Equinox by Lara Morgan Page B

the cool interior of the car. There were too many variables for her to feel anything close to calm. A woman called Agent Sulawayo was supposed to be meeting them inside. She was Riley’s contact and was going to make sure Rosie was okay.
    “Don’t panic, kid,” Aunt Essie said.
    Rosie picked up her bag. “What if it goes wrong?”
    “Then I’ll get you out. But let’s hope I don’t have to. Just keep your answers short and don’t deviate from what we talked about.” She opened the door of the transport and stepped out.
    Right. Simple.
    Heat came from the sun above and radiated up from the pavement. The pungent smell of rubber and burnt electricals filled the air, mixed with the sweet scents of a bakehouse in the plaza. Senate Prime was set a few metres back from the road, the entrance one enormous revolving door through which a stream people, most dressed in Senate uniforms, were passing in and out. They joined the crowd and entered the huge atrium. A transporter hub took up most of the back of the space, with ten elevator tubes whisking people up to other floors, and in front of it was a long low counter manned by three guards. On either side, scattered across the floor, were several AI ports.
    Aunt Essie stopped at one and waved her ident over it.
    “Welcome to Senate Prime, Miss Black,” it said. “Please select your interaction level requirement.”
    “Same goddamned cheerful voice every time,” Aunt Essie muttered.
    “That won’t be necessary, Miss Black. If you could both come with us.”
    Rosie jumped and turned to see a large guard flanked by two others standing behind them. The guard who’d spoken had his hand resting on a gun at his waist. His stare was flat and unfriendly.
    “And you are?” Aunt Essie slowly put her ident back in her pocket.
    “We’re from Unit Twelve,” he said as if they were supposed to know what that was. “We detected you approaching the building. Come this way.” He turned towards the transporters and held out one muscular arm.
    Aunt Essie took Rosie’s arm. “Looks like henchmen one, two and three are our welcoming committee.”
    The guard’s jaw tightened a fraction, but he didn’t say anything, only stepped back to let them by. Then he fell alongside while the others came up behind and frogmarched them to the hub.
    The ride in the elevator was silent and fast. They exited on the twenty-sixth floor and were ushered into a small room with one table, two chairs and a window that looked out over the city. It was cool in the Senate, but Rosie was still sweating with nerves as the guards left them alone, closing the door with a quiet snick.
    Her aunt did laps around the room, tapping the backs of the chairs.
    “The decor’s as bad as it ever was.” She stopped at the window, peering down at the street.
    “Did you used to come here when you were with the Senate Elite?” Rosie asked. Essie had been in the Senate Elite – the force the Senate sent to work for the United Earth Commission’s Peace Alliance – for two years before she joined Orbitcorp.
    “Occasionally.”
    Rosie leaned on the back of one of the chairs and chewed on her lip.
    “Don’t look so worried.” Aunt Essie waved towards the light fitting in the centre of the ceiling. “They don’t need the entertainment.”
    Of course, someone was watching them. The door opened and a short pudgy man came in. He gave them a cold smile, revealing perfect white teeth. “Rosie Black and her aunt, Essie Black, I presume?”
    Rosie didn’t answer. Essie looked him up and down and said, “Where’s Agent Sulawayo? I was told we would be seeing her.”
    “She’s occupied.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m Agent Whitely.”
    This was bad. Rosie looked quickly at her aunt as he sat opposite. Essie’s expression bordered on hostile.
    “Whitely? I’ve heard of you,” she said. “You’re the agent who locked up six Banker kids last year for staying ten minutes past their allowed time in a