Drop Zone Read online

  “Meal’s on me. Come on, let’s go.”

  As they were leaving, Lee asked, “What is a sticky wicket?”

  Norm chuckled. “I have no idea, kid. My grandfather got the saying from his dad. Means you’re in a precarious situation. Have no idea how long it tracks back. I just like the sound of it.”

  “It is pretty funny,” Lee agreed.

  Once they were out on the landing pad, Mina held off on hailing a drone. They still hadn’t covered where they were taking Norm. The neighborhood around here had a lot of trees and an actual sidewalk that was free of any pedestrian traffic, foot or jetty. “Do you know if there’s another public landing place around here?”

  “Yeah. There’s one a few blocks up to the north.” Norm gestured in front of them.

  “Are you okay to walk?” Mina questioned.

  Norm answered hotly, “Of course I am!”

  Mina quirked a brow. “As we just covered in there”—she jabbed a thumb toward Mary Lou’s—“you just went through major torture. It’s okay if you’re a little sore.”

  “I’m fine to walk.”

  “Okay, let’s go, then.”

  Lee leaned over to whisper to Mina, “Why are we walking?”

  “Because we need time with Mr. Stubborn here to get him to go where we want. I’m not up for arguing about it in the craft only to not come up with a suitable destination.”

  “Makes sense,” Lee mused.

  They were all quiet for a few moments, enjoying the scenery. A nice break from the storyline Norm had laid out inside. They were technically within city limits, but this area was less crowded. Mostly because it was interspersed with manufacturing meccas.

  The trees were a bonus. If Mina remembered correctly, her mother had told her large protests had taken place when the powers that be had decided to place manufacturing meccas within city limits. The industry had won that one, but this area wasn’t a full mecca, just a handful of buildings.

  Mina was glad that they’d kept the greenery.

  Someone buzzed across the intersection in front of them, four meters up, on a jetty.

  She glanced up, watching the drones pass by in their appropriate altitude lanes based on which direction they were headed. She wondered what the world would’ve felt like long ago when there were very few things in the air. More congestion at ground level, but maybe it’d been quieter? The air was constantly full of traffic now. She didn’t know how loud old-fashioned vehicles had been, but maybe it’d been similar? She’d watched old vids, but it was hard to gauge the noise level.

  “You can save your breath. I know why you’re doing this,” Norm began, gathering Mina’s attention back to the task at hand. “I’m not going to any safe house. I’m fine on my own. Before this, my specialty was evasion. I plan to pick up where I left off. I can keep myself safe.”

  “Nobody’s questioning your past. You’re excellent at your job. But this is different,” Mina said. “As you already stated for the record, if you’d survived your incredibly stupid decision to get an implant, you would’ve gone into witness protection, because, and I quote, ‘the Syndicate doesn’t forget, ever.’ I need you in a place where I know you’re protected. I don’t want to exhaust any energy on worrying about your safety. That would be counterproductive. Once they discover you’re not in that residence, they’re going to be in full pursuit. They’ll be wary about your testimony. And rightly so. While you’re lying low, we’re”—she gestured between her and Lee—“going to come up with a plan to put Waterbury back in a box.”

  “If you enact any plan, it’s gonna place you and everybody else in the crosshairs of the Syndicate,” Norm argued. “You should just let me handle it my way. It’s between him and me anyway.”

  “Like hell it is,” Mina countered. “We’re all in this now. I told you, Vincent Kramer took lead. When the Syndicate and Waterbury find out you escaped, which will likely be by the end of the day, and if their cleanup team is as meticulous as we think it is, they will pick up Vince’s DNA somewhere in that residence. He’s going to be a beacon for them. We can’t let that happen. My way is going to involve getting Waterbury to bring down his bosses with an injection of Babble. Then we get names, dates, deaths, who he gets his orders from, everything. Once we have all that, it will trigger a cascade of warrants, and the Syndicate will be too busy trying to bail themselves out of burning-hot lava to focus on revenge. If we do this right, they won’t be able to trace it back to just one person. Their organization will be like a satellite burning up on reentry, and it will take everything they have to try to recover the losses.”

  “That might prove true in the beginning,” Norm grudgingly agreed. “But when everything stops smoldering, you’re going to bet your backside they’re going to figure out who ignited that switch.”

  “They’re going to blame it on Waterbury.” That was Mina’s hope. That’s what they were going to plan on. “For what he did to you. It will be his own greedy revenge, and his confession, that sinks the Syndicate.”

  Norm’s eyebrows rose. “You think so, huh?”

  “I do. If we do this exactly right. But it’s not going to happen”—Mina stopped walking and pivoted toward the ex-marshal, hands on her hips—“until you’re installed in a safe house. You owe me. That’s all there is to it.”

  “How do you figure?” Norm said. “I know you saved my life, but that—”

  “Pormal.” Mina let the word stand on its own.

  Norm didn’t even try to refute it. “I can explain.”

  “Agents don’t lie to each other, ever,” Mina stressed. “I asked you to your face if you knew who Quaz was, and you said no. You led us to Pormal with an agenda. Not only was Waterbury out and possibly on the prowl, your objective was to keep Harri safe, not to ensnare us in a complicated op. Did you know we’d pick up the Petra Pebbles case?” Mina had been wondering that for a while.

  “Of course not!” Norm managed to sound offended. “I don’t have psychic abilities.”

  “No, but you’re well connected,” Mina countered. “By the time we met you at Biters, she could’ve already requested a case be opened. Information could’ve been shot to your cuff.”

  Norm sputtered for a few seconds. “If I’d known that, then I would’ve known about the Nesbits and their connection to her. I can assure you I did not know any of it.”

  “Then what was your angle?” Mina frowned.

  It was hard not to be upset. She felt betrayed that Norm hadn’t confided in her, that he hadn’t told her why she’d been summoned to Pormal and about Waterbury. If he’d been honest, they likely wouldn’t be standing here right now. And the Syndicate wouldn’t be about to discover that Vincent Kramer had witnessed highly illegal actions by one of their fixers.

  “I didn’t have an angle.” Norm’s shoulders hunched, his defeat showing. “I just…I just figured that if I told you up front about these people and that they were asking for help to keep the outskirts back, you would have given them the standard line about not being able to do anything. I wanted you to see firsthand, hear it coming from their mouths. I didn’t want to taint it with anything you gathered from me.”

  Mina shook her head. “That’s not how we do things, Norm.” She could also go on about the fact that it meant he really didn’t know her. She chose not to.

  “I know. I should’ve told you everything up front.” He ran a hand over his face. “I’m slipping. I really am.”

  She wasn’t about to let this turn into a pity party. “To make things right, between you and me”—she swung her hand between them—“you’re going to do what I say on this op. From beginning to end. No questions asked. No pushback. And after we’re done, we’ll see where we stand.”

  “I can’t—”

  “This isn’t a negotiation,” Mina cut in. “If you don’t agree, we part ways right here.” A challenge. One she was
n’t sure he would take. Lee uttered a small squeak. “You owe it to me to make things right. I want you involved in bringing down Waterbury. And the priority is to do it in a way that doesn’t put any of us at risk. It’s going to take a second to figure it out. During that second, I want you somewhere safe.” She glanced at her cuff. “It’s ten thirty. If I have my way, Waterbury doesn’t get out for another seven hours. We have time. I need to go over everything with Lee.” Mina would also like to consult with Vince, if he was around. “If you don’t want to make this right, then you’re out completely. No second chances. This is it, Norm. Make up your mind.”

  They held gazes for a couple of moments.

  “Fine,” Norm said. “We do it your way. I guess I owe you that much.”

  “Yes. You do.”

  Chapter 6

  “Using Mr. Raphael’s residence as a base to figure out the plan makes the most sense. That way, we can be near Waterbury’s residence,” Mina told her director through the drone’s aural comm. “Then, if we need to make a quick arrest, or we witness anything suspicious, we can act quickly. Did you get a chance to go over Norm’s account of his time with Waterbury?”

  Mina had sent her boss the veribox report Norm had given at Mary Lou’s approximately twelve minutes ago.

  “I have,” McAllister said. “I’m not through all of it, but he details his investigation thoroughly. However, we will need more if we want the charges to stick and want to secure the use of Babble. His testimony is not enough without solid, irrefutable proof.”

  “It would’ve been much easier had Waterbury been sloppier,” Mina lamented.

  “I can’t say I’m surprised you got Webb to go underground. If anyone could have convinced him, it was you,” McAllister said. “Well done.”

  “I’m not sure if it counts as underground, since he’s residing, for the time being, in a residence a hundred stories up. But he insists the Syndicate won’t look for him there.” Mina held off on the gripe, as she did believe Norm would be safe for the time being, even if the location wasn’t her first or second choice. “He told us the unit was set up by an acquaintance with no ties to the government, under the name of someone who’s been deceased for more than a decade. It’s the only place he agreed to go. We checked it out, and it seems solid. The high-rise has decent security, and the scanners and locks on the inside have been upgraded. Norm knows what to look for as far as breaches. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving him there for more than a week, but a few days should hold. The residence is also equipped with several lasers and a blaster.”

  “It sounds more than adequate. We can’t forget that Webb is an experienced law enforcement official with more than thirty years in the field. As far as the pending Waterbury case, I will authorize the use of Mr. Raphael’s residence for now. Official word has not yet come down from the committee on whether they will designate this as a case, nor is there any new information on the so-called audit you participated in yesterday.” Mina could hear his frustration. It was shared. “But after listening to Norman Webb’s firsthand account of his torture and pursuit of Wilbert Waterbury, and the years he put into securing an arrest, I’m fairly certain we will garner the necessary approval shortly. We have an obligation to see this through. I don’t need to consult a governmental doctor of psychology, as it’s clear that Mr. Waterbury, if left to his own devices, will continue to kill, either as a job or because he enjoys it, likely both. It is our priority as sworn servants of this country to protect all people from harm. This demands a response. One we will answer.”

  Mina was overjoyed by this news.

  “I heartily concur,” she said. “I’m certain Lee and I can formulate a plan to bring him in.”

  “Report back with any updates,” McAllister ordered. “I’ll be in contact if things change. After Agent Poston and Harmony Biggins are done with their task, they will be over to rendezvous with you shortly. This case will likely require more help.”

  He didn’t name Vincent Kramer, but his use of others implied Vince’s inclusion.

  “I will reach out to Colonel Kramer,” Mina said. “I’m certain he’ll want to be a part of this, if he’s not otherwise engaged. Before heading to Mr. Raphael’s, Lee and I need to make quick stops at our residences to pick up our compucases and other tech.”

  “Harmony set up streaming surveillance of the Meridian and has been monitoring,” Lee added. “She also set alerts so if anyone pops up on Waterbury’s floor, she gets a ping. So far, it’s been mostly quiet. Just a few residents coming and going.”

  “We’ll contact you when we have anything new to share,” Mina said. “Or in the next hour, whichever comes first.”

  “I’ll be waiting. Good luck.” McAllister clicked off.

  Mina sat back in her seat, satisfied that they were going to be allowed to go after Waterbury and place him back in a box, like he deserved. McAllister had a lot of authority to call a case himself. But with something as big as going after the Syndicate, getting a ruling from the committee was protocol. If he had to, McAllister could go to the courts instead of waiting for the committee’s final judgment. If a magistrate approved, it would hold up. Mina was pretty sure there wouldn’t be any trouble there.

  She addressed Lee. “Once you get back to your residence, grab your compucase and anything else you think we might need and meet me at Mr. Raphael’s. We’re cleared to use the hub and tubes and will have DNA-swipe access to his residence.”

  Lee looked lost in thought. “I’ve been thinking about all the ways we can nab Waterbury and make it stick. But one thing you said today stuck with me. You mentioned a satellite burning up on reentry.” He blinked at her. “We might actually be able to do that.”

  Mina’s eyebrows lofted up to her hairline. “That was a euphemism to describe the Syndicate watching their corruption burn up in front of them at the hands of the law.”

  “I know. But it might actually be our best bet to bring Waterbury to justice. If we need what’s on that satellite, the easiest thing to do would be to bring it back down to Earth so we can physically access what’s on the data core.”

  She tried not to act overly incredulous. That plan had so many potential complications she didn’t even know where to start. “Hm. That would be a mighty large task,” she settled on.

  Lee nodded eagerly, remaining undeterred. “It would. But if we succeed, we’d have everything we need to wrap up this case and possibly gather even more evidence against the Syndicate. It would be about getting into the drop zone and retrieving the data before the mob does. That’s it, really. Satellites fail from time to time and fall back to Earth, usually from a collision or strike by a micrometeorite. Because of that, all the technology and software are embedded in a meter-thick graphene, heat-treated ball called the stable heart to make sure it survives reentry. Not everyone stores data in space, but I can almost guarantee that the Syndicate does. By doing so, they would consider it to be impervious to any physical threat. Just another practical safeguard when your main objective is to engage in criminal activity. Once the satellite flames through reentry, and nothing is left but the stable heart, fiber glides pop out with these cool steel wings. They arc up like this.” He brought his arms up around his head. “They slow the propulsion way down, allowing for a semisoft landing. When the glides are enacted, so is a location transmitter. If we can get to the drop zone first, we’ll have Norm’s torture evidence and more. Maybe we’ll even find something that would implicate Travis Blade, since he owns the satellite. If we can prove Waterbury’s torture of Norm beyond any doubt with the vid currently stored up there, Waterbury would definitely get Babble, and everything would work in our favor.”

  Mina was impressed with her partner’s line of thinking. It was clear he was no longer a rookie.

  “Your idea has merit.” Mina considered. “But honestly, I can’t imagine we would get clearance to do such a thing.” It seemed drastic
. Mina had never heard of another agent getting permission to do anything remotely close to knocking a satellite out of the sky. “It makes my brain ache contemplating everything that plan would entail. Let’s keep pondering. We’re almost to your residence. If you can come up with a way to enact your idea cleanly”—maybe cleanly was the wrong word, but she didn’t have a better one—“I’ll think of a way to sell it to McAllister. We’ll discuss it more once we’re at Mr. Raphael’s.”

  “Got it,” Lee replied enthusiastically, nodding. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of something like this. It would be beyond cool to recover something from space. I’ve watched a couple vids about people who’ve done it successfully. A documentary and a regular action vid. The doc was about retrieving files that were no longer beaming back to Earth because of a system failure, but contained some sort of data that was being shared between countries to cure a rare genetic disease. They received permission from the Swiss Republic to take it down. It was pretty incredible. After they rammed it with a one-man rocket they sent up, the stable heart fell back to Earth in one piece, and they were able to use the information to make a cure. The other vid was about space bandits trying to infiltrate a satellite that was filled with currency.” He chuckled. “They commandeered another satellite to do the job. But the bottom line is you need something to knock the satellite out of its orbit. The rest kind of falls together. Literally.”

  “Yeah.” Mina chuckled. “It sounds super easy. Just knock a satellite out of the sky. No problem.”

  Lee shrugged. “There’s so much up there these days, it shouldn’t be too hard. Things collide almost on a daily basis. Everything floating in space is insured by Orbital Law to cover losses in the event of what they deem a ‘space catastrophe,’ which is just basically a collision of some kind with a micrometeorite or something larger. The insurance is also necessary for anyone on Earth who’s injured or killed by falling debris. Some of those stable hearts can weigh up to a ton.”