The Soulmate Curse

FENNEL (for change) - Part 3

"Are you lovebirds done?" asked Zac. "The files are ready."

Jesse smiled, gave Finn a quick, playful peck on the lips and walked away to the computer system to call up her AI. It wasn't as sophisticated as Finn's own Ares, but the tech at the Outskirts was nowhere as good as what was possible in the heart of the city. Finn tried to use this thought to ground her, but she couldn't stop blushing from what had just happened. She tried to compose herself, failing to do so completely and finally just joining them at the computers. Seeing the data displayed starkly on the screens was like being doused in cold water. Exactly what she needed to draw back her focus. Jesse was right. This was an amazing amount of information. An insane smorgasbord of facts, figures, numbers and a bunch more stats.

"Jesse, this is..." Finn said, her voice trailing off.

"Yeah, I told you." Said Jesse, smiling.

"It's Jesse's life's work," said Zac. "To keep us safe."

Finn started combing through it all. She would have been faster with Ares' help, but this system was too old to accommodate her. That was fine. If Finn was good at anything, it was recognising patterns in the most random information. Data synthesizing. That's what Zhen had called it. And it wasn't long before she found what she was looking for. Jesse had given her a little idea of what to look for, but she found so much more.

The prostitute deaths weren't the first of their kind. However, the others were extremely well hidden. Over years. Same MO. The details were sketchy, but they were there. It went on across state lines and countries, but somehow enough information had been collected over that time and entered onto a digital database somewhere that Jesse was able to find. For years now, she'd been breaking in police databases and taking only the records pertaining reports of violence against prostitutes. These were always low on the totem pole of police concern. Jesse had made it a mission to document and follow up on every one of those reports.

Over the years, Jesse had been using this information to direct, and sometimes lead, a local group of ex-military, ex-special forces vigilantes to dole out justice when they found irrefutable evidence on a suspect from the reports they collected. They had never connected these murders before today though. It was Finn who saw the pieces and connected the dots.

"Why did the killings stop?" Zac asked. "If you're right, this serial killer stopped for six years. Then he came back for this spree. What happened?"

"MechSoft happened," said Finn.

Jesse scoffed. "I don't get it. What do they have to do with any of this? All this demonstrates is that there were other victims of this serial killer before the eleven who are in the news right now. I don't get how this is connected to MechSoft?"

"MechSoft is the proprietor of most of the police software that you've been digging around for years. I'm surprised they haven't shut you down. But I think I know why," said Finn.

"Are you going to tell us?" asked Zac.

Finn turned around in her chair. "Because they're doing the exact same thing that you are, Jesse. They're pulling in data from the same backdoor. To shut it down would be to cut themselves off. They haven't come for you because what you're pulling off the system is specific, distinct and usually inconsequential to whatever they're doing."

Jesse fidgeted in spot and quickly looked around the warehouse. "That's how they knew about me?"

"I don't doubt it," said Finn. She got up and paced a few feet. "You said before that they wouldn't mess with me anymore because I was under your protection. Why is that?"

Zac answered. "A team of mercenaries were sent here a few months ago. They instantly regretted it."

"They didn't know you had an army," Finn said.