The Zombie Room (32 page)

‘Don’t do anything stupid and that will probably heal up OK on its own,’ Ted said, offering his usual sparse reassurance.

Tazeem handed over what little cash they could afford and Ted shook his head disdainfully before sliding it into his back
pocket. ‘Next time, don’t call me unless you have a lot more than this. In fact I’d rather you didn’t call me at all, but I’m guessing that might be too much to hope for.’

Tazeem, rubbing the freshly stitched incision where his chip had been removed, nodded and showed Ted to the door.

In the front room of the bungalow Mangle had turned on the TV. The Channel 10 anchor, Kasey Haugh, looked her usual picture of composure as she spoke about the sex-trafficking operation. Her dark brown hair, swept across her forehead fluttered in the early morning breeze from her vantage point down at Eastgate Docks. Her eyes were grim yet steady, the picture of professionalism.

‘The two men taken into custody earlier today, Brian Meadows and Anthony Clarke, have failed to offer anything other than what police are describing as wild fabrications as to their roles in this large-scale operation. On their information, an early morning raid was carried out at a licensed premises known as “The Club”. No evidence of involvement was discovered and the move looks to have been a smoke screen to allow the real conspirators to evade capture.’

Decker muttered to himself and winced as he gingerly rotated his left arm.

‘Police are also saying that the explosion that first alerted them to the operation at the docks is not linked to the bomb attacks in Garden Heights earlier this month. It is believed to have been an engine malfunction and possible fuel leak that led to the blast, and they say that without this turn of luck the operation would have continued on undiscovered.’

‘I can’t believe those bastards are going to get away with it,’ Mangle said bitterly, ‘and that your friends who helped us are the ones who will have to pay.’

Decker walked out of the room and into the kitchen. ‘I’m gonna make something to eat. Anyone want anything?’

‘There’s not gonna be anything else about this on the news,’
Tazeem said. ‘It’s the same shit she said the last few times it’s been on, and the other stations have been no better.’

Mangle got up off the couch, picked the half-empty bottle of vodka from the table and walked back toward the bedroom. Tazeem followed Decker into the kitchen.

The news report cut back to the studio and a white-haired man in a dark blue suit segued into footage of another story. ‘Garden Heights Mayor, Carson Keaton, refused to comment on what mayoral aide Raymond Burgess described as “totally unfounded and slanderous lies”.’

The picture switched to an elegant, solemn Carson Keaton at an early morning press conference. ‘By striving to do the right thing for the people of Garden Heights, it appears I have made some enemies along the way.’ His slightly tired looking face conveyed sadness at those who would seek to derail his altruistic leadership. ‘All that matters to me is that I retain your ongoing support, and I promise, I guarantee,’ he added with a smile, ‘that I will deliver a future that the good people of Garden Heights deserve.’