Private Dicks (47 page)

"What can I help you with?" Shi asked, removing his stun gun from its holster and setting it on top of the desk. The man's eyes followed the gun, and Shi rolled his eyes, thumbing the catch that opened the hidden keypad on the front of the desk. Punching in the unlock code, Shi opened the top drawer on his desk and moved the gun into it. He shut the drawer, then sat down in his chair. "I'm assuming you didn't break into my office just for fun."

"No," the man said. He reached into his jacked and pulled out a small data reader, which he held up and scanned Shi's face with. Shi held still, letting the reader gauge his facial features and compare to the record on file. He'd gone in a month back to update their files, so he doubted there would be any issue. The man lowered his data reader, then pulled out a small black box and tossed it to Shi.

Shi caught it in one hand, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Whatever the man was here about, it was high security. Shi had only had to do a DNA confirmation for a case once before. Flipping the box open, Shi laid his thumb across the sleek glass platform, wincing when the collection needle stuck his thumb. The box chirped a second later, and Shi removed his thumb and snapped the box closed.

"You need to clear your schedule for the next six months," the man said, standing to retrieve the box. He tucked it into a pocket. "This is a mandatory assignment."

"My license specifically states I don't have to take mandatory assignments," Shi said flatly, not liking the man's tone.

"It's an N7 level case. You're the only licensed investigator we have available to take the case," the man said, his eyes narrowing. He hadn't sat back down, but loomed over Shi's desk. He was stockier than Shi; his muscles were obvious under the shirt he wore. He wasn't armed, but Shi's stun gun was locked in his desk, so it would still be a fight between them if it came to that. Depending on how quickly the man could move, Shi would probably lose.

"Only investigator available doesn't preclude the clause in my contract," Shi said, glad his mother had insisted he require that clause. "Tell me the case, and I'll decide whether I'll take it."

The man paused, looking as though he was listening to something, so he was probably being monitored and given instructions from the car outside. "I can't tell you much unless you accept it."

"Balls," Shi said, snorting. "I have level N7 clearance. That means you can tell me anything and expect that it won't leave this room."

"It's a need to know operation," the man said stiffly. He paused, then nodded, and Shi rolled his eyes again. Why were they sending an amateur to him who couldn't even fake not being connected to his superior? "Are you familiar with Team Bakala?"

"Special ops, undercover unit," Shi said. "Members are completely secret, even to top level security."

"Precisely," the man said sourly, and Shi connected the dots.

"This has something to do with one of them," Shi said, curiosity piqued. What did they need an investigator for that had to do with a special ops undercover unit?

"Do you know who Baron Volkov is?"

"Owner of the largest drug smuggling operation in this galaxy," Shi said. So there had been an operation for Team Bakala that had to do with Baron Volkov… but that still didn't explain why they need him.

"He's been killing off members of Team Bakala, one by one," the man said, grimacing. "While they're off-duty."

"You have a security leak," Shi said, and there it was. They needed him to find the security leak. It would be dangerous, no doubt. Messing with Baron Volkov was a death sentence. Perhaps that was why they'd chosen him as well? Shi had no family left, not after his mother had passed away last year. He had no lover, either, not after Elis, and Shi didn't particularly care if Volkov went after his ex.

"The security leak has been dealt with," the man said grimly. "But Volkov still has one of the members of Team Bakala."

"Not dead?" Shi asked, shuffling what he knew. If he wasn't to be searching out a security leak, then he was probably being sent after the missing operative.

"He's trying to barter the man's life for certain freedoms we do not want to give him," the man said, then paused again. "You don't need to know what they are."

"Right," Shi said, sitting back and contemplating. "Why not let the operative twist in the wind? He's special ops, sure, but easier to train a new operative than mount some sort of rescue."

"This operative…" the man paused, scowling. "… has friends in high places, who do not want to see him dead."

"Then why is he on Team Bakala?" Shi asked, rolling his eyes. The military was a bunch of idiots, but he knew that already. He really should have let his license lapse, Shi thought. If he hadn't renewed it last month, he'd be clear to tell them to all fuck off.

"We were unaware of the connection," the man said tersely. "Will you take the job?"

"What
is
the job?" Shi asked, because it had never actually been spelled out for him, and he wasn't stupid enough to agree to something without knowing exactly what he was getting into.

"We know where Volkov is keeping him, but Volkov knows all of our operatives." The man stared at him and sneered, obviously unimpressed by what he saw. "The security leak gave him everything."

"You want me to run an op?" Shi demanded, his voice rising. "I'm a detective, not special ops. I don't have any training for that sort of thing—"

The door opened, and Shi glared at the intruder. More military, this time a woman, and Shi glared harder as the man in his office hastily stood and saluted. Higher ranking, then, and how much of an amateur was the man that he
saluted
when he was trying to pass as civilian? Never mind that only Shi and his boss were in the office, it was still amateur.

"Go wait in the car, Norris," the woman snapped. Norris hesitated, but then nodded and departed quickly. The woman stepped into the room. She was dressed more smartly than Norris, with pressed gray slacks and a ruffled blouse under a pale colored cardigan. She held a sleek black handbag in one hand. Shi approved; she could easily pass as a businesswoman, despite her short hair.

"You're in charge, then?" Shi asked, sitting back in his chair. She shut the door, crossing over to the seat Norris had so recently vacated.

"For the moment," she said dryly, taking a seat. "You can call me Allie."

"Not your real name," Shi said, brushing the fact aside because it didn't matter. "What's this idiotic idea about sending me on an op?"

"You're the last resort," Allie said, shrugging casually. "You can say no, of course, but then the Team Bakala operative will be killed. Personally, I think that's what should happen. He's the last of the team, but we can train others who are not known to Volkov."

"Why am I sensing a 'but' there?" Shi asked, wishing he'd found burglars instead of military when he'd arrived that morning.

"You were chosen for another reason," Allie said, and Shi did not like the sound of that. "Team Bakala's members were kept absolutely secret. Only a handful of people knew who they were, and they were erased, in as far as that's possible, which means only a handful of people know what each operative looks like."

"You're saying I know this person," Shi said, his blood running cold. It couldn't be… but Shi didn't really know anyone else from the military, and it would explain a few things that Elis had kept from him.

"I'd show you a photo, but we don't even have that," Allie said, spreading her hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. "You're one of the few people who would recognize Elis Carrington on sight."

Shi groaned, running a hand through his hair. "What else?"

"We know where he is," Allie said, as though she hadn't just slapped Shi in the face with the knowledge that his ex-lover's life depended on him taking this job. "He's on one of Volkov's ships."

"The flagship," Shi said, because that was where Volkov would be, and Volkov, from what Shi knew of him, would keep a high profile hostage with him at all times. Allie looked started for a moment, but recovered smoothly, nodding.

"There are openings on the ship, but they'll be suspicious of you," Allie began, but Shi waved her off.

"I can get myself on the ship, but what then?" Shi asked. He had a few aliases that would work, depending on the positions they needed.

"Find Elis," Allie said, flipping open her handbag and removing a small box. Standing, she walked over to Shi's desk and set it down in front of him. "If he's alive, activate this when you're a day or two out from an inhabited planet. We'll come get you."

"If he's not?" Shi asked, because that was the more likely of the two.

"Get off wherever and let us know," Allie said. "Don't activate that. It will bring a rescue squad from the nearest planet, and you'll be liable for costs if you press it and don't need rescuing."

"Why not inspect the ship when it lands?" Shi asked, because even Volkov's flagship wasn't special. It would have to stop for fuel and supplies at some point.

"They're resupplying in space," Allie said, shaking her head. "They're keeping the ship out of orbit of any inhabited planet."

That would solve that problem for Volkov. Ships in transit were protected from being stopped for inspections because of the prohibitive cost—both for the authorities and for the ship being inspected. Most ships ran tight to the wire on fuel; stopping then starting often caused them to waste enough fuel that they couldn't reach their destination.

"Will you take the case?" Allie asked. She was still standing in front of his desk, but not looming like Norris had.

"I want hazard pay," Shi said, mentally kicking himself. Agreeing was stupid, but even if he'd broken things off with Elis, he couldn't sit back and let Elis be killed because of a mole. If it had been Elis' own stupidity… Shi would probably still take the job. "And twice my usual rate."

"Done," Allie said, opening her handbag again. She pulled out a data pad and slid it across the desk towards him. "That has everything we know that will be pertinent. It will clear itself in three hours. If you need anything, let me know." She pulled out a simple card and tossed it on top of the desk. "This is a no-contact undercover mission—"

"Not an issue," Shi said, picking up the card instead of the data pad. It simply read
Allie
with a 14-digit phone number below. "Anything else?"

"Good luck," Allie said, snapping her handbag shut. She turned and strode towards the door. Shi let her go, picking up the data pad. Scooting his chair back, he propped his feet up on the desk and started to read.

*~*~*

Volkov's ship was hiring for a few different positions, but Shi settled on applying for a job as an assistant to the engineer. It was a simple job, which required basic math and the balls to do all the semi-dangerous jobs of running a ship's engine that a ship's engineer was too valuable to risk doing. One of his aliases, Shin Mari, was perfect for the job. Shin had worked as an assistant to the engineer previously, and had a few misdemeanor charges for barroom brawling on his record.

Hopefully, that would show he didn't give a shit about breaking the law, plus had experience with doing the job. Shi had sent in the electronic application the day Allie had given him the job, then spent the rest of the day shuffling his cases around to the rest of the investigators in his office. He'd cited a family emergency, and none of them knew that Shi no longer had family.

He'd gotten a communique early this morning telling him to be at the docks for an interview. It had included a note to be ready to leave immediately if he'd was hired. Shi packed a bag with clothes to last for a week; if they didn't have a uniform (doubtful), he'd be able to do laundry on the ship.

Picking up the transponder, Shi flipped open the box and rolled his eyes again at its contents. A simple gold band rested in the center of the box. The gold was worn, not bright and new, and Shi picked it up and slid it onto his left ring finger. Shi stared at his finger a minute, shaking his head and making himself move. It wouldn't do to be too late to his interview.

He caught the train to the spacedocks, striding out into the chaotic mess with his duffle slung over his shoulder. His jacket was unzipped, clearly showing off the stun gun at his waist. It was of dubious legality to carry it in plain sight, but no one would harass him for it at the docks, and it might lend him a bit of credibility with the interviewers.

Meet by bay 432CX
, the communique had said. Shi picked up his pace, dodging around workers and travelers. Bay 432CX was quiet when Shi ducked into it. A small transport was docked. It wouldn't hold more than a handful of people and a few crates of supplies. There were two men standing near the loading ramp, discussing something. They were dressed in rough work clothes, nothing fancy, and one of them held a large data tablet that he was paying more attention than the other man.

"Hey!" Shi shouted, his voice echoing across the bay. Both men stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at him. Neither of them looked friendly, but Shi hadn't exactly expected a welcome wagon. "I'm here about the job."

"One minute," the man with the data tablet said, waving at him dismissively. He said something quietly to the other man, who nodded and then loped onto the ship. The man continued to pay attention to his tablet for a few more moments as Shi waited impatiently, shifting his weight and taking the chance to get a good look at the ship.

It was short range, obviously meant to shuttle people and a small amount of goods between a ship in orbit and the planet. The ship in orbit wouldn't be Volkov's; that would put him too close to the planet and being ordered down for an inspection.

"Get over here, then," the man snapped, his voice sharp. He still hadn't looked up from his tablet. Shi moved, crossing the bay nice and slow, as though he hadn't been left waiting. "You have any family, Mari?"

"No, sir," Shi replied, unsurprised when the man stared the ring on his hand. "She's dead."

The man nodded, leaving it at that. "You understand what radio silence means?"