From: Jason Self Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2022 13:36:14 +0000 (-0700) Subject: Publish new installment X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=9ab366a7835f4dd8518a2ca5334fc7c26cd06cfa;p=universe.git Publish new installment --- diff --git a/agalder.txt b/agalder.txt index 43ee100..076d697 100644 --- a/agalder.txt +++ b/agalder.txt @@ -3097,4 +3097,112 @@ whiskey with me and my new best buddy here" touching Cassidy's shoulder "or get out and go foment riot and rebellion." Harlan couldn't help himself. He laughed and took a drink before he -left to do some fomenting. \ No newline at end of file +left to do some fomenting. + +==== Mellie: Detective, Resistance Operative ==== + +Mellie probably wouldn’t have phrased how she was doing as ‘well’. She +was running scared, every day, every minute. Someone would call her +out. She knew it. + +Meanwhile, she had dug up some important information, but no one had +contacted her to transfer it to the Boss. She now knew the identity of +the mole in the detective squad and he was likely to find out that she +knew at any moment. She had tricked him. It was just a matter of time +before he figured out that he’d been had. And her life expectancy +would decrease exponentially at that point. + +She had been sheltering in the bathroom, but she really needed to get +back to the squad room and keep an eye on Tommi Roper, Detective +second class and spy for the pirates. + +When she walked in the squad room, a couple of the guys looked up, saw +her, and went back to their work. Five men were grouped around Behan’s +desk and seemed to be arguing vigorously. She could hear the raised +voices but didn’t understand the words. As she approached, the voices +fell silent and the men stared at her. + +“What’s going on?” she asked. + +There was silence for a while, then Alex Biggers spoke up. “Roper here +thinks you’re a spy for the pirates. He says he’s seen you close to +both the Big House and the Presidential Palace, like you were +delivering messages or somethin.’” + +Roper stepped forward and squared his shoulders. “I saw you walking up +to the presidential palace yesterday. It was dark, but I know it was +you.” + +Her gaze didn’t waver. She thought Now or never. + +"And why were you there after dark? Exactly what time did this +'sighting' take place?" + +Roper sneered. "I was on a stakeout. Watching for any unusual +activity. And it was just about 20:15" + +She nods. "20:15. Well, at that time I was having dinner with Lt. +Marks." + +Eyebrows went up. Even Behan gave her a look. + +"And his delightful wife, Celia. Lt. Marks thought that Celia and I +would get along well. He was right. I think I will enjoy knowing +Celia." + +Behan grinned. The rest looked mildly embarrassed. Roper looked +unhappy. "Well. I said it was dark. Musta been somebody who looked +like you." + +Mellie smiled. "Actually, Roper, I've been wanting to talk to you. You +weren't on any stakeout last night. You were meeting with O'Hara, one +of the group leaders in State Security. He reports directly to the +President. In fact, I'll bet he wanted you to join with Caspenski, the +Syndicate goon who wants to take over from Cassidy. You work for the +Syndicate, too, don't you, Roper? And you report everything to the +pirates." + +The group around them had grown. There were a dozen men and a couple +of women listening now. The uproar that followed Mellie's words +brought in another crowd. + +Mellie raised her hand and the noise quieted down. "You're double +crossing everybody, aren't you, Roper? You're a spy for the pirates. +So everything you hear, everything you see, even everything you +suspect, goes right back to the bastards who have this planet under +their thumbs. Just how much are you getting paid, you traitor?" Her +voice had risen to a shout. + +Roper swung a fist at her, but she dodged and grabbed his arm, pinning +him over the desk. "You're not even a good cop." + +Roper yelled "You're a liar! You can't prove any of that." + +Smiling a predator's smile, Mellie pulled out a disc, the size of a +contact lens, and inserted it into Behan's computer. A vid came up. +Roper was walking toward a dark shape standing near a hoverlight on a +rainy street. The figure turned as Roper came near and the light +played across his face. Every cop gasped. They all knew that face. +Dietr, head of state security for the pirates. The two men walked a +little way together, then stopped and talked. Something exchanged +hands. Dietr slapped Roper on the shoulder and Roper turned and walked +away. The vid stopped. + +Mellie looked around at her colleagues. "Santorini will want to talk +to him." She pulled the disc and handed it in a container to Biggers. + +Everyone looked at Roper. He spread his hands. "I was playing him. I +wanted to get some info from him and go to the Resistance with it. +C'mon guys. You got to believe me. I was born here. This is my home. I +love Agalder. She's lying. She created that tape." His voice rose as +five cops hustled him out of the squad room. + +Behan hadn't moved during the incident. Now he looked at Mellie. "Good +work, Detective." + +The stunned audience, consisting of cops and clerks broke free of +their shock and started talking all at once. Behan leaned toward +Mellie. "Good work." he repeated. "But you painted a target on your +back. Be careful." + +She nodded and headed out the door. She needed to see Santorini. \ No newline at end of file