her encounter with the alley wall the day before. On the other side of the gate, flat-roofed buildings lined the streets. The grass covered, pedestrian-only lane that served as the main thoroughfare into The Zone lay empty. She didn’t know if the decision to clear the street had been made by the Council or if the residents had chosen on their own to stay out of sight of the crowds.
Jolaj, flanked by two other Law Keepers, appeared from a side lane. He was tall even next to his own kind. All three men moved quickly, but with athletic grace.
Lily elbowed Sean. “Here they come.”
Sean turned his attention from the protesters to the Law Keepers approaching the gate. “They didn’t bring the suspect with them.”
Lily stopped short of rolling her eyes. “I told you they wouldn’t bring him. They don’t consider him a suspect and even if they did, he’s under their jurisdiction. They’re not going to turn him over.”
“Exactly.” Detective Newman’s whole body moved with the single word, like a corner bully bouncing on the edge of a brawl. “Even if he confesses we won’t be able to arrest him.”
Sean silenced Newman with a stern look. Newman’s heavy jowls made his frown even more severe. He wore an ill-fitting suit and shiny shoes—classic detective style. Lily looked over her cousin’s plain slacks and synth jacket, grateful that he at least looked like he’d come from the right century.
Lily led the way toward the gate with Sean quickly reaching her side. His jaw flexed as they crossed the line into The Zone and met the Ormney.
“Law Keepers,” Lily greeted.
One of them should’ve extended a hand for a shake, but Newman kept his hands stiffly at his sides and Lily shoved hers in her pockets. She couldn’t afford a panic attack and it was going to be hard enough just being inside The Zone. It landed on Sean to take up the slack and his O’Leary manners seemed to get him through.
Jolaj assessed them then waved an arm up the lane. “Everything is arranged. Please follow me.” With that he strode ahead, leading them deeper into the village that had been built on a more human scale than the city surrounding it.
They walked up several blocks, bypassing the side lane she’d seen them use earlier. She could see no building above three stories, but ladders built into the adobe-like walls provided a direct, if low tech, route to what upper levels there were. The buildings were a uniform off-white color. Foliage topped every roof and trailed down the exterior walls, filling the street with the fresh smell of green growing things and buffering the sounds of life in The Zone. The muffled whoosh of the monorail line overhead was barely audible. There were no auto-carts to disturb the quiet notes of voices, music, and laughter.
Jolaj led them to a one-room neighborhood center. The building sat on a large public square. The entryway consisted of a wide arch. No door or barrier of any kind. The windows were also absent any glass.
She studied the young Ormney standing in one corner of the sunlit room as she walked past the two Law Keepers posted at the door. The young man’s body language broadcast grief and devastation. Hard to say if there was any guilt in the mix.
Jolaj introduced them to Oz. Lily couldn’t keep a sad mile from her face as she noted his white and orange coloring—almost the same shade of orange as Mary’s hair. They would have made quite a colorful pair walking through The Mixer. Unfortunately, his coloring also matched the neighbor’s description of the Ormney she’d seen leaving Mary’s building that morning.
Sean and Oz sat in two large wooden chairs that had been dragged to the center of the room while the rest of them gave them some room. Lily picked a spot along the wall to the side, not far from where Newman stood to provide a secondary recording to go along with the one from the camera on the badge Sean wore around his neck.
Jolaj chose to stand opposite Oz, where
Jolaj, flanked by two other Law Keepers, appeared from a side lane. He was tall even next to his own kind. All three men moved quickly, but with athletic grace.
Lily elbowed Sean. “Here they come.”
Sean turned his attention from the protesters to the Law Keepers approaching the gate. “They didn’t bring the suspect with them.”
Lily stopped short of rolling her eyes. “I told you they wouldn’t bring him. They don’t consider him a suspect and even if they did, he’s under their jurisdiction. They’re not going to turn him over.”
“Exactly.” Detective Newman’s whole body moved with the single word, like a corner bully bouncing on the edge of a brawl. “Even if he confesses we won’t be able to arrest him.”
Sean silenced Newman with a stern look. Newman’s heavy jowls made his frown even more severe. He wore an ill-fitting suit and shiny shoes—classic detective style. Lily looked over her cousin’s plain slacks and synth jacket, grateful that he at least looked like he’d come from the right century.
Lily led the way toward the gate with Sean quickly reaching her side. His jaw flexed as they crossed the line into The Zone and met the Ormney.
“Law Keepers,” Lily greeted.
One of them should’ve extended a hand for a shake, but Newman kept his hands stiffly at his sides and Lily shoved hers in her pockets. She couldn’t afford a panic attack and it was going to be hard enough just being inside The Zone. It landed on Sean to take up the slack and his O’Leary manners seemed to get him through.
Jolaj assessed them then waved an arm up the lane. “Everything is arranged. Please follow me.” With that he strode ahead, leading them deeper into the village that had been built on a more human scale than the city surrounding it.
They walked up several blocks, bypassing the side lane she’d seen them use earlier. She could see no building above three stories, but ladders built into the adobe-like walls provided a direct, if low tech, route to what upper levels there were. The buildings were a uniform off-white color. Foliage topped every roof and trailed down the exterior walls, filling the street with the fresh smell of green growing things and buffering the sounds of life in The Zone. The muffled whoosh of the monorail line overhead was barely audible. There were no auto-carts to disturb the quiet notes of voices, music, and laughter.
Jolaj led them to a one-room neighborhood center. The building sat on a large public square. The entryway consisted of a wide arch. No door or barrier of any kind. The windows were also absent any glass.
She studied the young Ormney standing in one corner of the sunlit room as she walked past the two Law Keepers posted at the door. The young man’s body language broadcast grief and devastation. Hard to say if there was any guilt in the mix.
Jolaj introduced them to Oz. Lily couldn’t keep a sad mile from her face as she noted his white and orange coloring—almost the same shade of orange as Mary’s hair. They would have made quite a colorful pair walking through The Mixer. Unfortunately, his coloring also matched the neighbor’s description of the Ormney she’d seen leaving Mary’s building that morning.
Sean and Oz sat in two large wooden chairs that had been dragged to the center of the room while the rest of them gave them some room. Lily picked a spot along the wall to the side, not far from where Newman stood to provide a secondary recording to go along with the one from the camera on the badge Sean wore around his neck.
Jolaj chose to stand opposite Oz, where
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