Simoom Rising

Chapter Eighteen

WAVE Orbiting Station
Now

DORIC

It was early, at least two hour before this morning's interrogation session was scheduled, when I buzzed Mac's door. After a long night of showing me her memories, Ann was dozing. I could still feel her presence, but I don't think she was conscious of what I was doing. She wasn't talking to me in my head. Come on Mac, answer. I buzzed the door again, looking up at the WAVE-Sec camera in the corridor—didn't matter, there was nothing suspicious about me talking to Mac before work. I buzzed his door again and kept buzzing until I heard his gruff voice on the other side calling, "Okay, okay, just a goddam minute."

He opened the door; he was half-dressed and bleary-eyed. "WHAT?" He said, pushing his hair away from his eyes. "What the hell, Girlie?"

I swept passed him into his neat-as-a-pin quarters. I waited for the door to swoosh close before I said: "How much time you think we have with Harmony?"

"What?"

"Before they stop this charade—it's obvious, she's not going to tell us where to find the other PCC members. Mac, are you awake?"

"I'm getting a mocha," he said, turning his back on me to head into his cubby-hole kitchen. "Want anything?" He pressed a button on his drinkmaker.

"No. How much time do we have?"

"Vestra, they don't tell me these things."

"Yeah, yeah, but what's your best guess?"

Pouring his cup full to the brim, Mac shrugged his shoulders. "One more session— maybe two. New Earth Sec will be here by the end of the week."

Crap! Frustration rose in me. I needed some straight answers. I just need to know what really happened—for Raquel's sake, for mine, and, yes, I guess for Anne's. When did I stop thinking for her as a murderer? I knew once New Earth Sec took over it would be much harder to get those answers. I muttered to myself, "So not much time to save—"

"To save?" Mac stopped in mid slurp; his face full of big brotherly concern. "Hold on, Girlie, what the hell are you talking about? You can't save Harmony. It's not your place to save Harmony."

"Not so loud!" I shushed Mac, as if his voice could wake Ann in the infirmary. I turned my attention inward for a second to see whether Ann was with us or not, but all I could hear was her steady rhythmic breathing. She was still asleep.

"Oh, come on, you don't seriously think—? It's against company privacy regulations for WAVE-Sec to record in employee quarters," said Mac, misunderstanding why I shushed him.

"I know, I know, I just meant calm down."

"Calm down? Vestra, that bitch's got some grade-A dust mojo. I've warned you, you can't get too close. The last person I heard talk about 'saving Ann Harmony' was Caraq and you know what happened to him."

"Yes, I know, he was shuffled out of WAVE Sec. But if you'd let me finish Mac, I meant save the interrogation—save our careers—you know, get her to talk." I said this forcefully, spitting it out at him, as if trying to convince both of us I hadn't fallen for Ann.

"You just admitted she's not going to."

"Snitch on her friends? No. But I think she'll tell us what really happened the day the aid workers disappeared."

The look on his face told me I had to convince him.

"Look, I know you, Mac. Despite what the bosses say, I know you would like to crack this case yourself—get a confession out of her—show up those arrogant pricks from New Earth Sec. And I think we can do it."