Secrets and Lies Part VIII
04 Jul 2017Jellicoe
The smuggler looked across at the man she was sharing the car with, she was impressed and at the same time rather alarmed. She was used to hard men, that came with the job but a man who could kill without hesitation, with no apparent remorse and with no diminution of his focus, that was rare indeed and to be sat within a few feet of such a man was an uncomfortable feeling, the knowledge that she might now easily be considered an accessory to murder was also something that troubled her."How do you plan to get me past starport security?" The man asked matter of factly.
"There's a temperature controlled compartment in the boot." She replied trying to keep her voice calm and level. "It won't trip the heat body heat sensors and keeps you off the camera network. This isn't the first time I've smuggled people."
"They'll be looking for the car after what happened in the pub." The man said with chilling calm.
"We'll be there in minutes, they won't have time." She replied a little to quickly to maintain her pretence of cool indifference. The man nodded, removing the augmentations from his face and body and removing the chip from his hair, changing before her eyes from an obese, grey haired man of around a hundred into a broad but lean blonde man in early middle age.
"Your accent is familiar, Jitabos?" He asked.
Aeduci." She replied. "Now get in he hide."
"There's a coincidence." He said with a thoughtful look before climbing through the panel which had opened behind him.
Detective Chief Superintendent Jannine Slaney looked up as George Owen burst into her office.
"We've got a fix on him Guv. He's in a car heading for the starport, the driver's a suspected smuggler with a ship berthed there."
"Where's this from?" Slaney replied rising and grabbing her coat.
"Call from Ray Quinn, a man shot his way out of Quinn's pub. He was heavily disguised but the right height and packing the same weapon we know this Jellicoe's got."
"Let's go then." She reached into her draw for her own pistol. "Are you carrying?" George nodded and moved his jacket aside to show his own gun. "Tell armed response to meet us at this womans hangar and make damned sure she doesn't get launch clearance."
The car carrying Slaney and Owen sped toward the port, the tension was palpable Slaney bouncing her fist on the armrest while George Owen constantly monitored the coms feed, frowning deeply as they hurtled on.
"Armed response will be late Guv. Terrorist incident in Trentham."
"Terrorist?" Slaney queried, terrorism was all but unknown in Alioth.
"That's what it says."
"Then we go in ourselves." Slaney said gritting her teeth. "I'm not letting this bastard slip through our fingers again." George nodded, he knew better than to question his boss when she was in this mood, but this man was armed and apparently very dangerous.
The hangar was quiet considering the circumstances, and ageing, nondescript Cobra Mk III took up the bulk of the space going through early pre launch checks while auto-mechs carried the last few cargo pods into the ships hold. A tall man with an unkempt mop of blonde hair stood with his back to the entrance looking up into the hold when the two police officers entered.
"Don't move." George Owen shouted, drawing his gun and levelling it at the man. "This is the police, keep your hands where I can see them. Now turn round, slowly."
"Stannis Jellicoe I'm arresting you on suspicion of espionage, assault and murder." Slaney said triumphantly. "You have the right to remain silent but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court."
"It's alright officer I know my rights, and I very much doubt I shall be accorded them." The man drawled languidly.
"This is the Alliance Mr Jellicoe." Slaney answered with a flash of anger. "Everybody has basic rights, even spies and terrorists."
The man gave in irritating half smile and raised a single eyebrow. "I don't expect you to believe me." The man replied, his cut glass old Earth accent all but setting Slaney's teeth on edge. "But I'm not a spy, and while there are certainly those in the Empire who would call me a terrorist I have committed no crimes in Alliance territory."
"You're right I don't believe you." Slaney's voice oozed scorn. "But you can see if a jury does."
"There is no chance that I will ever be allowed anywhere near a courtroom officer. If I go with you now I will never be seen again once AIS get their hands on me."
"I've heard enough bullshit off you. Move." Slaney gestured with her gun."
"I think not officer." The man said with another half smile.
"Drop your guns. Now." Said a deep, musical voice from behind the two cops accompanied by the clicks of two safety catches being flicked off. Two pistols hit the ground. "Now put your hands on your heads." The two police officers did as they were told and two figures moved round them to join the blonde man, each with a military grade assault rifle pointing at them. One was a slender, deeply tanned blonde woman the second a turbaned giant of a man, his dark, bearded face was grave but his bright eyes twinkled as if with suppressed amusement.
"As I said, I am neither spy nor criminal." The tall man said. "As soon as we leave you will be free to go."
"You're going nowhere." Slaney spat. "I gave orders you weren't to be given launch permission, if you try to take off you'll be shot down within seconds."
The tall man looked slightly surprised. "Then I'm afraid your instruction mustn't have got through officer, we just received our final launch clearance, unless of course you have been played as well by someone."
Half an hour later Wilber Bernard took a holo call in his office at Serabrov Terminal.
"Alright Vik? You got him then?" Wilbur asked hiding his concern with amusement.
"We've got him." The turbaned giant confirmed with a smile.
"Top banana." Wilber replied grinning. "What did you tell him?"
"What we agreed." Vik said matching Wilber's grin. "That it was our idea and Claude tracked him down."
"Good, it's not far from the truth and it's only piss him off if he thought I was looking out for him."
Vik laughed. "Do you want me to pay the smuggler girl for the car?"
"No!" Wilber guffawed. "Let that tight bastard Jell pay!"