Chapter 2 No.2

I had to find a way to out-drive them, so I overlaid a local map display onto my screen. There has to be something here. Factories, hotels, shopping malls; ah, here's something. An amusement park. Hmm, maybe.

"ICy. What's with this amusement park about two miles away?"

"Closed for the week."

I floored it.

The blip was a mile away.

I dove the car into the park, the blip close behind me.

The blip became a black Jupiter-90 model-K, commonly know as a Cloud-Jumper. It could do about 50 MPH more than my little Tango. Can't outrun it, so might try some little trick flying, and this amusement park seemed like the best place to do it in. I soared through the park's Loop-The-Loop; it followed. I flew under the Power-Diver; it copied. For every move that I did, it copied.

"Well, now that I know I can depend on you guys..."

I thumbed a few controls in preparation and then headed for the Shoot; a nice roller-coaster type affair with a long downward shoot of nice shiny steel.

A laser shot glanced off a rear light. "Ouch. They're playing rough. Well, don't worry, " I patted the dashboard, "ICy, Program 1. Frequency scan, verification, and load into channel A."

"Aye, aye, Cap-E-TANE."

The Jumper was within a few hundred feet of me.

I shot up the shoot; the Jumper followed immediately.

"Yes, lets play follow-the-leader boys. ICy!"

"Got it loaded boss."

"Right."

I adjusted the antennae control to aim the antennae towards the rear, set it to broadcast, and opened up channel A.

Instantly, a stream of high-intensity radio garbage was sent along in back of me on what I hoped was the frequency of their on-board nav-computer; the radio waves were bounced around further by the steel walls of the shoot. Ain't that nice!

The Jumper began to weave and bounce around the Shoot, picking up more than a few dents. Then I made it out the top and floored it. The Jumper almost made it out. It hit the top edge of the shoot and deflected down to hit the ground, cracked in two, and caught on fire.

I sped away.

It works every time, but drains the hell out of Tango's battery.

"Well, it appears, ICy, that we may be onto something."

I slowed down to a more normal speed and continued on over to Kaver's.

***

I limped Tango onto the second-story landing pad of the apartment complex. It was a mid-level apartment, nothing too fancy, but not a downsider place either. Since I might need to search for hidden compartments, I pocketed my cavity-resonator just in case, put Tango on security-lock, and then went to look up Kaver's apartment.

Apartment 2403C was answered by a 5'5" orange-furred manx.

"Yes?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Kaver."

"I'm afraid my husband isn't home just now."

"Husband?!"

My startled expression was plain for all to see for the few seconds that I lost it. You don't hear about too many mixed marriages; at least not with human and fur. A bit kinky I must admit.

"It's not too well known, " she smiled.

I was deathly afraid to ask about any kids.

"How may I help you?"

I brought out my ID, "I'm with InterSpec."

You get used to that disappointed look- kind of.

"Come in."

I went in, closing the door behind me. She led me into the living room, poured two drinks from a small wet-bar, handed one to me, sipped hers, and then invited me to sit down.

"Well, " she sat down, "what can I do for you? My husband should be home within the hour."

I didn't want to tell her otherwise.

She sat cross-legged, wearing a two-piece dress that was more of a belt-and-handkerchief than dress and blouse. She also looked quite young, no more than about 26. Kaver had to be about 40. Watching her sit like that I could tell what he saw in her, but what did she see in him? Oh, well. No accounting for taste- except on Kaver's part.

She looked at me as if studying some choice piece of meat. Her curves began to move in all the right directions, as she sat down a bit closer to me. She had the hots for me? And with a husband? You can put the people in the cat but you can't take the cat out of the people. Or something like that.

The drink had a hint of catnip in it.

"Well, " good drink, "I just need to check out his room for something. I won't take long."

"I suppose so. Isn't there anything else?" she smiled suggestively.

I managed to squirm my way over to his work room with a suggested promise. She sure didn't seem like the faithful wife type.

His room was about as well kept as the person seemed. Papers and print-outs everywhere, strewn socks, and a terminal.

Did I say a terminal?

I checked. Its files had been cleared and his memory storage disks had a large magnet next to them. So much for that.