Dead in the Water: A Space Team Universe Novel (Dan Deadman Space Detective Book 3) by Barry J. Hutchison

Author:Barry J. Hutchison
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Zertex Media Ltd
Published: 2018-03-19T22:00:00+00:00

COMMISSIONER USAKT POLANI entered his office, locked the door, then slumped into his chair and grimaced in the general direction of the ceiling.

He took a moment to appreciate the cool cocoon of darkness. His window had been broken recently and had been temporarily barricaded until it could be repaired.

At least, that was the theory, but the darkness it had brought had been so soothing, so welcoming, that Polani had decided to keep the shutter in place. He didn’t need to see the city to know what a cesspool it was, and the constant glow of those damn Up There engines had been annoying him for years.

He pushed all other thoughts away and let the darkness envelop him. For the first time that day, no one was asking him questions, boring him with protocol, or requesting additional resources. The Tribunal was stretched to the point of transparency, and with Krone establishing an outpost here, he didn’t like the way the wind was blowing.

The Tribunal ruled Down Here, and he ruled the Tribunal. On the ground, at least. He had a boss, of course – everyone had a boss – but to all intents and purposes the buck stopped with him. If Krone was going to station troops here, then that might all be about to change.

The worst of it was, the cretins living here would probably celebrate the Tribunal’s demise. They’d see Krone’s army as the cavalry swooping in to deliver them all from evil.

Fonk, were they in for a surprise.

“On,” Polani commanded, leaning closer to his desk.

Nothing happened. He raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Lights on.”

The darkness remained. It felt different now. Less cocooning, more smothering.

It was then that he noticed the odor. Years of chain-smoking had dampened his sense of smell to the point of it being pretty much non-existent, but this stench had such a kick to it that it somehow found its way through.

Wrenching open his desk drawer, Polani grabbed for his gun. A boot was driven hard against the drawer’s front, and Polani cried out as it slammed on his hand, crushing his fingers.

“Ow! Kroysh! What the fonk?”

A rough hand clamped over his mouth from behind. A voice like crunching gravel spoke quietly in his ear.

“Shout like that again and this time it’ll be you going through the window, not me. Do you understand?”

Polani nodded. “Mm-hm.”

Dan withdrew his hand and stepped around to the other side of the desk. His night vision was significantly better than most people’s, and he could see Polani gawping blindly into the darkness.

“Ripley…” the commissioner began.

“Ripley’s dead. You killed him, remember?” Dan grunted. “Name’s Deadman now.”

“Deadman. Right. Right,” said Polani. Despite the fact his hand was now twice the size it should be and he couldn’t see a thing, he was doing his best to appear in control of the situation. Impressive, given how shizz-scared he must be.

“You hacked my lighting system,” he said. “Impressive. The whole system’s protected or encrypted or, or… firewalled, or whatever it is the nerds downstairs do.

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