“Ever try to kill a ghost?”
The tableau broke as the security monitor beeped, and the words “Time, time, time,” marched across the screen. Ghost stepped away from the shaking Fuhito and moved to the door. Sam stood up, took out his gun, and pointed the Lethe at the United Oil man.
“It’s been enlightening, Mr. Fuhito, but it’s past your bedtime.” he said, pulling slowly on the trigger. The dart struck home and Fuhito jerked, his expression flickering from surprise to contempt as he slumped. Ghost caught him before he hit the floor. The two runners arranged Fuhito at the desk, draped to appear as though he had fallen asleep.
By the time they closed the door, the knowbot monitoring he length of inactivity on secure files had blanked the screen, logging Fuhito out.
As they hurried down the corridor back to the pens, Ghost whispered, “I think you’ve lost your invisibility He’ll spill to Haesslich in the morning”
“I disagree. I saw enough of his kind in Japan when I was with Renraku. They’re loyal to the company, but also concerned about personal honor.” They were into the vehicle park before Sam had a chance to say more. “Mr. Fuhito is actually Major Fuhito, Haesslich’s second in command of security,” he said. “Being caught by a couple runners who slipped in and out of his domain without setting off a single alarm will shame him deeply. I called him mister instead of by rank, so he’d think we didn’t know who he was. He may take that to mean we wont say anything about who we caught. If none of us talks, tonight never happened. His kind find it real easy to take that line. Fuhito must be ambitious, which is why he works late at night. He wants to move up in the world, but he wants his world orderly. Haesslich and his personal agents are a troublesome headache to him, too random and unpredictable. Such wild cards are disturbing to a man like Fuhito. He wants them gone from his world, and that’s a service we night provide in a number of ways. Whether we eliminate Haesslich’s agents, expose them, or simply foul up their plans, we embarrass Haesslich.
“The Major will be looking for a way to use the Dragon’s embarrassment to his own advantage. If Drake is involved with Wilson and Haesslich and the big boys of United Oil know nothing about that, I think the Major may get what he’s hoping for. If Haesslich’s private operatives mess up a United Oil operation by compromising a lucrative acquisition like Wilson, the Dragon will not earn points with United Oil executives. With Haesslich’s stock going down, Fuhito’s goes up. We, working to expose Drake’s operation, will do some of the Major’s work for him, making it easier for him to take Haesslich’s job. No, Mister Fuhito will be very quiet about his night visitors.
“At least now we know that we can hunt down Drake without worrying about getting on the wrong side of United Oil.” Sam looked around. “Now, how do we get out here?”
“Null perspiration, paleface. Just follow me.”
43
Hart stood by the cockatrice pen. The animals seemed sluggish, but it was still early and the day overcast. She felt a bit sluggish herself and would have liked to go back to bed. It was a good day for sleeping. Business rarely allowed one to indulge slothful habits, and today business by the name of Haesslich had called her and Tessien to check security at the dockyard. He hadn’t said why exactly, but he wanted things locked up. She suspected some sort of special shipment coming or going within the next few days.
Tessien arrived in its usual flurry of dust. It radiated its own irritability in response to her greeting. Yes, indeed, she thought, a wonderful morning.
Tessien was too large to enter the security building, so they’d hold the meeting out here. She wondered how long Major Fuhito’s struggle to balance Japanese politeness, company honor, and personal annoyance at outsiders would keep them waiting. The dockyard was still gearing up for the day and there was not much activity. She watched the cockatrices scratch about at the ground in the enclosure.
“They are drugged.”
“What?”
“The (unintelligible sense) have had their senses artificially dulled.” Tessien broadcast its annoyance at Hart. The serpent didn’t like explaining itself.
There was no reason she could think of for United Oil to drug its entire flock of guard beasts. Something had happened, and Haesslich would want to know what. If she could solve the problem before bringing it to the Dragon, she might earn a bonus. At the very least, it might put their working relationship back on a better course. She wouldn’t expect real gratitude from the beast, but he might learn to appreciate her professionalism a bit more.
And it was time to be professional. Major Fuhito and a trio of security personnel were coming down the front steps. In contrast to his crisply uniformed aides, Fuhito’s clothes looked slept in. He was heavy-eyed and his movement slow. As they approached her and the serpent, she noted that the major’s gait was unusual. In the tight burst of speech that passed for a whisper among dracoforms, Tessien confirmed what she had concluded.
“He has been drugged, also.”
After the formal greeting, she took Fuhito by the arm and led him around Tessien, putting the bulk of the dracoform between them and his aides. Tessien’s tail warded off their attempts to follow.
“Well, Major,” she said with a smile, “would you like to tell me about it or do you want to talk to Haesslich directly?”
Fuhito blinked like an Eyekiller suddenly dragged into the light. “What are you talking about?”
“Last night’s penetration, of course.”
Fuhito’s face froze. “How did you know about that?”
“It’s my job to know about such things,” she said sweetly and watched him calculate his answer. Had he not been so muzzy from whatever the intruders had used on him, he would have hidden it better.
“I have done nothing to compromise United Oil.” he said.
“I haven’t accused you of anything, Major. What did they want?”
His slowness in answering warned her that he was about to tell her either a lie or a half-truth.
“They were looking for Jarlath Drake.”
Drake. But the Major was holding something back. A sudden awful suspicion flared. “And just who were they?”
“Two men. An Indian, enhanced, and a Caucasian with datajack. There was also a decker whom they called Dodger.”
Dodger, too. She felt her own suspicion echoed from Tessien.
“Was this Caucasian a blond with hazel eyes? Average height and build, datajack on his right temple, four small scars on his right hand, and a corporate’s spare tire?”
“Yes to all but the weight. He was slim.” Fuhito’s voice was less slurred now and his eyes sparkled with calculation. “Your suspect has a beard?”
Not when she had last seen him. But the description and details were close enough. Too close. The trials he had been through could easily have cost him weight, and he’d had enough time to grow a natural beard. There might be other men who matched the description, but how many would come here looking for Drake? The intruder had to be Verner. This was a most unfortunate turn of events, but she had only herself to blame for not checking the dracoform’s kill in person.