Rogue(28)

I wondered what else I might have muttered upon seeing those delicious curves, but she didn’t seem bothered and didn’t mention, so I didn’t ask. Casualties say all kinds of odd things anyway. It’s one of those intimacies of combat.

“That’s good to know,” I said. I checked the time. I’d been out five hours. I felt better, but I was still groggy as hell. Age was catching up on me. At some point, I’d need to work on a schedule that allowed for actual sleep.

I stood up, head a bit dizzy from medication, fatigue and aftereffects of the nanos, but with pain greatly diminished. I’d need some more work later, but this would get me along for the time being.

“We need to get back to it,” I said.

“I managed some punches,” she said.

“Oh?”

She waved at the two comms networked and sequenced.

“I set them to find police protocols, and draw reports. He’s been busy.”

“How so?”

“Well, they have DNA, too. So we have to expect them to come looking for you as well. They are pursuing him, though.”

“I hoped they wouldn’t do that.”

“I gather you expect it to be ugly?”

“If they corner him? Hell, yes. They really don’t want to do that. You have leads, though? Can we get ahead of them?” I felt awake now, surging with mental challenge.

“Possibly, if you know what we’re looking for.”

“Well, they’re looking for both of you. He is identified as prime suspect, mixed-race Caucasian-Pacific-African, forty local years, thirty-five Earth years, male, armed and very dangerous, no image available. You are described as Caucasian with some Asian, accurate height and mass estimates, forty-five local, false ID, dangerous, possibly armed, a flight risk and a ‘person of interest.’”

“This was supposed to be low key. That aside then, where do we go?”

“Much of the interest is on the east side of the city, in these three burbs.”

“Let’s go. You drive.”

I felt so-so for the drive. No severe pain, but I still had trouble concentrating through the haze. I’ve always been able to sleep easily. I had to learn to fight it on duty. After all this time, I’d have to relearn.

I was feeling better, though. Modern medical care was something I always appreciated.

She asked, “Are you alright?” She did look a bit worried.

“No, but better than I should be.”

“Good. I managed some additional supplies, and I brought the pistol.”

“Well done. May I?”

She reached under the seat, shifted something, and handed me the pistol.

It was even in reasonable condition. I checked it over again. CanTech brand, which I’d heard of and seen in manuals but never fired, 10mm Alesis, not very concealable, but not overly large. Standard shape frame, typical controls, fifteen rounds in it. I could do a lot worse.

I said, “This is one of the easiest systems to get weapons in, laws aside. There are too many people in the outerland, too many businesspeople wanting self-defense, and a few criminals willing to cash in.”

“Are you complaining?”

“No, just amused. This is a decent piece, just like last time I did an exercise here.”

“Do you have a plan?” she asked, with a faint look of exasperation.

“Not really,” I said. “We find his whereabouts, I go try to kick him up, if I manage, I shoot him, at once, in the back, very ungentlemanly. Then either I E-and-E and we depart, call the embassy, or I get arrested and Naumann makes some discreet calls. I’m agreeable to more of a plan once I know what we’re dealing with.”

She had earbuds in, and it occurred to me I should, too. I grabbed for my bag, stuck them in, and let her program the channels.

She said, “They found the car from yesterday. So they’ll have DNA on us eventually, though there’s bound to be several others in there. I did give it a spritz with solvent.”

“I assume that stuff’s still illegal here,” I said.

“Yes. We’ll dispose of it before we leave planet.”

“We’ll need to change deodorant and shampoo regularly to help spoof chemical trackers.”

“Got several,” she said. Good. Very good at her job.

She paid attention to the road, and I watched for tails, anything interesting, and the scenery. There wasn’t much. We were heading into the outskirts. As with most settled worlds, expansion followed coasts and river courses due to ease of cheap transport. Progress inland went slower. This wasn’t far from the coast, but was rather quiet. Nonindustrial firms were based here, and a greenbelt, then wealthy estates, but there were also some hotels, eateries and shopping centers. Visitors needed recreation, and it was common to bring the family as one of the perks.