Harlan leaned back abruptly. "You knew that the Chief was my father?
+How?"
+
+"Strictly accidental. One of the boys was passing by and saw you jump
+onto the balcony. He said it took him a couple of minutes to recover
+from the shock of seeing that jump. He said he didn't think a human
+being could twist in the air like that and land wherever he wanted."
+He shook his head. "Boy. I wish I'd seen it." Then he shrugged. "Then
+he consulted the window diagram of the building and realized it was
+the Chief's balcony. So we kept an eye on it. You pulled your stunt a
+few more times. Meanwhile we were digging into the Chief's past and
+guess who we found?"
+
+Shaking his head, Harlan started to chuckle, surprising Cassidy. "You
+have a window chart of the building? That's impressive work."
+
+Cassidy smiled. "Yeah. It was my idea. Lots of important people in
+that building."
+
+He dropped the smile. "So you're not one of us. You're a traitor, a
+snitch. Just like the dopers hooked on slam. The cops use you. You
+have no loyalty to anyone, you worthless piece of..."
+
+He saw the change in Harlan's face and he shut up but continued to
+glare at Harlan. "Getting rid of you was a bit more than good sense.
+It was eliminating a threat to the organization."
+
+Harlan continued to stare at the crime boss for a full minute or two.
+Then he shrugged and smiled. "Who killed Sam Tavis? And who ordered
+it?"
+
+Cassidy shook his head. "You know I can't tell you that. I'd be
+signing their death warrants." He stood up. "Do what you have to do to
+me. But I'm not going to tell you."
+
+The green haired woman spoke up. "It was the Bastard and Jonny Tool."
+
+Harlan looked at her Cassidy cursed. "How do you know?"
+
+"What are you a male chauvinist? I'm a vital part of this
+organization, too. Don't jump to conclusions just because I'm female."
+
+She had gotten out of the bed trap and had gotten dressed while Harlan
+was intimidating Cassidy.
+
+Grinning, Harlan said "I won't underestimate you a second time." Then
+his face went stony. "Who ordered the hit?"
+
+The woman shook her head. "Can't help you with that. I don't know. We
+operate on a need to know basis and that's outside my purview."
+
+Harlan's eyebrows rose as he realized that her education was probably
+far better than the average person in Crater City, which meant that
+she came from a wealthy family. He didn't think she had used the word
+to show off. It was just part of a large vocabulary.
+
+She continued. "And please don't kill Cassidy. I like him." She smiled
+a tiger's smile at Harlan.
+
+He was glad she hadn't done that at the beginning. He could feel the
+draw of her charisma.
+
+"Thank you." he said to her. Turning to Cassidy, he growled "I will
+find out. Meanwhile, don't cut paychecks for the Bastard and Jonny
+Tool. They won't need them." He went out the door quietly. Cassidy was
+in mid-jump to reach the tiny switch when the gun poked back into the
+room and blew the switch away.
+
+==== John Behan: Detective ====
+
+Behan had to talk to Harlan. Nothing made sense unless Harlan and Sam
+Tavis were very close somehow. And Mellie would know what their
+connection was.
+
+He arrived at Mellie's condo just as she was getting home. She jumped
+when he spoke her name from behind.
+
+"Jumpy tonight?" he asked.
+
+"You did that deliberately just to see me jump, didn't you?" she said
+as she opened the door. She didn't sound angry.
+
+"Guilty as charged, Boss." Behan smiled at her.
+
+"I am not now and never will be the boss, John." Mellie disappeared
+into the kitchen. Her voice floated back. "I haven't seen Harlan since
+the Chief..." Her voice broke.
+
+He followed her. She had the fridger open and was just staring at it.
+
+He sighed. "Mellie. You're lying again. Please don't do that. We're
+partners. You've got to let me in on this or both you and Harlan are
+going to get hurt. Or worse."
+
+Mellie turned and gazed into his eyes. After a minute, she said "He's
+already been hurt. He was shot with an old fashioned bullet by a
+sniper two weeks ago. And he disappeared today."
+
+Her face crumpled. "I don't know where he is and I'm so scared for
+him. I'm sure he was going after Cassidy." Tears coursed down her
+face.
+
+Behan pulled her close and hugged her. "Harlan is... resourceful. He's
+smart and he'll get through."
+
+"Damn straight." Came a voice behind them. Harlan entered the kitchen
+with a grin. "You're hugging someone I love, Johnny. It's a good thing
+I heard what you two were saying or I might have misconstrued this
+scene."
+
+Mellie came and put her arms around him but carefully, mindful of the
+recent injury and surgery.
+
+He pulled her close and kissed her, but Behan could see the flash of
+pain that crossed his face. He smiled at the thief "I don't think
+we've ever been introduced." And stuck his hand out. "John Behan."
+
+Harlan took the hand and shook it warmly. "Harlan Tavis." he said.
+
+Behan's eyebrows rose as he realized the true relationship between the
+Chief he had admired so much and the cocky young thief.
+
+==== John Behan: Detective ====
+
+The three of them talked for hours. Harlan had decided to trust Behan.
+His father had trusted the man. He told him everything, including
+their participation in the Resistance, although he refused to name
+anyone else in the organization.
+
+"Don't blame you. You need to keep that information secret."
+
+Behan stood up and started pacing around the small room, pulling at
+his lower lip and muttering to himself. Finally he stopped and looked
+at the younger couple. "As I see it, we have three problems to solve."
+
+He sat down abruptly. "First, we need to find out who killed your
+father, Harlan." His gaze switched to Mellie. "Second, we need to find
+out if Sam's killer is the same person who tried to kill you, Mel."
+
+Standing up, he walked to the kitchen and fixed himself a cup of
+express. He walked back into the living area. "And third, we need to
+kick start this revolution before the whole planet withers away."
+
+==== Mellie: Detective ====
+
+Mellie's jaw dropped. "What!?" she squeaked.
+
+Harlan came to his feet. "What have you got to do with it?"
+
+"I have some responsibility in the Resistance." Behan said.
+
+"He IS the Resistance." said a voice. Santorini entered from the
+kitchen.
+
+"Is my door wide open?" grumbled Mellie.
+
+The Boss grinned at her, then let his gaze include Harlan. "You think
+I'm the Boss? Actually John is."
+
+Harlan stared at the detective. "He's what!?" His voice had risen.
+
+"Calm down, Harlan." said Behan. "Greg just checks in with me once in
+a while."
+
+Mellie's eyebrows rose. "Greg? Who's Greg?"
+
+Santorini laughed. "I am, Mel. My name is Gregorio Santorini."
+
+"Oh." was all that Mellie said. "Okay. Let's drop the comedy act. Tell
+us what's going on."
+
+The two older men exchanged glances and Behan gave a slight nod.
+
+Santorini sat down. "We are about to launch the revolution. And you
+two will play important parts in winning it."
+
+Harlan opened his mouth, but Mellie said "Shut up, Harlan.", her
+attention focused on the Boss. Harlan's mouth stayed open as he stared
+at his sweet, cuddly girlfriend whose face had turned to stone.
+
+Santorini continued. "You, Harlan, are going to organize the thieves,
+destroy the Syndicate, and get the remnants to join us."
+
+He raised his hands as Harlan started to protest. "No, it's not going
+to be impossible. You will find many allies in this coming war and a
+number of them are in the underground. You even have friends in the
+Syndicate now."
+
+He made placating motions with his hands as Harlan half rose. "Relax,
+kid. Like I said. You have friends. Lots of them. And they will be
+there for you. You and I will go over the general outline later."
+
+He turned to Mellie. "Mel, you are going to take over the police
+headquarters and hold it until we can break through."
+
+Mellie stared at him. "Oh. And can I call on the Gods of Olympus and
+Saturn and the Titans to help me?"
+
+"You'll have real help, Mel. Do not doubt it." said Behan.
+
+Harlan and Mellie looked at each other. Mellie shrugged, then grinned
+at the thief.
+
+"What do you think? Should we throw our lot in with these crazies?"
+
+Harlan just gazed at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Hell,
+yes!"
+
+==== Harlan: Thief ====
+
+Hours later, Mellie shooed them all out of her home and fell onto the
+bed fully clothed, asleep with a smile on her face after one last
+thought about Harlan.
+
+The thief himself decided to be a smartass and slipped through the
+same window he had used earlier. He appeared in Mellie's bedroom with
+a big grin and was greeted by a snore.
+
+He sat on the bed next to her and kissed her. Then he kissed her
+again. Then he shook her gently. Then he shook her a bit less gently.
+All he got was snores.
+
+With a rueful smile on his face, he got her under the covers. Tucking
+her in, he kissed her gently on the forehead. Then he looked at her
+for a minute and lay down on the floor and went to sleep.
+
+He woke before she did and quietly left the condo after making sure
+all the windows and doors were locked securely.
+
+He arrived at John Behan's little house about ten minutes later. After
+disabling the security system and entering through a window, he crept
+silently down the hallway toward a bedroom. He eased the door open
+without a sound and went to the bed where a lump lay motionless. Too
+motionless.
+
+It took him a second, but by the time Behan put his stunner behind
+Harlan's ear, the thief had figured it out.
+
+"You coulda just knocked." the detective said grumpily. "Now I have to
+reconfigure the security system."
+
+"That's no fun." said Harlan. "But how did you know?" He stepped away
+from the muzzle of the stunner.
+
+The detective chuckled. "I have a secondary system. It goes to an
+earplug that I wear whenever I'm at home. I heard you breathing."
+
+Harlan turned and looked at the somewhat slovenly, middle-aged man in
+front of him with the protuberant belly, the thinning hair, and the
+tired eyes. "You're the Resistance?"
+
+Behan smiled. "Greg and I founded the organization about seven years
+ago. I went undercover and Greg has always been a bureaucrat. So he
+runs things. I just try to keep him informed."
+
+Behan sat on the bed and looked up at Harlan. The thief noticed that
+he still had the stunner in his hand. "So why are you disturbing my
+beauty sleep when we've been over just about every detail."
+
+Harlan turned and looked out the window at the back of another
+building, two disposal units, and a burned out aircar. "I just don't
+like what you have lined up for Mellie. So much can go wrong. I would
+rather she didn't have to do that."
+
+Behan looked at him and shook his head. "First, if she knew you were
+here trying to take her assignment away from her, she'd probably shoot
+you. Second, she really is the best person for the job. The department
+is riddled with moles. There aren't very many people I can trust like
+I do you and Mellie. She is bright, capable, and deadly. She can
+handle it."
+
+He stood up, holstered the stunner, and placed a hand on Harlan's
+shoulder. "I know it's tough letting someone you love go into a field
+of danger. Especially after your dad died a week ago. But you have to
+trust her. And me. And Greg. You do your part. We'll do ours."
+
+Harlan's eyes turned to Behan and held his gaze. "You think she can do
+this and come out alive?"
+
+Behan nodded. "Yes. She really is that good."
+
+==== Mellie: Detective, Resistance Spy ====
+
+Mellie had been given what was probably the hardest role in the coming
+rebellion. She was to live a dual life. She had to make herself
+acceptable to the detectives, to become one of the 'boys', slowly
+insinuating herself into the group until she was accepted. She
+agonized on how to break the ice with nine young to approaching
+elderly men, not counting Behan. What could she say or do that would
+look natural?
+
+The detectives were playing traffic in a soccer match that night. She
+decided to go. She wore her hair caught up in a black cap, which
+matched her black pants and jacket. Sitting high up, she could see not
+just the field, but the mountains and the waterfall to the west. She
+had arrived early and the sun set in glorious colors. She was
+transfixed and almost forgot about the game.
+
+Tearing her eyes from the fading sunset, she watched as the men and
+women of traffic outran and outscored the detectives. She didn't
+cheer. She didn't even move. She just watched. After the game the two
+teams went off to the Oasis Chance Casino for dinner and a night of
+carousing. Mellie went home.
+
+The next morning she was reviewing a file on her tablet, feet up on
+the desk. She got a few looks from the 'boys' for this lack of
+decorum, but no one said anything.
+
+Biggers was entertaining the unit clerks with his version of the
+soccer game.
+
+"Hanson kicked the ball to me. The way to the goal was open. I started
+running, keeping the ball just a few feet ahead of me. I dodged
+Phillips from traffic and swerved around Jimmy Ricci. I was clear.
+When all of a sudden,..." he paused dramatically.
+
+"He tripped over his own feet and traffic got the ball." said Mellie.
+She didn't look up from her tablet.
+
+Biggers mouth dropped open. Every pair of eyes in the room was
+suddenly scrutinizing Mellie. She finally looked up at the astonished
+Biggers. "Right, Biggers?" and she smiled.
+
+Behan began to laugh, a couple others joined in, and soon the whole
+room was roaring with laughter. Biggers was a little hostile at first,
+but then he got a sheepish grin on his face and joined in the
+laughter.
+
+Mellie shook her head. It really hadn't been all that funny. She
+pulled her feet down from the desk and leaned forward and got back to
+work.
+
+A few days later, she had an opportunity to insert a comment about a
+case as she was walking past three of them. It was something that no
+one had thought of. "Did you check the time that it got dark last
+night? Dusk is divided into several segments. I don't remember all the
+names, but the last one is astronomical dusk when the sun is something
+like 18 degrees below the horizon and there's no sunlight left. Your
+visibility at that time is just about ten feet. If your witness
+claimed she saw the suspect clearly at that time from forty feet, she
+was lying." And she continued on her way. Hanson scurried to his desk
+to check the information.
+
+As she was leaving that night, Hanson stopped her. "Hey, Mellie." he
+called. She looked back and waited for him as he hurried to catch up.
+Hanson was in his 30s, getting a little thin on top and a little thick
+in the middle. He'd never said a word to Mellie before.
+
+"I wanted to say thanks. That little tip you dropped on your way past
+this morning made a big difference in the case." He looked out over
+Mellie's head. "The witness was definitely lying. You were right. We
+arrested her and she broke down a couple hours later and confessed."
+His gaze came back to Mellie. "Without that piece of information, we
+would have arrested the wrong person and gotten egg all over our
+faces. As it is, we're lookin' good." He tapped her on the shoulder,
+smiled, and said "Thanks." as he ran down the ramp to the street.
+
+Mellie watched as a good looking woman on a bright red Air Jumper
+picked him up. He hopped onto the back of the skimmer and they went
+roaring off into the night.
+
+There was a definite thawing in the attitudes of her colleagues in the
+next few weeks.
+
+==== John Behan: Detective, Resistance Fighter ====
+
+As Mellie slowly, carefully found her way into the brotherhood of
+detectives, Behan watched and silently cheered her on. He was
+delighted that she had discovered a way to get the 'boys' on her side.
+When she spoke, they started to listen, instead of talking over her.
+And they often acted on her advice, having found that she actually
+knew what she was talking about.
+
+He stopped worrying about her the morning he came into work and Mellie
+was sitting with one hip perched on Biggers desk, drinking a cup of
+coffee, and laughing with four of the detectives. He just smiled as he
+walked past and got to work.
+
+Behan had his own problems. He was conducting a covert operation
+within the department, searching for anyone who was being paid by the
+pirates for information on investigations and operations. He had
+started the work six months ago with the entire force as suspects.
+Most people were easy to eliminate. Either they were too low on the
+totem pole to have access to the information or they were in positions
+that simply did not have any need to know. However, he had noted that
+two of the supposedly 'benign' staff had received an influx of money
+recently. They were being watched.
+
+==== Mellie: Detective, Resistance Operative ====
+
+To her shock, Mellie discovered that she was beginning to like her
+colleagues. They had accepted her as an equal member of the team and
+were treating her with the same respect and rough camaraderie that
+they afforded each other. Well, not quite the same. They cleaned up
+their language for the most part when she was with them. Except in
+stressful situations and then the detectives noted that Mellie could
+be as foul mouthed as any of them.
+
+The difference was that they now liked her and that fondness was
+reflected in their attitudes. She fervently wished that she was not a
+Resistance spy. She just wanted to be a detective.
+
+Most of her colleagues appeared to be as apolitical as possible.
+Although with the pirates in charge of the planet, she didn't
+understand why her new friends didn't talk among themselves about the
+regime and the horrors they saw on a daily basis.. She wondered how
+many of the supposedly neutral police force were actually members of
+the Resistance. And then she thought that some might be in the pay of
+the Pirates. If they couldn't fully trust each other, then open
+criticism of the regime would be a quick way to get killed.
+
+So they avoided the subject altogether, kept their heads down, and did
+their jobs. No way to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
+
+She decided she had to be subtle.
+
+Two days later they were called to the scene of a multiple homicide
+that included children. Mellie didn't have to fake the deep anger and
+hatred she felt for the people who fostered this environment, who took
+away the education system, the teachers, the books, and gave poverty
+and crime in return. She tried to keep her voice down but wasn't
+entirely successful. She cursed every one of the members of the
+Democratic Advisory Board, the President, and was starting on the
+heads of departments, when one of her partners stepped on her foot,
+and another 'accidentally' elbowed her in the ribs.
+
+"Shut up!" they whispered urgently. "You never know where there are
+microphones or ears listening."
+
+She noticed two others had almost reached her and were just now
+turning away. Every member of this team apparently wanted her alive.
+Apparently.
+
+She gritted her teeth and got to work.
+
+That subterfuge accomplished nothing beyond getting her sore ribs and
+a sore foot. The next attempt was going to be harder and she would
+need help.
+
+==== Harlan: Thief, Resistance Operative ====
+
+Harlan had no idea how he was supposed to suddenly make friends with
+the people in the Thieves' Guild. He had been known for his
+stand-offish attitude since he had first started out. There were a few
+that he talked to at times when they ran into one another. He
+occasionally had a brew with Big Domosky and considered the man his
+friend. Big Domosky was called that because he was - big, that is.
+About 140 kilos and 206 cm, the man made Harlan feel like a child
+beside him. Short orange hair covered his scalp, going well with his
+dark brown complexion.
+
+Domosky was smart and well educated. He had had two major interests in
+college - astrophysics and classical literature and had gotten degrees
+in both. He'd gone on to get advanced degrees in the sciences and just
+when he was ready to go make money, the pirates had shown up. That
+never spoiled the big man's attitude. He just devoted his life to
+stealing as much from the pirates and their sympathizers as he could.
+
+Harlan decided that Big Domosky was as good a place to start as any.
+He went to track the man down. He found him leaning on the bar in the
+Black Chaupoo. The bartender looked like he'd rather the big man
+didn't lean so heavily but said nothing.
+
+"Hey, Domosky! How you doing?" called out Harlan.
+
+"Harlan! Are you all right? There was a rumor that you were shot. You
+look okay."
+
+"I get a cold and somebody starts a rumor that I've been shot." Harlan
+answered. "No. I'm good." He stepped up next to the giant and asked
+the bartender for a brew.
+
+Domosky raised his hand to slap Harlan on the back, but something in
+the thief's eyes stopped him. He laid the huge hand gently on his
+friend's shoulder. "Well, It's good to see you. Come sit at my table
+and catch me up on your doings."
+
+He led the way to a large table with colossal chairs in a corner. Once
+settled in, Domosky leaned forward and spoke softly. "You really did
+get hurt, didn't you?"
+
+Harlan glanced at the next table which was unoccupied. "How do you
+know that?"
+
+"I was going to slap you on the back, but your face went white, and
+you looked like a trapped marsck. You weren't sure you could tolerate
+it."
+
+Harlan chuckled. "I probably would have passed out. Thank you for not
+greeting me in the usual Domosky manner."
+
+Domosky nodded. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
+
+Harlan stared at his brew for a while. "Dom, we've been friends for a
+long time now, but there are things you don't know about me and..."
+
+"Like the fact that your father was Sam Tavis? That he was a member of
+the Resistance and that you are, too. That you're in love with that
+cute detective, Mellie, and that she loves you just as much."
+
+Harlan's eyes never strayed from the brew, but his shoulders
+tightened. "I'm not sure what you're..."
+
+"Yes, you are. You're just wondering how I know it and if I can be
+trusted." He glanced up at the bar across the room. No one seemed to
+be paying any attention to them. "Harlan, the Boss told me. Greg
+Santorini. I've been keeping a eye on you for a couple of years." He
+grimaced. "If you hadn't vanished into thin air recently, I'd have
+known what happened to you."
+
+"Why don't you know? If you're a Resistance member, then you would
+have heard that I was shot at headquarters and nearly died there." Now
+Harlan's eyes were locked with Domosky's dark brown ones.
+
+"Well, shit." said the giant. "I just got back from the mines up at
+Cannette's tonight. They had heard that you were injured but had no
+details."
+
+"What were you doing up there?"
+
+"Arranging for a revolution." the big man answered.
+
+"So you're saying you're a Resistance member and I'm supposed to
+believe that?"
+
+"Yes." Then Domosky shrugged. "But I do have proof."
+
+"Yeah? Let's see it."
+
+"Him. Come on."
+
+Domosky stood and walked to a door next to the men's room. He opened
+it without knocking and went in. Harlan followed. The Boss was sitting
+at a table with John Behan and three other men.
+
+Santorini looked at them "Whatcha need, Dom?"
+
+"This idiot is poking holes in my story and wants proof that I'm part
+of the Resistance."
+
+Quiet laughter ran around the table. "Yes, Harlan. You can trust this
+oaf. He's for real." and Santorini turned back to the table.
+
+==== Harlan: Thief, Resistance Operative ====
+
+Domosky and Harlan returned to their table where the younger man sat
+staring at his hands silently. Domosky waited.
+
+Finally, Harlan looked up at the big man. "Sorry. I'm a bit pissed."
+He looked at the barkeep. "Even the bartender knows more than I do."
+
+He rose from the table and headed for the door.
+
+Domosky stood up and followed. He caught up with Harlan in a few of
+his long strides. "If you go to the roofs, we won't be able to talk."
+His breath streamed out on the cold night air. "No one knows more than
+they need to. You are entering a new phase. And you need more
+information now. So you're getting it."
+
+He rubbed the back of his head. "I felt much the same as you do last
+week when they filled me in on a lot of minor details. Like Behan and
+Murphy."
+
+Harlan snorted. "Behan doesn't seem like a minor detail to me." He
+looked at Dom. "Who's Murphy."
+
+"The guy sitting across from the Boss at the table. He's an assistant
+to the President."
+
+"The President? The pirate President? Mahoney? That President?"
+
+"Yes. That President."
+
+"Jesus H. Christ on a hofsteader." Harlan stood for a long minute, his
+mouth hanging open. Then he shook his head vigorously. "I don't
+believe that. I don't believe any of those bastards could be turned."
+
+"He wasn't turned. He contacted us."
+
+"That proves it. He's a mole. He joined the Resistance to get
+information on us to pass on to his boss. He needs to be eliminated."
+He looked back at the tavern as Domosky turned him around and they
+walked back.
+
+"His wife would shoot you just for saying that." said Dom as they
+entered the pub.
+
+Harlan's head came up. "Who's his wife? And why should I care?"
+
+"Her name is Silver Santorini. She's the Boss's daughter." He leaned
+forward, scrutinizing the crowd. "In fact, that's her. Over by the
+bar. The one with all the panting men around her."
+
+Standing next to the bar was one of the most beautiful women Harlan
+had ever seen. Her hair was almost pure white, hanging loose and
+tumbling down her back like a waterfall. But she wasn't an albino. Her
+skin had a healthy pink tinge, especially on those high cheekbones.
+Her eyes were light although he couldn't see what color they were from
+this distance. Her rosebud mouth opened as she laughed over perfect
+white teeth. Her neck...
+
+Harlan forced his attention back to Domosky. "Holy shit!" he said.
+"That's the Boss' daughter?"
+
+Domosky had been watching Harlan's reaction to the woman. "Yep. Lots
+prettier than her daddy."
+
+Harlan snorted. "You're a master of understatement."
+
+Then he deliberately turned his back on the very distracting woman,
+shifting so that he faced Domosky. "Do you know what the high
+muckety-mucks have ordered me to do?"
+
+The big man grinned. "As I understand it, you volunteered to serve in
+whatever capacity they needed."
+
+"That was before I heard what the assignment was." He shook his head,
+taking a quick glance at the Boss' daughter. "They want me to organize
+the thieves, destroy the Syndicate, and bring any left alive into the
+Thieves' Guild." Shaking his head again, he asked "How in Hell am I
+supposed to accomplish that? Behan says I have friends who will be
+there for me." He took another quick look at Silver. "As far as I
+know, you're the only person I can call a friend. And you might not
+feel that way."
+
+Domosky chuckled. "You will probably be surprised when you find out
+how many friends you actually have." He leaned back in his chair,
+possibly to cut off the view of Silver Santorini, which was just as
+distracting to him. "And, yes. I am your friend."
+
+Harlan looked at the big man for a moment with a slightly crooked
+smile. Then he realized that Silver Santorini was standing next to
+them. Both men nearly fell as they hurriedly stood up.
+
+Silver's lips quirked. "May I join you?" she asked.
+
+"Of course." said Dom as he grabbed a chair from a nearby table,
+dumping the previous occupant.
+
+"Our pleasure." said Harlan as he moved his chair over to make room.
+
+Silver was chuckling as she stooped to assist the man who had been so
+unceremoniously deposited on the floor. Dom's face went pink and he
+lifted the man to his feet, apologizing.
+
+Silver offered her hand to both of the men. "Hello. I'm Silver
+Santorini. I believe you know my father."
+
+The two men had difficulty letting go of her hand, but she was able to
+extricate it.
+
+She accepted their offer of a brew as the waiter came over.
+
+Once they were alone, she leaned forward and spoke softly. "I have
+been assigned to your team, Harlan. It will be you and me and Dom."
+
+For the first time, Harlan was not pleased to see Mellie walk in the
+door to the tavern.
+
+==== Mellie: Detective, Resistance operative ====
+
+She really didn't expect to find Harlan in the Black Chaupoo. She
+certainly didn't expect to find him with a gorgeous woman with pure
+white hair and green eyes. She felt her own eyes narrow as she walked
+toward them. Harlan had turned and was looking at her. His eyebrows
+were raised as if he were puzzled. Or maybe anxious.
+
+He stood and reached for her as she came up to the table, but Mellie
+ignored his outstretched hand and smiled down at the woman.
+
+"Hello, Dom." she said without so much as glancing at him. "Hello,
+Harlan. Who's your friend?"
+
+The woman's perfectly arched eyebrows also rose and a little smile
+played around her lips.
+
+Harlan sighed. "This is Silver Santorini, the Boss' daughter." he
+said. "She's married to a guy named Murphy who's with the Boss in the
+back room."
+
+Now Mellie did look up at Harlan. Briefly. "I've heard of you." she
+said to the woman. "Everyone talked about how beautiful you are. I
+didn't believe them until now."
+
+Silver smiled again. "Thank you, Detective." She stood. "I had heard
+much the same about you. I see that the gossip was also true."
+
+They stood staring at each other for a moment. Then Mellie offered her
+hand and Silver took it. Their handshake lasted a bit longer than one
+between two men would have and seemed much more intimate. Harlan had
+the distinct feeling that they were saying things to each other
+without words.
+
+The women sat down and the men followed suit.
+
+Mellie stared at Harlan for a long minute, markedly increasing his
+anxiety. Finally she smiled at him and reached out and took his hand.
+Turning to Silver, she asked "Is that Liam Murphy you're married to?"
+
+Silver nodded. "That would be the man. We've been married for three
+years. He's a good man."
+
+"Except that he's a pirate and the President's assistant. That makes
+him a little bit suspect on this side of town."
+
+"I know. I've lived with those suspicions for years now." She
+grimaced. "But I know this man. I know him well. He is sincere. He
+wants to overthrow the tyranny and free the people of Agalder. He has
+the courage and brilliance to do it."
+
+Mellie raised an eyebrow. "Why would he betray his comrades?"
+
+"Because they are wrong and cruel and basically evil." Silver said as
+she took a sip of her brew. "There are another half dozen crew members
+who think like Murph does. They'll join him when it's time. But the
+majority of the crews are only interested in making their fortunes.
+This is supposed to be the last gig. When they leave here, they're
+supposed to split up and head for different parts of the galaxy to
+retire." She snorted. "I'll believe that when I see it."
+
+"What will you believe?" asked Harlan. "That they won't head off to
+different ends of the galaxy? Or that this is their last gig?"
+
+She smiled and Harlan couldn't help it. His heart beat a little
+faster. "Oh, I wouldn't be surprised to see them split up. They all
+detest each other. There is no honor among thieves." She shook her
+head. "No. What would surprise me is if this is their last gig. They
+are all the greediest of pigs. They might split up, but they would
+find another way to make money by harming and killing and raping and
+maiming anyone they can."
+
+Mellie shook her head and spoke - so softly that Silver almost missed
+it. "It will be their last gig all right. They will be much too dead
+for another."
+
+Silver met her eyes, green staring into blue, and she nodded.
+
+==== Silver Santorini: Resistance Operative ====
+
+Silver Santorini and Liam Murphy had been married over three years and
+were very much in love. Yet they had never lived together, never
+shared the small joys of preparing meals together, of planning
+vacations, of sharing their days at work and little triumphs with each
+other. They met every few weeks to report to each other and share a
+couple of hours of steamy sex. It was all they had at the moment. But
+they thought they could see the light at the end of the wormhole and
+prayed that it was not the inside of a star.
+
+They couldn't think about that future now. That could lead to
+inattention and carelessness and they couldn't risk that. They had to
+stay focused. That's why Silver only glanced at Murphy when the door
+opened and the men came out of the back room. He didn't even look at
+her. Behan had slipped out a window, the same way he had come in.
+Santorini came over and pulled up a chair at the table.
+
+"I see you've met my daughter." he said, looking at Mellie.
+
+"Yes. We were just getting acquainted." replied Mellie, her gaze
+steady.
+
+The Boss stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "Don't worry about
+Murph. He's a good guy and dedicated to our cause."
+
+His eyes flicked from Harlan to Mellie and back.
+
+Harlan said "If you say he's ok, I'll trust him."
+
+Santorini stood and smiled. "He's ok, Harlan. You can trust him." He
+kissed Silver and left.
+
+Silver turned to Mellie. "Dad's assigned me to Harlan's team. It'll be
+Harlan and Dom and me." She waited for a reaction.
+
+The churning in her stomach didn't show on her face as Mellie said
+"Sounds like a good team." Then she looked at Dom. "Actually I came
+here to see you, Dom. I'm going to need some help when the time comes
+to take over APD headquarters. And I've already decided that you would
+be perfect in that role."
+
+"What about me?" Harlan's voice was just a little bit whiny.
+
+Mellie began to giggle and Dom and Silver joined in the laughter.
+Harlan looked indignant for a few moments and then chuckled. "That did
+sound petulant, didn't it?"
+
+"Yes." Mellie reached out and took his hand. "Two things, my love.
+First, you're going to be too busy for this. And second, I don't want
+you anywhere around when the time comes. You would be too distracting
+for me and vice versa. Neither one of us will be able to afford
+distractions then."
+
+"Dom's going to be busy, too." said Harlan, still not happy.
+
+"Not like you are. He should be able to help me then. I am going to
+need the second best thief in Crater City for a few hours."
+
+==== Silver Santorini: Resistance Operative ====
+
+Silver left about three hours later. Harlan had come up with a crazy
+plan to take over the Syndicate's Big House. It might work. Maybe.
+They had batted it around and added and subtracted until they were too
+tired to think.
+
+She stepped out into the cold night air, breath fogging out in front
+of her. Most of the streetlights were out, and the route was dark. She
+walked through rough neighborhoods and past collapsed buildings. The
+sidewalk was broken, but she had no problem walking.
+
+Until a shadow emerged from a dark door and came up on her left.
+
+"Hey, gorgeous. I got a warm den for you."
+
+"Go away."
+
+"I can be really nice to you."
+
+"I doubt that. Go away."
+
+"C'mon, sweetie, just come with me for a little while." A hand reached
+out and grasped her arm and just as quickly let go. "Yeeow!! You stuck
+me! I'm gonna..."
+
+He didn't finish his sentence because the knife she held in her right
+hand switched from his hand to his throat. She pushed him back. "One
+last time. Go away. Or die."
+
+Her cold green eyes stared into his reddened ones and he shuffled off
+to seek easier prey.
+
+Unruffled, she slid the vibroknife back into its sheath on her wrist
+and strode off into the night, wondering what Liam was doing.
+
+Liam Murphy: Advisor to President for Life
+
+==== Maloney; Resistance Operative ====
+
+Liam Murphy was at home, feet up, with a drink in his hand, staring at
+plans for the pirates' invasion of the Emerald Palace, the
+headquarters for the Resistance. He had given copies of the plans to
+the Boss earlier that evening, Now he was studying the plan, trying to
+find any flaws in their defenses.
+
+A breeze ruffled his hair for a moment. Just for a moment. He went
+still, not breathing. Listening. Murphy stood and moved silently
+across the room, gun in his hand. He turned the setting to lethal.
+Sliding behind an animated tapestry, he waited.
+
+A few seconds later, a man moved along the hall to the door to the
+room. Murphy could see only a shadow. He continued to wait.
+
+A flash of movement and a bearded man jumped into the room, gun held
+out in front of him in a two-handed grip. There was no one else in the
+room. Murphy was effectively hidden behind the tapestry. The man's
+voice spoke a few words sotto voce as he whirled in place to get a
+complete view of the room.
+
+The intruder turned, heading back down the hall, saying "He's gone.
+Someone must have tipped him."
+
+Murphy waited five minutes, then ten, then twenty before he moved. He
+closed the little tube that contained the plans and slid it in his
+pocket. He picked a slim book from the shelf beside him and left.
+
+He made no attempt to get his AirStrider. Best scenario: it had a new
+GPS and a bug on it. Worst scenario: it had a bomb.
+
+He had another ride stashed a few blocks away and had rehearsed
+getting to it stealthily.
+
+They would have left someone to watch the condo. With glacial
+slowness, he crawled from a window in the back to the fence. He had
+cut a hole in it which reconnected itself until he needed it. He
+needed it now.
+
+Blending with the night, he reached the AirStrider in minutes after
+getting through the fence.
+
+The machine started silently and he lifted into the air, heading for
+the Emerald Palace.
+
+Only then did he get the shakes. He thought about how much he hated
+these people who had taken him and used him until his soul was nearly
+as putrid as theirs.
+
+He had been kicked off a passenger liner when he had run out of money.
+He frowned. When he had lost all his money gambling in the first-class
+lounge. Landing on a slimeball planet, he had tried to use what skills
+he had to earn his way off. No one, it seemed, wanted a
+lawyer/accountant. Even one with a degree from Harvard. The planet
+Harvard, which was entirely devoted to higher education.
+Law/Accounting had been easy for him. His mind worked logically.
+
+Then a military fleet arrived in system and he had been recruited to
+join them. They could definitely use his advice, they said.
+
+Two systems later he learned why he had become the chief
+councilor/chief accountant for the fleet after they decimated a poorly
+populated, but very rich world. They didn't kill anyone. They just
+took. Everything. Including women and children.
+
+A year later they landed on Agalder and took over.
+
+Three years ago, when he was considering suicide, he learned about the
+Resistance. In his logical way, he formulated a plan to approach them.
+It took months to get a message to them.
+
+One night, he had been walking home from a bar when a strange noise
+made him pause. It sounded like someone calling for help. He ran
+toward the sound. It came from behind a hedge. He pushed his way
+through the hedge until he was free. Large hands closed over his mouth
+and eyes and picked him up. Tape was placed around his face so that
+all he could do was breathe. His arms were taped and he was placed on
+a Strider. He remained passive, praying that this was the Resistance.
+
+They arrived at a destination about twenty minutes later by his
+reckoning. He was placed on a grav sled and taken inside a building.
+Dumped onto an uncomfortable surface, he smelled the harsh odors of
+the medical profession and sighed. They were going to interrogate him.
+
+He woke up with no memory of the questioning when a soft voice called
+his name. He was groggy but otherwise comfortable. He opened his eyes
+and saw an angel. That was when he met Silver. She ministered to him
+professionally. She was a Nurse/Healer, trained at Johns Hopkins - the
+planet. She could have been a doctor but didn't want that profession.
+
+She helped him maintain his dignity through the recovery from
+anesthesia with kindness and humor. That was when he fell in love.
+
+She would ask him questions at times and he answered with no
+reservations. He told her his story - all of it. She listened intently
+and commented occasionally, non-judgmental.
+
+The Boss came in and introduced himself, leaving out his relationship
+with Silver at that time. But he sat down and they talked. For hours.
+Over dinner. Until Murphy's eyes were drooping. They let him sleep
+then. The next day they made him part of the Resistance.
+
+Now he had to get to them or die - painfully.
\ No newline at end of file
projects / universe.git / blobdiff