Chapter 8

So they left to contact some of their people who were not on Blake's info chip while I set about programming a search chip for the Smart Frame. As soon as it was completed I pulled the other chip and sent the Smart Frame out looking. I started with both Newsfax services and then the news departments of all the vid stations. While that was starting I began to program another chip with the search criteria for the Mage. I hate to do brush-up work. It is time consuming and not always productive.

I loaded the 'M' chip into the Deck and started to work on the second Smart Frame so I could send it out. I had no idea how long we would be here and what our needs would be. It couldn't hurt to have the second Frame ready to use.

Blake came wandering in several hours later to tell me it was time to eat. When I looked up it was dark outside and he had turned on the lights in the den earlier without me even noticing. "You really get into that stuff don't you? You were starting to squint due to the darkness when I noticed. Your new 'eyes' must be working correctly if you could still see."

"I have the ability to shut out everything at times. It can also be a problem as very little disturbs me. I guess I missed lunch. Are the others back yet?" I asked.

"No, they called in to let me know they were still OK, but would be a while yet. It's still just the two of us. Leave that and come on out to the kitchen while the food is still hot."

We were just finishing the supper when Cain walked in. "Did you leave any for me? I had a bite to eat while I was out but that was hours ago and I'm hungry again." Blake dished him up a meal and he sat down to eat while he informed us of his outing.

Between bites he told us of the various contacts he had made and that more than anything he had gotten them interested and that they would be snooping around for anything they could find that related to our needs. He had found out no new info and had no definite leads at this time. He had given them the new comm numbers that I had wired into the confiscated wristcoms.

We had finished eating and I was again working on my project when Dane called in. She needed some assistance and asked for me. Before we left I changed chips in the Deck and let it work on the 'H' chip. Cain dropped me off at the location she had designated and I started walking towards our meet when she joined me.

"We need some clean wheels and I need cover for a meet that I have set up. That's why I asked that you come loaded. They might have a Mage or Shaman with them and he could sense Cain. Just follow along behind me and watch my back when the meet goes down."

I slowed down and started to window shop. I let her get about twenty meters in front of me before I continued. She was sauntering along not in a hurry so my browsing looked more natural.

She was soon joined by a big bruiser of an Ork and they began to talk. They soon moved into the mouth of an alley so they could stop and not impede the foot traffic. I stopped where I could see them and yet look like I was waiting for someone. I kept looking at my watch, shaking my head and looking up and down the street like my meet was late.

I was so busy trying to blend in that I didn't pay any attention to two small groups of men walking towards me on the sidewalk. They were approaching the mouth of the alley from both directions. When they got to the alley they turned in and two of them produced guns. Before either Dane or the Ork had noticed, they were covered and being backed up further into the alley. I joined the groups as they moved in and they didn't even pay any attention to me.

With Dane and the Ork backed up to the end of the alley they started to taunt them. They were Humanist! The lowest form of life around. They not only didn't like metahumans, they didn't like anyone who had anything to do with them. There were about eight of them and they were smart enough to stay out of arms length of either of their victims. Another one had produced a weapon. There were now two handguns and a Roomsweeper covering them. Slowly drawing the Browning I made my way to the front of the pack and joined in the taunting.

"You are undoubtedly the ugliest thing I have ever seen. Don't you Trogs ever take a bath?" This produced a scowl on the face of the Ork and chuckles from the others. While they were relaxing about me I shot one in the foot and shoved the second into the third. I then tossed the Browning to the Ork and pulled my own 'Sweeper. While that was going on Dane got a weapon out and now the tables were turned.

"Thunder, meet a friend. Friend, I was wondering what happened to you," Dane said to me. Thunder was standing there with my Browning in one hand and a large Ruger Warhawk in the other.

"Sorry, I didn't see the danger until it was too late and then I just joined them. I was kind of staying back to see what was going to happen and it looked like they were trying to work up their courage to get mean so I took a hand."

"Kick the weapons over here," Dane said to the policlubbers. "If any of you others have any weapons just let them drop. Otherwise the first weapon I see I start to shoot and I think we can make all of you hurt." Waiting a bit for the weapons to come our way she continued. "Now place your hands on the wall and back up. I'm sure this is not a new position for many of you so hit it. Thunder, why don't you pat them down."

She picked up the weapons, I kept them covered and Thunder patted them down. Two of them 'slipped and fell' while he was doing it. They were the two with the biggest mouths and had been doing the most taunting. The one I had shot in the foot was moaning and groaning but Thunder didn't pay any attention to him. He also took a credstick from each one of them. Feeding them one at the time into a reader he had on his belt he nodded to Dane. "Name, address and SIN for each of them. I have some friends that might like to know about them. They're always interested in Humanists."