The Link Boy by Michael J. Martineck

Author:Michael J. Martineck
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction and Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery, Detective, Satire, Literary Science Fiction, thriller, noir, suspense, Science Fiction books, sci fi books, Dystopian Novel, near future, post-government, economics, corporate takeover, corporation, corporations, no governments, murder mystery, Catholic future, tragedy of the commons, future history, martial arts, e-Book, book, books, story books, Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBook, google play
Publisher: EDGE-Lite (an imprint of Hades Publications, Inc.)
Published: 2016-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Demiana laughed when she saw her quarters. Double the size of her apartment at the rectory, this had a small living room, its own kitchen, a bedroom with a bed twice the size of the one she’d left. The beige and bamboo had the austerity of the Church, so the whole set-up reminded her of home — only better.

“What’s this place for?” she asked Van as they entered.

“Living?”

“People live here? On site at a nuclear power plant?”

“Yes.” He stopped not more than a foot inside.

Demiana darted around, poking at things, pulling open drawers, flicking lights. “This one happens to be free at the moment?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“What happened to the last resident? Please tell me you didn’t kick them out because they developed a glow that kept everyone up all night.”

“No.”

“No — you won’t tell me that? Even though that’s what happened?”

“No,” Van said. “The woman who lived here has been transferred.”

Demiana sat on the arm of the couch. The furniture faced a large wall screen, but she wanted to face Van, who stayed put in the doorway. She couldn’t decide if he was timid or polite. Neither seemed likely.

“Now you’re going to get my things,” she stated.

“Yes.”

“You have any experience collecting a woman’s sundries?”

“Sundries?”

Finally, Demiana cheered in her head. An expression.

“Girl stuff,” she continued. “Unmentionables.”

“Can you give me a list?” Van suddenly jerked himself straight and tapped his big, double-strapped cuff. “Go.”

Demiana could tell he’d started talking to someone else. She looked around some more. A cute place. It had holes in the wall above the four-seat kitchenette. Someone had lived here long enough to decorate, at least a little. She backed up her train of thought, Someone lived here? Behind mammoth walls, in stumbling distance from a cooling tower and fission reactor. Not someone… someones. Enough to keep a pub in service.

“I’ll be right there,” Van spat. He jabbed his cuff and brought his attention to Demiana. “Send me access and a list of necessities. I’ll head out to the city as soon as I take care of another issue.”

“Trouble?”

Van spun and left with precision. Every position looked like it came from a list. Timed and tried. Practiced. Even common things like turning. ‘Trouble’ put him back in his arena, she realized. Taking a lady priest to her room was really weird. He had nothing on his list for that. The phone call, a security issue, he had the response for that in a well-rehearsed repertoire. She looked at her own cuff, checked the time, got up and closed the door. She pressed the bracelet’s main function key and said, “Call Detective Edwin McCallum.”

She had a hunch what the trouble might be.

— '' —

Neelesh ran. He didn’t particularly like running. He didn’t particularly like any other form of exercise any better. Running cost next to nothing and he fit it into his day or night, somehow.

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