Poddar gave me a wary look. “We heard you on the datacom.”
The Cowboy used his holoband to call his rusted pickup over. It squealed around the corner and pulled up behind us. “Good thing, too. Because it wasn’t looking pretty in there.”
“Anyone know what Frankie did to me?”
“After he shot you, the receiver in his hand appeared to receive some data,” Ms Kilby said. “A download, if you will. It was hard to tell anything else, because he disappeared along with the lights.”
Rob shook his head. “That’s impossible. You trying to say he hacked Mick’s mind? Can’t be done. Hell, you can’t even do that to a synoid unless—”
I tossed the Magic Dragon inside of Maxine. “Unless you’ve really got some heavy duty tech. And as the Savant’s assistant, he would. It doesn’t really matter right now. We have to assume he was able to hack my brain. It’s not like he needed everything. There’s only one thing he was looking for.”
“The location of the Grimoire.”
“Right. Frankie is obviously a tool for the New Man, which means he sent that location straight to the lug. The New Man will be headed there, if he’s not on the move already. Only we’re gonna beat him to it.”
I tapped a few keys on my holoband and sent Hunter Valentino an urgent message. I just hoped the chump was able to get it in time to lend a hand.
Rob gave me a sidelong glance. “You barely got a look at the code. How can you remember what you saw?”
“One look was all I needed. It’s all here.” I tapped my temple. “I remember everything except my past. The binary code was a map position. I know exactly where the Grimoire is. So hang on to your diapers, people. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”
It took only about ten minutes for the brass to tail me. Of course, maybe my careening through traffic and causing road ruckus had something to do with it. Couldn’t be helped. For maybe the first time since I lost my memory, I was focused. I had pulled onto the nearest skyway. It was the only way to get to the Uppers, but unfortunately it isolated us nicely for any law enforcement in the area.
“Hunter Killer’s all over us,” Rob thoughtfully informed me. He rode shotgun, gallantly allowing Poddar and Kilby to stay together in his pickup, which followed closely behind.
HKs are fully automated police response units. No pilots — not even a synoid. Light drones carrying heavy weapons. The name pretty much sums up what they do.
“Great. Maxine, take over.”
As Rob cursed, I leaned out the window with the Magic Dragon. Maxine swerved drunkenly at the sudden changeover, almost turning me into street pizza. I managed to right myself and fire an electromagnetic pulse at the HK. While it was a mere distraction at most, I figured it gave me about half a second while its system rerouted itself. Most people can’t do much in that short span of time.
I’m not most people.
The cylinder flipped and I fired the nano-charge. No amount of defense can counteract a hundred billion microscopic machines with unquenchable appetites. Their sole directive is to consume and self-destruct. They can penetrate the densest alloy in milliseconds. The HK put on an impressive fireworks display behind us when it ate the ground. Traffic predictably gridlocked, stalling any brass on our tail that wasn’t flying.
“That thing had to tag us before it went down.” Rob panted as heavily as Streaker. Some folks can’t handle a little driving action. “Street sweepers will be on us like—”
“—fleas on your mutt? Good. I’m counting on it, actually.” I ignored Stinker’s warning growl. Crammed in with Robert in the passenger seat, she didn’t have room to bite me.
“Maybe I missed something,” Poddar said from over the datacom. “But how is that good?”
“Trust me, we’re gonna need the ol’ storm troopers when the New Man gets to where we’re going. If he’s not there already. Back to manual operation, Maxine.”
“As you wish.”
“Shouldn’t you keep her in autodrive? You’re driving doesn’t exactly boost my confidence.” Rob apparently took Poddar’s place with annoying questions as well.
“Can’t synch to a location that’s only on display in my head. Trust me, this place won’t show up on any map. I’ll have to take us there myself.”
We headed for the Heights, the highest point in the city. The part of town where high hats tripped over stacks of spare cash on their way to the fridge at night. Mansions and swimming pools. Gold plated ceilings and all that. New Haven glittered underneath us as we sailed across the crisscrossed floating roadways to the neighborhood islands which overlooked the entire city.
I wasn’t exactly in a mindset to appreciate the scenery.
Wooden slats shattered as Maxine took down a fence. An old frail screamed and leaped to the side as we tore through her rose bushes. I saw the flashing lights of street sweepers on the road behind us. More were floating up from the nearest station. They couldn’t follow my trail directly on account of having to be more careful in the Heights. Rich folks had rights, after all.
I figured that bought us about five minutes. I tore through another fence and skidded onto the main avenue.
It was like driving into a dream. Even at night the manicured lawns, chased fencing, sparkling driveways, and soothing shades of multicolored lights were fully displayed along with the uniquely styled mansions. The only thing out of place was Maxine, roaring down the road at full throttle. Wheelers were only collector’s items in this part of town.
I followed the map position in my head right to the dot, and wheeled down the driveway at full speed. Maxine careened right through the iron gates, cutting furrows through the perfectly trimmed turf. Real grass too, not the artificial crap most everyone else in New Haven had to make do with. We almost slid out of control, but I sadistically yanked the wheel and straightened out, mowing through a line of shrubbery. We were blind for a moment, but I figured we were in the clear.
Until the bushes abruptly gave way to a sudden and unexpected drop.
The wheels span, slinging dirt and foliage. I heard a lot of yelling and an anxious bark from Stinker. Beneath us were the calm, azure waters of an Olympic sized swimming pool.
Water churned as Maxine sank like a stone. The chlorinated water rushed in from everywhere. I heard the sound of Rob’s truck as it submerged somewhere behind us.
"Nice." Rob sputtered. "Of all the places to park, you went and chose a swimming pool."
"What, cowboys can't swim? Maxine, let us out.”
“As you wish. Be careful, Mr. Trubble.”
The windows lowered and everything muted as the water rushed in, flushing us out. I saw the darkened shapes of Poddar and Ms. Kilby heading toward the surface, followed by Stinker and the Cowboy.
I tried to salvage the Dragon, but it was caught on something. I finally gave up and headed upwards when something snagged my leg and pulled. I turned in panic and saw a pale hand latched on to my ankle.
Hunter Valentino’s face was barely visible in the darkness of the water. His eyes glowed bright green.
I kicked and struggled but his grip was impossible to break. Stars flecked across my vision, and my lungs were set to explode. My mouth opened, and ungrateful bubbles made their getaway from my lungs. It was the river all over again.
Without warning Hunter shot upward, snatching me by the lapels as he rose. We exploded from the pool into midair, where he tossed me across the perfect lawn with discouraging ease. Good thing a hedge of bushes stopped me from rolling too far. I lay there gulping the beautiful taste of air and immediately nixed the dream of owning a pool of my own.
"If you’re here to smoke me, make it quick," I said in between gasps. “Waiting makes me nervous.”
Hunter’s face was half hidden by shadow. "Indeed. And here I thought I was doing you a favor."