Stephanie Steele
Chapter 22

Steele put the cruiser on auto. She wanted to concentrate on what she’d discovered. This was much bigger than she had originally thought. Was Noel Chandler, Leon? Was Leon more than one man? She already knew that mayor Leonard, his brother and chief Edwards were involved in some way. Perhaps Chandler was just another pawn with someone bigger at the top of the pile. What was it the manager at Archie’s had said? “He has more power in this city than you can imagine. More than the police chief. More than the mayor.”

Who would have more power than a mayor and a chief of police? A head of a super powerful corporation? One that was the biggest supplier of androids? The supplier of the new Frankenstein cop droids? Androids which his company had programmed and could have control over? The thought didn’t appeal to her. A corrupt and powerful man able to command the entire police force? More power than you can imagine! That was it. What was it? She suddenly doubted her own logic. She’d made a mistake once, she didn’t want to make that same mistake again.

Okay, so he was a megalomaniac, but was he a child rapist and murderer? If he was he was damn well in a position to hide the fact with the entire police department at his command. She was going to have to be extra careful from now on.

With that thought in mind she took the cruiser out of auto and flew the last couple of minutes to Freddy’s place. As they came in for a landing Freddy’s apartment building appeared through the poisonous fog. They were a block away but she could make out the police cruisers and ambulance in the street below. Freddy saw them too. She pulled up sharply, circled back around, and came in for a landing in the next street. She needed to take a look at what was happening. Had they discovered where she was hiding out or was it something completely unrelated? She had to be sure.

Sticking to the shadows of the buildings on the opposite side of the street Steele and Freddy walked along the street towards Freddy’s apartment building. The smog had thickened and was drifting low giving them extra cover.

“Keep walking.” Steele told him. “Don’t stop no matter what happens.”

The lights of the police cruisers and ambulance cast blue and red hues over the street. Five metal droid cops were stood outside Freddy’s apartment. The light was on inside. As they passed the ambulance crew brought out a body on a hover gurney. They hadn’t covered the body sufficiently and Steele could see it was that of a child. The face was covered but given the body size she estimated them to be about nine or ten. Frank came out of the building talking to Walt. Their conversation was strained on Walt’s part. He jabbed his finger towards Frank on a number of occasions. They were too far away for Steele to pick out what they were saying but she could see Walt wasn’t happy about something.

“Why are they bringing a dead body out of my apartment? How did they even get in?” He whispered loudly. They kept walking as Steele suggested. She didn’t want Frank or Walt spotting her.

Steele zoomed in on the leg. On the body’s inner thigh the mark she dreaded. His mark. A red heart and his name. “We need to get out of here.” She quickened her pace until they were around the corner and out of sight. “Someone’s set you up to make it look like you’re Leon.”

Freddy reeled. He steadied himself against the cold stone of the building they were now sheltering beside. “How? Why?”

She urged him to keep moving. It wasn’t safe. They had to find somewhere to regroup and figure their next move. “Someone knows you’re working with me. Someone’s watching us.”

But how did he know where to find her? She’d always kept Freddy secret and his location even more so. Then it hit her. The girl in the alley! How could she have been so stupid? He’d killed a girl just to draw her out. Someone had been waiting for her at the scene guessing she’d turn up and had followed her back to Freddy’s.

Freddy didn’t like this. Not one little bit. He looked about to see if someone was indeed watching them. He fell behind Steele by a few feet, realised and quickened his pace to keep up with her. “This is bad right? This is so bad.”

“We’ll cut through this alley, keep off the streets, get to the cruiser and get out of here.” Steele turned into a darkened alley with Freddy tightly sticking to her heels. The stakes had just been increased.

The alley was long and black, the perfect cover for two fleeing fugitives. Steele’s strides were long and Freddy had to almost jog to keep up. When they were half way up the alley three shadows appeared out of the blackness ahead of them. They stopped. Apparently this was a good place for an ambush also.

Two male forms crept forward decked all in black and brandishing long swords, the blades glinting in what light there was. A third, slimmer, had the outline of a female, held back. She appeared to be the leader of the attackers. All three wore masks.

Freddy took several steps backwards and turned to flee but in an instant froze. From the end of the alley they just entered two more male sword wielding masked figures had cut off their retreat. Freddy quick timed back to Steele. “We’re trapped.” He told her.

Steele had a glance over her shoulder to confirm Freddy’s statement and turned back to look at the two oncoming males who were now raising their swords ready for an attack. Steele’s visual display zoomed in to the two men and their hands which was the only skin area exposed. From the perspiration droplets on their skin she assessed that they were human. The female however, was not human.

“You’re outnumbered.” Freddy said, shaking with fear.

“We’re outnumbered Freddy. Unless you have something better to do right now.”

“I’m no good in a fight Steele. And they’ve got big fucking swords.”

“Get up on that fire escape.” She pointed to her left. “This won’t take long. And keep out of my way.”

Freddy wasted no time in scrambling up the fire escape out of harm’s way. He thought about going all the way to the roof and leaving Steele to it, but the upgrade to her speed and fighting ability gave him the confidence to stay put and wait for her victory. This was going to be kick ass and he had a ring side seat.

Steele remained still and calm, letting the four men, front and behind, get up close. She assessed that none of them were armed with blasters, just the crazy looking swords. Of course they knew bullets wouldn’t be effective against her unless they hit the target just right, but a sword aimed true could sever an arm, leg, her head. These weren’t your opportunist muggers. These guys had been waiting specifically for her. Steele self assuredly slid her blaster from its holster and kept her hand by her side.

“You didn’t think this through, did you boys?” She brought the blaster up to emphasise her point. Before she had it level one of the men flicked the blaster from her hand with a lightning fast strike of his sword, leaving Steele defenceless. Okay, thought Steele, this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought. She could sense the smug smile of the man who had disarmed her under his mask.

Now she was relying on her combat skills alone. She could sense Freddy’s upgrade had already kicked in. She was primed and ready to take on all five.

The two from behind attacked first, expecting to take her by surprise but they hadn’t banked on her audio detection upgrade. She heard the slight scuff of a shoe and the sword cutting through the air towards her. She slipped to her left as the sword sliced passed her and struck the ground, sparking on the hard surface. Then leaning back in, she grabbed the deadly arm and at the same time shot her elbow up into his neck, crushing his windpipe. He released his grip on his sword and Steel caught it in mid air as it fell.

She spun and landed a steel fist in the second attacker’s face, destroying the hard bone of his nose. His sword clatter on the ground echoed throughout the alley. This prompted the two to her front to attack. Steele’s sword deflected the blow of one blade. She caught the sword arm of the other man and wrenched him forward. He crashed into broken nose and both fell in a heap.

She engaged the only man still on his feet with deft sword skills, matching him blow for blow. Blades flashed through the air, metal clanged against metal like a crazed percussive song. Their movements were worthy of any ballet dancer as they side stepped, lunged and parried in a whirling dervish of a sword fight. All the while the female kept watch, waiting for her turn if needed.

The man she’d so deftly flung to one side had now recovered and swooped in for another attack, his sword held high above his head in both hands, seconds away from a lethal blow to Steele’s head. Steele heard him before she saw him, deflected a blow from the one she was still fighting and spun a full three sixty degrees, sword raised, and back to deflect another blow from the man in front of her and their sword play continued where it left off.

The man who had crept up behind her brought his arms forward to strike Steele the killer blow but his hands and sword stayed where they were, hanging in the air a moment before gravity took them. He was horrified to see bloody stumps where his hands had been but a second earlier, a clean cut had taken both hands at each wrist. He slipped on his own blood and tumbled to the ground writhing in agony, spurts of blood pumping from the end of each stump.

With three now dispatched Steele just had this one to worry about. He matched her expert sword play blow for blow, lunge for lunge, swipe for swipe. All the while Steele had one eye out for the waiting female. But she just calmly stood and watched, her sword still in its scabbard, hands by her side.

She had to finish this quick before it drew attention. Walt and his team were just in the next street and they were making rather a lot of noise. Steele had an idea. Using her greater strength she forced her duellist backwards towards a wall. When he was near enough she kicked out and caught him in the midriff, sending him backwards. The wall behind stopped him abruptly, knocking him off balance. That was all she needed. She swiped the sword across him at shoulder height. At first it looked like her aim hadn’t been true. He stood there stunned but looking otherwise unhurt. Steele took a step backwards knowing different. His head fell first followed by the rest of his body. Steele looked towards the female, expecting her to flee. She was ready to run her down if necessary.

But the female didn’t run. She watched Steele, sizing her up, like a cat about to pounce on a mouse.

Steele faced her. She knew if this android had her fighting ability this was going to be a hard fight. Not like the humans, they couldn’t react as quick, weren’t as strong, and they got tired. Androids just kept on going until something stopped them.

The female’s sword sang as she slowly drew it and walked leisurely around Steele, circling her, looking for a chance to strike. Steele rotated with her, always facing her, never allowing her a way in. The female stopped, nodded politely to Steele then took up her fighting stance, sword at the ready, and waited. Steele took up the invitation and got into her own stance.

The female lunged first. Steele parried the blow. The female knutted Steele on the bridge of her nose, rattling her senses and distorting her vision for a moment. It was enough to allow the female time to throw a punch which sent Steele backwards. Steele staggered, trying to stay on her feet. Going to ground meant losing as this girl was like a super hot ninja. Her reactions were much faster than Steele’s. She was going to take some beating if she could be beat at all.

Steele raised her sword to parry an over head strike which would have split her head in two. The power of the blow shocked Steele. She nearly buckled under the huge strength this android had. Steele slipped another swipe and skipped away from the deadly female assassin to put clear space between them. She was on the ropes here and had no idea how to win this.

Steele looked to Freddy for ideas. He had none. He just gave her a wave of encouragement from the relevant safety of the fire escape. Steele decided that attack was the best way forward. She swiped at the female, first right to left, then left to right. Both times the female side stepped as if she knew beforehand what Steele planned. After the second swipe at fresh air the masked female took advantage of Steele’s over balance and nicked the soft tissue of her side. Steele felt the cut and fell against a stone wall. It was a scratch of a wound, nothing fatal, but the fact she was getting through was worrying.

Steele went at her again, chopping wildly. The female parried her blows deftly, moved nimbly and silent like a ghost. She refused to stay still to let Steele get a good go at her. She was frustrating Steele, causing her to make mistakes, wearing her down like a weak human. Steele’s human emotions which she relied on for intuition were working against her now.

Her anger grew as every blow missed its target and more of the girl in black’s hit their target. The ninja was slicing her to bits a little at a time. She had to get a hold of her emotions, control them, focus. Steele took a step back from the fight to do just that. Charging in and trying to use brute force wasn’t going to work on this bitch. She would have to be cleverer than she had been.

Steele lowered her sword as if giving up. She saw the slight movement of the dark figure’s head as she wondered what kind of a trick Steele was playing. Steele waited, and waited, and waited.

Now the bitch was getting edgy. Steele could see her wanting to make a move but not sure she should. Seeing her eyes was difficult in this light but she was sure the smaller figure was staring directly at her eyes, waiting for any tell tale sign of weakness. In her peripheral vision Steele could see Freddy getting fidgety. Any moment now. Just waiting for it.

“Just finish her!” Freddy said, unable to take the tension any longer.

It had been what Steele was waiting for. His shouting caused the female to look at Freddy. It was once again a slight movement of the head, but she saw it, and she struck. Steele’s blade made a metal clang as it sank through synth skin to the metal casing beneath, hitting her just above the left elbow.

The female was rattled and took a wild swing at Steele, missing her. Steele came forward with a lunge, trying to strike the smaller female in the abdomen. Steele didn’t see it coming. The ninja pivoted and Steele’s strike went harmlessly passed her. She came back around and swiped Steele’s sword out of her hand. It sailed through the air and landed off in the dark somewhere. The female took her chance and brought her blade back across Steele’s chest. Steele anticipated it and caught her arm in her grip, preventing her from using her sword.

Now they were close together it was easier to see each other’s features. So close that Steele could even see the small tattoo on the bare skin of her lower arm. The tattoo of a triangle and within it an eye! Steele was stunned. She looked into the eyes of her adversary for the first time. Deep green eyes! And for a more than a fleeting moment Steele wondered.

The girl produced something from her pocket. Steele only saw the flash of metal in the brief second before it hit her hand. She’d reflexively put a defensive hand up and the six inch blade passed right through her palm. Her pain receptors stung. She loosened her grip on the girl’s arm. A fatal move, and one the other girl had been banking on.

Steele saw the sword draw back. Felt it’s coldness as it penetrated her stomach up to the hilt, and exit her back. She jerked and twitched, unable to control her movements. She was at this girl’s mercy. Was this the end? Was this how I was supposed to go? She looked towards Freddy to try to tell him to run, but he had already gone. Keep running Freddy and don’t look back.

Then there was a blaster shot from behind her, the bullet pinging off the other android. Then more shots, each finding their target. Freddy had found Steele’s blaster and was doing his best to kill the black ninja. The female assassin turned Steele into the firing line as a shield and with a final look into Steele’s eyes withdrew her sword and was gone just as she had appeared, into the dark shadows.

Steele looked down at her wound. The gaping slit crackled and sparked. She took a step but her leg didn’t move. She fell forward but Freddy was there to catch her.

“I’ve got you.” He said and slung her arm around his shoulder.

The blaster shots had drawn the attention of the cops in the next street. They could hear shouting and running footsteps approaching. Freddy pressed Steele into the recess of a doorway as the droid cops appeared at the end of the alley. They started down towards them. If they didn’t move now they’d be on them in no time and they’d be done for. But move and they’d be cut down for sure.

“Get out of here. I’ll take the rap.” Steele said, pushing Freddy with her free hand.

The back door of a restaurant opened and an Indian man wearing an apron emerged carrying bags of trash. The door blocked them from the cops.

“We’re partners now.” He seized the opportunity which had presented itself. Freddy forced Steele through the doorway and into a steamy kitchen.

The Indian cooks were surprised to see a wiry red haired tech geek dragging a wounded droid through their kitchen. No one challenged them. No one said anything. They just stared as they made their way through and into the restaurant. The guy who’d put the trash out returned, shut the door and seeing everyone standing around starting barking orders in Punjabi, chivvying them to get back to work.

The restaurant wasn’t particularly busy. The few customers who were there watched in amazement the red haired man in glasses and the six foot android he was almost dragging along. A waiter rushed to open the door for them and politely held it as they exited to the street.

Walt, Frank and two other cops reached the back door. Walt banged urgently on it.

“Come on!” Walt shouted and banged again.

The Indian chef opened the door and stood aside when he saw four armed cops. Walt led the charge through the kitchen, the other kitchen staff jumping out of their way to let them pass.

Freddy checked the street was cop free. It was. His cruiser was at the end of this block about a hundred yards away. Somehow he had to drag Steele’s heavy ass through a crowded street with Face readers every few feet and cops looking for them in the next street. It was a challenge, but he was up to it.

With determination he stepped into the steady flow of the crowd, making sure Steele’s head was down so the readers couldn’t identify her. The going was slow and people overtook him. People coming the other way had to step around them. A commotion behind them made Freddy look back. He saw the cops emerge from the restaurant. “Shit!” He put his head down and kept going, hoping the crowd would camouflage them.

Walt looked up and down the street. He couldn’t see them anywhere for the crowd. He ran into the road to get a better view along the street. Cruiser horns honked at him.

No matter if he inconvenienced anyone he didn’t stop, not for a moment. It anyone got in his way Freddy just kept on going, bowling them aside like nine pins. He couldn’t afford to stop. She was getting heavier by the second and he felt like he’d drop her at any moment.

A Face reader appeared in front of them. He bowed his head to hide his face. The reader dropped down a foot trying to read his identity. He cursed under his breath but kept going. “Damn things! Whatever happened to privacy?” He wished there was an off switch for those things, some way of turning the damn things off if you didn’t want them bothering you. He’d put that on his list of to dos.

“Fredrick Winkleman.” The reader announced loudly and proceeded to show him an ad for a hair product.

“Damn thing! Get out of here!”

Frank shouted over to Walt. “A Face reader just identified Fredrick Winkleman at the end of this street.”

“Where?” Walt shouted back.

Frank pointed in the direction Freddy and Steele had gone. Walt couldn’t get back to the sidewalk. His path was blocked by fast moving traffic. “Go! Get them!”

Frank and the other cops took off after Steele and Freddy, knocking aside people who got in their way.

Freddy pushed through the last few feet of crowded sidewalk to where they’d left the cruiser and bundled Steele into the passenger seat. He slammed the cruiser door and looked back to see Frank towering above the crowd, heading his way fast. He scrambled around to the other door and jumped in, firing up the cruiser. With a look at Steele who was twitching sporadically, he lifted the cruiser into the air just as Frank arrived.

Frank drew his blaster to fire, but didn’t. Walt ran up several seconds later and opened fire with his blaster, the shots floating harmlessly into the sky. The cruiser disappeared into the smog.

“Fuck!” Walt was furious. “Why didn’t you shoot?”

“There were innocent bystanders. If I shot the cruiser down people could have been killed.” Said Frank.

“You dumb ass.” Walt hurled at him and walked away.

Freddy stuck on the auto fly mode and turned to examine Steele’s wound. It was still emitting little sparks and Steele seemed to be unable to control her motor functions. He stuck his fingers inside the wound and yanked out a bunch of wires. He twisted a wire together which was snapped, then a second. Steele sat upright and looked at him.

“Alright?” He asked. She nodded. “It’s not permanent so don’t move too much. It’ll hold until we get somewhere I can fix you.”

“This is good.” She said with an inane and lopsided grin. Obviously all her motor functions were still cockeyed.

“Getting run through with a big ass sword is good?”

“It means I’m pissing someone off. Means I’m getting close.” She lisped.

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