Boss King and the Blade

Thursday, October 2046

Boss King Residence, the Hole

Boss King

Boss King sat on the sofa, marvelling at how gentle and sweet Rebecca looked as she slept against his shoulder. Her fierce expression was calm for once, the long dark lashes of her eyelids trembling slightly as she drifted in a dream of some sort. He reached up and tenderly pushed a lock of her long dark hair behind an ear, careful not to touch the bandage she still wore from last night’s encounter.

“She’s been in the wars, hasn’t she?” his mother spoke quietly, settling herself on the other end of the sofa with a faint creak of springs. “I swear she’s tougher than my little tiger”

“I know” Boss King answered. “If I hadn’t made her my partner, she’d have eaten me alive”

Mighty Princess mumbled a little in her sleep, laying her free arm across his waist as she nestled closer into his shoulder. He lay his own hand over hers, relishing the warm touch of her skin.

“It’s Okay to care for her, Taiga” his mother said softly. “She’ll be a good match for you when you are both old enough”

“Mom!” he gasped in shock, which brought a small laugh from his mother. “Don’t say that kind of stuff!” He could feel his ears burning bright red and shifted uncomfortably on the battered sofa, eliciting more squeaks from the abused springs under his butt.

He thought Rebecca might awaken then, but the sedatives must have been stronger than he thought. Which in a way was going to be a blessing for what came next.

“Mom, I need to tell you something” he began, meeting her enquiring look across Rebecca’s slumbering form.

“It’s Okay, honey” she responded with a mother’s intuition. “I’ll let Rebecca know you are sorry you had to leave her behind”

Boss King nodded numbly, glad that she understood. He only hoped Rebecca would be as understanding when she found out.

Melody and Trixie re-entered the living room with expectant looks on both of their faces.

“Um, Taiga, I have something I need to tell you” Melody began and stopped at the strange expression she saw on his face. “Err, did something happen while we were outside?”

“Yeah” he acknowledged. “My mom agreed that I am coming with you. She’ll stay here and look after Mighty Princess until I get back”

“Is that so?” Trixie asked in a neutral tone. “And why exactly are you coming with us?”

“Because Melody is my friend and I need to make sure she is safe” he countered. “I’m going to stay by her side until she leaves the Zone for good, safe and sound”

“Oh, thanks for that” Melody replied with a shy smile, twisting her fingers in a loose lock of hair.

“I also need to protect my investment” he added with a sly grin. “She’s going to owe me and Mighty Princess a fortune by the time this is all over!”

=====

Trixie

“Hi Abbie, it’s me” she said when the young woman answered the phone. “How are things with you and Sirius?”

“Oh, we are all fine here” Abbie answered quickly. “Nothing to worry about. Your housemate and I had a nice lunch together, but I found out he hates tuna. The little rascal chucked it up all over the kitchen floor”

“Really?” Trixie wondered. “Whenever I eat tuna I have to fight him away from my plate!”

“Yeah, maybe it was just a bad batch” Abbie suggested. “So, are you coming home for dinner?”

“Sorry, I can’t” Trixie apologised. “My job might take me out of the city for a couple of days. Are you Okay to look after Sirius for me?”

“No problem” Abbie agreed with a moment’s hesitation. “We’ll all be fine until you get back”

The call disconnected and Trixie frowned at the screen in contemplation.

“Anything wrong?” Melody asked, waiting patiently at her side.

“Sirius has never gotten sick eating tuna” Trixie replied, which made Melody look at her with a perplexed air.

“Who’s Sirius? Your friend?” she enquired.

“My housemate. He’s a cat” she explained. “But something was weird with Abbie, like she was trying to tell me something”

“Do you need to go and check on her?” Melody asked.

“Yes” Trixie affirmed. “But I need to get you out of the city first. I’ll have to hope that whatever is up with Abbie is nothing too serious” She picked up her few belongings and told Melody and Boss King to get ready. It took only a few moments and then they were prepared to go.

She pondered whether to take her bike but knew it would be impossible as she was the only one who could drive. In the end the electric bike she had ridden on was being cared for by a reliable neighbour, vouchsafed by Boss King so she was confident it would be there on her return.

Samantha followed them to the front door, a temporary replacement already being screwed into place by another of their neighbours. To Trixie’s eye Samantha looked frail, her body aged more than her years would have suggested. Without doubt, the assault on her home had cost her dearly, yet she was putting on a brave front for her son.

“Take care of them for me, Trixie” the woman asked her. Trixie nodded affirmation and waited while Boss King hugged and kissed his mother. Melody stood nearby with an uncertain expression until Samantha opened her arms wide and the girl engulfed her in an eager embrace.

Soft words were spoken between them, private ones that Trixie refused to let herself hear. Then they parted and the three of them strode away down the narrow street, flanked by four Police Auxiliary in blue armour like they were some kind of VIPs. Boss King turned and waved before they were out of sight, his mother standing alone as she waved goodbye.

=====

At the closest road that was wide enough squatted a four wheeled Police van, its high body and wide chassis nearly filling the available space. A grumpy faced Detective Kamori waited in the shade of a nearby wall, smoking again in angry defiance as Trixie greeted him.

“Thanks for the loan of your vehicle, Detective” Trixie said, the implants in her palms unlocking the solid doors. “I’ll make sure it is returned to the Washima station once I am done with it”

“You are welcome, Agent Smith” Kamori grunted in reply with no effort to sound welcoming at all. “Just make sure it isn’t damaged. Our station has barely enough vehicles right now, so I’ll be walking back from here”

Trixie reached into a pocket and drew out a few Panda notes, handing them to the surprised Detective.

“You can catch a cab from the Central Markets” she said. “That’s about the only place around here they operate”

Boss King and Melody clambered into the vehicle, with the girl claiming the front passenger seat before her friend could. The boy relinquished the prime position and climbed through the centre access to the rear seats. He parked himself on the bench that ran along one side, his eyes roaming curiously over the locked cabinets and storage containers.

“And don’t use any of the equipment in back” Kamori yelled, aiming his voice at the inquisitive boy. “That is all Police Auxiliary issue”

“It’s Okay, Detective Kamori” Trixie told him authoritatively. “I am trained to use all standard Police Auxiliary equipment. My office will reimburse yours for any items that are needed in my mission”

With that she got into the driver’s seat, adjusting the position to suit her larger frame. All the vehicles were designed to be operated by Guards so she was able to easily modify it to suit herself. A final check to make sure her charges were safely buckled up then she activated the big machine’s twin engines. They surged into life, emitting a steady thrum and she gave Kamori a final wave goodbye.

He didn’t wave back, tossing his cigarette butt onto the street as a final gesture of contempt. Trixie smiled as she drove away, watching him in the rearview mirrors as he picked up the discarded butt once he thought she couldn’t see.

Even in the Hole, littering was an offence and he had committed his in front of four uniformed officers. He might outrank the officers but he was never going to risk a fine in front of all of them.

=====

Trixie’s Apartment, Central District

Abbie

“That was well done, Ms Langford” the man told her. He was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to coax out a hissing Sirius with a piece of real chicken. His eyes were like dark, stagnant pools of water, gleaming wetly under the bright light of the room.

She stood in the centre of the small room, trembling a little as the second man walked in from the bedroom. He was taller than the seated one, very similar in his features as if they were brothers or close cousins.

“No sign of the data crystal, Mister August” the second man announced. “She must have taken it with her”

“That is acceptable, Michael-Two” the first man replied flatly. He threw the rejected piece of meat at the paws of the cat, who backed away with his hackles raised, fangs bared against the intruders. “It is likely she intends to review the files again. Perhaps this time she will dive deeper into the data”

“What if she doesn’t, sir?” Michael-Two asked. “It was a big risk to try and subvert the clone to our cause”

The one named August turned his head to regard Abbie in silent contemplation, assessing her worth to his plans. Abbie felt her skin crawling under his gaze, wishing she too had fangs and claws to bare at this monster.

“The clone is trying to be human” he declared at last. “She tries to make friends, to have pets who rely on her. She has let herself become weak like the men and women she copies so foolishly. If we can’t have her one way, we can see how she responds to coercion”

Abbie saw the taller man, Michael-Two he was called, examine her with eyes barely more alive than his companions.

“Which do you think she will care for the most?” Michael-Two asked without passion. “The woman or the cat?”

“You must cover every eventuality, Michael-Two” August answered. “That is the way of the Hive” His eyes bored into Abbie and she felt her legs ready to give out from under her. “We’ll take both of them”

The man stood, brushing imaginary cat hair from his suit and gestured to his subordinate.

“You grab the cat” he declared. “It looks like a biter”

It was.