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Chapter 38

"FOR FUCK SAKES!!" Maxwell shrieked as he stared at the frozen image on a Vid screen. Ramsay and Mitchell's bodies were sprawled on the ground. In the background was the carnage of destroyed vehicles and buildings caused by the stolen Burro.

"It's a lot to take in," said Benson. He was seated in the control room beside him.

"Lapearle was right all along," Maxwell muttered. There was a hint of defeat in his tone. Every screen on the wall was showing a different aspect of the chase – before, during and after. It was a sight to see. The level of destruction was incredible. "Something else is at play. There's no way Sobel could have engineered anything like this."

"We're ready for you, Chief," said Lapearle as he sprinted into the room.

"Any news on his whereabouts?"

"Nothing. That Burro disappeared into thin air."

"Anything else?"

"One of the Squads just found the body of Alex Perkins in his car not far from Sobel's house. He was his agent on the last swap. No clear cause of death."

"This isn't good at all." Maxwell stood and left the room. Lapearle fell into step beside him. "Who's here?"

"The Mayor, Governor, Chandler and Commander Gorman."

"Why's Chandler here?" Maxwell asked. The halls were empty. Almost every person in the building was at their desk or on the street trying to solve a piece of the puzzle.

"The Mayor wanted him in because of his working relationship with Sobel."

Maxwell groaned. "It's pointless. We've already tried that angle."

Fogged glass doors at the end of the hall opened when they approached, revealing a conference room with a huge table. There were four men seated at the far end.

"Gentlemen," Maxwell gave them each a nod and took a seat close to the group. Lapearle sat beside him and didn't say a word.

"Care to explain yourself?" asked Chandler.

Maxwell fixed him with a cold glare. "Pardon me?"

Chandler opened his mouth to reply but paused. All eyes in the room were on him and none shared his angry expression.

"Are you suggesting I let my prisoner go? Or that I'm an idiot for not predicting the betrayal of a soldier who's rigorously screened against just such a problem?"

"Didn't I say the exact same thing to you a few days ago?"

"Nice try."

"Maybe you could explain why a man who is clearly innocent is still being treated like a criminal?"

"This isn't the time, Malcolm."

"Why not?" Chandler looked around the table. "How is this not the time? Are you deaf or stupid? I gave you information that would have altered the course of this investigation! It's impossible for someone to become a Locum who is predisposed to violence!"

"That's not the immediate problem," said Maxwell. "And I won't argue semantics. You're here by request as a consultant, not by me. Remember that."

"Just explain to me why you ignored such obvious logic??!!"

"Intuition," said Maxwell. "And because he ran. MAYBE something snapped in him, or maybe there's a bigger picture that has to be considered."

Chandler closed his eyes and shook his head. "You really don't get it."

Maxwell surveyed the rest of the group. "Let's get a plan together folks. We need to find these fuckers. I'm tired of looking like a fool."

Mayor Tompson, a large man in an expensive grey suit was the first to speak. "How can my office help?"

"We need to pool our resources," said Lapearle. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a Leech and set it on the table. "Do any of you know what this is?"

Everyone shrugged except Gorman.

"It's called a Leech. An old device made to pull information from a Hotwire Port. It can be modified to emit an electric charge and used as a weapon. The advantage? It only leaves a tiny bump beside the port. A similar bump was found on every one of Sobel's supposed victims along with his own body."

The room fell silent. All eyes were on the Leech.

"We thought we broke the case with this until Sobel was abducted from the Trench by Frankie Mingle. That was a curveball. Things got stranger when we tracked Mingle down and found him dead. Can you see where this is going?"

There were murmurs from the group but nothing tangible.

"When you consider what Lapearle has said, along with what happened to Alpha Block tonight, there's a possibility we need to consider." Maxwell leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "Someone is influencing events or Sobel has a helping hand."

"So you're implying what Chandler said is true? Sobel may have been innocent all along?" asked Governor Field. He was a slight man with thick grey hair and a moustache.

"That depends. There's no doubt he's guilty of evading arrest and possession of restricted technology. As for the murders - he might not have killed anyone, but it may have been done for him – or he was framed. Right now there isn't enough evidence to support one over the other." Maxwell noticed Gorman was shaking his head. "You disagree, sir?"

"I'm no fan of the conspiracy theory," he said. "But I'm on board with the idea of help. This is about an arrogant man who lost his prized possession and suffered a nervous breakdown."

"You think that's actually his motive?" Lapearle asked. "Sobel is so vain that losing his body made him want people dead?"

"Vanity is a strange thing."

"He risked everything to see his wife one last time before being arrested."

"Using illegal military hardware."

"I hardly see how that matters."

"How did he get his hands on it?" Gorman asked, ignoring Lapearle's statement. "That's the real question. It's hard to believe someone desperate to get home and see his wife would track down restricted equipment. Who are his connections?"

"That's reaching," said Lapearle. "This whole thing is probably as confusing to him as it is to us."

"That still doesn't explain the Holosuit."

"Which makes a partnership seem likely," said Maxwell.

"This is ridiculous!" yelped Chandler. "Sobel's incapable of crime in ANY manner! How many times do I need to repeat myself before that registers?! Violence is violence. It doesn't matter if he pulls the trigger or has someone else do it."

"I disagree," said Maxwell. "Years of police work have taught me never to believe in a sure thing."

"You disagree with scientific fact?"

"Nothing is a hundred percent Malcolm."

Chandler looked around the room for support but got nothing. The other men were focused on Maxwell.

Lapearle stood. "When you look at the bigger picture you can't help but notice some sort of outside influence – whether it was obtained or not. It's undeniable."

"Does anyone have an idea where Sobel might be?" asked Tompson.

"Not at all. Whatever was used to override the Burros controls also disabled the GPS."

"What about the soldiers armour?"

"Disabled as well."

"So what now?" asked Field.

"Security is using all available technology to run a full City Sweep every five minutes."

"You're saying we just wait?" asked Tompson.

"My plan is in action gentlemen. Your resources will certainly help it along," said Maxwell.