Steel Rain (23 page)

"I am the way and the light," Yoi intones.

"Yes . . ." Poppy whispers. "The way . . ."

On the astral, a new lattice of mana forms, interpenetrating the higher functions of mind. Yoi's ally provides the mana. Yoi guides it precisely into proper form and position. "Certain questions must be answered," Yoi intones. "You will answer truthfully."

"Yes . . ." Poppy whispers.

"Where is Gamma?"

"Cannot tell . . ."

"Where are the members of White Octagon?"

"Cannot. . . cannot tell..."

Another
spell
, Yoi's ally informs.

Yes, obviously. He gazes onto the astral and soon detects it, another spell woven cunningly into the woman's aura. Easily missed. A spell of influence. Perhaps this prevents the woman from telling what she knows. Yoi pauses to take more tea, to breathe the pleasant aroma of incense, then begins examining this spell, undermining it, dispelling it.

"Answer truthfully. Where is Gamma?"

"Don't... I don't. . . don't know . . ."

Is this possible?

Poppy's aura waxes blue with uncertainty and wavers with confusion. Yoi prepares his most invasive tool, a spell he must wield like a scalpel, his probe into the inner convolutions of mind. He extends his hand over Poppy's head. The mana coils around his fingers and descends from the tip of his index finger like the focused beam of a laser. The power of the spell is sufficiently great that Yoi feels the strain of keeping it focused. Yet, the woman's surface thoughts come to him clearly, a voice echoing across the etheric.

I
don't
know
,
I
don't
know
,
I
don't
. . . Poppy thinks.
Where
is
Gamma
. . .
?
Where
IS
he
. . .
?
Where
. . .
?
WHERE
. . .
?

The
question
,
Master
, says Yoi's ally.

Of course. The question asks what the woman does not know. Sloppy, very sloppy. "In what place did you last meet with Gamma?"

"What place . . . ?" Poppy murmurs.

More uncertainty, more confusion. Yoi probes deeper. He glimpses bits of mind-pictures, dark images, dark buildings with weathered faces, gloomy interiors. Poppy gives up these images without resistance. She knows the place where she last met with Gamma, but does not know where this place may be found.

She rode there in a vehicle, a van. She spent much time talking and little paying heed to landmarks.

Unfamiliar territory.

Tracing the route through her mind will be difficult and very costly in time and energy.

"Where might the members of White Octagon be found?"

"Queens . . ." Poppy murmurs. "Most in Queens . . . dosses in Queens ... a loft in the Bronx . . . some bars . . . restaurants . . ."

She yields names and addresses.

24

The sweep begins at three p.m. Teams of Honjowara-
gumi
and Yoshida
-kai
kobun
, led by Machiko, Ryokai, Gongoro, and several others fan out across Brooklyn and Queens. They hunt the membership of White Octagon.

By seven p.m. they have rendezvoused at a Honjowara-
gumi
warehouse in Jamaica, Queens. Only Gongoro's team returns without prisoners. Several members of his team are wounded. Gongoro himself appears smeared with soot. "The punk was chromed!" he growls. "He gave fire, then took a hit and his skullbomb detonated!"

"Where is the body?" Machiko asks.

Gongoro waves a hand and walks off.

Kobun
drive a Toyota Tornado into the loading bay at the end of the warehouse and open the trunk. Machiko surveys the corpse lying there on a dark stained tarp. It is the body of a male norm, a Caucasian, outfitted with as much apparent cybernetics as Jank and the other assassins. This one. though, bears the tattoo of an octagon at his left temple, the words "Alamos 20K" in bold letters across his chest, and, on his right upper arm, the catch-phrase, "
Reach
out
and
snuff
somebody
..."

Machiko wonders if this is the last of the five assassins who attacked Sukayo-san and her and the other GSG. If so, then they are avenged. The killers are all dead. The thought brings her a tender tickling of grief over the madness of purpose that has shed so much blood, but she cannot let this weaken her resolve. The threat against Nagato Combine remains to be neutralized.

She begins the interrogations at once. The members of White Octagon appear to be enemies of Nagato Combine, so she does not hesitate to speak crudely, in tones of menace, or to threaten the use of physical methods. Where threats alone do not suffice, she manipulates pressure points and applies varying degrees of pain. Where mere pain is not enough, she allows Gongoro to temporarily take her place and inflict actual wounds.

The members of White Octagon are diverse: Caucasians, several Asians, two blacks, one Hispanic. Nine males and three females. Their similarities begin with the fact that all are norms and most bear symbols of anti-meta hatred, designs on jewelry or clothing or shorn into slash-cut hair, if not actual tattoos. Several possess only minor bits of chrome. Several have none at all. Only two are equipped with cranial explosives.

They appear less an army than a small militant group with the capability of waging armed conflict.

"You make war on Nagato Combine," Machiko says. "Why? What is your ultimate objective? Who is your leader? Who is Gamma? Where may he be found? How many others belong to White Octagon? Where do you get your weapons and supplies?"

Some spit. All of them curse. All of them speak as though elves and other metas are the greatest abominations ever to walk the planet, a twisted malignancy afflicting humanity, a malevolent aberration inspired by some diabolical conspiracy, fiends that must be eradicated, slaughtered, massacred.

Machiko has heard talk like this before—what meta hasn't?—but rarely with such conviction, such fanatical fervor. She finds it unsettling. She is at pains to understand how anyone could regard her, or others like her, as the enemy of all that is human.

Even were she not born of a human womb, or raised by a man and woman as norm as norm can be, she could not view all norms as her enemy. As Kuroda
-sensei
himself reminded her, there is no room in the warrior spirit for any such bias.

Enemies are enemies. They must be evaluated for their strengths and weaknesses. Whether they are norm or meta is irrelevant, except as this may influence the conduct of their aggression.

"Yeah, we geeked the GSG," the members of White Octagon say. "We're gonna lay Nagato Combine to waste."

Why do they single out Nagato Combine? Many corps and other organizations include metas within their ranks. Machiko is answered only with hate, more venom, more terrorist babble, nothing that indicates a definite, rational motivation.

The few who appear to have knowledge regarding Gamma's whereabouts are not responsive to questioning. Machiko calls in Yoi-san, the mage sent by Colonel Satomi.

"These persons are under the compulsions of an initiate," Yoi-san says. "Once I have rested, I will remove the compulsions."

"How long must you rest?"

"Till morning."

This does not help.

Machiko comes at length to the most unassuming member of the group, a dark little man, a norm, with many cybernetic enhancements, nearly all of them beneath the skin. Nagato security techs do not succeed in disabling every possible weapon built into the man's body when his turn for questioning comes, so Machiko begins the interrogation with a
kobun
holding the muzzle of an Ares Alpha Combatgun to the man's head.

As Machiko formulates her first question, the man says, simply. "I'm S.A."

"Explain."

"You know Fuchi. You know S.A."

This is a highly unexpected development. Ryokai does not seem to recognize what the man is talking about. Machiko herself only knows of this because her "Older Brother" made a point of seeing that she was fully briefed.

Fuchi Industrial Electronics maintains at least two distinct security organizations: IntSec, responsible for facilities and personnel, and the Special Administration, which deals with every manner of covert operation. Machiko has never before encountered a self-confessed agent of the S.A. Indeed, few people are even aware of its existence. She glances at Ryokai. who signals that the man speaks in a truthful manner.

Then she says. "I am familiar with the Special Administration of Fuchi Industrial Electronics. You claim to be an agent of this agency?"

The man nods. "You don't wanna screw with me."

"We are already doing that," Machiko says. "How we proceed depends on your spirit. If you cooperate."

"I transmitted a burst signal by headware when your people busted in. My control knows exactly who you are and who you work for. There could be an assault party coming in here any sec."

"Quite true," Machiko says. "However, whether such a party would find you alive is an open issue."

The man glances toward the Ares gun pressed against the side of his head. "I'll grant you that."

"You are generous," Machiko says. "Now demonstrate that you are also wise. Identify yourself and your control."

"My operational handle is Scudder. That's all you get." Machiko says, "If we are to accept your claim regarding the Special Administration, we must confirm it."

"Operational protocols are proprietary. You should remember who you're dealing with. Last I heard, Nagato Corp is not on the top ten list of megacorps."

"The status of Nagato Corp is not your concern. Why does the Fuchi Special Administration have an agent inside the White Octagon?"

"To monitor extremist activity in the plex."

"Does the Special Administration consider this group a major threat?"

"That's a policy issue. I wouldn't know."

"What is so significant about White Octagon that the Special Administration would take an interest?"

"Reputed ties to the Alamos 20K."

"What form of ties?"

"Weapons. Cyber. Maybe you noticed that some of the group have cranial bombs. They got that from the K."

"Who is White Octagon's leader?"

"A slag called Gamma. A very bad dude."

"He is a mage?"

"I've heard it said. I haven't gotten close enough to tell."

"Where may he be found?"

"I been working on that. So far to no effect. Gamma's got a core cadre of razorfreaks that he keeps with him twenty-four hours. The shag-artists they sent against your GSG were part of that cadre. The rest, what you got here, are all second-tier stringers. They know what Gamma wants 'em to know."

"We have information indicating that certain members of White Octagon were formerly with Triad organizations."

"Wouldn't surprise me. Gamma collects his people from all over."

Machiko's commlink beeps. She takes the call in the corridor outside the room being used for interrogations. Arinori, the Chairman's personal aide, informs her, "The Chairman will be convening a meeting within the hour. He asks that you attend."

The notification is welcome. This so-called agent of the Fuchi Special Administration has provided much information, but Machiko is uncertain whether to believe his claims, and, if she believes, what to make of Fuchi involvement with White Octagon. She feels an urge to consult with a higher authority and the Chairman's meeting will provide the perfect opportunity. She leaves Ryokai and Gongoro to continue the questioning. A headman of Honjowara
-sama
kobun
volunteers a car, and before long she is striding into the main lobby of Nagato Tower and riding the elevator to the Chairman's suite. She finds the meeting about to begin. Already present are Adachi-san of Nagato Intelligence, chief of security Bessho Chikayo and his deputy Colonel Satomi, and two of the Chairman's counselors, Zoge-san and Ohana Toyonari. They sit on cushions arranged in a semi-circle before the low dais that crosses the head of the room. Machiko goes to one knee on the only unoccupied cushion. Moments later, a side door opens and the Honjowara
-sama
enters, without escort.

All bow.

Honjowara
-sama
does not sit. He steps to the center of the dais, clad in a dark suit, and there pauses, hands behind his back. "Zoge," he says.

Zoge-san bows, then turns toward Machiko, and says, "We have received inquiries from certain of the corporations responsible for police services in the New York-New Jersey megaplex regarding recent activities by members of Nagato Combine, led by members of the Green Serpent Guard. I have also received personal inquiries from the office of the Mayor and various members of the city Corporate Advisory Board regarding recent raids conducted by members of Nagato Combine. These persons making inquiries expressed concern about certain incidents of violence. Certain of these incidents have been given broad treatment by the media."