Justice Incarnate (16 page)

Chapter Nine

Time Stamp: 1888

Another brutal murder has interrupted the normal chaos of the East End. The papers and police appear unable or unwilling to apprehend the vicious killer. As a spinster of questionable acquaintance, I will hardly be believed, though I've tried to point them in the right direction with my letters.

It seems once more, I must be the final authority. The escape routes for those less fortunate in the East End are firmly established and will carry on if the demon's minions continue to work without him. I pray that will not be the case and that by taking off the head, the whole beast will die away.

For now, I must formulate my plan to bring and end to his reign of terror. Again.

–
From the diary of Gabriella Stamford

Chicago: 2096

Jaden sat across the table from Lorine, a twenty-something 'runaway' trying to save up for a move to a quiet suburb with decent schools for her toddler son. The boy was a book-loving three-year-old with big brown eyes and chubby cheeks. His blond hair was whisper soft and he showed a gift for charming ladies already. Having never achieved motherhood, children intrigued Jaden.

"Do you take him to work with you?"

"No. Micky's set-up is fine."

Jaden made a note to find out about Micky's childcare 'set-up' when she returned. "I'd like to follow you today. On your route, around work."

Lorine's eyes narrowed. "Am I bait?"

"Not anymore than the rest of us. I'm just checking the route looking for the most likely ambush sites. When we know how they're thinking we can take better measures."

"They're thinking we're fun to k-i-l-l."

"Then it's time for a change," Jaden countered with a smile for the boy. "He's wonderful. Very smart."

"He gets smart from me." Motherly pride lit her eyes. "I'm not gonna let him turn into his daddy," Lorine vowed. "However God made his DNA, that's how it'll stay."

"The juicing for war was supposed to be temporary."

"Leave anything to Health Chairman Kristoff and you're gonna have side effects. Guar-an-teed."

"Not a Leo Kristoff fan?" Jaden tested.

"Hell no." She bit her lip and shot a furtive glance to be sure her word choice had flown over her son's head. "But you can't pick your relatives."

"Excuse me?"

"Leo's my mom's oldest brother. He's been an a-s-s since the cradle, according to the family."

"Hey Lorine!" Another young woman with a child in tow approached them. "Can Zach walk to school with us?"

Zach was slipping out of his seat already.

"Hold up a minute, buster," Lorine said, tapping her cheek.

The little mirror of his mom lunged for her with a hug and smacking kiss. "I love you," she whispered into his ear, then called a cheery, "Have fun," for the rest of the world to hear. Jaden wanted to think if any of her lives had been different she could have been a mom as in tune as Lorine.

The women cleared the table and carried the dishes to the kitchen window. "So why'd you run away?" Jaden asked when the chatter of the dining hall was behind them.

"It beat the alternatives."

Jaden respected the non-answer. "So what do you do for Denny's Dairy?"

"I monitor the robotics. Make sure they don't screw up and put more than one slice of cheese in each wrapper. Stuff like that. Can't have the masses tempted into overindulgence."

"Heaven forbid."

"It's not brain surgery, but the pay's good."

Jaden thought she knew the answer, but asked the expected question anyway. "So why start smuggling?"

"Two reasons. It gets Zach into fresh air and better schools faster. And," she winked, "it's pure bonus to undo my uncle's attempts to control society."

Pretty sharp for twenty-ish, Jaden thought, smiling.

"Should I assume I'm next, since you're so interested in me?"

Maybe too sharp. But Jaden feigned nonchalance. "I considered tailing you covertly. Now I'm glad I didn't."

"Why?"

"Because you'd realize you were being followed. That could've been bad news for both of us."

They stepped out into a bright spring morning complete with balmy sunshine and clear skies. A day that could only be better outside of the city. The wide variety of fruit and flower vendors teased her nose and for the first time in ages, Jaden could've been talked into taking a day off.

But as they approached the el platform, her good mood went sour. The monstrosity above cast oppressive shadows on the street and her spirit. She'd swear she could feel the coffee she'd called breakfast eating a hole through her stomach. Maybe conversation would make the trip more tolerable.

"So what's with Zach's dad?"

"For starters he resembles my uncle." Both women laughed as they passed through what Jaden had once known as turnstiles. Now it was a narrow plastic arch armed with a laser eye. She didn't trust those much more than the actual train. She silently and forcibly chanted a reminder that technology was her friend.

"You don't look like a technophobe."

"What?"

They pushed their way toward a free space near the middle of the train full of commuters.

"You just seem pretty into modern e-life."

"I've got nothing against technology. It's a beautiful tool."

Lorine stared her down, an extraordinary feat.

"Fine, I confess. I hate this elevated train crap."

"Gotcha."

Jaden searched for a way to get back on topic. "So where's your drop?"

"I've already made one. The next is on the job."

Having completely missed it, Jaden replayed the past few minutes. "Oh, the brush at the scanning checkpoint. Very smooth."

Lorine smiled. "I've done all right. Micky's a good teacher. So are you."

"Thanks."

"I hold the practice take-down record on my floor. Mine's the next stop," Lorine said, through the current jostling exchange of people.

Jaden did her best to keep the relief hidden and knew she failed when Lorine grew too interested in the blurred scenery. She wanted to dance with joy when her feet touched solid ground, but the moment was marred by the man shadowing them.

"Keep moving," she said to Lorine. "Don't turn back or slow down for any reason."

"Gotcha. You can take him, Ms. Michaels."

The girl was full of surprises. "If you ever tire of supervising machines, come see me."

Jaden moved closer, and pretended to take something from Lorine. Then she turned into the next alley and waited for the shadow to make his move. Was he after the woman or the product? Either way, he was damned slow about it.

At last, he slunk by the alley and Jaden knew he'd been sent for Lorine. Rather than let him take her and follow, Jaden opted to intervene before he could lay a hand on the bright young mother.

Later she'd take time to evaluate if she was turning soft.

Unable to help himself, Brian strolled through the caffeine packing room, under the guise of looking for Jaden. His daylong searches into Kristoff, Albertson and Ms. Michaels herself had been more than informative. He wanted to discuss his findings with her, but she'd gone missing in action.

Around him grinders spun, infusing the air with the unmatched scent of fresh, pure coffee. How could anyone consider this a crime? His years as a cop had him evaluating the working women. They looked happy enough, chatting amidst the noise of grinding, measuring and sealing for tomorrow's deliveries. They were all in better condition than the occupants of any brothel or sweatshop he'd busted.

How did Micky maintain such a tough street rep with clean, content women running his routes?

"Bull--" The rest of the incredulous voice was lost under the louder grinding. Brian tried to lip read, in vain. "It's an act," burst forth when the grinder stopped.

"It's not. But catch this. When I tell her I saw the tail on us, she offers me a job!"

"Get real, Lorine. If it pays enough, I'll see things too."

"I wasn't seeing things. She acted like she took a drop off me, and then disappeared."

"You been reading too many fairy tales to that boy of yours."

Brian decided the women were discussing the 'legendary' Jaden. He switched gears from slow to snail's pace to pick up the details.

"Sherlock Holmes is not a fairy tale. My point is I peeked."

"Huh?"

"She told me not to, but I did. I looked back. She was whaling on him big time. I was almost late to work."

"That's her job ain't it?"

More grinding, though lips continued to move.

"An elbow to his jaw and he went down. Just like she showed us."

"So I'll pay more attention next time."

"Then she shot him."

Brian gave up the casual eavesdropping. "Who did Jaden shoot?" And how'd she get a gun? He'd searched her stuff and discovered her penchant for knives. And Micky wasn't stupid enough to stash guns in the guest suite.

The younger woman blinked up at him. He could practically see the scales as she weighed the risk of talking with him. "I don't know his name."

"Description?"

"Short, bulky, bald. Really beat up fake-leather jacket and faded jeans."

"Walking or driving?"

"Walking. Followed us off the train."

"The elevated train?"

"There's another kind?"

Brian shook off surprise and came back to the point. "Jaden thought he was a threat to you or the product?"

"Don't know." The girl shrugged. "She faked an exchange then–"

"Fell back to find out," he finished for her. Standard procedure. "And her conclusion?"

"I hope she'll tell me when she gets back."

Brian waved the other woman away and took the place beside Lorine. "She didn't meet you at your day job? She didn't escort you back here?"

The girl shook her head and was offering to organize search parties when her name clicked in Brian's memory. "Lorine, right? Lost niece of health chairman, Kristoff."

Her chin came up. "Not so lost." She resumed grinding in a clear dismissal.

"No. You escaped the family biz with a wild fling."

"Anyone can read a file."

"True. But only you can fill in the details."

"If I don't, you'll report me found?"

"No." The last thing he wanted was Kristoff raiding Micky's place. Caffeine-deprived citizens would riot in the streets. Hell, he'd gladly lead them. He applied his most charming, good cop smile. "I'm too selfish to turn the good stuff over to your uncle."

Her face softened and her fingers toyed with a stray coffee bean. "I wanted choices. I thought Zach's dad did too, but as a medic he turned out to be as bad as Leo when it came to juicing. I'm not sure they weren't in it from the beginning." Her eyes flashed as motherly instinct barreled through any lingering grief. "I won't let my son become a freak of nature. Juicing's not like immunizing against disease. Every study shows it consistently backfires."

Brian stopped her tirade with a raised finger. "Every study?" If she could prove it, they were talking a whole new level of government fraud. And a whole lot of motive to support Jaden's theory.

"Every true, double-blind study, yes."

"You know this how?"

"The family biz, as you put it." She stuck out her hand as if they'd just met. "Lorine Sheraton, graduate, magna cum laude, Harvard Medical School." She grinned. "Harvard because of dear Uncle Leo. Magna cum laude because I'm a perfectionist."

"You're the prodigy."

"I'm a natural phenomenon." Her cheeks burned. "I double checked my DNA on my own when I was thirteen. I refused to use any genetic fabrication to my personal advantage."

"I meant no offense. Does Micky know?"

"Should he? It doesn't affect my work here."

"It will."

Lorine jumped to her feet. "It will not!"

Brian yanked her back down before she could cause a scene. He dumped beans into the grinder and punched the button for cover noise. "Shut up and listen. I'd guess you're smuggling to save up for another move. This time completely out of reach." He took her widened eyes as confirmation. "A few days working for me and your funding will be complete."

"You don't know how much I need."

"Doesn't matter. I can get the money. Hell, I'll help you move. You in?"

"What's the job?"

"Strictly in-house stuff. No physical risk. What's your answer?"

"I'm in."

Brian kissed her coffee-scented hands. "I'll clear it with Micky." Hot damn, his own personal medical expert! With the expected results, he could press charges. And with the connections he'd found today, he could force Albertson to give up his seat on the bench.