I swallowed. “No matter who I was before, I’m not that person now.”
“You’re a basket case with a head full of lies. You are no one.”
“I’m the one who put an end to your little gambit, Newman.”
Frankie’s face turned furious. “What a blind fool you are. You’re a man with a mind full of fabrications, yet you jest like the last living clown. Perhaps it’s better you die in ignorance. Now pull your pistol out of the holster, and blow your brains out.”
His voice resonated and echoed in my head. It sang in my ears like it did before when he froze us in the Docks. My fingers trembled and went to the handle of the Replacement Killer.
I pulled it out and aimed real careful like. At Newman.
“Not gonna work this time, Frankie. I got a rather unique type of mind, as you probably know. One which can short your little hypnosis right out. I figure it must be the training from the Service, right? I may not know exactly how to use it sometimes, but I’m better when running on instinct anyway. Hope you got a better trick up your sleeve, because this one’s gotten old.”
He sighed heavily and sagged like a flower that’s been sitting in the vase too long without sunshine.
“Tired. Just so tired. The mental strain of operating the New Man… so exhausting. I was so close. Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve caused?”
“Trouble is what I do best.”
“Do you?” His eyes blazed. “Do you really? How do you know? You have no memories, Agent Trudo!”
His gesture took in the whole city. “What do you think this is? It’s an illusion! Don’t you understand? We’re not supposed to be here! The thermal orb was our ticket out of this hellhole! And you — you completely destroyed it, completely sabotaged your own mission!”
“Sorry, Frankie. I can’t see it that way. I got a second chance here. A chance to be who I choose to be. I believe in New Haven.”
“You believe in a head full of lies. This place is nothing but a den of vipers. An open gutter for all the filth in the world to bleed into.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. You wanna change the way things are done? So do I. So help me and I’ll help you.”
“I don’t think so, Troubleshooter. You may have shot my mission down, but my final assignment is you. I’m not near the assassin you were, but I have connections. You hoped for a better trick up my sleeve. You should have known I had an ace.”
I saw the shadow before the overbearing perfume of flowers filled my nostrils. “Danny the Daisy. I thought I might see you again.”
“You thought?” The Daisy’s voice trembled. “You should have thought before you killed Silent Ray. Do you know what you did? How much he meant to me?”
I kept the Killer trained on Newman while I risked a glance at the Daisy. His eyeliner bled down his cheeks in thick black streaks from his unchecked tears. The diamond-coated pistol quivered in his gloved hand.
“Can’t say I did, Danny.”
“Who did the deed, Mick? Was it you? The clown in the cowboy suit? Or your quiet Indian friend? I’m killing all of you regardless. But I want to take my time with the bastard who pulled the trigger.”
“You know I don’t kiss and tell, Danny boy.”
“You will if you want a clean death. Now drop the pistol and turn around.”
I looked at Newman, whose face was twisted by a wry grin which faded with my reply.
“Can’t do it, Danny. My trigger finger is pretty sensitive, you know. I figure if you take me, I’ll still be able to rub Newman out.”
“Don’t be a fool, Mick.” Frankie’s voice was a bit shaky. “It’s over. At least have the decency to die with dignity.”
“Nothing dignified about dying, Newman. And I’d hate to go without bringing someone along for the ride.”
“Tell me who did it, Mick!” Danny’s voice rose shrilly. “Or I’ll kill you as slowly as possible, I swear. I’ll count to three.”
The rain had finally stopped. The sky turned a reddish gold as the sun began to creep up from its watery grave. Frankie stared as though not comprehending what was about to happen as he stared down the barrel of the Replacement Killer. A few feet away, Danny the Daisy stamped his foot furiously and counted down.
“One.”
Newman spoke softly. “We are nothing without knowledge about ourselves. Without the truth. This isn’t it, Michael. This isn’t living. These people are nothing but a displaced band of lost souls, searching for a way to justify their existence. We’re different. That’s why they have to die. Just tell me.” His voice pleaded. “Just tell me you understand.”
“Two.”
I shook my head. “Can’t say I do, Frankie.”
Three!
Gunfire blazed. All I heard was thunder.
Chapter 22: Case Closed
When the smoke cleared, Danny the Daisy was sprawled across the raggedy grounds of the West Docks in a slowly widening pool of crimson.
I wasn’t.
Hunter Valentino strode from behind a stack of dilapidated crates, sniper rifle in hand. “You should have called me for backup.”
Frankie Newman stared. “You. You’re the synoid Dr. Faraday downloaded his memories into.”
“Indeed.”
“Then you know everything about the mission. You should be helping me, not him.”
“That does create quite a quandary, doesn’t it?” Hunter raised the rifle.
I lifted a hand. “Hunter, what are you—”
He interrupted me by rearranging Frankie’s head at close range.
I jumped back. “Dammit! Hunter, what the hell?”
He turned calmly. “Franklin Newman was an undetermined equation which needed resolution. His knowledge was too deadly to be allowed to infect others with ill intentions. He was better off terminated.”
I glared at him. “I had things under control, Hunter. Frankie there was probably the only person who could understand the nature of Dr. Faraday’s work. How am I supposed to get my memories out of you now? Unless there’s something in your databanks that can do the same thing?”
“I’m afraid you were a mathematical genius, not a biological one. The physiology of the brain is not an area of our expertise. We’ll have to take our chances with recovering whatever we can from what Dr. Faraday left behind.”
“Everything he left behind was in that orb, Hunter.”
“Perhaps. Only time will tell.”
I glowered. “In the meantime I don’t need you killing off the entire population of New Haven. I know your memories may direct you otherwise, but I call the shots here, not you.”
Hunter grabbed Danny the Daisy by his ankles and dragged him to the edge of the dock. “That is the entire point. I cannot execute any action you are not subconsciously willing perform. Had you not desired Frankie Newman’s death, then he would still be alive.” He casually tossed Danny’s stiff into the river. I knew the Daisy would have hated that. The water soaking into his silk rags, that is.
Frankie’s stiff joined the Daisy in the realm of future fish food. His hair floated in a dark halo around what was left of his head. Despite what he’d done and planned to do, I still felt bad about him being rubbed out. We were brothers once, men working on the same agenda. Too bad it was one which was about as ruthless as I could imagine. I guess deep inside I knew he had to bite it. It was a fate neither of us could avoid. Frankie was a load of trouble waiting to happen. And me?
I shoot trouble.
The dark, scum-slicked waters of the West River sucked the stiffs down greedily, leaving only oily bubbles to mark their passing. I lit a gasper and turned to Hunter.