Higgs & Soap: Galaxy Delivery

Chapter 14

The shopping level was the busiest part of the station. It was comprised of two floors and arranged like a giant wheel. In the centre was a rotunda of retail units, arranged around the core of the station. Outside that, was a wide pedestrian aisle on the ground floor, while walkways on the floor above crossed over it like spokes. On the outside of the ring were more shops clustered between elevator access points to the other levels and various engineering and emergency passageways.

The retail stores upstairs were busy with duty free tourists, grabbing the low tax bargains on offer. The downstairs was mostly restaurants and food stores, and it had quietened down after the lunch rush. Patty's Pot Pie Parlour was situated on the outside ring of the lower floor. This was where Higgs had organised the meet and where Fred/Rick was already sitting on a seat outside, finishing off his meal.

Higgs and Barty were in a staff corridor further around the bend of the main thoroughfare. They were both watching Fred/Rick on their HUDs via the CCTV system.

"OK Barty, there's our guy."

"You sure that's him?"

"Absolutely. He didn't give me a physical description, too clever to do that, but he did give me a key code he said he would broadcast on an encrypted channel that only I know about. I can see the code, and it's pinging his location."

Barty shook his head in awe. "Wow, you techs amaze me."

"So, I'm going to approach him like an ancient lion, creep up on him through the long grass, stalk him with my words until I get from him what I need. Then I'm going to leap on him and eat... no I'm not going to do that bit, obviously. The analogy stops there. That's the bit where you and your men leap on him and... not eat him. Arrest him. Yes. You with me?"

"Every step of the way Sir."

"Good, good. Once I say the trigger phrase, that's when you subdue him. I grab the data card, and then he's all yours."

"Got it. I'll go join my men at the back of the restaurant across from him. I've got some others in place to block him off if he tries to run either way around the ring."

Higgs smiled. "You've got this well planned Barty. I'd expect nothing less from a man of your calibre."

"You can rely on me Sir. I'm going to just let you do your work and I'll be ready for you when you need me."

Barty saluted him and disappeared off down the corridor.

Higgs was able to relax for the first time since he went into Barty's office pod. "Oh God, I hope this works," he said to himself. "Have to get that data card. Have to get that data card..."

Higgs cracked his knuckles together and shook the tension out of his arms. He opened the door to the ring and confidently strode round towards the pie shop. Fred/Rick clocked him immediately and waved him over. Higgs sat down carefully and very sternly said "Hello."

The man opposite him wore a brown jacket with the hood down, revealing a small, square head topped with short blonde hair. He smiled, and deep curving lines bowed out across his cheeks.

"Hey man, the name's Fred/Rick, Swift Fred/Rick. Because I can be anywhere and gone in a matter of seconds, you get me?"

"I get you."

"No you don't."

"What, eh?"

"Because no-one gets me, I'm too fast! Ha-haa!" Fred/Rick slapped his hand on the table and laughed at his joke for what Higgs considered to be slightly too long.

Fred/Rick got his breath back. "Aw man, gets me every time."

"No you don't!" said Higgs, loudly.