Keeper Hunter

Finally we reached our objective a half-empty car lot. It was a large flat open area with no cover from what I could see. It was edged by a high chain link fence on two sided. The few ground cars giving scant cover but they were at the far end of the lot. It felt like a trap. I quickly scanned the area seeing no movement. I wasn’t sure but I was getting nervous at the lack of pursuit. We should have at least seen a few Security Cruisers on patrol but there had only been sirens in the distance always in the distance and never close. Sindara moved up beside me as she looked out over the car lot.

“Oh good they’re still here.”

I noted that she said ’they’re ’ like there was more than Guy here. It felt even more like a set up. If it was they were going to be surprised. I was not only armed but I had a speed advantage over Humans and T’Arni.

“Who?” I asked not seeing anyone none of the ground cars I could see had occupants.

Sindara hurried out into the lot and I like a fool followed. We seemed to be heading towards an empty silver ground car with a tourist licence plate.

“Take a seat in the rear,” Sindara said indicating the rear door.

I took a careful look around and opened the door. The illusion of emptiness vanished to reveal two occupants. Some kind of hologram I guessed the sort of thing Denassi would devise. Guy was seated in the driver’s seat and an Ezaran sat in the back a bulky unit on his knee a holo screen above it. The Ezaran was typical of his species with a fine fuzz of brownish fur all over his body and a face between that of a cat and a dog. Like all Ezarans he looked like his clothes did not fit him.

“Get in quickly,” Guy said to me. “Inkassi doesn’t bite.” Seeming to make a joke of that.

Sindara slid in next to Guy while I climbed into the back. He eyed me carefully.

“Problems,” Sindara said to Guy.

“No Inkassi kept Security busy.”

“It was mere child’s play messing with them,” Inkassi said his eye glued to screen in front of him.

I knew another Ezaran that would have said the same.

Inkassi turned his attention to me. “Who is our new friend?”

I sensed some hostility behind it. Then I’d be suspicious as well; I was someone they didn’t really know. And if they knew my history they’d have kept away.

“Gwen,” Sindara said for me. “She’s a Silver.”

“Silver what?” Guy asked.

Sindara did an eye roll. “Valkyrie Silver Guard.”

“You don’t look like a Valkyrie?” Guy stated.

“I’ve enough Valkyrie blood to be permitted to live on Alfheimir.”

“Sorry I wasn’t expecting…”

Sindara jabbed him hard in his ribs.

“Someone taller and blonder?” I replied laconically.

“Well yes?” Guy tense and Sindara jabbed him again.

“Don’t mind Guy he sometimes put his foot in it,” Sindara said fondly like she admired his flaws.

Talking about flaws I had plenty of those.

“We should go I don’t know how long I can hold them off?” Inkassi said.

The ground car roared into life and we pulled out of the lot and into light traffic.

Inkassi touched my arm, “Hold still I’ll have to add your image to the holo,” he said and pointed up.

There was a holo emitter on the roof. I’d bet what it was displaying was nothing like it really was. Which explained why I couldn’t see any occupants when I approached the ground car. We drove though the streets heading though more residential areas. I noted more Security Cruisers patrolling the streets than there should be for a town this size. The town named for the brewery had population of slightly over a hundred thousand with three shuttle ports. Two for local travel the third linking to an orbital station. I also knew because I’d spent my idle time reading up on it that. The brewery was the town’s main employer and that it supplied beer to the Confederacy. There was other stuff I’d read but for the moment I’d glossed over it as irreverent. So far nothing to write home about yet my gut feeling was that something was going on here? I was certain about that even without the inner voices that had dogged me on Paranova. I’d thought at the time that I was going mad I was still uncertain about that. I sat back and watched the passing scene.

Suddenly Guy slowed bringing me out of the daze I was in.

“Road block ahead,” he said.

I instinctively reached for my hidden gun and Sindara reached into her tote bag.

Inkassi stopped me. “Ok everyone stay calm. Gwen do not move otherwise it will break the illusion. Let the holo do its work.”

We slowed further as the traffic backed up. Security was searching every stopped vehicle and paying close attention to huge load carrying transports. We crawled forward at a snail’s pace. Finally the ground car in front of us pulled away and it was our turn. I kept still but if things went south I’d be ready. Glenda Hampton’s comms would be of no good here. In fact that would count against me Davenport was a haven for the ATL. The Anti Terran League, Empire haters, which was ironic as it was since most of their members were Human. I suspected the ATL and the Black Stripes were interchangeable both groups were out to cause as much chaos as they could. I might have stopped the Director the only T’Arni I knew of that had forsaken her race and the Curator had belonged to the Black Stripes. The Director was ‘Mother’ knows where and the Curator had died at his own hands. I halted my thoughts my stomach churning did I just say ‘Mother’ that was too Valkyrie? I clamped down on my rising fear and shut in a box I had to remain calm. I was still me I reminded myself. There were more out there then those two. Suddenly the air around us shimmered and suddenly I was looking at a Human couple in the front seats totally different from Guy and Sindara. A side-glance had me blinking in shock. Seated beside me was an elderly Human male.

“Don’t move,” Inkassi warned me in a whisper.

Guy pressed a button and the window on the driver’s side lowered. “What seems to be the problem Officer,” he said in a voice different from what I’d heard before.

A Security Officer peered into the car carefully while maintaining his distance, his hand on the pistol on his hip.

“We’re looking for two fugitives,” the Security Officer said.

His companion made a slow circle of the ground car the same alert pose. The Officer pulled out a hand sized data unit the images of Guy and Sindara hovering in the holo above it.

“These two,” he said. He was more professional than the two slobs I’d dealt with in the cantina and that made him dangerous. “We believe they are in the company of a Terran spy.” But he gave no description of me.

“Terran spies.” I had to admit Guy was a good actor, as he sounded genuinely shocked.

“Can I see your ID please,” the Security Officer asked.

Guy gave him a comms I doubted it was his real one if he ever had a real one in the first place. I noticed he was moving deliberately slowly as he handed over his Comms. I think he had to maintain the holo illusion.

“Here.”

The ground car behind us gave an impatient honk that had the Security Officer looking in that direction. He gave the car a glare and scanned the comms with his DU.

“You from around here?” he asked Guy as he handed back the comms.

“Up north,” Guy replied easily. “Just taking my parents up to the lake. Dad likes to fish and I heard the lake has a good reputation?”

“Oh yeah,” The Security Office replied. “The promontory on the east side has the best fishing spots.”

“Thanks I’ll remember that,” Guy said to him.

“Ok you’re clear to go.” The Security Officer waved us on.

We drove through the roadblock and out into open countryside. I could see a number of fields and farms even black and white cattle grazing. I saw a shimmer in the air around us and the holo system was turned off. A curious as I was to see what I’d looked like in the holo other concerns came to the fore.

“I’m glad that’s over,” Sindara commented with relief.

“That was too easy.” I said.

“Paranoia,” Guy brushed my concerns aside.

“No,” I replied sharper than I’d meant. “He only asked for your ID.”

“You find that suspicious how?” Sindara directed her question at me.

“He should have checked all our IDs.”

“Gwen is correct,” Inkassi said after a moments thought.

“Guy checked the ground car’s rear holo screen. “I can’t see any sign of pursuit?”

“They wouldn’t have to the other Officer could have easily placed a tracker on this vehicle?” I warned the others it was what I would have done maybe I was being paranoid. But with what had happened to me lately I was just being cautious. “Was anyone watching him?”

“You sure?” Inkassi suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“It’s what I would have done?” I said.

“Inkassi,” Sindara told him.

“On it,” Inkassi stated his fingers tapping icons on his datapad. “Shit Gwen is right we’re being tracked.”

“Shit they’re on to us!” Sindara said reaching into her tote bag and withdrawing her Barker. “Inkassi do something!”

“Done it tracker blocked. Diverting the signal on a different track.”

We drove further down the road tension high.