Chapter 38

Inari and her group boarded the Darkstrider, eager to get to work on finding this asshole. They weren’t sure who the bullets had been aimed at, but they’d find out soon enough. The fact that Sargol had taken potshots at them in broad daylight was bad enough. What made things worse was that Willem was paying the price for it, and they weren’t going to let the smug bastard get away with it!

“You sure that you can hack into the grid of Tanith’s Gully?” Inari asked their resident hacker.

“Oh, without an issue there, Cap! I may have ... done a little light probing before we ... began our offload,” Taal’ani admitted.

“Did anyone notice?” Inari queried, making sure.

“Cap, please! This is me we’re talking about! No way in any level of the hells would I have been that sloppy!” Taal’ani responded a little indignantly.

“Just making sure you’re staying on top of your game is all,” Inari smirked as they walked past the Sentries and into the Darkstrider.

“Well, worry not. That encounter we had with Void Lord has forced me to step up my game. Need to dive back into the net and the culture again. See what’s new, who’s trouble, who’s not and what the newest toys are,” the Fel’caan woman replied.

“Think we might need to make a stop or two for some hardware?” Inari wondered.

“I got some pretty neat stuff while we were at Veldhern, but a look around here and there couldn’t hurt,” Taal’ani stated.

“We’ll see about where the nearest places we can stop are and make plans,” Inari assured her friend.

“All right. Jaesa, you there?”

“For you Talon, always! What is it?” the AI questioned as she walked up to the group as they ambled onto the bridge.

“Get Stanley up and link my deck to the Darkstrider’s systems. We’re going hunting,” Taal’ani responded with a deadly serious look in her eye.

“Oh? What happened, and who are we going after?” Jaesa queried. The crew gave her the abbreviated version, telling her the basics. She made a look of pure disgust as she heard what happened to Willem.

“So, the man who insulted you tried to kill the deputy? That doesn’t seem right,” Jaesa mused.

“I was thinking the same thing myself. Willem was almost right in front of Inari when the shots went off. At least I think that’s how everyone was positioned,” Tahral thought out loud.

“Well, we’re about to find out! We linked yet, Jaesa?” Talon questioned.

“Ten seconds ago. Just waiting on your slowpoke ass,” the AI sassed.

“All right. Linking in ... now!” Taal’ani said as she used one of the bridge consoles to double as her hacking deck.

When outfitting the Darkstrider back aboard the Perseus, Taal’ani had made sure that the consoles could be tasked this way. It might have been unorthodox, but the amount of power she could put behind a hack was much greater using the ship’s systems over the deck alone. Because of this, she didn’t have to resort to using her implant to surf in directly and Taal’ani would have the same reaction time as when using her deck.

“Hunh! That was fast!” Luminia commented. “You’d think that the people here on Prodosia would be more careful about the networks they use.”

“On a backwater like this, I’m surprised they even have one! Compared to what we’ve got, they move slower than slugs covered in molasses!” Taal’ani quipped.

“Are there any cameras that you can access in the areas where I tried chasing the bastard down?” Inari demanded, bringing the topic back into focus.

“Yeah! Just give me a few seconds and ... there! Are those the angles you were looking for, Cap?” the Fel’caan hacker queried.

“Yes! Can you go back to around forty minutes ago? We should have been stepping out of the station by then,” Inari replied.

“Sure! Hold up, while I access the feeds,” Taal’ani replied, as her hands flew across the console. In a matter of seconds, several holographic screens were up, displaying the event as it happened less than an hour ago.

“All right, scanning ... scanning ... scanning ... there we are! We were just walking out of the station right there,” Taal’ani pointed.

“OK. Play it at normal speed,” Inari commanded. Her crew mate did as she was told and played the video. It went on for a few more seconds before the shots rang out and everyone dove for cover.

“Stop there! Back it up seven seconds and go at half speed,” Inari told her friend. Taal’ani did as she was asked, and the video played. They all studied the slow motion captures and Inari sighed heavily.

“I was the target. It just so happened that Willem was in the way when the shots were fired. I sure as hells hope he makes it,” Inari huffed.

“The bastard was sitting by a food vendor, blending in as one of the crowd!” Tahral growled, spotting Sargol in seconds.

“Yeah! Seems like this fucker loves hiding in plain sight! Hopefully, we’ll catch him before he has a chance to do any more damage or hurt anyone else!” Inari nodded.

“OK. Playing out the chase at regular speed,” Taal’ani informed them as she resumed watching the screens.

The scene played out much as Inari had remembered it. How everyone dove for cover while staying away from the deadly bullets. Popping up after the initial spray had stopped, to where Inari returned fire. The chase began a few seconds later, with Sargol beating feet, staying ahead of Inari, but only just. It wasn’t until Inari chased him out of the alley that things got interesting.

“Holy ... what the fuck just happened??” Inari gasped as she witnessed Sargol vanish in plain sight.

“Just a sec. Let me back that up a bit,” Taal’ani responded.

Within seconds, Talon had rewound the files to where Sargol emerged from the alley. She played the file ten times slower than normal speed, watching everything the man did. They looked at him as he turned his head, and seeing that Inari wasn’t there, he reached into his coat. From that point he touched, the crew saw a brief electrical flash, before everything from that spot on the man slowly became invisible.

“An ... invisibility matrix? How is that possible?” Priya questioned.

“I’ve heard rumblings from some old contacts about this tech, but it’s just rumors and hearsay. I didn’t think there was any merit to those rumors!” Taal’ani gasped.

“Looks to me like there is solid evidence of this bit of tech being real,” Inari sighed, knowing now that their job just became harder.

“So, what do we do?” Priya questioned.

“Hold on a moment. He vanished from sight, but did he disappear completely?” Luminia questioned.

“What are you talking about, Lumi?” Priya asked.

“I remember when I was being introduced to the technology from your ship and your civilization. How there were certain things that could help us in our hunts. Especially when it came to hunting beasts that could blend in with their environment. You call them... ‘thermite goggles’?” the Artucian woman queried.

“Thermal goggles! Fuck! Now that is clever! Talon, is there any way you can have a look at the cameras through a thermal filter?” Inari asked as excitement flooded her veins.

“Only through cameras that have that feature equipped, and sadly, none of these cameras have it,” Taal’ani reported. “Stanley, have you been listening?”

“I have, Miss Taal’ani. With Jaesa’s help, I am going through all recent camera recordings and cross checking them with any that have thermal lenses equipped. Standby,” the ship’s VI told everyone. The wait for an answer seemed to drag on forever, but it was less than five minutes before Stanley came back with an answer.

“Negative. There are no known cameras in Tanith’s Gully that are equipped with thermal lenses. Such countermeasures will have to be set up within the town if we are to be successful in locating Sargol,” the VI told everyone.

“Well, it was a thought. Regardless, we have our own toys here and we will be putting them to proper use!” Inari stated as she gestured for the crew to follow her. “Jaesa, task the Sentries to factor in thermal vision during their sweeps. Don’t want anyone getting the drop on us.”

“Already done. You know, I think we should see about capturing Sargol if possible,” the AI suggested.

“She’s got a point. Not only would he be a wealth of information on who he’s working for, but tech like that is rare! Going fully invisible from sight like that isn’t something you just cobble together! Not for a single person!” Taal’ani told them.

“Agreed. I’d heard of some prototype devices, but nothing nearly that small! Smallest I’ve heard is something that’s mounted on a cruiser and even then, it didn’t last for very long!” Priya replied.

“Oh, don’t worry, ladies and gents! I have an idea that will enable us to capture that fucker!” Inari grinned mischievously.

“Oh? Please, do share!” Luminia smiled as the rest of the crew closed in to hear of her plan.

Aesha stood in the waiting room of the clinic, waiting to hear news about Willem. He’d taken some nasty hits and had lost some blood out there on the street. She hoped that he would be OK, as he was a strong and virile young man. He had a lot left to live for and had his whole life ahead of him. She didn’t want to see someone else she knew have it cut short by some errant predator.

“Excuse me, but I believe our son Willem was brought here?” a voice asked the receptionist. Aesha’s head popped up, and she caught sight of an older couple standing by the seated woman. They were still young, but had the look of parents about them. The more she looked, the more Aesha could tell that both the man and woman were Willem’s mom and dad.

“He was brought in maybe fifty minutes ago and taken to the back. Dr. Walczak is working on him right now. If you’ll please take a seat, she’ll come out when she’s finished,” the woman told the pair.

They smiled and nodded before heading towards the seats that lined the waiting area. As they sat, the couple noticed Aesha standing nearby and turned to regard her. The husband looked at her a little oddly, but that was likely because he’d never seen an Artucian before and just shrugged. The wife however, almost glared at the warrior woman, eyes roving up and down before giving a dismissive sniff.

“You waiting for someone too?” the husband asked in a conversational tone.

“Yes. Deputy Willem,” Aesha answered honestly.

“And why are you waiting to see if he’s OK?” the wife growled protectively.

“I was there when he was shot. I returned fire, but Sargol slipped away before I could get a proper bead on him,” Aesha grunted.

“So ... that was true? Sargol shot my son??” the husband asked, clearly distressed.

“Yeah. I don’t know if Willem was his intended target, but regardless, I hope someone catches the bastard! It’ll be ten thousand credits well spent!” Aesha huffed.

“Who put that high a bounty on that bottom feeder’s head?” the wife asked, more curious at this point.

“The sheriff. Said he wants him dead or alive. I got the impression that the emphasis is on dead,” the Artucian woman smirked.

“Good! Scum and trash like him don’t deserve a place in our town!” the wife ground out.

“Aesha?” the voice of Zuzanna Walczak called out.

“Is he OK?” the Artucian woman asked, getting to her feet at the same time that Willem’s parents did.

“Ryley, Doryn! You two got here pretty fast!” Zuzanna commented.

“How is he?? Is he all right?” Willem’s mother questioned almost desperately.

“Yes, he is. It was a damn good thing I was there to patch him up until help arrived. He’s stable and awake. If you want to come in the back and see him, I’m sure he’d welcome the company,” Zuzanna told the group. Taking her up on the offer, the three of them followed the doctor towards where Willem was recovering.

Aesha let his parents go first, as it was their right to see their son before she did. As they approached, Willem sat up in the bed he was laying in, in a clean gown, and wincing as he moved. He was glad to see his mom and dad there, but he was especially happy to see Aesha. While what they had shared was recent, it was enough to affect them both when he was hurt. His mother caught the glance, but said nothing as she fussed over her son.

“Mom, I’m all right! You don’t need to be checking every inch of me! Dr. Walczak already did that,” Willem told her.

“It’s a mother’s right to worry! Now hush!” she rebuked him as she did her own checks. Seeing that there was nothing else wrong with him, aside from the few shots he’d taken, his mother left off after a few words from her husband. He walked to his son and spoke to him, happy that he was still breathing.

“Thanks dad! It would have been a lot worse if I wasn’t wearing a vest,” he told them.

“If you still got hurt wearing a vest, then what is the point of wearing one?” his mother griped.

“As he said, it could have been much worse. The shooter probably got lucky and hit a weak point in the vest. Or he was using exotic rounds to do some damage. We don’t know just yet,” Zuzanna soothed, quelling their ruffled feathers.

“At least he is still alive! As he said, it could have been far worse had he not been wearing his vest,” Aesha said out loud.

The mother turned to her and looked about to say something to her, but held her tongue, realizing the Artucian woman was right. She then turned back to her son and spoke to him some more. After a few more minutes, they left, but Aesha stayed behind at Willem’s request. His parents looked suspicious until their son told them it related to a case he was working.

“Sorry about that. My parents tend to be ... overprotective. Especially my mom,” Willem apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. My parents were much the same when I was selected to be an honor guard for my chieftaness,” Aesha giggled.

“I’ll bet! Any idea who it is that shot me?” the boy asked.

“I learned it was Sargol, when Inari came back from chasing him down. The slippery bastard got away,” she groused. “But the others are likely making it their priority to track down the man and bring him in.”

“If what I remember about Auntie Nari is accurate, I would almost feel sorry for the son of a bitch! But I won’t. The fuckhead has a lot to answer for and with everything he’s done and gotten away with, he deserves every moment of pain he’s got coming to him,” Willem chuckled.

“After what happened, I couldn’t agree more,” Aesha sighed as she took Willem’s hand and held it tightly. Willem returned the gesture, squeezing her hand and smiling at the woman.

“I’ll be OK, Aesha,” he told her.

“I know. Just focus on getting better, for both your parent’s sake ... and for mine,” she told him as she smiled shyly at him.

“I will,” Willem said as he pulled her to him and drew the woman in for a kiss. “Now go and get him.”

Smiling to herself, she nodded and walked on out, passing a grinning Dr. Walczak. Aesha couldn’t help but smile herself as she moved to the front of the clinic. While they’d only had the one encounter, there was something ... different about it. Somehow, Aesha felt all flighty and nervous around the boy, as though it was her first time ever having been with anyone. She chalked it up to nerves and focused back on seeking out the bastard who shot him.

“Just what are you doing sniffing around my son?” the mother questioned angrily, getting into Aesha’s face.

“What?!?”

“Doryn, don’t,” her husband warned, his tone darkening.

“I won’t have some xeno bitch trying to spirit him away!” she accused.

Aesha rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with this right now, having more pressing concerns on her plate. She watched the couple briefly as they began to argue, with the Artucian woman looking to sidestep her way out of this. As she moved, she noted something odd at the clinic window.

She saw a young man, maybe all of twenty years old, walk up and put something near the corner of the window before he scurried away. Aesha took a beat to wonder what he was doing before her eyes widened in comprehension.

“Get down!” she shouted as she tackled Willem’s parents to the ground.

Not even two seconds later, an explosive blast shattered the glass, throwing shards of it everywhere. Aesha rolled over and went for her sidearm, remembering the basic training she was learning from Korsa and Inari. As her eyes focused, she saw several people dressed like gangers swarm through the busted window. Just as their feet hit the ground, Jaesa’s eyes focused enough to see they had guns clenched in their fists.

Without hesitation, Jaesa opened fire, emptying the clip into three of the closest gangers. The other four behind them caught their dying friends and screamed, howling for Aesha’s blood. Not waiting around to become a target, Aesha scurried around to get behind the receptionist’s desk, pushing Willem’s parents back there. Shots rang out, but Aesha and her charges were tucked behind the sturdy metal frame as the bullets pinged off the surface.

“Come on out, you cowardly bitch!” one of the gangers shouted and taunted.

“Four against one, boy? You’re the cowardly one!” the voice of Dr. Walczak stated crisply as she walked forward from the back with an SMG in hand, pointed at the gang members.

The loudmouth moved to aim his weapon at the armed doctor, but couldn’t shift his stance fast enough. Zuzanna squeezed the trigger and a hail of bullets erupted from the SMG, cutting him and his friends down in seconds. As they fell, another cluster of gangers that stood by the window watched their friends drop like flies. This was more than enough to take the fight out of them, and they all turned on their heels and bolted.

“Fucking spinless cowards!!!” Zuzanna seethed as she ran to the window as the gangers vanished into the gathering crowd.

“People like that generally are! On my world, such people don’t survive for very long. Cowardice is the surest way to see you get killed back on Talemkha,” Aesha grunted as she stood up, helping Willem’s parents to their feet.

“Are you two all right?” Aesha questioned as she checked the couple over.

“I ... think so,” Ryley replied, then turned to his wife. “You all right, hon?”

“I’m not feeling any pain, except where you tackled us,” Doryn huffed almost ungratefully. “Small price to pay for being alive, though. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome! They all dead, Zuzanna?” Aesha queried.

“Five for sure. You certainly don’t play around! Your shots were precise! These last two, they’re still alive. Barely,” the doctor responded.

“End it, doc,” Ryley said, fearful that another attack might come.

“We need to question them about what happened and why they attacked us!” Aesha stated. “We can’t let them die. Not yet.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Sorry Ryley, but we need information. Callista!” Zuzanna called out, and her friend and lover bustled out with a trio of other nurses in tow.

“Yes, doctor?”

“Take these two to the operating tables and do what you can to save them. I’ll join you in a minute or two,” Zuzanna stated. “Aesha, come with me.”

“Doc?” Ryley called out in confusion.

“I’ll be right back. Need to check on something,” the futa woman said to him. Knowing it was pointless to argue with her, the man nodded and had his wife move to the rear of the clinic with him. Zuzanna then led Aesha outside, around to an alleyway next to the clinic.

“Where are we going?” Aesha questioned.

“To look for those deputies that were supposed to be protecting us! Why didn’t they stop the attack on the clinic?” Zuzanna wondered, searching for any vantage points the deputies could be using.

“Maybe they were distracted by something or...” Aesha started just as she heard a loud groan.

The pair raised their weapons at the sound, advancing slowly as they kept their focus. Just as they neared the source, a man’s body fell out, and he hit the ground with a thump. The pair of them yelped for a split second before they rushed forward and checked the body. It was Harhnek, one of the deputies that Daved had assigned to watch duty.

“Fuck! Aesha, keep us covered!” Zuzanna cursed as she bolted over to check on the man. Aesha did as she was told while the doctor checked on him.

“Is he OK?”

“He’s got a pulse! Help me with him!” Zuzanna ordered.

“You cover us. I’ll carry him in!” Aesha said as she kneeled and scooped the man up. He was a bit shorter and thinner than Aesha was, making him easy to lift. Zuzanna’s eyes popped for a moment at Aesha’s impressive display of strength.

“Are all Artucian as strong as you?” the doctor asked as she led the way out of the alley.

“I am among the strongest of the women of my kind. Our men are much stronger,” Aesha stated simply.

Impressed at how easily the Artucian woman carried the man, they made their way out of the alley and into the clinic. They walked in just as Callista came out of the back to report to her boss.

“Zuzie! Tohln just walked in ... oh fuck! Is he still alive?” the woman asked as she rushed over to check on the deputy in Aesha’s arms.

“We need to get him on a table and stich him up before he bleeds out!” Zuzanna stated.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to save them both! Tohln just walked in, bleeding all over the place, trying to keep his intestines in!” Callista stated.

“God damn it! Who do we save and who do we let die?” Zuzanna huffed, not liking it when she had to make this decision.

“Take Harhnek and get him situated! I’ll make a call for some help!” Aesha stated.

“Hey there Aesha! What’s up?” Taal’ani asked as she took the incoming call. Words spilled out of the Artucian woman in a torrent. “Wait, what?? They did what?!?!?”

“Talon, what’s the matter?” Inari questioned.

“Here, I’ll put you on speaker. OK Aesha, everyone is listening. Tell them what you just told me,” the Fel’caan woman stated. Aesha gave the story about what just happened at the clinic. As she was talking, Taal’ani’s hands flew across the console, searching for eyes on the clinic. She found the feeds she was looking for and gasped at the sight on the holograms.

“Ladies, arm up and let’s get going! We have some lives to save!” Inari commanded.

“Are you sure that going to the clinic is the best policy right now? It’s a warzone out there!” Priya argued.

“You’d let innocent men die at the hands of gangers? Like Aesha said, they’re in a triage situation! If we get there fast enough, all lives will be saved! Besides, these gangers might know something,” Inari rebuffed.

Priya saw the look in her girlfriend’s eye and knew that she was being honest with her. In a few seconds, Priya swallowed her pride, locked away the green-eyed monster of jealousy, and nodded in assent. With that, the pair of them rushed out of the bridge, with both Luminia and Jaesa in tow. They headed down to the armory and outfitted themselves with everything they could carry, save the battlesuits.

The battlesuits would have given them considerable protection against any attackers, but wearing them after an attack was like sending an invitation for another one. At least, that’s how things worked on Prodosia. Jaesa outfitted herself with minimal weapons, as she herself was a living weapon with what she knew. Being an AI in an android body did have its benefits, the biggest of which was that she could hit as hard as a Sentry.

“Bravo squad, with me! Activate Hoplite mode! Confirm!” Inari called out, commandeering the platoon of Sentries. They all chimed an accept sound as they fell in and followed their commander out of the Darkstrider. The other three women were right behind her, marching at the same military pace Inari had set. They quickly cleared the entry gate, the guards there letting her pass without complaint.

“Seems like folks might be starting to respect us around here,” Priya commented.

“It’s more like we’re packing too much firepower for them to bother accosting. I mean, would you want to fuck with us, seeing us marching through like we are?” Inari questioned.

“I wouldn’t!” Luminia laughed as they kept going.

“So, what we’ve done so far has done nothing, then?” Priya grumbled.

“Not at all! Us bringing what we have has at least given us enough leeway to where the folk will let us roam about, provided we don’t cause any trouble,” Inari replied.

“Well, something is better than nothing I guess!” the east Indian woman said out loud.

“It is! You ladies can hear me OK?” Taal’ani asked over their earbuds.

“Loud and clear, Talon! You got something for us?” Inari questioned.

“Indeed, I do! The attack on the clinic was led by none other than everyone’s favorite asshole!” Taal’ani growled over the comms.

“You’re kidding me?!? Sargol again??” Inari almost yelled.

“Looks like it. He didn’t take any active part in the attack, though. From what I can see, he directed it. The moment Aesha and Zuzanna returned fire, he got out of there,” Taal’ani responded.

“The fucking coward! Talon, make finding that son of a bitch your top priority! He is making life way too fucking difficult for us with all this damned chaos!!” Inari growled.

“Already on it, boss! More than happy to track this fucker down! Working on an algorithm to try to counter the cloaking tech he’s got! I’ll keep you posted!” Taal’ani reported.

“Happy to hear it!” Inari huffed as they continued their march.

“Oh, and I contacted Aesha before I called you, so they know you’re coming. You should also know that Daved and a few more deputies are on their way to the clinic! They’re just as concerned about what happened there and are checking on their friends,” Taal’ani informed the group.

“Copy that. Find that bastard! Whatever it takes!” Inari commanded, and the line went dead.

The group continued their march into the town, the townsfolk automatically making a lane for them to pass. Inari appreciated this, happy that they were being accommodating that way. She also noted the looks that were thrown their way, and they were the kind that were reserved for dangerous beasts. Where you knew that something or someone you encountered was dangerous, but only to those who were their enemies.

Such dangerous entities were often treated with a measure of caution, as one never knew when said entity would turn on you. Inari huffed a bit, but figured it was better than the open hostility and disdain she had received the last time she was here. The group rounded a corner and saw the clinic, which was a right mess. They slowed their pace as they approached, seeing that Daved and several of his deputies were just arriving.

“Inari!” Daved called out. “You heard what happened?”

“Got the call right after it did! These fuckers are a bold lot!” she groused.

“Damn straight! Let’s head inside. Though people are clearing out, you never know who might be listening,” Daved stated.

Nodding, Inari followed the man, but not before tasking the Sentries to set up a proper perimeter and patrol sequence around the clinic. As she vanished inside, Jaesa sent an information packet to her fellow machines, giving them some additional repair protocols she’d been working on. Their eyes flashed a few times as they accepted and uploaded the program.

After the upload was complete, the Sentries began their patrol circuit. Several others who were idle started scooping up the shattered glass, piling it up neatly. Once it was piled, they began using their built in blowtorches to heat it up. It soon started to glow as they moved to keep it off the ground, keeping the melted glass heated as they stretched it. Inari saw this and cocked an eyebrow at Jaesa, who just winked.

They walked on inside the clinic, finding Aesha in the reception area with her weapons ready. She smiled at the arrival of her shipmates and directed them to the back, where Zuzanna and the rest of the staff waited. As they walked in, the nurses were bustling back and forth between the deputies and the gangers, trying to keep them all alive.

“Dr. Walczak? Where can I be of assistance?” Jaesa asked. Zuzanna’s head popped up, and she sighed in relief and smiled.

“Help Callista with those gangers! I want you to keep them alive long enough for us to finish up with Harhnek and Tohln,” the doctor stated.

Jaesa nodded and dipped into the programs she had uploaded to her cortex and assisted Callista. Within a few minutes, they had stabilized the one ganger, as he wasn’t too critically injured. While the man was in a substantial amount of pain, they hopped him up on some painkillers. Mainly to keep him from screaming and distracting anyone from doing their work.

The others stood back and let the medical professionals do their work. They kept an eye on the gangers, mainly to ensure they didn’t try any funny business. Once the second ganger was stabilized, they turned their attention to the deputies that were on the tables. They didn’t know how long they waited, but it seemed like it was forever before Zuzanna stood up and sighed in relief.

“They’ll make it. All of them,” she stated as she walked away from the operating area, taking off her surgical gear.