Division Zero: Thrall (30 page)

Kirsten frowned again. “I feel so bad for his wife. I keep wondering what I could have done differently, but there were so many unknowns. What bothers me the most is the evil smile he gave me before he did it. Rather, the evil smile that thing made him give me.”

Dr. Loring noted something on her datapad. “You did all you could do. Sergeant Donovan ignored your order to stay outside.”

“They had orders from Eze; his overruled mine.” Kirsten finished off her tea. “Everyone keeps telling me there wasn’t anything more I could have done, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about watching him die.”

“This is going to sound a bit strange, Agent, but you don’t seem very emotional about it.”

“I got all that out last night.”

More notes. “Still finding comfort in Synvod?”

“No.” Kirsten shook her head, tossing her hair about. “I… no. Evan’s stepdad was always drunk and hitting him. He saw the bottle and… No, I don’t want to turn into my mother. I mean, I got that out last night while talking to Womack’s wife. I know I’m supposed to keep it professional, but I saw the man die… When she lost it I―”

“It’s fine Kirsten. You’re not a doll.” Dr. Loring leaned back. “Well, I’m not seeing any obvious red flags. If anything comes up that bothers you, please call me any time of day.”

“Doc? I went to this function the other day with Konstantin. I couldn’t help but feel so out of place there. All those rich people made me feel like I didn’t belong.”

“Did they act condescending to you at all?”

“No, it was all in my head. I…” Kirsten thought about the Devil’s bargain she signed for food. It almost made it out of her mouth. “…just felt so much contempt for them. No one needs so much money when kids are starving in the streets.”

“You likely have some misplaced blame for the time you spent homeless. You know the statistics, don’t you? There are very few children out there. Our government really is quite keen on that.”

“Yeah, until they turn eighteen, then they’re out on their ear. It’s all a public relations machine. Be nice to the kids and they’ll grow up liking the government.”
Geez, did I just channel Dorian?
She stared at the rug, pondering her sense of loyalty to Division 0.
Worked for me.

“That’s a rather jaded viewpoint for someone your age. Look, Kirsten, there are some unfortunate people who wind up in places out of the system’s reach. No society is perfect.” Loring lifted an eyebrow. “I’m curious about your contempt for the wealthy. Do you feel the same way about Konstantin?”

Kirsten’s awkward kneading of the seat cushion ended with a doe-eyed stare into space. “No, he’s different. He’s not like them. He has a lot of money, but he doesn’t let it change the man inside. I’ve never seen him act like he’s better than anyone because of it. If he was, why would he want poor-ass me?”

Dr. Loring smiled. “Your classism betrays your fear. You think you’re not good enough for him. He is interested in you because he can see through those feelings of inadequacy to the person you really are inside.”

Hands clasped together above her heart, Kirsten sniffled. “I’ve been blowing him off so much lately because of the job. I need to make it up to him.”

irsten stepped out of the elevator and walked through the tunnel connecting the main hub of the police complex with the Health Services wing. Ground traffic slid along the road beneath the elevated walkway, five stories down. Not three steps into the blue carpet, a pair of men in sand colored coats fell in step on either side of her. She waited for a head-sized newsbot to float by outside, and glanced up at the black-haired man on her right.

“Nine? You two here about Womack?”

He flashed a government-issue smile. “No, Agent Wren, we had other concerns. May we have a moment of your time?”

Her fingers got cold. “I guess that’s not much of a request. Lead on.”

She followed them out into the bustle of the central hub, past the Division 0 entrance and over to the large door emblazoned with an immense ‘9’. The two guards posted there nodded at her escorts; the door opened. Kirsten remembered coming here to visit their network guys, and as per S.O. Elena Carter’s weeks-old instructions, she kept her gaze on the floor until they brought her to a small interview room.

Once she was seated, their height advantage made her feel as though she were on the wrong end of an interrogation table. “Should I hand over my weapon?”

The red-haired man’s smile seemed more genuine. “That won’t be necessary just yet, Agent.”

“While we have our feelers in much of the world,” said the other, “the operations of Division 0 are, for the most part, enigmatic to us.”

Kirsten folded her hands atop her knees, which she could not press together any tighter.

“I’m Senior Operative Espinosa.” The black-haired man gestured at his partner. “This is Senior Operative Carroll.”

Her salute was flimsy. “Sorry, I feel like I’m in the principal’s office.”

Each man chuckled, for all of two seconds. Both of their mouths formed a flat, emotionless line as if their mirth had been cut off by a switch.

“What is your interest with Trade Commissioner Vernon, Agent?” asked Carroll.

Kirsten looked up at him for a moment before she gazed at the wall. “I…” She put a hand over her mouth for a moment and fixed him with worried eyes. “You don’t think
I
was trying to influence her? I think something else is. I’m trying to find out what, but her Marine Corps security detachment wouldn’t let me anywhere near her.”

“The possibility occurred to us.” Carroll stood statue still. “However, we have so far been unable to verify you had contact with her prior to her sudden change of policy.”

“That’s because I haven’t.” Kirsten’s fear gave way to indignation. “I’ll be happy to let Commander Ashford dive into my head and verify it if you want. I’ve spent the better part of the past two weeks chasing things that can best be described as demons. I’m not sure who or what is responsible for them getting out of the place they belong, but I think one of them may be influencing the Commissioner.”

Espinosa broke veneer to raise one brow. “Why would”―he hesitated, trying not to let his disbelief appear on his face― “demons care about trade embargoes with the ACC?”

“They wouldn’t.” Kirsten folded her arms and glared at the chrome table in front of her. “However, if a live person was calling them here, they would be the one with the political agenda.”

“Who exactly would it be?” asked Carroll.

“I’m still working on that. I think it might have been the entity responsible for possessing Reverend Wallis. I haven’t had time to sift through all of his notes; the crime scene crew isn’t done with it yet. As of right now, my best guess is he started dabbling in things he didn’t fully understand and lost control of it.”

Carroll and Espinosa exchanged a glance too long for a simple evaluation of mood. Kirsten picked at her fingernails, waiting for the conversation passing over cybernetic implants to finish. Espinosa was the first to look at her.

“We appreciate your time, Agent Wren. That’s all we have for you right this moment.”

Kirsten got up and started for the door, but turned. “What about Commissioner Vernon?”

“There is not going to be an expansion of trade with the ACC.” Carroll walked around the table, as if intending to escort her out of the Division 9 area.

“Does that mean you’re going to kill her?” Kirsten backed into the door, almost falling through it when it opened on its own. “She changed her mind overnight. It’s gotta be paranormal influence.”

Espinosa adjusted his sunglasses. “We no longer supsect your involvement, despite you being on record as a suggestive.”

Small favors.
“My suggestion abilities aren’t that strong. I could theoretically make her feel that way for about a minute or two at most. I’m not good enough to leave long-term imprints. If it’s what I think it is, maybe I can get rid of it before you have to murder her.”

Division 9 used ordinary looking, though armored, hovercars. Kirsten examined the interior from the back seat, running her hand over the supple leather. Aside from a small section of the front dash that blacked out as soon as she got in, the vehicle looked no different than a high-end civilian luxury-sports model, including the Halcyon-Ormyr logos.

“Nice car. What’re these, about 400k?”

Carroll chuckled. “Closer to eight. Once our electronics are installed, the number is closer to one point three.”

“Not that bad when you think about it,” said Espinosa. “Div One Pat-Vees are almost 750 grand, a mil and change with the starburst.”

“Their seats aren’t this comfortable.” Kirsten felt embarrassed for liking the luxury.

The men laughed, just enough to be polite. Carroll glanced over his shoulder at her, wearing an almost human-like smile. She had not dared look at surface thoughts to see if they were dolls or living men; the way they acted, it could have been either.

Thirty minutes after her interrogation ended, the two Division 9 agents walked her right through the military checkpoint and to the door of Commissioner Claire Vernon. Kirsten allowed herself a small degree of vicarious pleasure at watching the Marines squirm under the gaze of her escorts. She envied their authority for all of a moment before pouting at the floor.
I’d rather be liked than feared.

“What’s the meaning of this?” blurted the Commissioner as the three of them barged in. “This is quite irregular.”

Claire Vernon stood up, still behind her desk, fixing the intruders with an imperious glare. Her greying hair formed a halo of light shades around her dark face; steely eyes glared at Espinosa. Of the three, he seemed to carry the most authority. He did not seem impressed by her rank, her attitude, or the expensive dark red skirt-suit worth more than a month’s salary.

Kirsten stared at her, reaching out with her psionic senses. As soon as her eyes flickered with white light, Commissioner Vernon’s antagonistic demeanor pivoted about to fear. She backed away, tripping over an Oriental throw rug and landing in her chair, which rolled away another two feet.

“I felt something.” Kirsten searched for the sense of a presence she felt for the first several seconds. It slipped away as if she had tried to grab jelly with her bare hands. “There was definitely something there. It’s gone now. It’s afraid of me, hiding.”