I’d forgotten about the little gift Natasha had given me. I pulled the flower from my Bogart and tucked it in my coat pocket. Didn’t want the boys to think I’d gone nance, but I didn’t feel like talking about Natasha to anyone. That was sacred territory.
“What do we got here, Cowboy?”
“Lucky Stinker spotted him. He’d chosen the same position I had picked out. Perfect for a shot through your window. Figure he was waiting for you to show.”
“You figured right.” I took a good look at the stiff. He looked like a pretty normal guy except for one little detail. His mouth was stitched with thick black wire that clamped his chops together. The surrounding skin was blotchy red and blistered. It looked downright uncomfortable.
Poddar looked a bit queasy. “Why is his mouth sewed up?”
I ran a hand across my chin. “Easy answer is because he didn’t know when to shut it. Story was he was a syndicate member who squealed when he got squeezed by the brass. Needless to say, the syndicate didn’t take too kindly to that. Looks like you took out Silent Ray, Cowboy. Aside from being an expert marksman, he was also Danny the Daisy’s longtime partner. Congrats.”
Most folks would have been at least a bit startled. The Cowboy grinned. “Another notch on the belt. This yahoo is wanted for a quarter million dibs.” He punched a few buttons on his holoband and used it to scan the body. It would have to be confirmed at the nearest roundup station before he got the payment. “After a while I’ll be the only decent Nimrod left if I keep up this rate. I should have hooked up with you a long time ago, Troubleshooter. You know how to put cabbage in a man’s account.”
“Well, don’t get too jazzed just yet. You just made a mortal enemy of Danny the Daisy, who’s twice as deadly as Silent Ray here.”
Rob looked around eagerly. “You reckon he’s nearby? Maybe we can get a two for one special.”
I took a glance around at the foggy rooftops. Good thing I was listening real hard, or I might have missed it.
“He’s here, all right.”
The floater gleamed like a crimson wasp as it swooped up from between the buildings. The movement-tracking mech rife on its chassis blazed, scorching the air with energy blasts and the smell of sizzling ozone. Rob and Poddar scattered, seeking cover. As expected, the gun followed their movements.
I stood still.
With the gun chasing down my frantic chums, I had all the time I needed to take careful aim right at the cockpit of the floater with the Replacement Killer. I knew Danny the Daisy was behind the mirrored surface, probably crying through his mascara.
I emptied a clip into the cockpit. Miniature rockets tend to compensate for armored glass.
The floater tilted and spun drunkenly with its gun still blazing. I hugged the blacktop while the shots did a lot of damage to the surrounding buildings. I hoped no one got plugged in the line of fire.
The floater tumbled into the fog. We felt the impact as it slammed into the street ten stories below.
I reloaded the Killer as I stood. “Everyone ok?”
“Never a dull moment.” Rob and Poddar stepped from behind the bullet-riddled stairwell house. Even Stinker looked a little spooked as she peeked around.
“Yeah, you should be around on one of my bad days. Come on, let’s see if the job is finished.”
It wasn’t.
By the time we made it down to the wreck, we found a busted up android roasting in the cockpit. It was Jeffery; Danny the Daisy’s faithful chauffeur.
I scratched my head. “Well, I can’t say that’s a big shock. Either the Daisy’s got nine lives or he was never in the heap. It’s like him to send an android to do a Nimrod’s job. This won’t be the last we see of him. Better expect him when you least expect him.”
“Well, if that’s the case then I’ll expect him all the time.” The Cowboy patted his pistols. “But if we’re not gonna do any more damage then I’d say it’s time to dust out.”
“Not a bad idea, Ace. I got what I came for. Let’s hook up with those crazy dames.”
About an hour later we crouched on a rooftop on the outskirts of Downtown. Not a good place to be in the middle of the rain, which had returned with a vengeance. My datacom buzzed in my inner ear. I tapped it once to answer.
Captain Grave’s voice droned over the line. “I have a squad en route to the Goryachevas. Street sweepers will make mincemeat out the whole clan. They won’t know what hit them until it’s too late. Now what do you have for me?”
“Almost there, Captain. Don’t get your thong in a knot.” I clicked off.
Rob shared the same irritating impatient look with Poddar. "You gonna tell us what we're doing cooling our heels in the rain, or just keep us in suspense?"
"All in good time, kids. Gotta wait 'till the whole family gets together."
"Five to one says she doesn't even show."
Stinker barked.
Our weapons whipped out as we jumped to our feet. Selene and her Gutter Girl trio gazed at us curiously. I hadn't heard them approach.
Those dames were good.
"You boys have pretty big guns.” Jen’s smile was predictably mocking. “Compensating for something?” Christina and Kelly laughed.
Selene had exchanged her kimono for a more durable leather ensemble. She still looked regal under the umbrella Kelly held for her. I was glad to see she had left her wolf behind. Having a mutt around was bad enough, and those yellow eyes unnerved me more than I wanted to admit.
"You called this meeting, Troubleshooter. What do you have for me?"
I holstered the Broad and nodded across the way. "See the dive across the street? Check out the sign."
She squinted. "The Hideout. You're not saying—?"
"Exactly. Guess Tommy has a dramatic sense of irony. I looked it up on the way. Seems it’s an old theater that was bought out a few years back. You probably guessed who the buyer was. Who would ever think ol' Tommy would be lying dormy in a place called The Hideout? It's genius, really."
"I'm not going to even ask you how you came by this information. I hope you're right, Mick. Because my girls and I are going in force, and I'd hate to crash in on some old prudes playing rummy."
"Lady, when I'm right, I'm right. All we need to do now is figure out how we're gonna get in without raising the alarm. I spied only one goon at the door, but I'm guessing Tommy has got the place tricked out and swarming with chopper squads inside."
“Don’t worry about the alarm system.”
“Why not?”
She smiled. “Because I own the alarm company. As for how to get in… ” She gestured to Kelly, who produced a large grappling hook and compression gun. "Rooftop to rooftop. We’ll start from the top and work our way down. Hope you don't mind a little zip line action."
"In the rain across some fishing line. Lemme know how that goes.” I nodded to my crew. “Let's go, gents.”
"What are you going to do?" Selene asked.
"The sane thing. We're gonna go right through the front door. Start from the bottom and work our way up."
She pursed her rosebud lips. "Let me know how that goes. Then again, we can use the distraction of you getting killed to ease our way in."
"Just say you love me and get it over with.” I hesitated, then took hold of her arm before she turned.
“Listen, once we’re inside the brass is gonna be right on our heels. When they barge in making targets outta themselves, you should be able to nab the leg in the chaos.”
“Interesting.” Her jade peepers glimmered. “And you know this because…?”
“I know things, darling. Leave it at that. Just be ready when it all hits the fan.”
Graves might have warned me, but I’m not too good at listening. If he thought I’d jump through hoops for him and his dish of a detective, he’d think better of it soon.