 
## RED SHIFT: THE ODDS

## J P Robertson

## Copyright 2014 J P Robertson

## Smashwords Edition

(Censored Edition)

##

## This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

## Note: The MACDEV trademark is owned by MacDev Australia, and any references to the use of this mark in my book are entirely fictional.

# Chapter 1

An article from the September 3, 2108 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, the last remaining media publication out of State control.

In the nineteenth century, the invention of useable electricity and steel brought about the age of machines. It was the time of the second industrial revolution, and life for those of the time went through a dramatic change. No longer did travel between cities and countries take days and weeks; productivity at work increased from the use of lighting, electrical tools and machinery that could make materials and processes never believed possible.

The twentieth century eclipsed the developments of the nineteenth century, transforming the lives of people in the developed and developing world. Communication technology allowed people to talk across the world, in real time. Planes, ships and vehicles moved at speeds a magnitude of order higher than the previous century, allowing people and resources to travel the world. Cities developed into huge economic power-houses, changing the way societies developed and interacted.

It was early into the twenty-first century when the world learned they had irreparably damaging the planet. There were plenty of fear mongers and nut-jobs that had warned for a long time before, but their words were dismissed as nonsense. The terms 'Global Warming' and 'Climate Change' were now part of the vernacular of even the youngest children. Global economies based on money were now failing as societies realised they needed food and water more than stocks and bonds. The world was slowly shrinking again.

At the beginning of the twenty-second century there are few developed economies still functioning. Most countries and governments are failing, and people often revert to subsistence living. There are but a few strong economic centres remaining that rely on development of technology to make their production more efficient, or their commodities more valuable. Amongst them, Australia became one of the most powerful.

Just like England had once prevailed and used their strength to travel the world, conquering and colonising nations, Australia now holds a power that commands global reach. But Australia did not physically travel the world to take control; we closed our borders and focussed our efforts on building a stronger country from within.

This approach to globalisation was originally thought to be suicidal by the outside world, but by the time other countries' economies began to weaken, and trade tariff's increased, forcing countries to drop their own revenues to continue receiving resources they needed, Australia had developed our own micro economies, and sustained internal growth.

The people of Australia still need perishables and commodities we can no longer provide ourselves, but for that we are able to build strong relationships with nations such as New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Though, to most of these other nations, the people know they are now well and truly just subsidiaries of Australia. The poor cousins that held their hand out to Aunty Oz, indeed.

Australia is, without doubt, the technological hub of the world. If you are a scientist or entrepreneur that has a vision for technology and development, you are in Australia. Development now seems to be creeping along at an ever slowing pace, it seems as though the bursts of development and breakthrough are slowing, perhaps for the last time. But just around the corner is the next giant leap, which will propel mankind into the next generation of pioneers and explorers. Perhaps.

The article seemed to be prophetic, in less than two years the world would indeed begin to change more dramatically than it had for generations.

It started innocently enough; regular couriers offered a bonus for delivering under the allotted time. Soon the bonuses became large, and couriers started delivering in teams to cover more ground and keep rival couriers out. The first teams were running low-risk activities, such as having dummy riders, the odd broken down car blocking roads, a bit of subtle intimidation. This continued for some time, largely ignored by the greater public, the odd headline of a road incident, one in but many for the week.

By the time the bonuses were getting to a week's wages for a runner, organised crime rings began getting involved. Mild intimidation became direct violence, broken down cars became intentional crashes, hi-tech operators hacked city amenities and changed light sequences to either allow their man through, or stop a rival. The activity of Autohacking is born.

The ensuing violence became a game to those with enough money to play. For the most part, these were the politicos and socialites of the city. People who had plenty of power, and more money. To those grubbing the streets below, they were known as the Alphas. It was at the same time a term of endearment and an insult. In a society now built on communities working together to rebuild a lost city, they were the ones at the top, but also on their own. For now it suited both sides.

They offered increasingly high rewards, for ever harder tasks. To Alphas, this was still spare change, the real fun was the betting they made amongst themselves. At parties, groups of people gathered to wage bets, and then sent the request via secure links. Groups began "Bid Parties", and had all manner of socialites on the list for some entertainment in their otherwise vanilla worlds.

As the stakes grew ever higher, the requests grew more difficult and complex, and often involved contraband. The internet was no longer a safe avenue for transactions, shown evident by many high profile busts of Alphas and major couriers. The now established "scrambler broadcast", an encrypted secure link satellite stream funded by an unknown source, was the standard for communication. The cost for access was high for both runners and Bidders, and the only way in was to be invited. The devices were activated using biometric scanners simultaneously checking DNA, fingerprints and retina scans. One false report and the device self-destructed, often taking the arm of the unauthorised user with it.

For years the authorities have tried to break into the ring but were never successful. The Alphas were all but untouchable, with any investigation usually resulting in the officer or detective being demoted to traffic duty. There was talk of corruption in the force but never confirmed. It was almost unanimously agreed by those that cared to discuss the issue that there was involvement to the level of Senators, possibly higher.

When the runners themselves were caught, they never spoke. Should any of them try, their accounts of activities were discounted by any one of a dozen 'witnesses', and their action destroyed any chance of them continuing in the industry, destined for the ghetto districts. If they were lucky they could make a living begging, if they were unlucky, they'd be doing that less a limb or two. Not many wanted to take the odds on that one.

As a runner, you worked through the levels of hierarchy, both within the company and with the Alphas. Some runners achieved notoriety amongst their peers, and fame with the Alphas. Although they were admired at times for their courage or ruthlessness, the admiration was more that of a pet than anything else to the Alphas. Warriors in their own realm, but as insignificant as the dirt on their shoes to those that answered no one.

It was a black market within a black market. Although what many of the couriers carried was outright illegal, it was more often than not the manner in which it was to be delivered that created most of the problems. To ask for a bottle of booze was easy, asking for it fast was harder, asking for it to be delivered with the prime minister's finger prints on it was a whole other level. There is mumbling among the ranks that this has been tried more than once, but there has never been proof. Most put it down to rubbish ranting among runners to kill time, but a few are convinced that their activity is but a small part of a larger truth: that anyone can be bought, it's only a matter of what you're willing to pay.

# Chapter 2

"So Tyrol, what do you think?"

"Hell of a party Xan. I heard you knew how to make things happen, but this is phenomenal."

Tyrol looked around the room. It was the size of a ballroom, with old colonial architecture, sculptures of ancient Greek gods, velvet drapes puddled on the floor, and more marble than he had seen in any one place. The foyer also served as the main receiving room, with large sweeping staircases at each side of the room.

It was not as though Tyrol wasn't familiar with this, he had grown up on the hill, so was surrounded by opulence. No, it was the presence of dignitaries, politicians, and even a prince that was most impressive. Xan told him it was just a little gathering to welcome him to the Clan, but Tyrol knew there was more to it.

"So, Tyrol, how about you come upstairs and we have a chat?"

And there it was. Tyrol knew it would be no ordinary chat. What he didn't know was that this was a pivotal moment that would change the destiny of many. The events that changed history, talked about by scholars and peasants alike, all seeded from one place. This was to be the seed that would grow a monster.

"Sure Xan, it's kind of crowded here with all of these beautiful women anyway." A wry grin appeared on his face, as he cast his eyes over the crowd.

"My thoughts exactly, no fear, there will be time for this later."

As they walked up the twisting staircase, black granite bannisters contrasted the white marble stairs, Tyrol looked down to see a veritable orgy of bodies now swinging and swaying to the beat of music that seemed to emanate from nowhere, but penetrate every inch of the body.

Xan pulled the twelve foot tall doors to with a barely audible click echoing off the large portraits adorning the walls of the study. As he did so, the lights dimmed, and a wall across the room became transparent. Tyrol was looking straight down to the ballroom floor as though the marble clad wall had just vanished.

"Don't worry Tyrol; no one can see here, it's just a nice effect one of my associates developed. There are a few dozen cameras outside the wall, too small to see, that capture all angles of light hitting the wall. They are then transferred to this wall by a laser-interference array calibrated to match the light frequencies from the cameras."

"Very neat, could come in handy for making my car disappear next time I have the cops following me home!"

"Way ahead of you my friend, but we'll talk about such things later."

"Now, as you know, the Ordained are the most influential business syndicate on the Eastern seaboard."

"Indeed, hence my appreciation of your offer to bring me in."

"It is the least I could do for you Tyrol. You have been a strong advocate for our way of life, and your heritage provides for certain accommodations."

The last word rolled off his tongue as though the deeper meaning in the sentiment were to carry an unsaid understanding. And of course it did, Tyrol would not be here without his father's work, regardless of Tyrol's own accomplishments.

The two of them stood in silence for a moment before Xan opened the decanter and poured two large glasses of whiskey, dropping ice in that fizzed for a moment. Tyrol was looking out the window at the clear sky. The stars were hazy, something Tyrol was frustrated about, in his otherwise perfect world. It made the sky look like you were drunk every time you looked up. Nonetheless, it was a clear night, and one to be remembered.

"What you don't know about us is that we are far more influential than most know. We have silent members across the globe, and with that, control over industries, and even one day, governments. From this day forward, you are to become a part of a New World Order. We have been building our ranks, our wealth, and our power carefully over the last thirty years."

"I have an understanding of your foundations, father shared that much with me. But the depth and breadth of the organisation is a little surprising. I am suitably impressed that this has all been kept so private, but tell me, are you the Prime of the organisation?"

"Dear boy, I am but a cog in the gears of this machine. Albeit a reasonably important one, but no, I am not at the top."

"And who may that be?"

"A person you will meet in due course my friend. No, I am the overseer of what the ants call Autohacking, and by effect the primary income earner for over half of our enterprises in this country." Xan paused for a moment to let his success resonate through Tyrol's thoughts.

"You see, we are well known to all those around us, in the cities and the country the same, but most consider us just a bunch of wealthy kids who inherited all we own. We like to keep that illusion running. Your rise to prominence in the region is no mean feat, but one deserving of such a valued member of the true society. Many more people respect you than you acknowledge, my friend."

Xan proceeded to outline the organisational links of the group. They had multiple streams of revenue. Most of the Autohacking clans and groups were directly controlled by the Ordained, the few that weren't were either of little significance or were currently being taken out of the loop. Tyrol took this as it was meant: they were killing off the competition.

There were multiple angles they had on the activities. The most basic, and only one that was known to the public, was a form of courier service for items of both legitimate and not-so-legitimate purpose. They usually moved goods, but occasionally moved people, willing or not, and at times specific tasks. The money moved was large, but it was still the sideline, the 'honest' front to the group.

Next was the betting. There was, of course, the street scum that picked up courier requests on the scanner and took odds on who would make the run, but the real action was on another level. Among the Alpha's there was a fairly formal ranking system for individual runners and groups. They could place secure bets on some runs, which were scheduled in advance. Of course the Ordained had more than a little hand in the result, sometimes taking out other runners if the odds weren't quite going their way. This activity wasn't directly linked to the Ordained, but there was a little suspicion.

The last stream, and by far the most lucrative, was the exchange of information. A lot of digital transfer of data was tracked or ripped off before it got to the intended recipient. Even near indestructible encryptions weren't a hundred percent safe, as information was siphoned off then the recipient was blackmailed later. The Ordained couriered physical copies of information, often under the guise of less critical tasks, such as obtaining alcohol or cigars, from specific locations. Sometimes the courier may not even know what they are taking, in case they themselves want to get into the blackmail business.

The group already had significant control of much of the industry in the region, but were struggling to get much political traction. For that they needed more money, which they were working on presently. The one major sticking point was a group of runners called the Wing'Tan, who had a lot of local connections, and were hampering the aspirations of the Ordained. Xan wanted Tyrol to find a way to either expose or destroy the Wing'Tan through either the upper hierarchy known as the Leadership, or their chief officer, a man known as Seek.

With that, Tyrol raised his glass in a salute, and they drank in silence while watching the crowd below. After a few minutes Xan walked over to his desk and placed his empty glass down. He adjusted his bowtie, brushed his sleeves, and looked to Tyrol with a warm smile.

"Well, we mustn't keep the guests without company, let's make a small address and get to know a few of those beautiful women you were talking about earlier."

"Well, I'm never one to keep a lady, or tramp, waiting." The slight excitement in his tone was noticeable.

The pair left the room, and headed toward the pulsating rhythm of music in the main foyer.

# Chapter 3

Stars swirled around the sky like fireflies fighting for a place in the world. No matter how you try to rationalise it, there was chaos. Both moons were swinging in tandem, like a pair of Newton's Balls moving in a symphony of unison. _That smoke is doing the trick perfectly, pity it only lasts a few seconds_. Soon the fireflies began to settle, and in a vision of pure motion the moons merged into one. _I've got to lay off this stuff, one drop and I'm flying higher than a star-class pilot_.

As confusing as those moments were after the event, at the time they took him away from the world he was bonded to. That horrid mistress most call life was determined to drag him back to reality. Soon enough the stars were back to their usual haze, interrupted only by the occasional cloud or random flash of light that no longer caused any reaction from him.

_Look at yourself_ , _elite soldier, husband, father, and all you have to show for all of it is this bag of second-rate drugs and a bike_. The thought wasn't alien as he spent most days going through the motions of dealing with it. The loss of his daughter never really got easier to deal with, and his wife leaving him for his officer after he was dishonourably discharged for knocking his lights out was almost as hard to let go of. But hey, still living, right?

His circular thoughts and internal flailing were broken by the broadcast, reading "400 credits bottle of Jack Daniels, Collect from Trippy Liquor in Ryde, deliver to 240 Irwin Drive, 25 minutes." Looking at the faint glow of the green LCDs on the bio-pager, Jack considered whether it was worth the effort. Looking over the city, with a red pulsing glow through the smog, he could just make out the hills behind the New City. Across a miserable plain of high buildings, roadways weaving through city blocks like spaghetti, and a dull droning noise he could never quite place to any machine or activity, stood the last bastion of society's upper-class. The inhabitants having less in common with those below them than the smog filled sky had with the ocean to the East. It wasn't the whole hill, no, just a select group of smug pricks that played with the regular people as though they were puppets.

"Screw it," he mumbled to the city below, "if I stay here and look at this for any longer I'm likely to ride right of the cliff at you."

Flicking the ignition, he took a last drag of his hand-rolled cigarette, and whipped around to the road. Gravel and dust spun in a whirlwind creating a halo in the light of the full moon.

He still loved the rush of riding his bike. It was an old model fuel bike, albeit with some heavy engine mods. Nonetheless there was nothing like the feeling of nitro methanol burning under your rear end. Especially when it was just about given away since most people were using those damned gutless electric vehicles now.

As he accelerated, the world began to close around him in that familiar feeling some get as they are falling asleep. But Jack wasn't falling asleep, far from it. The spike in adrenaline began a process he didn't fully understand, but knew what it felt like. The world around him became iridescent shades of blues and reds. The thought of it gave him a flashback to high school. He only cared to remember a few things that happened during that time, mostly in fights or trying to be in love, and his lesson on the Doppler effect.

The Doppler effect, he remembered his teacher telling him, was most easily explained by the sound of an ambulance coming past. As it nears, the pitch of the siren increases, and as it passes and travels away, the pitch expands. It was caused by objects approaching relative to the subject having the frequency of, in this case, sound compressed; therefore more waves per metre, hence the higher pitch. Light is no different; as objects approach, the relative distance is shorter when light is emitted or reflected, and so the same light has a shorter wavelength, appearing blue. So as objects were approaching they appeared more 'blue', and receding objects appeared more 'red'.

It gave Jack a unique ability to sense his surroundings in a level of detail unsurpassed by anyone else he had met or heard of. It was handy, especially as he lived his life as fast as his bike, Betty, could move it. God only knows how many close calls he had had, but if each one cost the life of an angel, the world was surely in hell now. Some days it felt like it.

Had he been paying closer attention, he would also have noticed the glow from the comm device on the edge of the scrub twenty metres away. "He's away," said a calm, steady voice. "Modified old Ducati Panigale, 22G version, black, plates Two Delta India Echo." As the phone clicked shut, the caller looked up with a smirk, turning to walk down the road. The only noise being the click of his heels and a rustle in the trees above.

Jack all but flew down the winding hill, corners blurring into one, dust swirling behind the bike, the light from his headlamp began to dim as the light of the city took over. The hills eased into long expanses of flat land, spattered with twisting motorways and large concrete industrial buildings. The familiar feel of his upbringing surrounding him almost made him lose concentration, just as a rust-stained old Toyota pulled out in front of him. He swerved over the centre line, the Pirelli tires squealing in protest as he swung the tail around, narrowly missing the bumper of an oncoming truck. _What the hell, the first two vehicles I see in five minutes and they both try and kill me._ He straightened the bike up, checked his mirrors and knocked her down a gear. Another dead angel.

Coming in from the south to the twin cities was always an interesting affair. Aside from the fact that half the roads now ended in impromptu beach, there were all manner of undesirables in this part of the region. Perhaps that's why Jack liked it, it was the unsanitised, filthy, honest world that most tried to turn their back on.

As he drew closer to the populated areas, he could see people hanging around the streets. They were derelicts, bums and beggars mainly. He passed a man sitting slouched with his back to the wall, hat pulled over his face, and another on the ground in front of him. A cardboard sign read 'munney' sitting beside the hat. As he rode past, he remembered seeing the man yesterday, in the exact same position. _Five credits says he's taking a permanent nap and no one cared to check him._

Pulling past an intersection, two girls opened their coats to show him their wares. One was about forty and had more wrinkles than a Serengeti elephant. The other, no more than eighteen, had enough scars and spots to show she had been around this block long enough to steer clear of.

Jack pulled into a bottle store affectionately called 'Trippy Liquor', stopping near the far end of the car park. Not the most time-efficient place to park, but he knew there would be cameras in the shop, and he didn't need any more pictures of his ride in police stations than they already had, their tech had near instant plate recognition software these days. _Times are getting tougher_.

Walking across the car park he saw only one car, a Dodge Challenger, matt black faded paint, parked half on the kerb near the entry. The car looked much like the shop it was in front of, in that they were both run down pieces of trash.

The only clientele these places usually saw were crack-whores and derros looking for a cheap cask of wine or bottle of ethanol masquerading as Russia's finest. He hated going into them without casing the area first, he'd rather go somewhere else. But this location was noted on the order and they always knew exactly where things came from.

As the doors swung open, a blast of cold air pushed past his face. The bright fluorescent lamps were a stark contrast to the dim glow of the few flickering street lamps behind. The first few rows were the usual cheap wines and beers, looking toward the back he could see the counter, and the whiskey.

The torn linoleum floor was a memorial to the last millennium, and with it, the faded painted walls. _Who uses paint on their walls anyway?_ Still, it matched the rest of the dated décor, including the flickering light Jack was walking under.

As he strolled towards the rear, he caught a glimpse of movement at the far end of the counter. Two large Hispanic men were both showing sawed-off shot guns to the owner, who was behind the counter mumbling something in a language Jack didn't care to know about. _Dammit, there goes my two minutes_.

The thought gelled into a sentence in his mind at about the same time as the bangers turned and saw him. They mustn't have heard the door open over the owner gobbing off at a million miles per hour, but now with their attention, the man on the customer side of the counter swung his gun towards Jack. As he looked down, he could see Jack's modified Glock pistol sitting just by his hip, trained right at his partner's head, mil-spec laser pointer splashing his temple in a deep red glow. This was one of those 'think faster, sunshine' situations, Jack's mind was already racing at a hundred miles an hour, even before the adrenaline kicked in.

Ahhh, there it is, that familiar rush of heat surging through his body. The adrenaline told him he could take both of these tweakers before they realised he'd moved, but his head reminded him of what being behind prison gates feels like. Sure the Feds wanted the runners off the street, but it wasn't their main priority, apparently. A double murder on the other hand ... A muffled voice was in the background, getting louder, and in a flash became the screaming voice of the closest tweaker.

"Put your gun down maaaaaaaaan, or im'ma fill you with holes, baby, aaaargh!"

His face, covered in sweat and saliva, almost looked like a rabid dog. _This guy is a looney, and he's just getting warmed up by the sound of it!_

"Screw you, I'll kill this punk, aaaaargh, aaargh!"

_Wow, this guy really is nuts, but in a poetic kind of way_. _Better stop this now_.

The vocal tweaker looked at his mate, with a gun pointed at his face he wasn't doing crap. He must be the brains of the operation.

"Hey, listen buddy, I'm not here for you, or your mate." Jack spoke in a calm voice, although he had to raise the volume a little to get over the grunts from his new buddy.

"You're a lying piece of trash.... You're a cop aren't you?!"

Even more saliva, it was starting to foam. If this kept up they'd all be on the floor pushing daisies, this guy from giving himself a heart attack.

"Look, calm down. I'm just here for a bottle of Jack Special, the one behind the counter."

"Piss off, I know if I look you'll shoot. There ain't no whiskey there."

"Listen to me, there is. I just want one. Your partner can get it, put it on the counter. I'll take it, walk out, and leave you two to sort whatever you gotta sort."

Jack could see the shop owners' eyes open wider. He must have thought Jack was a cop, there to save him. _Screw that, too many other problems right now. Get back on track._

"I've got enough heat on me without shooting guns off, I just want the booze. Get you partner to help us out, and I'm gone."

"I'm watching you bitch, one wrong move and you're screwed." By now his hand was starting to shake. Jack knew he had to get out of there or things were going to turn into one giant mess.

"Deal, now flick me my booze, partner."

Jack glanced at the other partner for a second. The pair of them were a sorry sight. Aside from their threadbare black jeans and shirts, ancient studded Doc Martins and more jewellery in their faces than he'd ever seen, their faces were covered in scabs and pockmarks, the legacy of years of drugs, bad food and general lack of hygiene. Not the typical kids you'd want to see your daughter hugging on the doorstep. Still, not his problem.

As Jack walked across the car park to his bike, he heard four muffled gun shots. It didn't register at first, but then he remembered the gun the tweaker was holding, it was a hell of a gun to make a quiet sound like that.

As he started pulling out of the car park he saw a flash in his rear-view mirror, and saw the shop owner running out with a .22 pistol in his hand shooting, almost in Jack's direction. Shots were all over the place, but he was already becoming a speck in the rear-view mirror. _Lucky bugger_.

Twisting through the streets, the traffic increased. The lights of the vehicles narrowed in his vision as he began to focus on what was ahead. It wasn't that he was riding at seventy past traffic doing thirty that was pretty much another day at the office, there was something at the turnpike to the freeway that didn't look right.

The traffic seemed to almost disappear as quickly as it came. There was definitely something wrong, but by the time he realised what was going on his bike was already rotating around the front axle. The lights of the cars began spinning in his vision, the road above, then below him. Just as Jack felt the familiar surge of heat from the adrenaline, there was an infinite sense of darkness, nothing.

You cannot embrace darkness, its very presence excludes any feeling of ownership. Darkness is cold, selfish, draining. Fighting it is like swinging at shadows, fighting harder, pushing further. No matter how much you strain to see the light, it is ever elusive, out of reach. Give in, accept you fate.

A faint sound of a bird chirping in the background, like a beating heart. _No, it is a beating heart_. The sound of rushing water. _Drowning, need air_.

Jack bolted upright, gasping for air, and at the same time felt as though he was being electrocuted, as if a bolt of electricity ran from his brain to his toes as he jerked. He looked around, nothing but darkness, and a machine, beating like a chirping bird, then darkness.

A water decanter came into his blurred vision, then a window, and a chair. As Jack tried to get up, the room started to spin.

"Whoa there cowboy, take it easy." A voice from behind firmly held his shoulder and eased him back on to the bed.

"Where am I?" Jack said in a husky voice. "My throat, I need water."

"Here, take a sip, you've been out for a while." The man passed a glass of water, and helped to bring it to Jack's lips.

As Jack drank, the man continued. "You are at a care facility. We tracked the Feds to the location of your ambush and waited to see what they were up to. To be honest, we don't know why they wanted you, you didn't look like much, but for some reason they did."

"So why did you take me? You took on a hell of a risk going at the Feds for nobody."

"Well, let's just say, for all the trouble they went through to set you up, you must be worth something ... to someone."

The door to the room opened, a tall olive-skinned man walked into the room. Jack's vision was almost back to normal, he could now make out the definitions of their faces and the three parallel lines tattooed under their eyes. _Wing'Tan, just what I need_.

"Hello Jack," said the new man in an even, warm voice. "I am Seek. As you have probably noticed by now, we are of the Clan Wing'Tan."

"I noticed, so are you going to take my organs now, or have you already done that?"

Seek boomed a thunderous laugh. "No, we have done no such thing. Don't get me wrong, we considered it, but when we got you in we found something far more ... interesting."

He turned to the other man in the room. "Leave us."

The other man gave a near imperceptible bow, and left, closing the door behind him.

Seek pulled a chair next to the bed, and raised the back so Jack was at the same eye-level. "So Jack, as I was saying, you seem to have a most fascinating gift. Your eyes, have they always been the way they are?"

Jack looked at him quizzically, the way he always did when he didn't want to let people in.

"I don't know what you mean."

"OK Jack, enough of the crap. We saved your life from those Fed bastards, and didn't take it ourselves, so the least you owe me right now is no rubbish. You know our reputation and I'm not one to muck around with people who mess with me." He stopped and stared right through Jack's mind.

"I've been like this for a long time. My father modified my vision to give me an edge in ... certain situations."

"So you have extraordinary vision, that is a given, but tell me more Jack. I don't believe the Feds would have been after you only for what you can see."

"It's not just what I can see, it's how I can see, and how I can react. The average person has a reflex time of around two hundred milliseconds, I'm less than half that. Humans can see only in what we know as the visible light range, I can see into infrared and ultraviolet. My brain can process all of this in real time. Is that what you are looking for?"

"To say I am impressed would be an understatement Jack. So the Feds want you for your superior physical attributes, perhaps they were planning to use you to infiltrate the Autohacking scheme?"

"Perhaps. Maybe they didn't want me, maybe they wanted what I was carrying."

"Yes, possibly. We have the item, but it doesn't seem like anything special. We'll check it out more thoroughly and let you know if we find anything, of course."

Jack took Seek's smile as an understanding that he was offering far more than he needed, and right now Jack was in no position to argue.

"Of course," Jack replied in a still-raspy voice.

"You know we are the leading clan that are running for the Alphas, we have a fair idea of their operations, but you are just a privateer, you know all but nothing. So the only conclusion I can come to is they were going to use you undercover to infiltrate the Alphas to find out their deeper secrets."

"Sounds plausible. So what do you have planned for me?"

A wry grin appeared on Seeks' face. "Well, I'm going to use you undercover to infiltrate the Alphas to find out their deeper secrets, of course."

"And what's in it for me?"

"You mean aside from getting to keep your organs?"

"Sure."

"We have taken the liberty to implant you with a bio-tracer."

Jack looked on his forearm and saw the faint green glow of the display. It looked, moved, and was contoured as though it was his skin, only gave a clear display about three centimetres long and one centimetre wide.

"What is it?"

"It is your key to many things you did not know existed. Our top runners all have them. You will have unlimited access to our clubs, workshop and safe houses. You will need it to access any of these. It is also a direct satellite link to your latest missions. When, where and what you must provide."

"You've taken a risk on me with this."

"Not really. If you travel too far from your zone it will send an uplink to the satellite, we will know where you are, and kill you shortly after."

"So I'm basically your damned pet." Jack was starting to get tired of the game Seek was playing with him.

"No, pets have little tangible use. You, however, will prove to be most useful."

"Look, I've about had enough of this rubbish." Jack tried to get up from his bed but felt light-headed and had to sit back.

"Don't let your temper get the best of you Jack, you'll burn yourself out. You look tired, time for some rest."

Before Jack could speak, Seek turned the drip up, and the room became hazy once again.

When he came to, he was no longer in the same room. He was now in a large Georgian style room with an oversized bed and plush drapes. He looked around the room to take it all in, absorbed the atmosphere.

Seek walked into the room with two young women flanking him. They carried small trays with what looked like food. They set the tray beside his bed, and turned to stand beside Seek.

"Good morning, Jack. I trust your head feels a little better today?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Excellent, we have much to talk about, but first eat, and gather yourself. Trina here will help you with your clothes and anything else you may want."

Jack looked her body up and down; Trina was not short at around five foot nine, had a perfect body, and pert tits that pushed against the blouse she was wearing to the point of almost bursting the buttons.

"Anything?" Jack asked, without taking an eye off her.

"Easy tiger," replied Trina. "It's only 8 am." She winked at him and turned to rub Seek across his shoulders.

Seek turned to leave the room with the other girl in tow. "Nice to see you have good taste in women, Jack."

Trina closed the doors and turned to face Jack. Her figure was stunning and her long dark hair framed her gorgeous face.

"Right Jack, your wardrobe is here, anything in it is yours, and if you follow me this way, I'll show you the bathroom and study."

"Yeah, better wait a minute, I've got blood flowing in all the wrong places."

Trina grinned. "Jack, if I had to wait every time a man in front of me got a bit excited, I'd never get anything done. Now, get up and follow me so I can get on with my day."

# Chapter 4

Blake awoke to the sound of rustling on the other side of the bed. Although the sound only just registered in his mind, he had to ease his finger off the trigger of his gun behind his pillow. He wasn't used to Holly staying over, in fact, she never had. He wiped his eyes and looked over, just in time to see her bending over to pull up her skin tight pants.

"Sorry Blake, I didn't mean to stay, I must have dozed off."

"Hey, no problem. I don't get charged overtime do I?" He looked at her with an almost childish grin.

"No sweetie, I actually liked seeing you in the morning. Pity it's just business." Her comment faded as she realised what she was saying.

They looked at each other for a moment, the anxiety clear in her eyes. Blake began to speak. "Look, we've known each other for a long time. We like spending time together. You know, you could, well if you wanted ... leave this all behind you."

Holly wasn't sure if that was a statement or a question. "What, you mean stop seeing you?"

"No, I mean stop working. Be with me. Be part of my life."

"I don't know Blake, I'm not exactly the ideal partner for a top cop, you know."

Blake stopped her putting her jewellery on and turned her slowly towards him. "You're right. You're not anything like a woman that the force would want beside their top detective."

He let go of her hand, and she slowly, reluctantly started to turn away, dipping her head ever so slightly. He grabbed her hand again, forcefully, and pulled her face to his with his other hand, giving her a passionate kiss. He let go and looked her straight in the eyes. "But there is no one else I want beside me."

After a long pause Holly slowly came around. "I'll see what Jen says Blake, no promises."

With that she picked up her towel and walked to the door, looking over her shoulder with a wink as she left the room.

Blake fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking, arguing, his mind almost tearing itself apart with the emotions of a 15-year-old school boy. But all that aside, he knew he had to shake it off. Today was game day. "Get you head in it boyo," he said as he bolted out of the bed and headed to the shower.

As he turned the light on, a blur appeared from his right. Before he recognised the shape, his hand was grabbing the cat by the throat mid-flight for the window. "For God's sake Rocky, stop crapping in my bathroom sink." He gave it a pat and a kiss on the head before putting him on the window sill and proceeding with his morning ritual of gearing up.

Blake never had breakfast, not sure why, it just didn't form part of the ritual. He was watching the morning news as he went through his two hundred sit-up morning routine. An article caught his eye, so he turned up the volume. It was a breaking story on an incident at the interchange on the city outskirts. There were images of vehicles flung across the freeway, and a few body parts across the road. He wondered why he didn't get the call-up, and then he remembered, he turned off his pager while he was with Holly, and then fell asleep. "Oh hell!" he said aloud as he scrambled around to find it in the mess on the floor.

He quickly opened his comm. "Ah captain ..."

"Blake, what the hell have you been doing, and why the hell is your pager off?"

"Ahh, sorry boss, I was off duty and ..."

"Don't play cute with me, you're the senior detective, you're never off duty. Seen the news?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way."

"Well get down here now, tell your hooker you might be out all night too."

"Sorry, sir?"

"Worst kept secret in the department detective." The Captain hung up.

Blake sat there for a second. _Had he been making a storm in a teacup about this relationship, was it a relationship?_ _I mean, if everyone already knows, does it matter anymore?_ _Focus man, focus._

As Blake entered the street, he looked around for a second and let his eyes adjust. His apartment was downtown, only ten blocks from the department. He'd normally catch the overhead rail, but decided to run. This time of the morning the rail could be problematic. Although the mag-lev was pretty standard tech these days, it still had a tendency to play up. As he looked up at a stalled carriage twenty metres above him with helpless commuters looking nonchalant about the experience, he figured the captain was out of excuses for the day.

He was jogging down the street, looking at the morning procession of drones stuck in their cars in the mundane crawl to the beginning of another day leading them nowhere. He sometimes got frustrated with the general malaise of a majority of the public, totally unaware of the world around them, so intent on being 'average'. Not Blake, he was going somewhere.

His thoughts were broken by a message on his pager. He was being redirected from his head-up meeting at the office. There was no detail of where he was being taken, but was told to go back to his home address and wait to be collected. This wasn't the strangest thing to appear on his pager, but it wasn't normal either. _What was more important for a department senior detective than being present to what looked like a major gang fight on the freeway?_

Blake walked back to his apartment, no longer focussed on the people around him. They seemed to be less present than before, in his peripheral vision. _What could it be, did someone take offence to him being with a working girl? Surely no one knew they had a regular arrangement, they were always careful not to contact in public. This couldn't be the end of his career. Could it?_

He arrived back at the apartment just as Holly was walking out the door. "Blake, what are you doing back? Meeting your other bit on the side?" She grinned, but it soon went when she saw to look on his face. "What's wrong, hun?"

"I don't know. I got stopped half way and told to come back here to get picked up."

"You don't think it's because of me do you?" She spoke with genuine concern, and had a look to go with it.

"No. I don't think so. I hope not. Hell, I don't know _what_ the hell is going on."

As he finished speaking a white class 3 military escort vehicle stopped outside. It had no reg plates, but did have a label on the side. It was the insignia of the United Territorial Force. It could have been from any of a dozen agencies or government sourcing companies, but as the passenger got out and showed Blake his ID, he nearly fell over. _What the hell does the Secretary of Defence want with_ me _?_

"Blake Corten. We need you to come with us please."

"Ah, yeah, sure." He looked over to Holly. "I'll talk to you later." He then turned and got into the back of the vehicle. The vehicle departed immediately.

He was briefed en-route; the incident on the freeway was serious enough for the Secretary of Defence to get involved due to some information that was being handled at the time by one of the assailants. They weren't at liberty to give the details, but needless to say, it was sensitive.

They pulled up outside a small shop about twenty minutes from Blake's apartment. He didn't know exactly where, as there were no windows in the vehicle, and to be honest, he was too overwhelmed by the situation to remember the turns and times. He was disappointed with himself for not being focussed on this, it was agent training 101.

Blake entered the shop in front of his two escorts. As he passed through the door, he felt the cool chill of air conditioning. It was set to 'Antarctic' by the feel of it. He later found out that it was actually a screening agent, designed to detect if he was carrying any bio-trackers.

They passed a reception desk with a man in a security guard uniform sitting behind. He gave a half nod as they passed. They arrived at the end of the corridor, and one of the men from the vehicle placed his hand on a gel pad. It glowed red for a second, then a soft female voice acknowledged: "DNA, palm print, and retina scan clear. Thank you, Agent Dux." The door clicked open and they walked in.

The room was a modest size, but relatively unfurnished, other than a board table with a dozen chairs around it. There was a man sitting at the far end in a clean-cut suit that was so black that Blake couldn't make out if he was wearing something or it was a shadow. The man had warm features, and was sitting with a straight posture but a relaxed look.

"Take a seat Blake, we need to talk."

"OK, so who am I talking to?"

"My name is Juan Ripley. You don't need to know who I work for, except that I report directly to the Secretary of Defence. Daily."

"So what's this all about? Is it Holly? Seems a bit of overkill for a non-sanctioned relationship."

"I have no idea who Holly is, Blake, nor do I care. This is about the incident this morning, the one you were on your way to."

"Why am I not there now?"

"Because you're with me, I thought that was obvious. But I assume that's not what you're meaning. Before we drop you there, I need to fill you in on a few things, and need you to get some information."

"OK, what's this all about?"

"The incident was not your average shambles. It was by an Autohacking group called Wing'Tan."

"I've heard of them."

"Right, well what you probably haven't heard is that Autohacking is just a front for them. It's making them a nice bit of credit I'm sure, but they have their fingers in a lot of unsavoury pies. Local politics, law enforcement, industrial power-houses, they're weaving their way into all of them. We're assuming that the Autohackers are a front, and they're going for political power."

"So what's today got to do with it?"

"We were intercepting a runner who had plans for a device developed on a new platform called Biotronics."

"What the hell is that?"

"All current and historic devices and systems have been developed based on electronics. Ever since electricity was developed, it's formed the basis of everything we now rely on."

"Sure, we don't even think about electricity now."

"Well Biotronics is the evolution of this. We had a scientist developing a system that used DNA and RNA to power systems that are made using neural connections."

"Holy crap. And they're stealing this?"

"No, we think they stole the scientist that developed it. Well, either stole him or offered him a crap load of credit. Either way, we only had part of the system developed. Our technicians are still working on it, but at quarter of the speed of this guy who calls himself Ping."

"And this runner was going to take you to him?"

"Whether he wanted to or not. The idea was to ambush him, interrogate him, then slip a bunch of trackers on him without him knowing, and send him on his way."

"Wouldn't they just cut him loose? Or kill him?"

"Possibly, but they would have wanted the information first. We believe it is a missing code he needs to make the system completely autonomous."

"So, working for the Secretary of Defence, you think they're using this to develop weapons?"

"Why not? We are. This technology is immune to EMP bursts, the RNA and DNA strains used have been bio-engineered to replicate before they lose function, and strains can be customised to resist disease, radiation and any number of environmental circumstances, including lack of gravity."

"So that's it. Space based systems."

"Makes sense doesn't it? Every time there is a solar storm, flare or increase in energy, we either lose Sats and ships, or have to repair a pile of systems. Even the LEO elevators being developed are still susceptible to radiation bursts."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Go to the site and find what he was carrying. Recover it and any evidence of what it is."

"Right, then I'm done?"

"For now. The boys will take you to the site now. And Blake, don't mention anything we have discussed to anyone, ever."

"Yes, sir." With that, Blake stood up to leave. Looking at Juan, he saw his body flicker. _Whoa, he's a holo, damn good one too._ As Blake turned to leave he heard a click and looking back, Juan was gone. As he left the room his two escorts accompanied him back to the car.

"Blake, we're going to drop you about a kilometre from the site. We don't want anyone knowing you were with us, and don't want you telling them where you were. Say you slept in, got sick, jerked off, we don't care. Just don't mention the Secretary or the UTF."

"Yeah I got it, I never met you."

As they drove to the freeway entrance, Blake watched the cars on the B4 lanes flicking past at over three hundred kilometres per hour. He knew their vehicle wouldn't be hooking up as they had to get off at the next exit. It got him thinking. If the runner was heading presumably to the hills, why wasn't he on a B4 link? It's faster than regular routes, restricted to one vehicle per three second phase, and almost tamper-proof. Unless of course, he was never intending to take the freeway. Perhaps something had thrown him off his focus. Or perhaps he wasn't heading for the hills at all. It made sense he was going there, most high-value trades were made through Alphas. They had the best tech verification methods and the most links to legit and underground tech links.

But what if it was all Wing'Tan. Maybe they always intended on taking the runner out. Seems a big risk though, if this tech really is what they say, having a big crash would put the information in jeopardy. He had heard about the Wing'Tan though. Although organised, they were effectively gangsters, their true motives may take some time to uncover.

# Chapter 5

Most societies are defined by the people within them, forged by memory, action, emotion and the filthy residue of all things that preceded it. As far as philosophy goes, this is as deep as Jack's thoughts got these days. It wasn't for want of trying, or love of knowledge, no, it was both a bi-product of the years of substance abuse, and the impossible odds of the deck of cards in his life all falling to the house, and with it, his care beyond the setting sun.

"There is no reason I should care about any of this 'story' you are sharing with me. I get that I'm your pet, your servant, for now I might add, but why are you going to such long lengths to explain all of this to me?"

Seek looked Jack over again; was he taking too big of a risk? His fellow clan leaders thought so, apparently this man before him was too loose of a cannon for even Wing'Tan. The roaring debate the previous night was both a testament to the passion within Wing'Tan Leadership, but also the pure aggression with which the Clan had become renowned. It hadn't ended in bloodshed for many years, however.

Seek knew they needed an upper hand, and a way to forge their mark on the entire country, not just this city. Jack was to be the weapon they would use to get there, he knew it, but he also knew he would have to destroy him eventually.

"Well, Jack, the way I see it, you and I are pretty much the same. You may not feel that way right now, but I know you are battling some very dark inner demons that even your eyes have trouble seeing."

Seek paused and looked into Jack, to try and see if he was getting through. If he were to hook Jack, he needed commitment, and faith. "We now have almost enough power and persuasion to take control of our own destiny, and no longer follow the whim of the Alphas. They don't realise this, and we will use that to our full advantage."

Seek paused again for a sip of his coffee, then continued. "We have not just been running goods, or carrying out errands, we have been making contacts, forging alliances and gaining a foot-hold in the politics of the State. On the outside we are but thugs playing out the part in a play directed by the Alphas. In truth, we are writing the play, and the grand finale will be to our own destiny."

Seek sat back, observing Jack all the time.

Jack sat up in his bed, flinching as he did. The drugs were good, but he still felt like a sack of crap. "OK, I get that you are confident, but why such an importance on me?"

"Because it is your destiny too, Jack. You have had all that is important taken from you, and been trodden on by the very people who used to salute you on return from your missions. You have been taken from the hero you are and turned into little more than a beggar. All of this, to ensure you would not find the truth of the actions that determined your fate."

"What the hell are you talking about? I was going to get five years in the brink for striking my superior. I took the discharge."

Seek interrupted, "They did what, Jack? You found out your boss was screwing your wife. How did you get suspicious? Do you really think it was all dumb luck that you stumbled upon them? You were led along all the way through."

"No, it was him and her, alone. It was all covered in the affidavits."

"You were lied to and set up. They knew they couldn't use you on the inside. It was far easier to get you out, tear you down, then use your desperation for their unsanctioned activities. You were going to be their new weapon."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jack's voice was almost at a scream, his face red with rage, blood pulsing through his face; he could see the room turn to shades of red and blue as Seek's hand flashed up, right at the point Jack grabbed it.

"Calm down Jack, I'm not going to strike you. I was reaching for the blinds. I know how your eyes strain when you switch in broad daylight."

"You've got one minute to tell me everything you know, or I'll take my chances at running, and I'll go right through you if I have to." Jack rolled out of bed and dragged himself to his feet far too slowly.

"I'm sure you would try ..." The two stood standing, staring at each other, centimetres apart.

After a few more seconds Jack let go and slumped into his seat next to the bed. "How the hell can you be sure that everything that has happened to me in the last two years is a lie?"

"I don't have all of the answers now Jack, but I have a start. We have friends in various agencies, some less scrupulous than others, that have found bits of information. It appears you have been followed for some time. I know, for example, that you were in New York on a Homeland covert mission to track foreign diplomats that were planning a siege on the new alliance. I know you had x-ray imaging lenses and micro-GPR sensors that could identify a voice through a foot of solid concrete."

As Seek took pause to have a sip of his drink, he tried to gauge Jack's reaction to what he had just revealed. He knew Jack wanted to know how he got the info, so decided to voice the Coup de Grace. "I also know that with the resources you had, and the missions you were on, you have information. You may not know what that is right now, but it's in that noggin of yours somewhere. You, my friend, have been a mule, a carrier. You have something they want, and I personally don't think it's in a bottle of whiskey, I think it's in your head."

The moment of silence in the room was broken by the sound of a Sling-Shot jet as it took flight from the nearby airport. During that silence, Seek saw the subtle expressions on Jack's face change, an acknowledgement that the truth of the situation was sinking in, or so he hoped.

Jack spoke through a faint, almost raspy voice. "I've always known, I just haven't wanted to admit it. I've been raised as a soldier, to serve my country, to be humble and accept my fate, for whatever it has been determined. You can't understand what it has been like, to lose a command, and a wife, to the people that made you the man you are." He paused not knowing whether to let on any possible vulnerability, but decided in that instant he had nothing to lose, and there was nothing the Clan probably didn't already know about him. "I knew when I was arrested that something was wrong, I knew when my wife refused to see me when I was held for trial something was wrong, and I knew that when I was interviewed in a closed room with the Vice President present something was wrong. By that time I had so little care for my existence that the compounded magnitude of the truth was irrelevant."

Seek dipped his head ever so slightly in appreciation of the intimacy of Jack's confessions. "Losing loved ones can do that. You will soon see, Jack, that you are now among brothers. The threats given earlier about our intervention in your life are no different to what anyone in the Clan has once received, a necessity to ensure you understand the end-game of betrayal. We do hope such actions are never tested, and look towards more positive acts."

Jack paused for a moment, but then spoke with a little more authority in his voice. "Seek, I have built more respect for you in the last day than I have had for any man in a long time. But, do not take that for trust, that will take a lot longer to earn."

"For us both my friend."

"I will work with the Clan, but for my own reasons. I do not want fame or fortune, my path is revenge. I will take it when the opportunity arise."

"Not unless permission is given by the Leadership, not even I dare challenge their authority. You must talk through me to do anything other than what we have previously agreed. Do you understand?"

"Sure, talk to the boss first."

"Excellent. Now, best we meet some of your brothers and get to work"

Jack followed Seek to where Trina was waiting, sitting on the edge of the desk, the split in her dress showed her smooth skin right to her thigh. His head was throbbing, but for a moment he had forgotten all about it.

"I'll take you from here, Jack. Let's go meet the boys, and your new toy." Jack looked at her quizzically, but only got a glancing smile in return.

As they walked down the hall, Jack looked at the surroundings. The walls were lined with various paintings, what looked like Monet or something like that. He only imagined that they were originals, Wing'Tan hardly seemed to be the types to have fake things to impress people. The general décor was quite muted; they seemed to be moving down a long corridor with no doors or windows to speak of. As they neared the end, Trina stopped and placed her hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Jack, I must tell you something. I have been charged by the Leadership to find a mole in our organisation. They have entrusted me as I am the only one who has been screened as having absolutely no ties to outside activities."

"So why tell me here?"

"The walls have eyes and ears in this place Jack, and I have been told even Seek is not to know about my activity."

"What, they think he might be in on it?"

"No, far from it, but he has deep personal relationships with many people here. The Leadership do not want him to lose focus at what is a critical time for the Clan."

Trina turned to the wall and put the back of her hand to it. A faint red light appeared from within the wall and shone on her hand, another two lights shone into her eyes. When they retracted, the wall moved apart in a similar fashion to an old Star Wars scene, or so Jack thought.

As they walked into the room, the music boomed off the hard concrete walls and floor. The ceiling was covered in bio-lights that made the whole area seem as though they are out in the open, not in some kind of bunker.

"Loach, turn that crap off!" Trina was shouting practically a metre from his ear and he still took a second to turn around and see it was her. He tapped his right knuckle twice and the music stopped. The silence was quite unnerving after the aural onslaught just experienced, but was broken by Trina's voice.

"Jack, I'd like you to meet the crew. These boys know mechanics, electronics and Biotronics better than anyone you'll meet. The two over here are Ping and Loach." She pointed toward two young looking men with street style clothing and more facial rings and studs than he could count. They looked back and gave slight nods, more in acknowledgement of Trina, Jack assumed.

"And this burly lad over here is Tank." Trina walked toward him with Jack to her side. Tank was all of 6'6" tall, build like a brick crap-house and more body hair than a gorilla.

"Damn, another ex-army pansy I guess, by the look of him," Tank snarled looking over his shoulder at the other two looking for approval. As they snickered, Jack moved to him.

"Well sasquatch, I think I shot your mother in the jungle at Panagy once, so that must make me your stepfather."

Both of them started flaring up, and Jack felt his body responding. Seeing Trina shake her head, he turned to walk away. As he did, he caught a bright blue blur coming from his left as he was already moving away from it. He could see Tank's shoulder over-rotating from the momentum of not connecting, and he quickly pivoted around Tank's right side to his exposed flank and launched into his ribs with his right knee. As Tank's right knee dropped, Jack drove his left elbow hard across and connecting with the right side of Tank's head, sending him straight to the floor.

The other two stood still as Jack spun towards them, then he heard a low, rumbling laugh. He turned back to see Tank getting up rubbing his head.

"Good to see you're not such a punk, best to sort these things out from the get-go, know what I mean?"

Tank extended his hand, taking Jack's and giving it a shake that nearly pulled his shoulder from the socket.

"You're pretty quick with those feet, that will come in useful with the Clan."

"Thanks, I'm just glad you didn't want to go for round two!"

"Come and look at your new bike, we've made some 'modifications' to it." Tank's grin was almost as big as his gigantic face.

"If you've messed with Betty, you're in line for an ass-kickin'."

"Betty?"

"Yeah, as in Black Betty. You know, from one of the greatest songs ever written?" All three of them stood staring blankly, like he was talking in a foreign language.

"Damn kids these days, no respect for the classics," Jack muttered as he moved towards the crew.

Ping and Loach stepped to the side and gave a bow as Jack looked towards the corner of the room. He saw the Panigale, but not the same bike he remembered. The cowlings were modified in their shape and all made from what looked like Kevlar.

As Jack neared the bike, he noticed the cowlings shimmering. He swung his leg over the rear and sat on the seat, grabbing the right handle. As he did, he felt a tingling feeling shoot through his fingers, into his hand, then dissipate as it went up his arm. It wasn't painful, but the sudden sensation made him pull his hand away.

"What the heck was that!" Jack looking at his bike, then at the two techies who now shared a grin as big as Tank's.

"That," said Ping, "is the Biotronics getting to know you. Outside of the three of us, you're the only one who can ride the bike. Hell, outside of the lab, it's only you."

"What the heck is Biotronics, and why did it give me an electric shock."

"The bike isn't controlled by an electronic system anymore, it's a Biotronics system. Loach and I were designing the system for the UTF before they tried to take control of the project, locking us down in a cell in the process to keep us quiet."

"Assholes!" Loach added with a fair amount of enthusiasm.

"Aaaanyway, we were working on a new system of signal transfer that didn't rely on electricity from batteries of some kind to operate radios, water purification systems etcetera. Conventional batteries are bulky, prone to failure. So we did away with the battery altogether and used the human body as well as other energy sources. We have a small electrical current running through us all, but our system was designed to give that a little boost when the user was connected to it."

"So you're saying soldiers out there are running around as little Energizer cells right now?"

"The UTF Air Force wing has what is little more than a BETA version of the system, and even then it will take years to catch us. What you are sitting on is the most advanced piece of technology most people will ever see in their lifetime."

"Bold statement," Jack stated, looking over at Trina.

"And with good reason," Trina countered. "These boys are the best of the best, which is why they work for us. Jack, we have all the resources we need to make you a lean, mean, fighting machine. Make no mistake, where you are going has less to do with shifting goods and more to do with power, you are our new mechanism to get us into the most powerful organisations in the world."

"And all of this by running courier services?"

"Well, you _used_ to run courier services, but let's face it, both of us know that you're far beyond the skill and capability of those others scurrying around with booze, drugs and contraband. You're at the next level now, as far as anyone knows you're still a runner, but the tasks we will have for you are a little more, shall we say, contentious."

"Killing people? Not really my game anymore, if that's what you want."

"Not at all, but some of our operatives you will meet do, make no mistake about that."

"I've heard stories about Wing'Tan, don't worry."

"Good, we understand each other then."

"Not entirely, how do I explain this bike to the average punter on the street."

"Just make up a story; you're good at that aren't you? Now, I have business to attend. The boys will go over the rest of the features of your new toy, Seek will see you later and get you on the road."

As Trina left the room Jake was mesmerised by the way she swung her hips casually side-to-side, just enough to remind anyone looking what was under the hood. Jack looked over and saw the three others staring too. _Boys will be boys,_ thought Trina, knowing full well she had their attention as she left the room.

"Is it getting warm in here or what?" said Tank as he grabbed his balls in approval of his boss's latest appearance.

"So any of you boys been there?" said Jack, raising his eyebrow and nodding in the way of the door.

"Don't let those pretty features fool you," said Ping. "She's one of the most ruthless people I've met. I once saw her dislocate a man's shoulder and stick a knife through his forearm just for calling her a bitch in an argument. Happened so fast the poor bugger was on the ground before I even saw her move!"

"Right. Point taken. So about this bike, what else have you got for me?"

The three of them continued for the next half hour describing the features they had added to the Panigale. The cowling was in fact a Kevlar hybrid, but was actually a fully elastic composite that moved as the pressure increased, in effect, as the bike went faster it became more streamlined. At 340 kph, the front end would be a full metre in front of the wheel, shaped like a spear, and reducing wind resistance by seventy percent.

The other features of the bike were more for direct action. There was a dart gun that fired high velocity titanium darts, targeted by the HUD in the visor of the helmet. The helmet also had all the stats of the bike at hand, including approximate distance to target, remaining ammunition, possible collision warning system, and most impressively a newly developed Heads-up Always Live Overlay (HALO). HALO showed illuminated lines of all roads in the current sight on the visor, in effect, allowing the user to ride with no lights on, and have all roads shown as though they were lit up by glowing line-markers.

"That HALO system is going to come in handy I feel, especially when my vision is enhanced."

"Yeah, we figured you'd be a bit of a night creeper," added Loach. "You'll need everything you can get when you're out, we've gone through six runners this year."

"Six. Kind of a high rate of retirement isn't it?"

"Who said retirement? Four of them were hit doing jobs, straight out executions by the Reno Clan we reckon."

"What about the others?"

"Let's just say they tried to renegotiate the terms of employment with Seek—using a knife. Didn't end so well for them, they're still alive, but will be eating through a straw for the rest of their lives."

The three techies burst out laughing, just as Seek entered the room. "Good, it seems you're all acquainted. Jack, time to hit the road; Ping will update you via the comms when you get out."

Seek left the room and the crew unplugged the diagnostic equipment from the bike, handing Jack the helmet. Jack sat on the bike and took a breath as he pulled the helmet down. His world was about to become all shades of messed-up.

# Chapter 6

As they walked out of the room to the top of the stairs, Xan nodded to the DJ who promptly faded out the music. The strobes cut out, and a light shone to the balcony.

"Good evening friends," beamed Xan with a smile that lit up the room on its own. "Welcome to our party." He paused, as if they needed any more dramatic effect.

"I say _our_ party, because as of this day, Tyrol is now entering the fold. His pedigree is without question, and we look forward to him growing with us and serving a greater good."

As Xan raised Tyrol's hand high, the crowd exploded into a thunderous rapture of applause and hoots. "Now, carry on the festivity, and enjoy the pleasures of our hospitality."

Xan nodded to the DJ who dropped the needle onto a heavy baseline that almost shuddered the building. Like in a trance, the crowd began moving again, swaying to the tribal rhythmic beats.

Tyrol approached the bar, feeling an arm looping through his as he was about to sit. Looking to his right, he saw a stunning young woman dressed in what appeared to be nothing more than a bikini draped in a deep red satin gown that fell all the way to the ground. She didn't speak, just led him to the end of the bar where there were few people and showed him a seat, before sitting herself.

She crossed her legs and Tyrol couldn't help but look down and see her long slender thigh, with her dress slit right up to her hip. He was begging for the dress to ride up a little more before he realised he was staring, he looked up and the woman was looking right at him with a sheepish smile. She knew what he was thinking, and moved her leg away so the dress slid back over it.

"Hello Tyrol, my name is Trina, it's both a pleasure and honour to meet you."

She said 'pleasure' with a tone that almost begged for him to reach down and touch her, or was he just letting his emotions get carried away with him?

"A lot of beautiful people here tonight Tyrol, you seem to be turning in to quite the celebrity these days."

"I'm sorry," said Tyrol, with an equal measure of genuine curiosity and challenge, "but do I know you?"

"Not directly, I have been following your career for some time now. I picked you some time ago to be the next big hitter in this city, and it turns out I was right."

"And for how long have you been following me Miss ..."

"Just Trina."

"OK, how long have you been following me Trina?"

"Let's just say I was associated with your father's company when you were a boy, but since his passing, sadly, I have not been able to have the same relationship I once enjoyed."

"And what 'relationship' was that Trina?"

"Well, by your tone I am feeling you may have misconstrued my meaning, but that's not to say history must repeat."

Trina gave an ever so slight wink that could have been taken either way. "Your father himself was ever so hard to get hold of, but I had dealings with him through the import and logistics branch of the company."

"Oh, so you're a gun-runner?"

"Well, since we're being frank, yes. But I prefer to think of it as civilian equality."

"You have a way with your tongue, Trina, care to explore that more?" Tyrol leaned over to kiss her. Trina put her finger to his lips and gently pushed him back.

"Well Tyrol, I can see you are a man of action. I like that. I'm going to freshen up. I'll see you later in the evening." As she got up and walked away, Tyrol watched her sway, moving her butt in a seductive manner he knew was meant just for him. His fantasy was broken by Xan's voice behind him.

"Beautiful woman isn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess. Who is she?"

"I'm not sure. Who did she say she was?"

Tyrol suddenly felt uneasy. "She said her name was Trina, and she used to deal with father's business, a gun-runner. From the way she was talking it was a fairly long and profitable arrangement."

"Well, my friend, it appears that her rather fine looking arse has swindled you, I've never met her, and believe me, if she was part of the group, I would remember an arse like that."

Tyrol's rage was immediate and clearly visible. "Who the heck is she? I'm going to sort this out right now." He tried to stand, but Xan's hand firmly pushed him back into his seat. His eyes were calm, but his grip said 'sit down and shut up'.

"Listen to me carefully Tyrol. You are now at another level of business and society, one that you have not been a part of before. There is no black and white, right or wrong, only shades of grey, innuendo, coercion and negotiation. Trina, or whoever she is, will be back some time. Not tonight though, so that erection of yours will need to find another pussy. It doesn't matter right now where she is from, we will know that in time."

"So what? I'm supposed to sit here and get mind-bent by every hot woman in here?"

"No, only if you choose to. Ninety-nine percent of the women in here will want you for anything you care to give them. Forget about Trina right now, and enjoy yourself. Trust me Tyrol, I have your back. The Ordained have your back."

Xan flicked his finger at the bar tender who brought over two shots of whiskey. Xan held up a salute, looked into Tyrol's eyes, and smiled. Tyrol raised his glass and the two drank. For the remainder of the night Tyrol had an entourage of some of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. After a time, he retired with some of them. It would to cap off the first night of what was the beginning of a journey to a place he didn't yet understand, couldn't understand, but would soon realise was as inevitable as the rising sun.

# Chapter 7

The car pulled up outside an empty retail store.

"Time to get out, Blake. We'll be in touch soon to get an update on what you know."

As Blake rounded the corner, he could see the accident scene three blocks up. He got nearer and saw the police sonic barrier cones with the usual warning signs that anyone crossing would receive high-energy high-frequency sound pulses. His ID chip neutralised the signal in his immediate vicinity as he passed through.

His first instinct was that it was a multiple car smash, a ram-run gone wrong. But as he got closer, he could see one set of short skid marks that were from a bike. He couldn't see a bike anywhere. The other problem was that the two other vehicles were at odd angles. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the road marks and impact points didn't seem to match the angle the bike would have been coming from.

"Detective, good of you to join us."

"Don't start with me Drake, messed up morning. What have we got?"

"Well, what you would have seen when you came in, and on the 6 am news. Looks like a gang hit, two cars, a truck load of bullets, and all-round carnage."

"Witnesses?"

"A handful. Mainly other people driving on the freeway at the time."

"And what about the bike?"

"What bike?"

"Back over here, short skid mark, looks like a high-speed brake, then the bike left the ground, somehow."

"Damn, I didn't even see that. It's covered by the car marks. How on earth did you see that?"

"Must have had a good night's sleep. Lucky I'm here to keep you turkeys in line huh?" Blake looked at Drake with a raised eyebrow as they walked over towards some techs taking laser-grid overlays of the scene.

"We're almost ready here, Sarge," one of the techs said to Drake. They all moved to the side of the road near another tech that had a screen display up on a tripod.

As the tech adjusted a set of inputs, busy tapping his fingers in various sequences, a green grid swept down over the area, stopping just off the ground. "Based on the current inputs from vehicle locations, damage, road marks and eye-witness accounts, this is what we have."

Looking to the cordon two hundred metres up the road, Blake watched four hover-pods line up in a square. As they charged up, a faint but visible hologram Sat static with two cars about ten metres apart.

"It's daytime so the graphic won't be as vivid as it should, but you'll get an idea of what went on. I'll run it through in real-time first, then we'll take it back and cut it up."

He flicked his fingers again, and the four pods accelerated down the road. The two cars were swerving left and right, there were red flashes, then one of the cars blew a tire and spun into the path of the other car, both of them flipped multiple times before hitting the retaining wall of the off-ramp, landing exactly where the mangled cars were currently sitting.

"Right, we'll run it through slower this time. The red flashes are gunshots. They're not exact, it's based on the eyewitnesses mainly, but a few cases were found, and we worked backwards to an approximate point of origin."

As they watched the scene over and over again, Blake had a niggle in the back of his mind that he couldn't shake. Then it came to him. "Sarge, this whole thing is staged."

"How do you figure that, Blake?"

"How many bodies have you found?"

"Only two, but one of the cars was incinerated after the impact, we think on purpose."

"I think that one of the cars was programmed to hit the exact marks from the bike to disguise an earlier accident."

"Why do that? Why not just clean off the marks, and remove the vehicle afterwards?"

"Because they wouldn't be able to remove gouge marks from a vehicle being hit, the bike I mentioned, or chemical residues from weapons fired, or fuel spilled from frame ruptures, the list goes on. It's a lot easier just to mask it all with another accident."

"Who the heck goes to that kind of effort?"

"I'm not sure yet." He wasn't about to mention Wing'Tan, or the directive given through the Secretary.

Blake walked over to the vehicle impact site. There was nothing but a big mess of metal and burnt vegetation. He started trying to piece together what was going on, but cut himself short. There wasn't enough data yet to get a good idea, and all he would be doing now is making the evidence fit his preconceived idea of the events.

The team spent the next four hours marking, bagging and taking digital imprints of everything in the area. Nothing out of order turned up. Whatever the UTF wanted wasn't there. Blake left the scene to head back to the office. As he left the scene his comm clicked an incoming signal. It was the UTF, Blake told them there was nothing, and the comm ended. Just like that, Blake was of no further use, apparently.

# Chapter 8

As he pulled out of the access ramp and onto the private road, the lack of lights was apparent. _Dammit_ , Jack thought to himself, _I have no idea where the hell I am. Well, I guess I went down the rabbit hole, got shafted by the hatter, and copped a gob of Wing'Tan jizz while I was there_. His thoughts were interrupted by Ping's voice.

"Yo, rise and shine cowboy. Time for a shake-down of your kit. First, don't think about bad things too hard, your helmet is connected to our Alias Neural Network, when you use the controls the system will learn your brainwaves and other physical reactions to the inputs. As it does, it will start to anticipate your actions, and in time, you won't need to use most of the controls."

"So this bike is going into my brain?"

"Nope, it's already there, we took a scan while you were messed up in surgery and got to work assimilating. Another few days and you'll be more hooked up than the Lawnmower Man."

"Who the hell is the Lawnmower Man?"

"C'mon chief, you never saw The Lawnmower Man? One of the greatest movies of the 1990s. Jobe was the main character, dumb bugger that got jacked into a VR programme by a scientist to help him. He became crazy smart and messed up half the town using his thoughts alone."

"How quaint. So I'm the dumb bugger. Teach me, oh great one."

"Love to. So in front of you is a holo-display with a menu to the right. You can see that when the bike is going, even if you lose the helmet. You have options for GPS, bike stats, HALO, armoury, which by the way we're going to add to soon." Ping gave a chuckle of self-approval.

"So I just tap away to see the stats on my visor right?"

"Yeah, and if you don't have your helmet, it will show up on an enlarged holo-display on the wind shield, but won't be as effective."

"Time to open her up and see what we can do."

"I've uploaded your GPS co-ordinates. We need you to grab a chip and deliver it to a politician on the other side of town."

"What, we're working for The Man now?"

"No idea Kimusabe, didn't ask, value my life too much. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I get it, grab the chip and drop it off, shut up and come back."

"Hole in one, son. Last thing: The guy that has the chip doesn't exactly know we're taking it, so you'll have to get in and out quick, and don't make a mess of it. The chip will be in his car, where the Live-locator GPS would normally be under the front bumper. Co-ords up on your GPS now, see you soon."

Jack looked down to activate the GPS, but as he was about to hit the button the GPS came up before he took his hand off the handle. "TLM is catching on fast, little man."

"TLM? What are you talking about?"

"The Lawnmower Man, my second brain. Who's the dumb-arse now?" Jack let out a laugh, and Ping followed suit.

As Jack loaded HALO, he dropped it down a gear and opened the throttle. The acceleration was instantaneous and hard, damn hard. As he watched the tach go through fifteen thousand rpm, he kicked to third; a few seconds later it was hitting redline again. Kicking into fourth, he was already moving at 250 kilometres an hour and didn't look like slowing. He could see the nose expanding, and didn't feel like the bike was in any sort of trouble. In fact, it felt like he was doing little over a hundred.

Coming to a twenty kilometre straight, so says HALO, he took the chance to look around. The countryside was almost barren. Scatterings of rocks and the odd cactus with hills either side reaching up to the top of what was a deep canyon. He could see the odd red or blue flash near the side of the road, animals he figured, but nothing showed up on HALO.

Nearing the end of the straight, a warning flash came up stating "right corner ten seconds" in an iridescent red glow at the top of his visor. As he eased off the throttle, the bike slowed to around 180 kilometres per hour which was way too fast to take the turn. He dropped it down two gears, leaned hard and prepared for the bike to slide out. It didn't, but the g-force of the slingshot-like turn almost made Jack pass out.

"Holy crap! How did I _not_ wind up coyote cuisine at that corner? That was nuts."

Ping got on the radio. "Your tires are a polymer that has nano-tech particles integrated. As the tire heats up and deforms from the pressure of loading-up on extreme cornering, the nanites redistribute the mass within the tire, increasing the traction surface."

"What the heck? Monkey boy. Remember?"

"Yeah, so the faster you corner the more the tire spreads out to take to load. To a point. We reckon you can take corners at around ten g's, but you'd probably pass out first. Fifteen kilometres from target, radio out."

As Jack came over the brow of the hill, the lights of the settlement glowed up like a million fireflies. He let HALO show the way. The satellite overlay of the property now to the right of his vision showed two access points. With live satellite imaging, he could see there were two cars out front, and no one at the gate. The simplest solution seemed to be ride up, roll under and grab the chip, saddle up and get out of dodge.

As he rode past the first entrance he could see there were three men standing under the eaves of the Porte-Cochere. They weren't up on the Sat, so they must have signal jamming over the property. Things just got a whole lot harder.

"Ping, we got an issue, they've got signal jammers, guards, and god knows what else up there. Plan A just went to liquid crap."

"What did you expect rookie, a walk in the park? You didn't get a few million credit of hardware and a gold-pass to Wing'Tan membership to smell daisies and screw models. I'll work on what I can from here, but to be honest, these guys have some serious hardware by the look of the signals I'm getting bounced. I'm not gonna snoop too much or they'll be aware."

"Right, thanks for three-fifths of bugger all. You sure I can't blow through the main road and take them out?"

"Boss says quiet. They can't know what you've taken until at least nine am tomorrow morning. Don't ask, I didn't."

Jack pulled up about a kilometre past the house and hid the bike behind some scrub off the side of the road. Looking out he could see lights of the twin cities from his elevated position. He didn't really have his bearings yet, too much going through his brain. He grabbed his kit bag the team had given him and had a rummage through. There were laser-ranging binos, two modified Tasers, one had the old bio-hazard logo on the side, so he figured he'd keep that one turned off unless things got serious. There was a sheathed ten centimetre blade, a coil of titanium rope with a retractable pick and a Glock impulse pistol.

The north boundary of the property was bordered with a three metre high stone wall. It offered the most cover as it was away from the access road and had no lighting nearby. Walking along the verge between the road to his right, and the cliff on his left, he couldn't hear or see anything untoward. Every thirty seconds or so he would stop, wait, listen, then move on.

There were a few old pine trees in fairly close proximity to the wall, but it wasn't until he was almost under them that he realised a few branches were overhanging the wall. He awkwardly climbed the tree nearest the cliff, having no torch on made it harder, but he didn't want to alert his presence.

Sitting on a branch about the same height as the top of the wall, he could see into the property clearly now. There was a small building about three metres from the wall and slightly to his left, which would provide good cover. Beyond that there was a large lawn with no cover of note for thirty metres. Beyond that and to the left was the main house. It was a three storey Georgian style house with uplights washing the marble clad walls. The garage was adjacent with a Porte-Cochere linking the two buildings, as he had seen on his Sat image.

Although the front lawn was open, it was the preferred path. It appeared that the living and entertaining areas opened out to the space facing the cliff, and the view of course. From where he was sitting, Jack couldn't see anyone outside the parked cars now. He waited, and a minute later two men appeared, loitered for a moment, and then walked off again. Jack noted this occurred every four minutes; they must be on a regular patrol. This was both good and bad. Good because he knew his window of time, bad because both men had the gait of ex-military, and each of them had twenty kilos on him, all muscle.

Going through his plan in his head for the next ten minutes, he noticed a glint out of the right corner of his vision. Looking closer he could see it was a field-motion sensor. Getting the binos out, he noted it was a "drum thumper", what the boys in the Force named their proximity sensors. They emitted a hyper-sonic wave on trigger that blew the eardrums of anyone within ten metres, and rendered them unconscious.

"Ping, I got a problem. This place has ex-mil guards, and a bitch of a perimeter security system. We need a plan."

"What are you dealing with?"

"Regular patrol, hyper-sonic sensors, and possibly an auto-targeting impulse weapon I just picked."

"Oh, so not much then," he coughed, and Jack could almost hear him smiling. "Right, well I can try to get around their security and disable it temporarily, but they will know within thirty seconds and be looking for you."

"That ain't gonna work —" Before he could finish a Sling Shot whipped past. Looking down the cliff, Jack could see an airfield.

"New plan Ping, there's an airfield below. Find a drone there, take control, and crash it into the transformer I saw at the south end of the property by the road. Even if they have back-up generation, it will take a few minutes to get online, and a few more for the security to be up. In the meantime while they're checking out the commotion down there, I'll be in and out at this end of the property."

Jack sat waiting, checked he had no loose clothing, the pack was closed and belted tight, and crawled out to the end of the branch, and waited. Looking down he could see there was nothing to land on but lawn about four metres below. It was going to be a rough landing. He started going through the drills he was trained on so long ago, how to fall, break, roll, and spread the energy. Going through the muscle flexes, he was interrupted by a high pitch whirring to his left and below.

"Yo, Jack, I've got a Raven!" Ping was more excited than a fat kid eating candy. "No idea why there was a Mil Drone there, but this thing is a blast!"

Jack saw the drone sweep past the property beyond the cliff, rolling and flicking at angles that would cause anything without Gen3 ion-plasma tech to lose lift instantly. Creating an acrobatic display in front of the house aroused the attention of what looked like everyone at the house. Not waiting to see what Ping would do next, Jack jumped down.

He hit the ground hard, but rolled away and behind the shed without setting off any sensors. A few seconds later, there was a large explosion at the far end of the property, and the area plunged into darkness. Without hesitating, Jack sprinted across the lawn as fast as he could, and slid under the front of the vehicle. With his chest pumping, he tried to control his hands enough to get out his knife to cut out the locator box. Ten seconds later he was rolling out from under the truck with the box in his pocket, and made a run for the shed again.

As he rolled around the corner, he heard the noise of people running down the lawn. His heart pumping and his vision switching, he could only see red bodies moving, no one coming towards him. Grabbing his rope out, he flicked it at the tree. A split second later the piton expanded and a jet of gas accelerated the unit deep into the trunk. Jack scaled the wall and swung over without looking back.

As he walked back down the edge of the road, he could see the commotion 400 metres back. There were flashing lights, and the property had power again. There were no vehicles moving his way, so he figured they either picked it for an accident, or hadn't thought about espionage yet.

"Jack, you there?" Ping's voice came over the helmet comm loud and clear.

"All clear, I have the package, and I'm en-route back to the hangar. See you in thirty minutes."

"OK, just so you know, everything you've done in the last two hours has been monitored, tracked, and analysed."

"Right, leash up my arse treatment, huh?"

"Something like that. Good work."

Jack pushed the bike out onto the road and started up. He didn't need an ignition starter key, as he thought about starting the bike it went through the start sequence automatically. He rolled out slowly so as not to raise attention, and rode without the lights on using HALO. Winding down the long open roads, he could see the coast moving away from his right, and the large expanse of the twin cities looming.

He knew where the cities were, and finally had his orientation. It was a remarkable sight at night, the original city of Sydney near the coast on his right sprawled out along a large area of now mainly barren land. It was connected via what looked like a series of cables, being freeways, running inland to the new city, which was built on the slightly elevated ground seventy kilometres inland, past what used to be Penrith.

The drought may have stopped fresh water allowing the original city to expand, but it didn't stop the sea level rising and compromising large swathes of land. The so-called "experts" predicted that the patchy looking coast city would be all but dysfunctional in another fifty years. Already there were suburbs nick-named "Little Venice", "Bigger Venice", "The Swamp", and so-on. It was for the most part a piece of history, a living museum soon to be taken by the earth it was built upon.

Sweeping around the base of the hills, the road spread into a large freeway with satellite feeders coming in. It was late, and there wasn't a lot of traffic, so Jack opened her up. He quickly flicked through the first few gears, and realised the gear shifter felt more like a switch not a mechanical lever. Before the next change, he thought about making the kick as he felt the revs going over twelve thousand. The bike responded and changed up accordingly, before he got a chance to move his foot.

"Bugger me, all I have to do is sit here and enjoy the ride!"

As he clicked over two hundred, there was a fifteen kilometre stretch ahead. He dropped it down and tucked in, focussing on the road ahead, he twisted his right hand hard back and gripped with his thighs. The bike went through 250, changed up, redline again at 310, change up, winding through to 390 kilometres per hour he glanced at the nose which was now over a metre in front.

HALO showed clear road for another seven kilometres, no potential collisions. Keeping focussed the bike kicked up again onto the top gear, and nearing 450 kilometres per hour. The road was now irrelevant, the nearing interchange was less than three kilometres away, or half a minute at his current speed. All around the horizon in front was appearing a bright blue, and from his peripheral the background a deep red.

Jack eased off the throttle and went through the thought process of decelerating and keeping on a straight line. He felt the handles rigid, but the front wheel was flickering ever so slightly. The on-board systems had taken control of maintaining a safe trajectory while the front end loaded up under the heavy G-forces that were coming in.

At a mere 180 kilometres per hour, Jack swung off the freeway, following the GPS onto a side road that headed inland away from the cities. Fifteen minutes later he was coming to the entrance of the property, no gate, no sign, nothing of note. His helmet was recording the dozens of sensors and signals checking his authenticity, each giving a tick to the right of his vision. Jack pulled into the hangar to see Seek and Trina waiting with grim looks on their faces.

# Chapter 9

The only thing Blake knew about this meeting was that it came from a department he knew about only in whispers and rumours. Osiris was a covert operation that occasionally contacted the department for information. They never said what they wanted it for, and there never seemed to be any links to the information. Blake should know, he made the last six months of his life a second job to piece together what they were up to. It was obviously tied to the meeting he had a week earlier with the UTF guys.

It appeared as though someone was paying attention. He was called for an aptitude and fitness test by Osiris, directed by his chief who knew little more than to send him to Camp Trinity for three days. The testing seemed mediocre at best, but Blake figured that was part of it, to make the other eleven men feel as relaxed as he was. Regardless, he blitzed every test put to him, and had a feeling he may have missed the point.

Apparently not, he got a letter this morning advising to go to 468 Locksley Drive immediately, and not discuss it with his co-workers or management. Arriving at 468, he wasn't sure he was at the right place. "Universal Shipping & Cartage" was hardly the placard he expected to see on the entry. He walked in, passed the letter he received to the receptionist, who politely asked him to take a seat.

Soon after, a young, rather striking woman came through and took him to the lift. Once they got in, she stood facing a blank wall opposite the lift controls. Three faint red glows appeared from the wall, and scanned her eyes and her open palm, all without her touching a thing. The lift began moving, and the floor-indicator turned off.

As the detective entered the squad room, he felt like a rookie all over again. It wasn't that he didn't know what he was doing, far from it. It was more the surreal sense of awe at the high-tech facilities around him. He recognised almost half of the equipment placed around the room in a seemingly random fashion, but much of the equipment was so alien to him, it appeared as though it may have actually come from another planet.

Walking out of the elevator, the expansive room in front of him had a natural look, courtesy of the bio-lights on the ceiling, giving the place an 'open' feel. There were scatterings of desks amongst the plants, and holo-tanks with all kinds of exotic fish.

There seemed to be two types of people in the office, those in clean-cut suits that were more-or-less standing around chatting, and those in more casual street clothing that were usually at workstations using Wave screens or old-school computers. Blake later found out that although the Waves left conventional computers for dead in pure power, some networks were encrypted to not allow access to Waves by identification, which suited underworld activity.

As Blake looked around, he sensed a feeling of calmness about the place. This was obviously an illusion, as it was the highest performing policing unit in the country, and possibly the world. This was, of course, courtesy of the rumours spreading with furious intensity about Osiris. Nonetheless, it seemed as though things were running themselves.

"Welcome to Osiris, Blake. I'm Jules Oricks, but the team just call me Ox."

As Blake turned to the voice he saw a tall, solid Caucasian man, built like the Ox in his nickname, no coincidence. Jules Oricks was the leader of the team, and Blake knew him from the photo that was in the very brief and cryptic profile in his acknowledgement letter.

"Admiring the scenery I see. Believe me, sometimes I'm not sure if all of this tech is real, or just props for a movie shoot."

Jules was being modest, he had developed much of the technology, and single-handedly took down more runners than any other agent, and a few Alphas to go with it.

"A lot of the tech we have is beyond the military," he said, with a proud grin. "We give them the crap we don't need." He followed his quip with a hearty laugh.

"It does look nice and shiny. Can't wait to get up to speed, sir"

"There will be time for that. First, come to my office so I can give you the ten minute intro, and then we'll meet the rest of the team"

"Tell me, it seems as though everyone is rather chilled-out, but that's not what I came to expect arriving this morning."

"Two things, first we're ending an operation and I expect the team will wind-back for an hour or two. Second, our resident psych spent almost two of my first-year budget designing and building this place into the most effective working environment on the planet. The last thing any of my operatives think about when they arrive in the morning is if the lights will give them a headache today."

As they neared the end of the main space, they moved into a short corridor. Jules raised his hand slightly and Blake stopped. A smooth generic female voice asked them to remain still for ten seconds.

At the end of the time, the voice said, "Good morning Jules, you have Blake Corten with you, he presently is armed with a 9mm Colt Special fully loaded but uncocked with safety on, and a small blade on his right calf."

"Thank you I.P," said Jules as he started to move toward the end wall.

"I.P.?"

"Investigation and Protection. When I'm out for any length of time she kicks in. If I said anything but that phrase, without any change in my heart-rate, blood pressure, or brain signal activity, you'd have been toasted with gamma rays before you took another step."

"Thanks for the heads up boss." Blake looked wearily around the walls that seemed to harbour nothing but paint and tiles.

Ox stepped up to the end wall and stopped again. Blake heard a clicking sound which Ox explained was the same unit now scanning his retina and hand prints (even though he didn't touch anything), in case he was forced through the first screening then disabled. _Nothing like a bit of personal security to feel easy at work_ , Blake thought to himself.

The interior of the office was smaller than Blake expected. The walls were white but scattered with holo-tanks, the floor having plush beige carpet, and the ceiling again awash with bio-lights. Nothing looked over the top, but at the same time, didn't look like the interior of the average Commander's office. Well, none he had seen anyway.

As they sat, Ox handed Blake a drink that Blake later found out to contain an organic tracking system that tagged itself to his liver. The substance had zero effect on the human body, and dissolved after around a week.

"Osiris is the ancient god of the underworld and death. So it is a fitting name for our group. We operate in the areas of society that many people don't know about, and most of those that do, wish they didn't. Our only objective is to stop Autohacking, by any means necessary. We are not vigilantes, but not all of the usual law-enforcement rules apply to us, as you will learn." He paused to take a small drink.

"You see, the activity of Autohacking has been allowed to thrive for two main reasons. First, those that sponsor the activity did a good job of keeping their actions under the radar for a long time. It's only recently that we've began working out how to separate the crimes associated with Autohacking from the other general crime. Second, those that sponsor Autohacking are also the most well-connected, wealthiest people on this side of the country."

Ox paused to let the information soak in, and hopefully for Blake to be interested to know more, and not fall asleep. Ox was hardly a great orator, he usually preferred to let action speak for him. Unfortunately those days were behind him, and he had a decade or so behind the desk before he left the UTF altogether.

"Time to bring you up to speed with why I really got you here, Blake."

Blake interrupted sounding upset at the suggestion he had been duped, "Sir, I got in because I scored highest on all of the tests."

"Rubbish, Blake. You got in because I looked into your history, and you're the only applicant that doesn't somehow tie back to those twat Alphas. Cold, hard truth right there!"

Blake got up, his face fuming red, and turned to leave the office. This may have been the top level of promotion for him, but he'd be blown if he would get sucked into being their bitch, which was one of the most fierce rumours going around about recruitment.

"Hold it right there soldier. Turn your arse around and sit down now. Let me finish, then if you're still intent on your little pissy-fit, you can go!"

Blake stopped, looked at Jules's face, and saw the slightest smile at the corners of his mouth. "Two minutes, and it better be good."

"So, where was I? Ahh, yes, your selection. You see Blake, whether you are aware or not, the Alphas make up about half of one percent of the population in the area, but have some influence over ninety-eight percent of the rest. Now I'm not saying everyone is a crook, but, everyone does have a soft-point somewhere, and these people know how to exploit it. Whether it's money, drugs, politics, fame, or any other temptation you can think of, they can make it happen.

"You're an ex-Marine, I've read your file, and you were a damned good one. You never required disciplinary action, and considering the group you were with, that's a minor miracle in itself. You are not from this area, so there is little chance you or anyone you are related to will have a history with the Alphas.

"And last, but not least, out of all of the tests you have done over the last week, the one that counted the most for me, was that my psychologist says you have just the right mix of courage, compassion and arrogance to bring you to the top of this assignment."

At that moment there was a knock on the door behind Blake. "It's Sophie," followed a soft yet assertive voice.

"Come in," replied Jules.

As the door opened, Blake looked around to see two very long legs come through the door, followed by the body of Sophie Alexander, the team psychologist.

"Ahh Sophie, speak of the Devil. Perfect timing." Jules offered his hand to the empty chair adjacent to Blake.

"Jules, I've told you many times, I'm not the Devil, contrary to what your team may say." A subtle smile came to her face, and a raised eyebrow suggesting there may be something hidden in what she said.

"Well my friend, you do shrink heads better than any South American tribe ever did, so you can't blame them for thinking there is some voodoo in that giant noggin of yours."

"You're saying I have a big head Jules?"

"Aw crap Sophie, you know what —" his sentence broken by an almost girlish giggle from Sophie. "Dammit Soph!"

The two of them looked at each other for a moment. Blake could see there was a genuine admiration for each other, and he wasn't so sure it was all professional. Jules glanced towards Blake. "Anyway, unfortunately Mr Corten will not be joining our team. It seems he feels hard done by and would prefer to pursue other avenues of employment"

Blake interrupted, "Hang on Jules, perhaps I was a little rash in my decision earlier. If I leave here, where am I going to go, this is the peak of high-tech law enforcement in the country. As you reminded me."

Jules looked over to Sophie and gave her a nod. She began. "Blake, what you need to understand about Jules's little speech before, is that it was all nonsense. Professionally speaking of course. We need people on this team that can leave their ego at the door. Anyone who works in this building, as far as their wives, friends and local store owners know, has an administration job with the cold-case division of a local PD. We're not about egos and bragging, we're about removing Autohacking, and any criminal organisation related to it."

"You've heard Jules's story, the culture is deeply embedded in this society, and is responsible for a great majority of all crime committed, one way or another. These are bad buggers, as Jules would put it. Anyone on this team is for the team, first and foremost. You will get no credit outside of this agency, and you should not expect any."

Sophie sat back and said nothing. Although it had only been a few minutes, Blake had the feeling he was already in far deeper than most others would dare, the rabbit hole was indeed causing the tumbling nerves swelling in his gut.

"If you're in, one of our techs will give you a few tests and jabs. Get you on board and through screening."

There was a moment of silence, and Blake looked at Sophie, then Ox. "Yeah, I'm in."

Ox called up the tech on the comm, and a few seconds later a tall woman in a lab coat came into the room. With Ox nodding Blake in her direction, he got up, smiled at Ox and Sophie, and left with the tech.

There were a number of basic tests that were carried out. Nothing psychological, but he felt pretty naked by the time they finished pulling apart the last few years of his social and private life, all the while making notes and jabbing him with various needles. Blake was itching his arm where they gave him a radiation tracer to check his vital organs.

"Don't worry, Blake," said Jules, "the itching will go away. It's just your bio-locator getting settled into your nervous system."

"What the hell is a bio-locator, and what did you put it in my arm for?"

"Standard issue tech for all operatives. It sends reports of your location, heart rate, core temp etcetera. Just so we know you're ok, of course."

"Sounds like something from a cheesy sci-fi '80s movie."

"Hey, you'd be surprised what good ideas those Hollywood guys come up with. Some of them aren't too hard to make."

"Well, I guess I should be happy your bunch of crack-pots don't watch Looney Tunes."

"Tried that, could never get the Acme Rocket Shoes to work properly."

"Now that you're finished taking the piss, is there anything else you're going to stick in me?" Blake said with a scowl. "I didn't bring my KY."

"Now, now, son, don't let it get to you. We all go through it. You have to understand, now that you're part of the team, you belong to us. But also remember, we're one team, one people. You may have been in the Marines, where honour is everything."

"Semper Phi."

"Well here, it goes deeper than that. The people behind you really are your blood. They will do everything in their considerable power to help you do your job. Part of that is to know exactly what is happening with your body."

"And in my spare time?"

"Everyone clocks out at the end of the day, or mission. We tracked members 24/7 at first, I'll admit that to you now. All it did was give us a whole heap of extra admin time, and our ops a whole lot of extra stress."

Jules leaned over his desk, looking Blake in the eye with a sincerity that seemed to burn his words into Blake's mind. "I don't care what you do out of hours, as long as you ain't breaking the law. Get drunk, meet hookers, play poker, whatever. But, do any of that junk on shift, and it's your ass. We clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Right then. Ms. Alexander is waiting for you in her office. Go and get yourself signed-in, and I'll see you at oh-six-hundred tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir. But, you and Ms. Alexander?"

"Respect each other as professionals and people. Good day, Blake"

That night Blake didn't have Holly over. He explained that he had a major case underway and he needed to focus. She sounded concerned and wanted to know if their last conversation had made him nervous, but he quickly dismissed that and told her his feelings for her were growing ever stronger, but he had to deal with this case.

The next morning he arrived at his new office at 5:55 am exactly. Ox was standing at the front door waiting for him. "Morning Blake, you're only five minutes early, that hooker of yours keep you up all night?"

"Dammit, does anyone _not_ know about this?"

"Ha ha, don't worry about it Blake, just winding you up. I've had my fair share of 'unconventional' relationships, don't sweat it."

"Well, I think it's going further than just a business arrangement now."

"That's up to you to sort, son. Just remember, this assignment is your mistress, you are now part of a family that needs you, so don't lose focus."

"Not a chance," Blake responded without hesitation.

"Good. Now, before we go in and our day goes on record, I need to tell you that I think we have a mole. It's part of why you're here. We need to look around, find out what's happening and where the information is leaking."

"How do you know this?"

"I don't, but we've had a few missions go sideways lately, and we're usually a ten out of ten team, know what I mean?"

"Yeah I do. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing yet. Just be aware. We'll talk more later."

"Anyone else in on this?"

"Sophie. She was the one who has put this all together. She's started screening the team, but we don't get a lot from them either way, they're trained to be spooks, so they're hard nuts to crack. We're hoping you might have a fresh angle."

The two of them walked into the lift. As they opened on to the main floor, there were a few people buzzing around but not a lot of activity. Everyone seemed to be getting started for the day. He still wasn't sure how the 'office' functioned. There wasn't any clear division between the techies and operatives, back-of-house and on-line, it was all a mash. Ox was running through a few of the standard procedures, but Blake was only half there, wondering for the first time how Holly was. Something Ox said caught his attention.

"Back up boss, what was that you just said?"

"This unit over here is where we track individuals. Anyone with current bio-locators, comms devices or other registered techs will be able to be located."

"So why can't you just use that to find all of the bad guys."

"Because most of them use hacked gear and have low-jacked any transponders or other devices applied during incarceration. There is also some other emerging tech that will make a lot of what we use redundant."

"Biotronics?"

"Exactly. This really is the panacea of technology, Blake, hence our concern about groups like the Wing'Tan being in on the action. We need to find out how they are operating and who's backing them. Fast."

"Why the sudden urgency? Wing'Tan has been around for years."

"Yes, but they've always relied on ties to higher groups and supporters. At first it was passive, Autohacking being more of a one-way street in favour of Alphas predominantly. But now they've formed more solid alliances with a few, and we can't let that go to the next level."

"You mean them surpassing the Alphas? How could they do that?"

"Biotronics is a tech that if developed to its potential, could become a bartering tool for entire governments. Think about the nuclear arms race. First America bombed Japan, and everyone laid down their guns, but soon after other countries developed the weapons too. Now there are three major super-powers left if you count anyone who has verified nuclear weapons. They have been used a few times but always stopped before all-out war. Thankfully it's only the odd Despot that is stupid enough to use them."

"But in reality because of them, everyone is reminded they _can_ be used, so people are more weary of messing with countries that have them."

"That's right. So fast forward to a few years from now, Biotronics are fully developed, and whoever has it first does a few test runs. Say they fit the tech to artificial organs, then remotely shut them all off at once, killing thousands. Or develop an interface to merge them with electronic systems and take over an entire energy grid causing it to black out."

"You're talking about terrorism."

"No, I'm talking about marketing. If someone can do that to another country, what price would be paid to level the playing field? After the first nuke went off, it was only ten years before the US and Russia had enough arsenal to destroy every human on the planet. Who know how fast Biotronics will evolve?"

Blake pondered the idea for a moment. "Daaaaamn, it could go supernova for all we know and take over the planet." Blake gave a laugh that quickly stopped as he saw Ox staring at him with a straight face.

"Correct."

"Jesus, I was only joking."

"But what if you're right? Our government isn't perfect, far from it. But, I trust the government more than I trust a bunch of trigger-happy street thugs."

"Amen to that."

Blake looked around, there were now quite a few people around the place. Ox introduced him to them as they walked around. Most of them were introduced by their nick-name, and they were wide and varied. Lucky Blake had a photographic memory (a welcome side effect of his enhancement). When they got to the end of the room, Ox took him to a briefing room, shortly after, a half dozen other people came into the room.

Ox took the head at the table, which was donut shaped with a holo-imager in the centre. One seat at the other end remained empty, but when the lights dimmed, a holo appeared there. It was a woman who was rather striking, shame she wasn't there; Blake couldn't see her legs.

For the benefit of Blake, Ox went around the table introducing everyone by name, title and position in the team. There were two techies, Wrench and Sunday, both responsible for writing most of the code that grew into the universal link that superseded the internet.

Alex the Kid was a glorified hustler, as he described himself. The truth was, he was a procurement and resource facilitator, basically getting the street team the weapons, tech and ID they would need for any given op. He looked about twelve years old, which is obviously where he got his nickname.

Whip was to be Blake's partner on the street. Whip was about six foot tall by the look of him. He was well dressed, and although not 'staunch' in his posture, certainly projected a confidence in his stance that suggested he could handle himself. Blake was beginning to think that would come in very handy soon.

Trina, the holo at the end of the room, was a 'community liaison', worked at a local half-way house, and had her finger on the pulse when it came to what was happening on the street. Ox had advised Blake that she was fairly new to the fold, and wouldn't get all of the intel, but she was proving her worth with a few excellent tips that led to taking out a bunch of runners, including a Wing'Tan member. Unfortunately he wouldn't talk, then committed suicide in custody before they could interrogate harder.

Ox handed the show to Alex who had a pair of Tappers on which started the holo-imager, bringing up a grid of the city. He explained the coloured areas represented heightened activity divided by Wing'Tan, other clans, or Fed activity. At first there seemed little correlation, but when he overlaid the areas with known bid-running routes and reported criminal activity, it was clear that the Feds were in the wrong part of town.

"The problem is, people," said Ox, "is that we've been led down the garden path. The Wing'Tan especially have made a series of high-profile attacks and robberies away from the running routes. We've been so focussed on the parts of town where they threw these decoys, that the movement of key runners has almost been ignored."

"We had no reason to worry about street runners, Ox."

"That's true Whip, but now we know Wing'Tan especially are starting to move high-tech items, and a few that have taken our attention at HQ. Whatever they're doing, they don't want too many of their runners picked up. In the past it was a numbers game and no matter how many illegals we took, there were more around the corner. Now they don't want them caught, and they're taking extreme measures to protect certain groups."

"There has been more talk around the street of runners getting aggressively competitive for Wing'Tan work," said Trina, adding her two cents worth. "Nothing too concrete yet, but there was even a bit of chatter that some runners were being brought directly on to the Wing'Tan payroll."

"That's concerning. Runners generally have fairly little means, and therefore not a lot of tech. It makes us easier to grab them if we need to. If Wing'Tan are sponsoring them directly now, it will make it harder for us to catch them. Thank you Trina, you can leave now."

"OK Ox, good luck." Trina's upper body flickered for a minute, then disappeared.

Ox turned to the rest of the team, took his seat and leaned back.

"Now, we have some more details to go over. There are some things that may involve Trina." Everybody looked up at Jules; he had their attention. "I don't think she is quite the person she says she is."

# Chapter 10

As Tyrol woke, he looked around the room, although it was new to him, it wasn't at all unfamiliar, a sense of belonging ran through him. This _was_ where he belonged. There was a murmur beside him, and he rolled back the duvet to see a naked and amazingly attractive woman beside him. She was sleeping as he rolled out of the bed and roughly pulled his clothes on. Walking to the bathroom across the marble floor, he looked in the mirror, _man I must have had some serious drinks last night_.

After showering he walked down the corridor to the kitchen. The walls were lined with portraits of people with their name and DOB and DOD details. It was a linear progression of people that spanned back near a hundred years. Most were sitting in large chairs with various robes and jewellery adorning their bodies. There were a few in more recent times that were in suits and tuxedos.

At the end of the hall, there were a few group photos. He stopped to look at one, momentarily mesmerised. In the centre was his father, with Xan to his right and the head of the Consolidated United Nations to the left.

As he passed the galley, he saw a chef waiting at a cooking station. "Good morning Tyrol, I trust you slept well?"

"Ahhh, yeah, sure. Coffee. Please."

He went and sat at the head of a long dining table across the room from the kitchen. He heard the cooktop sizzling, of all of the ready-prepped meals and bio-engineered protein bars people had become accustomed to eating these days, there was nothing more appealing than the smell of sizzling bacon on an old fashioned cooktop.

A gold leaf detailed tray was placed in front of him; looking to his right, he saw Xan sit down beside him. "Your breakfast sir," he said with a smile. "Looks like you had a good night." He nodded over his shoulder as the woman from his bed walked out the front door, looking a little worse for wear.

Tyrol shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't tell you, things got a little hazy later on."

"Anyway, to business. I want you to get to know this Trina woman you met at the party last night. Our intel suggests she may have links to Wing'Tan."

"How do I get hold of her?"

"You don't. I suspect she already has you in her sights; she will make contact soon enough. Tyrol, you have ambition, that is without doubt. But success comes with conditions, and we need to talk about your progression with the Ordained"

"What are you talking about Xan? Haven't I already shown my loyalty?"

"To me, yes, but there are others who are less trusting of someone so young. I am doing all I can to help your cause, but the next move is yours."

"Tell me what you want Xan; I am committed. I have been part of the top one percent since birth, but now I want to be the top one percent, of the top one percent." He gave a hand gesture toward Xan, as though to acknowledge that Xan was already holding this position.

"Good. Go to the plasma development facility in the Jai district this afternoon. There will be a man by the name of Rock at the fifth building. He will give you further instruction." With that, Xan got up, gave Tyrol a slight bow and left the room.

Tyrol went to the front door of the mansion, walking to the portico with its large Corinthian style columns and soffit dripping with bio-lume lighting. During the day it wasn't so spectacular, but in the evening it reminded Tyrol of a den or grotto. And of course it was, the lair of the dragon, giver of opportunity, and stealer of souls.

The valet arrived with Tyrol's chrome plated Bugatti Veyron. Although it was a classic, he had kitted it out with all of the latest tech, including holo-displays, anti-hijack features, and removed the side and rear windows. His father, of course, despised the vehicle, which made Tyrol enjoy driving it even more. He had respect for his father, but would never become an old crony like him. No, Tyrol was the new breed, and he was going to claim his throne.

Driving down the boulevard to the main road, he speculated about the task Xan had set for him. He wasn't entirely sure this was purely a directive from the senior management. He respected Xan, and was grateful for the opportunities, but he also knew this wasn't a selfless decision on Xan's part. Tyrol had money and lineage, but he still held no real power. And power after all was the one goal of all those that aspired to be above mere mortal men.

Driving through Downtown he could see remnants of the old city. The street-side shops, now abandoned as all purchasing became centralised, for the better, as far as he was concerned. The cafés and restaurants were run-down, paint flaking, neon signs broken. But still, some shops were open, some people in a few cafés, it seemed as much as society had moved on from this primitive existence, there were always the cockroaches that wouldn't go away.

Why anyone could stand being on a street when there were living urban islands, or Oases as they were now known, was beyond him. Devoid of traffic, artificial light or screens, in favour of fluid-floors, bio-lights, and holo displays, they left nothing of the old city's essence, it was clean and pure. It of course helped that workers and people without means couldn't enter, keeping the air flawless with that familiar scent of taste and class.

Tyrol had entered the expansive technology and industrial park. Many entrances had armed guards, all had high fences or deep lawns with proximity sensors and plenty of signs warning of the impending suffering for anyone who ignored the signs or couldn't read.

Near the end of the main entry road was the access road to the OND Technologies main laboratory and research centre. Tyrol pulled in and stopped at the first checkpoint. A guard stood in the booth watching on as the scanners swept past the car. A green light flashed outside the booth, and Tyrol drove forward. He could see the main entry and a man he didn't know standing at the door, wearing a very nice suit, and close-cropped hair, he didn't look like a time waster.

As he pulled up to the entry, Tyrol disengaged the hijack system. The well-dressed man came to his car and looked confused, as he obviously couldn't find a door handle. Tyrol touched the door at the back corner and it moved forward and out. Stepping out of the car, he introduced himself to the man.

"I know who you are Tyrol, I am Rock. Follow me, sir."

"Lead on," said Tyrol waving his hand out in front.

They walked into the building. It was a fairly grand entry for a lab, but of course Tyrol knew that what the company advertised as its research and what it really did were two very different things. The Government summary of the company was a privately owned syndicate that developed technology and instruments for the health sector. The truth was it was one of the top weapons and chemical research facilities for the Ordained. The products behind these walls helped them gain much political power through sales, bargaining and espionage.

They walked past a series of closed labs. There wasn't anyone there, which seemed a little odd for Tyrol. Rock could see him looking in the rooms. "Kind of quiet here, huh?"

"Yeah, where is everyone?"

"They're off for the weekend. The company is installing a new security system, we're actually guinea pigs. Smile, you have about a dozen sensors on you everywhere you move in here."

"Impressive. I've always been a fan of personal safety."

Rock looked over his shoulder and smiled as he came to a door at the end of the corridor. He opened it and ushered Tyrol in. As he entered, he had to adjust to the new surroundings. There was a lot of artificial light, and all of the walls and floors were white. The room was the size of a sports field, with a series of large machines scattered around with line-marked walking paths around them, leading right to where Tyrol was now standing.

"Tyrol, I couldn't talk to you about why you are here before as I didn't want the security, or anyone for that matter, to hear us."

"Sounds ominous, what is going on?"

"I am Xan's Security Chief. We have captured some runners that were attempting to steal information and weapons from the Ordained. Under the guise of standard runs, they seemed to be under a choreographed attempt to obtain at least some of this information. It seemed that whoever ordered the runs was willing to accept some level of loss, but I think we managed to get all of them."

"So what do you want me to do, interrogate them?"

"No, I've taken care of that. Believe me, we won't get any more information out of them than I got."

"So why am I here?"

"To show your loyalty, Tyrol. To show you are willing to take part in anything the Ordained deem necessary. We want you to kill them."

"In cold blood?" Tyrol was visibly disturbed by the notion, but tried as hard as he could to cover it. Rock could see it from a mile away and enjoyed every second of it.

"I wouldn't say cold blood, Tyrol. You must understand, if our tech were made known to the authorities, they would be able to link the Ordained to multiple political assassinations; the dirt we have on some politicians in the documents they tried to lift will ensure we have the leverage we require to elevate you to political prominence. Not in the city Tyrol, in the Government."

Tyrol paused for a minute. There was a part of him that wanted to reject what he was saying on principal alone, but on the whole it made sense. The greater good was more valuable than any assembly of the parts. They must move forward.

"So this is not only about protecting the Ordained, it's about protecting what we believe in, and ensuring our rise to prominence."

"Exactly. This is not cold blood, these people have attacked us, this is self-defence."

They walked across the room and around the side of one of the large machines. There were four chairs with three men and a woman tied and gagged to them. They were all beaten heavily, and if he hadn't seen the bubbles of blood coming from their noses and twitching muscles from time to time, Tyrol would have figured them for dead already. He stood in front of them, six metres back and pulled his pistol from his hip.

The woman gasped, "Mr, you must believe me, we have done nothing. Believe. Please ..." her voice faded out. Tyrol trained his weapon on her.

"No!" said Rock. "No guns in here. The noise and chemical residue will mess with the equipment. Use this."

He pulled small device from his coat and handed it to Tyrol. "It's a DNA destabiliser. When you compress it against their skin and press the switch on the back here, it will introduce a bio-chemical that will attack their DNA."

Tyrol took the device from Rock's hand. "How long does it take?"

"It starts immediately, within one minute their bodies will be an indistinguishable mess on the floor."

Tyrol looked at them, the two who were conscious looked up at him with wide eyes. For a moment Tyrol thought he felt sympathy, but he thought of what had come to do, and pierced two of them in quick succession, standing back. Immediately their bodies became rigid, they made muffled screams from behind the gags. As he watched he could see their eyes go milk white. He quickly pierced the other two, handed the device to Rock, and started to walk out of the room.

"Don't want to stay for the show?" Rock asked with a chuckle in his voice.

"Not my cup of tea, thanks."

Really, it was all he could do to not vomit all over the white floor. Rock walked to his side and they left the facility. Once out the front, Tyrol touched his door to open it. He was about to get in, and Rock put his hand on his shoulder.

"You did good in there, kid. The first time is always the hardest."

Tyrol looked at him hard. "What makes you think it was my first time?" He turned and got in the car closing the door, the engine started with a rumble. He let out a huge exhale and drove out, relieved it was over, but also angry at himself for feeling and showing discomfort at the situation.

As he left the main gate, he saw a car across the street. Driving past he looked in the window and swore it was Trina. He stopped suddenly as the crash sensors buzzed in his ear, looking to the front there was a motorcycle stopped in the street. The bike spun around fast and accelerated so hard that Tyrol was surprised it didn't flip. Three seconds later it was gone. He looked back to the car but it too had gone.

Tyrol tried to bring up both vehicles on his scanner, but neither of them had tags or electronic signatures that could be identified. He gathered his thoughts and considered the options. He quickly came to the most logical conclusion, that killing his first enemies face to face had taken its toll in the present. He would go home and relieve this tension that was starting to give him a headache.

Jack had weaved through the streets of the industrial area, out into the lower city suburbs and onto the freeway within minutes. The whole trip seemed to have been kind of pointless. They arrived at the facility, waited for a car to come out, then left. No interaction, image or audio capture, just a ride.

"So what was that all about, Trina?"

"The man you stopped in front of was Tyrol. Tyrol is an Alpha who has been doing a fair bit of business with us but is becoming increasingly dangerous."

"In what way?"

"He's trying to scale the ranks, and so is pushing himself to take more risks. I prefer our Alphas to be the passive type. Stay out of things that ain't their business."

"So what was going on today then?"

"We had intel that some runners and middlemen were captured by a group called the Ordained. We wanted to see if that was true, and if Tyrol had anything to do with them."

"Why so overt?"

"We also want Tyrol to know we are not afraid of him, and it should be the other way around. He is not untouchable."

# Chapter 11

"We've got a situation Jack." Seek spoke with care, as though he was processing every word he said before he spoke it. "It seems that one of our runners gaffed a job and got into an _incident._ " Looking at Trina, he slowly nodded.

"So what went down, and what does it have to do with me?"

Trina looked Jack straight in the eyes, almost looking right through him. "Jack, you have an idea of what the Clan is about, and what our aspirations are. The runner has attacked a diplomat, and he panicked while trying to get away from a property he was collecting goods from."

"Why would he do that? Why did he panic?"

"We're going to find that out when he gets back, and _discipline_ him. In the meantime, he has left an item behind that ties him to the scene and to Wing'Tan. We need that taken care of urgently or our plans to move into deeper politics will be put back years, if not permanently."

"So where am I going?"

"Senator John Macs' residence," said Seek with a little concern in his voice. "The diplomat is staying with him."

"You mean Johnny Legless? As in any bugger dumb enough to cross him gets their legs removed? Christ, no wonder the runner crapped himself, I'm surprised he got out in one piece."

"Yes, well, the senator doesn't go by that name anymore, but believe me, he's no more compassionate now, and he wants us. He's trying to blackmail us with this item, and we just can't afford to mess around."

"So why not send in your assassins. I'm pretty sure that rumour about the Clan is accurate."

"Quite," said Trina. "But we don't want the senator dead, we want him on our side, we just don't want him to hold the balance of power. Which is why we must act now."

"So what do I need to collect?"

"You're not collecting anything, you're destroying it. It's the prototype of the bike you have. Not as advanced, but still plenty enough for the government scientists to cream over for a while. We want you to go in, destroy it and get out."

"Again, why not the assassins?"

"Because we're not killing anyone, Jack. The senator wants to barter, you're going in under that guise, when you get close to the bike, you're to attach a plasma grenade, then get out without being captured yourself."

"No need to tell me about the last bit. How am I getting in, just rocking up to the main gate and saying 'hi'?"

"That's it. John is a business man first and foremost, he thinks you're taking documents detailing the new Lynx DNA mimicking analyser the Asians are supposedly developing. He wants to sell them on, but truth is it's all rumour, there is no tech. We started that off two years ago, among other little treats, to get word into the market in case we needed bargaining for a day like today." Trina stood with a satisfied smile on her face.

"OK. In, boom, out. Load up the co-ords and update me on the way, Ping."

Before anyone could say anything Jack was on the bike and heading up the ramp. Coming out onto the road, Ping sent through the location. It was just over 200 kilometres inland.

_Quiet roads, should be well under an hour_ , Jack thought to himself.

As he headed out of the settlement the night sky was clear. The stars were getting brighter as he headed into the countryside. He was riding on HALO alone again. He made a mental note to tell Ping and the crew to replace the front lights with something useful.

Winding along the big sweeping roads, he started thinking about how the hell he got here in the first place. The last few days had been such a blur of activity, he had hardly thought about the situation.

It had occurred to him that it was odd for the government to have ambushed him. I mean, sure, he had a few warrants out, but nothing two dozen other runners didn't have. Maybe it was his military past that made him an easier target to track. Maybe it was that they were hoping to get him for themselves again. They sure were fond of his unique physical attributes, but they had told him they managed to clone the tech he had, even though his father assured him that wasn't possible.

_Dad. For a crazy old bastard he wasn't half bad_. After years in government service himself, he had gone out and started his own tech company. Primarily set up to make enhancements to help disabled, he had often come up with unexpected uses for his technology, such as Jack's eyes.

He had said to Jack one day, not long after implementing the procedure, "Son, if you're going to put your life on the line for this country, I'm going to make sure you're as far ahead of the eight-ball as I can have you."

He died a few weeks after that conversation, and a few years later, Jack was stitched up by the very buggers he had been defending. _Damned government_ ...

His thoughts were interrupted by Ping. "Yo, Jack, wake the hell up, you blew past the turn. What the hell are you doing?"

"Crap, I zoned-out. Don't stress, I'm heading back around."

"Get your game face on or this may be your last ride. Feel me?"

"Uh-huh, I hope you have this puppy jazzed up for me."

"All ready to rock. The darts are loaded, the PG's are in the compartment by your right thigh. Also, I forgot to tell you, you have a short-range EMP charge equipped on the bike, you select it through the menu system manually, or through TLM."

"Won't that ruin the bike's systems?"

"Still catching on aren't we monkey-boy. All of your systems are Biotronics, which as you may guess by my superior wit and subtle sarcasm, don't get affected by EMP. The "E" bit of EMP is electro."

"Thanks for the education and piss-take, always appreciated."

"Anytime, sunshine."

"Wait a minute, won't the scanners at the property—I'm assuming they have them—pick up my weapons?"

"No-siree, one welcome side effect of the Biotronics is that it masks any sensor equipment that may be scanning around it. The scanners will just show up benign material."

"Nice work. Going on radio silence, talk soon."

As Jack neared the entry, there was an automated checkpoint. _Crunch time_ , he thought as the scanners passed forward and back. The electro-charged posts slid into the ground leaving a clear path. Jack moved forward, about to release the hatch on the PG compartment when he saw another checkpoint. _Can never take enough care I guess_.

Two guards had their pulse guns pointed right at Jack as one signalled him off the bike. One guard used his spare hand to wave a detector around the bike, the other patted Jack down and gave him a retina scan. There was no discussion, but as he flicked his weapon toward the bike, Jack took it as a pass.

The final driveway was a long sweeping bend, lined both sides with old Redwoods, and a scattering of bushes among manicured lawns. As he rose over the brow, he could see an open plaza with six armed men, two cars and two bikes, one of them with the same looking skin as Betty. He slowly slid his right hand down, released the catch and slipped a plasma grenade the size of a cigarette packet into his hand.

He kept his speed slow, but constant, and manoeuvred as though he was about to park. He was near the end of the plaza, there were actually seven men present; the last, holding no gun, looked to be Senator Johnny Legless.

Guiding around parallel with the house Jack put his right leg out as though he were about to stop. When he was about six metres away from the target bike, he quickly flicked the PG at the bike, and swung the tail of the Panigale around and accelerated hard.

The instant smoke from the acceleration masked him slightly, but he still heard shouting from the men as they all ran from the bike. Two seconds later the bike exploded, the flash appearing in the periphery of Jack's vision. His lights were off, HALO only, but he still had two guards and the electro-charged posts to deal with.

As he sped down the drive, he thought about the EMP; 'EMP charged' flashed up on his visor. He engaged it just as the guards came into view. They had him in their targets, but as they fired, their electronic weapons did nothing, they were useless.

Jack flew past with a vortex of dust and leaves swirling behind him. He neared the main entry. "This EMP better have enough range, or this will be a very short ride," he said to no one in particular. He skimmed between the posts, clipping one with his left fairing. No discharge, he was out.

"Ping, I'm out, what's happening?"

"The EMP smoked everything at the main property, but there are already feds alerted, the blast must have been recognised as EMP. There are two birds up heading to the property. They are coming from both ways following the road, so keep your eyes open. They will own all of the main roads for ten kilometres around you in three minutes; in ten minutes you'll have all roads in a twenty kilometre radius closed."

"Any bad news?"

"Ha ha, you're one crazy bastard, I'll give you that. The bad news is the Clan don't want to be identified as relating to this, so you need to head east for a day or two, stay out of the way, and stay off comms."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, you have to go into the city and grab a tech file that marked you. It's being passed from another Clan, you're going to intercept."

"The city? I thought I was supposed to be staying away from built up areas."

"Last second change. Co-ords coming for pick up, and safe house."

"Roger, comms out, I'm gone."

As the road opened out, Jack wound Betty up and saw the vista in front of him blend into various shades of a blue hue. By his estimate he'd be coming on the drone in about thirty seconds, and assuming he could get rid of it fast, be home free by the time the feds got themselves together.

He saw the drone light up blue in front of him about 800 metres ahead. Although he wasn't emitting electrical signals, the drone would physically see him in about four seconds. Jack engaged the darts and hoped they had a good range. He locked the target through his visor and fired. The drone swerved, but the bike's AI was way ahead and moved its targeting system just in front of the drone's estimated trajectory. Half a second later Jack's blue flash was now an orange fireball.

He knew they would be triangulating his position right now, based on the lost comms with the drone, but he had already planned for that. He quickly hit the brakes hard, turned mid-road, and headed back in the direction he came. Half a minute later he turned down an adjacent road that cut through the back country for fifty kilometres before linking with the main road he was looking for. It was a risk as the road was not as open and would slow him, but he knew that they would be scanning the main roads. This would put him well outside their cordon before they had any idea where he was.

Jack opened a line to an old friend who was not far past the town where the safe house was located. He knew the call would be tracked, but also knew Sin was a smooth operator. She would not only have his incoming line scrambled, but would also be smart enough to read deep between the lines.

After a few short rings, there was an answer. "Southern Shipping and Freight, Cindy speaking."

"Hey Sin, it's Jack, how you doin'?"

"Jack, how are you? It's been a while, I thought you were out of business. Still Running, or have you smartened up and decided to take my offer as security detail?"

"Ahhh, you know me Sin, I'm a lone ranger these days."

"Such a shame, you're a wasted talent mucking around with that low-rent glorified courier service."

"Wow Sin, that cut deep." Jack tried his hardest to sound insulted by her slight.

"Yeah right, screw you. Now my dear, for what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"Well I may have a Grade-A package to move in the near future."

'Grade A' was a term they used to joke about as Jack's description, not because of his quality, but the opposite in fact, being he never got above a C grade in school.

"Well, well, the little man is moving up in the world. Hope you're not messing with those dodgy card sharks."

The card sharks was another code phrase on account of the Wing'Tan being known for backing most of the black-market gambling, including domination of the Autohacking scene.

"Well, you know what they say about choosing company, stick with what you know."

"Ha ha, well you'd fit right in with a bunch of hustlers."

"You flatter me. Well, I'll be in touch soon."

"Stay safe, hun." The phone clicked dead.

At least Jack knew he still had someone around who may be able to help him. He wasn't a hundred percent sure the Wing'Tan were that keen on keeping him around to get in the way of their repatriation discussions with Johnny. It seemed to him it was far easier for them just to dig a big ole hole and throw him in the bottom of it.

# Chapter 12

As Blake and Whip entered the armoury, Ox's last comments were rattling around in Blake's head. It made sense that Wing'Tan would try and get someone into the agency, but how had they gotten into Osiris? Blake was a Fed and it still took him almost nine months to piece together what was ultimately a small part of the puzzle. Nonetheless, Trina did fit the bill. She approached Whip on the street and suggested she may have information for a Fed, in the name of the good city. I mean who the hell does that these days?

Assuming she was part of the Clan, she would probably be at a reasonable level, but almost certainly _not_ of the Leadership. It would be too risky to have her caught, so their decision to let it ride for now was probably the correct one. They hadn't told her about the details of this op, so they were confident that the Wing'Tan wouldn't know what they were up to.

"Yo, Blake, you with us?"

"Ah yeah, sorry Alex, lost in a train of thought."

"Uh-huh, sure, whatever. Probably best you pay attention now. Hate to see you make a mess of that pretty face of yours."

Whip had a chuckle, Blake figured the joke was on him. So be it.

"So what have we got Junior?"

"A bullet in your arse, if you call me that again. We _also_ have a wrist mounted Concussion Pulse. Wrap this around your forearm like this; pull up your sleeve." He wrapped the device that looked like a fabric wrist guard around Blake's right arm.

"Now, when you flick your wrist up, the frame will extend and push a firing plate into your palm. Hit someone, or something, hard with it, and it will emit a high voltage electric charge."

"How high is high voltage?"

"You'll knock a person out for about ten seconds. Or kill a cat. Depending on your mood I guess." Blake made a mental note not to wear it around Rocky at the apartment.

"The next item is this little beast." Alex flicked the tabs on a box the size of a briefcase and opened it. It contained two pairs of glasses and four micro drones. The drones were ion-drive models, so Blake knew they would be able to fly for over twelve hours and move at up to fifty kilometres per hour if necessary.

"The drones can fly for twenty-four hours and at speeds of up to 120 kilometre per hour, so you should get some good coverage."

"Bit up spec from standard Fed issue then?"

"You could say that. Everything in this building is about ten years ahead of anything you've ever touched." He had a smirk that showed his own self-worth and arrogance. Not that they were bad attributes in Blake's book.

Alex continued to explain how the system worked. When the glasses were activated, they displayed an infrared terrain overlay. The drones triangulated their positions relative to each other and the user and kept in a radius relative to either one or two users. They scanned each of their zones using infrared and ultrasonic emitters and receivers, relaying information to the glasses, in real time. The end result was a full 360 degree view of the terrain for a two hundred metre radius, with heat signatures identified and coded as human, animal, vehicle etc. Once a target was positively identified, its heat signature was recorded in the system for referral at a later date.

"Nice work Alex." Whip slapped him on the back, almost knocking him over.

"One last thing before you boys head out." He pulled out a large drawer and gave them each a weapon that looked like a cross between a pistol and sawn-off shotgun. Blake took it and was surprised at how light weight it was.

"You sure this isn't one of the staff's kids' toys, Alex?"

"Hope not, it's a Pulse weapon. Made from Kaylantium, with a nano-kevlar skin. It has a one thousand round charge. Sounds like a lot, but in full auto mode you can pump out sixty rounds per second; there is a counter on the side to let you know how much charge is left."

"Nice kit, but why so ugly?" Blake had a grin and figured he'd get one back on Alex.

"Well my Neanderthal friend, take a look at the panel on the right side." Blake had a look, it had a press-pad, which he touched.

"Tap it twice, rookie."

As Blake did, the gun morphed so the back extended out to a stock, the front extended about forty centimetres, and a holo-sight appeared showing range, altitude, auto-correction for wind, etc. The ugly-pistol was now a full-range sniper rifle.

"You lose your firing rate with this, only does three rounds per second, but has a plus or minus five centimetre accuracy at 500 metres. It has auto-infrared on the holo in low light too."

"Stop, I'm about to jizz in my pants. C'mon Whip, let's get out of here before I raid the rest of the kid's drawers."

They left the room and walked down a short corridor to the sub-floor lift. The palm I.D. registered Whip's vitals and sent them to the vehicle dock. Waiting at the entry was what looked like a standard issue P.D. cruiser. This is not exactly what Blake was expecting. Whip saw the look on his face.

"Don't worry Blake, it ain't stock. Just made to look that way, so we're not too conspicuous. It's got plenty of armour and counter-measures, as well as direct Sat-link and advanced signal jamming. Nobody's going to get us while we're in this beast."

"Just when we get out, huh?"

"Exactly!"

Blake rode shotgun, Whip got in the driver's seat. He grabbed the wheel and the seat moved in to the correct position for his body. His start-up sequence got the car moving; the electric motors made no noise, nor did the mag-lev tech that replaced bearings in the wheels.

They pulled into the street and the windows adjusted the tint to suit the sunlight. It was a bright day, Blake only hoped it stayed that way.

"Right, so Sunday has the pick-up of the tech sorted for the runner. We're assuming Wing'Tan will intercept the call with their scanners. We have a fair idea of the route they're taking at the moment, so we'll wait and ambush. We have three calls going out through the day, we want all of them, so by the time the Clan figures out what we're doing, we'll already have three of them for interrogation."

"What says interrogation will work this time? Hasn't seemed to work before."

"Let's just say Ox and Sophie are getting pissed off with the politicians being so soft. I think their methods of information retrieval will get a lot more 'hands-on' from now on."

"Is that legal?"

"Well, we kind of blur a few of the lines in this unit, Blake. You better get used to that idea quick. We're not vigilantes, but the truth is the Alphas are balls deep in with the politicians, and more than a few of them are more than a little friendly, if you know what I mean."

"Been having trouble pinning runners to Wing'Tan?"

"The trouble is holding them long enough. They either get pulled by higher authority, or mysteriously die in custody. Makes our job hard as hell."

"Do we know who the Alphas are?"

"We have our eyes on a few. There is one by the name of Tyrol that seems to be making a few political moves. He's on our radar for a recon soon. Hopefully these runners give us a lead his way, God knows we need a break soon."

"Is the pressure just due to the Biotronics threat?"

"Nah, that's just the politics. Those slimy Alphas get to people. They turn them, bribe them, blackmail them, whatever. We've got a solid team, and I stand by all of them, but you can never say never. That is the urgency."

"Get into them before they get into us?"

"Exactly!" Whip gave him the finger-pistol shot.

"So how do you know no one has been turned already? I mean, the unit has been operating for what, a year now?"

"A little longer. I can say hand on heart that everyone is clean, it's just a feeling that people are getting twitchy. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah, back in the Force we had that every now and then. There would be an uneasy feel no one could pin, then someone would flip out, go AWOL, something like that."

"Well that's how I feel now. Sophie has her finger on the pulse; she knows her stuff and has us all in one-on-one every week. She ain't perfect though."

"Her arse is." Blake made a hip-curve shape with his hands.

The two of them laughed like a couple of school kids making their first naughty joke. As they pulled into a suburban street, their conversation turned to the assignment. The first drop was supposed to be a pick up by a mid-level runner. The Feds had a bio on him, and he was definitely linked to Wing'Tan.

The drop included sensitive information on current Fed activity in the state area, so was to be an anonymous collection and delivery. Alex had placed a packet at the designated point. When the runner picked up the package, there would be a localised EMP burst to disable the vehicle and comms, at the same time Blake and Whip would lift him.

They parked in a driveway adjacent to the drop location, got out of the car and waited on opposite sides of the road with their comms live. They would disable the comms as the target approached the package to ensure they weren't damaged by the blast. Any communication from that point was line-of-sight and hand signals only.

Blake looked up and down the street. It was mainly two-up, two-down modular apartments, the kind that took off in the early 2020s when urban living became a necessity for so many that couldn't afford the exorbitant environmental levies put on vehicles. When a car cost twenty percent of your income to run, you started looking at other options. They're ugly as sin, but who cares what something looks like when it keeps you and your kids warm at night.

Of course these turned to semi-ghettos, as every city does, these things go in cycles. It seemed this neighbourhood was on the rise gain, nothing too fabulous, still a few derelicts hanging around. But there were some nice front gardens, custom front doors, a few holo-trees even (gifts he assumed). Not everything was destined to turn to crap forever, case in point, but not to the observer.

"Blake, you got that?"

"Black Quasar eliminator coming from your right. No windows, I have no I.D."

"Ignore, turning left."

"Roger."

"Yo, Blake, what's your story?"

"Not a hell of a lot to say. From a military family, did a stint in the service, got a window with the Feds, now I'm here."

"Yeah, ok. So now that you're through the job interview, what the hell are you about?"

"What am I about?"

"Stop messing with me Blake, why are you really here, what grinds your gears? You an adrenaline junkie? Warrior for justice? Redeemer of souls?"

"Heh, maybe all of the above! I know there is far more happening in our world than most of us can see. I guess I'm just trying to play my part in helping ensure our way of life, stays _our_ way of life."

"Sounds a bit self-righteous, Blake; who's to say our way is the right one?"

"Careful Whip, you're starting to sound like a fundamentalist."

"C'mon Blake, you know they all got messed up in the 2010s. The only ones worth worrying about now are the scum we're after today. Damned clans and their street-trash runners."

"Well I've told you my bit, where are you from?"

"Well, physically, my mother is Japanese and my father is from the US."

"Oh, so you're a mongrel?"

"In more ways than one. I grew up in Japan after their second major financial meltdown. Things were pretty tight, fighting in the streets over food, clothes nicked at schools, stuff like that. I was a lanky bugger and had a foot on everyone in the neighbourhood, but I got my arse kicked more than anyone else. Big target to go for, I guess."

"Yeah, never had that problem!"

"Well, it was a problem. We moved to the country where I learned Karate, Jujutsu, and how to use katana. I then went on a six month sabbatical to a Kendo Dojo in the hills. When I returned my mother had been killed in a gang attack. My father took me to Australia where I polished my English, and then applied for the forces."

"Australia. I can't believe of all the places in the world that would survive the big collapse, Oz was one of the few. It seems an eternity ago, all of that stuff going on in the Americas and Europe. Hard to believe they drove themselves to the point of industrial annihilation!"

"Yeah, well, when corporations actually run your government, you can guarantee things ain't gonna end so sweet."

"Yeah, but I was a kid in one world, and twenty years later it's like that never existed, like we're on another planet."

"Hey, technology is advancing faster than humanity. Crowd-sourcing, group-computing, quantum computing, all of them had exponential effects in a linear world. Heck, I'm surprised humans are still necessary! Still, if you miss the old world you could always move to New Zealand. I hear they still use the Internet!"

"I'll start making fires in a cave before I move there."

"Amen to that!"

The two looked at each other and had a chuckle over their trans-Tasman brothers. In the back of their minds they both knew they had a hell of a messy fight to battle here, and they might have to leave the country if things kept going the way they did.

"Hey, dark vintage Panigale bike, coming from my front."

"I see it. Ugly bugger."

"I can't see him."

"I was talking about the bike. More fruit than a market."

"It's slowing, fifty metres out."

"Got him, EMP ready, signal is strong, he grabs, we grab."

"He's stopped beside me, visor my way, now yours."

"We're compromised, go hot, don't kill!"

As they moved out, the bike accelerated hard. Both of them moved from opposite sides of the street into the light washed road. As they took stance and focussed their aim the bike had disappeared over the rise.

"Did you see him?"

"Negative Whip, no I.D., he was twitchy, we'll need harder cover for the next, they may be onto us."

"Yeah, I say we jump any suspect nearby. Plenty of time for chit-chat about why they're there later."

"I was waiting for that. Let's move."

They got in the vehicle and headed off. There were a few minutes of silence then Blake started asking Whip about how he got here.

As Blake and Whip carried out a drive-by of their next drop zone, it was like a teleport into another world. The Twin Cities seemed to be full of contradictions, only thirty minutes from the last stop, being semi-acceptable dwellings, they were now in an upmarket part of town.

It wasn't on the hills, no Alphas here, but it was near the base. You could tell, manicured street-sides, patrol signs, roving cops, the full monty. It sure was a risky place to make a pick-up, whoever the operator was either had balls and experience or was a greenhorn. Blake hoped it was the former. A greenhorn wouldn't give them what they needed, even if they drowned the heller.

Blake and Whip set up; one on the corner of the main road, the other on the commercial building adjacent to the target property. There wasn't a lot of cover in the shop entry, but enough for Whip to hide in the shadows. They had decided they weren't going to second guess this hit, and they weren't going to wait for a pick-up before the grab. Just get anyone suspicious; if they're not the mark, pump them with tranquilisers and put them in an alleyway nearby. Keep doing that all night if necessary.

"I hope we don't get many passers-by Whip, don't have a lot of tranqs"

"I've got a roundhouse kick that has the same effect."

"Ha ha. Angry man with a loaded shoe."

"Something like that."

"Game time sonny, green modified Monaro GTX turning in."

"GTX, no one drives that junk anymore."

"Yeah, but there is no exhaust vapour, it's an anti-eco."

"OK, no one legit drives them. Do your drunk act in the street, I'll get up the driver's side and disable the car."

Blake walked out into the street with a bit of a stumble. He had his hood over his head, and moved as though he had a bit too much methanol on board. The car stopped and gave a rev to indicate he was about to become roadkill.

As the car stopped, Whip quickly moved out from the side house, in the rear-view blind spot. He moved faster than Blake expected, and flung into a spinning heel kick, smashing the security screen on the driver's side. While continuing his momentum, he dropped his left shoulder and still spinning hit the driver hard in the throat. Pulling his arm in he stopped his spin in time to reach in and turn off the car.

_Right_ , thought Blake, _so that's where the 'whip' part comes in_. He walked around the rear of the car and popped the trunk. There were two ballistic rifles, a Pulse gun, and a handful of concussion grenades. A little more than the average soccer dad needs to do a grocery run.

"This is him Whip. Cuff him, put the car around the back, and call him in."

"Got it."

"Good work, Bruce."

"Who?"

"Never mind." _Kids these days got no bloody culture_.

When Whip came to the road, Blake was waiting in the car. They quickly made their way to the next point of contact. It was on the hill, and as the two of them drove up, they looked at the marked change in the landscape. Although there was more street lighting, it seemed more deserted. The properties were far from the road, with large gates street-side.

Many of the properties had gate-houses at the street, but the guards all casually looked up as they drove past and paid no regard. The properties may have been upmarket, but low-paid jobs were the same everywhere. This was good, thought Blake, the less attention to attract here the better. They may have been law, but that was less relevant here than image or rumour.

"Whip, Alex here; you in position?" Alex was coming over Whip's comm in his earpiece, which Blake had a link to.

"Not yet Alex. Blake is with me."

_Why would he say that_ , thought Blake. _Was he expecting another response?_

"Good. Get in position at 1050 Toowomba Rise. It's a gated property, but you're lifting someone on foot, coming from the South."

"Roger that. Radio out."

Whip pulled the car up 200 metres down the road from the target site. They got out and the auto-disable system hummed slightly. This should be an easy pickup, on foot there would be few people faster than Whip and Blake. They causally walked up the road, but split before the property. Blake pretended to talk to someone on the phone leaning on a wall, and Whip disappeared into the adjacent scrub.

Blake was pretending to talk into his comm device to his girlfriend. He didn't see anyone watching him, but he doubted he was alone. He talked to Whip about his position and ensuring they had the angles covered. The plan was pretty rustic: see the target, take him out, but alive, and drag him to the car. It was the last pick-up of the night, and they were already 'plus one'. They needed this man, but not enough to lose a life, so they would play it by the book.

They saw a body moving up the street. At first it was hard to make out, but as the person neared they could see it was a woman. She was wearing a long red dress with splits on both sides and calf-length combat boots. An odd combination, but somehow arousing for Blake.

"Yo, you see this Whip?"

"Yeah, I think we hit the jackpot here."

"I wouldn't be too sure, she wouldn't be wearing boots like that for nothing. You got your Imaging Bino's? I want to know if she's packing before I make a move."

"On it. Wait."

A few seconds passed, and as she drew nearer, Blake could now make out her face. He was still in shadow, but would be visible any second.

"She's got knives in each boot, and some sort of handheld device on her back. I can't make out what it is. It's not ballistic, but may be chemical or sonic."

"Roger, I'm going to need you to distract her for a second so I can move in."

"OK, five seconds."

Blake watched as Whip made a rustle in the bush then walked out as though he had just taken a piss, pulling his zip.

"Evening ma'am. What you doing out this late?"

The woman turned to face him, casually as though she knew he was there all along. As she turned, Blake made his move. He quickly stepped along the side of the wall, still in shadow, but now line-of-sight.

As he moved onto the street, Blake saw her face, and in surprise, spoke. "Trina?"

She spun towards him and went to reach for the device on her back. Blake rushed forward and swung a roundhouse at her right shoulder. Trina ducked, stretching away, and as she raised up drove her knee high at him. Blake stepped away and Whip came in from the left. Trina landed from her knee lift and kicked her heel high in the air behind her, catching Whip on the chin and lifting him off his feet. He hit the ground and didn't move.

Blake reached for his gun, but Trina already had the device from her hip. It was a tranquiliser, and by the time Blake realised she was holding it, the dart had pierced his skin. He raised his gun, but everything had gone blurry. He felt someone grabbing him under the arms, and then nothing.

"Yo, Blake, wake up." He felt a hard slap against his face, but didn't recognise the pain for a few seconds.

"What the hell happened?"

"It was Trina, from the meeting this morning."

"I know, I recognised her too. Does Ox know why she was here? I thought we were the only two ops on the ground."

'We are. I just spoke to Ox, he never told her about the sting."

"So she wasn't here for Osiris, she must have been here as a runner."

"More likely she was here to 'take out' the runner. I'm guessing she was planning to get to the runner quickly, and take whatever he had. I just saw a bike ride past, slow down, then take-off like a bat out of hell."

So, was Trina working freelance, or is she Wing'Tan?"

"Dunno Blake, we're working on that. Chances are she recognised you from this morning, so she won't be back again. Unless she's an idiot. Or we're completely wrong."

"I don't think that's the case on either count."

"So we just have to figure out where to from here. One thing is for sure, tonight's sting was a stuff up from whoa to go, so we either have really bad luck, or a traitor." Whip looked at Blake hard for a second, then gave a half smile and raised his eyebrow.

"Hey, it ain't me sunshine, Sophie will clear that up at the debrief."

"I wasn't pointing the finger bud, just keeping you on your toes. You may not be a mole, but more than a few people at the office will look at you sideways after this."

"Yeah, well screw that, I didn't spend all this time getting in here to get the arse because of some chick in combat boots!"

"So, money on the table. You reckon Trina is Wing'Tan?"

"For all we know, she _is_ Wing'Tan. What if all that 'Leadership' rubbish is just a façade and it's a one-man, or woman, show?"

"Be a hell of a façade Blake, I mean every legend of the Wing'Tan originates in the group forming from gangs that went back over a generation. For a start she is no more than thirty years old."

"Hey it's just a theory. If we can get our hands on her we'd get a better idea of that whole operation. Assuming she's in on it of course. All I'm saying is we should be looking outside the square. If she is a ring-leader, she slipped into Osiris far too easy. Either she's a damned genius or we have a mole."

"Well I think you're off-base. But that's why we brought you in, you're a fresh set of eyes, and your theory isn't completely without merit. Let's head back and debrief."

As they walked back to the car, Blake noticed the cool air now coming through. It wasn't unseasonable, but it made him feel on edge. Perhaps it was just the cemetery-like feel of the abandoned streets and full moon. Either way, he sensed a change coming, and it wasn't all good.

Ox came up on the comm holo-display. He advised they had the captured runner stewing in interrogation, with Sophie keeping an eye on him. She would spend the rest of the night wearing him down and squeezing him for information before they shipped him off to Staton Penn. It was way overkill for what his charges were, but they needed him right off the grid for the next few months.

While they were on the comm, Ox was getting live intel from another source downtown. The source claimed to have seen Trina a few minutes earlier in the Third Quadrant talking to two mid-level runners before leaving quickly in an armoured cross-terrain truck. The truck wasn't important, the fact that the two runners were still hanging around was. Alex had uploaded the co-ordinates of the sighting while they were briefed, this was a high-priority lift. The two runners could lead them straight to Trina.

# Chapter 13

As Blake and Whip crossed the East-side bridge, there was the familiar sight of numerous ships, barges and tankers weaving a web of bow wake and prop wash over the harbour. The general design hadn't changed a lot over the years, but almost all of them now had a combination of solar sails and wind accelerated turbines. The large streamlined donuts of the turbines reminded Blake of how hungry he was, a donut wouldn't go astray now, but there was only one place left that made them, and that was only because the police had an unwritten code not to shut it down!

The bridge split into a fan of viaducts, each heading to various parts of the Coast City district. The Cryo-Gen tanks were prominent in front of them with the huge "CG" insignia proudly displayed thirty metres in the air. Apparently the boffins at CG had now perfected the reanimation process, and there were no longer frequent outbreaks of psychopathic behaviour. Nonetheless, the detention facilities were still lit up like a Christmas tree with all of the post-animation subjects living a life just metres from a world they didn't know if they would ever see. The Coast City Observer called it the "biggest stuff up in genealogical sciences". Blake thought the people behind the walls would agree.

The op seemed to be fairly easy but something wasn't sitting right with Blake. If Trina had just had a run-in with Osiris earlier in the evening, why would she stay on the surface for so long, and why would she allow the people she contacted to stay in the open? Perhaps he was just off on his suspicion and she really was a lone ranger looking for some help out of a sticky situation. Maybe the runner just told her to bugger off. Maybe ...

They took the 458 onto a B4 and he felt the familiar thud of the magnets grabbing the chassis, then the g's as they accelerated hard.

Whip took his hands off the wheel and turned to Blake. "You ready for this cowboy?"

"Yeah, seems pretty standard doesn't it?"

"You haven't spent a lot of time in the Third Quadrant have you?"

"Not really part of my usual area of investigation. I've been through on a few day trips to interview witnesses."

"Well, night time is when the freaks come out sunshine, so get your game face on. The rules over here are pretty loose, even by Osiris standards. We don't want to be filling body-bags, but don't take any crap. Half of these buggers would as soon stick you as they would talk to you."

"Got it. Let's just find these two and get on with things."

Blake tapped the comm holo and requested Alex. A second later Alex was online. "Hey kid, what's up?"

"Ahhh, same stuff different day, cleaning up your mess. I'm not your mother you know, if you want to go making a ruckus around the Alpha's neighbourhood, make sure they don't know where you're from."

"How could they? We didn't talk to anyone."

"They're more connected than the president, arsehole, and we had a call from three of them suggesting you were starting a gang war in the neighbourhood tonight!"

"A bit of an exaggeration."

"Nonetheless, we don't need any press. Not that it matters where you're going now." He gave a little chuckle.

"When we get near the checkpoint I'm going to use my bio-tagger to pin these buggers in case they run. Have you got me synced up to the grid?"

"All ready to go cowboy, just point, tag, and I'll track them anywhere."

"Good, because by the sound of it, things are just getting more fun by the minute."

Blake shut down the holo and proceeded to check his weapons were secure and ready for use. Whip did the same, then punched in the disengage code for the B4.

They were directed off the next exit, and the warning light flashed across the screen that manual drive was engaging in five seconds. Blake never got used to the hard deceleration, it wasn't a natural braking feel, more like someone hitting you in the chest with a sledgehammer.

As they came into the downtown area, they were a few hours out from first light. The whole lower end of the city was now being reclaimed by the sea, and road detours and dead ends were commonplace. They drove past the swamp that was once Centennial Park; Blake looked across to the right to see the roads leading towards Bondi, South Coogee and Maroubra, all ending in the ocean a few hundred metres away. It seemed at this end of town they didn't even bother with the 'road closed' signs anymore.

The Third Quadrant was basically the southern limit of the city before things really went to crap. Everything south of Botany Bay was now crumbled, derelict messes of entangled weeds, trees, roads and buildings. Nearing the area that was once the airport, the ground rose about twenty metres vertically on an artificial platform the city had built when they still held onto hope. The industrial area was about the size of thirty city blocks, and was almost a temple of the last effort to save the city. They parked about three blocks from the target's last sighting.

"What you got for me Alex?"

"Whip, there are two groups of people around the neighbourhood. Two blocks to your left there looks like a moonshine bar or something similar. One block to the left is a smaller group of people. They are outside, not sure of the activity."

"OK, we'll get out and take a peek. If we have a positive I.D., Blake will tag them."

"Got it."

Blake was opening his door about to get out when a flash came from the left. He fell and rolled to the ground to see a shadow disappear around the corner of the adjacent building. He looked up and saw Whip positioning himself with his door for cover, trying to train his gun on the assailant. He holstered his gun and looked over to Blake.

"You OK?"

"Yeah, I saw the flash but didn't hear an impact."

"Me neither. Let's go."

The pair got up and moved along the building wall, using the old trash cans, burnt-out cars and building alcoves for cover. As they got to the corner, Blake drew his weapon and moved around the corner, gun and eye level, both moving together. He had a quick scan around and saw nothing.

"You go back around the other side, I'll keep this way. Meet two blocks north, one block east."

"Got it."

Whip turned and quickly headed back the other way, gun drawn. He passed their car and kept moving to the next corner. Scanning the adjacent road, he saw no movement. The moon was out in full, and the streets were already fairly lit, which was good as the power had been long cut to this part of town.

He could hear the low hum of a few bio-generators, perhaps to homes, but more likely to distilleries. He kept moving and sensed something to his right. As he flicked into the alcove, he had his gun less than a metre from her head. Wrapped in not much more than old rags, she seemed a little too clean to be a hobo. Her face wasn't scarred and was free of sores. It almost looked as though she had make-up on.

"Don't move or you're tomorrow's rodent food. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm ... hiding."

"No, really?"

"Did you get sent by my husband?"

"No, who is your husband, and why are you here?"

"I told you, I'm hiding. My husband hit me, and said he was going to kill me." She moved her hood away slightly, and there was a huge bruise that took up half of the left side of her face, he could see dried blood on her shoulder.

"Wait here a minute while I scan you."

Whip kept the gun trained on her, and with his free hand pulled his bio scanner from his pocket. He flicked it on and started to check her for chemical residue. It came clean.

"Look into this."

He held up the device and it scanned her retina. She looked familiar, but it was hard to get a good impression. Her face was puffed up, and to be honest he didn't look at her a whole lot more than he had to.

"Wrench, run a data check on her, I need to know the deets, now."

He never took his eye off the woman the whole time. She was completely compliant, and the look on her face seemed to harden a little. He wasn't sure if it was her gaining a bit of confidence that he wasn't going rape and kill her, or she was hiding something.

"I got a yellow flash. She was detained for suspected involvement with Wing'Tan." Whip's eyes lit up momentarily. The woman noticed the change in his composure and started to drop her shoulders and head, ready for the inevitable. "Nothing was ever found, she was released with no further questioning."

Blake put his comm away and looked at the woman, shaking his head. He explained to her about the warning on her file, but that it may not be of any interest to them.

"What is going to happen to me?" the woman asked in a quiet, broken voice.

"You have two choices. Wait by our car around the block and we take you in for protection and a few questions. Or wait here and maybe get found by your husband." Whip holstered his gun and moved away into the street.

Blake moved from shop to shop, checking, listening and moving on. He heard a few muffled voices as he neared the corner on his left. As he looked around, he saw three men standing around a forty-four gallon drum, warming their hands on the fire coming from it. They looked like a bunch of cavemen in a world that had long left them behind. He neared them, gun in his hand but at his hip, slightly covered by his jacket.

"Hey, you guys seen anyone suspicious just come through here?" He was looking at them all intensely trying to get a tell-tale of someone who had just been running. They all broke out laughing.

"Only you sweetheart." They all looked his way. "And him." One of the men nodded past him.

As Blake swung around raising his gun, it was knocked from his hand by a massive blow to his forearm. The energy of the hit started him rotating to the left. He went with it and spun around sweeping with his left leg, knocking the attacker over.

He did a double-take, it was a woman, and she didn't look half as bad as her clothes might have suggested. He heard a muted cough, but no movement from her. The flash of light from above revealed her face; it was Trina. There was some damage, or make-up, but it was definitely her.

As he stood, the three men looked at him, then his gun that was over by the drum. Blake rushed over, one of the men was reaching toward the gun, the other two moved to the side. They all dropped their coats and had tactical armour on. Blake knew he was in a world of trouble.

As he rushed through he yelled for Wrench and Sunday to throw up for back-up on the grid. He jumped in the air and swept his right foot across to connect with the shoulder of the man reaching for the gun, he fell away from it. The two other moved in from the left and right. Blake saw one of them had a knife, the other had arms so big a weapon was irrelevant.

He stepped to the man with the knife. He didn't have his eye on the knife, only the attacker's eyes to see his move. The knife was jabbed at him as he pivoted to the left, another lunge as he pulled back. The attacker wasn't moving near as fast as Blake could, but he knew how to handle the knife, never over-reaching, always moving in straight paths to minimise angles for counter-attack. Blake moved past him on the next lunge and drove his right knee into his kidneys as he punched the palm of his left hand hard into his shoulder. He felt the shoulder dislocate as the knife left the attacker's hand.

He now had the remaining two moving in at him together. He deflected and dodged a salvo of kicks from the pair of them. They were both using Karate style kicks, which was good for Blake, as they would make an easier counter. As he raised his shins and arms blocking the moves, he could see the attackers getting too close together, he waited, and as soon as they interfered with each other on a kick he lunged at the smaller one. He kicked his inner thigh, then tried to drive his finger right through his solar-plexus, followed by an uppercut than lifted the attacker off the ground.

He was fast, to most people it would have been a blur of action, but he knew he wasn't fast enough. The big guy had started to move away when Blake's attack began, and he was now falling from his peripheral vision. Blake moved back and to the left but it was too late; the big guy's swing hit him hard in the chest and knocked him back a clear three metres onto the ground.

Blake got to one knee and coughed, a spit of blood hit his forearm. He got up and saw the attacker walking to him with a big smile on his face. A face that appeared as a shadow, scarred and menacing, he could see this wasn't going to be a good day on the shop floor.

"Who are you?"

"Your nightmare," was the reply in a flat monotone.

"I guessed, Wing'Tan?"

The man just grinned and leaned forward, about to charge. Blake knew his best chance was to use the big guy's momentum, and he wouldn't get too many chances. Nightmare obviously figured he had taken a lot out of Blake, but he didn't know Blake's nano-enhancement would mask any pain he had for hours. Tomorrow he would feel like a tenderised steak, right now he was tip-top, but he did his best not to show it.

He stood semi-slouched until Nightmare was less than a few metres from him; he could almost smell his breath. As he started reaching his leg forward to a thrust kick, Blake spun to the outside and punched his knee so hard he heard a crack. The force moved Nightmare off balance, and as he landed on his knee Blake jumped forward and hit him hard in the base of the neck with a roundhouse kick. He heard a crack and Nightmare fell to a heap on the ground, face first.

Blake stood for a second, gathering himself. He looked around, there was no other movement in the street. Looking up, he saw a shadow move in a window. Third Quadrant, where darkness begins; swallower of souls. Looking down he saw Nightmare twitch. He reached down and rolled him over. Blood ran from his nose and his eyes were completely bloodshot, his breathing was raspy and slow.

Blake's eyes widened, but it wasn't the sight of Nightmare's face up close, it was the Fusion incendiary in his hand.

"DAMMIT!" Blake yelled, and started running hard.

The nanites went into overdrive from the massive adrenaline dump, and his pace was beyond what any normal man could do in less than two seconds. He got to the end of the block and spun around the corner, dropping and covering his head in the foetal position.

Half a second later night became day, the flash was only an instant, but Blake could see the bones of his forearms as though the flesh had been ripped from his body. The shockwave shuddered the building above him, and he looked up to see massive shards of glass falling. He dove into the middle of the road as one piece nicked the back of his right calf. On any other day he would have felt the pain and stopped to check, but he got straight to his feet and started moving back to the impact site.

He wasn't sure if he was over it, but there was a one and a half metre diameter hollow where Nightmare used to be, surrounded by scorched ground and not much else. He stood dazed for a second, piecing together the last few minutes, then remembered Whip. If he was OK, he would be here by now, anyone in ten kilometres would have heard the blast.

Blake drew his weapon, then made his way back to the car. Nobody there, dammit. He started moving in the direction Whip was headed after they separated. Rounding the corner at the next block, he started moving up and saw a shadow on the ground towards the end of the block. He started to a jog, gun drawn, and his vision darting into each shopfront as he passed.

He got near the object and saw Whip's jacket. As he crouched he saw the knife in the small of his back, and another at the base of his skull. Small throwing knives that were the handy work of someone skilled in their use. This was no simple mugging gone bad, they had been the targets of a tactical hit.

"Wrench, Sunday, you there?" Nothing.

"Alex, you got me?" Still nothing.

Blake removed his comm-receiver, the blast must have wrecked it. He quickly moved back to the car and hoped that was OK. When he got there he scanned his I.D. reader and the door opened, jumping in, he hit the holo before he was even seated.

"Blake, what the hell is going on? We couldn't get you or Whip, and we picked up a massive blast. Ox wants a sit rep now." Sunday's voice was almost frenetic.

"Sunday, personal comms are knocked out, it was a pro hit. Whip is gone, the suspects are ash, and I feel like tenderised steak."

Ox came into the holo display. "Blake I need you here now. A clean up team is nearly there, do we need trauma units?"

"Negative, just a vacuum cleaner for the suspects, and a bag for Whip."

"Hey! That was one of our men arsehole." Sunday jumped back into the display.

"Hey, it was no disrespect; I only knew Whip for five minutes, but he seemed like a nice bloke. I'm just a little messed up and short on words. Heading back." He shut down the holo and started the vehicle.

It was a slow ride back. The rain was heaving down now, causing the road to be a mix of changing colours, streaks of light and glowing surface water whipping up. The clouds sat so low it almost looked like fog. Blake had the driving assist on in case he veered off the road. All of a sudden he felt like he was sixty years old and in need of a half dozen organ transplants. His bruises now had bruises, but he had bigger problems to deal with.

Two things now became apparent to Blake. First, that Osiris had been severely compromised, and it may take them longer to find the mole than it would for the Government to shut them down. Second, there was no one he could trust there, he needed outside help. But he couldn't give up his position in Osiris, or it would put him in immediate suspicion and probable lock-down.

He knew who he needed, he just wasn't sure if he could find her. They had been out of contact for a while, and although she was the best of the best, her methods were outside the line, so he had to keep any contact low-key. It was a risk, especially as he would no doubt be followed actively and passively, but he would be blown if he was about to let the Clans take over the cities.

He knew Ox and Sophie would be tied up with the Secretary all afternoon, and he still held high-level clearance at Osiris. He decided he would take a pool vehicle so as not to arouse suspicion. He would park it downtown, get a mag-lev to his apartment, take his bike, and head out to the country. A friend had primed the bike for comms, Sat and scanner jamming, so if necessary he'd activate it. Of course that would take him off the grid and raise alarms, so he wouldn't activate it unless crap hit the fan. Fifty-fifty in other words.

# Chapter 14

The sun was just rising over the back hills as Jack came into Oberon. He was riding at a reasonable speed, not overly fast, but not slow enough to arouse unwanted attention. The sign on the roadside announced the town's sincere welcome, and advised him the 500 people residing there couldn't wait to make his stay relaxing and energising. Somehow he thought they would probably miss the mark with him.

He passed a large re-vegetation project. There were quite a few scattered around now. They looked like an Oasis, full of plant livery, birds and flowing water. The water was bored up from deep underground, all run by a new technology that mimicked osmosis and had zero net energy consumption. It was a quaint idea, but after driving through miles of desert, it would take another few hundred years to turn things around.

The GPS showed the property being two streets up and three across. Jack figured the bike and helmet would make his arrival well known to anyone the Wing'Tan had made available to knock him off. He decided to ride around the back of the local superette and stash the bike. As he went around the block he could see the perfect spot. It was only one block over the back of the neighbouring fence, and the location would appear on Sat to look like he was going into the shop. As long as they weren't on live camera now, he'd have five to ten minutes to get to the house, check it out and get the hell out of the town, if necessary.

He walked into the shop and bought a throw-away phone, calling Sin back while in the shop. The phone rang for two seconds again. "Yo, Sin, it's me, Jack, listen and do what I ask as fast as you can."

"Got your message Jack, what do you need?"

"I'm in Oberon, you home?"

"Yeah, that's ten minutes from here if I don't mess around."

"Stop messing around then. I have a bike and helmet with Biotronics systems, I need them blocked up harder than a dick at a strip club or my brain will be fried in twenty minutes. Location is where this phone is."

"Got you Jack, I'm en route now. I have Angel scanning the orbiting Sats to see who's on you, live feed coming through. Wait. You have one un-registered Xenon-class satellite locked onto your gear. It's got heavy freq jammers, even photon jammers blocking anything within a thousand kilometres of it in orbit. I found it because of that, who are these dumb pricks?"

"Wing'Tan."

"Jesus Christ Jack, what the hell have you got yourself into now?"

"A little bit of deep crap, but I'm going to go sort it out now. I'm going to a safe house, probably getting killed, but assuming Lady Luck has one last roll for me, I'll need that bike clean in fifteen minutes."

"I'll do my best."

"Honey, you are the best. See you soon."

Jack bought a couple of nano-lite bars and scoffed them on the way to the counter. He'd probably need all the energy he could get in the next half hour, natural or not. Paying at the counter, he checked his watch and ran his hand over his bio-pager. He had almost forgot he had it, the events of the last few days made the last few years of his life seem like a distant memory. He walked out of the store, and went through the plan in his head.

As Jack walked down to the corner of the street, he saw a heavily modified Ferrari Destino decelerating hard and pulling in behind the superette. There were no windows and no plates. Sin had style for sure, but incognito didn't seem to fit her modus operandi.

The property looked ordinary enough. There was a low, white picket fence, mown front lawn (by auto laser-cutters by the look of the two chrome units at each corner of the lawn), and a single storey concrete house with minimal windows and no letterbox. He guessed the owners didn't want a lot of mail.

There were no cars on either side of the street, but there was a man walking his way about half a block down, and a lady watering the garden across the road. She looked up as Jack waved and appeared to take no care to his presence.

He walked up the driveway as though he were meant to be there, there was no point looking suspicious now, whoever was watching him had eyes on him the moment he turned the corner.

Approaching the door there was no movement in or around the house. He stepped onto the porch and looked at the opening. There was no door handle, just a palm-scanner. He pressed his palm to it, and a soft female voice welcomed him by name and suggested he enter. The door clicked open, and he pushed it all the way in. So far, so good; Jack took a step inside, and no gunshots. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

As he walked in he could see the décor was fairly muted. Polished concrete floors, white-stained timber wall lining with the occasional fabric drape, and bio-lighting throughout. He slipped the bio-taser out of the pack into his left hand.

Walking down the corridor he paused as he passed each doorway and glanced in. The house was impeccably clean and had a fresh smell to it. Certainly not what he expected from your average safe house. Well, what he thought an average safe house was from the movies of the 1990s he'd grown to love.

He turned into the kitchen near the rear of the house. It had a door opening onto a back porch, which he could see backed onto a neighbouring fence, and the neon sign of the superette beyond that.

There was a coffee percolator on the bench. Of all the tech they had these days, Jack could never work out how the hell the bubble-heads never worked out how to make coffee as good as a machine from the previous century.

"Don't move Jack, keep your hands right where I can see them."

Turning with his hands up, Jack could see a woman holding a Pulse gun towards his head. She was about five foot ten, tall, with dark, short cropped hair, and dressed in a tactical suit. No matter how many women he saw, he just had a thing for women in uniform. The gun vanished for a moment as he visually undressed her.

"And who the hell are you?"

"Winter Summers, National Defence Bureau, I'm taking you in for attempted murder of a US senator."

"Winter Summers? What the hell! Your parents hated you, didn't they?"

"OK smartarse, I've copped that for the last thirty years of my life, I'm a little wired, and would just as soon like to shoot you as take you in, so _please_ be the next pig to mock me." She gave her gun a slight wave to remind him of the situation he was in.

"Hey, my mama told me never to mock a lady with a big, nasty gun pointed at you."

"Smart lady."

"Not really, some bugger with a gun shot her while on parole. Some bugger you arseholes should have dealt with, so excuse me if I dispense with the pleasantries."

"I'm not a counsellor sweetheart, but there are plenty of them at the detention facility you're going to."

"Would it help if I told you I was set up, and I'm innocent? That the Wing'Tan were behind it, and they've framed me."

"Funny, we had a call from them telling us they had proof you were a loose cannon, and that you had gone after the senator after cutting one of their staff into pieces, before blowing up the senators property."

"Well, honey, believe what you will, but this whole fiasco is much bigger than you know. You're walking into a world of trouble."

Just as the agent was reaching for her retaining clips, the coffee machine beeped it was ready. The agent glimpsed at it for a second, which was more time than Jack needed. He flicked his hand around and fired the bio-taser at her.

The agent immediately threw her hand up and vomited hard across the room, while falling in a heap on the floor. She was shaking uncontrollably, curled into the foetal position, appearing unable to move. Jack didn't wait another second to move, he ran for the back door, scaled the fence and bolted for the parking lot.

As he ran for the bike he heard two voices shouting from behind him. He didn't stop to hear them, just ran past the bike, grabbed the helmet and shoved it on. He had assumed that the people behind him also had Pulse guns, and so Jack ran through the next sequence of events in his head.

TLM had picked up on his commands as soon as the helmet came on, the EMP pulse ignited disabling the assailant's guns. As they also passed the bike the dart auto targeting system engaged, Jack slid to the ground as Betty fired and took both of the men out.

Jack was still sliding as he looked back and saw both men pierced through the chest and torso at least half a dozen times each in less than a second. Jack got up off the ground and quickly checked both of the men for identification. There was none, these guys weren't Government. Judging by the tattoos on their necks, he was picking Aleutians. _What the hell were they doing here?_ He wasn't about to muck around and see if they had any more mates, this day was already going to crap without more party crashers.

As he pulled out onto the main road, Jack saw Cindy sitting in a lay-by. Pulling out in front of him, she accelerated fast. He followed through the twisty country road, which was really little more than a track. The road was lined with pine trees, all trimmed for harvesting. Looking around, he noticed a lack of side roads or driveways, not good if he had to make a quick escape.

As they neared the end of the road, Cindy pulled off the road onto an unmarked path, which Jack may have missed had he not seen her go down there. They were now weaving between the trees on a narrow sealed road covered in pine needles obscuring most of the asphalt.

Cindy stopped in the middle of the path, and a scanner swept past both vehicles. She got out, and Jack shut down Betty and took off his helmet.

Walking up to him, Sin gave him a big hug and whispered in his ear, "Sorry, I had no choice."

Jack pushed her away and turned for his bike, but it was too late, there was a man in a dark suit standing beside the bike with a Colt Special pointed directly at him. "Take it easy Jack, I don't want to shoot you, but I will without hesitation if you take another step."

"Who the hell are you? I saw you the other day with some other nugget stalking me."

"Special Agent Blake Corten. We need to talk. I'm going to put my gun away, but believe me, if you try and run or take me out, it will be the last thing you do."

The sincerity in his voice was not lost on Jack, and the subtle shake of Sin's head when he looked her way was enough to know he wasn't messing around. "What the hell is going on Sin?"

"Sorry Jack, this guy was at your bike when I arrived, he identified me straight away, and it was talk to you, or go away forever."

"So you sold me out?"

"No, he's not on official business, he's been after Wing'Tan, and knew you were tangled with them."

"So, Sonny," Jack said looking at Blake, "You're not here as a cop, then what the hell are you here for?"

As Blake began to speak, Jack tried to get the upper hand and spun to his right to get Blake off guard. As soon as he began to move, Blake countered the other way. Jack started to swing his right arm to hit him with a sharp cross, but before he even got past his shoulder his arm seared with pain as it was connected by a flying knee that came out of nowhere. As he bent down he felt a sharp pain between his shoulders, then nothing.

As he came to, Jack realised he wasn't in the forest anymore, he was on a couch looking out over a cliff with nothing but scrub and forest as far as he could see. His vision was still a bit blurry, but his hearing was back, there were two voices behind him, Cindy and Blake talking. He decided to play possum for a minute and see what they were on about.

"When did they start this?" Cindy was talking softly but still quite audible.

"We don't know. What we do know is that Wing'Tan have used Autohacking as a vehicle to recruit greater risk takers. The fees for their jobs buy the best hackers, techies and gear heads that can't get legitimate jobs. We know they use runners as decoys to hide their other enterprises, but think they also use them as hit men. Your friend, for example."

"No way, Jack wouldn't willingly be with these people."

"Are you sure Cindy? He fits the profile, ex-military, problems with authority, no family ties."

"Say what you want, but I know him." Cindy's voice was starting to get agitated.

"It's true Sin, I'm in with them, but not by choice."

Jack got up off the couch and walked over to the table. He was a little wonky in his walking and almost passed out as he was sitting. Cindy grabbed his arm and helped him to the chair.

"What the hell, Jack. What's wrong with you?"

"They saved me. This pack of buggers tried to ambush me, no idea why, I was all but killed. Wing'Tan intercepted and grabbed me before they could, and fixed me up good as new."

Jack looked over at Blake and scowled. Looking back to Cindy, his face softened again. She looked better than he remembered. "So why stay, why not get the hell out of there?"

"Because I needed them to get what I was after. To get the hellers that set me up, and get my life back." He turned back to Blake, ready to jump the table if necessary. He could feel his pulse rising just being near a Fed.

"Well Jack," said Blake with a subtle condescending tone, "it looks like you already had your targets right in front of you."

"Until you nearly took my damned head off!"

"No, before that. I'm afraid the Wing'Tan have played you. We never set up a sting, we were going to stop you just before the drop, a half hour after they hit you. By the time we realised the incident was you, they were well gone, and there was a hell of a mess to tidy up. The truth is, it was Wing'Tan that staged the whole scenario. It seems they needed you for something, and simply asking wasn't going to cut it."

Jack tried to absorb what he was being told, then turned to Cindy who gave a slow nod. "Those dirty buggers, now it makes sense. Dammit, how stupid can I be?"

"What is it Jack?"

"My last job was to take out a piece of tech they said a senator had confiscated during a bungled trade with one of their runners. It seemed excessive, but I had to go in and destroy a bike in front of them, they said to balance the scales of negotiation."

"I guess you're talking about Senator John Mac," replied Blake.

It was a rhetorical question, but Jack answered. "Yeah, I figured you guys were onto it. Seemed like a hell of a response you guys made."

"Well when we get tipped off that a Senator is being assassinated, we kind of respond to that."

"What the hell. No, I didn't kill him." Jack was absolutely stunned by the revelation. When he left, it was little more than a minor pyrotechnics display and some pissed off yobbos.

"Well someone knocked him off, and right now you're Public Enemy number one." Blake sat back in his chair; there was a silence between the three of them. Each was absorbing the information that had been shared, trying to work out if they were all telling the truth. It was hard for any of them to believe, as this action, if true, was far above the normal reach of a gang.

"Stuff it, this is all Wing'Tan, they've got something going on, I know it. I'm going back to the cities to find out." Jack was about to get out of his seat, but decided to sit down again, his head was throbbing.

"You may be right, Jack. But, if we are going to find out what and put an end to them, you have to stay well under the radar for the meantime."

"What do you mean 'we'?"

"Cindy has agreed to help me take them down, and you're the one we need to pull this together."

"No Sin, stay out of this!" Jack looked over at Cindy with a hard stare as he stood up, his head felt clearer suddenly.

"Screw you Jack, I was in this when you came into my life and then left again. Besides, I owe Agent Corten, he kept me out of Staton-damned-Penn when you left me. Everything you see around me wouldn't be here if I hadn't accepted his help."

"Oh, so you two got something going then?" Jack's indignant tone matched the red colouring now in his face as he hissed between his teeth.

"Don't be a child, Jack. We have a business arrangement, pure and simple."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"I get him the intel and contacts that he can't get from the regular channels. We're even-cards after this deal, and you can think whatever the hell you want, but that's the way it is."

The three of them were all standing; the tension in the air was so elevated if anyone lit a match the roof would have been blown off the house. Jack didn't like the way things were going, and he certainly didn't like Sin being this angry at him, she was the one person he had held on to as a rock in his life, whether he had seen her in the last decade or not.

"OK, so Blake, why are you here? Why not just go to the Feds with your info and get a team together?"

"I have a team, I have resources, what I don't have is a leak-proof team, or clean resources. Someone in the building is messing with the case, tipping people off, messing with gear. Obviously Wing'Tan has someone in there, and I don't have time to mess around finding out who it is."

"So what's the plan then, and how the hell did you get to be so damn fast?"

"Last question first, I got nano based DNA enhancement. It was a gift from my father, a friend of his was working on new technology."

"Sounds like something my dad would do. Don't suppose you know Doctor Xavier Lee?"

"Lee?" said Cindy with a slanted look at him.

"I took my mother's maiden name."

Blake looked at Jack, apparently trying to figure out if he was being played. "Doctor Lee was my father's associate professor. They worked together on many projects over the years."

"Well ain't that something", Jack said with a comical voice to his statement, "Two professors as fathers, one kid a cop, the other a filthy crook!"

"You're being too hard on yourself honey," said Cindy, walking over and putting her hand on his shoulder. "You're one of the cleanest crooks I know." She gave him a peck on the cheek before going to the kitchen bench.

For the next hour they thrashed out the roughest plan any of them could remember concocting. It was a hack job, but they didn't have time to stuff around. They had three things going for them, a tech genius, a Fed agent, and the slickest pilot to hit two wheels. Well, that was the humorous edge they tried to put on it anyway. Anything to avoid the tension, of what was, in all likelihood, a waltz into a nightmare.

# Chapter 15

Blake spent the next hour detailing the history of Wing'Tan, as far as the Feds knew anyway. The Clan had started out as a loose group of runners that set up teams on different quadrants of the Twin Cities and two neighbouring cities. They started pooling their resources and funds, and a few entrepreneurs in the group found that some of the higher priced clients had other deals they might want done.

The Clan soon became the dominant organised crime unit in the state. They kept their low level runners still carrying out the courier business, occasionally dragged one or two into the messier end of the business, and so it continued for a few years. But more recently they seemed to have gotten deals with more influential people in the cities. Known clan members were now attending mayoral dinners, fundraisers, and all of the other shoulder rubbing activities that gave access to people that made policy, sold property, and changed futures.

The problem was, and still is, that no one has any idea who the Leadership of the Clan is. It was rumoured that there was a group of original members that controlled all of the Clan subsidiaries and groups, and this Leadership was the key to taking them down.

"So Jack, what we have now, with you, is a unique access point to the Clan. One which will help us to open them wide, and end them for good."

"And how am I supposed to do that? Just ride in? They tried to hit me twice, frame me for killing a senator, and god knows what else. Who says I'll last more than thirty seconds in there?"

"No one. But they will be confused by your appearance. They won't want to kill you straight away, they will want to know where you were, how you got out, and what you know. They're also going to want to know who you've contacted so they can tidy up loose ends."

"And what say they just tie me to a chair and start peeling shreds of flesh until I talk?"

"They know you're ex Mil, and it's more trouble dealing with your corpse than they'll gain. They are also arrogant and will think they can get your information, and probably twist you around to use again. You're a valuable tool to them Jack."

"So valuable they tried to kill me."

"True, but you gave them what they wanted at the time. They will see this as an opportunity to get a little more cream on the pudding. One more run with their pawn." Blake smirked at that one. He liked the idea of Jack feeling like a pawn. It was where he deserved to be.

"Interesting theory, pity it's only a theory, and easy to say when it's not your arse on the line."

"My arse was on the line the minute I didn't shoot you on the spot, so don't talk to me about risks. And I'll be in that facility right behind you, assuming Cindy has the tech she claims to have." The pulsing veins in his head, appeared from nowhere upon hearing Jack's comments, and went almost as fast as he turned to Cindy. Both men looked at her, and she began to explain her Ghost analyser.

The unit was designed as a signal sniffer that would search for signals emitted by machines, whether they be electromagnetic, radio or infrared. The scanner needed to be inside the facility, as the quality of the signal picked up improved greatly in close proximity. The unit was easy enough to graft under Jack's skin, and it didn't emit any signal that had been read as anything but background static, by even the best hackers and analysts.

The catch was, it's repeater signal that was needed to build the signal field in Cindy's computer was weak. If she boosted it too much it would create an anomaly in the fields within the facility that may be detected, so they needed another repeater close enough to pick up the original signal and flick it to a storage device outside the property. The second repeater couldn't be left alone, as the risk was too great that it might fail, or be discovered. That was where Blake came in.

Blake was going to enter the property with fairly untested tech from Cindy, being an Energy Cloak. The device detected the light, heat, magnetic and electromagnetic energy both being absorbed and reflected from Blake's body, it then project the exact same energy or frequency from the adjacent side of his body, effectively making him invisible. It wasn't perfected yet, so did give him an infrared and radar signature of a small animal such as a bird or cat. He would also be faintly visible to anyone closer than ten metres, making all in all, for a handy help, but not enough for him to stroll into the room with Jack.

They weren't trying to retrieve any serious information at this stage, it was a recon mission only. Once Cindy had the information she needed, she would be able to generate a virtual environment to mimic the Clan HQ, and overlay their systems with her own. Although she could take control of their systems, she wouldn't; the plan was to gather intel on who the players were, what they were doing, and identify who to grab. Once the Leadership were taken, the Clan would be fatally wounded.

They all decided it would not be wise for Jack to stay. Although Blake's theory of Wing'Tan's motives and actions towards the return of Blake were well reasoned, they could just as easily slit his throat as he entered, or any other time after that. Jack needed to be in there for five minutes, then get out. In order to achieve this, Cindy would overlay the hack she made on the Biotronics system with a fake emission signature to imitate an untampered system. Jack didn't know what the hell she was on about, but he trusted her, so went with it.

"We need to move now Jack; the longer we wait, the less plausible your alibi will become."

Cindy stood and started walking from the room. Jack and Blake got up and followed.

"What am I going to do with Betty?"

"Betty?" Cindy replied, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah. My bike."

"You named it? Cute. Well you will likely have the techs there crawling all over it as soon as you get off, so don't expect to be able to use it to get out."

"I'm not sure I'll be getting out."

"This is strictly voluntary Jack. If you don't have the balls for it—" Blake paused, then pointed to the front door as they passed it.

"Hey, don't start that up, I'm just stating a fact."

Cindy chimed in as the emotions started to rise again. "Don't worry Jack, I'll get you out."

"Me too right?" Blake quickly interjected.

"Both of you, don't worry Blake, I know what you've done for me." She gave him a slight smile. Jack was trying to figure out if it was gratitude or something more.

"OK, so let's get this done. The sooner we're out of there, the sooner I get my promotion to the Capital, and Jack gets his record cleared."

Jack looked at Blake surprised. "You mean that dishonourable discharge removed and all?"

"Hey, if you help bring these buggers down, you'll be the toast of the city. Besides, I've gotta give you something to make sure you get me out of there!"

Blake followed it up with a laugh that was honest and a little on the loud side. Jack could see Cindy smiling too. Maybe this wasn't such a disaster after all, he gets his name cleared, and possibly another chance at a new start.

"You OK there slugger?" Cindy was talking to him, but it took a few seconds for it to register.

"Ahhh, yeah, just a bit off after my knock earlier I guess," he said as he nodded his head towards Blake and rolled his eyes.

Betty was in the garage downstairs, covered in wires and boxes, looking more like a trauma patient than a bike. Cindy walked over, tapped on a few devices, and unplugged the equipment.

Jack pulled on his helmet, the bike started as he began straddling the seat. The ramp to the ground level was a harsh transition, but the inertial dampers on the bike took the small transitions without concern.

As he pulled out onto the main road, Jack went through the task at hand again. He needed to stop back outside the superette and put the bike in the same location. Cindy would release the jamming on the area, giving Wing'Tan a view of what was happening again. She had already tapped into the National Atmospheric Weather System database and planted data that correlated with a solar storm hitting at the time of the initial jam.

The bodies would no longer be there. Whoever sent in the team for Jack would have dispatched another one as soon as their communication lines were broken. Any witnesses in the area would have either been bribed or "removed."

As Jack walked into the shop again, he saw a small TV behind the counter. The news was on, with an article about an acute atmospheric interference that seemed to have originated from a solar storm. _No crap_ , thought Jack, _the storm hasn't even arrived for the Clan._

He walked to the counter and tossed a pack of nuts over, paid his twenty credit, and left. Getting back on the bike, Jack pulled his helmet on, instantly getting an incoming message from Ping. He didn't understand it at first, it read "Fuel may be bad on bike, may pay to stop at Fitzroy Falls, see Jay at Hyper Auto."

Jack thought about reading the message. It was encrypted; TLM had requested an authorisation from Jack before it was opened. Then the message was erased as soon as he read it. It was time stamped at around the exact time Jack was arriving in town. There was nothing wrong with the fuel, the bike would have recognised issues on board and advised Jack. Ping would have known this.

Then it struck him. Ping wanted him to get the message before he arrived. Maybe he knew something was wrong, and was trying to give him a heads up. He was obviously too late, but perhaps he could still find out what was going on.

Jack pulled onto the road and got onto the comm. "Ping, you hear me?"

"Jack! What are you doing! I mean, aren't you supposed to be at the safe house? Did you go there?"

"Yeah, I went there, but there was a huge raid on the house next door, dozens of cops and Feds, I figured it wasn't a good move to go there. Didn't you track all this?"

"There was some kind of solar flare that took out one of our Sats. It seems to be back online now. Wait, Trina is here."

"Jack, thank God you're OK; when we lost contact we thought you may have been taken, or worse."

Jack thought of the endless stream of obscenities he wanted to fire at Trina, then got his game face on. "Nothing like that, but I did nearly get nabbed. I went to the road as you instructed, but as I went around the corner I saw squad with unmarked cars everywhere. I thought the safe house was blown, but there was a big bust going on next door."

"Did they I.D. you Jack?"

"No, there was such a commotion, they weren't interested in me. I walked straight past trying not to be interested, then hid out in an empty house around the corner for a few hours until they all left."

"Good thinking. I think you should be back here with us, Jack. We have a few contacts that should be able to clear you a path to get back without being stopped."

"Isn't that a bit risky?"

"Don't worry about that Jack, we'll look after you, get back now."

"Roger that ... One last thing, the senator, he OK? I haven't seen the news since it all went down."

"Everything is smooth as silk Jack. Good work by the way."

So that was it. Not only did Wing'Tan nearly kill him, double cross him, then try and kill him again, they wanted him back for another round. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going back there without being prepared. He rode another fifty kilometres down the road, at the legal limit, then got back on the comm.

"Ping, you there?"

"Got ya, Jack."

"Hey I've got a reading of contamination in the fuel system, you got a tech nearby?"

"Sure do, Hyper Auto in Fitzroy Falls, ask for Jay, he's with us."

"Roger that, can he sort me out to make sure I get through in one piece?"

"Yup, he's the best hardware man I know, killer on tech."

Jack read between the lines and took it that the "hardware" would be sufficient for him to shoot his way out if necessary.

"Jack, you hear me?" Cindy's voice came through the comm loud and clear.

"Yeah Sin. Where else would I be?"

"Blake, you online?"

"Roger."

"Right boys, this is an encrypted link, anytime you hear from me, it's only me. I stole a few Mil Sats a few years back and have been moving them around ever since to keep out of the way of prying eyes and ears. Chewing through the fuel like nobody's business, they'll be stuffed in a few months, but do the trick right now."

"Holy crap Cindy, that was you?" Blake had a high level of surprise in his voice. "You know that we all thought it was the Asians, we nearly went to war over that!"

"Yeah, sorry for winding you boys up Blake, but I needed them."

"Bugger me, you're one piece of work, that's for sure!"

"You don't know the half of it," Jack said, knowing her anti-establishment roots went far deeper than most people's knowledge of political history.

Ever since Cindy's grandparents were taken in the early 00's for allegedly helping the North Koreans mount nukes to their missiles, she had made it her goal to wreck the government at any chance she could. She never saw her grandparents after that event, and it was unlikely she would ever get over it. Which begged the question, why did she seem to trust Blake?

"So Sin, tell me, why trust this G-man? It seems to go against pretty much any principal you've held for more than five minutes."

"There is a bit of history there Jack. Blake, care to fill him in?"

"After Cindy got kicked out of M.I.T. for sabotaging the entire Defence Research wing, she became a 'person of interest' to the Agency. I wasn't part of the team then, still a snotty nosed rookie on the beat, but I heard the stories. After I got into the Agency, keeping the tab on her was one of my charges."

"Ahhh, and you fell for her charm and inner beauty?"

"Hardly. I met her once, but she had such a fierce loathing in her eyes, I couldn't see past the daggers she shot from them!"

"That's my Sin!"

"So anyway, after a while I started looking through the archives. I could see her family had a chequered history with the government, but not all of it stacked up. The more I found out, the more questions I had. I started digging and found the government was covering up a conspiracy they set up her family nearly fifty years ago. Ever since then, I've been helping her level the playing field."

"So you're an anarchist at heart too then?"

"No, I just hate seeing good people get done over."

"Then you're in the wrong job, with the wrong organisation."

"I'm beginning to get that idea."

There was a moment of silence over the comm, then Jack's Sat Nav noted he was coming into Fitzroy Falls, reminding him of Jay.

"Right you guys, I have reason to believe that I have an ally in Wing'Tan."

"And how did you come to this revelation after one day?"

"One of the techs tried to warn me about the hit on the safe house but was too late."

"Or that's what he wanted you to think. Jack, what's going on?" Cindy never trusted the Clans, or anyone who worked with them.

"Look, it may be a set up, but it may not, I need to find out. If this guy is the nuts, he could help us bust the Clan wide open. He put me in touch with a contact in Fitzroy Falls, I'm going there now."

"I'm keeping eyes and ears on you Jack. Blake, shadow him, but stay out of the way. We don't need any more Feds sighting you and arousing suspicion."

"Roger. I need to check in anyway. There's a post at Fitzroy Falls. I'll keep my comm on receive only."

As Jack pulled into Hyper Auto, he couldn't see anything that screamed 'super high tech, screw the government' anywhere. It was just another repair shop. A few mag-lev hoists, a few diagnostic scanners hovering nearby, and a wall full of tools and gadgets that looked like something out of an old alien abduction movie.

There was a short, skinny man in white overalls sitting in the corner looking Jack's way, no one else around. He had the look of a man that was stuffed into a town three sizes too small for him and couldn't stretch his legs for want of trying.

"You Jay?"

"That's me. I hear you know Ping."

"Sure do, not that well."

"Well I do. I'd give my life for that kid. Or take one, feel me?"

"Yeah, I'm on the fence, but you've both got my attention."

Jack was looking down towards the man's hip. There was an old fashioned, but no less deadly, Phantom Strike concussion lance. They were only thirty centimetres long, but a hit from them would liquefy your internal organs from any closer than ten metres. Jack was five metres away.

"Well, if I don't feel like you're on the right side of the fence by the end of this, you'll be leaving here through the sewer."

"So what side is that?"

"Wing'Tan killed my wife and took my nephew. You figure it out."

"I'm guessing Ping is your nephew, and we both want those buggers gone."

"Well, you may live just long enough to get killed by them at the end of the day." Jay stood up and moved over to Jack, extended his hand, which Jack shook.

"They've tried twice, I won't give them a third chance."

"Well let's see if we can even the playing field a little then, huh?"

Jay walked through the door that said 'amenities'. Jack followed, but stopped as soon as he closed the door. There was a short corridor, with glass lined walls that seemed to shimmer as he looked at them.

"Security system Jack, don't try and load a gun or fart in the wrong direction." Jay waved him forward. "This way."

Jay took a few more steps, then walked into what seemed like a glass panel. It was an optical illusion, and turned into an entrance way that went back on itself. As Jack went through the UV irradiator he entered a sterile looking room with military hardware and chemist's instruments.

"Welcome to the Toy Store, Jack. If you want to get out of the HQ alive, you'll need some weapons that they can't scan. Even with Ping inside, he can't let on that he's helping you. By the way, you're bringing him back with you, or I'll find you and skin you." Jay had a friendly smile, but his eyes had a solemn resonance of determination.

"We'll find a way Jay, if you find the firepower."

"Well then, let's get started. I've laid out a selection for you and your Fed friend."

"Who?"

"Don't mess with me Jack. Your friend, wherever the hell he is, may have all of your frequencies jammed." Jack realised he was talked about Sin, and obviously didn't know who she was. "But I have eyes in the town. How often does a wanted fugitive arrive in town minutes before a Fed, who is _not_ chasing him?"

"Fair enough. He's legit, you don't need to worry about him."

"Oh, I'm not, I already know where he lives, who his family are, where his kids go to school, and his financial details. For a Fed, he's pretty easy to crack."

"Maybe." Jack figured that Sin probably had a cover over Blake's records and details, and anything a hacker could find was bogus, but he wasn't going to get into that now.

"So, as I was saying, you've got Kevlar shanks and throwing knives, take what you want of those. These bad boys here are limited edition." Jay was holding two large pistols. They were unlike anything Jack had seen before. "The frames are made entirely from a stabilised ionic compound. They took six months each to fabricate and are effectively as strong as diamond. They emit a pulsed charged of plasma ions that expand as they leave the chamber. Kind of like a Pulse weapon, but almost a hundred times the energy, near zero recharge time, and impossible to read on any scanner or sensor developed." He looked exhausted after his little speech, but satisfied at the same time.

"Nice, I have a few people I need to introduce to the pointy end of these."

"Yeah, well I want them back. When you press this icon on the side, it will read your DNA, and only you can shoot it, it's dead to anyone else. Only I can disable the security feature, so don't try and hock it off."

"Somehow I don't think the local pawn shop could afford one."

"Jeez, the US government can't afford one, that's why they're still trying to find me. Anyway, they're called Intimidators, or Timmys for short. I developed them with a scientist from Macdev Global."

"OK, you got anything else?"

"Yeah, these." He held out a packet of what looked like candy. "Don't eat them. When they leave this packet, each one will form a micro black hole for about two thousandths of a second. Doesn't sound like much, but it will make a car disappear before you blink. They're inert in the box, it has an electromagnetic field woven into the fibres of the packet which keep the balls stable."

"Won't that be picked up by the scanners?"

"Nope. Although the balls are inert, they still emit radiation, non-harmful to humans for weeks I might add, that counters the field. Just don't let anyone take them out of your sight. If they do, just daned run. A bullet may not kill you, these will, without fail."

Jay threw over a duffle bag and Jack began to fill it with the weapons. He looked over to the side of the table and saw what looked like an old fashioned rocket launcher on the wall.

"What the hell is that beauty?"

"That my friend, is a genuine Stinger rocket launcher. Straight from the 1980s; I even have about twenty rockets for it. But it's never leaving this place. That is my pride and joy; the very first weapon I ever bought." He walked over and patted it.

"You're kidding me, most people start with hand guns!"

"I said _bought_ , not shot. Every other twenty-year-old was saving for a bike or heli; I always wanted weapons. Not to use, originally that is, but I loved the combination of mechanics and chemistry, the fact that they are quiet and almost inert when not used, but when fired have the roar of the gods, a fiery hell unleashed on anyone in its sights. A moment of pure destruction!"

"Whoooooa, hold up there ponder. You're one scary mother, you know that?"

"Yeah, people keep telling me that. Anyway, this thing weighs a ton, and takes two people to use. Take this instead." He tossed Jack a light weight tube about forty centimetres long that had a handle under it, and what looked like a holo display on top. When Jack picked it up by the handle the holo display lit up in red with a grid overlay contoured out in front and a small targeting dot in the centre. There was a menu on the right side.

"You access that menu with your other hand, there is a scroll and click dial. Just don't tap the button in front of it twice, or we'll both be paste."

"So what does it do?"

"I worked on the delivery technology when I was at Macdev. Flick down the menu and you will have 'concussion', which emits a sonic charge enough to knock someone over, but won't kill them, zero recharge time. Next is 'pulse', which emits a target EMP, not strong enough to neutralise an entire building, but will wreck a room, vehicle, etcetera, takes twenty seconds to recharge. The last one is 'energy', this is the nuts, it shoots an electrical charge at 200,000 volts with enough current to half melt an elephant at ten metres." Jay paused to make a huge explosion with his hands, then continued. "It expands as it leaves the chamber, so make sure there is nothing in about a forty-five degree arc. When you load this one, there will be a blue zone on the contour overlay that shows the effective range. Up to thirty metres will kill a person, fifty metres will knock them out. This will incapacitate the device for ten minutes, so make sure you get your target."

"Hopefully I don't come across many elephants."

Jay laughed with the enthusiasm and depth of a man twice his height and three times his weight. "You're all right Jack, all right."

The two looked at each other for a second. Then Jack zipped the duffle and swung it over his shoulder.

"Jack, make sure you bring him back. I mean it, don't cross me, and don't kill him, he ain't collateral damage."

"Yeah, OK Jay, it's the least we owe for the hardware you've given us. You'll see him again soon."

Jack left the shop and put his helmet on. Blake and Cindy were both on the comm straight away checking his status. Jack told them he was OK, outlined the hardware he acquired, and also the complication of extracting Ping.

They argued about whether he would, or should, be taken, but Jack overruled both of them and said it was a done deal, they would just have to tweak the plan. It was looking more and more like this would become a full-on assault and not a simple recon.

# Chapter 16

Jack headed out of town, and gave Ping an update on the bike, advising him it had been repaired. Seek came on the comm. "Jack, it's Seek, we need you here. There has been an attack on Wing'Tan, Trina is dead, a whole group of our operatives taken out."

"Who?"

"We don't know, but Ping says he had Aleutian chatter around the Lake before you got hit, maybe them."

_Yeah right_ , thought Jack. _You sent them you bastard_. He kept that as an inside thought for now. "OK, I'm back in twenty. The bike seems OK, but it may need a make-over, it's got a few scrapes."

Ping was back on the comm. "Yo, Jack, Tank says if you've dented BB he's gonna kick your arse."

"I better wear thick padding on my arse then Ping, she's been touched!" Jack hoped Ping got the hint that the bike had been tampered with.

"OK Jack, just get it back so I can sort her out and get you out there. You know that bit in your contract about getting dirty? Well, you'll need to open a laundromat by the time you've finished your next mission."

"That's OK, I haven't washed for three days anyway."

"Go to the city post, it's on the edge of the old city, not far from the Third Quadrant."

_Dammit_ , thought Jack, _I wouldn't even send my enemies to that hole_. Jack continued toward the Wing'Tan outpost, hoping Sin had their comm system set up properly.

"Jack, we got all of that. Looks like Wing'Tan don't want you at HQ, maybe they suspect you."

"Why Sin, I'm such an upstanding citizen!"

Cindy and Blake both burst out laughing.

"C'mon guys, you'll hurt my feelings, cut it out. Anyway, business. We don't have deets on the location I'm going to. Sin, find all the intel you can, and give Blake the co-ords. I'll muck around as much as I can getting there, but don't want to be suspicious."

"Got it. Wait out a few minutes while I figure out where they're sending you."

"Blake, get the hell over there as fast as you can. I need a good high-point to snipe from if necessary. I can handle riff-raff on the ground, but can't see everywhere. You're my eyes."

"Roger. With our firepower kindly donated, your back is well covered."

"Yeah, well don't use the elephant bugger, I prefer my internal organs to stay internal."

Blake laughed, "Don't worry sunshine, I'm a ninety-nine percent dead-eye on the sights."

Blake and Jack kept heading towards the target. As they came off the freeway, they split to come in from different angles. Jack intentionally took a route around the South East to hit a few dead ends and detours. Even though most Sat-Nav systems were up to date, the city there was so low, the water changed from week to week, losing fifteen minutes was easy.

As he came into the suburban areas, Jack thought of his youth around here. He remembered sitting down at Maroubra Beach with his great grandfather, telling him about the old days, when all of the beaches were golden sand, and there were surfers crowding the breaks. Before the water became so polluted it wasn't safe to swim in. Before the huge desalination and purification plants went in. Before the place turned to crap.

His grandfather really had been the rock in his life during those times. It was no wonder Jack had such a passion for the music and film of the twentieth century, it was his escape, to remember the stories he was told about how amazing and culturally rich the world had once been. A time before the world welcomed him in and drowned him in the raging torrent of troubles it had turned itself into.

His thoughts were broken by Cindy. "Right boys, the location is in a built-up urban area. I can see heat signatures from generators. They're giving off radiation, so must be micro fusion plants. That is some serious power, so they have something going on there."

"Any good vantage points Cindy? I'm sixty seconds out."

"Yeah, Blake. Stop one block north, there is no activity at all there. Co-ords on your locator now. There is a six storey building that looks burnt out. Assuming the stairs are OK, it has prime roof space. "

"Got it."

"Be careful, it has line-of-sight with the entry to the facility, so may already be manned or have sensors. I don't pick up anything, but I'm not perfect."

"Hear that Jack, finally admitting it!"

"Yeah, Blake, looks like the lady is coming back to earth," he laughed.

"Right you two, funny-funny; now get yourself together, game time."

Cindy gave the locations of known personnel outside the building and where the proximity sensors were located. Blake pulled up to position and quickly grabbed his kit from the boot. Slinging the rucksack over his shoulder, he entered the open side entry of the building, pistol raised. It was the first time he handled it, and he almost threw it out of his hands when he picked it up; it was so light he had to look to see he was holding it properly.

As he got to the top landing, he heard a muffle outside. He stepped back in and got on the comm. "Jack I've got company up here. I hope you don't get in too much crap; I'm gonna hide out for a few minutes to let you in."

There was no reply. Either Jack was already in, or the building had shielding that blocked the comm. Either way, he didn't want to give his position away. "Cindy, you got any way I can have eyes out there to see what I'm dealing with?"

"Way ahead of you. I've got a stealth drone from the nearby military base heading your way"

"I don't even wanna know."

"Probably best you don't ask since you're a man of the law and all."

"Yeah, somehow I don't think that will be lasting too much longer."

"Sensors coming up now Blake. You've got one man down there. I'm going to set the drone in a loop and relay their comm through me. Be as noisy as you want."

Blake carefully put down the sack and peeked around the corner. There was one man out there, he didn't look armed, but probably was. Either way he wanted the upper hand; he didn't know if this guy could handle himself.

As he started to move out, there was a loud crack from above. It was an electrical storm brewing, looked like a good one too, plenty of sparks licking off the antennae on the various buildings. Moving toward the target, he could now make out is was a male, about six foot tall, lanky. He was dressed casual to scruffy and had a long trench coat on. He was slouched a little and sucking on a cancer stick. He didn't have the gait of military, probably just another prospect trying to earn his stripes.

He was two metres away when there was a crunch under his foot, he didn't look down, what was the point. The target spun and flicked a knife at him. Blake saw his movements in slow motion and easily stepped aside. The target spun, swinging his coat out, pulling knife after knife and throwing them all with deadly accuracy. Blake kept moving sideways, ducking and weaving at least a dozen knives.

He saw there were no more knives left; the attacker padded his coat checking, all the while not taking his eye off Blake. Blake gave a slight grin and started walking towards him. The target started gobbing off in French, but hesitated mid-sentence. Obviously Cindy had interrupted and advised him he had called the wrong number.

Blake rushed him just as he was reaching down to his boot for some kind of weapon. Blake kicked him hard in the ribs, hearing multiple cracks. He followed through with his momentum and drove the heel of his hand under the chin, grabbing an arm at the same time, then pulling the target into him and head-butting him square on the temple. As the target crumpled to the ground there was another crack in the sky.

"Damn it!" Cindy came over the comm.

"What Sin?"

"I forgot my popcorn. Nice show. Look up and give me a smile." Right then the drone whipped past Blake about fifty metres up. It was silent, but he saw it off the reflection of another lighting splash.

Blake grabbed his sack and moved out to the edge of the building. He could see a lonely light above the entrance to the facility. The building was a two story modern design, which stuck out like dogs bollocks in the junk heaps that surrounded it. There were no windows that Blake could see, which was far from an ideal situation.

"I got him Blake, pulling in now."

"I see him Cindy, you got anything on the building?"

"They have some pretty high tech defences on the signals front; I'm chipping my way through them at the moment."

"Well you better start chopping; we don't have a lot of time."

"I've got x-ray penetration now. Four people inside. Can't I.D. them, no voice recognition yet. Wait out."

The plan was simple really. Get in, don't act suspicious. Get close to Ping, take out the others, get the hell out of dodge. OK, it wasn't that easy. For a start no one knew what security or defences were in place. _Don't know bugger all really_ , thought Jack as he got off Betty, looking around. There were shadows in the shadows, muffles in the static, and the feeling of being watched but seeing no eyes.

As Jack took off his helmet, a single light shone on him. "Don't move please." An electronic voice came from nowhere. As Jack stood still, he saw a small red light appear on the door in front of him.

"Scan complete, please enter." The door clicked open. As he started to walk in he brushed his thigh where the Timmy was, just for comfort's sake.

The room he walked into was a large lobby that seemed in stark contrast to the crap-hole he just walked out of, quite inviting and relaxing. The ceiling was at least ten metres up, and covered in bio-lighting; the walls were some kind of granite or something similar, and the floor was what looked like grass, but was probably some kind of synthesised material. Pretty believable though.

As he walked into the middle of the foyer, he scanned around the room repeatedly, looking for anyone who may be watching or targeting. There was an empty reception desk, a large set of doors at the end of the foyer and no one around. Jack walked towards them and put his hand on the Timmy. Things were a little quiet in here. He wondered if the place had already been swept by the Feds.

"Boys, I've got some good readings up now. The building is some kind of research facility. It's only two stories up, all offices, but six stories down. It's off the grid for power, running on cold fusion. I can't get a signature on the type of generator, but it's on the fourth floor down."

"OK Cindy," replied Blake, "what personnel are in there?"

"That's the funny bit, there are only four. They were all in the foyer Jack is in now, but have walked through the doors at the back of the room and are walking away."

"Are there any anti-personnel defences in place in the building?"

"Yup, but I neutralized them. Jack, you're free to roam. Just be careful, I've got solid signals, but it's possible they have physical defences in place too, I won't get those. Go through the doors and go right, they just turned the corner."

Jack went through the doors, the hall was lit from the floor, but only ten metres in front of him. As he started to walk down the hall, the lights in front glowed and disappeared behind him. He was about to turn the corner when Cindy came up on the comm.

"Jack, they're splitting up. Two are either side in the corridor, the other two are looping around back to the foyer. They may be trying to box you in. I'm calling foul, get out."

Jack had a second to think; she may be being paranoid. They may not have even known Jack was there. He poked his head around the corner to see what was there. As he did his eyes were splashed with a bright green light. He quickly dropped and fell back around the corner, a split second later a plasma blast smashed the wall across from him. A few spots of plasma ricocheted off the wall and hit his arm. The burn was instant and intense.

"Damn, they're hot, I'm getting out, sit rep now!"

"Jack, double back, fast, don't go into the foyer, go past it, there is a room next door, get in there now."

The building shuddered as Jack ran for the doors. "What the hell was that?"

"Their cavalry are here. It was a concussion round fired at the roof where Blake is, he was already hitting the stairs; he's clear and finding a route."

Jack crashed through the doors into the room. As he did the lighting glowed up and a man appeared at the front of the room. Jack fired a round at his head but it went right through and hit a visual screen behind, shattering it.

"Damned holos," Jack muttered to himself. "Plan Cindy?"

"Go to the far end, there's a window to the foyer."

"It's whited out, I can't see anything."

"Shoot it out when I say. When you do, the two that doubled back will be to your right. Blake is roof skipping, making his way to give you cover, his comm is out ... Go!"

Jack fired a salvo of shots at the window and dove through it before the shards even began to fall. He fired a dozen shots straight at the two men standing about five metres from him. By the time they started turning, they were already hit. Jack fired another twenty or so rounds at the ceiling. The bio-lighting started to dim as he ran to the front doors; he spun with his back to the wall, facing the doors at the other end of the foyer.

"Jack, we got two armoured hovers outside, a few bikes and a drone. I'm going after the drone now. Blake has some glorified cigar tube he's pointing at the hovers."

"As soon as that thing gets fired, I'm out those doors. We need Ping, we'll have to go to Wing'Tan HQ now, no mucking about."

"Got it. Betty is still OK, if she doesn't get incinerated meet at the RDV in twenty minutes. Blake is about to launch. I'm hitting the drone now; wait for the second explosion."

Jack held the Timmy to his chest; his heart was pumping like mad now, but he was focussed, going through the scenario outside. _How far was Betty? Where would the other bikes be?_ Just trying to narrow the variables. _What if Blake didn't get both hovers?_

He heard a faint explosion, must have been the drone, then a flash of blue to his right. As the door swung open, a tall man in a trench coat came running in, shooting towards Jack. With nowhere to go, Jack dropped and shot back, he missed. As he rolled away, he saw a flash of red from the opposite side; the last of the four in the building was moving around his flank, trying to box him in.

"Screw this," Jack yelled, shot a massive salvo of rounds at the trench coat and got up running for the entry door. Aiming for the lock, he fired a series of rounds, while ricochets echoed around him, just as he saw the last man coming from the right.

In slow motion, Jack saw the attacker raising his gun straight at him, then he disappeared, replaced by a burning mass of what looked like the undercarriage of a hover. The noise and heat were intense, forcing him to turn away. Just as he did he saw the blue flash of an arm swinging across at him. The impact on his jaw felt like a sledge hammer as his head whipped, blood spraying from his mouth. The ground felt like the sledge hammer's brother, taking what little wind he had left ...

Looking up, Jack could see Trenchy standing over him, holding the Timmy. As Jack looked toward him, he grinned, looking at the front door that was now open and letting in cool air. Trenchy raised the gun towards Jack's head, he squeezed the trigger and nothing happened. He checked for a safety on the odd looking gun, shrugged his shoulders, and put the gun in his coat while pulling out his knife with the other hand.

Jack saw a bright blue flash sweep into view through the entrance. Coming in low and hard was an Ion-Plasma Drone at what looked like the speed of light. Jack rolled over and covered his head just as the drone blew through the doors, tearing its wings off on the impact. The fuselage bolted into Trenchy with such an impact his body folded in half around the sleek black missile. The force pushed him through the room and into the reception counter, splitting it with the impact. Shards of material scattered around the room.

Jack got up and ran over to Trenchy, or what was left of him at least. He saw the coat had been torn apart, replaced by internal organs. Pulling the main fragment of the drone aside, he saw the Timmy wedged into the side of it. He picked up the fuselage and smashed it on the ground to release the weapon, picked it up, and blew the dust off it. As he held it, the charge display lit up. One for the stabilised-Ionic-whatever today.

Just as he was turning, he saw a hover rotating towards the opening. "Dammit!" he yelled and turned to dive over the remains of the reception counter. There were a series of low thuds, but no blast. Looking around the end of the reception counter he saw Blake standing on top of the hover with an open hatch and Timmy in his hand. Jack scrambled up and ran over, jumping on the stabiliser and onto the roof.

"Holiday's over sunshine, stop pissing around." Blake had a grin as he pulled the helmet off the now dead pilot and shoved him from the seat.

"What's the plan?"

"Cindy says there is one more hover around the corner. I thought we'd give them a surprise call."

Jack pulled the hatch as Blake fired up the hover. He pushed forward on the thrusters while arming the weapons. The whole windscreen went white and showed a series of diagnostics and camera angles all around the cabin.

"How the hell can you drive this?" Jack said as he was looking around for a seatbelt or handle to hold.

"Standard control configuration for Spec two military vehicles."

"Oh, here's me thinking you're just a pen pusher in a suit with a good left cross."

As he spoke Blake whipped the hover around 180 degrees, almost making Jack lose his lunch. "Nah, long mil history in my family. Hold on, this may get bumpy."

"What, you mean _this_ isn't bumpy yet?"

As he finished his sentence Blake swung into the corner. The other hover was right there, and Blake narrowly missed it as he swung a full 270 degrees to now become the follower. He then stopped in the middle of the road.

"What the hell are you doing Blake?"

"We're too close. If I use the Hellcat Plasma too close we'll cook ourselves in the process."

"What the hell is a Hellcat?"

"Watch." Blake had a big grin as he tapped the display panel in front of him. The screen went clear again and they could see the other raft accelerating but starting to make a turning manoeuvre.

"Damned rookies. That's the problem with kids these days Jack, no damned combat knowledge."

A green grid came up on the screen with cursors on all moving objects in front, with number beside them, presumably distance thought Jack. Blake tapped the cursor on the other hover and a large tube appeared from the front of the hover and rotated to position to the side and facing the other hover.

As Blake tapped the screen again, there was a series of bright flashes from the tube, Jack figured at least twenty. A second later the hover exploded into a violent fireball. First green, then a bright red. The chassis lifted at least five metres off the ground before crashing down in a burning heap.

"Party over kids, get the hell out of there, it looks like half the city is heading your way."

"Sin, is Blake's vehicle still OK?"

"Yup, I've been keeping an eye on it."

"Right Blake, let's get the hell out. I'll grab Betty and we'll meet at the RDV."

The two of them got out of the cockpit and jumped onto the skirts of the hover. As they got down, Jack looked at the exhaust of the Hellcat and could see the iridescent glow of the Plasma still burning.

A half hour later the three were all at the car park of the Newport lookout. Cindy was last to arrive and was in the Ferrari, no windows. As she raised the door and stepped out, Jack watched her long sleek legs and couldn't remember why the hell he ever ran away. _Well, I guess one night doesn't make a relationship, but y'know_ ... The thought kept rattling in his thick skull.

"Right, we don't have long. Wing'Tan are probably already on lock-down so we need to get in there, get what we need, and get out." Cindy spoke with urgency and authority, but she needn't have, the others knew time was fleeting. She started unloading kit.

"We have to assume they're pulling in their defences, runners, prospects etcetera. We'll be copping a lot of heat all the way through." Cindy pulled out two black bags from the boot and threw one at each of them.

"That's why I brought these. They are a new type of fabric a friend of mine has developed. It's a hybrid composite/organic material. Nanotubes grown on a modified polymer of a few different chemicals you two lug-nuts would never have heard of."

"Fascinating stuff Sin, I love your science lessons. I'm gonna call it a nano-tac suit." Jack was zipping it up and checking the pouches and padding. "So what do they do?"

He saw Blake tapping his finger past him, as Jack turned Cindy swung a baseball bat full-noise into his chest. The force knocked him back and he stumbled, but didn't fall. He grabbed his chest, but it didn't hurt.

"It absorbs kinetic energy. Unlike your head if you give me stick again."

Blake laughed and made a cheesy gun shape in Jake's direction.

"They don't need batteries, don't wear out and are breathable."

"This stuff will come in handy." Jack rubbed his chest again just to make sure it was all still in the right place.

"Don't take it for granted that it will take a bullet. He's tested it with a few weapons and it's fine, but not everything. Smaller projectiles shouldn't hurt it, but I think pulse weapons will go through it. He developed it for the military and Feds before they flipped and tried to confiscate the material and his life's work."

"Still batting for the other side then Blake?" Jack winked at him as he threw his empty duffle in the Ferrari.

"I think it's fair to say I'm off the team now."

"Good, 'cos I only dislike you now, don't want to kill you anymore."

"Aw, how cute, glad you two boys are getting along. Now, finished playing around?" Cindy was pulling a device from the car. She held it up and tapped a button. A holo of the region came up in a dull green sphere about half a metre in diameter.

"Blake, get on your comm and see if Ping is still there. They may not know you have back up yet."

"What the hell, I'm not Rambo, of course I had help."

"Who the hell is Rambo?"

"Forget it," he said as he tapped his comm. He started panting and coughing. "Ping, you there?"

"Jack? Where the hell are you, we're out everywhere looking for you. Your tracking devices are off, your comms were out."

Of course they were looking for him, to tidy up the mess. "I'm up the coast," he drew a hard breath, "I'm injured, but will be OK. The facility was hit. I scrambled out the back and waited till it was clear before grabbing Betty and bolting."

"I know, it was the Feds."

_Nice try_ , thought Jack.

"It's OK J, we'll help you out, get over here now. Seek has the crews clearing a path for you, safe route coming up on Sat-Nav." And there it was. He referred to Jay, they must have had contact, and Ping was their inside man, obviously wanting out. Jack walked back to the other two as they were discussing an entry route while considering choke points.

"How did that go?" said Cindy.

"Ping is OK, and he's on our side."

"You sure?" said Blake in a concerned flat tone.

"No, of course I'm not. But if I'm wrong, we'll know in about ten minutes. He's mapping me the route that Wing'Tan have all of their ambush set-ups on."

Jack put on his helmet and selected the routing overlay. It came up with the forty kilometre route and suggested a fifteen minute travel time. Instead of crossing the freeway network, it took them around the fringes of Sydney, even back past Third Quadrant.

"Who the hell are these idiots, why would we go that way in the first place?"

"They're panicking now, obviously," said Jack as he looked toward Cindy. "Bring it up on the holo. I'm assuming Ping sent the broadcast on an unsecured channel for you to intercept.

"Nearly there," said Cindy as she tapped a device that was strapped to her forearm.

She placed the holo projector on the ground and took a few steps back. The boys followed suit. The sphere grew to about three metres in diameter, and showed a route from where they were to Wing'Tan HQ, in red.

Jack didn't realise it was actually in Helensburgh until he looked at this map. No wonder it was Wing'Tan HQ, it was in the middle of the last place anyone would want to mess with.

They spent a few minutes discussing various routes but decided the fastest way was best. They would travel together, and if necessary Blake would fall back to draw attackers away first, then Cindy. While they were running interference, Jack would see if Betty could hit Mach one.

"Remember not to look up when you're smoking it Jack, hate to see you arrive with your head folded backwards." Blake made a pretend motion of flipping his head back and sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth.

"Thanks for the tip on riding a bike, arsehole!" Jack stared at him as though he was about to have a go at him, then smiled and put his hand out.

"Good luck chump, make sure those arseholes don't scratch Betty, she's my baby."

"Don't worry sunshine, I'm the best."

"Second best," said Cindy as she picked up the holo and walked to the car. "Right after me."

Blake and Jack let her walk to the car, both checking out her arse as she walked past them. They looked at each other and Blake raised his eyebrows in approval.

"Out of the gutter boys, this is one arse neither of you are touching."

Jack stepped ahead of her and tried to open the door. "Oh, aren't you a gentleman, Jack. It's got a bio-link sweetie, excuse me." She touched the door and it opened.

Jack looked in, although there were no windows, it didn't look that way from inside. There was clear vision of all of the outside angles as though it was clear glass. The cockpit only had one seat, the rest being taken up by fixed screens, holos and a weapons rack behind the seats.

"Whoa, don't travel light do ya, Sin?"

"Girl's gotta be prepared." She winked at him as she sat in the cockpit. Jack had to step back as the door came down.

"Nice try, cowboy," Blake said with a wry grin.

"Screw you," Jack said, walking past with his middle finger in the air.

# Chapter 17

As they passed what used to be Ryde, the roads straightened out, so Jack dropped down and opened Betty up. Blake and Cindy accelerated to chase, but as Betty stretched out, they started to fade into the distance. Jack looked in the rear-view as an explosion hit the side of the road a half kilometre behind him. Blake and Cindy blew straight through it, undisturbed.

"They've seen us," said Blake over the comm.

"You don't say. Thanks for the heads up," said Cindy with a surprised voice that was probably masking the fear of what she had just witnessed. The shell narrowly missed the Ferrari.

"Stick to the plan," said Jack. "When it gets too hot I'll slow down to engage, but for now I'm outta here."

With that he visualised the bend in the road three kilometres ahead and Betty accelerated hard to 390 kilometres per hour. Jack didn't want to go past that in case he had to take evasive measures; he knew nothing short of a fighter jet could catch him, but he wasn't going to abandon Sin.

A freeway on ramp came up, and he saw a half dozen vehicles clumsily making their way down. He was well past by the time they came around, no collision detection, but Cindy and Blake would have a scuffle. He only looked forward, visualising the road for the next twenty kilometres or so. The next bend came up fast, Jack dropped the bike hard and scraped his boot. The G-forces were heavy, real heavy, so were his eyes. Heavier, the road swept in, the stars dropped down, he snapped out of it as the bike straightened up. Looking up he saw the Corner Warning register fifteen G's.

"Whoa, that was awesome!" He never meant to say that out loud.

"Jack," Cindy interrupted, "we got a lot of company here."

"Do I stop?"

"Negative, but be alert, they're swarming."

"Be alert? What the hell do you think I'm doing? We're going to attack the most powerful organised crime in the region!" Jack swerved to miss a section of missing road.

As he went past he saw the ocean had started consuming the highway. He slowed to a respectable 300 kilometres per hour, and fired up HALO, in all the excitement he forgot he had it. The road was weaving inland now, rising up and away from the swamps and wetlands of the coast. He kept slowing, the road getting tighter, meaning more opportunities for an ambush.

Fifteen kilometres behind Jack, the road was frantic. Blake was weaving his heavy-amour GTX through blasts from at least a dozen vehicles ahead. He saw two older vehicles in front with personnel out of the roof facing back with projectile weapons. He accelerated hard into the first one, knocking it off its axis and into the second. It scooped under the chassis flipping the vehicle, bouncing across the lanes. Cindy accelerated hard and swept under it, the vehicle scraping the roof of the Ferrari.

"They make those cars tougher these days, huh Cindy?"

"Yeah, helps I skinned it with the same crap you're wearing now."

"Yeah, well I hope it's a thick skin, 'cos we're about to get messed up!"

Cindy saw four bikes ahead, all had heavy weapons modifications, and were moving in a staggered formation, slowing to get ready to sweep around her and Blake.

"Not today boys," she said.

"What?"

"Never mind, check this out, borrowed some software from the Airforce a few years ago."

She reached forward and tapped a visual of all four of them on her holo heads-up. Leaning back she swept her right hand to the left as though to wipe the screen clear. Super-sonic darts from the front of the car hit all of the bikes at the same time, flipping them almost instantly into the air and throwing the riders off as though they were rag dolls.

Blake and Cindy swerved through the carnage. Blake watched one bike crash down onto a redundant roadside B4 booster. It may have been redundant, but had a massive charge. The explosion tore through the asphalt of the road, bouncing the GTX across a lane as Blake struggled to straighten it up with the warning sensors lighting up like the Fourth of July.

"Nice one Sin," said Blake, in his best twangy 'Jack' accent.

"Sin?" she replied.

"Yeah, it's growing on me," he chuckled. "What say we blow this joint and go see what Jack's up to?"

"I hear that. I've got EMP in ten seconds, drop ... now."

"Check, I'm dropping proximity mines for the stragglers."

The two of them accelerated hard, pushing to get out of EMP range. Blake had red flashing lights on his screen warning of the EMP, Cindy just tapped a few buttons that shielded the Ferrari. As they got further down the freeway, Blake looked back to see their own creation of the Northern Lights, in what was left of a section of the road.

Further up the road, Jack was closing in on the HQ location. Although there had been some trouble on the road, it felt like a pretty lightweight effort by the Clan, considering the resources they had available.

"Jack, it's Ping, you got me?"

"Yeah Ping, what's up? I'm getting worked over on this road."

"You didn't go Seek's route, it must be the Feds."

_Sure_ , thought Jack, ' _cos all the Feds ride bikes, hang out of cars and blow up vehicles on the freeway!_ Regardless, he knew it was Ping covering his arse. He thought, for what it was worth, he better carry on the charade for as long as he could.

"Yeah, sorry, got mixed up, I'm a little frazzled here. What's happening your end?"

"No Fed activity at the facility." Ping reminding him it was all Wing'Tan. "Just me, Seek, Loach and Tank."

Seek came onto the comm. "Just get here Jack, we need you now."

"Roger boss, en route, five minutes." Jack heard the comm click out.

Cindy came on the comm straight away. "Right, we all heard that, not much support, should be an easy entry."

"Not so sure, Sin. Ping is on our side, he wants out, but Seek won't be so dumb. Expect a little more resistance than men with pea-shooters."

"Oh, I'm always ready to sort out men and their little pea-shooters."

Blake laughed. "Now I know how Sin knows you Jack."

"Screw you, Blake," replied Jack with his usual lack of tact or diplomacy. "Pillow talk aside, I think we just rush them with a full-frontal. They will know it's not just me anymore by the little display on the freeway, so let's just hit it hard and see what's left when the dust settles."

"Sounds like a standard Fed operation, huh Blake?"

"Apparently, Sin."

"Well, my friend," said Blake in his best Boss voice, "now is your time to step up and become a man. We are about to mix it up in a serious way. Get out your game face and load your weapons. Game on, son."

"Now that you've got the pep talk aside," said Cindy, "I'm going to lay down a comm scrambler, we'll be eyes-only so hang back for us. I also have some proximity mines I'll drop as we go in, so if the access road isn't looking like Swiss cheese on our way out, blaze the road surface to set them off, no point escaping the facility to become road-kill ten seconds later."

"Check, but hold the scrambler, may need to talk to them inside. I'd say Ping is in the lab down the ramp, it's where all the comms gear is. Nowhere near Seek's office, but we'll deal with that later. Hopefully when we get to Ping he can disable the internal defences. If Ping is dead, we split. That place is like Fort Knox with defences in place."

"Ahhh, Blake, got comms on your Fed friends," Cindy sounded worried. "They know where the Wing'Tan base is, and they're mobilising now. We've got fifteen minutes, maybe, before the whole place is a damned Fed convention."

"Jesus. We don't need them now."

"Thanks, professor. What's their protocol on nuke blasts?"

"Ummmm, we're a little over our heads already Sin, you got a nuke in your trunk?"

"No dumbass, but I can get Angel to hack their servers and put up a fake blast now, giving high radiation readings in the area. Have to be quick, or they'll detect there was no blast."

"They'll wait fifty kilometres out, relay a Sat for visual and direct radiation confirmation, then move in."

"Right, that will take at least thirty minutes. I've programmed Angel for the raid now, they'll be stuffed in two minutes."

Jack saw Cindy and Blake coming up in his rear view, they were now only a few kilometres away. He hadn't been ambushed at all, which probably meant there were heavy reinforcements at HQ. Weaving through the trees and over the undulating hills, he saw the faint glow of perimeter lighting appear. Slowing to a stop on the last rise before HQ, they were about 800 metres out.

"Holy CrapFuck !" Blake let out. "I think they know you're not alone Jack."

"Full of clever observations today, aren't you Fed-boy?"

The three of them were stopped in the middle of the road, looking towards a clearing in the trees with the upper levels of Wing'Tan HQ sitting inside a plasma charged boundary fence. Beyond the fence were at least forty cars, bikes and a few hovers, all facing them. God knows what else was waiting that they couldn't yet see.

"Uh, Ping, you there?"

"Yeah Jack, seems you have a little company."

"Yeah, brought a few friends."

"So did we. Care to get off Betty and walk down to have a chat?"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll be doing that. You could all lay down your weapons now and give me the Biotronics data though. That'd be nice."

"Yeah, sure J. Just come get it." Jack got the message again, Ping had something ready; he was just hoping Seek wasn't a step or two ahead.

"Cindy, Blake, you guys can turn back now if you want, you don't have to do this."

"Grab your balls, Jack," Cindy sounded pretty hyped. "It's just a few pussies and a bit of hardware. I'm going to hit that fence hard, my car will absorb the energy of that Plasma fence as long as it isn't over about 1.2 gigawatts."

"If it is?"

"You'll have a roadside fireworks show, with me as the finale." At that, Cindy floored it and accelerated hard. Jack and Blake hit the throttle hard as soon as she started moving.

Jack had dozens of targets coming up through TLM, it was overload for him, so he prioritised the targets. The plan was go straight for the ramp, Sin and Blake could handle the riff-raff outside. His visor cleared, and a few targets marked-up, then a few more. Jack had the darts loaded and set to fire automatically when in range.

As they got within 300 metres, weapons fire started raining in. A combination of projectiles, plasma and concussion blasts rocked the oncoming vehicles. Cindy was hit with a plasma blast but didn't seem to stop. She returned fire, sweeping her free hand left and right, and selecting different weapons while driving. She hit the fence hard, her displays flashed so bright she shut her eyes; everything went hay-wire. Within a second she was in a pitch black rolling coffin.

"Boys if you can hear me, I've lost controls and weapons. Systems restarting now, I hope the skin holds out."

"Hold on, Sin." Blake let out a grunt as he was broadsided by an armoured car. "I'm going to shunt you out of the way and draw some fire."

Cindy braced as he rammed the Ferrari from behind. The control systems lit up at the same instant, windows clearing in time for her to see a hover coming down hard. She swerved to the side and Blake kept going straight through. The charged ram bars on the GTX hit the hover square on, tearing the front end clean off before they got to fire. Blake looked to his right and saw Jack heading back up the road.

"Where the hell are you going arsehole?"

"Relax, I've got a plan, the ramp entry is blocked."

Jack swung Betty around and accelerated as hard as he could, the bike morphing into the now familiar dart shape as he moved over 200 kilometres per hour. He had no idea if this would work; he was just as likely to be paste as get through. He looked to the right and saw Blake and Cindy drawing vehicles away, but getting a hammering in the process.

Jack was 250 metres out when at least six Military ion-plasma Drones whipped past, launching rockets at the vehicles on the ramp. Jack hit the brakes hard, fish tailing all over the ramp, and slowing to a stop fifty metres from the doors. He looked back and saw the drones whipping back and forth across the battle field, cutting up vehicles and shooters with hyper-sonic projectiles. Nothing was hitting Cindy or Blake.

"Your friends, Sin?"

"Not me, but I'm glad they turned up, I'm at fifteen percent power and leaking like a bitch."

"Blake?"

"Negative. No idea who. It's not Fed hardware, and if it's standard mil gear, they kept it a damn good secret."

"I'm going into the hangar. I'd appreciate backup when you can get down here."

Blake targeted the doors in a half dozen locations with TLM. He was about to shoot when the doors started to open. Seek was standing there, with Tank to his right, and Ping to his left with a gun to his temple.

Seek shouted, "Get of the bike Jack, and take off the helmet."

Blake did what Seek said, going through the options. He put the helmet on the ground facing the hangar, and slowly stood up. "We just want the Biotronics data, Seek. It's not yours to own, and certainly not yours to sell."

"And when the hell did you become a do-gooder, you son of a bitch. If it wasn't for me, you'd be a puddle on the ground." Seek was fired up to the point Jack could see the veins pulsing on his neck, even from this far out.

"Since I found out it was you that screwed me in the first place, and since I found out you were innocent people as your own private real-world testing ground." Jack started walking towards them, but stopped thirty metres out as Tank held up an explosive charge.

"C'mon Jack, really? That actually _means_ something to you? The government has been screwing people for years. _They_ are the ones that created the ghettos we thrive in. _They_ created the wealth gap for the Alphas to exist for us to trade with. We're just levelling the playing field with them a little."

"What, you're taking over the government now? Bit ambitious isn't it?"

An explosion hit the wall at the top of the ramp, nobody flinched. The scene was so tense nothing else around them existed. Jack could see Tank was waiting to run over and tear him into bite-sized pieces. But he wouldn't, not without Seek's command. His loyal terrier.

"We're not taking over, we're creating a little slice of anarchy. The people will take it over. We'll just be there to guide them when they do."

"Who is 'we' Seek? Last I heard Trina was vaporised."

"Screw you, Jack." Seek was seething at the comment, and the reminder of his loss. "Trina may have hid the truth of her position, but it was _her_ position nonetheless."

"And now what? Seek versus Australia?"

"No, I have many backers and followers, and not just in Australia. This country has a great deal of resources, technology and land, that many people will pay a great deal to be a part of."

"Well, sorry Seek, I just can't let you do that."

"Then we have come to the end of our arrangement, Jack. Sorry you couldn't be part of the A-team." Seek raised his gun and hit Ping across the face, knocking him to the ground and swinging the gun back towards Jack. At that same moment, Jack heard a whistle and saw dozens of darts hit Seek and Tank, the explosive charge detonator getting disintegrated, much to Jack's relief.

"Sin, you there?"

"Can see you bright and clear sweetheart."

"I was hoping you had hacked the visor. Thanks by the way."

"No problem. Tell me, what would you have done if I hadn't hacked it?"

"Died I guess. I trust you, Sin."

"Aww, how sweet," said Blake in his most blatant sarcastic voice. "Now that you two have finished, shall we grab Ping and get the hell out of here?"

Jack walked down the ramp to Ping who was getting up and wiping the blood from his eye. He helped him up, slung his arm over his shoulder and started walking back up the ramp.

"Jack, wait." Ping let go and hobbled over to the bench. He grabbed a small computer, a few other devices, and bundled them into a backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Just a little insurance in case the Feds catch up with me," he smiled, but winced as the already forming bruise from the pistol got in the way.

"I'm all for insurance. We'll be needing a lot of it later."

"Help me up the ramp will you, this stuff is heavy."

Jack took the bag and slung it over his shoulder, helping Ping up the ramp. At the top, Blake and Cindy walked over to meet them.

The drones swept over the building and shot up in a rapid ascent, before rolling down and moving into a wide ring-formation. They levelled out twenty metres from the ground in a hover, surrounding the four of them.

A white limousine with heavy modifications in the way of armour and artillery came over the hill and into the compound. The driver's window came down, and a man wearing a black combat outfit held his hand out with a phone. Jack walked over and took the phone. The window went up, and the vehicle drove away.

As soon as the car left the compound, the drones all moved away in synchronisation and accelerated over the trees and beyond sight.

Jack turned to Cindy and shrugged his shoulders; the phone rang. Any sense of things being over were sure to be short lived. Looking at the others, Jack answered the call.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Hello Jack. Sorry for the old-fashioned device. Harder to track you see."

"Yeah, sure. Who are you?"

"A friend."

"Can't be a friend, I don't know your name."

"My name is Tyrol, and I believe I just saved your life out there. So, if you're not my friend, you're at least an acquaintance."

"Well, Tyrol, who are you when you're not saving lives, and why are you getting into this?"

"Oh, I'm not getting in, I've been in for a while. Wing'Tan are bad people, Jack. I've been trying to get rid of them and their ilk for a while now. I'm glad you came along when you did, and relieved you picked the right side."

"And what side is that?"

"The side of truth and peace."

"I haven't witnessed either of those for a long time, Tyrol."

"Well, with my help, perhaps we can all achieve these things in due course. I will be in touch soon. Goodbye."

The phone went dead. Jack tried to start it up, but there was nothing. It was a brick. He threw the phone to Cindy. "See if you can get this thing going, I want to know where the call came from."

"Who was it?" Cindy asked.

"Trouble."

# Chapter 18

It took the best part of half a day before the four of them got back to Cindy's house. They had left immediately from the remains of the Wing'Tan base, going silent on comms until they got back. Although there was little chance anyone could track or intercept Cindy's tech, there was a huge amount of radio chatter, Feds with squads out searching and patrolling, Wing'Tan associates scrambling, and police looking for a stolen GTX Armoured Vehicle.

They split up into pairs for the trip back, if two of them got caught, it was up to the other two to try and get them back, from wherever they were. The trip turned out fairly uneventful, they had chosen their routes carefully and came across little interest from anyone on the roads. Back at the house they hid the GTX, Cindy had plans for that, and all headed to separate rooms for some rest.

Jack was going through the events of the last few days in his head. He'd been rescued, apparently, from one of the most powerful groups on the Eastern Seaboard, been framed for a hit on a government representative and set up by the same group. Not long after, he was teamed up with a renegade Fed agent and a tech mastermind that may also have been the only other woman he loved aside from his wife. They then rescued another tech mastermind using weapons and armour most people never knew existed, with assistance from some bloke with a name that sounded like he was from the upper-upper-upper-West-Side.

"No wonder I've got a headache," he said to whoever was out there trying to mess with his sanity. He always got the headaches after seeing a little too much action. His father once told him it was his brain receding back to normal control levels after having to process the massive amounts of adrenaline needed for his enhanced vision to function.

Jack got up and walked to the kitchen. Looking in the fridge there was everything he expected a reclusive spinster with ADHD would stock, that is three fifths of bugger all. Grabbing a beer, he cracked it and walked over to the large picture-window in the adjoining living room. He never noticed last time he was here where the house was situated.

Sitting back from a small cliff edge, the area he was standing on was actually cantilevered over a river, the crystal-glass wall and floor merging into one, appearing as though he was walking on water. Ironic considering he was pretty sure he would be meeting the other guy, not Jesus.

He heard footsteps from the hall and turned to see Ping walking to the kitchen. "How are you feeling little man," Jack said holding his beer up in a salute.

"Like I got hit with a damned sledge hammer," Ping replied with a slightly raspy voice. He grabbed a beer and sat at the dining table. Jack sat across from him and put his own beer on the table. At the same time a 'crack' went off in the distance. The two of them looked out to see the sky light up with a scattering of electrical forks, shadows from the trees danced across the floor and table.

"Storm's coming." Jack turned back to face Ping.

"You have no idea, Jack."

"What do you know that I don't?"

"I know Tyrol may have pulled us out of the grave at WT HQ, but he's probably just digging a bigger one to kick us in."

"Who is he? I figured he's an Alpha by the goofy name and fancy-pants accent, but what does he do when he's bored?"

"Hard to say in any detail. Like most of the Alphas they very rarely go online, and when they do, it's not usually business. Most of their transactions are either agreed face-to-face, or through intermediaries that can't be traced back to them."

"So you're saying they're untraceable?"

"Oh, hell no. I've got those buggers tagged all over the place. But if you put everything we have together and made a book of it, it would be the most boring piece of crap ever."

"Meh, never been one for reading anyway."

"Well, what I _can_ tell you is he's generations deep, doesn't need credit, assets or land."

"So he's doing it for power?"

"Yup, whatever 'it' is. Who knows why he wanted the WT out of action. I mean Seek was starting to make inroads into the political scene, but he was years away from anything really serious. The Leadership turned out to be a charade, and I'm sure Tyrol would have had some idea about that. If not he was either not as connected as he should be, or someone was feeding him crap."

"So what about your story then? You don't seem like the type to be a ruthless gang associate. No offence."

"What, the wiry frame and sixty kilos of pure muscle-toned bulk in front of you doesn't say 'fear me'? Well, you should arsehole, in five minutes I can own you, your family and your life."

"Yeah, well, you're too late, someone already took my family." Jack said it matter-of-factly, but skulled his beer and walked to the fridge for another.

"Hey, sorry man, I was just messing with ya."

"Don't sweat it, that's a 'me' problem. We're talking about you now, remember?"

"Well you met Jay, my uncle. We were tight. We used to hack credit agencies, do a few hustles here and there, small time crooks. He really taught me how to look after myself. My dad wasn't around, so I never had a male role model to put me on the straight and narrow."

Ping faded away for a moment. _Explains the make-up_ , thought Jack, as he sat back down at the table. He gestured to Ping to carry on.

"Anyway, we hustled a few people we probably shouldn't have, and next minute we had some serious heat on us. New gangs and Autohacking crews from all around wanted us. Some out to lynch us, some to recruit us. We decided to split up and go underground for a while, but it wasn't long before we were found. I got attacked by what was then the major Autohackers in the Twin Cities, but was grabbed by Tank and Seek before they got me to their base."

"Sounds familiar." Jack raised an eyebrow in Ping's direction.

"Yeah, in hindsight they weren't my saviours. They offered protection if I worked for them. It wasn't long before I knew I was never leaving. They're pretty persuasive, especially when they drag the odd bleeding sack through the workshop."

"So who else there do we need to be worried about?"

"To be honest, I don't know. For our chapter, I think Seek and Trina were the kingpins. Whether you were trying or not, you may have just headed a crushing blow to the WT in the Twin Cities." Ping reached across the table and tapped Jack's bottle in a salute.

"We'll toast that one when we're not being hunted by most of the nastiest and dangerous people in the state huh?"

They were interrupted by a loud bang. Jack jumped up. "Cindy!" He ran down the corridor and saw a light coming from downstairs. He drew his gun and slowly stepped down the stairs, sweeping into a brightly lit workshop.

Cindy was at the end with the GTX in what looked like a million pieces, and a pistol in her hand. "Hey boys, something wrong?" She put the gun down and took her glasses off, walking over to the GTX.

"What the hell are you doing Sin, I don't think a pistol will break that thing!"

"Well, it won't even scratch it now, come check this out." She rubbed the body where there was a piece of what looked like the same stuff from the Ferrari. "I've managed to bond the nano-skin to the armour of the GTX, it's now bulletproof as well as butt-ugly."

Jack had a close look, there was not even a scratch where the bullet had impacted the skin from less than five metres away. He stepped back and nearly tripped on a door. Looking at the nearly bare chassis, he could see the frame was some kind of honey-comb structure, riddled with more holes than Swiss cheese. The best way he could manage to describe the general body shape was that of a Wildebeest, cabin right forward over a stumpy bonnet with flared wheel wells. The roof ran straight and then dipped sharply behind the doors and flattened out for the last third of the car length.

"So what are you doing with this, Sin?"

"Two things. First, I've pulled it apart to see how they built it, may make it easier to destroy them if we have to."

"Whoa, Sin. What the hell! This is a _government_ vehicle, you know, like the _law_. We're not about to go out killing people indiscriminately. I mean, I've got every reason to hate those buggers, but that's a big step."

"OK, so _when_ you come down from la-la land, you'll realise the Feds were all over this damned party we've been having. Blake has steered them away where he can, but they've got their sticky little fingers into half of the crooks in town, runners, addicts, you name it."

"Nice conspiracy theory."

"It's not a theory." Blake's voice came from behind them as he walked down the stairs. "There is widespread corruption in the agency now. That is part of the reason Osiris runs independent of the Feds, and how the runners and thugs get half their tech."

"For christ's sake." Jack was sounding both agitated and confused. "So not only do I have these arseholes trying to paste me every day when I'm running, sponsored by the G-men, I've also got half of them directly after me now, not for the cell but for the morgue?"

"Nailed it in one Jacky-boy. On the plus side, you're a celebrity now."

"Yeah, like Adolf Hitler or Ned Kelly!"

"Well honey," said Cindy, brushing his shoulder with her hand as she walked past, "you've got us behind you now, so don't sweat it."

"Fantastic Four huh?"

"Who?"

"Forget it. Tell us about your other part of the plan for the GTX, aside from learning how to blow them up."

"Well, the way I see it, we need to get out there and find people and groups to sort this rubbish situation you have us all in. So, there are four of us, Ping is on comms and systems here, the three of us are on the road kicking arse and taking names."

"No, Sin." Jack had genuine concern in his voice. "You have all done more than anyone could ask for me already. I'm one big cock up that attracts idiots and lunatics at every turn. I'm not asking you to take any more heat."

"Well, you don't have a choice. Those two are idiots and I'm a lunatic, so you're in your usual company. Besides, we already talked about it. None of us have anything to lose from this point, and there is a lot out there we can clean up."

Blake thought of Holly and hoped she had got his message to change identity and not return to the apartment. She was the only person in the world he cared for and he didn't want her involved in any of this.

Cindy outlined her plans for the GTX. She had some more of the skin coming for the GTX, promising the team she gave no indication what it was for, or that she had other people with her. It wasn't a hard story to sell, she had been alone for years, and the few who knew here were well aware of that.

The car would also get some stiffening in the comb-frame to take the extra weight of the plasma cannons she fitted behind the cab. The wiring was ripped out; Ping's job was to install a Biotronics system with the hardware they salvaged from the WT HQ before they blew the place up. After that, the GTX, or Wildebeest as Jack had now labelled it, was powerful enough to foot it with the Ferrari and Black Betty.

They had some loose ends to tie up as soon as they could. They didn't know where Loach was or what tech he managed to take, they didn't know who in the Government was working on Biotronics or if they were clean, and most of all they didn't know who the hell Tyrol was or what his agenda was.

"So what do we need for Blake's Wildebeest, Sin?" Jack said, while rubbing his hand over the frame.

"Well, do any of you knuckle heads know how to swing a wrench or turn on a computer?" she said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"I'm pretty handy with a plasma cutter and ion torch. I'm sure Blake knows what end of the hammer to hit his fingers with too."

"Right, well you two get onto making that bodywork fit around the hardware I've installed onto the frame. Ping is going to show me more of the Biotronics system so we can retrofit the Ferrari and Wildebeest."

"Ahh, that may be a little tricky, Sin," Ping said with a little apprehension.

"Why so?"

"Well, we need an interface that I wasn't able to get from WT HQ in time. Without it, we've got months of hardware and software to build and configure."

"Dammit, Ping. What the hell were you doing in there?"

"Umm, trying not to get my arse smeared across the floor by Tank's monkey arms or Seek's weapon."

"So what the hell do we need then?" Cindy's voice was sounding more agitated by the minute. She obviously wasn't used to working with other people, and needed some personal space.

"We need what the government have, my prototype quantum interface. I assume you have at least a basic D-wave mk3 amongst all this junk down here?"

"I've got an IBM Muon Type 2, bitch!"

"Holy crap, where did you get that from?"

"What the hell is an IB-something-moo-moo-or-other then?" Jack interjected with his best effort at caring so little for the current conversation.

"It's a piece of hardware the G had us tracking, and passed on to Osiris. It was stolen from the JPL facility a year ago, and has multiple interference quantum computation across six streams simultaneously, with the same effective computing power of the East Coast seaboard," said Blake staring at Cindy the whole time without blinking.

"Yeah, that's the one," said Cindy in a chirpy tone. "Got it cheap, fell off the back of a truck." She looked to Ping. "That enough grunt in the trunk, geek boy?"

"Yeah, that will do fine. Nothing like overkill if you're going to break into one of the most secure G facilities in the country."

"Daaaamn," said Jack, almost submissively, "Don't suppose I can convince you guys to make a run for New Zealand? Would be easier."

"Yeah, but then I'd have to sleep with sheep," said Blake, making a gyrating motion with his hips while making very bad sheep noises. He thought he was hilarious, but everyone just stared at him, then turned back to the conversation at hand.

"OK, Cindy and Ping can go and get their geek on with the biotronics. Blake and I will turn this into something that resembles a vehicle." He gave Wildebeest a kick.

As Cindy and Ping headed for the electronics on the other side of the floor, Blake turned to Jack and spoke in a low voice. "You think Ping is safe?"

"Don't know yet. I'm sure Sin will have him on a short leash. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, I'd be dead already if he hadn't bailed me out down the line."

"Yeah, it just feels a little funny."

"Not getting jealous he's spending time with your crush Blake?" Jack tried to bat his eyelids, but failed miserably.

"You look like a bloody retard. Now, what are we going to do with Wilder?"

"Well, Sin has all this fruit bolted and glued everywhere. In my experience anything with an edge or angle will get ripped off in a collision, so I think we should make some fairings to deflect any impact. They'll need to fold away to expose the weapons, so you can dig out some actuators or tri-blades if you can find them."

"Let's make this beast into the road-rapist it wants to be." Blake instantly regretting the lame phrase, but Jack paid no mind and started marking out lines on the frame.

Across the room Cindy started to drill Ping on the workings of the Biotronics system. How it functioned, what powered it, how to programme it, and so on.

"You don't get it Cindy, it's not a computer system, you have to stop thinking about it being a binary code, with electrons flowing, and logic gates, it's not like that. How the hell did you hack Betty if you don't know what it is?"

"I didn't hack anything, I tried but couldn't work out how to interface with it. So I picked up the signal outputs, overlaid them with a micro-electrical system, and manipulated them to scramble any sensors that weren't part of the system."

"Nice, you piggy-backed it to block me. Kind of risky."

"Yeah, I didn't tell Jack it was unstable. I didn't think he'd concentrate if he knew the interface he was hooked up to could go feral and scramble his neurons."

"We'll keep that between us huh," he said, following it up with a smile and a wink. Cindy gave a half smile and looked over towards Jack.

"You care for him, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. It's complicated."

"People always are, that's why I stick to nano-technology, biological circuits and theoretical physics. Much easier to understand!" They both had a chuckle. Jack looked over for a moment as Cindy glanced over again.

"So anyway, Ping, tell me what we're dealing with here."

"I'll give you the short version. The biotronics system functions by environmental and biological interfaces. Think of it like different organs in the body. They're not programmed like a computer, if your blood pressure drops, your heart pumps more, if your body is getting too much radiation from the sun, your skin releases pigments."

"Right, so if you don't programme it, you must grow components for a specific use then."

"Exactly, but it's more flexible than that. Different elements act in different ways, depending on how the links are made. We also build elements that function differently depending on the strength of the source input."

"That's what I don't get, how is it powered?"

"It's based on DNA and RNA structures. We modified the hell out of them, but it's the same skeletal design. The minute electrical currents required to maintain cell integrity and information transfer is scavenged from static electricity in the air, direct transfer from human contact, anywhere there is a potential difference. It's very efficient."

"So how do you build the system then?"

"That's what we need the interface from the Government for. It's like a glorified DNA sequencer that provides output matrices for the organic printer I grabbed. We can make the system as wire, sheets or three dimensional shapes. They have high elasticity and malleability, so can be directly bonded to other structures."

"Right, well I'll find where your kit is now, you get onto Betty and the helmet to stop frying Jack next time he uses it, God knows he needs all fifty of his remaining brain cells."

# Chapter 19

Osiris HQ was all but empty. Ox had sent everyone home for the afternoon. They had a huge amount of work to do, but he was told categorically by the Secretary they were on lockdown for the next six hours. There were only two people remaining on the floor, and right now neither of them wanted to be there.

Ox and Sophie were sitting at the board table in the secure debrief room. There were three holos at the table, the Secretary of Defence, the Chief of Police and a defence contractor who wasn't named. Ox was in the middle of trying to explain to the Secretary how they managed to lose their newest recruit and an assault vehicle in the same day, as well as arrive at a destroyed Wing'Tan building ten minutes too late.

"Sir, with all due respect, we were not charged to keep direct tabs on Autohacking groups, and Detective Corten passed all tests set by the ministry; he passed with no cause for concern."

"Well, Jules, I am concerned." The Secretary was at the point of yelling. "I'm concerned that you would even mention the ministry in anything to do with this bloody mess, and I'm concerned your super-psych sitting beside you couldn't pick a traitor that was crawling all over your facility for days!"

Ox tried to contain his rage. He could see this was all being pinned on him, and the way it was going he wouldn't be seeing daylight for the next 150 years or so, whether he had any control of the events of the last few days or not. He gathered himself and looked to Sophie who gave him a warm smile.

"Gentlemen, there will be plenty of time for a lynching later. Right now I think we can all agree we need to find our missing agent, rogue or not, and the other people associated with the carnage on the roads and destruction of the Wing'Tan facility."

"I agree. And to help you, Mr Solice will provide you with intel and hardware and be reporting to me daily."

"Who is Mr Solice and where is he from?"

"He is a suitably experienced contractor. That is all you need to know. This meeting is adjourned."

The three holos shut down and the room went silent. The bio-lights faded in, and Ox looked to Sophie. "What do you reckon Soph? On a one way trip to the big house if you ask me."

"I reckon you're a very talented and decorated soldier. I reckon you'll get your head around what's going on. I also reckon _we_ will find Blake, find the answers, and make the Secretary look good in the process, to save our arses."

The two of them stood and paused for a slight second looking into each other's eyes, before Ox turned to the door. As he walked through, Mr Solice was sitting on the couch at the entry. _The heller is fast_.

"Mr Solice, how nice of you to join us." Ox walked over and shook his hand. As he did, he noticed a tattoo of some letters, or something, on his wrist. There wasn't enough showing for him to pick up the writing, but it was Russian. _What the hell were the Russians doing here?_ "You already know my first name, everyone calls me Ox."

"I am aware of that Mr Oricks."

"And your first name?"

"Mr." There was a silence for a few seconds, neither of them moving their glance away from each other. Sophie stepped in.

"Mr Solice, we're working toward the same objective here, animosity and unnecessary tension will do nothing for us getting to the bottom of the problem."

He turned to her, and his cold stare turned in to a warm smile. "Peiter, my name is Peiter, Sophie, and I'm pleased to finally meet you." He walked over, gently took her hand and held it between his, before gently placing it by her side. "I assure you, I am not here to cause tension. But what you must be aware of, is that we do not know what has happened here. As far as the Secretary is concerned, any of you could be working with Blake."

"Assuming he's flipped of course."

"How long have you know him, Jules?"

"A few days, but I know people, Peiter. There is more going on here than we know."

"Well, certainly more than I know, so bring me up to speed. I want to know everything you have been doing for the last six months, your targets, your strategy, your end game. I need to know everything." Ox looked over to Sophie with a slightly concerned look. "If you're worried about clearance, call the Secretary."

"It's not that, before I spill my guts, I want to know who you are."

"I don't have to tell you jack. But, I have nothing to hide. Nothing you won't hack the first chance you get. I am the former Strategic Commander of what used to be the KGB. They officially disbanded a very long time ago, but unofficially we continued black-ops throughout the entire Economic Revolution. We saw the West fall, then the East, and realised your little country was becoming one of the most important economic and political centres of the world. So we started playing for the winning team."

"You turned on your country?"

"No, we just stopped propping up their allies. Russia was weak, the country didn't deserve the mantle it claimed. After China took financial control of the continent, it was obvious the status of the country was that of the poor cousin."

"And now you work for us?"

"No, we work for no one. We have all the money and resources we could possibly need. Think of us as a philanthropic society concerned with the well-being of the greater human race."

"Well, you sound like the Alphas."

"The difference is they're egotistical maniacs. We have control of our emotions. Control of our destiny."

"Sounds a bit airy-fairy to me, but hey, whatever floats your boat." Ox looked into his eyes, and let the edges of his mouth raise the slightest bit. "Now, let's get you up to speed, so you can share your wisdom on what the hell we do next."

"Do you have vodka?"

"For christ's sake, this is Aussie, I'd probably get court-marshalled if I _didn't_ have a drink here. Soph, grab the 42 Below, we've got a lot of information to get through."

Jules and Sophie spent the next three hours outlining the current political and social landscape in the region, who the big hitters were, what the communication channels were. They also discussed their theory on the Alphas and their ambition to political office, probably through creating anarchy and disassembling the current government. They never disclosed everything within the discussion, however. Some things were better to be bartered later, if necessary.

"Do you think they have the resource for such a thing?" said Peiter. He was curious about the whole idea of a group of connected socialites controlling such a strong economy. Even now, it was still the politicians who were the figureheads. Even if they were puppets, the marionette was nothing without them.

"Well, we know they have a lot of connections, mainly through their industrial operations, but they have key appointments in the ports, mining and technology sectors. They may not be there yet, but there is no doubt that they've grown bored of playing with street thugs and are getting serious. Staying incognito and using politicians to front them would give them continued anonymity."

"Tell me more about this Wing'Tan, and how Blake and Whip structured their operation." Peiter's conversation was broken by the external comm glowing. Jules looked down, it was a scrambled signal. He hit the receiver on open comm so everyone could hear.

"Jules Oricks."

"Jules, it's Blake. Don't talk, just listen." Ox put his finger to his mouth to ensure no one else made a sound. "I'm with Jack, the man accused of the assassination, and a techie from Wing'Tan. Jack is innocent of the attack, he was framed. The Wing'Tan techie has defected and helped us get out alive. We've been targeted by rogue Fed agents, and associates of Wing'Tan."

"C'mon Blake, for christ's sake, get in here, and bring them with you."

"Can't do it Ox. There are double agents in the agency and you know it. Hell, it's half the reason Osiris has no direct involvement with the agency or the force. I think you're clean, and I think I can trust you, but I don't know that. Until I do, I'm off the grid."

"Everyone is coming for you Blake."

"Let them. I'm not coming in until we know who set up the assassination, and who wants the Biotronics tech badly enough to murder officials and wage a street war to get the information they need. We'll be in touch." The comm went dead. Peiter, Ox and Sophie looked at each other for a few seconds while everything soaked in.

"Of course, he's probably making this up to cover his arse," said Sophie, matter-of-factly.

"Probably," replied Ox.

"Probably?" Peiter sounded concerned. "Need I remind you that he went rogue, stole a government assault vehicle, and is now associated with wanted felons. How much more probable do you want?"

"I want definite probable."

"Well, we need them, they're after the Biotronics tech, I suggest we look in the same places, tell me about it." Peiter sat back in his chair with his hands clasped.

Jules outlined what they knew about biotronics and the tech that went missing from their lab. He was certain the Wing'Tan were already creating end-use devices but wasn't sure what they were, as everything seemed to be destroyed in the raid.

As far as Jules knew, there were two techs in Wing'Tan they knew about that were involved in beta-development of the tech a few years back. Their handles were Ping and Loach. Blake had just advised that one of them, being Ping, was with him, but made no mention of Loach, which suggested they parted ways. This could be good news, but not if Loach made connection with the wrong people. They all agreed they should focus on finding Loach, while still maintaining a relationship with Blake, if for nothing other than to try to get close enough to grab him.

# Chapter 20

The interface device needed for Ping to make more Biotronics devices was in a tech lab up the coast. As far as Blake knew, the Feds weren't linking any of their activity to the Biotronics development, yet, so the security may not be as ramped up as it would no doubt be when they joined the dots. Osiris would no doubt be on to it very soon, so they had to move. Worst case scenario, they knew what the next objective was for the fugitives, and the device had already been moved. Either scenario would end in the team having to raid the facility, so they got onto it immediately.

Ping and Cindy were both remaining at the house, while Jack and Blake took the two functioning vehicles north. Cindy would be assisting in controlling the Ferrari's attack and defence systems remotely. Jack was tired of calling Cindy's vehicle 'the Ferrari' so officially renamed it 'The Coffin', for its lack of windows from the exterior.

The plan was still evolving as they drove, with Cindy hacking through Fed systems to get layouts for the facility, and Ping controlling the required satellites and ancillary systems from Wing'Tan the Feds still hadn't had time to find. They had a wealth of hardware available on that note, as most of Wing'Tan's hardware was under various pseudonyms of legitimate companies. Although the remaining members would be scrambling to get access to the gear and shift it, the truth was Ping and Loach controlled almost everything that had a circuit running through it.

Ping was activating a dormant microwave emitting defence satellite the Wing'Tan hid in LEO a few years back. "Damn it!"

"What's up Ping?" said Cindy in a flat voice, not looking away from her screen.

"Bloody, Loach."

"What, he's alive?"

"I guess so, unless there is another tech genius from Wing'Tan that arose from the ashes and commandeered a satellite no one knows about!" Cindy stopped and looked up at him, he wasn't grinning.

"Jack, its Cindy"

"Tell me something Sin, we're less than an hour out and open road all the way."

"One of the old Wing'Tan techs may be out snooping."

"Loach?"

"Yeah, seems he didn't go down with the ship. Wherever he is, he's got access to global systems. He's acquired a Sat that Ping was after. We don't need it, but it would have been handy."

"So he's out there looking for something too. Let's hope he hasn't found the Fed lab yet. He's an unpredictable bugger, he'd probably just as soon fry it as visit it." Cindy looked over to Ping, he gave a slight nod.

"OK, well we have a mil Sat roving and throwing signals all over the show, which will hopefully keep the Feds off us for a few hours. You'll have to make a smash and grab. I'm streaming the location and preferred access point of infil of the building."

"It's online now, we're hammer down." Jack flicked his comm off and dropped Betty down gripping and moving forward. As he went past 400, Blake started losing ground. The Coffin was damned quick, but had nothing on the bike.

The freeway from Sydney to Brisbane cut hours off the travel time. The B4 system cut even more off. Jack and Blake weren't on the B4 though, it wasn't fast enough, and if they were intercepted between off-load points on the B4, they were sitting ducks for an aerial assault.

Blake was moving at a little over 350, with little traffic ahead. It was a clear night, and the bright but hazed stars seemed closer when out of the cities. He looked over to the coast and could see waves crashing against the eroded land. At times the sea seemed to be lapping the road, it was only a matter of time before this section would be gone, unless the ice age everyone predicted kicked in first. Either way there would be no happy ending for a great deal of the remaining people on the planet.

"Blake, you there?"

"Yeah Sin, sorry, tuned out."

"No time for that. See the blue holo to your right, with what looks like a bunch of stars on it?"

"Yup, pretty!"

"It's a Sat map. In a few seconds it should change to red. Tell me if there is anything blue left on there."

"Um, I'm doing three fifty here Sin, give me a minute to slow a bit before I start playing video games." He took his foot off the pedal and engaged the speed limiter to 280 kilometres per hour, activating the proximity sensors in case he wasn't looking at the wrong time.

"Right, checking. I've got three blue stars Sin."

"They're Sats I don't have mapped. Tap them with your finger and they will be uploaded to my system here. Then I can tag them."

Blake tapped them, they enlarged momentarily. He looked back ahead and got on the comm. "Done Sin."

"Damn!"

"What?"

"They're not showing up. It means they're being cloaked. The only reason you can get them is my sensors triangulate relative star intensities in the local area. Short story, someone is messing with those Sats, and I don't know who they are."

"Sounds like a cock up in the making."

"Maybe. Tap the nearest Sats to each one of them and I'll tag them instead. If they are in geostationary orbit, I can still send signals to disrupt their comms."

"Blake, it's Ping."

"More good news?"

"Yes, actually. I've run an analysis on the lab activity in the last twenty-four hours. Nothing has changed, same power usage, same vehicle movement, no increase in comms activity. They don't know you're coming."

"That is good news. 'Bout damned time."

"Get to the RDV with Jack and we'll go through the best entry and exit points."

"Roger. Comms down."

Blake disabled the comm, and with it, half the fruit glowing up the vehicle. He took all of the aids and sensors offline and dropped the hammer. The boost was intense, Blake could actually feel his internal organs pushing through the back of the seat. "Holy crap!" he said to no one in particular as he went past 350, at 370 he levelled off when a few random lights started flashing across the windscreen. He was too scared to read them, but he figured they said 'dead man driving', or something similar.

An overlay came up on the windshield that had light and dark red patches. Blake soon found they were undulations in the road surface, the darker the deeper. After hitting a few pretty dark spots that nearly threw him off the road, he used the display to weave his way through the highway. The car was surprising responsive considering he was travelling about two hundred kilometres per hour faster than he usually drove.

He blew past an onramp from a small town. The sensors on the cop's car blipped and woke the dozing officer. By the time he looked, he could only see settling leaves and dust. Looking at the sensor, it read 372. He figured there was no point chasing, he'd just wander up after his nap and scrape whatever was left of the car off the cliff face. _Plenty of time, pleeenty of time_.

Fifteen minutes later Blake took the last freeway exit before Brisbane and pulled into the unnamed gravel road on his Sat Nav. He saw Jack step out onto the road, and pulled up behind some scrub.

"Hey slow poke, what did I miss?"

"Sorry, had to drop off your mamma."

"Cute."

"Well, Loach has commandeered some Sats in the area, Sin is trying to block them. There is no increased activity at the lab, so we'll have an easy entry. And the device is definitely there, Ping hacked the inventory logs, it's on a sub-level."

"So we walk in the front door, ask for the device and walk out?"

"Hopefully. Cindy is going to jam all comms in the vicinity, making it look like a severe atmospheric storm."

"She may not have to work hard, did you see the plasma bursts going off up the coast? It's going to get nasty later."

"Best we stop messing about then." The two of them pulled on their nano-suits and only armed themselves with the Timmys, they would be more than enough fire power, and hopefully not be necessary. They then put on Defence Ministry overalls with the bio-readers Cindy had cooked up for them. It wasn't foolproof, but if the signals were jammed in the area, it would be enough to get them in and out.

After a quick briefing to Jack of the entry area and requisite checkpoints, they headed off. It was only fifteen minutes to the facility, which was only itself fifteen minutes from Brisbane, but on completely unmarked roads. Ipswich was more or less a coastal establishment now, but was sparsely populated, almost everyone had moved on from the region after Brisbane was completely doomed to a fait accompli after the sea rose almost a half metre in less than fifty years.

Nonetheless, Ipswich had some resource and therefore a population, although not many would be aware of the existence of the Fed lab, it was a research facility, and they were questionable territory by the general public these days.

As Jack and Blake came to the first checkpoint, the two guards were busy slapping and thumping every piece of hardware they had. _Thank you Sin_ , thought Jack. One of them came out of the entry with his hand on his holstered weapon.

"What's your business?"

"We're with the agency, here to pick up a low-priority device from the facility."

"Low profile, in the evening, on a weekend?" The guard looked at him as though he believed Blake's first breath, but nothing after it.

"Look buddy, I'm a little wired, we've been driving all day, for god knows what, for god knows who. All I know is I'm missing my boy's birthday party because the fat-heads from above thought it would be fine to mess with my family life. I'm quite happy to turn around now and go back, you can explain it to them." Blake started to raise his window and looked over his shoulder to see if it was clear behind.

"Hold on mate, relax. We've had a crap day here too. Some bugger tried to get in earlier, all jacked up on something hard. Now we have comms down, so it's a little tense."

"Yeah, sorry, miserable days all round, not your fault." Blake smiled like he was on the same plane as the tired pissed-of minimum-wage guard.

"Looks like it. Let me scan your bio, and you boys can go about your business." Blake held out his tag, the gates opened and he drove on. Jack stopped next, didn't remove his helmet or speak, just lifted the flap on his overalls to show his tag. The guard scanned it and nodded his head across the gate threshold. Jack moved on and pulled up alongside Blake.

"So far, so good," he said, removing his helmet.

"We just passed the peasants, we need our full bag of rubbish to get all the way in."

"Oh, I'm full of rubbish," winked Jack. "Just like you." He put his helmet on Betty and walked towards the main entry.

The building had a large outer façade that was an optic-grid energy screen. It was used to prevent signal jamming. Blake looked a little concerned as they walked through it to the reception area. "Don't worry," muttered Jack, "if Sin hadn't had that covered, we'd have been shot or stunned by now."

They approached the counter. There was a single guard present with three holo-displays in front of him. They were stuttering as though there was static coming from everywhere. "Junk tech, what the heck is wrong with this stuff." He looked up to Blake and Jack. "Must be a hell of an electrical storm going on out there fellas, everything is getting messed up at the moment. What can I do for you?" He took his hands away from the displays and reached for his written log books.

Blake walked to the counter while Jack stayed a few paces back to cover the angles. "We're here to collect a device from lab five, on sub-level three." The guard looked at him quizzically, looking up at the clock. Blake quickly added, "It's late, I know, I'm pissed that we're having to come all the way up here. But when the captain gets a directive from the Secretary, he doesn't ask why, he just sends us out."

"Fair enough, scan your bio and fill out the log."

It all seemed too easy, but then these guys weren't exactly top of the food chain, and probably couldn't be stuffed with the hassle of asking questions that took them away from their HTV viewing. The guard gave them an access chip and pointed them in the general direction before turning back to cursing at the holos.

Blake and Jack walked down a corridor with continuous lighting on each side of the floor. The corridor was on a gentle downward slope and about forty metres long. By the time they got to the bottom they were definitely underground. At the entry to the lifts a voice came across in an even tone, "Please stand still, scan underway ... please stand still, scan underway ... please stand still, scan underway. Scan clear, please proceed." The door to the lift opened.

The lift seemed slow and noisy. Blake figured the facility had to be fifty years old now, and the lifts were probably originals. The door signal indicated "3", and the doors opened. From this point they had no idea what was in front of them, how many staff there were, or where the device exactly was. Ping described it as a black and silver box, about the size of a briefcase with what would look like veins on the outside of it. _Can't be too many of those here_ , thought Jack.

Plan A was to do a circuit of the labs, looking in any that were empty, and looking past the ones that weren't, trying to see what was in there. They were hoping there was no security and only scientists, they would be easier to subdue if necessary.

As they walked along the corridor, they passed a security guard dozing in a chair. He briefly looked up, but carried on his snooze when Jack flashed his bio. The first two labs were occupied, but looked like they had chemical equipment in them, not likely for a device that was a biological-electrical interface. The third was empty, and where the device should be. A quick look around came up empty.

They moved out and carried on to the next lab. There were two scientists in there, one sitting at a computer and one with what looked like a briefcase with veins plugged into a series of computer arrays. A holo in the middle of the room was streaming data of some kind, not important right now. Neither of the scientists had seen Blake and Jack.

"Right, this is it kiddo. You mark one, I'll mark the other. We'll try and bluff our way through it, but if they get too skittish we'll subdue them and take the case."

"No guns, we don't want collateral damage."

"They're scientists Blake, how much of a fight are the nerds going to put up?" He gave his best geek-boy facial, almost making Blake laugh.

"Game time."

They walked into the room, with Jack staying half way between the door and the man on the computer. He could still get a look up the corridor and be close enough to strike.

Jack gave a muffled cough and introduced himself as he walked to the scientist working on the device. "Excuse me sir, I am Agent Blake Corten." He showed his Fed ID to the scientist. "We have been instructed through the office of the Secretary of Defence to retrieve this device and return it to the Ministry."

"The scientist looked at him startled. "Excuse me, I think you have the wrong lab."

"I assure you we don't, sir; here is the order." He produced the documentation Cindy had made and passed it over. The scientist looked at it, then looked to the other scientist, before looking back to Blake.

Blake tried to maintain control over the situation. "Do we have a problem sir?"

"Well, we were told that this device was not to leave this table unless the Secretary himself was in the room."

"Well, you're more than welcome to call him if you want, I'm sure your career isn't that important to you."

"There is no need for threats, Mr Corten. Either way, our comms seem to be down at present. Curiously, at the same time you arrived."

"Curious. It is a bad night out there, must be atmospheric interference. Either way, the device is leaving with us. Please disconnect it now."

"Like I said, we were instructed not to move it." He took a few steps away from the table.

Blake stepped to the table in front of the device, as he reached for it the scientist swung an arm at him. Blake wasn't expecting the geek to have a go, so was caught off guard. He stepped to the side, but the edge of a hand caught his check, just enough for him to lose balance.

Jack saw the other scientist reaching under his desk, the rush of adrenaline kicked in his vision and he charged at the man, knocking him off his chair. He saw a blur of blue change to red on his right, it was Blake moving around the other man. Looking back to his man, he could see him standing now and in a martial arts readiness stance.

"Bloody geeks, huh, Blake," he said out loud. The scientist smiled and dipped his head. Jack moved towards him and got an expected volley of kicks, all of which he could predict. This muppet learnt how to kick, but couldn't fight if his life depended on it. Jack stepped back, blocking the first few, then crouched as a round-house came, punching the attacker's inner thigh hard with his right fist, followed quickly by a left arm elbow into his standing knee.

The man fell with a groan of agony. Jack immediately jumped forward and drove his heel into the shoulder, dislocating it. He then moved behind him and wrapped an arm around his chest, the other locking over and behind his head. He squeezed pressure to cut off the air flow, getting stuff all resistance from the dislocated shoulder. He looked up to see Blake.

The other scientist was facing the device about two metres away, Blake rushed him and shoulder charged him, as he lost balance he spun and grabbed Blake, pulling him down with him. The two grappled on the floor for a moment before Blake swung his elbow across, catching the scientist square across his jaw. A spit of blood flung off the side of his mouth as his head hit the ground. Blake stood and dusted his shirt off.

"Damned geeks," he said, wiping a drip of blood from the corner of his mouth. He went to the desk, unplugged everything and put the device in his empty backpack.

Jack pushed the unconscious scientist away and got up off the ground. "Right, out the way we came in?"

"Yeah, easy money huh?" He tapped the pack and slung it over his shoulder.

They walked out of the room and down the corridor, about half way down the guard was walking towards them, he nodded as they passed. Jack looked at Blake and spun to follow the guard. As the guard neared the room he saw the two unconscious men and reached for his pistol. Jack lunged forward and grabbed his hand, but the guard spun, swinging Jack away.

Jack came straight back with a front kick, round house into a spinning heel kick. They were all deflected, and as he lost sight for a moment mid-spin, the guard swept him. He crashed hard to the ground and looked just as he saw a knee coming at his face. He rolled to the side but was caught by a right hook. The impact felt like a sledge hammer.

He saw a blur of blue coming from the left and pulled his arm up, the suit absorbing the force of the impact. Another from the right, and he did the same. For a split second Jack could see the guard didn't know what had just happened, and it was all Jack needed. He grabbed the guard's shirt and pulled him own head-butting him hard, blood spurting from his nose. He pushed him up enough to open his flank and drove his knee hard into the guard's ribs. The momentum lifted him across to the other side of the corridor.

Jack picked himself up and looked to the guard who was on all fours panting. Jack spun and dropped his left knee to the ground, driving his elbow hard between the guard's shoulder blades. He fell to the ground, not a move. As Jack stood, he saw Blake about ten metres down the corridor, shaking his head and giving him a thumbs-down.

Jack walked over, trying to wipe as much blood away as he could. "Thanks for the help, arsehole."

"Meh, you looked in control. Kind of," he grinned. "Now clean yourself up, we won't get out of here with you looking like a bloody UFC fighter."

Jack walked back to the lab and grabbed some antiseptic wipes and cleaned himself best he could. He walked out, and they moved towards the lift. They passed the two occupied labs, but none of the scientists even looked in their direction. They entered the lift and pressed the main floor button.

As they walked out, there was the familiar voice. "Please stand still, halt, non-sanctioned device detected. Halt, stay still. Halt."

"Screw that." Blake started running down the corridor. The lone guard on the front desk looked at his holos, then tapped a few screens. Blake was moving fast, twenty metres away, ten metres away. The guard started turning and reached for his pistol. Blake dropped the bag, three metres out he saw the guard raising his gun and dropped down into a slide across the ground. His momentum carried him right through the legs of the guard. As he fell, his pistol fired, just missing Jack who was still only half way down the corridor.

The guard hit the ground hard on his face, but didn't move. Blake got up and started running for the door. Jack grabbed the backpack as he ran towards the front doors. The lighting in the foyer changed to a deep red, and a buzzer started ringing. A set of security doors started moving shut. They weren't going to make it.

Blake looked at the optic grid façade. It made a stuttering light show, then disappeared. Blake let out a huge scream and dove at the screen. If he was right, and Cindy had seen the alarm go up, she would have disabled the grid. If he was wrong, he would be vaporised.

He crashed through the screen, shattering like glass noodles, with Jack following right behind. They ran for the vehicles, not knowing what defences would be in place when the lab was on lockdown. Cindy would still have the comms disabled for another ten minutes to give them time to clear, so they were on their own.

# Chapter 21

Tyrol awoke to a soft hand rubbing his chest. Looking across he could see it was Viper, she seemed to be around him a lot more lately, which he wasn't entirely comfortable with. The parties were obviously starting to take control, as he didn't even remember seeing her last night. Nonetheless, she was nothing short of athletic, and had many hidden talents.

"Where did you come from?"

"Well some would say heaven, my love."

"Yes, and you've sent many more to hell."

"Well," she said, caressing his chest, "be thankful you're on my good side then." She started to slide across him, her naked body was so hot he thought she would catch fire.

"Wait." He pushed her aside and sat up in the bed. "Business first. I have a few loose ends I need to tie up. There is a certain group of people that are at their use-by date. I have others taking care of some of the concern, but need you to go and strike a couple of dickey birds."

"Agency or Government men?"

"No, off the grid types. May be handy with weapons, almost certainly have plenty."

"Quiet or noisy?"

"Doesn't matter, they're out of town, and no one will miss them."

"Two-hundred grand, and we stay here for the rest of the morning," she said, running her finger down his forehead, over his nose, and stopping on his lips.

"Deal." Tyrol tapped the privacy sensor on the bed post, the doors locked and windows hazed. He suddenly forgot why he had an issue with Viper as she threw herself on him and took complete control.

He woke to the sound of someone knocking at the door. Somehow he'd dozed off, understandable he assured himself, after the morning of intense exercise. "What?" he shouted in a clearly disgruntled voice.

"Sir, it's Xan on the comm, he wants to talk to you."

"Yeah, ok, tell him I'll flash him in a minute." Tyrol quickly got changed and went to his study. Looking in the mirror as he passed, his five foot ten frame looked a little less buffed than last night, nothing a few hours in the ring wouldn't fix.

He sat in his chair, tilted it back, and activated the comm-holo, Xan came up on the screen immediately.

"Good morning Tyrol, I trust you are well?"

"Indeed, and yourself?"

"Quite fine. It has been an eventful few days, and I am interested in your update of the situation with Wing'Tan, and our acquisition of the technology they were developing."

"Well, as advised, their base was completely destroyed. Seek and the woman named Trina are both dead. Two technical members got away, one by the name Loach, the other is Ping. It seems the group that attacked the Wing'Tan base were also after Ping. I have made contact with Loach, who has been very helpful with information."

Tyrol continued to tell Xan how Loach had placed a bio-tag on Ping, and tracked his whereabouts to within a twenty kilometre radius, which became easy to pinpoint as they were now out of town in a sparsely populated area. Loach, for his trouble, was to get financial support from the Ordained, and would continue to serve them with ongoing development of the technology. Once Tyrol had acquired all of the components, that was.

"Good Tyrol. You have proved to be a most resourceful brother, which I knew you always would be. I will talk with the other members about your deal with Loach, a mere formality, but I'm sure you appreciate the order of command."

"Of course Xan, I am but a cog in the machine."

There was a pause for a moment. After what seemed to be some careful consideration from Xan, he nodded. "So what are we to do with these renegades that attacked the Wing'Tan, and what will be their next move?"

"I believe it was their sole intent to obtain all of the technology for the project the Wing'Tan were working on, probably for financial gain. They also attacked a Fed facility last night."

"And do you propose to bargain with them for the tech?"

"Well we could, but I have another plan." Tyrol had a sly grin. "They are split into two groups at present, and so not strong. I have operatives currently tracking them, and expect to have them eliminated, and their tech with us soon."

"Excellent work Tyrol. If this tech is as powerful as our intelligence suggests, it will propel the Ordained to great power and strength. And you, my friend, will be revered among all Alphas as a true warrior of our way."

"Tell me Xan, what does this tech have that has everyone climbing over each other to get?" Tyrol knew exactly what they were after, but wanted to know if Xan would be 'on the level'.

Xan explained the basic principles of the technology, as far as they were aware. Most of the applications to date were around vehicles or weapons, as was the normal default-mode for any new technology. But what the minions around them were not considering was the practical commercial use for it. They had a two-pronged approach once they had all of the technology for themselves.

First, they were going to develop applications for mining, farming, harvesting etc that would increase efficiency and productivity ten-fold. The unfortunate side-effect of this though, was that they would engineer the tech to only last up to five years. They would then have to replace the items, and of course, only the companies of the Ordained could contract that. People would not _have_ to use their products, but the difference in productivity would have most of them bankrupt in a year.

The second approach was that of deep subterranean mining. This tech had the ability to be designed and developed to operate in environments that no electrical system could hope to function. It was well known that living organisms existed deep into the earth's crust. They would use various technologies of swarm-exploration, and subductive mining to release chemicals and minerals that were previously unreachable.

This was the extent of Xan's knowledge, as it had been passed to him, and Tyrol was suitably impressed. "Exceptional Xan. We will soon become the most powerful entity in the world."

"Yes, we will. There will be sacrifices along the way, and you will need to make many, as will we all. You must know that most of the people you are now involved with cannot know of any of these activities. Any leak of information of our activity will put our entire future in jeopardy."

"I have devoted my life to the Ordained, Xan. Any order I can fulfil, will be fulfilled."

"I am pleased you see this life as I do, friend." Xan cut his comm feed.

Tyrol leaned back in his chair, thoughts of fame and fortune swirled around his head like an intoxicating cocktail of pleasure and satisfaction. "Warrior," he said out loud. "I like the sound of that."

On that note, he got up and went down to the gym for a training session with his holo-trainer. Perfection is not only in the mind, but in the body.

# Chapter 22

Jack threw on his helmet and Betty fired up as he mounted. "Blake, you got me?"

"Yeah, we'll have comms while we got line-of-sight for the next while. What's the plan?"

"I was thinking of getting the hell out of here, how 'bout you?"

"Amen to that. I'll lead, the Coffin can take more of a hammering than that glorified penis you ride."

Blake started up and headed out of the car park, gunshots echoing from behind. It was the front desk guard, but they were already moving too fast for him to be a problem. As they started down the hill, there was a fairly clear view of the road, nothing so far, but it was the stuff they couldn't see that would be a problem.

As they hit the first switchback, Blake saw a turret thirty metres ahead, right on the edge of the road. The screen in the car flashed up with warnings, and an overlay appeared showing potential risks, the turret being the first. As it started firing projectile rounds, Blake swerved off the road and ran right over it.

"Sin's gonna kick your arse for that one Blake." Jack gave a laugh, broken by his concentration required to keep Betty on the road through the carnage.

"Gotta give you something to look forward to, other than the dozen other turrets the Coffin has pegged down this road; I don't wanna have to run over all of them."

"They must use some kind of proximity sensor, surely Sin has something in that thing to jam them."

Blake looked at the screen and saw another turret on the apex of the next switchback. "There is so much junk on this display, I don't know where to start." He tapped the screen and the turret glowed on the screen. When he was forty metres away, a Pulse cannon from the Coffin fired on it, the turret burst into flames instantly.

"The hell was that?"

"Dunno, but I like it. A lot!" Blake proceeded to tap the next three turrets, and as they powered down the long straight the cannons blazed the turrets with surgical precision.

Jack saw the next switchback coming up. Sitting at the end of it were two assault vehicles. He brought up the targeting system with TLM and painted multiple positions on both vehicles. As Blake passed, the vehicles opened fire on the Coffin. They had Electric-charge weapons designed to fry vehicle electronics, but the Coffin absorbed the energy and Blake swept around the corner and away.

Betty fired a salvo of darts at the vehicles tires, lights and vision screens as Jack was fifty metres out. He dropped the bike hard putting it into a power-slide and accelerated out of the turn. His visor came up with impact warnings, and he looked over his shoulder to see both vehicles bearing down.

"Blake, you there?"

"Yeah Jack, you got company?"

"Yeah, and I don't think they want to sit around and chat. On the next switchback, I want you to run thirty metres down the road and spin around. I'm going to come around and push the bitch as deep as I can." He paused, focussing on a bright blue flash coming at him; he swerved up onto the grass bank as a pulse blast whisked past.

TLM was going nuts with warnings. Jack wondered if it had some kind of targeting EMP bombs. His visor flashed "EMP spikes charged". He engaged them, and a pocket near the tail of the bike flipped and dropped five small glowing tubes. One of the vehicles ran one over and instantly went dark, swerving across the road and off the bank. Blake looked ahead and hit the brake as the vehicle busted through the armco, tumbling across the road in front of him. He spun the car and activated the pulse cannons.

The other attack vehicle had swerved around a few tubes and its light arrays stuttered, but it kept coming. Jack saw the corner coming, forty, thirty, twenty metres, he didn't slow, instead dropping his right knee and accelerating. The bike swooped, tail out, but didn't hit the ground. Jack felt it correcting the power delivery, and the handles twitching around him, the G's stacking up instantly almost made him vomit. Pulling out of the turn at 130 kilometres per hour, the bike corrected as he straightened and accelerated to two hundred by the time he got to Blake.

Blake turned as Jack screamed past, then looked back to see the chaser coming around in a less than glamorous rolling drift. He tapped the highlighted outline on his windshield and tapped again. The pulse cannon fired three shots just as the vehicle was straightening out. They hit simultaneously, the vehicle bursting into a huge fireball. Blake watched the burning wreckage roll off the cliff, glowing up the rocks and shrubs as it tumbled down.

He spun around and accelerated down the hill, catching the faint glow of Jack's bike disappear around the next corner, no lights on. _How the hell can he ride like that?_

Ten minutes later they met at the rendezvous point. Cindy had comms back up, and good news. It seemed that the facility wasn't well armed and their engagement had taken out the only defence they had in the immediate area. The Feds had squads out searching, but Ping was giving them ghost images all over the show, and was also calling in false reports of speeding vehicles heading all over the place. All they had to do now was play it cool, get back without any drama, and they could start putting the rest of the puzzle together.

So as not to draw too much attention, they agreed to drive back at a reasonably moderate speed. They had evasive measures should they be engaged, but didn't want to need it. The slow drive also gave them time to hear Ping talk about where the research was going with Biotronics.

There were a few areas of the technology Ping thought were most valuable for the technology. Primarily it was ideal for defence applications, as it could be configured to suit a wide range of applications, was resistant to EMP, and had multiple redundancies from the fact it didn't need to have a clear circuit path and could operate connected through a 'membrane'; therefore no need to worry about severed wires or bad solder joints.

Most of these attributes also lent the tech to the other main area he was interested in. The fact that it could also be engineered to be radiation resistant and solar energy absorbing with ninety-five percent efficiency, made it ideal for space exploration. Of course Wing'Tan didn't give a toss about being the next Captain Kirk (Cindy copped a barrage of abuse from Ping for asking who that was), they wanted exotic minerals. Asteroids were already showing promise for materials that weren't available on earth, and had excellent physical and chemical attributes.

"Yeah, but Wing'Tan couldn't afford that, could they?"

"No, Jack, you're right, not yet. They did have growing political connections and influence though, and not the least of which was through the Alphas. The tech would allow send and return rockets to mine near Earth asteroids."

"Wait," Jack interrupted. "Alphas? That Tyrol guy was an Alpha, I'm sure of it. You reckon he knows about the Biotronics?"

"It's possible. Seek and Trina had it top secret, but there is no reason they wouldn't discuss it, at least conceptually, with outsiders to gather interest and funding."

"That sneaky little bugger. I bet that's why he helped us. Get some terriers to snare the rabbit."

"Then shoot the dogs?" Blake added.

"Yeah, but that arsehole hasn't seen this dog bite," Jack said with a growing anger.

"I think we should take a step back," interjected Cindy.

"What, why do that?"

"Listen, Jack. We don't know Tyrol from a bar of soap, and rightly don't trust him. But he also doesn't know us. He doesn't know how many of us there really are, or how we're organised. Which gives us the upper hand."

"Keep going."

"Let's just play with him and see where it goes. He may be able to get us the people we need for answers about your set-up, and help clear you."

"Well if he sniffs the wrong arse, I won't be asking any more questions."

"Atta boy, action man; I love it when you talk tough." Cindy gave a giggle and cut her comm.

Ping directed them through the inland area, the coast road was ablaze with Fed and local cop activity now, so best they didn't try their chances. It meant with their lower speed the trip back would take around four hours. Both Jack and Blake were physically stuffed and asked Ping to find them somewhere off the main road for some food and drink. The Feds would be trying to work out their travel speeds and routes anyway, so the more they mucked about, the greater chance they wouldn't be looking when they slipped through the net.

They ended up a small town called Gravesend. Ping bored them for the next ten minutes detailing Gravesend's illustrious history as a farming community, and in later years bio-enhancement facilities for increased cultivation yields, not to mention the ever exciting industry of exporting clean water from the Gwydir River. Neither Jack nor Blake got the bonus points for spelling the river correctly.

They arrived in town, if it could be called that, to stares of disbelief from the locals. It looked as though the town hadn't changed in the last hundred years by the look of it, and Jack had thoughts of an old hillbilly movie his grandfather made him watch. It was called 'Delivery' or something or other.

"Hey Blake, you ever watch old fashioned movies when you were a kid?"

"Nope, my parents didn't believe in any of that rubbish. I was out being a boy solider, learning how to kill stuff."

"Dear God, whoever gave you a badge needs their damned head read!" The two of them laughed, it was the first real stress relief either of them had had.

"Hey Jack, this town doesn't look so bad, what say we just set up shop here. I'm sure there would be a few local girls we could court."

"Looking at the ugly buggers staring at us from outside that pub, I'd say the offspring won't hold a lot of hope."

They pulled up outside the local tavern, which had a tired looking holo advising happy hour now coincided with opening hours. _Bonus_ , thought Jack, _cheap beer and lovely locals_. Blake got out of the Coffin and closed up, activating the security. Blake just dumped his helmet on Betty, where the hell was someone going to go if they stole it? They were a hundred k's from anywhere right now.

They walked into the smoke filled room, old furniture scattered the floor, obviously contra-band was optional here. The two of them walked over old carpet, past older furniture. They had been in there ten seconds and Blake was already feeling sorry for himself. There were a dozen locals sitting around a large table who all looked over at the same time, their eyes focussed on Blake and Jack as they walked to the bar.

Blake turned to them. "It's OK, we're human." He beamed a smile and put his arms out, realising they both still had their nano-suits on. The men at the table shook their heads and turned to the table again. Blake looked at the bar, he tried not to look too hard, and lifted his hand when it nearly stuck to the surface. There was a rack along the back wall with more whiskeys than he had seen in a long time, most of them moonshine by the look of it. But in the middle, there it was, a bottle of twenty-year Glenfiddich.

He looked for a barman and saw a curvy body at the other end of the bar. She was facing away and had the most amazing arse wrapped in tight pants. He tapped the bar, and she turned. Blake had to stare for a second, she had long blonde hair, bright blue sparkling eyes and a stunning smile. He started to smile back, and he heard a grunt from his left.

"What do you want spaceman?" Blake's stare was interrupted by a clothed gorilla stepping into his vision.

"Uh, yeah. A single malt there for me and my friend."

"Sure thing captain. Eighty credits."

"What the hell? I wanted two glasses, not a case."

"Yeah, out of towner charge. You drive a flash car, you pay eighty."

Blake dropped a hundred on the counter. "Keep the other twenty for a shaver to sort that back of yours." The barman grinned showing both of his front teeth and not a lot else. As he turned back with the bottle, he saw Jack chatting to the bar girl.

"Hey, arse-wipe, leave my girl alone or you'll end up with a face like mine."

Jack looked over. The barman had lost almost all of his teeth, a dozen scars and what looked like a glass eye. "Hell buddy, you get run over by a freight truck?" Jack gave a smile and walked over. "Name's Jack." He reached his hand out. The barman just grunted and shoved a glass across the table.

"Chatty bunch here, huh?" Jack replied to Blake.

"Settle down sunshine, we're just here for a drink and to kill a bit of time, no need to start drama."

"Well we screwed that one up." He nodded across the room. Blake turned to see four men entering the bar and walking straight towards them. They were all around six foot tall and fairly well built, not body-builders, but definitely in shape.

"For Christ's sake, what is this, the Wild West?" muttered Jack.

"Dunno about geography, but you got the wild bit right." They both knocked back their whiskey and turned around to face the men, still sitting on their seats.

The four men walked straight to the bar, two each side of Jack and Blake. Jack saw most of the other patrons, including the sweet bar girl, all looking at them now. Something was definitely going to kick off soon, he could feel his heart rate starting to rise.

The man next to Blake ordered drinks, for the four of them, whatever the house ale was all round, then looked to Blake. "What can we get you mate?"

"Oh, I'm all right for now. Thanks." He glanced between the two men beside him, the guy on the far side was smiling like he had just won a game show jackpot.

"Well, that's not so polite. Usually when someone offers you a drink, you'd be insulting them not to accept." They stared at each other until one of the men from the other side broke the silence.

"Say, buddy," he tapped Jack on the shoulder. Jack's heart rate jumped and the nudge of adrenaline started changing him, the man's hand appearing slightly red as he withdrew it. "What's in the bag?"

Jack forgot he even had it on him. "Oh, nothing much, brought a picnic lunch. Y'know, apples and stuff." He tried to appear casual, but was tensing up for the impending fight. He didn't want to react too fast in case there was one last chance they could get out without causing a ruckus.

Jack looked at the bar girl. "Hey love, could you pass the pitcher of water, I've got a bit of a dry throat." She brought it over and put it in front of him.

"Mind if I take a look inside?" The stranger pressed on.

"Actually, I do, there's not really enough to share with everyone."

The stranger slowly rose from his chair, Jack and Blake followed suit, followed by the remaining three at the bar. The bar girl backed away, the barman ushering her out back. "Now listen here you lot." The barman sounded jittery all of a sudden. "I don't want no fight in my bar. Just go outside and sort your business there."

Jack looked over at him and grinned.

The next few seconds played out in slow motion for Blake. He grabbed the pitcher with his right hand and swung it around into the head of the man next to him. At the same time he grabbed the back of his hair and drove the remainder of the jug and the attacker's head into the bar, then pushed him straight back into the middle of the floor. The man on the far side of him started to reach into his coat as he registered what was going on.

Jack had kicked the chair of his neighbour hard into his thigh, causing him to lose balance forward, and in doing so hit his forehead on the bar. Jack used the momentum of his kick to push him into the man on his far side. He then jumped forward, raising his knee into the chest, but stumbled and tripped over the falling body onto the other stranger. The three of them were now in a heap on the floor.

Blake got to his second attacker a split-second too late, a knife came out and at his torso. It ricocheted off his suit, and the following stab stopped dead on his heart, but didn't penetrate. The sudden stop caused the attacker's hand to slide forward, cutting his fingers deep. Blake drove his elbow in an uppercut, spun around the attacker and hit him again in the back of the head with the same elbow, and then swept him by the legs flat on his face.

Blake looked up to see the barman with a sawn-off shotgun taking aim. He drew his gun twice as fast and shot at the barman. Blake swung to the side as he shot, not sure how, but looking down saw a shotgun ball fall to the ground from his flank. As he spun he saw the ricocheting shotgun pellets hit one of the men sitting at the table in the face. The impact was soft due to the brunt of the force taken by his suit, but was enough to look bad, all of the men at the table dived for the floor.

Jack heard the gunshot and looked around. As he looked back, he got a knee in the side of the head, then a punch from the other side. He was thrown over the attacker's body and rolled out of it, jumping to his feet. As he turned he saw a blue flash from his right, and ducked; he instinctively spun his right arm across in front of him and his forearm connected with the anticipated hook. Jack's momentum was barely slowed as the suit took the impact. He continued turning and wrapped his arm behind and around the attacker's neck, at the same time falling backwards, taking them both down. He heard a crack as he hit the ground and rolled off to see a blank stare beside him.

Blake rushed over and grabbed the last conscious man out of them, ripped up his sleeve and saw his Autohacker bio-pager. "Bloody Runners, Jack!"

"Yeah, figured that. How the hell did they know we were here?"

"I dunno, but we're gonna find out." Blake started dragging the groggy would-be thief out of the building.

Jack heard a noise from behind and turned with his gun trained on the barman. "You were missed once today arsehole, but that won't happen again." Jack had a cold stare that the barman took as legitimate. He slowly placed the gun on the bar. Jack walked over, not taking his eyes off him.

"Now." He was almost shouting. "Has _anyone_ here seen any of these four arseholes before?" He looked around the room, and people were looking at the floor, not making eye contact, a sure sign something was going down. He walked over to the bar girl and turned to get a good angle on the room.

His voice was tense and he could barely hold back from shouting. "I'll ask one more time. I've had a crap day, so don't _test me_. Has _anyone_ seen these guys before?" He looked to the ground, then raised the pistol and shotgun together.

One of the men from the table stood with his hands up. "Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat. "That one you draggin' out came in a few minutes before you. Told us all to shut up while his friends arrived, and we'd all get two grand each."

"Did he say why?"

"No, just said you were fugitives, and they was agents."

"He was half right. We are fugitives, but they aren't agents. They're runners come bounty hunters, and you don't want to meet their boss. I'd suggest you all go home, and pretend you weren't here." He turned to the barman and girl. "I'd suggest for your own safety you say we came in with helmets, attacked these men and left without you seeing us. Understand?" They both nodded.

Jack walked outside and saw Blake tying the man to a post, sitting with his legs out front. He got up and turned to wink at Jack. "Get what you want?"

"Almost, except this buggers' boss." He kicked the man in his calf, causing him to wince at the pain.

Blake walked up to him and pulled out a short curved blade. "Right arsehole, you have one chance to tell me who your boss is, or you'll need an eye transplant in the morning." He raised the blade to show him he meant business, then whispered in his ear, "Just a name."

The now lucid man looked at the knife and mumbled, "I don't have a name."

Blake turned the knife and slowly touched it to his face, dragging it to his ear, leaving a faint cut that was more to intimidate than hurt. "What do you have?"

"He's an Alpha. Runs Autohacking. It's where he found us. Said twenty grand each to bring the bag in."

"What does he look like?"

"Don't know, didn't see him." Blake moved the blade right in front of his eye, the man started shaking. "Accent, he had a dickey accent. And he was from the Twin Cities."

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Blake stepped back, and Jack came from the side, launching his boot into the man's temple, knocking him into an unconscious lump. They both turned to each other.

"Tyrol?"

"Has to be."

"How the hell did he know we were here?"

"He was either tipped or we're tracked. Either way Cindy or Ping were involved."

Blake looked concerned. "If it was Sin, she's been duping the both of us for a very long time."

"And if it was Ping, he saved my arse only to try and get it shot off again."

They decided to play it out, as there was stuff all they could do until they confronted them. Besides, if someone hadn't already called the cops, they soon would. They decided to split up to get back, it would be less attention, although their vehicles were hardly discrete.

# Chapter 23

Jules's comm lit up, waking him from his sleep. He was surprised he'd dozed off.

"Ox, it's Blake."

"Well if it isn't Robin bloody Hood. I assume it's you I thank for taking a piece of extremely high value kit from the lab up-coast?"

"Hey, we didn't kill anyone, and believe me, you'd rather it be in my hands than the other guys we ran into on the way back."

"Excuse me if I don't give you a hug."

"Yeah, well I need you to be on the level with me. Did you know _anything_ about what Wing'Tan were really up to, or their links to the Alphas?"

"Two things boy. First, I'm disgusted that you would think I had anything to do with those criminals. Second, I don't have to get on any level with you. As of now, you're on the other side of the fence yourself."

"Ox, we're going to get nowhere if we keep beating the crap out of each other. Can we meet, off the record, to talk?"

"Where are you?"

"On the road, I can meet you in one hour. I'll drop you the co-ords."

"What says I don't just have you picked up?"

"Because I have something you want very much. I have an Alpha."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I know who is behind the Autohacking, and I'm getting proof of their involvement in the assassination of John Mac. They may also be donkey-deep in the tech that the WT were cooking up."

Blake cut his comm signal and called Jack. "Yo, cowboy, you got any heat?"

"Nope, plain sailing."

"Right. You get that device to the others to start setting up. I have a feeling we'll need all the weapons and armour we can get for what's coming."

"I hear that. Where are you?"

"I have to make a detour."

"What the hell? Where to?"

"I'm meeting my old boss from Osiris."

"For Christ's sake Blake, you are _not_ doing that. Get your arse back to the house." Jack was shouting through the comm so hard Blake could swear he felt spit on his ear.

"Listen to me carefully. We currently have the Feds and cops from two states after us. We are biding our time, and I don't know how much we have. Do you _really_ think we can fly under the radar permanently?"

"So what, your boss is gonna call off the heat, reinstate you, and declare me innocent?"

"Well I'm not flipping if that was your point. I think Ox knows a lot about what's going on, and I think he will have a lot of resource to help. At the very least I'm going to try and convince him to open corridors for us so we can do what we need to without too much hassle from the Feds."

"And what makes you think he'll do that?"

"I said at the end he will have Tyrol, and the tech."

"This isn't a good idea."

"Just make sure Ping and Sin both have a good lock on me and the Coffin. If I get lifted I don't want to be alone with them too long. Feds don't play nice with agents that jump the fence."

Blake chose to meet Ox in the new city. There was a risk he would be picked up before he got to the meeting place, but he was careful, only taking secondary roads, checking tails, occasional double backs. The car was getting a fair bit of attention, but he was only planning on being there for an hour, two at the most.

As Blake drove along the top deck of the multi-tier urban interchange, he could see the entire lot of where he was to meet Ox. He had the Coffin running scans for tracking signals, but it came up clean. He could see Ox parked at the far end, near the abandoned processing factory. It was a heavily overcast day but no rain yet. He could see the clouds glowing at times, the dance of the fire-balls no doubt in force high above.

Pulling into the lot, Blake activated his signal jamming, he wasn't going to take any chances with Ox. He parked about twenty metres away and slowly got out, not taking his eyes off Ox. As he stepped forward he pulled his weapon in one swift movement, training it on Ox's face.

"Put that away Blake. If you really want to talk, you won't need it." Blake slid the gun into the holster on the suit in one swift movement. "Nice costume by the way." Ox chuckled to himself.

"Thanks, it's got more tricks than your mamma, and is bullet proof, so don't get any ideas."

"It appears you have yourself some creative company, making fancy suits, fancier guns. Let's not forget stealing government property, oh, and killing a senator. Where do you want to start?"

"Let's try the beginning shall we. I haven't turned on the government. We took the device from the lab because if we didn't someone else would. We believe another techie from Wing'Tan survived the attack, and is now negotiating with an Alpha named Tyrol." Blake had to give Ox something to claw back a little trust, he figured a name was a start.

"Tyrol, huh?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"He was one I was looking into. He pledged a fair bit of money to the Agency for alternative technology development. He seemed a little too interested in what was going on."

"When was that?"

"About a year ago. We think he was getting off his inheritance and striking out to make his mark. Then a few weeks ago we got a tip he was associating with Xan."

"Who is Xan?"

"No one to you right now. So why do you think you are a better custodian of the tech than the Feds?"

"I think we just proved it didn't we? The Alphas will only want it for their own personal gain. It is extremely powerful technology. Biotronics will change the way many industries operate, and who knows what else."

"But it's only just being discovered and understood now."

"By the Government, yes. Wing'Tan had two techs that originally discovered the interface that led to the box you boys had, but that was only the beginning. They were developing at ten times the pace of the Government. They had working prototypes of interfaces, sequencers and printers."

"So bring it in. C'mon Blake, you and I both know that's the end game, and anything you do between them will only make you look even guiltier."

"Not yet. We need proof of the Alpha's involvement, and we need to clear Jack's name."

"How well do you know these people Blake? Are they worth throwing away your life for?"

"I don't see it like that Ox. The Agency is corrupt, the police are corrupt and you know it. It's guys like this Tyrol that are screwing up our entire justice system, and society while they're at it. I can't get to him as an agent."

"So you're going to try it as a renegade? A fighter of truth? A vigilante?"

"Call it what you want, but I've had enough of those pricks destroying lives as though it was a game."

"So you and a few crooks are going to take on the resource and power of the upper echelon of our society. I don't like those buggers any more than you do, but I can't see it happening."

"We could always use some help." Blake looked Ox in the eye and opened his hands out. "The Alphas are onto us now I think, but they don't know we're onto them quite yet."

"Look, even if, and that's a damned big if, I wanted to help you, there's no way I could. The Government has the Agency and Osiris locked down tighter than a ducks arse. If I so much as cough in the wrong direction they'll be all over me, much less giving you hardware and intel."

"I'm not asking you to put your life on the line. I'm just looking for allies."

"Well you have one here, in principal only. The best I can do is throw out a few false leads, try and keep the heat off. But it won't last long. If you have a plan, you better be putting it into action." Ox gave Blake a subtle nod, then turned away to go to his car. He paused and turned back.

"Hey, get one of your goons to look up a bloke named Peiter Solice."

"Friend of yours?"

"Don't think so," Ox said, turning to walk away again.

Ox took the long way back to HQ, he needed time to think. The right thing to do would be to tell Sophie and Peiter about his meeting. But who was it "right" for? The government, the people, himself, or the Alphas? And who the hell was this Peiter guy? It seems awful convenient that a freelance industrial intelligence operative came to the aid of the Feds, at the same time the Alphas were trying to secure this new technology.

One question at a time. He needed to work through them, mold some semblance of reason and rationale to the situation. Then, and only then, would he move. His emotions would betray him, but at the same time they were his greatest asset. He needed Sophie to help structure his thoughts. She knew the agency and government, as well as anyone. If there was a pattern or link to anyone he could get to for information, she would find it. She may also have a plan of how to deal with Peiter.

He found himself thinking more about Sophie these days. They had once had a moment, a while back. It was after a few drinks, discussing how Osiris was going to be the saviour of the country, how they were going to use truth and honesty to destroy the charade that had become the justice system. It was ideological dreaming, fuelled by a late evening and a few too many drinks. They both finished their drink at the same time, the bar was empty, there was some old love song playing in the background. As Ox took his glass from his mouth he looked at Sophie, and she was staring directly into his eyes. They paused there for a moment, before the song ended and some ghastly modern beat shook them into the present. Neither of them had talked about that moment since.

But now was not the time for reminiscing and romantic speculation, he needed his game face on. Peiter was balls deep in the chase for Biotronics technology although he wouldn't admit it even if pressed, this was after all his game. So for now Ox was going to keep the trail of the tech as cold as possible. At least now he knew where it was, and as much as he wanted to kick Blake's arse for all the strife he'd put in his life, he had a feeling he could trust him, on some level at least.

Pulling into the car park at Osiris HQ, Ox couldn't help but feel this was no longer home. The events of the last few days were almost too much to process. He had lost one of his best agents, another had gone rogue, his agency was now observed by an ex-spook from Russia, and he also found out that some speculative tech they were nudging around the edges of discovering was actually fully functional.

He walked across the empty car park to the lift and waited for the scan recognition. Even the lift seemed alien all of a sudden. This world he and Sophie had created was slipping away, he could feel it. He felt violated by the presence of Peiter, and betrayed by the Secretary for putting him there in the first place.

The doors opened to the main floor, the bio-lighting illuminating the first half of the office. As he walked through the office, the lighting followed him. He looked to one of the main comms consoles and saw Peiter standing there with a tapper.

"Afternoon Jules, just catching up on some of the last communications in the building."

"Uh-huh."

"Nice drive?"

"Sure. Just putting things together. The office gets a little claustrophobic at times."

"I bet it does. Can't be easy with all of this interference and intervention."

"We're all on the same team, right?" Jules raised his eyebrows and nodded towards Peiter. The subtle challenge was not missed.

"I hope so Jules, for all of our security. Tell me, there was no untoward activity from anyone on the main floor. Of course I can't check your office, you have an encrypted internal line."

"Yes, it stops scum bags eavesdropping and using information against me."

"I am pleased you take adequate precaution. Well, looking at this I see no reason not to get the rest of the team back on deck. For now we will set aside our information gathering on Wing'Tan, it seems a little redundant. I want a focus on this Tyrol character, and any links we can find to Biotronics."

"OK, I'll have the team back in first thing for a briefing. Will you be heading the investigation?"

"No, I am just an observer, remember. And I'd appreciate it if you kept my details to a minimum, please."

"Right." Ox figured it was probably in case one of their spooks recognised his name from old files. Not that Peiter Solice was likely to be his real name. Ox had decided he would get a few of his operators to do a bit of under the table snooping about the guy.

Ox walked to his office, Sophie was there as he had asked. She was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed high, and a glass of water in her hand. He checked out her legs as he walked past, and got caught when he looked up and saw her looking right at him. She just raised an eyebrow and went and sat at his main desk. Ox walked around to his chair, put his coat on the back and sat in it, almost slumping.

"Weight of the world on your shoulders there Jules?"

"That obvious is it?"

"A little. So you mentioned that you've been doing a bit of soul searching out there. Ready to fill me in?"

"Yeah, there are a lot of pieces to fill in too. Blake passed all of your tests, was a model agent and seemed a very staunch proponent for truth and justice. So why would he flip and join a convict?"

"Well, I'm guessing you came to the point that there are two possible conclusions. Either he was offered a large monetary incentive or blackmailed."

"Yeah, but I don't think he's a money man, and he doesn't have family ties, part of the reason we hired him."

"So that leaves the second possibility. That he knows something we don't, and he's actually on the right team."

"Right where I got to Soph. It just doesn't add up that he would flip. Am I being sentimental and generous with my consideration of his innocence?"

"No, it's the same conclusion I came to earlier, I needed to know if you saw it the same way." Sophie smiled in a way that made Ox feel a little warm inside. _For christ's sake, stop acting like a school boy_ , he thought.

"So next on the list is this runner, Jack. He's got a chequered past, but was an excellent soldier, and was marked for future tech development positions. You don't get that easily."

"And the only reason he was dishonourably discharged was because he knocked out his CO, who was shagging his wife. Some would call that justifiable."

"Even though he went off the rails after that, he never did anything more serious than DUI or street brawling. Hardly the pedigree of a professional assassin."

"I don't think he was the assassin either, Ox. Between the precision of the hit, and the fact the Blake is with him, it just doesn't make sense."

"But it does make sense that Mac would be hit by disgruntled Alphas." Ox paused for a minute to gather his thoughts. "They would have the resources, and the balls, to go after him. I'm not just being a green-eyed monster, you know they've done it before."

"I know. I'm not seeing you as jealous of anyone Ox, you're one of the most sensible and reasonable people I know. This Tyrol man seems to be making some ripples in the pond lately, but he wouldn't co-ordinate a hit like that himself, he'd use an outside contractor."

"So lastly, that brings us to Peiter. He's _exactly_ the type of guy that mixes with Alphas. It seems awfully coincidental that he turns up just after Mac gets hit, and in time to call in our team to find the Biotronics tech."

"He was called in by the Secretary."

"Maybe he has something on him. The man does like a bit of the nasty-nasty with borderline clientele."

"Jules, keep it out of the gutter. It's beneath you."

"Yes dear. Anyway, as I was saying, if Peiter is after the tech, we need to keep a close eye on him. I'm sure whatever he's planning will happen fast, and he'll be a ghost."

"I'll keep close, draw suspicion from you." She saw the mild shock in his eyes. "Don't worry Jules, I'm not really into Russian agents with dreams of world domination." She smiled, put down her glass, and left the office.

# Chapter 24

Viper could see the house through the trees. She had been lucky to find it, the tracer Loach had put on Ping was a very low emission device, five hundred metres either way and she wouldn't have picked it. She pulled her comm device from her sleeve to advise Tyrol of the location, but the signal was being jammed. She decided to proceed instead of going back to advise him, there were only one or two of them to take out, and she could call in Tyrol's lot to clean up and clear the place afterwards.

She made a full circumnavigation of the house to see what sensors were active and what activity was going on. Her probes were giving back false readings, she expected as much, but had her own counter measures to at least hide her own presence. The house was surrounded by heavy tree and foliage on three sides which was good, but the ground was slightly elevated, and there was a clearing around a good part of the house, not good for cover. The remaining side was cantilevered over a river and not far from a cliff. She decided that was the best entry area, there was likely to be ventilation ducting under there to make the most of the air flow around the river.

Ping and Cindy were inside taking a break from the Wildebeest. Ping had just got off the comm with Blake. "Sin, Blake and Jack have been in contact."

"Good news?"

"Kind of."

"Blake met with the head of Osiris, and he was pretty pissed."

"I would be too."

"Yeah, well he thinks he may have gotten through to him. No guarantees, but he let him leave, which probably says something in itself."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, he mentioned a Peiter Solice, but didn't give any other info about him. I'm going to have a snoop and see what I can find. Jack is on his way back. He said Betty was playing up a bit so we'll have to run a diagnostic when she gets back."

"The way he treats that bike, I'm surprised it still goes."

"Believe me, Betty can take more than any human can throw at her."

Viper could hear two muffled voices from above. She checked her signal jammers and infrared cloak were active, the only thing that could see her now was a pair of eyes. She skipped across the rocks along the river edge, looking for an entry point. As she peered around a corner she hit the jackpot. There was an open window at about waist height. As she moved under it there was a strong chemical smell, it had obviously been left open as the small extract vent beside it was doing overtime and couldn't have been clearing the odour fast enough.

Using a micro-bot, she activated the sensors and checked for anyone in the room, Tyrol really did have some next level toys to play with. There was no movement, but a detection of biological activity. It wasn't human, and wasn't moving. She peered in ever so slightly looking for a dog, but looking around she saw nothing but machinery, storage boxes, and the ugliest vehicle she had seen in a while. The signal was coming from a machine in the corner of the room, it must have been the equipment Tyrol mentioned recently.

She kept close to the walls and moved from cover-point to cover-point. There were cameras, but they were fixed position and easy to get around. Obviously this person didn't expect anyone with half decent skills to be snooping around the house. Her seismic locator picked movement to the top left corner, same location she heard the voices, nothing else going on.

Moving slowly, she stopped often to check for sound or other movement. It took about ten minutes to get to the end of the hallway that seemed to open out into a large open-plan living space. When her local sensors confirmed there were only two people in the room, she walked straight in and saw the two of them sitting at a dining table covered in computer and electronic equipment.

"Sorry to intrude." Viper let her presence be known with a flat and almost apologetic tone.

Ping and Cindy spun to the sound, startled and taking a few moments to register what was going on; Cindy immediately reached for a pistol across the table.

"Try it, bitch," Viper said before firing a shot in the gap between Cindy's hand and the pistol, making her recoil and nearly jump out of her seat.

"What do you want?" asked Ping in a steady voice.

"Well, long term I want fame, fortune and a yacht, but right now I'm going to settle for killing the two of you."

"Figured as much, you look familiar, you do hits for Alphas don't you?"

Viper took a half step back and looked at him quizzically. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, I know an Alpha who is looking for something we have. It's only a matter of time before he sent someone. I'm honoured that it is you Viper, you're not cheap."

She gave a slight grin and trained her gun on his head. "Any other insights before you die?"

"Just one. I assume it's Tyrol?" She nodded. If she was surprised by his knowledge of this she didn't let on. "The bit I can't understand is why he would leave it to a borderline psychopath to do the job?"

She became visibly enraged by the comment. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about, arsehole!"

There was a dull 'thud, thud', and Viper fell to the ground. Jack was standing at the end of the hall behind her.

"Took your damned time, Jack. I thought that bitch was going to shoot me."

"Lucky she didn't see you flick on the open comm, or you both would have been dead."

Jack walked over to Viper and kicked her onto her back. He went through her pouches and pockets removing all of the electronic devices and put them on the table. "Go through this lot and make sure there are no devices transmitting signals. Then we better get Blake here and have a debrief on what's gone on."

"I'm surprised at how fast Viper managed to find us," Ping added.

"Yeah, we better go over her tracks and make sure there are no 'care packages' or tell-tales for anyone following."

"And I better sort out this security." Cindy sounded a little depressed about the idea. "There goes another half-mil."

"Don't worry about it Sin, I've got codes to a bunch of Wing'Tan accounts. I think it's about time we went on a little raid. In the name of retribution, of course!" Ping rubbed his fingers together and smiled at the thought of some freed up money for more toys.

"Right Ping, you get onto that, I've got a few contacts to track down to see where this tech came from that our little visitor was carrying."

Jack sat at the table and shaped his hands in a triangle, contemplating. "Guys, there is no way Viper found this place by chance. There has to be something either someone isn't saying, or a tracer on one of us."

"Damned Loach!" Ping jumped out of his seat. The other two were startled by the excitement in his voice.

"What about him?"

"He was damned about with a low energy personal tracking device. It was a nano-fluid you could tip into a drink or put in a capsule. I bet the prick put one in either you or me, or both of us to test it." He looked at Jack.

"So how do we find it?"

"It's in our bloodstream, but only lasts a month. Still, that's plenty of time to have another couple of dozen assassins sent out. It operates on a specific ultra-high frequency that is not normally used. It helps for being hard to pin down, but severely limits the range."

"So can we eliminate it or block it?"

"We should be able to block it if I can find the general range of the emitting frequency."

"I've got some micro-jammers in the workshop." Cindy got out of her chair about to head for the hall. "Find that frequency Ping and I'll calibrate them."

The phone Jack had been given by Tyrol started to ring. Everyone was quickly moving around the table; Jack put his finger to his lips to stop their talking.

"Tyrol?"

"Afternoon Jack. Everything well?"

"Peachy Tyrol. Had a little pest problem earlier, bloody snake in the house. Got the little bugger though. Hard to kill some of them though, know what I mean, squirmed a bit."

"So sad innocent animals have to die when they stray off course." Tyrol hid his anger well, or so he thought.

"Yeah, but screw it, if it's them or me I'm not going to lay down and take it, know what I mean?"

"Indeed. So, Jack, I have a little job I want you to do for me. It's a witness to your assassination actually. He is intending to give evidence upon your arrest."

"And why do you care about me getting arrested?"

"Come now Jack, you are a resourceful man, and I need resourceful men more than you might expect. You have shown your worth on the Wing'Tan HQ hit, now is the time to make some money with your skills."

"What did this guy do to piss you off?"

"Let's just say he's a competitor in a venture I've started up. He's looking for some early development assets, and I really don't want him to get them.

"So I help you, to help me?" Jack's tone was as sarcastic as he could make it, but sounded clumsier than anything, which pissed him off.

"Precisely. You remove this man, the case against you is on the brink of collapse, you make three hundred grand in the process, and I have a nuisance of a competitor out of the way. Deal?"

"Deal. Send me the details."

Jack disconnected the call, and looked up to see the others all looking at him. "So, it looks like we're hit men for the Alphas now."

"Rubbish," Ping was visibly agitated, "you better have a rock solid plan."

"Well, it appears that Tyrol has some competition, I'm guessing for finding the Biotronics gear we have. This guy is apparently also the key witness to my assassination set-up. I take him out we both win."

"But you won't," said Cindy. Jack wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement.

"Of course not. We're going to lift him, find out what he knows, package him up, and send him to South America or somewhere like that to get him out of the way for a bit. It will give us a little more time to work out how we're going to tackle this Tyrol character."

"OK, sounds good," Cindy sounded relieved. "We've got some work to do on the Wildebeest and these locators; we should get to work."

They heard a vehicle approach the house. Cindy looked up on a monitor on the wall. "It's Blake, better give him a heads-up on what's going on. And someone get this bitch out of here." She kicked Viper as she walked past.

Ping looked at Jack and shrugged his shoulders. "Female rivalry," he suggested before following Cindy to the basement.

Blake entered the house to see Jack wrapping the dead body in a blanket. "Been busy I see. What went on here then?"

"Little visitor courtesy of our friend Tyrol I believe."

"I take it she wasn't here to give you a way out?"

"Kind of," Jack nodded over to the bench with her surveillance kit and weapons.

"Damn, she wasn't messing about huh?"

"Well, we got off lucky, this time. I think we need to sort out security and defences here, and also scatter our entry points to the property to reduce the amount of sign."

"Good idea. So care to enlighten me on the last few hours?"

Jack went to the fridge and grabbed two beers, passed one to Blake, and sat at the table. He recapped the recent events, how they knew it was Autohacking runners that hit them at the pub, and that it was a high-end assassin that tried to hit the house. It was all pointing to Alphas, and Tyrol was number one on their list so far. Jack was sure now that Tyrol knew that they held the Biotronics, and a techie that knew how to use it. The question was, would he leave it to them to play the game at their pace?

They now had three leads they had to follow. First, Senator Mac was taken out for some reason. Second, Tyrol was getting them to run errands for him, obviously trying to tie up his loose ends, but was his end game only getting hold of Biotronics tech. Third, Peiter Solice was named by Oricks. Was he linked to Tyrol, or some other party trying to get to the tech, or just a concerned international negotiator and trouble shooter?

The two of them went to the basement to see how the progress was going with the Wildebeest. It was starting to come together. It looked like half of the chassis had been covered in a dark green shrink-wrap, which Ping advised was a platform for the biotronics circuits. He was laying thin strands all over the shrink-wrap, then spraying over what looked like liquid mask, which it apparently was. Once it cured it was half the strength of steel, could withstand temperatures between -50°C and +250°C.

"So how does it all work Ping, I mean, do you plug it in? Maybe solder it together?" Jack made a hand gesture as though he were soldering, which got odd looks all-round.

"No, nothing like that. The end-points, whether they are motors, sensors, displays, or anything else you can think of, have an interface that the sequencer formulates. That's why we needed it. The translation allows signals within the membrane to be interpreted and used for either input or output."

"And all those strands there are like electrical wires?"

"Kind of, but more like neural pathways. They're not actually linked to anything yet, once the system is complete, we 'jump start' it by inducing an electric current."

"Like a defibrillator?" added Blake.

"Yeah, that gets a current moving, and the pathways start making node connections like neurons in a brain. The beauty is, just like the brain, if one pathway is broken, there is always another one there."

"So basically I'm going to be driving a big-arse brain, covered in heavy armour, and enough weapons to level a small town?"

"Yep, you gettin' hard yet?"

"Kind of, yeah." Everyone had a good laugh, before Cindy reminded them of their timeframe. She was right, of course, so they got back to work.

While Cindy and Ping were finalising the install of the vehicle systems, Blake completed the cladding and cowling sections. They were then coated in the skin that Cindy had sourced and plasma-welded into place. They all stepped back and looked at the completed vehicle. The Agency's GTX armoured assault vehicle was now a vague remnant of its former self. The basic shape was there, but the cab was now pushed to the front, and the deck area behind the rear screen was extended to allow for the armaments.

The top of the Hellcat plasma tubes were just visible above the side cowling on the deck. When they rotated into position they would be outside the chassis on each flank. There were projectile launchers on the front and rear panels, all high velocity with explosive tips. But the main function of the Wildebeest was providing physical mass. Although they had stripped most of the guts of the frame, it had been retro-fitted with strengthening to the main sections, and now weighed twice that of an average vehicle.

"Well," said Ping in his best effort at a bright voice, "If the intention was to intimidate, I think we nailed it!"

"Yeah, we managed to make it look as ugly as Blake, and the size of his mamma," Jack added without pause.

"You're such a child, Jack."

"Call me Peter Pan, geek-boy. So, we have everything together now. I suggest we get some rest; this evening is going to be eventful I think."

"Good idea, Jack. God knows I could use a few z's." Cindy walked out of the room, with six eyes following her arse up the stairwell. They all looked at each other and shook their heads before following upstairs. Ping checked the diagnostic systems on the way out to make sure the self-testing and initialisation programmes were running.

As soon as Jack's head hit the pillow he started drifting off. Even though his thoughts were tearing around at a million miles per hour, he somehow fell asleep. What seemed like moments later a draft woke him. Sitting up in his bed, he saw someone at the door.

"Who is it?"

The vision of the person walking through the door paralysed him. It was his old commanding officer. "What are you doing soldier? You useless sack of snot!"

"What the hell are you doing here? How the heck did you find me?" Jack tried to get up, but couldn't move.

"Don't tell me you're doing this to prove something to your wife. She's moved on soldier, to a better life. Or maybe you still fell responsible for the death of your daughter?"

"Screw you!" Jack shouted at the top of his lungs and opened his eyes to see an empty room. _A dream. Dammit._

Cindy heard the noise from across the hall. She had been dreaming too, for the first time in a while. As her thoughts gathered those few seconds after waking, she realised she had been dreaming about Jack. It brought back memories she had long buried, of how she found him drunk and wandering in the middle of nowhere. She still wasn't sure why she ever took him in. Perhaps she felt a necessity to help wounded animals.

She crossed the hall and stood at the door. He was all but dripping with sweat. "You OK there cowboy?"

"Ah, yeah. Just a bad dream. You know."

"Yeah Jack, I know. Need a beer?"

"You're a mind reader."

They both walked down to the dining room. Cindy got two beers from the fridge and passed one to Jack before sitting at the table. "So, bad dreams?"

"You don't want to know. Just old stuff."

"Can't be that old if you're still dreaming about it. You know, Jack, there is no way you could have stopped your daughters' death. I looked into the county file, it was just an accident. A miserable messed up accident."

"It wouldn't have happened if I had been there to pick her up. Instead I was being a selfish mess, drowning my sorrows."

"Some would say with just cause. It's not every day you walk in on your boss kissing your wife."

"Yeah, but I let that piece of trash get in the way of my life with my daughter. A life she lost. If I was there, she wouldn't have walked onto the street, and the truck wouldn't have hit her."

"If that slut of an ex wasn't messing with your boss, none of that would have happened either Jack. You're a good person and didn't deserve any of the crap you copped."

"Amen to that." He reached his beer across the table and tapped Cindy's bottle. "And hey, I would never have met you, or been on this wonderful adventure!" He let out a laugh, two parts denial, one part exhaustion.

"So anyway, the security is almost complete now. We've got signal interceptors that any Government would be proud of, anything I've tagged, such as our comm devices can operate fine, anything else will be screwed. There are fixed proximity sensors around the house, and I've got a dozen Dragonfly Drones buzzing around out there."

"Nice work. But why the hell didn't you have that running before?"

"I guess after being out here on my own for years, with hardly anyone around, I just became complacent. Kind of thought the world had moved on and left me behind."

"Damn, that sounds almost as tragic as my story!"

"Almost."

# Chapter 25

Tyrol had his comm clenched in his fist so tight he could hear the frame cracking. "Dammit!" He threw the comm at the wall and screamed out as it shattered into pieces. "Cyan, get the hell in here!"

His assistant of many years rushed into his study, closing the door gently behind her. "Yes Tyrol," she replied, looking at the rage in his face. She hadn't seen him like this before, "what can I do."

"Get hold of Xan, get my car, and make sure I have an escort this time."

"Problems?"

"Just some rodents that won't bugger off and die," he replied, his voice no less tense than when she'd entered the room.

"Perhaps I can arrange for a massage later, a few of your regular girls?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," he waved her away as he sat in his chair and brought up his display holo. Cyan left the room and closed the doors gently again.

Tyrol brought up the records of the last few years of trading with Gen-Con. It was a front he was using for importing and exporting contraband, much of which was distributed by the Autohacking runners. So much of that seemed to be irrelevant now. A short while ago this was his main business, his passion, but since Xan opened his eyes to the greater goal of the Ordained, his previous activities were akin to watching scurrying mice moving worthless trinkets from place to place.

No, his objective was greater now. He was going to bring this Biotronics tech to the Ordained. This would be his claim to rightful membership, and would secure his future amongst the elite of the elite. He scanned through page after page before stopping on an export record. "Cheeky bugger," he said out loud to no one in particular. On the screen was a summary payment from a Peter Soliste. There was no way that was a coincidence.

This was two years ago. Obviously this man now named Peiter Solice had tried to wriggle his way into the Federal Agency, probably using information gathered about Tyrol's business to get there. But if he wanted Tyrol, why didn't he just blackmail him? Perhaps he didn't want Tyrol at all, perhaps he just wanted the same thing Tyrol wanted.

Either way, the tip off from the unknown source of this man's snooping was well received. He would note to track down who sent it in time, but other matters were more important. He would see Xan now, advise of the failure of the runners and Viper, and discuss the next step. He had a strong feeling this Peiter Solice could deliver many of the answers to his questions. Perhaps he would have him collected, and not eliminated.

Tyrol walked outside into bright sun. He had no need for glasses, his optical implants adjusted the light entering his eyes automatically. To Tyrol, it was a day as any other, just as he liked it. He got in his waiting Veyron, and accelerated past the two bikes that would escort him. He hated having escorts, it made him feel a little weak, but with the ruckus this Jack was causing, there were precautions to be had.

Weaving down the hill he saw a massive electrical storm coming up the coast. It was an almost perfect line down the coast, with bursts, sheets, and a glow from the ionised upper atmosphere following. He enjoyed watching them, the pure unbridled power and destruction they carried was arousing. It was satisfying to know that every time a huge one came it messed up a greater part of that muck-hole of a city on the coast. The sooner old Sydney was gone, the better.

He travelled the short distance to the office on manual drive. He didn't often drive himself these days, but always enjoyed the feeling of control. It was fair and well having others pander to your needs, but at times you needed to remember that you cannot always rely on others to elevate you, you must push yourself however farther you need, mentally and physically.

Walking into the reception area, a guard walked across to greet Tyrol. "Xan is expecting you Tyrol. I will show you to the lift." They walked the sort distance to the lift. Tyrol was scanned then entered, the doors closing behind him leaving the guard behind.

The lift accelerated rapidly, but the normal sensations of sudden weight weren't there that had been engineered out years ago. The ride to the eighty-fifth floor of the Sentry Tower took less than a half minute, but Tyrol had already run a hundred ideas through his mind. He needed to talk this through with Xan, now. The doors opened directly into Xan's office. Tyrol realised he hadn't actually been to Xan's office before.

As he walked in, he was surprised by the surroundings. He expected tech everywhere, but there were more plants than computers. The hard marble floors and walls quickly blended into organic floors reminiscent of moss. The walls were completely gone, instead, the entire floor space was covered with shrubs, trees and the occasional couch or table.

"Welcome Tyrol, pleased you could be here."

"Xan," Tyrol nodded. "I appreciate you seeing me. I have some developments I think we should discuss."

"Yes, I heard your attempts to eliminate the troublemakers didn't go to plan. I guess more planning will be required next time."

Tyrol became enraged, but held his voice. "The runners were completely sub-standard. They no longer serve any purpose other than shifting information."

"And Viper, dear Viper. She will be missed." Xan walked onto the balcony and picked up two glasses, handing one to Tyrol. The two of them stood looking out over the new city, taking a sip of their drinks.

"Do you know what this city is Tyrol?" Tyrol never answered, knowing it was a rhetorical question. "It's the evolution of our culture. The old city was taken by the elements, but that was only the physical city. It could have been saved, walls could have been erected, canals could have been constructed. But everyone knew that the city was done."

"Not soon enough for me."

"Nor me. I think we all need to evolve." Xan put his drink down and turned to look at Tyrol. "Tyrol, you are a powerful man, and of strong lineage." Tyrol nodded. "You now need to take your rightful place within the folds of the Ordained"

"I am ready Xan."

"I'm sure you think you are, but we are not there yet. You have much to learn, be patient. Now tell me what you have learned."

Tyrol thought for a moment. Was Xan using him to further his own ambition? He was ready to move into the upper levels of the Ordained, and if Xan crossed him, he would pay. But for now he would have the benefit of the doubt.

"I know that Jack and his little group have the Biotronics tech in a fully functional form. The tracking signals were lost, but we know they are in the region, so will start searching immediately."

"That is good. Anything else?"

"Yeah, I was tipped off about someone snooping my details. A man named either Peiter Solice or Peter Soliste. Ever heard of him?"

"Of course. He co-ordinated Mac's assassination for us. He was out of country, ex-Russian secret service. Very dangerous, has friends in positions of power throughout the world, but just as many enemies."

"I want him."

"Well, I don't think you can have him my friend."

"Are you telling me?"

"No, just advising you. This man is very powerful, and I believe he may be in-country at the moment. We knew John Mac wouldn't let us work with the Biotronics tech the Agency had, and he had the last say in the Senate. Peiter Solice was able to find out all of his details, movements, travel plans, security etcetera. Do you think a man like that can just be lifted and questioned?"

"It's amazing what people will do if they are suitably motivated."

"Come on Tyrol." Xan started raising his voice. "The man is ex-KGB. What the hell do you think you can do to him?" Xan shrugged his shoulders, paused, then smiled. "Look, I'll find out where he is and arrange a meeting for you. OK?"

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"Now, on to more entertaining tales. How are those girls of yours?"

"They're good. A few of them are getting a little needy, I may have to get rid of them, cramping my style." He gave a sly grin.

"Well, you are a charmer my friend." He patted Tyrol on the back.

Tyrol gave his farewell and went back to the lift.

Once in his car, he got on the comm to Cyan. "Cyan, get the team onto finding where Peiter Solice is."

"Did Xan give the nod to lift him?"

"No."

"Can you give me anything to work with?"

"No." He cut his comm. He wasn't entirely happy with his meeting with Xan, something didn't sit right. If Xan knew about Peiter Solice, he probably knew Tyrol traded with him. And if that were so, why not mention him earlier?

He got the cell phone out and dialled. "Jack, meet me at the Forster re-vegetation control at sunset. Just you, we need to talk."

"OK, don't try any funny business."

"Oh, my business is anything but funny."

"I gathered," replied Jack, wanting to slam him about the runners and Viper, but he would play the game a little longer. "Got anything for me to work with on clearing my name? This is a two-way agreement after all."

"Just a name for now. Solice. You heard of him?"

"Never."

"See you at sunset." Tyrol ended the call. There was something in Jack's reply. Did he know who Peiter Solice was? How could a damned low-life Runner know anything about a man as powerful as Solice?

He decided to go for a drive up the coast. He had a Datura supplier up there and it had been a while since he had seen Olive. The drive was eventless. Tyrol didn't mind that, in fact he felt himself enjoying it. He started to wonder what it would be like to just keep driving. He decided it would probably become the most mundane and boring existence there could be.

Right on cue, the turn-off came up. Pulling into the driveway, he could have been forgiven for assuming the place had been abandoned. There were overgrown trees and shrubs everywhere, and more wild animals than a bloody zoo.

Tyrol had barely got out of the car when Olive came out to meet him. She had a big smile, but he assumed it was probably more from the chemicals in her system than seeing him. As he got closer she ran and jumped on him. He caught her right as she gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

"Great to see you hun. I was beginning to think you wouldn't ever come back."

"Uh, yeah, sure Olive. What's new?"

She moved her lips right next to his ear, he could smell her perfume, it was arousing. "Don't get too excited, just act causal. I had agents here a day ago, and for all I know they're watching the place."

Tyrol hugged her tight, then put her on the ground. "Been a while sis. Good to see you're still trying to avoid your destiny."

Olive grabbed Tyrol's hand and led him to the house. "C'mon Tyrol, you know that all of the big city, big name stuff is all facade. In the end we're all just flesh and blood."

"I'm more than that Olive. _We_ are more than that."

"Well, I'll have to take your word for that. I have some of your favourite soup to take home if you want."

"Ah, you're the best Olive. I can always rely on you to look after me."

They went inside and sat on the couch. Olive could see that Tyrol was unbelievably stressed. She knew that he took the mantle of the family business, but never knew what it was. Something about shipping if she remembered right.

"You all right hun? You look pretty stressed. I hope the business isn't sending you to an early grave."

Tyrol looked over. Olive was smiling. She didn't look a day over twenty. Whatever drugs she was taking, they certainly didn't accelerate the ageing process.

"I'm fine. Bit of crap going down, but nothing I can't handle. It will all be sorted in the next few weeks."

"Good, 'cos I want to see you more. You've been all but a ghost the last few years."

The two of them had a long conversation about the good old days, and then Tyrol said he had to head back for a meeting. After promising Olive he would be back within the month, he headed back to the city.

# Chapter 26

Jack put down the cell phone. Blake was looking at him, if he was concerned, he didn't show it.

"What's new Jacko?"

"Tyrol wants to meet me at sunset, alone."

"Cute, bit of a date then?"

"Somehow I don't think he's the dating type. I think sociopaths prefer to bind and gag their victims, not buy them dinner."

"Yeah, well there won't be any gagging tonight, we've got your back." He winked and made a gun shape with his hand. "Hey, Sin," he shouted across the floor, "meeting with Tyrol this evening, you think the Beast will be back together?"

"Sure, as long as you stop screwing about and get that cladding finished," she shouted back.

Blake looked at Jack and rolled his eyes. "Damn, these female bosses are real ball breakers! So what does he want?"

"Didn't say, I'm guessing it's this target he has. He mentioned Solice. That's the same guy your boss mentioned isn't it?"

"The one and same. He's a popular boy all of a sudden, isn't he? I'll get Ping to search out what he can before your meeting. I'm going to let Ox know he's a person of interest."

"Is that a good idea?"

"We're going to need all the help we can get if we want to clear this mess up, and if he can give us resources or keep the Feds off our back for a bit, we have to give him something to make it worth his while. He seemed pretty keen on the Peiter Solice guy, maybe this will help the cause."

Blake walked upstairs to call Ox. He sat on the couch looking out over the vista. It was a clear afternoon and the sky had a blue-green tingle to it. A flock of birds rushed across the front of the window, startling him. When all this business was over, he promised himself he would find Holly and take her to some place just like this. Without the weapons and attack vehicles in the basement, of course.

He punched Ox into the comm. "Jules Oricks here."

"Jules, it's Blake."

"Ohhh, hi sweetie. I didn't recognise the comm clearance, new device?"

Blake took the hint that he was not alone. "So I take it you're busy then?"

"Yes, yes. Just in a meeting with the team. Sorry I haven't been home, we've got a big op starting, so won't be in till late."

"OK, well Tyrol wants a meeting. He's mentioned a hit, and mentioned your man Solice. We aren't going to hit him, but need to meet with this turkey to find out as much as we can."

"OK, hun, that's no problem. See you tonight."

Ox stopped his comm and looked over to Peiter. "She's sixteen now, but still daddy's girl." He gave a big smile, not letting anything on.

Peiter paused for a moment, looking at his facial expressions. Was he going to give something away? Not today. "Very good. I have children of my own. Not here, of course, they are safe in Finland."

"Well, Aussie is no more dangerous than Finland these days."

"No, but I am." He gave a short smile, and then turned to the holo on the desk. "So, let's go over this strategy in detail. I think I can tweak your search patterns and methods to be a little more efficient."

"Be my guest."

Ox handed him a small silver rod, which Peiter began to move around a map of the twin cities, marking points in green, red and blue. They knew that Tyrol was probably involved with the attempts to get the Biotronics from Wing'Tan, but had been thwarted, he would continue to try and get it. They also knew that Blake was with Jack, who was a known runner, and they had at least some tech. The goal was to get as much of the tech back as possible, find the killer of Senator Mac, and make solid grounds for charging anyone involved, even if it was an Alpha.

The main thread that kept getting woven into the story was the use of Autohacking runners, Jack was one of them. There was a reported attack of a group recently not far from the Fed lab where the tech was lifted, and Tyrol was an associate of Xan, who controlled most of the Autohacking. So they now knew this would be the place to find information. Of course it wouldn't be easy as it was a fairly closed system, and although the Feds knew all about how it worked and who ran it, there was no evidence and even less witnesses.

This led to a difficult situation, as there weren't enough resources available for a blanket raid, and anyone who slipped through the net would let on that it was a Fed operation, causing everyone to go to ground. There was extensive use of the now redundant tunnel systems in the city by the runners, so without plenty of support they were likely to evade an under-resourced team.

"So Jules, I feel we need to orchestrate an organised search that looks random. We need to use street cops, Feds and Osiris agents. The longer these guys are unaware of what we are doing the better. It will also give us a better spread of the city."

"Makes sense. Covert operations are more time consuming though, there is a balance."

"I agree. I think we should try and channel the activity towards main routes. Do some busts on a few of the known runner routes to move them into less well known territory."

"So how are we going to shake these guys down? Autohackers are notorious for keeping their mouths shut."

"Let's just say I have slightly different methods of motivation." He smiled in a way that made Ox feel awkward. He repositioned himself on his seat.

"Look, we're not on a witch-hunt here, and we're not above the law."

"No, but you are at the top of it. And we must do all that is required to get that Biotronics tech back in front of us."

"And find the killer of John Mac, right?"

"Of course, Jules. The closure of this heinous crime is a priority. But make no qualms about it, if the Biotronics tech is on-sold and we lose the scent, it is not known how much havoc it may wreak. It has the potential to be used for great destruction."

"Well, let's hope that we find it. And if we don't, that the people who do have it, use it for more noble causes."

"Ahhh Jules, a true romantic. If only there were more of you left, you are sadly a dying breed."

Ox was unsure how to take Peiter's last comment. He didn't let his slight anxiety show, instead he nodded, and headed out to the main floor to address the team and get them on task. In the short walk down the corridor a thought dawned on him. What if Peiter wasn't after the tech for himself, what if he was somehow in a deal with the Alphas? It seemed too coincidental that he turns up just after the assassination of Senator Mac, knew about Biotronics in a reasonable level of detail, and had been assigned to the team that was investigating the very people that had been developing the tech.

When he arrived in the briefing room, most of the staff were already there, standing around, talking about why they were there no doubt. There was a definite sense of anxiety about, which Ox would have to quash if he wanted his agents to perform to their potential.

"Hello everyone. Welcome back to Osiris. I can understand there will be a little confusion about the events of the last day and why you were all sent away. Some of it I can answer, some of it I cannot. Rest assured, I would not have you all here if I did not trust each and every one of you." He paused to take a drink.

"We have a situation that contains multiple strands, and we need to put this jigsaw together fast. First, Blake Corten is officially AWOL, he is wanted for questioning by the Agency and the Secretary. If anyone makes contact, he is not to be harmed unless posing an imminent threat.

"Second, runner activity has increased significantly in the last two hours. We are not sure yet if it is a smoke screen for an underlying activity, or someone has them scrambling to find something, or someone. We need to discretely find out exactly what is going on Downtown.

"We presently believe Senator Mac's attacker to be a runner known as Jack. He is ex-military, but not especially decorated. It is possible that Blake is with him; we are unsure of the validity or status of that relationship." Ox didn't want to leave that door shut in case Blake could make it out without being dead, or behind bars.

"A Fed laboratory up coast was attacked, with some experimental hardware stolen. Those that are involved with operation Evolution will know what this is related to. We need to find out the location of the device, or the perpetrators who took it. Unfortunately the hit was by professionals. There is no DNA, no video surveillance, no bio recorders. Everything was jammed by someone who had access to Government systems." He paused again, letting the information sink in for the operatives.

"Our two main objectives are to find the true events surrounding the Senator's death, detain the perpetrator, and find the stolen device before we lose a trail.

"Lastly, we have a consultant assisting us with this phase of our operations. Peiter Solice is here under request of the Secretary. Any request by him should be taken as my own request. He has extensive knowledge of international politics, trade and gang networks. I will give the floor to him to introduce himself and outline the next few hours."

Ox took his drink and went to sit with his team. He was sweating slightly, and hoped no one had noticed. Of course Sophie had, she whispered he must need a work-out if just talking got him into a sweat. Ox tried to keep a straight face, but gave a slight smile.

"Good day people, I am Peiter Solice. As Jules mentioned, I specialise in international trade, of all kinds. I believe I can be of help to you in finding this stolen device. I also believe that all of these events are tied. It is not well known, but John Mac halted a group of socialites you call Alphas from colluding with the Government on the development of a certain technology."

There was some murmuring on the floor. He waited until he had their attention again. "We have no proof yet, but find it hard to believe a lone runner decided to kill a senator. Someone is behind it. Mac being taken at the time a device for the new technology was being regulated was no coincidence. It is imperative that this device is found; it is a key component to a new technology that could help all of humanity to develop a truly sustainable future. It could equally be used for more nefarious purposes, of which many of us would not be able to imagine.

"While it is in Australia, there is a chance we can catch it. If it is to get offshore, the deep criminal networks will almost certainly make it disappear for good. There are people out there that want to create anarchy of the remaining free world, and Australia is the top of that list."

Peiter paused to load the holo with his latest data, and brought up a projection of the twin cities. Ox had a fair idea that Peiter knew _exactly_ the type of people that would pay a premium for Biotronics. He realised that even though when they'd recovered the device it would be in Fed custody, Peiter would at least know where it was, and that would give him an opportunity to take it.

"So, we don't want to scare the pigeons and have them scatter. We are going to have three groups operating. Street cops, Feds and Osiris agents. They will all be co-ordinated from here. The street cops will have most of the old city. They know the beat and the people. Also a heavy uniform presence up town will arouse suspicion.

"The Feds and Osiris agents will handle up-town. We need to shake a few trees lightly, lift a couple of runners for interrogation, pull favours with contacts, whatever you need to do to find out the chatter. The device must be moving soon, and with the Senators attack, there must be people on the street that know something. It's old-school, but the perpetrators here are proving to be very elusive, and are very well resourced

"Start choking the usual runners' routes to force them to the main highways. They will be using the tunnels, and have a far better knowledge of the network than most people now. Some are flooded, some are not, some can be on demand so take care."

There was a lot more murmuring from the floor. "Look, I know most of you already know this, so I'm teaching how to 'suck eggs', as you put it. But, the fact is they have been getting the upper hand lately, so we need to make sure we are prepared for anything. When we have lock on key persons or hardware, it will be easier to pick them out of their comfort zone."

Ox got up out of his chair and addressed the team. "Briefing over folks, get to work."

# Chapter 27

Jack, Blake, Cindy and Ping were all sitting at the now familiar table in the dining room. They had gone over the routes at least a dozen times, and run through as many scenarios as they could. There was no doubt this Tyrol was a slimy character, but they didn't know enough to know if he was insane, or just crazy.

"So Ping, you sure you got the Beast fully operational?"

"Bloody hell Blake, _yes_. Relax!"

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one walking into the lion's den covered in meat sauce. Sin, you got the Sat and signals gear sorted?"

"Nah, thought we'd wing it. What the hell is wrong with you man?"

"I'm just not used to this style of op, you know, rip snot and bust. Especially when we're going to the middle of nowhere."

"Forgive him guys," said Jack about to break into a laugh, "soldier boy is used to a drill sergeant riding his arse all day."

"Get bent, Jack!"

"Listen mate, these guys aren't trained by the military or the Agency, they're much better than that." Ping stood and gave a bow. "Let's just get our game face on and do what we do. If I come screaming back down that highway at three-fifty with a dozen arseholes shooting at me, you need to crash and crunch them. Easy."

"Yeah, easy," said Blake, a little weary.

They all got up from the table and walked down to the workshop. Jack and Blake were heading up to an RDV just down from the meeting place with Tyrol. Cindy was heading south in the Coffin, so she could ramp up the signals and grab additional resources without giving away the location of the house. Ping was staying at the house, controlling municipal and highway systems to get them all in and out as quick as they could.

As they rolled out, Blake wasn't sure of the plan. All of his previous dealings with the Alphas showed they had more resources than your average country, and if this guy had sent a hit on them before, there was nothing saying there wouldn't be a dozen snipers at the RDV waiting for Jack. Cindy was good with her surveillance, but money buys tech, and Tyrol had a _lot_ of money.

In the end he resigned himself to their fate, and only hoped Tyrol suffered from the one failing all Alphas were doomed to, his ego. If he felt he really was the next ruler of the free world, he wouldn't show weakness by taking an entourage to the meeting. Jack, after all, was just a dropkick runner who kept falling on bad luck.

The afternoon was strangely calm. Driving through the country road the heavy tree cover eventually gave way to loose scrub, and eventually the all too common sub-desert plains. So much of the vegetation had disappeared from the land now, the erosion from the frequent flash flooding created large gorges in the area. It was a fairly common site for Blake now, the central East Coast was getting more like the Outback every year.

There was only a scattering of vehicles, and no activity on the scanners, so Blake took the opportunity to get hold of Ox and see if he couldn't forge that alliance a little stronger. As he was about to send out, an incoming line popped up.

Blake tapped his comm, it was Ox. "Afternoon Jules, how nice to hear from you."

"Was that sarcasm, or do you actually _want_ me to put my foot in your arse?"

"Charming. Ping has been digging into the Peiter Solice man of yours. He did a bit of trading with an Alpha here on the coast a few years back."

"Tyrol?"

"Yeah, ten points for you. It was only a few items, but they were bulky, and he made weird routing of the deliveries. Obviously not standard legal goods."

"When is anything the Alphas do legal?"

"Oh, Ox, you're talking about upstanding members of our society here!"

"I _know_ that one was sarcasm. So what else do you know?"

"Not a lot, but we'll know more soon, we're heading up the coast to meet Tyrol. He requested a meeting."

"Whereabouts? I can have resources there to lift him if crap goes down."

"Sorry, Ox, we don't have that kind of relationship yet. Besides, we're covered for protection."

"Like an Agency issue GTX?"

"You wouldn't recognise her now Captain. Still drives pretty bad though."

"They always did. Contact me when you have something solid. We want to nail these guys, if it's them, before their plan kicks off. I have a feeling if you leave it to their timetable and setting, you'll get reamed hard."

"Thanks for that image. I'm out." Blake cut his comm, and got onto Jack, "Yo, where are you?"

"I'm about fifty k's ahead of you. I'll wait at the RDV."

"OK, I was just talking to Ox."

"And?"

"And I think he's coming around. He didn't seem too surprised about the info on Peiter, but thanked us nonetheless. He is softening Jack. If we can sort this crap out, make him a hero, and not kill too many people in the process, he just may be able to clear your name."

"I ain't holding out hope, he's a Fed."

"And what am I?" Blake asked with a little tension in his voice.

"A fugitive!" Jack laughed, and then cut his comm. He was riding through the glades now, and didn't know how bad the road was going to be. The last thing he needed was to wind up arse over kite while making jokes about Blake's work history.

As he slowed Betty to a reasonable speed, he saw a group of bikers on the side of the road about fifteen k's from the RDV. It was the only real group he'd seen on the trip up, so got Ping to tag them in case they made a move. He saw the turn-off he wanted and swung the bike hard, moving it with minimal fuss. Betty's systems had learned his riding style now, and anticipated a lot of his moves, shifting weight to allow him to rotate faster.

The sun was just approaching the horizon as Blake pulled into the RDV. The sun shone on Betty and gave her an eerie glow. He still found it hard to believe how all this Biotronics business worked. On the drive up the coast he hit two roos and an ostrich, and they just bounced off like they were mozzies. The reactive armour sensing the impact milliseconds prior to the impact and reinforcing the areas they hit.

The Wildebeest was also sensing his bio patterns and stress levels the whole way. At one stage he was a little drowsy, and the vehicle systems accommodated for his slightly delayed actions by increasing the rate of response in its own systems. It was things like that he couldn't fully grasp. It wasn't programmed; Ping told him it was the Biotronics he stitched together getting to know him.

Blake raised the door and got out. Jack was standing with his back to the ocean, waves were crashing against the sea wall. "You know Blake, that thing looks way too cool for you."

"I'd say the same thing about your bike. And that suit now you mention it."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Half an hour to the meeting; you see anything dodgy on the way up?"

"Nope, all clear. As a matter of fact there was bugger-all traffic. That in itself is a bit odd!"

"I was thinking the exact same thing. I've got a funny feeling we won't be alone."

"So let's just blow the mission. There'll be other times."

"No, we need to do it now. The longer we're running around like idiots, the more time Tyrol and his mates have to nail us. Cindy, you got anything on the scanners?"

"Negative Jack. Ping is bringing the Sat around for direct eyes, but there is no increased chatter from Feds in the area."

"What about on the black-band frequencies?"

"Still running through, but it's all pretty mundane. There's a vehicle packed with tech coming down the coast towards your RDV, must be your man. He's got jammers going into overdrive, but I'm keeping them in check. I'd say he'll get a heads up if he has a half decent system."

"He's an Alpha, Sin, he'll have a fully decent system. Keep on his arse, the last thing we need is a comms black-out."

"Leave the tech talk to the adults Jack, you two go and play, just don't get yourself killed; I put a lot of time into those vehicles."

"You're all heart, Sin."

Jack and Blake got back on the road. Blake pulled into some loose scrub about two k's down the road. He was out of sight, but also had his full signal cloak active, and only minimal other systems. The Beast only took a few milliseconds to fire up anyway, the Biotronics were always live.

Jack pulled into the car park, empty except for a big shiny 2120 model Bugatti Veyron in the corner. TLM hadn't picked up any dangerous vehicles in the area, and there were no other human life forms within three k's. He set its proximity sensors to go nuts if anything did turn up. It wasn't that he didn't trust Sin or Ping, it was just the more of his arse he could cover with these bastards, the better.

He got off the bike and put the helmet on the seat, facing the Veyron. Tyrol got out, dressed in a black suit and strange looking wig that made him look like a dickhead. From Jack's point of view, that is.

"Jack, so nice to see you."

"Tyrol, wish I could say the same."

"Come now Jack, is that any way to talk to a business partner?"

"The only business we have, is clearing my name, and I ain't seen a lot of that happening lately."

"For good reason, Jack. Did you know that the prime minster herself is now involved in the closure of the assassination? You, my friend, are Public Enemy number one, by a long shot."

"I've been there before."

"Not like this you haven't. Believe me when I tell you, I am the _only_ person with any influence that believes you Jack. You have the Feds trying to track down your past, they're going in deep. The longer you muck about, the more chance they will find people to squeeze to get information about you." Tyrol closed his eyes briefly and nodded his head, as if to show his displeasure with the situation.

"Well don't worry about that, I've got people scrambling my history faster than any Fed could catch."

"Ah, your friends, being Ping and Cindy, I take it?"

"Who's Cindy?"

"The person sending my jammers on a merry-go-round at the moment. Pretty basic process of deduction really, I've seen her work before, she is known to live in the region, and that suit of yours is similar to something a client of hers once wore. I pay attention, Jack."

"Good, well pay attention to this. _If_ you want me to do anything else for you from now on, my team and I better stay clean and unharmed. Got it?" He was tensing through his teeth at the arrogance of Tyrol, but calmed himself, knowing Tyrol was enjoying probing him.

"Right, to business then. The man I want is Peiter Solice, as I mentioned. I don't want him dead, I want him in my possession. He's causing me a little pain, and it also transpires that he will be able to help with your exoneration. Through my careful interrogation of course." Tyrol grinned as though he could already feel the man's pain.

Jack stood staring at Tyrol for a minute. He had thought of killing him right here. Or taking him hostage and getting the other Alphas to clear Jack's record as a trade for Tyrol. In the end both options offered more issues than results. But he wasn't letting Tyrol go with the last laugh.

"So Tyrol, one last thing. That Viper bird, you know her? She looked like she'd be a great lay." Jack wanted to know once and for all if it was him that ordered the hit.

Tyrol was furious. "I'd put a bullet in you right now, but I can see you're wearing Asanthias fabric on that suit, so it would be pointless. Unless I shot you in the head, perhaps?"

"Believe me arsehole, you'd be dead before you touched that gun in your left shoulder hardness." Jack nodded his head in the direction of Tyrol's chest. When Tyrol looked back Jack was standing a few steps closer holding a pistol at his waist.

The two stood paused for a moment, before Tyrol spoke. "So you know I put a hit on you. I didn't trust you, you have a Fed with you."

"He's not a Fed any more. And if you want me to do anything else for you from here on in, you better give me a big stack of good reasons."

"I'll give you six million reasons, and the actual assassin of John Mac. Get this Peiter Solice for me. I don't care if you deliver him to my door, or set him up at a mutual location, but I want him alive"

"You can have him, but I want three mill now. I have bills to pay."

"One mill, and Jack, if you don't follow through I will find you. And when I do, I will have someone slice one million strips off your body to repay."

Jack handed him a credit-chip. "Here's my details. Credit in by the morning, and I'll call you with a time and place for your man."

Jack turned and walked back to Betty; he put on his helmet and sprayed Tyrol with stones as he spun and left the car park. As soon as he was out of sight, Tyrol went to his car and took a sip of the flask he had obtained earlier. His eyes immediately dilated and he sunk into his seat, before raising off it and levitating just above his car. He put on the auto-pilot and dozed off.

Jack headed past the coast turn-off and headed inland. They had decided that the inland roads were a better option, providing more routes through blocked roads, and away from built-up areas if things went loud.

"So you get what you need Jack?" Blake seemed to have lost his anxiety. Well, if his voice was anything to go by.

"Yeah. He doesn't want Solice dead, get this, he wants us to somehow _capture_ him and deliver him to a location designated by us."

"Who the hell does he think we are, the Secret Service. I hope you have a plan."

"Hell no. That's what I have you guys for. I do, however, have a million credits in the morning. I have a feeling we'll need every penny if we're going to get out of this. Bribery and weaponry will be the order of the day."

Ping got on the comm. "Hey, on the weaponry thing, we should go and see Jay at Fitzroy Falls. I'm sure he'll put up something for the cause. I'd like to see him again myself."

"Good call Ping; we'll head over there tomorrow."

"Ah, Jack." Cindy cut in. "You boys have at least a dozen vehicles coming up from the south. All doing well over the speed limit and packing some tech"

"Can you EMP them?"

"Negative, Sat doesn't have direct sun, needs it to charge a burst."

"Well that's a bit of a design flaw isn't it?"

"Hey bud, I don't design them, I just steal them"

Jack got a game plan into his head, they had to make sure they got out clean. "OK, Blake, time to get messy. No matter what happens, we don't leave anyone in a state to follow. I don't want to run from any engagement with runners, they're like rodents and will spread the word of our location faster than we can move."

"Don't worry, these cannons have been talking to me all afternoon." As Blake thought about arming them, they rolled up and over the side of the Beast. He envisaged the frontal attack, watching the front of the car move around as the armour was shifting forward for reinforcement and deflection.

"I got eyes on them Blake, slowing back for you. There are a dozen, TLM says electro, pulse and mechanical weapons. Stop there, I'm dropping EMP mines and turning back. They'll think I'm running and hopefully run right into the trap."

Jack flicked the bike sideways and power-slid to a stop, scattering a handful of the EMP mines on the road as he did. Turning back he kept his speed down, he wanted to turn back as soon as the vehicles passed over the EMP's. Looking ahead he saw a glow on the horizon, his concentration was broken by Cindy on the comm.

"You got company coming from the north boys."

"Tyrol?"

"No, he's going down the coast. I'm picking up at least half a dozen vehicles."

"You got that Sat in range yet?"

"Getting signals, but no charge for an EMP burst. You're gonna have to duke it out. I'm going to block all signals for the next five minutes so they can't call reinforcement. You boys are going black."

"Ping, any chatter from the Feds?"

"Nope, they have no idea about your location or the other vehicles. It's just you lot."

Jack was running through the options and decided to keep on the offensive. "Right, Blake, you go for the group I just dropped EMP's for, I'm going past you to intercept the other lot."

"Got it. Good luck."

"Thanks sweetheart."

Jack accelerated as hard as he could to gain some momentum and make a bigger gap from Blake so they don't get cross-over from enemy fire. He could see the lights of the other vehicles clearly now. When he was about twenty seconds away, he decelerated and tried to pick up the targets with TLM. It showed six ground-based vehicles and two aircraft.

The aircraft were designated as MkIV Prions, low speed, but they carried pulse weapons. He targeted both of them and fired darts. They rolled in opposite directions, but a dart must have clipped one of them as it spiralled out of his vision.

The cars were almost glowing blue, he was coming in way too hot. He saw a bike and decided to take it head-on. The rider had a hand weapon, but they were traveling too fast for the rider to have any accuracy. The cars either side couldn't move in for a collision, as the bike rider was in the way, just how Jack wanted it. He fired darts at the last second and imagined Betty stopping immediately. The deceleration was so hard he almost completely lost control and partly dropped the bike. By chance, part of the fairing clipped the ground and brought him back up as he saw the other bike going over his head.

The other three vehicles were braking hard and spinning around to engage. Jack accelerated across the road to the clay berm and threw an EMP mine at a modified open-top, it hit the bonnet and released its charge and with a slight squeal the car went dead. Jack pulled his pistol and fired what felt like a hundred rounds in a second through the windshield. It shattered, and he fired another high speed burst through the cabin.

The other two vehicles were now coming back and were only a hundred metres away. Jack turned away from them and accelerated, lights off. He didn't get too far ahead; he let the odd round or pulse burst get fired his way, he wanted to draw them away from Blake, who no doubt had his hands full.

Blake's strategy after passing Jack was simple, just hit them. He figured in the next five seconds the EMP's would detonate and they would be sitting ducks. But he looked ahead and saw them pull into single file and distance themselves. "Clever little buggers," he said to no one in particular.

The first vehicle passed the EMP's and skidded to a halt as the charges disabled its systems. The other vehicles passed through the exact same line a few seconds later, not affected by the long-gone blast. Blake had the same targeting system the coffin had; he brought it up, but by the time the targets were acquired, they were right on top of him. He swerved to the right to side-swipe one of the vehicles, but the heavy armoured vehicle from the other side rammed him, pushing him into a spin.

The Beast self-corrected and Blake was heading in their direction faster than they had obviously anticipated. One of them went into a slide to change direction for attack, while the other kept going. "Wrong move assholes." He tapped the screen twice while the armoured vehicle was still in its slide. The cannons glowed for a split second and then fired a massive pulse of high-charged plasma. Blake watched it move, almost mesmerised by the glow until it hit the target. The rear quarter of the vehicle melted on impact, before exploding into a green fireball.

"Holy crap!" Blake shouted. "That was awesome!" Cindy had obviously done some pretty trick mods with Ping using the Biotronics to supercharge the cannons, he assumed.

The other vehicle had made some ground. Blake couldn't see any lights ahead from the vehicles Jack was engaged with, but still had his other target in his sight. He tapped the screen, but it was too far out of range. Gripping the wheel, he accelerated as hard as he could. The engine on the Beast went silent, and he heard a faint whine like a motor spooling up. He didn't know Cindy had retro-fitted the Beast with high-voltage inertia drivers on each hub, giving it a five minute burst of power.

The acceleration made him feel nauseous, moving to over 240 in less than six seconds. This was way above the GTX's original attack speed, but the biotronics systems were realigning the body guards and splitter to add down force. It was surprisingly responsive and he made ground within fifteen seconds. He was about to load the auto-targeting, but had a better idea. He was wearing his nano-tac suit, he just hoped his head didn't pop off.

Keeping the accelerating going, he focussed on the open-top in front of him. As it weaved across the road, the Beast moved with it, Blake was hardly doing anything. It knew what his target was. Projectile shots were ricocheting off the bonnet and screen, causing no harm. A few seconds later he rammed the back of the vehicle hard. He felt his chest heaving into the front of his suit.

Blake could see the undercarriage mount the Beast, and then the steep front screen caught the chassis and shunted it forward. Blake slammed the brakes and they came apart. He let it get fifty metres down the road, rolling and tumbling, and then double tapped his screen again. The cannons charged and fired, catching the underside of the vehicle mid-spin. The explosion was instant, and glowed the entire sky around him. Whatever they had loaded on board packed a punch, unfortunately for them.

_Well_ , Blake thought to himself, _if no one knew where they were before, they would now_. He stopped completely and turned to go back for the first vehicle he disabled. When he got there, his scanners showed no life on board. He waited a few seconds for any attack, but it didn't come. Exiting the Beast, he drew his pistol and kept behind the door. Still nothing, he slowly walked over to the vehicle, but it was empty.

Blake heard a sound behind him and spun around, it was Jack arriving. Jack stopped next to the Beast and got off. Blake walked over. "Cindy and Ping back online yet?"

"Yup."

"Get them to run a scan in the area, I think there is at least one missing person."

"Hang on." Jack relayed the message. Cindy confirmed there were two people a half-mile inland, off the road heading into the desert at a fast pace.

"You want to chase them Jack?"

"Nah, they're already too far away, and we need to get out of here before the Feds come to check out the fireworks display you put on. Let's move."

As they left the scene, Blake was pissed he never got to interrogate anyone about who ordered the hit. If it was Tyrol, he could get stuffed, regardless of what Jack said. It was possible it was others though, they seemed to be making enemies faster than he could keep track of.

Peiter's comm lit up. "Solice here."

"We have bad news. They got away, we lost all vehicles, and almost our lives."

"You left them? Don't ever let me see you again or you will wish you were dead." He stopped his comm and threw the device at the wall. _What a hell of a week_.

# Chapter 28

The evening was blurring into oblivion. It seemed as the world expanded, it contracted. Heat became cold. The rhythm of his heart pulsed to the beat of the universe, and it was good. But then, the world went dark, Tyrol could no longer feel, he was numb, paralysed. The feeling of another entity was crushing his ascent to greater knowledge. Every turn was obscured, roadblocks. Xan. Then he felt a hot rush through his body, before the darkness closed in.

The next morning Tyrol awoke with a new sense of urgency. He could not remember the events of the previous evening, but could feel Xan drawing his energy. Xan had been lying to him, he knew it. He was being used as a pawn, but today would be the day this pawn crossed the chessboard.

He went through his usual morning routine. The workout was a little slower than usual, he forgot how much Datura took out of him, especially when he hadn't taken it for so long. The programme ran through at three-quarter pace, and his diagnostic read-out afterwards showed his overall body performance had increased by one-quarter of a percent this week, after taking into consideration the short term effect of the Datura.

Tyrol was pleased. He would soon have the strength and form greater than his father. Although his father had been gone for over five years, his legacy lived on, and Tyrol in its shadow. He looked in the mirror and took a cocktail of pills designed to enhance his physical and mental performance. They had been specifically constructed by some of his own biological engineers to tweak the faults in his DNA, but was now taking hold and transforming him.

The side effect was his emotions. They were scattered at best, but he could live with it, and anyone who couldn't could just bugger off. He pondered that thought for a moment, and wondered whether he had completely lost touch with humanity. He decided he hadn't, he just didn't really care. It wasn't his job to care, compassion wasn't a prerequisite to rule.

It was time for him to see Xan and move their plan into the next phase. There was no more time to piss about, it was time for action. Xan had been holding something back, and Tyrol would find it soon enough, but he must tread cautiously. Xan was still a powerful leader and must be treated with respect. A move for power at the wrong time would undo all that he had been working on.

He went to his chair in the study and started the holo comm. Xan appeared immediately. "Good morning, Tyrol."

"Xan."

"I trust you had a pleasant evening."

"Indeed. We have a few matters we need to cover. I have some ideas on accelerating the plans, and securing the Biotronics tech. I will be at your office this morning."

"Very good, Tyrol. I will be here." Xan cut his comm.

Tyrol left the house, but didn't take his car, instead choosing to be driven, he had some business to attend. When he walked through the front doors, the brightness of the sun caught him off guard. The moment between walking out and his lenses tinting, disoriented him, making him pause. He put it down to the events of the previous evening.

Once they were out of the property, he raised the privacy screen and slumped in his seat. He was expecting to hear from Jack at any time, but needed to secure services for the trade. There was no doubt Jack and his crew knew he'd tried to take them out a few times, but would they attempt retribution? Tyrol assumed so, it's what he would do, so he needed muscle.

Tapping his comm, he contacted an old trader he hadn't dealt with for a while. "Drake, it's Tyrol. I need some assets."

"Tyrol, long time. What can I do for you?"

"I have a meeting with some, shall we say, hostile people. I don't want to use my regular team."

"So are you just trying to intimidate, or do you want people with skills?"

"Both. I need four, and able to use class 4 impulse pistols."

"So, ex-military then. I've got just the crew for you."

"Good, it will be some time in the next forty-eight hours, keep them on standby. Usual rate plus fifty percent."

"Agreed."

Tyrol cut his comm and slumped even further in his seat. There were still too many variables, he had to control this situation. He decided to run through the variables and write them off one at a time. Before he had gotten far, he was at the building. Time seemed to have escaped him, or was he just deep in thought?

Entering Xan's office, he saw two people at the desk adjacent to the outdoor room. It was bright outside so he couldn't make out who it was from this far away. As he neared the desk, Xan stopped talking to the man and they both stood.

"Tyrol, good morning. I would like you to meet someone." Xan turned to the man standing beside Tyrol. "This is Peiter Solice. I do not believe you have met."

Tyrol felt his skin start to burn, it took every ounce of his strength not to grab Peiter's head and tear it off. Instead he smiled, turned, and shook his hand.

"A pleasure to meet you Tyrol, Xan has told me much about you, all to be admired." Tyrol gave a half nod. "We have actually dealt in the past, but it was no big trade, I'm sure you've never heard of me."

"Oh, I've heard of you Mr Solice." Tyrol locked eyes with him and didn't move.

"Really?" replied Peiter. "And what have you heard?"

"Well, you know what they say about idle chatter, better to ignore it."

"And do you, Tyrol?" Their eyes were still locked.

"Only the parts that don't interest me."

Xan broke the conversation that he could see escalating. "Tyrol, Mr Solice is being very helpful with our enquiries on current issues. I'm sure he can brief you on his knowledge to date, but unfortunately he is already late for another appointment."

Peiter broke his stare. "Yes, Xan, thank you for reminding me. Good day my friend." He bowed slightly to Xan. "A pleasure meeting you Tyrol," he smiled, and got a half nod back from Tyrol.

Xan walked Peiter to the lift, talking in a low voice. Tyrol was furious. Xan knew Tyrol was trying to find Solice for interrogation, and played as though he didn't know him. All along they appeared to be friends. What was Xan doing, and what had he agreed with Solice. He was going to find out, one way or another.

Xan started walking back to Tyrol, who was still standing. He could see Tyrol was angry and tried to quell the situation. "Tyrol, before you start, you must understand who Peiter Solice is."

"He's the person who has been messing with me. I told you about him, and _you_ didn't admit to knowing him."

"Peiter is a long-time friend of the Ordained. He has provided us with a lot of intelligence over the years. You need to learn that in business there are no enemies, only people who haven't learnt to work with us."

"Forget that Xan, I'm getting tired of your charades." His voice raising almost to a shout.

"Stop right there!" Xan shouted at him. "You _will_ show some respect, boy, before you make a mistake you can't recover from!"

"And _you_ will treat _me_ as a partner and stop taking me from behind."

"I've had enough of this conversation. Leave now."

"No, I will not. I have been watching the Ordained for years. I see the weakness, the pointless relationships with people not worthy to be associated. People like you need to step aside and let the visionaries take charge." He was now shouting, spit coming from his mouth through his anger.

"Your dissention is intolerable, Tyrol. I will be discussing this with the others. For now consider yourself excommunicated until we see fit to reconsider you."

Xan was now standing behind his desk, hands bracing on the top. Xan stared at him with fury, Tyrol knew there was now no turning back. Xan would not stand in his way, no one would. He looked down at the floor, and then in one fluid motion leapt over the desk and thrust a punch into Xan's throat, knocking him to the floor.

Tyrol's momentum carried him over the desk, where he dropped to the floor beside Xan on his knees. Xan was clasping his throat when Tyrol dragged him to a sitting position, wrapping his forearm around Xan's neck and locking it with his other arm. His squeeze slowly tightened as he whispered into Xan's ear.

"You have underestimated me, my friend. I will not be double crossed, or disrespected, now or ever. I am not waiting for a group of old farts to tell me when I can move, talk or take a dump."

Xan was grasping for air, his arms flailing with decreasing force. He was losing consciousness, but just before he did, Tyrol released him. Xan slumped to the floor, barely moving. Tyrol reached into his pocket and pulled the small flask he had acquired the night before.

"I can't kill you, of course. That would mean I would be arrested, and no doubt executed. It is a shame, however, that you have taken Datura today. Did you know that the wrong dosage will cause tachycardia and mydriasis. Of course this in itself may not kill you. You will most certainly have amnesia if you survive a large dose, handy for me right now."

He dragged Xan into his chair, he slumped slightly onto his desk. Tyrol sat him upright and held his arm across his chest, forcing the potion into his mouth and holding it shut.

"The problem is, this particular potion also has minute amounts of Taipoxin, from the Taipan in case you didn't know. I've built up an immunity over the years, but it does give the Datura an extra kick for those that take it once in a while."

He forced the remainder of the liquid down and Xan swallowed it. His eyes were already dilated as much as they could, and he had some bubbles forming at the edges of his mouth. He wouldn't last long now.

"Well, you have a few seconds left. I'm leaving now. You know Xan, if you want to experiment with drugs, you really should be careful who you get them from. There are bad people out there."

Tyrol took a cigar from the box on Xan's desk, whiffed the aroma and pocketed it before turning and leaving. As he stood in the lift awaiting the arrival of the ground floor, he decided he must end this phase of his journey, there was much more awaiting.

The doors opened and he walked out into the foyer. Walking past the reception, he paused and turned to the guard. "Xan asked that his afternoon appointments be cleared. He's taking some time to relax."

"Very good, sir. Good day."

The drive back to the property seemed to take an eternity. During that time, Tyrol decided he would leave Australia for a few years. He had property over many parts of the world, and once he had the Biotronics technology, he would need to forge new alliances away from the prying eyes of the Feds and Alphas in his community. It may look suspicious so soon after Xan's death, but so be it, they would have no proof it was him.

Next on his list would be Loach. He needed to ensure this kid's loyalty to him. He was the key to developing the tech, and ensuring Tyrol could make the most of the development and trading. He didn't think it would be hard, this kid was a street hacker, one weekend experiencing the smell, touch and feel of opulence and desire would be enough. He arranged for the meeting.

That afternoon, Tyrol had Loach brought to the property. As Tyrol entered the parlour, he could see the wiry looking scruff was already at the bar. There was a tumbler and bottle of thirty year single malt in front of him. Tyrol was surprised; he took him as more of a beer man. The tribal tattoos over his neck and forearms were quite ghastly, but Tyrol took it as an attempt to be more fearsome than he actually was. It didn't work.

"Thank you for coming, Loach."

"It's a pleasure to be here, Tyrol. Nice place, very nice."

"I'm glad you approve." He gave a slight nod. "Thank you for your work with the bio-tracer and acquiring the Sats. It was most helpful."

"Glad to be of service." Loach raised his glass before downing the contents.

Tyrol placed a brown bag in front of Loach. Loach opened it and tipped the contents onto the bar. Opals spilled out in front of him. They were red and orange in colour, at least half a dozen carats. This was more than Loach had earned in the last three years.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Think of it as an act of good faith."

"For what?"

"For your continued loyalty. I want you on my team Loach. You have exceptional skills, and I need you to lead my team on Biotronics development."

"What team, what development?"

"Well, we are in the final stages of acquiring the decoder you had originally been a part of developing. And with my considerable resources at hand, we will be able to develop hardware and software to allow you to create Biotronics systems for my traders."

"Didn't Ping and those other arseholes have the gear?"

"Yes, but I have a little leverage coming my way very soon. Believe me Loach, if I say it will be done, it will be."

"Cool. Call me interested."

"Good. Stay the weekend as my house guest. I have a few things to tend to, and in the meantime you can sample all of the pleasures your new life may bring."

Tyrol tapped a device and a servant entered the parlour. "Please bring in a few of our female friends. I believe my guest here could use some R and R."

"Very good, sir."

Tyrol looked toward Loach and gave a slight nod. Loach raised his glass again in a salute to Tyrol. "You're a generous man, Tyrol."

"Indeed. Enjoy your afternoon Loach. I will send a tailor down later on to find you something a little more suitable."

"You don't like denim?"

"Nobody likes denim, Loach." Tyrol placed his hand on his shoulder, and then left the room.

As he walked out of the room, he couldn't help but smile. Everything was coming together nicely. Aside from the unfortunate, but necessary, events of this morning, the last few years of Tyrol's efforts were paying dividends. He had hated pretending to be a minnow, shadowing his developments, disguising his identity while making achievements within the Alpha community.

But, it was all necessary. He was an honoured Alpha from a strong lineage. Many people looked on his family as royalty in Australia, so his activities were watched closely by many. It was not acceptable for a younger member of the community to rise to prominence before their time. There were protocols, ethics and standards among the elite that were not to be tampered with.

_Forget that_ , he thought. No one was going to tell Tyrol how to live his life, certainly not those weaker than him. _And they are all weaker_.

He retired to his study to contact Drake. He had a thought on the way upstairs, and had another task he needed to complete to ensure the meeting was all it was supposed to be. He would now be able to tie up all of his loose ends at once.

"Drake."

"Good afternoon, Tyrol. Time for your engagement?"

"I have another one in mind, first. Think of it as a test for your men."

"C'mon, Tyrol. You know I have the goods."

"OK, think of it as double payment then."

"That's more like it. What do you want?"

"There is a little town called Fitzroy Falls. I need you to deliver the operator, his name is Jay. He _must_ be alive, at all costs."

"Got it. Say, who is this guy?"

"Nobody you would know. Contact me when you have him."

"Roger." The comm disconnected.

So he was about to acquire the decoder, he already had his techie, he would soon have the address of the remaining equipment, all that remained was to destroy Solice, and hopefully Jack and his team. Then he would be done.

Although it was risky, he had decided to alert the Feds to the rendezvous with Jack. It would cause confusion, they would be Tyrol's back-up to take Jack's team if Tyrol's men failed, and it would expose Solice. If Tyrol didn't get the chance to kill him, at least the Feds would have him wrapped up tight after the incident, long enough for Tyrol to get the equipment out of the country.

He dozed in his chair, it had been a long day and he was exhausted. As he drifted off he thought perhaps he would cut back on the Nanos for now. He was already functioning well beyond any capacity he previously had, and there was no need to risk his body at this stage. Why was he so tired? _Something to sort out. Later_.

He awoke abruptly to his comm device, it was Drake. "Good news?"

"Indeed, we have your man. Luckily he was closing up and no one was around. He's a sucker for a nice pair of legs, so we had Venus distract him while one of the boys shot him with a dart. Easy and clean."

"Good, so no witnesses?"

"None, and we were in and out in ten minutes. I told you Tyrol, I've got the best."

"I never doubted you my friend, just ensuring you're still on your toes." Drake had a chuckle and cut his comm.

Tyrol now had all the pieces in place, ready for the finale. He would now go and ensure his new techie didn't get cold feet. It was time to cement him in the group, and ensure he performed to Tyrol's expectations. He didn't like dealing with street scum any more than he had to, but perhaps he could turn this lurker into something more resembling a man.

He walked into the parlour and told a servant to go and bring Loach in. A minute later the two appeared before Tyrol waved the servant away. Loach was dressed in a fine cut grey suit with an orange shirt and black shoes. He looked, for all intents and purposes, human. He had removed his scrappy dreadlocks and now had a short-cropped, clean haircut. Tyrol was impressed.

"Hope you don't mind, I had the barber come in too. Could only do a quick cut, your girls were cleaning me for hours!"

"Well, it's good to see you taking my offer seriously. The girls are for your entertainment, assuming you want to be part of the family." Tyrol let the statement hang for a moment, before smiling and presently a chair at the bar.

"Well, Tyrol. I can't say I've had any better offers than that for ... Well, forever. Count me in."

"Excellent." Tyrol put his hand out and gave Loach a shake, almost crushing his hand.

"Wow, strong grip you have there."

"Well, you know us Alphas Loach, nothing to do all day besides sit around and work-out, or read news articles."

"You don't strike me as the lay about type of person, Tyrol."

"Very perceptive. On that, we must talk about your next task."

"Biotronics?"

"Not yet. I have a meeting soon. It won't be particularly pleasant, and I need you to watch my back. We have a reasonable command centre on site here, you will be responsible for keeping my team up to date with locations and firepower of my rivals, keeping the Feds in check, and signal jamming if required."

"Jesus Christ, Tyrol. You going into World War 3?"

"Perhaps. I'm expecting you will ensure I come back out of it."

"Hey, you're the only employer that ever shouted me a suit, I'm your man." He raised his glass to Tyrol in a toast before drinking.

Loach seemed to be very casual about the recent events. Tyrol wasn't sure if it was bravado or ignorance. He took it as the former, everything he had researched on this character showed he was one of the most naturally talented techies in the country. He watched him as he looked around the parlour, admiring the furniture, the holo-pictures of Tyrol with all manner of dignitary and royalty over the years, the parade of exotic vehicles parked through the next room. He knew Loach was under the spell of Tyrol's lifestyle and life. From this point on, he could forge him into a powerful ally. A new beginning for both of them.

"Loach, this meeting is going to be complicated and fast moving. The key objectives are to ensure a man named Peiter Solice doesn't leave the scene, and we obtain the Biotronics Decoder. I have bio signatures of Solice, so you should be able to mark him easy enough."

"And what about the decoder? It's not like I can just tag it from a Sat."

"Because it's not an electronic system?"

"Exactly. The decoder is the only thing that can actually read the Biotronics signals and convert them to electrical signals if required."

"Leave that to me. I have some leverage for that trade. Just make sure you have Sats over the area and grab as many markers as you can. I don't want them leaving with it."

"I got it. So who else is on your tech team?"

"Including you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Well my boy, you're it. I can't trust anyone else right now."

"Hold on." Loach sounded more than a little concerned. "You're telling me you're engaging with at least three parties, multiple vehicles, no doubt multiple weapons arrays, probable hostile intent, and I'm it?"

"Well, not exactly. I have what you would call 'trick' tech on site, Loach. We have pioneered much of the technology the general public use, and stolen most of the tech the military uses."

"So what are we talking? Autonomous Drones, mobile battlements, sweepers?"

"Sure, if that's all you want. I have Ion Plasma payload Stalkers, a stealth scramjet UAV, keyhole access to MilSats, and an armoury under this building. But if you just want a drone there must be some around somewhere we haven't disposed of yet."

Loach was silent, staring with his mouth part open trying to digest the artillery Tyrol just rattled off. Tyrol enjoyed every second of it. He never grew tired of the awe people had in him, regardless of their pedigree. Any doubts Loach may have once had about this deal would now be completely wiped away.

"That's, uh, that's, that's pretty impressive Tyrol. Should I send a memo to the government to remind them not to mess with you?"

"No need, I've already done that," Tyrol said it as nonchalant as possible before downing his drink.

"Well, you have me excited Loach, how about we go and check out this war chest of yours!"

"I'll have my chief of security show you around the site, get you familiar with the hardware. We probably have about twelve hours or so; make sure you acquire any assets you need prior to that and be ready, we will have to be in position fast."

Tyrol left the room as his Chief of Security walked in. Tyrol gave him a nod as he walked past. Tyrol made his way upstairs to arrange the meeting, and advise of the changed parameters. He would force a fairly quick engagement to throw them off guard, and hopefully keep them flapping about Jay.

# Chapter 29

"Tyrol, we don't have him yet."

"I know, but you're running out of time, and I need this resolved."

"Well Tyrol, he's proving to be a slippery bastard, but we have some solid leads, shouldn't be more than a day."

"That is unacceptable, Jack. The meeting will take place at four am tomorrow morning."

"Whoa there, what the hell gives you the right to dictate this to me?" Jack's voice was just shy of a shout, and he had the attention of everyone in the workshop now.

"Well, if you want to see your boy Ping's Uncle Jay again, you had better have Solice at the meeting place. And I want the Biotronics Decoder, don't even pretend you don't have it."

"What the hell are you doing with Jay? You bastard."

Ping heard his name and charged over to Jack shouting and swearing. Jack pushed him away, and pointed at Blake to take him outside.

"Oh, seems I've hit a raw nerve with one of your boys, Jack. Don't worry, he won't be harmed, as long as you hold up your end of the deal. And Jack, I also have the document you want, awaiting Solice's confirmation."

"What say he doesn't give it?"

"He will. I'm guaranteeing him asylum in France if he ratifies the statement."

That sounded about as legit as a politician with a clear conscience, so he was either planning on killing Solice, Jack, or both of them. "Where are we meeting?"

"Third Quadrant." Tyrol cut his comm.

"Dammit!" Jack shouted as loud as he could. Blake and Ping came back in the room.

"Calm down, and tell us what's going on Jack." Cindy sat on one of the couches in the corner of the room.

"This just turned from a one-sided gun fight, into a right royal mess up, that's what's going on." Jack was pacing back and forth, trying to get everything clear in his head.

"What's going on with Jay?" Ping was nervous as heck.

"Tyrol has him. Says he wants to trade him for the Biotronics Decoder."

"We giving it to him?"

"As far as he knows, yeah. I owe Jay, and I'm not going to leave an almost-innocent man to that dog."

"He'll use it for bad things, Jack."

"I know, that's why you guys are going to start making a fake copy of it in about five minutes. He's never seen the real one, as long as it looks legit enough to fool whoever he has to ratify it, it will be good enough. He won't risk taking a high-value techie into a hostile situation, so it will be video feed confirmation only."

"It'll be Loach, and that slimy bugger doesn't have a combative bone in his body."

"What else do we have hun?" Cindy interjected, trying to keep them on track.

"Well, he says he's got a document that confirms I wasn't involved in the assassination, and just needed a bio-signature from Solice."

"Sounds like a pile of crap," Blake chimed in.

"Yeah, I know. I figure he's just trying to get us all there to finish us off. But he doesn't realise he's stirred up a damned hornets' nest." Jack lost his nervousness, and was almost chanting now.

"Ox didn't say it directly, but he has contact with Solice, probably close. I'm picking he's acting as some kind of foreign consul to the government or something. Perhaps I could convince Ox to lure him to the site, rather than us hunting him down."

"Well you better make it quick, if we don't have a confirmation in an hour, we'll have to get on the grid and track him down. How long would it take you to find him Sin?"

"We know he's in the general area, and he's not moving through general channels, so pretty quick actually. It only took me an hour to find the PM on a secret retreat for a client a few weeks ago. This bloke can't be a heck of a lot more connected."

"Don't be so sure. Blake, get onto Ox, see if he'll play ball."

Blake went upstairs to contact Ox and see what was going to go down. He sat on the couch and threw his head back for a minute. The world was spinning so fast, he had trouble keeping up with what was happening. He thought for a minute about Holly. It had seemed like an eternity since he had been with her. He hoped she was ok, wherever she was.

There was an unopened energy bar on the coffee table in front of him. He grabbed it and noticed the architecture magazine displayed on the table holo. He tapped it and it enlarged in front of him with the cover. It was this house, although a good fifty years ago by the look of the small plantings outside. Blake looked out and saw thirty metre giants outside the same view as the cover. Apparently it was designed by the grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright in tribute to his masterpiece Falling Water.

He hesitated and wondered why he was getting distracted by such things. Fatigue was obviously kicking in, but it was no time to fall apart. He raised Ox on the comm, but there was no reply. He left it for a few minutes, and then Ox pinged him.

"Everything OK, Ox?"

"Sure, if World War 3 is OK. We've got street cops, Feds and agents scouring the cities for you, your mates, anyone linked with Tyrol, and we're coming up bust."

"That's because Tyrol has been running diversions the whole time. The runners he's been sending out have been on meaningless errands, except for their attempt to take Jack and me apparently."

"So what have you got for me? I'm trying not to get too far ahead, but I can't stay back forever Blake, I've got a career to think about."

"Tyrol wants the Biotronics tech, that's all he ever wanted."

"And you have it?"

"Perhaps, but it's not going to you, not yet."

"For christ's sake Blake, this is one fart shy of a full Government intervention."

"Well, let's not let things get to that. Solice is the key, who is he to you?"

"He's a government liaison, assigned by the Secretary of Defence, to ensure we limit the effectiveness of the Alpha's illegal activities."

"He's full of it. I bet he's paying close attention to the acquisition of the Biotronics tech."

"You have my attention now, carry on."

"He's been tangling with Alphas for a while now. Being ex-KGB he has global contacts. He's either bribing or blackmailing someone at the Secretary's office."

"How do you know this?"

"Because we have the best techies in the world sitting right here with us Ox. You should see these guys work, I mean, it's pretty damned impressive. Anyway, Tyrol has said that he has a document that clears Jack and incriminates Solice, but he needs a bio-sig from Solice to ratify the document."

"And you don't believe him?"

"I believe that Solice is guilty, but I don't believe the bio-sig business. I think he wants Solice there to take him out. He probably has mud on Tyrol. It's possibly how he got into your operation, giving some trinkets of info to the Sec."

"Plausible. Why don't you come in and we can go over a plan."

Blake laughed. "Not happening. It's not you, if Solice has his tentacles into the Sec, there's no way I'd walk out of a Fed building alive."

"So what's the plan then? A rag-tag bunch of fugitives saving the day by out-witting and out-powering one of the most prominent members of society to save the day and the country?"

"Something like that, but we're more 'objectionable' than 'rag-tag'. Look Ox, I know you don't believe Jack is innocent, or that Solice is a bad bugger, but I do."

"Oh, I'm coming round Blake. To be honest Sophie and I have been uncomfortable since his arrival, and I don't trust Tyrol as far as I can kick him. I want the tech back, but more than that I want justice. If Solice is involved like you say, I'm willing to bring him to your little show. I'll only have a small group, and they will be under instruction not to attack or arrest you, or your team."

"How can I trust you?"

"You can't, but I'll give you my word for what it's worth. Blake, the only reason I took you on at Osiris is because I could see you were a good man. I'm trying to fight that feeling, but to be honest, I'm losing that fight."

"If you double cross me, we will destroy the tech. It will be rigged to incinerate on the call of any of us."

"Fair enough. But when the dust settles, I want the tech back in Government hands."

"How can I be sure it won't get stolen or sold?"

"The PM is now aware of its value and power. Believe me when I tell you that this is now becoming a priority for the Government."

"I want exoneration for all of my team."

"Jack only gets it if we nail Solice."

"I have to confirm this with my guys. I'll give you an address two hours before the meeting. If the team say you're in, you'll be going to the right place, if you're out, you'll be on the other side of the state. And by the way, we have Sats overhead now, any prior movements will be noticed and there will be hell to pay." Blake cut his comm.

Blake went back downstairs, trying to figure out how he was going to get the team on board. He believed that Ox wouldn't screw them, but at the same time had trouble believing his men would keep their finger off the trigger. On the other side, it was going to be a tough call for them to take Tyrol alone. His display of firepower at the Wing'Tan showdown was impressive, and that may not have been his whole arsenal.

As he entered the workshop he could see the mold from the 3-D scan had just been completed. The box looked pretty accurate already, but needed a few flashing lights or whatever the hell was in that little headache sitting in the corner of the room. Jack was over with Betty checking her over. Cindy was moving tappers on both hands with the ferocity of a shadow-puppet ninja, manipulating some gadget on the screen in front of her.

"What do you have there, Sin?"

"Just finishing the prototype for a retina projector."

"Sounds painful!"

"Shouldn't be, unless I over-estimate the charge required to calibrate it."

"So what does it do?"

"Well, this unit is a transmitter." She brought up a box the size of a deck of cards. "You have that anywhere on your body or clothing. Then you place a contact lens on your eye, which is the receiver."

"With you so far."

"When it's active, Ping or I will be able to send you live feeds of Sat-data, or bio-sig's of personnel in the area, whatever we want. It will get sent to the receiver which emits a low energy display straight to your retina. The beauty is, the lens is completely flexible and cannot tear, so you don't have bulky glasses to get in the way, or break."

"Very cool."

"That ain't all. I also have sonar imaging, infrared and 3D sound recording sensors to attach to your suit. That will also be connected, so you can more-or-less see through thin walls, or 'see' sounds and their point of origin."

"This just went from very cool to rediculously cool."

"Hey, Sin," Jack shouted from across the floor, "can I have one?"

"Nah, your eyes are too messed up. You'll have to settle for super-human motion recognition." She turned back to Blake. "So what did your old boss say?"

Blake waved the others over. "He wants to make a deal."

"With a bunch of fugitives?" Ping gave him an odd look.

"He wants the killer of Mac, and is starting to believe it isn't Jack. He's on our wavelength with Solice, thinks he's bad news. He also wants the tech back."

"That's a big Christmas list, Blake," Jack added.

"I know, but I trust him, and I'm not certain our engagement with Tyrol will end well without his support."

"So what would you suggest?"

"We carry on as planned. We take the replica decoder, and if things work out, we give it to Ox. He may get the real one some time, we can discuss that later. He has Solice as a consultant, and will have him at the meeting."

"And Tyrol?"

"We subdue him and hand him to Ox. There will be enough evidence around that scene to at least get them a search warrant. If Loach is in on things with him, they may get him."

"And Solice, for the trifecta?"

"I think we play on his bravado and arrogance. If he's there with Ox he will need to be pushed, but I think the opportunity to grab the decoder while it is in front of him will be too great."

"Sounds like a bloody fairy tale if you ask me, but stuff it, could be a challenge."

"Sin, Ping, are you guys in?"

"Hey, I just want Jay back. Make that happen and I'll give you guys whatever you want."

"You boys know me," added Cindy, "I'm a sucker for helpless animals. I'll back you up."

Blake looked at all of them. "Tonight may be the last time I see you guys. If that's the way it's supposed to be then so be it, but let's make sure the hellers on that hill don't forget us. I've had enough of pricks like Tyrol, and if I make it to tomorrow, I'm going after all of them."

"Amen to that." Jack sounded pumped.

"Nice pep talk hun." Cindy pecked him on the cheek and went back to her programming.

Blake stood there and looked around the room. Of all the time he had been in the military, the Police, the Feds, he hadn't quite had the same feeling of inclusion he felt now. It was a pretty messy family, but he got it now. These guys had all been crapped on by society in one way or another, but all of them were now about to fight to save it, possibly, from a much bleaker future.

Sure there was a vested interest in Jack clearing his name. But that wasn't spoken of much, and to be honest, Blake didn't think that Jack thought about it much. In a country where corruption and power went hand-in-hand, it seemed those that fell victim to its effects were also the same ones that just might stop its reign.

"Hey Jack, didn't you say Jay's workshop was a war-chest."

"More like an armoury, but they've raided it."

"Yeah, but what if they didn't know about that area? What if they were only after him? Ping, can you get in there?"

"Hell yeah! I developed the security system for him."

"Worth a look then, Jack?"

"Sounds like we're in for a battle of weapons, not words, tonight. We need all the help we can get." He sounded like a kid in a candy shop. "Sin, get this gear ready ASAP, we'll be back soon with some more toys."

As the three of them made the short trip to Fitzroy Falls, the night sky was dominant against the barren landscape. The contrast of blurred stars and bright Aurora was almost a work of art. No matter what was going around him, Jack always felt eased by just looking up.

Fitzroy Falls was a quiet place at the best of times, and tonight it was like a ghost town. They still didn't take any chances, so left the vehicle four blocks away and took their time getting to the workshop. There were only a few people around that didn't pay them much attention. A few dogs scrapped in the car park but ran as soon as they saw the three of them.

Jack stopped them a block away, and crouched. The others followed suit. "There's a shadow moving at the end of the workshop. Looks like they may have left someone behind, in case we came for clues."

"I'll go around the long side and approach him like a concerned citizen." Blake pretended to be drunk. "That should take his attention away from your direction so you can take him down."

"Here's hoping there is only one of them, huh?"

"Here's hoping." Blake moved off away from the building to box around.

"OK, Ping, you stay here and wait for the all clear."

"What's the sign?"

"That shadow flat on his arse," Jack grinned, and then disappeared along the shadow of an adjacent building.

Blake moved through the street as quick as he could, but was sure not to appear too out of place. He couldn't see too many people around, but third party awareness was critical when wanting to stay anonymous. He walked past the pub and down toward the garage. He slowed when he got near, hoping Jack had enough time to get into place.

Walking towards the mark, he could see he was alone, and a big bugger. He looked down and realised he was wearing his tac-suit, hoping like hell in the dim light it was mistaken for a motorbike outfit. He got nearer and the man casually turned towards him, showing little emotion to Blake's presence.

Blake tried his best slightly slurred speech. "Hey bud, nice night, huh?"

"Sure." The man turned away.

"I'm Blackie, nice to meet you." Blake put his hand out.

"Roller." Barely acknowledging Blake.

"Hey, you got a light mate?"

"Sure." He reached in his pocket and tossed him a lighter.

Blake looked at it, it was inscribed with the 501st Military Legion of America. "Nice lighter, you ex-mil?"

The man took a little more interest now, turning towards him. "Yeah, why so interested?"

"Hey, no reason man." Blake tried his best to appear confused at the question. "Just reading the lighter. You got a ciggie too? I'm out." He patted his pockets and showed his hands out.

"Dammit, you want me to smoke the thing too?" Clearly annoyed, he grabbed his ciggies and tossed the pack to Blake.

Blake took one and moved towards him to hand the packet back. He saw Jack moving in from the other side, so stayed back a little making the man reach toward him to grab the packet. As he did, Blake spoke to him in a loud voice to disguise Jack's last few steps. "Cheers bud, not too many people look out for anyone else these days around here." He winked at him and dropped the packet.

The split second Roller glanced at the falling packet, Blake stepped back. Jack jumped at him and kicked him square between the shoulder blades. Roller stumbled towards Blake who jumped into a spinning heel kick, connecting with the side of his head and sending him to the ground. Blake landed with a crouch to take his weight, and spun back up to his feet.

Jack looked at him and shook his head. "Damned show pony."

Blake shrugged his shoulders, and then his eyes went wide as he lost his balance. Roller had grabbed his ankle and pulled his leg out, causing him to fall. Rising to his feet, Roller brushed his shoulders and grinned at Jack. Suddenly he looked about three feet taller, and twice as wide.

Roller started lunging towards him, reaching around his back. Jack pulled his pistol and shot between the eyes of the blue mass moving at him, before stepping aside, watching the mass of muscle fall to the ground.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Blake was pissed as he got up rubbing the back of his head.

"The arsehole was reaching behind his back. Jack shoots first bud, no argument."

"Well, I'd say we have ten minutes max before the cops are here, so thanks for the pressure dickhead."

"Better get Ping on to it then, huh?"

"Too late." Blake pointed over Jack's shoulder. Ping was tapping the main door entry code.

Blake and Jack pulled the body into the workshop as fast as they could. People would have heard the shot, even if they didn't see the incident. And they didn't think the cops would be interested in knowing why he shot first, he was a felon already.

By the time they got him in and closed the door, Ping had entered the secure area. They walked towards him, but he put up his hand for them to stop. He stood in front of the end wall while the biometric scanners confirmed who he was.

"You guys can't come in here. I set it up so that I could have access, but only Jay could take others. His request."

"Well that's just bloody great. You got two minutes to toss out as much hardware as you can." Blake swished his hand for him to hurry.

"Get that old rocket launcher too," Jack shouted.

Blake looked at him in an odd manner. "What the hell do you want a rocket launcher for?"

"Boy Scout, be prepared. Besides, it's very cool, you'll like it!" Jack looked like an excited school kid, again.

Ping started bringing out everything he could. They relayed to him what they needed, anything surplus would be stashed back in the secure area. If they could keep the area hidden for future use, all the better. Tonight might not be their last fight.

Five minutes later, they had sorted through the cache and taken as much hardware as they could carry in the duffle bags. After Ping dumped the rest back inside and secured the secret entry, they left, being careful to avoid people on the way back. When they got to the vehicle, there were two young men hanging around.

"This your vehicle?" the smaller of the two men said in a cocky tone.

"We're standing here aren't we?" replied Blake.

"What do you want for it?"

"It's not for sale sorry, we just want to go home."

"What the three of you? You faggots?"

Blake knew they were trying to get a rise, looking for a fight, at least. "Sure bud, whatever."

Blake put down the duffle as if to get his keys, but was just freeing himself up. As he did, he saw movement from his right. He stepped straight into the small guy and kicked him between the legs, before lunging backwards and thrusting his elbow into the solar-plexus of the large man. At the same time, he grabbed his arm from behind and used his falling momentum to arm-throw the big man into the other one.

By the time they landed, Jack had his gun trained on them. As they got up, they flashed their eyes from Blake to Jack and saw the gun. Their eyes went wide open.

"Now, thanks for the work out, but as my friend said, we're going home, so if you don't mind getting the hell out of here, I'd rather not waste two bullets."

Jack didn't move, didn't flinch, just kept his eye and the gun on the two men. By now they had filled their pants, and scrambled up to their feet, hobbling down the road.

Jack turned to Blake. "Beating up kids, I dunno Blake, you've turned into a regular thug. Such a shame." He slipped his gun into the holster and opened the trunk, tossing his duffle in.

# Chapter 30

Ox and Sophie were jogging at the park, as they had done many times before. But this run wasn't for fitness, it was for privacy. Ox hadn't liked the conclusion of his last discussion with Blake, and needed to discuss it candidly with Sophie, away from prying ears.

"So the meeting is going down tonight, and Tyrol will be there?"

"Apparently. He is supposed to have a document clearing Jack's name, but needs verification with Peiter's bio-sig."

"So how does that work, I mean why don't we just grab Tyrol and take the document and then bring it back for verification with Peiter?"

"I think the under-tone is that it incriminates Peiter, and he won't participate willingly." Ox looked at Sophie and watched the sweat bead down her face, over her pronounced cheeks, and down to her neck.

"So Blake wants us to lure Peiter there, to make a confession, probably based on some kind of DNA or other marker left on a document Tyrol stole?"

"Yeah, but he may not have stolen it, he may have forged it. That's where the whole deal gets weak. I need to know that Peiter Solice is a crook. My gut feels it, I need to know what you think."

Sophie stopped running, as did Ox a few paces further. He turned to her, and for a moment looked into her eyes and thought he would never come back.

"Jules, you're the most intuitive man I have ever met. Your interview and interrogation skills are second to none. You know this, as much as I believe it, so stop messing around and make this happen."

The terse note of her words was quickly followed by a warm smile. Sophie reached out and placed her hand on his face, instantly turning his skin to fire, before she started running again.

"So how do you think we should pitch this to Peiter?"

"C'mon Jules, you know he's had a hard-on for the Biotronics tech since he got here. He won't need any convincing if he knows the tech is near."

"The catch is, we can take Peiter and Tyrol, but not Blake or his crew."

"How the hell do you swing that one by the Sec, Jules?"

"I'm hoping I won't have to. They're pretty geared up, so with a bit of luck they can get in, do their business, and get out without any of our guys nabbing them."

"And how do you justify one eight man squad for such a high profile bust?"

"I don't. All I'm saying officially is we're following a lead that may involve an Alpha and contraband. I'm going to drop the Biotronics presence to Peiter on the side. If I'm right he won't mention it to anyone, and try to make a move to grab the tech himself."

"You expecting him to have back-up?"

"Almost definitely, but it won't be a big crew as they would raise the alarm when they got anywhere near."

"Will you be using Osiris crew?"

"No, street Feds. Our guys are too good, and they'll recognise Blake straight away."

They both stopped near a bench. Jules was puffed and bent over, hands on his knees.

"Hey." Sophie spoke in a clam voice. He stood up and looked her way. "Be careful." She pecked him on the cheek, and headed off, jogging towards her apartment.

Ox sat down, his head in a spin, the cause was an equal measure of having his arse run off, being closer to the only woman he ever really cared about than he had before, and thinking about the next eight hours. The first and last issues were easy to reconcile, the middle one was messing with him.

The rain was now teeming down, a small river was forming under the bench. It was time to go back to HQ and get the plan into action. There were a lot of variables here, and Ox didn't like it. The biggest one right now was probably Solice.

Arriving at the building, Ox had already called for a strike team from the Agency. He only gave a brief request, but ensured that Peiter Solice would confirm the requisition. The squad were in the foyer, with a sergeant present to sign them in. Ox showed them to the lift, palm-signed the required documents, and headed up.

In the main room, he showed the Fed Special Agents to the briefing room before going to the changing room in his en-suite. When he came out, he saw Solice in the foyer. He waved him towards the office, and closed the door behind him.

"Peiter, we have a developing situation. I was made aware a few hours ago that there is a meeting with an Alpha, possibly trading contraband."

"Happens every day, why are you bringing me in on a miserable evening to discuss this?"

"Because that Alpha is Tyrol."

"OK, I'm interested."

"And the contraband is the Biotronics tech."

As soon as Ox mentioned that Peiter seemed to stiffen a little and look directly towards him.

"Where did you get this intel?"

"Not important. What _is_ important is that we know the deal is going down in about four hours, but we don't know the exact location. It's in the twin city area, but the exact location won't be divulged for a while."

"Who have you advised?"

"Only the Agency Ops Commander. I have acquired an eight man squad."

"Why not a larger team?"

"I don't want to blow the op with fifty men and a bunch of heli's and AAV's. Discretion will always be key when dealing with Alphas."

"I agree." Peiter was already running through how quick he could get his counter-operative team on site, and how to get the tech from the cities to his carrier.

"I also didn't mention the Biotronics to the Agency. I want us to make this raid, Peiter, and I want _us_ to be the ones getting the commendation from the PM."

"We see eye to eye on that, my friend." Peiter couldn't believe how easy this was falling together. The Government was handing him the tech on a platter, and he would most certainly accept and receive.

"The team are in the briefing room, I suggest we get to work."

"Lead the way, Jules."

As they entered the room, the men were chattering and looking around at the Tactical Maps and other laser imaging scattered around the walls. Not many of them had seen or heard of any of the tech they walked past coming in. Ox knew they would be a bit dumbstruck, so brought them back to reality.

"Gentlemen, take a seat please." They all sat and looked up at Ox now standing on the podium. "My name is Jules Oricks, some of you will have heard of me, but none of you will have heard what I do. I run Osiris, an elite Agency Operation Centre that monitors and acts on all manner of Government threat."

There was some mumbling amongst the men, obviously now more confused as to why they were there.

"You have been brought here on the recommendation of your commander. Prove yourself tonight through loyalty and obedience, and you may get an opportunity to screen for a position with Osiris. Your technical skill should already be above reproach, if the Commanders word is anything to go by."

There was a sense of slight relaxation amongst the group, some nodding and a little chatter.

"What you need to know is I have direct Government authorisation to act in any manner we feel necessary to accomplish our tasks. Remember that is from me. You must all do exactly as I command on an op. Chain of command at Osiris is paramount."

"Excuse me, sir." One of the men raised his hand.

"No need to raise your hand, son, speak."

"What exactly are we doing here? We've all heard about Osiris, but this isn't exactly a standard agency selection process."

"And we're not exactly a standard Government Agency. We have a white budget, black budget, and more resources than a small country."

"Impressive, sir, but you still haven't answered my question."

"Observant. What is your name Agent?"

"Sasha Oaks, sir."

"Well Oaks, you are here to help us detain the man behind the assassination of Senator Mac, and prevent an Alpha from acquiring potentially lethal technology from a fugitive. You have been brought in as I suspect there is a leak in our organisation, so my team are unaware of this op at present."

Solice almost believed the tripe Jules was spilling himself! He certainly was a good salesman, if nothing else. It's a pity he would have to eliminate him after this op, he could have been useful in the organisation. Never mind, he thought, he would still have Sophie to bolster the ranks.

Ox went on to explain there would be three parties at the meeting place, the suspect and possibly allies, Tyrol who definitely had support, and themselves. The first objective was to detain Tyrol. Solice and five men would be doing that. Ox would take the other three to detain Jack. They were only to use lethal force if their lives were in danger.

They were advised of the tech they needed to also recover, but weren't given details of its use, except that it was not radioactive, and would not cause them harm handling it. They were also going in comms-silent, they didn't want to give their arrival away to Tyrol, who would definitely have signal tracing in the area.

Ox handed the briefing to Solice when his comm lit up. He left the room and went to his office, he didn't want anyone to overhear this discussion.

"Blake, tell me it's on."

"The team have agreed for you to take part. As mentioned, we have Tyrol, and the tech together. You bring Solice and this will all be resolved by morning."

"I'm going so far out on a limb here it ain't funny. If you are wrong about Solice or Tyrol, I'm taking Jack no matter what. That is a warning to stay out of my way if things turn."

"That's your choice. Mine is to protect my crew and bring justice to Tyrol and Solice. If they are detained, you will get the tech."

"Tell me Blake, how does it feel being a vigilante?"

"A lot better than being a Yes-man, I can tell you that. You should know that this is not how I wanted things to turn out, Jules. But I can't stand aside and let an innocent man fall for a wrongful conviction, or let a man like Tyrol take something as powerful as Biotronics."

"I have advised my team not to use lethal force unless provoked. I am leading the team to apprehend Jack. We will lag behind and let Tyrol have his rendezvous with Solice, assuming the muck rises to the surface we will arrest both of them, and you lot can slip away."

"One more thing."

"Full of requests lately aren't you?"

"They have kidnapped Ping's Uncle to trade for the tech. He has nothing to do with this, he is to be removed from the scene and released."

"If weapons come out, he'd better get his head down then. I'm not a baby sitter."

"Got it. We're meeting at the Third Quadrant. Tyrol is a sicko, so he's probably going to be at the section where we were attacked and Whip was killed."

Ox felt a little sick for a moment. He had just realised that in the last few days he hadn't even thought about Whip. He put it down to the intensity of the current situation, but was annoyed with himself nonetheless. Something for Sophie to add to her list of subjects to shrink his head over.

Sophie. He hoped she had taken his direction and relocated to the West Coast Centre for the week. He had a feeling Solice couldn't be trusted and although he knew she wasn't an easy take, he knew how dangerous Solice was turning out to be. Their latest intel suggested he was the current head of the group called 'Teppop', translating to 'terror' in Russian. If that was right, he was not going to be taking a back seat on this raid. He had words on the side with Solice, and figured he was trying to turn him.

"You there Ox?"

"Ah, yeah. I just remembered something. I assume you have techies on signals."

"A reasonable assumption."

"Tell them to monitor Russian satellites, especially any recently moving into orbit over the East Coast."

"Got it, I'm out."

Ox sat at his desk for a minute, contemplating the current situation. Even though he was all but encouraged to work outside the square with his division, he was currently colluding with a wanted fugitive. Of course, in black and white that looked bad, but his world has been in the grey for as long as he could remember.

Looking around his office he looked at the various pictures, holos and even a sculpture made for him by the wife of the late President Obama the Third. All of these things were affirmations of the man he was, a soldier, an ambassador, a patriot.

Everything Ox now knew about Solice confirmed his initial concern. He was a man that was so driven by power and ego that he wouldn't hesitate to put as many under him as necessary to reach the top. The worst part was he was rational, calculated and focussed, which made him more dangerous than a mad man. He had no doubt Solice would show his hand tonight, and he would be ready.

"Gentlemen, we have a location." Ox entered the room interrupting Solice.

"Good Jules, I was just completing my strategic plan for the raid. The exact location will be helpful for us to finalise the positions."

"It's not an exact location yet, my source has stated it is in the Third Quadrant. We suspect it will be the location of a previous engagement with a suspected associated of Tyrol. Where one of our men was murdered."

"Would this Alpha be so predictable?"

"His ego will be his undoing. This man has been under surveillance for years, knows it, but has never been touched. Tonight will be no different in his mind."

Ox brought up a holo overlay of the Third Quadrant on the planning table. He pinpointed the location and ran through the choke-points, dead ground and exit routes. They started to discuss lay-up positions and sniping locations.

"The one thing we don't know is if he has air support. At the attack on the Wing'Tan HQ there were military ion-plasma drones onsite. I have decided they were acquired by Tyrol, and he may use them here. They will be too fast to manoeuvre around buildings effectively, but will be able to pick-off anything on rooftops or open spaces."

"So use CQB techniques, sir," one of the Agents added.

"Exactly. We must also be aware of the training of the targets. The Alpha may have men on the ground. If he does, they're likely to be rough-necks he gets from the street. Not likely to be highly trained, but at the same time disposable if it hits the fan for him. They will also be unpredictable." The men looked at each other and nodded.

"The suspected assassin is ex-military, and by all accounts an excellent solider. As is Blake, our former agent. These men are to be taken into custody, but not, and I repeat, _not_ killed. Does everyone understand?"

"Yes, sir", they all replied in chorus. Ox turned to Solice, who gave a subtle nod.

"Let's get to the armoury and sort out kit. A lot of it you will never have seen some of the weapons. If that's the case, speak up. The only rule is if you don't know what the hell it is, leave it alone."

Ox left the room, with the others following suit. Solice stayed behind, which Ox noticed but ignored as the lift door closed. That was the sign Ox needed. Solice would be contacting his team now. He took the chance to talk to the men alone.

"Remember, gentlemen, I am the Commanding Officer of this Agency. All commands by me are final. If you are given directives that conflict my instruction, you are to ignore them."

They all looked a little confused. Oaks spoke, "You are referring to Peiter Solice, sir?"

"Correct, Oaks."

"Very good, sir." He nodded to the other men, who nodded back.

# Chapter 31

Tyrol entered the Portico dressed in a sharp tailored suit. It was slightly bulked up by the armour he was wearing underneath, but not so much as to be noticed. He had used a lot of credit to get the engineers to refine the material down to three millimetres, while still being flexible and almost impenetrable. It wouldn't stop a plasma blast, or a shot to the head, but it made him feel better nonetheless.

He walked down to the armoured transport behind the Veyron. He opened the rear door and looked in at the eight men in the back. Jay was on the floor, legs and hands bound, and gagged. He muffled something, and got a sharp hit to the back of the head by one of the men.

"Watch it you damned idiot. If he's dead before they show, the deal is off. Someone clean his face up before we get there."

He closed the door again and walked towards his car. The advanced team would already be at the two main entrances to the Third Quadrant, hopefully out of sight. He hated dealing with these buggers, they smelled and had no culture. Still, they were cheap, and expendable. The second part was what he was counting on more than anything.

Driving out of the property, he got Loach on the comm. "You there, Loach?"

"Sure am boss."

"What's going on at the Third?"

"Nothing as far as I can see. A few groups of derros, but they've been there since before you called for the location. If they're Feds, they're also bloody magicians."

"Keep an eye on things, this is crunch time, my boy. Get us through tonight and the world is your oyster."

Loach liked the idea of that. For so long he had been mucking around with losers like Ping; low-rent hackers and techies that couldn't see the big picture. Who cares about respect from techies and street-hacks, the rest of the world doesn't give a toss. But people like Tyrol, they're the ones that make things happen, they're the ones people look up to. He would be there soon too.

He saw a few blips on the overhead radar and tracked them. They were surveillance drones. He jumped into the UTF scheduling and saw they were recorded sweeps. He decided to leave them, didn't want to cause a ruckus this far out from the meet. He tagged them and moved on.

Ping was on the comm to Cindy. "Yo, Sin, got the drones out there. I reckon we've got an hour before the UTF realise I nicked them. I'll have them halfway across the Pacific by then."

"Good Ping, what's the activity?"

"Not much A few small groups, I'll tag them. There are vehicles at the two main entry points to the area."

"That will be Tyrol."

"Kind of sloppy."

"If he is anything like I expect him to be, he won't be planning on us having the upper hand. It won't occur to him we hacked the UTF days ago and set up the schedule for drones over every part of the city."

Ping liked Cindy. Not in _that_ way, she was way out of his league, and he didn't kid himself. No, he liked that she didn't muck around. There was no 'what if', or 'let's wait', she was concise and decisive. It was as though she had already thought of every possible outcome and whittled the variables own to the bare outcome.

He didn't, however, like Loach. That bugger had sat next to him for a few years at Wing'Tan, pretended to be his brother. He told Ping he'd always have his back, and even gone so far as to say he'd throw himself in front of a gun for him. The bastard forgot to mention he'd be holding the gun.

"Jack, you got any trouble?"

"Negative Blake, just cruising and enjoying the star haze."

"I've got a few street cops around. Not really paying attention to the Beast. I guess they figure I'm just another hoodlum who's seen too many music holos."

"Well the GTX don't look a lot like it did."

"I think it expresses my personality, actually."

"I guess so, still ugly."

"Time to get serious boys. Ping and I aren't here to listen to your love stories." Cindy was being her usual persuasive self.

"Yes, sir! Twenty k's out from Third Quadrant, going to take the scenic route, see what I can see. Blake, you go straight to the RDV and get those scout drones up."

"Roger."

Jack took the old Ryde exit and stopped on the top of the hill. There was nothing around except broken houses and crumbled roads. He couldn't really understand how this was once the affluent area of Sydney, when it so quickly appeared to have been deserted. The whole area beyond was a patchy mess of lit and dark suburbs, broken highways and crumbling buildings.

Looking to the right he saw the new city, glowing on the skyline, buzzing with activity. The more he looked at it, the old city was looking like a limb that needed to be amputated. It seemed to be only the few stubborn residents that couldn't let go of the last century that remained. Of course they would die in time, and the city would disappear, either by nature or bulldozers. Either way, its fate seemed sealed.

As emotional as the moment could have been, Jack didn't have time for that crap. If he started thinking about the past, he'd think about his wife and child, and then this whole op would be on one giant downhill slide. Damn, he wished he had a smoke right now. Stuff it, game time.

As he tore down the old Pacific Highway he thought of retribution. This bugger Solice, and probably Tyrol, had brought all this pain onto him. They were going to pay. He felt he could take them all by himself, but was thankful he had a team behind him.

"Blake, you at the RDV?"

"Yes."

"Activity?"

"Bugger all. I weaved around a group at the North entry, they didn't see me come in. Well if they did, they didn't mind."

"Sin, you on target?"

"Yes honey, on the hill and watching over you like an angel."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were coming on to me."

"Screw you, Jack."

"That's better." Everyone had a laugh. God knows they needed it, the tension was quite rightly rising.

Jack rode down into the main centre of the Third Quadrant. The sky was clouded over, making the place look more dark and uninviting than it usually was. He saw the odd flicker of a makeshift fire, with the odd hobo hanging around trying to warm themselves. The streets were starting to break up and he had to watch where he was going.

As he got near the area Blake had pegged as the likely location, he saw bright lights around an intersection with a few men standing purposefully and imposing in their dark coats, not to mention the very large guns at their sides. He saw an armoured vehicle on the opposite side of the intersection, doors open, and a classic 2050 Bugatti Veyron next to it.

Jack pulled up about thirty metres away from the intersection, helmet on, Betty armed. He marked the two men with guns, and the Veyron, before removing his helmet. Blake pulled up in the Beast just out of sight of the welcoming party, and walked over to Jack.

"Nice friends you have there, Jack. Think we better get acquainted. The longer we're here, the more likely we'll get screwed."

"I figured we already were."

"Not if Ox pulls through."

Jack looked at him, shrugged, and started walking toward Tyrol. He kept to the right, walked casually, but getting into range of one of the armed men. Blake took his lead and had the other one in his peripheral.

As Jack was passing, he looked at Tyrol's face. He looked pleased with himself. Tyrol glanced at one of the armed men, and at the same moment Jack side-stepped hard, hitting him in the chest with his elbow. He followed straight through with a head-butt, grabbing the man's chest and pulled him back for another, before letting him go to fall to the ground.

At the same time the other armed man started raising his gun, but Blake was far too fast. He jumped and spun in the air, hammering his leg down hard on the man's arms, breaking the gun free as he landed. The force made the man tip forward. As he lifted his head, Blake had his pistol under his chin.

Jack spun around Blake, drawing his gun and training it on Tyrol. But Tyrol had shifted and was now at the back of the armoured vehicle, with a bound Jay leaning out and a gun to his head.

"Nice display," Tyrol shouted. "Now put the toys away boys and come do some business. This place is already making me feel dirty." He emphasised the urgency of his request by lifting Jay's head so they could see he was alive, for now.

Jack looked at Blake and holstered his weapon before removing the clip and emptying the chambers of both weapons from the ground. Blake holstered his gun, and started walking down toward Tyrol.

They got midway across the intersection, about ten metres away from Tyrol, when four more men appeared from around the front of the armoured car, two each side. "Relax," Tyrol urged in an authoritative voice, "just my insurance policy. I'd hate for things to get nasty." He gave a friendly smile, stood up, and two of the men walked to each side of Jay.

"So, Tyrol, I believe you are about to exonerate me, and end this rubbish story about me being an assassin."

"Correct, my boy, on both counts." Tyrol walked over to an open briefcase on his car. "In here is a hand written execution order from Peiter Solice I obtained from Russia."

Blake and Jack looked at each other. "Hand written? Bit convenient isn't it?"

"Not really, very inconvenient actually. You see, Teppop have a phenomenal amount of technology at their disposal. Enough to make them aware that electronic information transfer, no matter how secure, can still be intercepted. If it can't be decrypted right away, it can be stored for years, if necessary, until it can be."

"So what, they write love letters to each other to do important jobs?"

"Exactly."

"Well Tyrol, looks like you have held up your end of the bargain."

Tyrol closed the briefcase and walked towards Jack. "So, where is he?"

"Coming down the street now. Behind you, in the Government car. He will have guards."

"That's OK, I have things well covered." He looked up and around.

Jack did the same thing, and saw at least three snipers on the rooftops, and at the same time a group of four ion-plasma drones appeared overhead.

"Jack, don't do anything stupid, leave the apprehension of Solice to me, and you will soon walk out a free man."

Although Jack was surrounded by more hardware than a military base, he felt a little comforted by that though. He watched the car slowly roll down the road. The windows were blocked out, but they all knew who was in there.

From outside the zone, Ping and Cindy were frantically trying to keep tags on all of the activity and hardware, while still making sure as few people as possible knew what they were doing.

"Ping, you got all this covered?"

"Yeah, Sin, but there are crazy signals all over the place. Loach is doing his best to mask what they're up to. You got anything there."

"I've isolated the frequency maps for the drones, I'm patching them over to you now. You'll be able to take control whenever you want."

"Nice. I've got multiple scrambled voice relays going on. At least four different groups going. It's a damned shambles."

"Don't worry too much about what's going on inside the Quadrant. We need to make sure no one else outside is snooping, and we keep things as contained as possible. Blake and Jack have to sort themselves on that front."

The Government car stopping about fifty metres down the road, and the occupants exited. Solice was quickly shielded by all but one of the men, the last running to the right and into a building. Tyrol nodded towards Solice and then turned back to Jack.

"So Jack, you have brought me Solice, but I still do not see the Biotronics device. It would be a shame to see poor Jay leave this world without seeing his nephew again. Don't you think?"

"It's nearby, safe. I needed to know Jay was safe first."

"Probably a wise business decision. Now if you'll excuse me for just a moment, I have some business to attend to." Tyrol turned to Solice, put his hand to his ear and talked in a low voice. Jack and Blake stepped back slowly to the edge of the building. Blake looked beyond the Veyron and saw a Government armoured group moving slowly along the side of the building in shadow.

He mumbled in a low voice to Jack, "Looks like Ox and his crew are here."

"Yep, and it looks like Tyrol is checking his boundary security. He's getting a little pissed by the look of it; Ping and Sin must be doing their jobs."

Tyrol put his hand down and shouted to Solice, "Peiter Solice, the man who tried to take down an Alpha."

"Tried? I do not believe the evening is over Tyrol. And by the time it is, I will be long gone, and to a lesser extent you will too." He tapped his wrist and three prop-drones appeared over an adjacent building. He tapped his wrist again, and two groups of four armed men in tactical suits appeared from the end of the alley where he had come from.

Jack and Blake drew their weapons. Blake was concerned. "Jack, I just lost count of how many parties just turned up to rain on our parade."

"Ox and his men to the far end behind the Veyron, Tyrol and his four men between us and them, Tyrol's snipers on the roof, Solice and some G men across the way, with what looks like more of Solice's men from where Solice came, and I think that's it."

"Yeah, it was a rhetorical question."

"Rhetorical or not, the answer is, we're screwed. I'm breaking radio silence, I hope Sin is better than Loach."

Jack advised Cindy things were going south quick, and if they had any support to override airborne weapons to use them to take out the snipers on his call. It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. Their next objective was to get close enough to grab Jay and the suitcase and get the hell out of there.

Solice and Tyrol were now only ten metres apart. Ox made his move, quickly closing the gap to Tyrol's men by the armoured car and taking all four out. At the same time, Ox looked at Jack. Jack shook his head, pointed to Jay who was still gagged, and pointed for him to be removed.

"Tyrol, you are under arrest," Ox shouted. Tyrol was startled and turned half way between facing Solice and Ox. He grinned and looked at Ox.

"Ah, you must be Special Agent Jules Oricks. Why, may I ask, are you arresting me?"

"For collusion in the assassination of Senator John Mac."

"Oh. I suppose Mr Solice over here has suggested my involvement? Interesting, considering I have proof of his order to carry out the hit. As a leader of Teppop, no less."

Solice tapped his wrist again. "I'm growing tired of all of this rubbish. Give me the decoder and I'll leave, no one needs to die tonight."

"Threats Solice, really?" Tyrol had a smirk that showed he was about to burst Peiter's bubble. "Look around Solice, you're out-manned, and out-gunned."

"I disagree." He looked up to the building beside him, and a body fell, landing at Tyrol's feet. It was one of his snipers.

Tyrol raised his hand to his ear, moved it away, and back again. "God dammit," he shouted. It was unlikely he would get a shot at Solice himself right now, better to let someone else do the dirty work now. He looked straight at Solice and shouted, "Jules, I have the proof in the briefcase. Grab that, and Solice is going away for the rest of his life."

There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to work out who would move first, when a drone swept down the alley. Solice raised his weapon and shot at Tyrol while strafing to cover. Tyrol rolled to the ground and headed towards the opposite building.

Jack ran for Jay, and got to five metres away when there was a rush of air past his ear, then a burst of frag from the impulse shot. Jack dropped and rolled under the armoured vehicle. He quickly crawled to the end and came out looking directly at Ox, who was holding the case.

"Don't make me regret this," Ox said, kicking the case under the vehicle and moving for cover beside Jack.

Blake had moved into the building on the diagonal from them. He quickly scaled the stairs, gobbing off to Ping and Cindy at a hundred miles per hour to get the drones onto the snipers immediately. He could hear plasma rounds echoing from the roof above him as he kept scaling the stairs. He burst out onto the rooftop to see a drone sweep past a sniper at the other end, cutting him down with deadly precision.

Blake ran to the end of the roof and slid behind the parapet. He grabbed the dead snipers rifle and looked over. He could see Jack and Ox pinned by three snipers, and Solice's shadow team was moving down the alley. Solice and Tyrol were still trading rounds where Blake left off.

"Jack, you there?"

"Where the hell else would I be?" He was shouting above the gun reports and impulse rounds.

"You've got a team coming at you from the north, and snipers covering most angles. I'm going to distract the snipers, go for the building directly across and work your way back to Betty and the Beast."

Blake took aim just above a sniper directly across from him. There was an old billboard that looked like it wasn't selling a whole lot of Coca Cola anymore. He hit a post and it splintered, the next shot took out the post completely. The billboard fell, hitting the sniper and tumbling off the roof, smashing on the ground.

The attention got him a huge volley of rounds, slamming into the parapet, spraying concrete chips across the roof. He quickly crab-crawled across the roof to the adjacent side and looked over; Jack and Ox were gone.

Two drones buzzed past, ducking low between the buildings. Blake saw them make a strafing run towards Tyrol. It must have been Ping. Tyrol saw them coming, and took his aim from Solice for a moment, firing shots at the drones. He clipped one, but at the same time Solice hit him in the shoulder and he fell back against the wall.

Solice was about to run over to finish off Tyrol, when the second team from Osiris flanked him, going to cover Tyrol. Solice ran into the building below Blake. Blake had seen him go in, but wasn't sure if Solice knew he was there. Blake tipped the barrel of the rifle over the parapet and brought the last sniper into his scope.

The sniper was targeting someone on the ground. Blake swept his scope along the range of the snipers angle, and saw it was Jay. He quickly readjusted to the sniper, but saw the impulse rifle kick. Blake flicked his rifle to full auto and squeezed the trigger harder than he needed to, everything dropped into slow motion. He saw rounds hitting the sniper's body, twisting him with the impact, but he didn't let go of the trigger. He didn't hear a thing throughout the duration until the rifle went into cool-down mode.

Looking back to the ground, Jay was in a pool of blood, with half of his head missing. This day was quickly turning into one big disaster. Why the hell didn't he just take out the sniper straight away, what was he thinking. He was not trained to make decisions like that, it made no sense.

There was a thud from behind him, and he remembered that Solice was in the area. Turning, he saw Solice standing at the door to the roof about twelve metres away, gun trained on Blake. He looked down and saw a splintered round fall from his suit, the thud.

"What the hell," Solice shouted.

"Nice suit, huh, arsehole. I don't suppose you will surrender voluntarily?"

"Sorry my friend, tonight there will be no surrender from me, and no departure for you."

As he finished the sentence he started to move to a group of crates in the middle of the roof. Blake was already on his way there, shooting and weaving his way across to avoid the shots from Solice. He slid across the gravel-top to the side of the first crate. He shot two rounds at the corner of the crate, and ran around two sides to intercept.

Solice wasn't there. _Crap. Where is he?_ Blake's thoughts were a mash of semi-coherent combat strategies and the last few weeks piling down fast. He had to get a grip. _Think about your training. Now!_

He grabbed a rope on the side of the crate and back-rolled onto the top. As he rolled, his face felt numb and then a searing heat. He looked up to see Solice's gun, then a boot kicking right where the shot had been. The momentum threw him, and he rolled with it.

Blake couldn't see anything clear as he rolled, he just pointed his gun towards the shadow and shot, hoping to at least distract Solice. He saw the boot coming again, but instead of rolling away, rolled towards it as fast as his shoulder could throw him. The change in timing meant the force wasn't as hard, and better, it threw Solice off balance; Blake heaved up and knocked Solice off his feet.

Solice swept his leg as he fell, but hit Blake on his left thigh, the nano-suit easily absorbing the impact. He raised his gun as he rolled, but Blake was already rising and kicked his hand hard, breaking the gun free.

They both quickly rose and exchanged a volley of tight knee-kicks, elbow blows and punches. Neither of them connected with great force, each deflecting or blocking the other's attack. Blake was feeling a little faint and had to focus hard not to lose his rhythm. As he thought of it, Solice stepped back, then forward with a lunging front kick, knocking Blake back, rolling off the crate.

He hit the ground hard, the hazy stars above him actually looked clear for a moment. He looked up, expecting Solice to jump down, but he didn't. The moment was almost frozen, Blake got to his knees, then heard the high pitch buzz of the ion-plasma drone.

Blake scrambled to his feet and stumbled, constantly losing balance from the loose surface. The whine of the drone drowned out Solice's voice. Blake turned to see Solice standing on the crate, gun in hand, staring at him with a grin of satisfaction. He caught the drone out of the corner of his eye, and turned just as it ploughed into him at high speed.

Blake saw the Drone disintegrating as it impacted, lifting Solice clear through the air and hitting the rooftop, tumbling like a rag doll. Blake scrambled over to see what was left of Solice. His midriff was near torn in half by a rotor, and fragments of the drone were embedded in his upper body. The gruesome mess made him look more like a mangled cyborg than a man. He checked his pulse, nothing.

"Blake, you there?"

"Yeah, Sin."

"Thank god for that. I lost sight of you and only guessed you weren't on the flight path."

"Well lucky you're good at guessing, huh." Blake coughed and spat a little blood.

"OK, cowboy, rest is over. Jack and Ox are working through the buildings to the south side. They have two teams after them, Tyrol's boys and Solice's team."

"Where's Tyrol?"

"Osiris team have him in custody."

Jack and Ox had gone deep into a concrete structured building. Little light was getting through, and they had stopped to almost a snail pace to ensure they made as little noise as possible. Jack's heart was pumping at a hundred miles per hour. He hadn't been in a CQB combat situation for a long time, and it brought back all of the buzz and adrenaline he'd forgotten.

It was near black, but he could see fine, the chemicals pumping around his head had his eyes on overdrive. He could hear rounds still going off behind them, but he knew Blake had things in hand from the rooftop, and Jay didn't need back up anymore.

He neared a corner into an open warehouse, stopping and raising his fist. Ox stopped dead in his tracks. Jack raised his other hand, two fingers up, waving to the right, then his eyes. Ox moved off in that direction, while Jack waited. He peered back around and saw two men, loose formation, moving from column to column up the space. He picked up a stone and threw it clear across the space. The two men stopped, looked at each other, and then without talking one moved towards the noise.

Clever buggers, he thought, one goes down but the other can still fight. He waited until his man was ten metres away and made his move. He rushed out, firing and weaving, knowing he probably wouldn't contact straight away, but needed to clear the open ground. The Timmy was on full auto and pumping dozens of rounds a second, his target couldn't move from cover without getting chopped in half.

The other attacker started shooting in Jack's direction, but was too far away to get a good view. It was enough, however, for Jack to stop shooting for a moment, enough for his target to move. He saw the movement from the opposite side of the column, and slid onto his hip, other leg out-stretched to maintain balance. But the floor was dusty and he didn't slow enough, hitting the column and losing balance, along with his gun.

The target was now the attacker, launching at Jack with a volley of shots, all but three missing. The three that hit were all in the suit, but hit the softer flexible joint under his arm. They didn't penetrate, but hurt like hell. Jack spun on the ground, sweeping the attacker, and rolled on his arm, trapping the gun. He instantly got a series of hits to the face.

Jack didn't let his weight off, but rolled right onto the attacker, locked his legs around him, and head-butted him hard three times. It left him dizzy for a moment, but he could still see the blood coming from the back of the attackers head. He was mumbling and jerking, but with little real force. Jack grabbed his gun and whipped him across the face, the mumbling stopping instantly.

He scrambled up and found his pistol, staggering to the next column. "Ox, you there?"

"Yeah, Jack, I got him."

Jack walked over and saw the other victim on the ground, a single shot to the head. Ox was standing over him without a single mark on him. He looked at Jack, covered in dust, spit and blood in his hair, split eyebrow and cut lip. "What the hell do you have that gun for if you're going to play-fight with them?" Ox shook his head then turned, waving Jack over. "There's an exit up here, it's near your vehicles."

They followed the line of the concrete wall, stepping over broken glass and avoiding the scattering of cans and bottles on the ground. Jack looked out and saw two Fed agents guarding the vehicles.

"Ox, you got men on our cars?"

"Yep, two, they're ours."

"I can't hear any more shots from down the alley. Hope that means Blake's finished off the others."

"If he didn't, we're about to walk into an ambush."

They moved out, both with their weapons to the side. Jack looked down the road and saw a pile of mangled vehicles, smoke, and a few shadows on the ground of those that fell. It looked like any number of scenes he saw in his urban combat operations back in the day, but this was suburban Sydney, Australia. The whole thing felt kind of surreal to Jack. Perhaps it was the blows to his head.

"Officer." Ox spoke with a voice of firm authority. "Is Tyrol in custody?"

"Yes, sir. Jackson, Phillips and Owens are en route to Osiris HQ with him now."

"Good. Where is the rest of the team?"

"All gone, sir. It was a bloody mess down there. Only Oaks and myself left."

"Good." Before anyone had a chance to register the comment, Ox raised his weapon and shot the two Agents in the head. They both fell instantly, no movement. He turned his gun to Jack, looked him in the eye, and shook his head.

"I know what you're thinking, Jack. Don't even try it. I know you're fast, but I don't need any excuse to kill you right now, you're Public Enemy number one at the moment."

"Why did you kill them?"

"Well, I hardly think they would let me walk away with the tech and the briefcase without question."

"What the hell are you on about, arsehole?"

"Well Jack, you must know that public service doesn't pay so well. You were a soldier once, look where that landed you." He paused for dramatic effect, which was lost on Jack.

"So what, you're an Alpha's pet now?"

"Tyrol? No. He's too short sighted, too egocentric. No, I'm working with a man who can see the future. Who can see the power we will have."

Ox waved his free hand to the ground, signalling Jack to get down. Jack slowly lowered his gun, and began to kneel. Thoughts started rushing into his head at light speed. Why the hell had he wasted the last ten years of his life, only to be finished off by this bugger. The thoughts turned to colours, seeing a flash of blue from behind Ox who was positioning himself for the kill-shot.

In slow motion, Ox's head compressed from the right as a boot spun fast from behind. The force threw Ox clean of his feet, he fired a shot, but it went nowhere in particular. He hit the ground hard on his head, and was out cold.

Ox came to, the world still spinning. He gathered himself and tried to wipe the blood from his eye, but couldn't move his hands, they were cuffed behind his back. He was in a vehicle with Blake, tied to his seat so tight he thought his chest would collapse.

"What the hell are you doing, Blake?'

"Taking you in Jules, you're a bad man."

"What proof do you have?"

"Well luckily we have two of the best techies on the planet. They managed to get most of what we need. Isn't that right, Sin?"

"Sure is hun. We have his movements, meetings with Solice before his assignment to Osiris. Not to mention an anonymous deposit of a fairly reasonable sum."

"Doesn't mean squat."

"Not on its own," admitted Blake. "But we also have Jack's testimony of your confession."

"He's a fugitive, his word can't be trusted."

"Not a fugitive anymore Jules. It appears Tyrol did hold his word, strangely enough. The briefcase had a hand-written document by Solice for a Teppop hit on Mac. It's been ratified by DNA analysis, and is off to the Sec as we speak."

"Still doesn't mean didley-squat about me. You'll need more than that sunshine." He scowled and gave a grunt of satisfaction, but Blake just laughed.

"Well, we do have more. Enough to put you away for a few lifetimes. Isn't that right Sophie?"

There was a slight pause, and silence in the vehicle for a moment. "How could you do it, Jules?" Sophie sounded as though she was either going to cry or spit needles. Probably both.

"What are you on about Soph?"

"Don't Soph me. I've been through the system with a few of our techs. You've done a lot to cover your tracks, but not enough. You gave Solice details of Mac's residence, travel movements and appointments. You've also been colluding with him about the location of the Biotronics decoder, and falsifying documents about the Sec's sign-off for Solice to be a consultant."

There was another silence. Blake looked over to Ox and saw his face was slowly dissolving. The staunch and powerful presence of the man was fading as he watched. Jules Oricks was watching his life disappear right in front of him by a bunch of half-arsed amateurs and felons.

"Oh crap, I forgot." Blake put on his best Special Agent voice. "Jules Oricks, you are under arrest for assisting in the assassination of Senator John Mac, for providing classified information to third parties, and for the murder of two Federal Agents."

Ox didn't respond. He sat in silence, seemingly resigned to his fate. The rest of the drive back to Osiris HQ was mostly silent. It seemed after all that had been said and done, there was little else that would make a difference right now.

# Chapter 32

As Blake and Ox entered the main floor, Sophie came to meet them. She wasn't crying, but her face was red and puffy. She maintained her composure and smiled at Blake, not acknowledging Ox. "Special Agent Blake, welcome back."

"Thank you, Sophie. What do you want me to do with him?" Blake shook his cuffs, Ox winced as they cut off his circulation even more.

"Take this scum to the holding cells. The Secretary is coming down to see him before he's sent away."

"Where are they taking me?" Ox spoke in a defiant voice but it didn't hold any weight.

"Some place I can't pronounce, and don't care about. Jules Oricks, as far as this country is concerned, you no longer exist." Sophie said the last sentence with a satisfaction that couldn't be hidden.

Blake returned from the lower level to the main floor and headed towards Ox's office. Sophie was now sitting behind the desk, rubbing the polished marble edging.

"It suits you."

"Really, I thought I was more of a maple person."

"Perhaps you should take it up with the Sec."

"I already have. He is having me instated as interim Chief at Osiris."

"Well congratulations then, sir."

"You know, Blake. I need a solid second in command. You've shown you are of strong character and will."

"I'll take it as a compliment, Sophie. But, for now I'm going to take a leave of absence. I have some friends that need help with a few special projects."

"I hope they aren't felon's Blake. I'd hate to have to track you down." She gave a slight smile and wink, then handed him an envelope with the Presidential seal on the back.

"Oh don't worry, Sophie." Blake got up from his chair and shook her hand. "I'll find you long before you need to find me." He turned and left the office, taking one last look around the main floor as he left. He knew he wouldn't be back.

The drive to the house was slow, he didn't see the point in rushing anymore. He started going through his mind all of the tasks he had to get done. First and foremost, was finding out what the rest of the team had planned. He could make a difference to the cities, help clean them up. Until recently that was inexorably linked to working on the Force, but he had seen things in the last while that showed there were more effective ways of getting things done.

Back at the house, Jack was reflecting on what his new found freedom meant. It wasn't long since the last time he was free, but was he really free? His world had become a pointless rotation of running jobs, drinking and taking drugs. He had been lost, but couldn't peer through the fog to see it. Hell, he didn't even have a real house to go back to, and the few crappy possessions in the basement room he rented weren't worth the trip back to the slums to collect.

Looking around, he saw a nice home, two people he felt he could actually trust, and hopefully a third one coming that he could learn to. They were more a scrambled group of loosely tied acquaintances than a family, but Jack liked it that way.

One thing that wasn't scrambled was how he felt about Sin. He knew he loved her, but no longer wanted to be her lover. He would do anything he could to protect her though. She had now twice given him his life back, and that would be a debt not easily repaid.

"You OK there slugger?"

"Huh, what was that, Sin?"

"Jesus, Jack, I was just saying to Ping how we'd go back to Jay's and get everything we could for Ping. Where were you?"

"Ahh, nowhere important." Jack looked across the table to Ping, who still had red eyes. "I am sorry about your uncle, Ping. If there was anything I could have done to get to him, I would have."

"Hey, don't sweat it, man. Jay lived in a world where he could have been taken any day. Besides, I saw the whole battle play out, you stayed there for longer than most would have."

Jack appreciated the sentiment, but it didn't make him feel any better. This was the part of combat that he always hated, the come-down. It was worse than a night on the turps.

"Anyone heard from Blake," Cindy added.

"Not for a few hours. We split when we left the Third Quadrant, I had to take the back roads back, not everyone knew I was cleared."

"They will now." A voice came from behind.

"Dammit, I was hoping you'd realise I was an arsehole and not come back."

"Jack, I know you're an arsehole, but I'm getting used to it." He placed his hand on Jack's shoulder, and handed him the envelope.

Jack didn't open it, he just placed it on the table, looking at the others. He knew what it was, it was a pardon, he had already been told he was getting it. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to open it, but it was probably down to the idea that once their mission was done, there was no reason for them to stay together.

"Aren't you going to open it, hun?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

"On where we're going from here. I mean, I don't really have anywhere else I want to go. I hadn't really thought about it till now, but the mission is done, game over."

Blake sat across the table from Jack, next to Cindy. "Well I don't know about you guys, but I don't think the job is anywhere near done. There are still some nut jobs out there on the hill, and the force can't touch them."

"But we can," Ping added. "In fact, I owe those buggers a whole world of pain."

Everyone sat still looking across at each other. Jack compared it to that moment when he kissed his first girl. There was a silence and he thought he'd just made the biggest dick in the world of himself. But the moment then passed on to better things. As it was about to now.

"Well boys, let's bring it to them then." Cindy smiled, leaned back in her chair and made a smoking gun gesture with her hand.

So this is it, thought Jack. Out of all the places in the world he figured he might be this month, sitting around a table with three other misfits, about to plan an assault on some of the most powerful people in the country wasn't even at the bottom of the bottom list. But so be it.

Jack got up from the table and walked down the hall, the lights illuminating as he walked through. Walking down the stairs, he was looking at the surroundings and observing everything in slow motion. He was feeling more at ease now than he had in a long time. He was getting his head back into combat preparation mode, making the most of the lull, but getting ready for the conflict.

As he walked into the workshop, he focussed on the Biotronics decoder in the corner. What the hell were they going to do with it? The Government couldn't protect it if their lives depended on it, they already proved that. They obviously weren't going to sell it. I mean, they could, but he seemed to be developing a conscience again. That left one option, use it.

"What should we do with it, Jack?" Blake's voice from behind startled him a little, but he didn't show it.

"You're the law-man, Blake, you tell me."

"I'm not a law-man anymore, Jack. In fact I have a feeling I'm going to become quite the opposite."

"We could give it to the Feds."

"We could. But do you really think they're going to use it for anything good. Or even be able to hold on to it."

"It may become a moot point anyway." Ping entered the room. "Loach is still out there, and although he doesn't have this machine, he helped build it. He will be building another already I assume. And if he's in with the Alphas, resources will be of no concern."

"It's settled then. Until we have taken down the Alphas, we keep the tech, and use it to aid our cause."

"Doesn't sound overly noble, Jack." Cindy was now standing beside the other three.

"Who gives a toss about noble, Sin. We'll need every edge we can against those arseholes."

"Hey, you had me at 'who gives a toss', soldier."

One thing they all knew, they could have all the tech in the world, but in the end it was going to come down to their skill, and a truck load of hand-outs from lady luck.

# Still to come...

As the hills gave way to the open highway below, Blake opened the throttle on the Beast. Although it was an ugly bastard, and twice the mass of most vehicles on the road, it handled like a dream. Blake put it down to the work Ping and Cindy had been pumping in to get it up to scratch. He took a corner far too fast and got a bit twisted up on the controls. Looking over at Jack he could see him grip his side-bar a little.

His comm flashed up, it was Sophie. "Blake, we need to talk."

"So talk Sophie, what's on your mind?"

"When you are in private, Blake."

Blake looked over at Jack. "No dice honey. Jack is part of our team, what you can say to me, you can say to him. I'd only tell him anyway."

"Very well then." There was a slight anger in her voice, but was faintly covered. "As you know, Osiris isn't running by the standard rules. Now, we have Oversight, which keeps a bit of a tab on us, but they're politicians, they don't want their hands too dirty."

"So what does this mean to us?" Blake sensed he was about to get shafted, but felt he was owed a break by Karma. Probably him more than Jack, that is.

"It means, Blake, that I want your lot on our side."

Blake looked over to Jack, who had his eyebrows raised so high he looked like a circus clown. Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Why us, Sophie?"

"A few reasons. You have some good contacts in the under-world, and no-one has tied you to us as far as we know. Also, there are some jobs we may need doing that even Osiris won't touch. You would be compensated, of course."

"Who says you don't just set us up to get the Biotronics as soon as you can."

"Blake, I could have already done that. Truth is, while it's with you, I know it's safe. Give me a reason to doubt that trust, and I'll squeeze your nuts so hard they'll pop."

There was a silence for a moment. Most of it was both Jack and Blake imagining their good bits being made into chopped-liver. "I'll talk to the team. There will be terms."

"On our end too, Blake. Just look after that tech. Every man and his dog wants it, and you can bet they're already starting to develop systems from scratch." Sophie cut her comm.

"So, what do you think, Jack?"

"I think she's a politician herself, but I like her voice."

"But do you _trust_ her voice?"

"I don't trust much about women these days. How are the new enhancements on the Beast treating you?"

"Great, the sensors Ping implanted in me don't hurt anymore, and the vehicle is responding to some of my thought-input already."

"Good, now don't hit the corners too hard, I'm stuffed; taking a nap."

With that, Jack rolled his head over and was asleep in an instant. A few minutes later he heard a grumbling noise from beside him. He looked over with groggy eyes to see Blake trying to speak. Looking down, he could see him trying to pull his hands from the wheel. Jack grabbed one and pulled, but it wouldn't budge.

He let go, and saw an array of thin tendons stretching from the wheel onto Blake's hands. Looking up, Blake was wide eyed and panicked. He managed to stomp on the brake, and the Beast slammed to a halt.

Jack looked at his eyes and could see them starting to glaze over, as the tendons stretched up Blake's arms. Jack started hitting the door, trying to open it, but it wouldn't budge. He hit the window area hard, the pain was instant, he awoke startled.

Blake swerved across the road, and back into his lane. "What the hell, Jack!" he shouted.

Jack was puffing hard. "Sorry man. Bad dream."

"Jesus Christ, Jack, I nearly turned us into road-kill. What was that about?'

"Never mind. Just a screwed up dream. I need some downtime."

"Yeah, well we ain't gonna get much time for that, sunshine. Sophie already has a job for us. We need to have a briefing with Sin and Ping, see if we're in."

"Doesn't mess around, does she?"

"Not part of Sophie's M.O., I'm afraid."

As they approached the brow of the hill, Jack could see the setting sun slowly creep over to greet them. He suddenly felt like he was a character in an old-fashioned Western, riding off into the sunset with his trusty sidekick. He imagined Blake with a head of feathers. It didn't work.

# Glossary and Tech

**Biotronics** –A nascent technology that uses modified DNA strands in synthetic materials to provide enhanced characteristics. It has so far been used in applications such as electrical signal processing and transfer, interfacing with biological circuits and organisms, and creating materials that change properties passively by direct environmental changes.

**Bio-lights** – Technology developed to form a bio-chemical mixture of DNA from glow-worms, combined with genetically stripped bacteria cells. When light voltage is applied across a matrix of these cells, they emit a steady light at almost the same light spectrum emitted by the Sun. The cells are irradiated by a patented process that does not destroy the DNA, but allows the cells to suffer almost no degradation by age.

**Bio-pager** – A device impregnated into the skin of the user. The main display is a liquid chemical display that is invisible when not active. Information can be transmitted to it through a secure user. Security systems are built into some units, causing the unit to self-destruct if tampered with, usually causing severe trauma to the installed area.

**Black Betty** – Originally a Ducati Panigale, Betty has been significantly modified, both aesthetically and mechanically. Jack's father experimented with the bike, engineering a completely new engine,. and drive-train. The Win'Tan further modified the bike to add basic Biotronic circuits, with Cindy and Ping enhancing it further.

**B4 Booster** – Using a combination of rails and magnetic levitation, the B4 provides a controlled high-velocity travel link for personal vehicles. There are limitations to the vehicles that can use the system, and it is not used widely outside of the Twin Cities.

**HALO** – Acronym for "Heads-up Always Live Overlay". Similar to older HUD displays in appearance, but with advanced environment analysis. Systems can be configured to detect deviations in road surface, road dimensional limits, vehicle movement and congestion, among other parameters.

**Hellcat Plasma tubes** – The Hellcat system was designed to ensure maximum area coverage to reduce evasion from targets. Firing multiple close-sequence plasma blasts over a defined but broad area, impact with the target was almost inevitable.

**Holo-tanks** – Originally using technology derived from A3D TV sets, holo-tanks were marketed as the fish tank you would never have to clean. The unit comprises of a top and bottom plate, supported by invisible posts at the corners. A multi-focussed imaging laser system projects an aquarium into the space, using downloadable content, that users can customise to create any environment they want.

**Impulse pistol** – Weapons using a now standard technology of laser interference, creating exponentially increasing reinforced signals. The sequence reaches escape velocity threshold in 0.52 seconds, releasing a pulse of high energy sub-atomic particles at 98.5% of light speed. The particles are only effective at penetrating 1mm steel to 100m, but will go through a human skull at 300m.

**Ion-plasma** – Developed at the turn of the century, the concept involved plasma ions forming on the surfaces of a plane to reduce surface friction, and so drag. Gen 1 was simple plasma dispersed across surfaces to reduce drag. Gen 2 Created variation on the surfaces to allow control of aircraft without conventional mechanically adjusted surfaces such as elevators and ailerons. Gen 3 created a "plasma tunnel" in front of the craft that made a plasma medium for the craft to travel through, guiding the craft by shifting plasma tunnel angles.

**MacDev** – Originally started as a paintball manufacturer over a century ago, MacDev began development of black-ops weapons through a political connection around the year 2040. The company became the key R&D partner with the Defence Department to develop fringe weapons. The company Directors are known to few, and the company has "dubious" political connections.

**Nano-tac suit** – Designed by a reclusive textile specialist, the nicknamed "Nano-tac" suit is constructed of woven kevlar fibres interlayered with custom made carbon nanotube "impact" zones. The nanotubes rearrange upon impact to redistribute forces and absorb the energy. Although slightly garish in appearance, the suits were designed for function over fashion.

**Plasma weapons** – Although the concept of Plasma-charged weapons has been alive in Science Fiction for decades, MacDev developed a real world application. Their unique approach to weapons development allowed them to create technology that eclipsed any previous theories and simulations. The prototype weapon secured their permanent position as lead developer for the Defence Department.

**Sling Shot jet** – A prototype passenger craft that launches by accelerating on a 3km wide ring of super-conducting magnets until it reaches just below Mach 1. It is then catapulted up a launch ramp, before igniting its afterburners to bring the speed up to Mach 8, and into Low Earth Orbit. The craft takes up to 100 people, and can travel from New York to London in 2 hours. It's very low noise levels on launch makes it suitable for built up areas.

**Tapper** – A thin glove impregnated with sensors to track hand and finger movements. Mainly used for controlling visual interfaces, but also useful for guiding drones and vehicles. The sensors can be trained to activate any series of commands through either associative movements such as tapping fingers together or forming a fist, but also by movement of the entire hand through dimensional movement. They originally required sensors to trace movement, but now are stand-alone devices that require no external receptor.

**The Coffin** – As far as a Ferrari goes, the Destino is the most balanced and powerful model ever made. Cindy made it faster, and loaded it with electronic trackers and jammers, because she could. The windows were removed to eliminate unwanted signal transfer, and provide more surface area for visual controls and display. The onboard weapons are modest, but suitably functional in such an agile car.

**The Wildebeest** – Formerly a Government issue GTX heavy assault vehicle, this model was retro fitted with and array of modifications, including neural-link Biotronics systems, high-voltage inertia drivers, and side-mounted plasma cannons. Primarily driven by Blake, it is the muscle of the teams fleet.

**Timmy** – Manufactured from a stabilized ionic compound, the Intimidator frame is one of the strongest substances known to man. As a successor to first generation impulse weapons, they have a significant increase in energy output, and a negligible recharge time.

**Twin cities** – A region in NSW comprising two linked cities, being Sydney (the old City) and Penrith (the new city). After irreversible climatic events, the State realised Sydney would eventually be overcome with rising seas and regular adverse weather conditions. The new city was rapidly planned and developed, with the wealthiest people in the country controlling the development, and ensuring minimal participation by lower income groups.

**UTF** – Unified Territorial Force. The culmination of the merging of all of the protection forces and police. The division now combines Police, Army, Air Force, and Navy. It is commanded by Secretary of Defence, and answerable only to the Prime Minister. Fears are growing that the unbalanced control of power is allowing corruption at the highest levels.

**Wave screens** – With the rapid development of quantum computing, the conventional keyboard and mouse were no longer required. Computing systems now interacted with users directly, through hand gestures and physical movements. Once the system learns the users individual movements through an initial mimic programme, any commands are quickly interpreted, and sometimes "forecast" with pre-commands carried out in anticipation. The results allowed equivalent computing power and speed surpassing the "Blue Gene" supercomputer of the 1990's, in a unit the size of a toaster.

# More About NWWO

New World Written Order is about creating Science Fiction that anybody can enjoy. Well, probably just grown-ups, or kids whose parents don't check the books they read. In fact, many people consider SciFi to be only for kids, but I believe it's for people who like to let their imaginations go wild.

The Red Shift series is the culmination of work created under the New World Written Order label. We are creating work that will bring everyone into the SciFi world, and hopefully open more than a few eyes. We love geeks, but SciFi is much more than that, it's an alternative view of what may be out there, but hasn't been discovered yet. Once upon a time, the world was flat....

Check out more of the Red Shift universe at www.nwwo.co.nz.

