DeathWeb (Fox Meridian Book 3) (26 page)

Jonathan took a sip from his glass. ‘A contact with a private security company who handles training and technology might be useful.’

‘Maybe it would, especially if that contact happened to be on the board.’

‘That would make it more interesting. You happen to know anyone like that?’

‘I… might, yeah. Local girl too.’

‘All the better. Maybe we should put your mother out of her misery, get her in on the conversation.’

‘Is she still wearing dresses that would fit a doll?’

‘Yes, she is. I’ll tell you a secret, though. I still think she’s the most beautiful woman I ever met, except maybe for my daughter. And now she’s wearing the clothes for me.’

Part Four: We Hurt the Ones We Love

New York Metro, 2
^nd
July 2060.

Kit stopped halfway through cross-checking her data for the sixth time. This kind of uncertainty in her own data handling and evaluation was not only pointless, but entirely too human. She was an AI, not an organic and… Well, no, maybe it was
not
a human characteristic. A human, far slower at data manipulation, would likely have stopped at three times, if they had got that far. Whatever the case, she had evaluated, re-evaluated, checked back to the source, twice, and evaluated again. She had tried three different methods of evaluating the statistical validity and that was incredibly stupid when the data points she was analysing corresponded precisely. Enough was enough, she was quite positive of her determination.

She had, after a day, uncovered three more evidentiary images or text documents indicating that victims of the killer had not been on the run LifeFit said they were on when they were kidnapped. That was a quarter of the known victims and enough to indicate that this was not simply a bug. Or that it was a bug which applied to a number of cases. She had decided that further evaluation of the runs the victims had stored on LifeFit was in order.

That was when the statistical analysis had begun, because there was an oddity which required further analysis. In every single case, the victims had undertaken the run LifeFit claimed they were on a few days earlier as well as the day of their kidnap. Not entirely unreasonable: these were their favoured routes and they ran them regularly. However, LifeFit gave a quite detailed view of each run, with elapsed times at various waypoints. In each case, the final run matched a recent one up to the point where the person vanished,
down to the millisecond
.

Kit had read articles on sports physiology. She had run statistical variance routines to determine how likely the correspondence was. The probability of such precise replication was so low that she had begun doubting her findings and the cross-checks had started. Well, enough, the data was saying something to her and she was sure what she was seeing was the truth.

But what was it saying?

~~~

27Lex was buzzing more than usual and Sam was vaguely wondering why, but mostly he was focused on the pretty redhead who was with him. Marie was just about bouncing. Her eyes were alight and her body was bursting with energy.

‘I know it’s not acting,’ Marie said, ‘but… Well, it’s sort of a bit like acting. Well, no it’s not, but it’s something that could get me some exposure.’

‘Oh yes,’ Sam agreed. ‘I’ve seen Lucille Graves’s designs. Exposure is guaranteed.’

Marie just giggled. ‘Sex sells. I want serious acting rolls, obviously, but I’m pretty.’

‘Agreed.’

Another giggle. ‘Thank you. I mean that I’m going to get parts based on my looks, at first, not on my amazing character-acting skills. I don’t actually
have
amazing character-acting skills yet. If I have a portfolio with some more… exotic pictures in it, I’ll attract attention.’

‘So when are you going out there?’

‘The nineteenth. I stay the week. Lucy’s photographer says he’s got a couple of locations he wants to try out and some of the shoots will be at night. Something about the lighting. He’s been scouting for a couple of weeks and Lucy said he was
really
enthusiastic about the project.’

‘It all sounds good. I think you’ll do well out of it. Frankly, you’re built for something like this. Mrs Graves’s designs wouldn’t suit a traditional, stick-thin fashion model, but they also won’t suit a larger woman. Showing them off well would require a fairly specific body form.’

‘Oh?’ Marie asked. She felt like she was fishing a little, but did not care for some reason. Sam nodded, his expression bland, but he scanned his eyes up and down Marie in an appraising manner which had her cheeks heating. Actually, Marie’s entire body was rather heated tonight. The memetic signals and subliminals in 27Lex had hit her before. They were designed to promote ‘friendly relations,’ generally of an intimate nature, and they worked, but she had not even noticed them tonight so that could not be the reason for the way her nipples were tightening against her plazkin boob tube.

‘Fairly large breasts,’ Sam said. ‘Not excessive, but moderately large. Firm, good shape, nicely rounded. Slim, fit body. Her designs will work well with a little muscle.’

Marie swallowed to wet her suddenly dry throat. ‘Fox would probably do well.’

‘Yes, but I don’t think Fox would wear Mrs Groves’s designs and she certainly wouldn’t model them. Your legs.’

‘My legs?’

‘You have… fantastic legs. Long. Good… form. I sound like I’m talking about a racehorse.’

Marie managed another giggle, but it was a little forced. There was a growing ache, an itch deep in her groin which was going to need a long session with two or three toys to ease, or…

‘Warm tonight,’ Sam said, turning to the bar and lifting his glass.

‘Very. They must’ve set the environmental controls wrong. Or something.’

‘Or something.’

Change the subject! Talk about anything else. ‘Anyway,’ Marie said, trying to keep her voice light, ‘I’ll be away for a week, but Belle says she can handle things. You know, Belle is quite capable of handling everything I do. I kind of feel bad getting room and board, and being paid, and doing stuff that could easily be handled–’

‘I’m not going to kick you out because we have a house AI designed to run an entire arcology, Marie. When your career is earning you enough to live on, we can discuss it again. Consider it as a furtherance of Felix’s faith in you.’

‘Okay.’ Marie grinned. ‘You know, I’ve got this stupid maid’s outfit. The skirt’s
so
short and I practically fall out of the top. When Felix was feeling sad, I’d sometimes put it on and wander around dusting things, and he wasn’t interested like that, but he’d laugh and it would cheer him up a little. I could wear that around the house…’

Sam flashed her a grin. ‘I’m sure that would be quite enjoyable. You should practise a fake French accent.’

‘Got that. Oh mon-sewer! I am zee good girl.’ Sam looked at her, one eyebrow raised. ‘Okay, so it might need some work.’

‘Stockings with this outfit?’

‘I usually go with fishnet thigh-highs and six-inch heeled pumps. You did say I have good legs.’ Even while she was saying it, Marie was wondering how she had steered the conversation back in that direction.

‘You do.’

‘Sam?’

‘Yes, Marie?’

‘Have you ever been in one of those privacy booths downstairs?’

‘Not here. I don’t come here for work. I’ve used a couple, though my clientele tends to prefer more private environments.’

‘What’s the attraction?’

‘It’s the danger. It’s
not
really dangerous, obviously. You can’t be discovered in the act, but there’s the feeling that you could be, and the slight embarrassment of everyone seeing you go in and come out. Everyone knows, or thinks they do, what you’ve been doing.’ He turned, looking right into her eyes. ‘Why? Do you want to try one?’

Marie’s throat was dry again. She swallowed. ‘Yes.’ She was not really sure that the word had left her lips, but he took her hand and turned, walking toward the stairs. Marie’s heart was hammering in her chest, and her stomach felt as though a host of butterflies had taken up residence.

There was one booth free when they got to the bottom floor. They were busy tonight, unusually so, and if all the doors had been closed, Marie might have managed to stop what was happening. She was sure that Sam would have come to his senses. Instead, they walked straight into the booth and she did not have time to be embarrassed at the thought that what was going to happen was obvious to everyone watching. The room was circular, a curved, bench-like couch taking up all the space aside from the doorway. Above that was a shelf where drinks could be placed. The floor was open, no table to get in the way, and there was thick, soft carpet on the floor if the occupants thought the bench was too narrow.

Sam turned even before the door was closed. His mouth took hers, urgent, hungry. Marie knew how wound up she was, but it seemed that Sam felt the same. His hands rolled her top down around her ribs and she felt the coolness of his silk shirt against her breasts, the heat of his skin behind it. The ache between her legs was becoming unbearable. He broke the kiss, bending to suck one of her nipples into his mouth, biting.

Marie let out a sharp gasp and there was the shock of her first orgasm, a blinding explosion of lights behind her eyes that subsided quickly and promised more. ‘H-how good’s the s-soundproofing?’ she gasped.

‘Good enough,’ he replied. He pulled her micro-skirt up. She gasped as his hand cupped the wet, silky material over her mound. ‘Again,’ he whispered. ‘Come again.’ His fingers pressed, circled; she let out a whimper and her knees buckled as the second wave of bliss washed through her. She did not realise he was holding her up until he placed her down on the bench, her butt almost hanging off, and worked her wet panties down her legs.

‘Want you in me,’ she moaned. It seemed to take forever for him to unbuckle his slacks. ‘Want you in me now.’

He drove into her and her back arched. Her long legs wrapped around him, heels pressing into his back as he took up a rhythm, urgent, forceful, driving her higher and higher as he climbed with her. She felt herself sliding over the edge again, gripped him fiercely as he kept up the onslaught of her senses. Her vision blurred and darkened, and cleared to find him still inside her, still moving.

‘With me this time,’ he said as she began to buck her hips against his thrusts. ‘Come with me, Marie.’ And then he was emptying himself into her and she could barely feel it because of the pleasure washing through her body.

Topeka Agri-Zone, 3
^rd
July.

‘I want to thank you,’ Andrea said.

Fox looked up at her. They were alone: Jonathan had gone to the toilet, the result of excess whiskey. ‘For?’

‘Everything. You found Sandy, as we asked. You got her and her mother out from under that monster’s thumb. You taught me a very valuable lesson.
Two
very valuable lessons.’

‘Two? That has to be the most I’ve taught anyone in ages.’

‘You taught me,’ Andrea said seriously, despite her look of amusement, ‘that betraying my husband, who loves me, was possibly the stupidest thing I have ever done. Especially when the betrayal was with a man like Cory Druss.’

Fox shrugged. ‘I won’t argue, but if Dad’s willing to forgive you… He says it’s partially his fault. And it generally takes two to fuck something up properly.’

‘Mostly it was my fault and I
won’t
let him say otherwise. The second thing you taught me was, don’t give up. I’ll carry on working, but this time Jonathan will be working with me, and we’ll be making a Watch worthy of the name.’

‘Good.’ Fox looked around as Jonathan walked back out to the veranda. ‘Made room for more?’

‘One more,’ Jonathan replied. ‘It’s two a.m. You’ll stay the rest of the weekend?’

‘I guess I can manage that. As long as there isn’t another party.’

‘Oh,’ Andrea said, ‘I don’t think I want to have my daughter upstage me with another dress. There’ll be celebrations tomorrow, of course, but that’s not really a party.’

Fox had almost forgotten that some areas still celebrated the fourth of July. ‘Not sure how I could outdo the last one unless I turn up in titty-tape and a thong.’

‘I’m quite sure you’d think of something, Fox. Overachievement runs in our side of the family.’

New York Metro.

Helen Dillan opened her eyes, evaluated her position, and yawned, loudly and profusely. Saturday off. Saturday off and only another sixteen days before she would be starting her new job. And before that there was going to be her trip out to the Moon with Terri. Now that was something to look forward to, and while she was away, Palladium would be moving her into her palatial new accommodation.

She slipped out of bed and padded through to the bathroom and the shower. Her new apartment was not actually palatial, not compared to Terri’s place anyway, but it was a damn sight better than the little place she had now. The shower had never really worked as well as it could, but it got her clean. On the other hand, the air system was totally useless and she had to resort to a towel to get dry. She was in the middle of that when her implant signalled an incoming telepresence call. Frowning, she accepted it.

The sight of the white-clad shape of Kit appearing in her bathroom came as something of a surprise. ‘Oh, Detective, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you in the middle of drying yourself.’

Dillan sagged a little. ‘I should’ve screened my avatar. Sorry, Kit. Uh, what was it you wanted? Isn’t Fox out of town?’

‘She is, and that is why I thought I might ask you to examine some evidence I have uncovered. Prior to her return, I thought you might provide some insight.’

‘Well, it’s my day off, but I guess I could take a look. What do you have?’ Dillan finished drying her hair and started through into the lounge. Breakfast was calling.

‘I have been studying the connections between a series of murders,’ Kit began.

‘I think Fox mentioned something… Uh, people going missing on runs, tortured, killed. Eleven victims?’