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  Chapter 3

  Once they were clear of the spaceport, Arnie flew closer and closer to the ground. They raced over huge, rectangular fields, and Harriet could see automated equipment everywhere she looked, tending the crops.

  Now and then the fighter jinked left or right, narrowly avoiding trees, comms towers and small buildings. Each time Arnie swerved, Harriet found herself looking up at branches, or antennae, or even overhanging rooftops, which flashed by at terrific speed.

  "Once we're clear of the city I'll open the engines up," said Alice, her voice loud over the speakers.

  Harriet swallowed nervously, then turned to Birch. Maybe talking would shut out the blurred landscape and the fear of imminent death. "What's Chirless like?" she asked, raising her voice over the noise of the engines. "I've never been to the city, only to the spaceport itself."

  Birth shrugged. "There's not much to say. Chirless is like Dismolle, but on a smaller scale. A bit more provincial, a bit more laid back perhaps, but the people are pretty much the same." As he spoke, Birch's expression softened, and it was clear he was fond of the place.

  "Why did you move to Dismolle? Why not set up a shop in Chirless?"

  "Too many memories," said Birch. "That, plus every retired copper decided to open a shop at the same time. You couldn't turn around without knocking into one of them. Rents went through the roof, and I decided Dismolle was the cheaper option."

  "They closed the Chirless Peace Force station before the Dismolle one, didn't they?"

  Birch nodded. "The younger officers moved to Dismolle. The older ones were put out to pasture."

  "Sorry."

  "I got a payout. It wasn't that bad."

  "You'd rather be serving though, right?"

  "Of course. I always wanted to make Captain, maybe rise to second-in-command at some station or other. I'm sure I could have made a difference."

  Harriet nodded, and she was about to reply when Alice fired up the after-burners, making conversation impossible. Harriet thought they were going fast before, but it had been a leisurely stroll compared to this. The engines howled, pressing her into her padded seat, and she could almost hear windows breaking for miles around as they tore across the landscape.

  Barely ten minutes passed before the engines throttled back, the sudden deceleration pushing Harriet against her harness.

  "Chirless ahead," said Alice. "Should we land at the spaceport?"

  Birch leaned forward. "Can we land close to the shop?"

  "Checking now." Alice examined a display. "Yeah, there's a park round the corner. We can set down there."

  "Make sure you get clearance," advised Harriet.

  "Already on it." Alice tapped her headset. "Arnie, can you get authorisation?"

  "Negative. They're insisting we land at the spaceport."

  "Tell them we're the Peace Force, and it's an emergency."

  "I have done so. They are refusing to permit a landing within the city limits."

  "Fine. Tell them we're landing with or without clearance. And tell them I'll send a team to arrest the lot of them once we're done with the crooks."

  Birch glanced at Harriet. "She's good at throwing her weight around, isn't she?"

  "A little too good," said Harriet.

  "They've granted clearance," said Arnie.

  "Good. Find the park and set down. Oh, you'd better buzz the area first."

  "An excellent suggestion. That will clear any humans from the landing zone."

  Harriet pictured locals running for cover as the fighter jet dived on them, and winced. She'd been hoping for some kind of official reception once the case was solved, reaching out to the sister city with an offer of protection and friendship. Instead, the reception was more likely to be angry locals with pitchforks and placards. The Peace Force hadn't been to Chirless in two decades, and at this rate it'd be another twenty years before they were invited back.

  Still, at least there wasn't a local Peace Force branch to deal with. She'd heard legends of turf wars which would have put real wars to shame, with some commanders treating their officers like private armies.

  They were over the city now, and Harriet caught glimpses of the buildings. There were more apartment buildings than she was used to, high-rises of thirty floors or more. Dismolle was more spread out than Chirless, the dwellings mostly built on large plots of land. Here, it seemed people preferred to live in close proximity.

  The jet swooped between two rows of buildings, turned sharply and flew back over the same area, engines thundering. If there had been anyone down there, thought Harriet, they'd certainly be clear by now. If they hadn't run away, they'd have been blown out of the park by the ship's wash.

  They turned once more, then set down with a gentle bump. Alice was already on her feet before the engines switched off, jogging down the steps to the airlock. Harriet and Birch undid their harnesses and followed.

  Alice hauled open the hatch and pushed the ladder down, using both hands to drive it towards the ground on its runners. Once it was secure she stood back and nodded at Birch. "You go first. This is your city."

  "I doubt they think so," said Birch, but he looked pleased all the same.

  Harriet followed him down, and she stepped off the ladder in the middle of a park. There were big trees at one end, with a fountain and play equipment nearby. Several people had gathered to watch the jet's arrival, and Harriet waved reassuringly. She was tempted to call out 'Take me to your leader', but she pushed the thought away quickly. "Peace Force!" she shouted. "We're on an urgent mission. Sorry for the inconvenience!"

  "That'll shock them," said Birch.

  "What, the Peace Force showing up?"

  "No, the Peace Force being polite. They're more used to ducking our weapons fire."

  "That's okay," said Alice, "At least they know we come in peace."

  Harriet snorted, then turned it into a cough. "Which way, Dave?"

  He glanced around, getting his bearings, then pointed. "Along there. High street's round the corner."

  Alice and Harriet set off at a run, leaving him puffing in their wake.

  "What do you think we'll find?" asked Alice.

  "Nothing, with any luck. Hopefully it's a false alarm, and a wasted trip."

  It wasn't. As they rounded the corner they saw a sleek ambulance with flashing lights, pulled up outside a grocery store. The doors were open, and a couple of paramedics were tending to a figure lying on a stretcher.

  — ♦ —

  Harriet sped up, and as she got closer she saw the elderly man on the stretcher was conscious, although his face was bruised and swollen. As she approached, he saw her uniform and groaned. "Oh, great," he muttered.

  "Peace Force," she said, as one of the paramedics glanced round. "What happened?"

  The woman looked her up and down. "Couple of thugs. Some kind of hold-up."

  "Can I talk to him?"

  "Yes, but not here. I want to get him to the hospital."

  "I keep telling 'em I'm all right," said the man on the stretcher, his voice weak. "Stop making such a fuss. I've had worse than this, believe me."

  At that moment Birch arrived, blowing hard.

  "Oh wonderful," said the man. "Sergeant Birch, as I live and breathe. Are you here to lock me up, copper?"

  "Lefty Rose, you old crook. Been breaking into safes with your face again, I see."

  "What, this? Just a couple of young idiots." Rose took a breath, then coughed. "In my day, I'd have taken 'em both."

  "Sir, I really must get my patient to the hospital. We need to—"

  "Give us a few seconds," said Harriet. "We have to catch these guys before they attack anyone else. Your patient may be our only lead."

  Birch nodded in agreement. "So, Lefty. Was it a hold-up?"

  "Nah, they wanted protection money. A thousand …" Rose coughed again. "A thousand a week to keep the wolf from the door. A thousand! I don't make that in a month!"

  "Got a description?"

  "Mid-
twenties. One of them had dark hair, brown eyes. The other was blond with sunglasses."

  "That's not a lot to go on," said Harriet.

  "Timms the Terror saw 'em. She's the pro, go ask her."

  "Timms the what?" said Harriet in surprise.

  Birch smiled. "He's referring to Captain Timms, the retired officer who called this in. She was a bit of a stickler in her day."

  "Too right," said Rose, with feeling. "She'll have their date of birth and shoe size by now."

  "How many times did she arrest you, Lefty?" asked Birch. "Was it ten or twelve?"

  Rose had a coughing fit and the paramedics, fed up with waiting, wheeled him towards the ambulance.

  "We'll sort this out, Arthur," said Birch, patting him on the shoulder. "These two are good. Really good."

  Rose looked at Harriet and Alice, his face red. "You give those thugs what-for. Make 'em wish they'd never been born."

  "I will," said Alice, and from her expression, she meant it.

  "We'll hit them with the full force of the law," added Harriet.

  "Actually, I was just going to hit them," said Alice. "We'll sort out the law part afterwards."

  Birch smiled. "Just like the old days, eh Lefty? By the way, the feisty one is Trainee Alice, and the sensible one is Harriet."

  "Nice to meet you both," said Rose, and he half-raised his hand just before the paramedics slammed the doors.

  They watched the ambulance drive off, then entered Rose's shop. A couple of people were putting things back on the shelves, and someone had a mop out to clean specks of blood off the floor.

  "Do you work here?" asked Harriet.

  One of the two, a woman, shook her head. "I'm next door. When I heard the ruckus I called the ambulance." She looked at Harriet's uniform. "Peace Force, is it? Thought you abandoned us years ago."

  "We're from Dismolle."

  The woman sniffed. "Well you should have been here sooner. The thugs are long gone now."

  "Did you see them?"

  "No, they drove off in a van. Black, windows all tinted." She looked sour. "Loud music, too. Nasty stuff, all that swearing."

  "They're not exactly keeping a low profile," remarked Harriet.

  "Why should they? Nobody around here can stop them."

  "We'll deal with them, I promise you."

  The woman glanced at each of them in turn. "If you say so."

  "Call us if they come back. We'll be around for a while yet, and we'd like a word with these guys."

  "You and me both," said the woman.

  Chapter 4

  They went back outside, and Harriet eyed the others. "No cameras that I could see. Pity."

  Alice shrugged. "From the sound of it, we won't have much trouble finding these guys. Just follow the noise complaints."

  "Who are they going to complain to?" asked Harriet. "No Peace Force here, remember."

  "There's always the Residents' Association," suggested Birch. "If there's anything happening, they'll know."

  Harriet shuddered. "I've dealt with the Dismolle lot. They're a bunch of nosy, stuck-up busy-bodies."

  "So what are we going to do?" demanded Alice. "Fly around looking for a black van with tinted windows?"

  "No, you heard Rose. He said they were after weekly protection money. That tells us two things. One, they'll be hitting other stores, and two, they're planning on sticking around."

  Birch frowned. "We've got to put a stop to this, and quickly. Send them packing, and spread the word that Chirless is not some happy haven for crooks."

  "Why don't I check a few stores in the area, see if anyone else has been hit?" asked Alice. "Also, if any stores around here have security cameras, I could ask for a copy. We need to ID these guys and find their base so we can round them up."

  "I want to know what we're facing before we go charging in anywhere," said Harriet. "But that's a good idea about canvassing the other shops." Harriet turned to Birch. "You and I should go and see Captain Timms. Do you have a contact for her?"

  "No, but it looks like we don't need one."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Officer?"

  Harriet turned towards the road, where an elderly woman was just getting out of a cab. She was wearing a misshapen black hat and a dark grey overcoat, and had a big handbag under one arm. "I thought I'd find you here," said the woman. "I'm—"

  "Captain Timms!" exclaimed Birch. He stood tall and threw a crisp salute.

  "None of that, lad. I'm retired these past fifteen years." Timms smiled at him, a friendly expression on her face. "How's life treating you, sergeant?"

  "Can't complain, sir." Birch gestured at the shop. "Bad business, this. Thanks for letting us know, I just wish we could have got here sooner."

  "It's not your fault they closed the station down." Timms studied Harriet. "You must be the trainee I've heard about."

  "Heard about from whom?" asked Harriet.

  Timms smiled. "I'm retired, but I still have my sources. They told me Dismolle got their station back up and running. Is it going well?"

  "We don't have any resources, we're understaffed and there's never enough money."

  "Ah, me. That sounds like the old days," said Timms, with a laugh. "And who is this young lady?"

  "I'm Alice, her sister. Trainee Alice, I mean. Sir."

  "You don't have to salute me, dear."

  "Sorry, sir."

  Timms turned to Birch. "Are you using the old station while you're here?"

  "Is it still standing?"

  "Yes, but it's in a sorry state."

  "I'm not sure I want to see the old place."

  "Yes, under the circumstances … well, never mind." Timms addressed Harriet. "Why don't the three of you come to my place? It's not far, and you can use it as a base for your investigation."

  "Are you sure?" said Harriet. "I mean, it's very kind of you, but we don't want to put you out."

  "Don't be silly, dear. I insist." Timms waved down a cab, forestalling any arguments. They all got in, except Alice. "Are you not coming?" asked Timms.

  "I thought I could ask around the other shops. They might have seen something."

  Harriet frowned. "Is that wise?"

  "A few minutes ago you thought it was a stroke of genius."

  "Yeah, but a few minutes ago Dave and I were going to stand here and keep an eye on you."

  "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, I'll call in when I'm done."

  The cab drove off, and Harriet glanced over her shoulder to watch Alice walking towards the row of shops. She felt some misgivings about letting her roam around on her own, but she pushed the thought away. It wasn't like Alice had a gun, and that was just as well. Alice had a hot temper and an itchy trigger finger, and the last thing Harriet wanted was a shoot-out on the streets of Chirless.

  "I'm guessing Alice had a chequered past," said Timms, as the cab pulled away.

  Harriet decided not to pull any punches. Timms was sharp, and there was no point sugar coating the truth. "She was a petty thief when I met her. I caught her lifting someone's wallet and dragged her into the station. Next thing you know she was helping with a case."

  "Sometimes ex-cons make the best coppers." Timms studied her. "Alice said she was your sister. So what did you mean, 'when I met her?'"

  Very sharp, thought Harriet. "I took her in and got someone to update the official records." At that moment the cab turned a corner, and Alice disappeared from sight. Harriet settled back in her seat, and that's when she noticed something: the double-barreled blaster was missing from her jacket pocket.

  — ♦ —

  As she strolled along the high street, Alice kept one hand on the blaster tucked into her pocket. She knew there'd be trouble over the gun, but how was she supposed to arrest the thugs without one? Shout at them, perhaps?

  She walked into the first shop, which sold commsets. Most of the models on display were outdated, and she suspected they made most of their money repairing the devices … or performing illegal upg
rades. There was good money to be made unlocking advanced features on basic handsets, and a little shop like this was just the place to get it done.

  "Shop?" she called, as she reached the deserted counter.

  A woman emerged from the back, middle-aged, with grey hair and dark eyes. She was wearing an apron, and there were flash burns up and down the fabric. "Can I … Oh!" The woman stopped as she saw Alice's uniform, her eyes wide. "Er, we're just closing," she said quickly.

  "Relax, I'm not interested in your business," said Alice. "I'm looking for a couple of heavies. They demanded money from a store owner down the road, then beat him up."

  "How terrible," said the woman. She still looked nervous, but she no longer looked like she was going to run for it.

  "Have they been in? Youngish guys, one blond, one dark-haired."

  "Nothing like that, no. We just repair commsets, and there's not much money in that, I promise you."

  "Yeah, I know what you do." Alice pulled out her commset. "How much to upgrade this one?"

  "I can trade it for a new model. Say three hundred?"

  Alice didn't reply, because at that moment the front door opened. She spun round, her hand going to the weapon inside her jacket. There was a man in the doorway, good-looking, mid-twenties with a mop of red hair. He was alone, and he stopped as he saw Alice's uniform. Then he smiled at her, and walked past to wait his turn at the counter.

  "Can I help this customer first?" the shop owner asked Alice. "He's just here to pick up. Won't take a second."

  "Be my guest."

  The shop owner left, and Alice and the customer stood in silence. After a moment or two, the customer cleared his throat. "My aunt was involved with the Peace Force."

  "That's nice," said Alice.

  "Yeah, it was years ago." The customer tried again. "So, are you guys back in Chirless then?"

  "We are now." Alice glanced at him. He was taller than her, and he was wearing overalls that reminded her of plumbers … or gardeners. "We're over from Dismolle. Big case."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah."

  "What's it about?"

  "I can't discuss an open investigation with a member of the public," said Alice loftily. She'd heard Harriet saying the same thing once, and she'd always wanted to use the phrase herself.