Prodigy by Dave Kalstein

Author:Dave Kalstein
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781466879645
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

17

Goldsmith’s feet hit the pavement below the fire escape. The fact that he was still up and running was his only indication that the security detail had not gotten a ThermaGun lock on him yet. It was not even worth worrying about. He could only keep going. If they pulled the trigger, he wouldn’t have more than two seconds to consider the awful ramifications anyway. He sprinted down the alley, instinctively dodging puddles to his left and right while covering forty yards of pavement in roughly four and a half seconds (the agility and hand–eye coordination training from that tenth grade Gymnastics progression he hated was paying off, just like the school said it would). He dashed into the crowds in the street around the corner and looked back over his shoulder.

Three detail officers had him in their sights. Assume they’ve sent word to their gyros to cut off all paths of flight in a ten-block radius. Also assume they’ve made a positive identification of the fugitive, namely him. And if that were the case, even if Goldsmith did escape them and managed to get back to the tower, they would be waiting when he arrived. He could maybe use up twelve years of goodwill and appeal directly to the headmaster … But at that moment, the priority was buying enough time to put together the mystery of these yearbook pages in his pocket. He squeezed his way into another heavy wave of pedestrian traffic on its way to lunch hour and ricocheted between strangers. They were still behind him: three officers in Tac IX utility vests moving fast, pulling off their black Nomex balaclavas (Goldsmith recognized them: Tannen, O’Shaunnessy, and Willets—nice guys, detail veterans) to ostensibly blend in with a packed street that didn’t seem to pay them much heed in the first place. They were closing the gap. He ducked into another alley and sprinted for an alternate route that might be hidden between the huge D Sector towers. Twenty feet inside the alley, he froze. Two uniformed San Angeles cops were strolling toward him. One twirled a humming shock stick in his hand.

“Is everything all right, son?” asked the man on the left.

“You need some help?” inquired his partner.

Goldsmith realized they were just two police officers patrolling their beat, oblivious to the mess he was stuck in. His mind sped through the list of possible choices and probabilities given the addition of this new element to the equation of his perhaps ill-advised flight from the security detail. Asking for their help was not an option.

Goldsmith saw their badges. The one with the shock stick was Barnes and the other was named Morrison. “Hey kid, you okay?” asked Morrison.

“Yes, Officer, I just—” Goldsmith watched as Barnes caught sight of the Stansbury crest on his blazer.

“Morrison,” hissed Barnes, turning pale, “he’s a goddamned specimen. One of those Stansbury kids.” He raised his shock stick and began circling Goldsmith, keeping him at arm’s length. Morrison whipped out a pair of

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