Stephanie Steele

“Seven people dead, three injured and a threat of court action against the department for an unauthorised raid! You’re a maniac Steele! A God damned liability! What the hell were you thinking?” Chief Edwards screamed from his standing position behind his desk. His fat face turning purple with rage.

Steele knew this would happen. It happened every time she did her own thing and didn’t go through the proper channels first. But going through those channels took time and not going through those channels, this time, again, she had saved a thirteen year old girl’s life. That was justification enough right there for her not going through the correct procedural channels. But that wasn’t enough for Edwards.

Chief Edwards was a large man. Too many bacon sandwiches and sugar coated donuts every lunch time had done that to him. As well as sitting around on his fat ass shuffling paperwork and going through the right channels. The large vein in his brow that stood out every time he got worked up looked like this time it would finally pop. She thought about it right now and had to stifle an urge to smile as she imagined a spurt of blood shooting from his temple as he continued ranting at her.

“I nearly had him. He was there chief. A few seconds earlier and I would have had the bastard!” She informed him defiantly.

Edwards ran his fingers through what was left of his hair, trying to calm himself, trying to think of a way to get through to her. “This obsession you have with catching Leon is scrambling your circuits. You’re not thinking straight. You’re compromising yourself and this department with your personal vendetta.” Edwards barked, banging a huge fist on the desk, his voice rising considerably. He’d tried to contain his anger but she annoyed the fuck out of him. Always did. Maybe it was her defiance for authority and him in particular or maybe it was the fact that he’d love to fuck her and knew he stood no chance so always found an excuse to ball her out, punishing her for not wanting him like he wanted her.

“I won’t stop until I grind his balls into paste for what he did to Uma and those other girls. For what he did to that little girl out there.” Steele threw back at him, shouting.

Although they were in the chief’s office all this was playing out in front of the entire staff who could see everything through a huge window which separated Edwards’s office from theirs. Not only that, the volume at which they were attacking each other was quite clear for all to hear. All, including Mia, who was sitting at Detective Rachel Nixon’s desk now dressed in a few clothes they’d scratched together from lost property.

Nixon, a cute twenty four year old, decked in a white blouse and short slim-line skirt got up quickly and headed to warn the chief that everyone could hear what they were saying. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem but Mia could hear it too and Nixon thought that she shouldn’t be hearing it. She threw open the chief’s door without knocking. Normally she would but on this occasion she thought best to just go right on in there.

“Sorry for barging in sir, but can we keep the level down?” Nixon tried to keep her own level down so Mia wouldn’t hear, and flicked her head towards the little girl seated by her desk. Both Edwards and Steele looked in Mia’s direction and stopped shouting, guilty looks on their faces. Nixon knew they’d got the picture, closed the door and returned to Mia to continue taking a statement.

Steele was first to resume the argument. This time at a quieter level. “She’s thirteen years old, and that’s not the youngest of them.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Began Edwards, “I want to catch Leon as much as you do Steele but there’re channels to go through. We’re the law. We’re not above the law.”

“You think Leon gives a fuck about the law?”

“We do things by the book around here and if you can’t understand that then you’re no better than him.”

“Bullshit paper work! Days to wait to get permission to do anything! I get a tip I need to act fast. Not wait for someone to mull it over.”

“Who tipped you? I want a name, address and social security number right now?” Demanded Edwards.

“No fucking way. I guarantee anonymity. If I can’t do that then I don’t get the intel.”

“That’s not your decision to make.”

Steele had had enough of his bullshit. She turned to leave.

Turning her back on him maddened him more. No one left his presence until he dismissed them. “That’s it. I’ve had it with you. You’re suspended pending an enquiry. Badge and gun on my desk.” He snapped.

Steele turned back and stared Edwards down with narrowed eyes, refusing to budge. Neither budging.

“Now Steele!”

After a moment of staring at each other and realising Edwards wasn’t joking, Steele removed her badge and gun and tossed them across the room where they landed on Edwards’s desk, spilling a cup of coffee. With a last glare at Edwards she left, slamming the door hard.

All eyes were on Steele as she made her way across the outer office towards Nixon and Mia. She didn’t care what they thought of her. She knew she’d done the right thing and that’s all that counted. She’d saved one little girl and that alone was worth the seven deaths. Granted there were some civilian casualties, but anyone who frequented Archie’s Bar wasn’t a person she thought was worth saving anyway. So Edwards could go to hell and stick his paperwork where the sun didn’t shine.

As she approached Nixon’s desk, she saw that Mia was hunched over, probably been crying. She just wanted to get out of here now. Get her wounds fixed and re-evaluate what she did next. Police work was what she did. What she was good at. What was she supposed to do while suspended? Sit on her ass and do nothing while Leon was out there looking for his next victim? How old would she be this time? Nine? Eight? The thought of him out there laughing at her while he sized up his next victim, knowing he’d been close to being caught, knowing he’d outsmarted her again, was unbearable. If he thought she was going to stop he should think again. She’d carry on until her chassis was corroded and falling apart, her wiring hanging out and her hard drive down to its last one percent.

“Take care of her Nixon.” Steele said as she passed her desk.

“Suspended again?” Nixon said with a glint in her eye. She bit her lip as she watched the sway of the massive android saunter by, stole a glance at her jiggling breasts.

Steele saw Nixon’s eyes land on her breasts but ignored it. “Bureaucracy stinks.” She complained. “What did the DNA scan throw up?”

“Nothing.” Her disappointment was evident.

Steele suddenly stopped. Not because of Nixon but because of what walked into the office right then. Nixon turned to look also, as did many of the other detectives and police officers. It was a sleek, metal, faceless android sauntering in like it owned the joint. Its red and silver paint job buffed to a mirrored finish.

“What the hell is that?” Steele asked with a certain amount of disgust. Androids which looked like androids defeated their purpose. They were supposed to look human and blend in. This one stood out like a sore thumb, all new and shiny and metal.

“Detective Frank. We call him Frankenstein. Didn’t you read the memo?” Nixon asked. “That is the future of law enforcement. It’s a new state of the art cop from Cyber Corp. The department’s trialling him and if he works out the older models will be phased out. You are outdated Steele, and me along with you. We’ll be retired with no choice but to get a job flipping burgers or turning tricks for the sickos of this God forsaken city.” Nixon said as her green eyes were distracted by Steele’s shapely backside. And what a backside it was. She’d love to sink her teeth into it.

The faceless robot passed Steele who still couldn’t quite believe the PD was considering such a thing. “Evening Detective Steele.” It spoke in a deep intimidating voice. “I hear you violated a number of laws earlier. If I’d been the chief I’d have charged you and thrown you in a cell.” He continued without stopping.

“I’d have crushed your nuts.” Steele threw back at him.

The room went quiet as Frank stopped and turned to face Steele. Nixon froze, hoping this wouldn’t get out of hand. She knew Steele wouldn’t be the one to back down in any confrontation. Was this going to be a confrontation?

Frank was quick with his response. “I doubt that very much. My body is high tensile steel and bullet proof. My strength is four times yours and I have a quadruple core, 1,024 bit processor which means I can process information and react twice as fast as you. I’m also smarter.”

“So no room in there for a personality huh?”

Nixon chuckled.

“Your attempts to illicit anger won’t work Detective Steele. I am not programmed for human emotions.” He told her in that harsh male voice.

“No feelings huh?”

“No weaknesses.” And with that Frank turned and walked away.

Nixon breathed a sigh of relief and shared a WHAT THE HELL? look with Steele before Steele headed out. “Get those wounds sorted out.” Nixon shouted after her.

“On my way.”

“Hey, you thought about making me your partner?”

Steele stopped to look back at Nixon. The blonde detective was wearing a flirty smile. One she’d seen many times before. Please, not now Nixon. I’ve had a hard day and I just want to get home, Steele thought to herself.

Nixon leant back in her chair, legs invitingly apart, a hand pulling gently at the hem of her skirt exposing a tantalising inch or two of thigh.

This girl had it bad. Steele was used to this kind of behaviour and usually a single brush off would work, but not with this girl. She had been at her since she’d arrived at the department. Flirting, batting her pretty green eyes, and asking her out at every opportunity. Even her best put downs couldn’t deter Rachel Nixon. Yeah, she had it bad alright. But Steele wasn’t in the mood tonight. Not tonight, not any night. There was only one girl for her and her name was Uma. And now that Uma was gone she couldn’t allow anyone to take her place. It would be a betrayal. Like two timing her. She wouldn’t do it.

“I work alone.” Steele said firmly, pretending she didn’t know what she meant.

“I wasn’t talking about work.” Nixon whispered seductively. Flashing those big green eyes and biting her lower lip again.

“That smile’s going to get you in trouble one of these days Nixon.”

“Oh, I do hope so.”

You could cut the sexual tension with a knife it was so thick. Steele even allowed herself a little smile of her own. But before she could answer, a little voice broke the silence.

“Will you catch the man Detective Steele?”

Steele had almost forgotten about Mia. Damn you Nixon. You’re flirting with me like this in front of Mia and after everything that’s happened? Not cool. Steele took a step back towards Mia. She’d hoped she wouldn’t have to talk to her. Hoped she could escape. But Nixon had delayed her and now she was going to have to engage with the little wet face in front of her all over again.

“If he hadn’t been wearing a mask we may have been able to identify him. But we’ll get him. He’ll make a mistake and when he does I’ll be there.” Steele said in her best comforting voice, trying to disguise her frustration.

The description Mia had given them of Leon could have been half a million guys in the city. Average height, overweight, dark hair, no discernible accent, no features which stood out. It was a let down, but she couldn’t blame Mia. The last thing on the poor girl’s mind when she was being raped was what that knobliscuss looked like.

“What’s going to happen now?” Said Mia with watery eyes.

Mia’s tiny little voice choked Steele up. Nixon could see and stepped in to save embarrassment.

“We’ll give your parents a ring and they can come and collect you.” Nixon told her in an equally comforting voice.

This kid was getting to Steele. She put on her best performance and tried not to let Mia see she was upset. “The janitor’s off sick so don’t go making puddles on the floor kiddo.”

Mia didn’t laugh. Just turned away and wiped a runny nose. “I’d rather stay with you Detective Steele. You’ll protect me, right?”

This kid knew how to pull at the heart strings. It was days like this that Steele wished she had had her emotion upgrade erased. Steele again put on her best steely voice and laid a hand on Mia’s shoulder. “I’ve been suspended Mia. Seems filling in paperwork is more important than saving little girls around here.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing. Edwards is a jerk off.” Nixon said, her emerald eyes connecting with Steele’s sapphire ones. Maybe there was a heart inside that tin body of hers after all. One that may just let her in. If she could only make her forget about Uma. She knew all about that. How Steele had gone to pieces afterwards. How she’d gone for weeks without powering down. Just relentlessly going after Leon. Never letting up. Driven by love, hatred and revenge. She’d wished Steele would open up to her. If there was a slight hope Steele certainly wasn’t showing it. Stubborn bitch.

“Appreciate the support Nixon.”

“Would it hurt to call me Rachel once in a while?”

Please don’t do this Nixon. “I have to go.” Steele noticed a tear escape Mia’s eye. Her small hand brushed it away quickly but she’d seen it. What a brave girl. But she couldn’t do anything about it right now. “Detective Nixon will look after you now.” And with that Steele walked away, avoiding the temptation to look back. But at the door she did look back. Just for a fleeting moment. Then she was out of there. Back to the city that had taken more from her than it had given.

The noisy cruel city with its unforgiving nature smothered her as she stepped onto the sidewalk. But out here it felt right. This was her territory. She marched away, her coat flapping behind her and dissolved into the curtain of mist and the night.