Marlowe and the Spacewoman by Dudley Ian M

Author:Dudley, Ian M. [Dudley, Ian M.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: mystery, humor, sci-fi, satire, science fiction, thriller
Publisher: Pallmark Press
Published: 2012-01-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

They’d been in the Studebaker for twenty minutes, Huggy Bear chatting incoherently the whole time, pausing just long enough to instruct the car where to turn and when. He was leaning forward over the seat, practically ear to ear with Nina. When Marlowe tried to break into the conversation, the hacker just steamrolled over him with his mouth. If this internet thing didn’t pan out, the annoying man would have a long walk back to the shop after this expedition, most likely with a few bruises. And maybe a broken bone or two.

Jebediah sat stonily in his seat next to Huggy Bear, staring out the window and muttering under his breath. He’d initially been alarmed when Huggy Bear got in, mouthing to Marlowe, “What if he recognizes me?” But Huggy Bear hadn’t recognized the former head of the City, and Marlowe harbored a strong suspicion this lack of recognition mightily annoyed his father.

While annoying his father was a point in Huggy Bear’s favor, it was not enough to compensate for his otherwise general unpleasantness. Sadly, he was currently their only lead, so Marlowe struggled valiantly to find his mental happy place and endure the drive. It didn’t help that he still had the sense they were being followed. He looked in the rear view mirror, which revealed nothing, and checked the radar, which only returned a faint echo that matched the signature of a flock of birds. Of course, Marlowe couldn’t rule out a stealth jet; that was the type of radar signature it would leave and it was possible Obedere was interested enough in their progress to deploy one. But sensing something there and not being able to verify it galled Marlowe. It was like an itch behind his eyeball; it didn’t go away and nothing he did to alleviate it worked.

They were northwest of the downtown area, in a rundown industrial section. They were passing the sewage treatment plants, and the smell reminded Marlowe of the dumpster he’d been standing behind during that business with Toulene and her fake identity. The nasal filters were completely overwhelmed.

Nina, nose pinched and breathing through her mouth, coughed. “Ugh, this is worse than Coalinga.”

“What?” asked Marlowe.

“A city in southern California where they have, had, a lot of cows.”

Huggy Bear barked out another command, seemingly oblivious to the smell, before returning to his tirade on old video storage standards - something about VHS versus Beta. All completely alien to Marlowe, though Nina occasionally nodded understandingly. “Turn left down that service road.”

Marlowe felt a twinge of concern as he followed the direction of Huggy Bear’s pointing finger. “But that takes us to the old abandoned sewage treatment plant.”

This time Huggy Bear paused in his diatribe and actually responded to Marlowe. “Don’t worry, it’s completely deserted and perfectly safe.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. I don’t like deserted places. They always have somebody or something that isn’t supposed to be there…being there.”

“Do you want to get on the Net or not? Then turn left.

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