CHAPTER 12
The OWG Flight Attendant woke Locke as the SST descended into Dale City. It touched down like a light bird, just as it had before. It wasn’t until Locke was in the airport that he noticed the flight only took an hour. No wonder he felt a little woozy, his sleep was more like a quick nap. The SST’s speed surprised him again.
In the limousine, Hiss poured himself a drink from the automobile’s bar. The label read, Non-Alcohol Liquid. The OWG banned real alcohol early on because it caused the Masses to forget, as the OWG Exalted Leader put it, “their responsibilities, priorities, and allegiance to the One World Government” when under the influence. Alcohol inebriation, Locke had heard, also caused subjects to run out of sex credits quicker than usual.
Hiss sipped his drink. “This is my town. Where I matured. Where I learned how to follow the OWG. I matriculated to high school not too far from here.” He pointed to an area left of the highway. “How much did you get to see when you were here before?”
“Not much really. After riding the train and then the bus, it was all I could do to keep up with the Govicide Agents on the case.”
“You see that?”Hiss pointed out the right side of the limousine. “That is the OWG Tower.”
“I see it.”
The building, tall and black, was constructed of black rectangles stacked on top of each other. Two antennas stuck out the top of it.
Hiss tapped his knuckles on the window then took another sip. “Tallest building on this continent. Built in under a year not long after the OWG formed. Houses regional offices for all of the main departments of the OWG, including Govicide. No Homicide in that building. The building is too important for such a lowly department.”
“Yeah, they told me that. The Homicide Department here is an older building near the shore,” Locke pointed in the opposite direction of the Tower. “I didn’t have enough time to visit it when I was here.”
“I can remember going to the shore as a kid for some fishing.” Hiss was in full reminiscing mode, his eyes almost shut while remembering. “Filling out the proper paperwork so I could take what I caught home. I could not fill it out so my mother did. The paperwork is a lot longer now.”
“That’s what I’ve heard,” Locke answered, having never gone fishing. Who had the time?
“But, the summers get hot here. It is not so much hot but humid. I moved out once I passed the Govicide Test.” Hiss shook himself as if reliving a Dale City summer.
“Where do you live now?” Locke gazed out his window, empty buildings—big and small—shuffled past.
“All over the place. With this case I do not spend too much time in one spot, I mainly stay at OWG hotels now. Like we will be doing.”
Locke knew the hotels well. He’d gotten to stay in a few while chasing Hamilton. The OWG ones for Govicide Agents and Goods and Services workers were several steps above the ones for the Masses. The OWG approved Locke’s accommodations in the Govicide ones so he could be closer to the Agents in case something happened. The Agents made it clear they didn’t like the arrangement, treating him like he’d never helped them with any of the investigation.
“Yeah, they’re nice,” Locke answered, guessing those same Agents couldn’t be too pleased about his promotion. He smiled in defiance.
The limousine rolled over the bumpy highway, the cracks in the road jarring the otherwise smooth ride. The OWG Tower got closer and closer until the automobile took an exit, going south parallel to the shoreline. They rode in silence, Locke watching the buildings—some populated, some not, wondering when they were built. Once in a while, he stole a glance at Hiss. It seemed since the OWG Tower went out of sight Hiss gave no attention to their surroundings. The Agent, still sipping his drink like he had all day, stared straight ahead as if admiring the driver.
“So, what’s the plan here?” Locke asked once the limousine left the highway.
“Well, I want to interview one of my spies first. But we will have to wait until early evening because he only comes out then.”
“What do you think this spy is going to tell us?”
Hiss shifted his position on the seat and poured another drink. “Not sure. He has been good in the past. He is in pretty deep with a couple of Offenders. So, I expect some good information from him.”
Deep with Offenders? The words repeated in Locke’s head. He couldn’t help but ask “Did you ever talk to him about Hamilton?”
Hiss’ focus didn’t move from its concentration on the front of the limousine. He didn’t blink. He didn’t shift. Locke moved closer to his side taking Hiss’ behavior as a prelude to another rant.
But his worry was for naught.
“I did,” Hiss answered with a quick look at Locke, eyes meeting Locke’s then shifting away.
“What’d he say?” Locke leaned over, wanting to hear every word.
“I asked about Hamilton before anyone knew his name. My spy could not tell me anything. And he is well-connected.”
“Nothing? No information at all.”
“No. And if there was any data, my spy here would have found it.”
Trying to hide his disappointment, Locke turned away from Hiss. Hamilton managed to be a secret to everyone including a subject who infiltrated groups of Offenders.
More luck for the murderer? Locke didn’t think so.
After passing through two more non-working stoplights, their ride ended in front of the OWG Hotel.
Locke remembered it. It happened to be the same one he stayed in when he was tracking down Hamilton. He’d come a long way since then, but the hotel had not. It still looked the same with its neon OWG display out front and its fifty-year old architecture. Off-white plaster cracked in places, forming the façade. Six stories high and sixty feet wide, windows lined up six across.
The previous time, Locke stayed on the fourth floor in a room with a view of the street. He recalled gazing out its window one night, wondering what would cause someone to kill Govicide Agents. An empty construction site lazed across the street. It had long been abandoned, the rusting machinery still sat where the OWG Workers left them. The sign out in front of the construction site said that the project had been abandoned so more credits would be available for Goods and Services.
“They will get our luggage,” Hiss said, interrupting Locke’s thoughts.
In a few seconds, the limousine driver and an OWG Bellboy from the hotel came out with a cart. They loaded the luggage and rolled it inside. Hiss and Locke followed.
Hiss requested a room close to the elevator and ice machine. Locke asked if he could have the same room as a year and a half ago. That room was vacant and Locke received the keys.
The two Agents agreed to meet down in the lobby in an hour.
Locke rode the elevator himself while Hiss stayed in the lobby talking on his phone. He found his room, plopping his luggage down on the bed.
The room had old-style lights that didn’t come on until a switch on the wall was flipped. The mattresses were the box-spring style, no longer manufactured. In fact, Locke was not sure the OWG made any mattresses these days. It had decided subjects could sleep anywhere, even on the floor, so there was no reason to make new mattresses. That left more resources to provide Goods and Services. The sink in the bathroom had handles to turn on the water, unlike newer models that dispensed water when a subject’s hands waved under the faucet.
It felt old. It looked old.
Like the Pyramids.
“Don’t start, Michael,” Locke demanded.
Pulling back the curtain, Locke observed the construction site again. What a contrast: a beautiful Dale City day combined with the ugliness of the area across the street.
An OWG bus passed, then a male on a bike. A male and female strolled on the sidewalk, neither holding hands nor speaking to each other. But, they looked like a couple, dressed in similar clothes.
In the far distance, he saw an SST taking off, without a doubt the one bringing him and Hiss here. It left the surface of the world and penetrated the clouds in less than a minute.
Unpacking, he changed clothes, feeling a little sticky from the limousine ride, his back sweating from the leather seats.
An hour later, Hiss sat beside a table reading the OWG Daily, his eyes and forehead just visible.
“I thought you would be late. But you are on time. Good.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Locke responded, hoping Hiss heard the incredulity in his voice.
Hiss threw the paper on the table and rose from the chair. He didn’t wait for Locke as he rambled to the front door.
The sun was an hour from touching the horizon when the limousine pulled alongside the curb in front of a series of empty buildings.
They were not stand-alone structures. They shared walls and their roofs combined to make one large, flat surface. A subject could walk the entire block on top of them without having to jump from one edifice to the next. Yet, each was its own size. Some were skinny, twenty feet across. Others were fifty feet wide or more, though they were all the same height. Locke recalled someone referring to this type of structure as an outdoor mall.
Hiss checked his watch. “We are a little early.” He poured himself another drink.
“You really like that stuff?”
“It is better than anything else we have in here.”
“Did you fill out the paperwork to be able to drink that?” Locke thought he might catch Hiss in a mistake.
“Filled it out before we left. None for you since you did not put your name on the forms.” Hiss smiled, sides of his mouth almost touching his ears.
And that missing tooth, Locke noticed it and once again Hamilton’s perfect teeth gleamed in his mind.
Twenty minutes later, almost right on the dot, a group of males appeared at the end of the street. They meandered up until they were almost beside the limousine, talking and laughing like none of them noticed the black machine near them.
Four of them were mixed race. One was pure white. All dressed to the OWG mandate—a variety of different colored shirts with blue pants. No black.
“This is it. Follow my lead.”
Hiss put down his third glass of non-Scotch and opened his door. He made it around the limousine and onto the sidewalk before Locke had a chance to move. He yelled at the group, “Offenders, up against the wall!”
Through his dark window, Locke saw the five stop in their tracks. Fear arrived on their faces.
“What is he doing?” Locke sighed then jumped out of the car. “You heard Govicide Agent Hiss. Up against the wall,” Locke shouted, slamming the car door.
Upon seeing Hiss had help, they backed up. They placed their hands against the wall, legs spread.
“Let me see your papers.” Hiss yelled. They flinched in unison.
Hiss went down the line of the five males. Each of them gave him their OWG ID papers. He pretended to scan the barcode on each document. The males didn’t notice the scanner was not even turned on. Locke did, the green light was dark.
When the old Agent reach the fifth male—the white one, the wiry male fumbled with his papers. Suddenly, he took a swing at Hiss, catching him on the arm.
Hiss rocked to the side a bit. “Hey--”
The male headed right for Locke, looking like he intended to run him over.
“Govicide Agent Locke!” Hiss hollered.
Locke had a split second to react. He hadn’t tackled anyone in a long time, the last being three years ago and that was an unruly prisoner in handcuffs. This was someone at almost a full sprint.
With just inches to spare, Locke stepped to the side and put his leg out. The male tripped over it. His jaw bounced against the pavement, and he let out an agonizing grunt.
Jamming his right knee in the center of the male’s back was enough for Locke to hold him on the ground. “You okay, Govicide Agent Hiss?” Locke asked, craning his neck to catch sight of his partner.
“Yes, I am fine.” Hiss pointed to the rest of the males. “Get out of here. We are going to make an example of your comrade. And remember, you are all in the System. We are watching.”
The group hustled down the street. Hiss came over to where Locke still pinned the disobedient subject.
“As for you, subject, I am going to get a little revenge on you. Get up.”
Hiss pushed Locke aside, releasing Locke’s knee. With a wheeze, Hiss dragged the male to his feet. Locke smothered a grin watching the five foot six Agent push around a five foot ten Offender. And the age difference must have been twenty-five years.
“You think you can run from us? Nobody runs from Govicide.” Hiss shoved him up against the wall.
For some reason, the male let out a little, yellow-toothed smile. Locke shook his head. This Offender just didn’t know when to quit.
“You think this is funny?” Hiss shouted in the younger male’s ear.
In one swift motion, Hiss pulled him away from the wall and pushed him right through the empty doorway of the nearest storefront. Locke’s eyes widened, thinking his partner might be going too far now.
From inside, the Offender let out a yelp.
Hiss charged in after him.