Fear the Darkness by Mitchel Scanlon Page A
Authors: Mitchel Scanlon
Tags: Science-Fiction
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call it. If Justice Department found out about this they'd take away my badge."
"You don't want to see me again?" She shifted uneasily and her blue eyes flashed in the moonlight.
"Of course I do," He put his hand to her face to reassure her. "I don't want to lose you. It's like I've been waiting for you my entire life. I'm just saying we need to be careful. We can't let anyone find out."
"I understand," she said.
Morning. Another hot summer's day. Report of an ARV in progress at the Mother-o-Pearls Jewellery Mart in Gabor Precinct. Four perps caught leaving the mart, plus the getaway driver waiting outside. Two dead for resisting, leaving three chained to a holding post awaiting collection. Twenty-five years apiece, with the getaway man sentenced to an extra month for Parking In A Restricted Area. The mathematics of justice.
"No go, Broph." Judge Elvins returned from questioning the perps. "If there was an inside man on the heist, the creeps ain't talking."
"Call Control and have them booked in for in-depth interrogation back at the Sector House. And get graveyard shift to schedule the mart's owner and staff for crime swoops later tonight. Might shake something loose."
"Check." Elvins's hand went to his radio. "Pat-Wagon's already on the way for the perps, and Resyk's been notified about the stiffs. I make it 11.53. What say we get some lunch while it's quiet? We could go to that hottie stand you like so much."
"The precinct's food court is closer." He tried to keep his face neutral. "Anyway, I'm starting to get sick of hotties. You know how it is. Too much of a good thing, I guess."
Night. Melinda was sleeping. Trying not to wake her, he slipped out of bed and dressed without turning the lights on. Citizen clothes. In the two months since their first night, he had learned to be careful. He parked his bike in a different location each time and walked to the basement in Robert Mitchum Block to change out of his uniform. Then he walked to her apartment, keeping an eye out for tails. He had even bought a hat so the Justice Department's spy-cams wouldn't see his face. Precautions. He went off-com four or five times a week now. An hour here, an hour there. Stolen moments. Somebody might get suspicious.
"Billy?" Finding his side of the bed empty, she stirred and began to wake. "You want me to put some synthi-caf on before you go?" Her hand moved to the light switch beside her. "I went to the buy-mart today and got the kind you like-"
"No! Don't touch it!" He ran to the bed and grabbed her hand.
"What is it?" She was startled. "Billy? You're hurting me-"
"The curtains are open." He let go of her hand. "Remember I put anti-glare strips inside the windows to block out the Justice Department's cameras, so we wouldn't have to keep the curtains closed all the time? They only work in the dark." He saw blue eyes in the darkness, frightened. He felt ashamed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, but we have to be careful."
"I understand," she said.
Morning. Inside the Sector House. Standing in front of his locker getting ready for his shift.
"So, there's the perp." Elvins took his helmet from his own locker and pushed the door closed. "Three o'clock in the morning on Chandler Pedway, carrying a Tri-D player. No receipt. Tries to tell me a friend of his had just given it to him for his birthday. When I ask him this friend's name, he tells me he forgot it."
"Lying To A Judge. You gave him extra time for that?" It was as much a statement as a question. He found he was barely listening. Distracted. Thinking of Melinda. Looking forward to tonight.
"Sure. Another six months. But that's not the point. Thing was he'd stolen the Tri-D all right, but it actually was this guy's birthday. Guess that's what made him think up the story. 'Many happy returns, creep,' I told him." Elvins paused. "You okay, Broph? You seem like you got something on your mind."
"You know us old farts. Always staring into space, remembering the
"You don't want to see me again?" She shifted uneasily and her blue eyes flashed in the moonlight.
"Of course I do," He put his hand to her face to reassure her. "I don't want to lose you. It's like I've been waiting for you my entire life. I'm just saying we need to be careful. We can't let anyone find out."
"I understand," she said.
Morning. Another hot summer's day. Report of an ARV in progress at the Mother-o-Pearls Jewellery Mart in Gabor Precinct. Four perps caught leaving the mart, plus the getaway driver waiting outside. Two dead for resisting, leaving three chained to a holding post awaiting collection. Twenty-five years apiece, with the getaway man sentenced to an extra month for Parking In A Restricted Area. The mathematics of justice.
"No go, Broph." Judge Elvins returned from questioning the perps. "If there was an inside man on the heist, the creeps ain't talking."
"Call Control and have them booked in for in-depth interrogation back at the Sector House. And get graveyard shift to schedule the mart's owner and staff for crime swoops later tonight. Might shake something loose."
"Check." Elvins's hand went to his radio. "Pat-Wagon's already on the way for the perps, and Resyk's been notified about the stiffs. I make it 11.53. What say we get some lunch while it's quiet? We could go to that hottie stand you like so much."
"The precinct's food court is closer." He tried to keep his face neutral. "Anyway, I'm starting to get sick of hotties. You know how it is. Too much of a good thing, I guess."
Night. Melinda was sleeping. Trying not to wake her, he slipped out of bed and dressed without turning the lights on. Citizen clothes. In the two months since their first night, he had learned to be careful. He parked his bike in a different location each time and walked to the basement in Robert Mitchum Block to change out of his uniform. Then he walked to her apartment, keeping an eye out for tails. He had even bought a hat so the Justice Department's spy-cams wouldn't see his face. Precautions. He went off-com four or five times a week now. An hour here, an hour there. Stolen moments. Somebody might get suspicious.
"Billy?" Finding his side of the bed empty, she stirred and began to wake. "You want me to put some synthi-caf on before you go?" Her hand moved to the light switch beside her. "I went to the buy-mart today and got the kind you like-"
"No! Don't touch it!" He ran to the bed and grabbed her hand.
"What is it?" She was startled. "Billy? You're hurting me-"
"The curtains are open." He let go of her hand. "Remember I put anti-glare strips inside the windows to block out the Justice Department's cameras, so we wouldn't have to keep the curtains closed all the time? They only work in the dark." He saw blue eyes in the darkness, frightened. He felt ashamed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, but we have to be careful."
"I understand," she said.
Morning. Inside the Sector House. Standing in front of his locker getting ready for his shift.
"So, there's the perp." Elvins took his helmet from his own locker and pushed the door closed. "Three o'clock in the morning on Chandler Pedway, carrying a Tri-D player. No receipt. Tries to tell me a friend of his had just given it to him for his birthday. When I ask him this friend's name, he tells me he forgot it."
"Lying To A Judge. You gave him extra time for that?" It was as much a statement as a question. He found he was barely listening. Distracted. Thinking of Melinda. Looking forward to tonight.
"Sure. Another six months. But that's not the point. Thing was he'd stolen the Tri-D all right, but it actually was this guy's birthday. Guess that's what made him think up the story. 'Many happy returns, creep,' I told him." Elvins paused. "You okay, Broph? You seem like you got something on your mind."
"You know us old farts. Always staring into space, remembering the
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