Page 50 of Spark Transform

“Maybe.” Tycall was right about the Ridderth police using any opportunity — legal or not — to smash the crews. Security vids from her labs showed distortion hoods and glimpses of brown like the tunics worn by the Ridderth Police, but it didn’t feel right.

The sloppy Ridrats didn’t care who saw their assault-response units engaging in broadscale urban demolition. In fact, they usually recorded the action themselves and sold the vids to the media. Top-trend stories made them look like they were doing their jobs.

The timing was exquisite. Both her labs had blown orbit-high because they’d been filled with supplies that had been delivered the night before.

Pharmas and their mercenaries specialized in surgical precision, but they also liked their messages clear and unequivocal. No gain in churning someone’s gut with fear if they didn’t know who not to fuck with again.

Gezi turned away from the destruction. “I’ve seen enough. Let’s go.”

Her new temporary office — the relocation made out of prudence — was closer to the edge of her physical territory than she liked. However, it was closer to the med center to which she’d entrusted Khenzan and some of the injured. She’d be seeing all of them again tomorrow.

Tycall synced the hauler with the traffic control system, then watched attentively as they merged smoothly with the rest of the street traffic. Her hands were steady, but she glanced repeatedly at the custom weapons controls, as if assuring herself they were still primed and ready. She cleared her throat. “Want me to start looking for recruits?” Her left shoulder twitched. “I figure we need flash glow for cash flow.”

Gezi thanked the diamond stars that Khenzan and a top sifter had already vetted Tycall, and that the young woman was smart and took her job seriously. Tycall was right about the crew needing to look resilient and healthy, or they’d have long-term cash flow issues.

“Yeah, but get referrals and do double ‘path and sifter screens.” Unlike some other crews, Gezi was happy to use telepaths and sifters to weed out potential trouble. She tapped to activate her percomp. “We’ll be stepping up our other lines of business. No-questions specialist medics don’t come free. Neither do arsenals, if we have to go to war.” It was the last thing she wanted, especially considering how volatile the city had been of late. But letting the attack go unanswered wasn’t an option.

Tycall nodded in agreement. “I’ll keep hunting. Got naaks in a media company or two.” Tycall’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe it was an angle shot, wanting a slice of our construction enforcement or hostile delivery businesses. I’ll increase security for all our ops.”

Gezi nodded. “Check personal revenge, too. Five years back, in case someone is both pissed and patient.” Mentally picturing her balance sheet, she added, “In the meantime, offer bulk-purchase discounts to good customers who pay up front.”

Tycall nodded. “Will you rebuild the labs?”

“We’ll see,” Gezi hedged.

Actually, she probably would. The labs had paid for themselves after only a few weeks of production, and she still had the formulas. This time, she’d spread out the manufacturing line to make it harder to find and more costly to destroy. Cheap and abandoned buildings littered Ridderth’s sprawling metropolis. And thanks to the raids, more had just come onto the market.

Besides being a good business, making minder-drug reverses was a public service. She was all about giving the public what they wanted. For a price, of course.

Chapter 18

Planet: Mabingion • GDAT 3242.212

Josh DeGuilian rolled out of bed and stumbled to the window. Sweat rapidly chilled his skin.

Tonight’s dream fragments had him running down a thickly forested mountainside, pursued by a crash of hunters and a baying of genetically engineered tracking dogs known as hellhounds. He couldn’t tell if it was a real memory from one of the personality constructs in his head or an invented image from his own fractured mind.

“Water?” Soleil’s voice came from the doorway as she padded in on bare feet, carrying a full glass. The moonlight highlighted her naked form.

“Thanks.” He took the glass. “Sorry I woke you again.”

Concern etched her face. “You need a break.”

The selfish parts of him wanted to escape with her to some frontier planet, but the rest of him knew trouble would follow. “There’s too much to do. The hounds are on our trail.”

Her expression became more calculating. “How close?”

He shouldn’t have said anything. Jumpers didn’t do nuanced risk evaluation. Soleil was better than most, but she was still a Jumper. Problems — such as rescuing Brenner’s friend Haseem — were for handling now, not waiting in the shadows for the most effective shot.

“The CPS has finally come up with an effective counter to the first version of the data hydraworm.” He searched for concepts she’d follow, or she’d zone out. “We’re still ahead, but their specialists are getting better at, er, shield generation and flux-trail tracing.”

She smiled briefly. “Thank you for using terms I understand.” Her smile faded. “Probably patterning your attack vectors, too.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “We need to finalize our exit plan to move on. So does Tuzan.”

Josh looked out at the sodden, sullen city. “He won’t talk about it.” He turned to catch her eye. “Will you leave your school? The kids? Haseem? The Jumpers?”

A frown settled on her face. “No easy answers, are there?” She cupped the side of his face gently. “But I would never leave without you.”

She’d unearthed his hidden fear and, in Jumper fashion, dealt with it directly. He caught her hand with his and pulled her close. “I love you.”