The Empire: The Crime Consortium

The Zillow K Class spaceship settled on the landing pad at Lodes Intergalactic Spaceport. It was one of the most modern commercial spaceships in service, providing luxurious amenities. After leaving the gravitational pull of the world of Trenton, the Captain welcomed them all aboard and explained how long it would take to reach the world of Anchors. Then he told them all about the luxurious features of the Zillow K Class spaceship, including that it had been built on the world of Zillow by Zillow Spaceship Limited.

Doug recalled the first time he had traveled on one of the Zillow K Class spaceships. In fact, it had been a flight from Trenton to the World of Zillow. The Captain on that flight had boasted about the comforts of the Zillow K Class spaceship. But, unlike the flight to the world of Zillow, which was a direct flight, the flight to the world of Anchors would have two stopovers, either to discharge or pick-up other travelers.

Doug was Douglas T. Kincaid. He carried identification that identified him as an investigator with the Galactic Empire Bureau of Investigation. Doug was not an overly large man. He weighed around 85 kilograms and stood 180 centimeters tall. He was a master in martial arts fighting and an expert with both the hand and rifle blasters.

Doug had been born on Earth. In the mountainous region of what was once known as the state of West Virginia. Earth had become known as the home world; the planet where life had evolved. But Earth was becoming overly polluted and humankind had been migrating to other worlds for decades.

Little was known of Doug’s background. He joined Earth’s terrestrial armed forces and was on the Asian continent putting down an uprising that threatened the entire continent when he met Lily Ham, Chief Director, of what was at that time the Earth Global Bureau of Investigation. Lily issued orders to transfer him to the Global Bureau of Investigation. Headquarters was later moved to the world of Trenton when the Galactic Empire was officially formed and it became the Galactic Empire Bureau of Investigation.

Doug was born with a unique gift, the ability to analyze brain waves. He could mentally scan a person or a group of people and determine if they possessed a threat to him or others. He could immobilize the nervous system, preventing an individual from moving his or her arms or legs, and even talking and breathing. This ability had saved his life numerous times. However, he could not read someone’s mind to know what they were thinking.

He was traveling with fellow investigators Lynda Ryan, who everyone addressed as Ryan, Javelle Jovok, a humaniform robot, and Doctor Issie Divjak.

Ryan had been born on the world of Beckley, and was a Corporal in Beckley’s security force. When Ryan’s sisters, Karen and Pamela, were abducted, along with some other women, Ryan learned they had been taken to the world of Dwyer. Against the orders of her superiors, Ryan traveled to the world of Dwyer to rescue them, only to be abducted herself and forced into sexual servitude.

Around the same time, Investigator George ‘Speedy’ Gonzales was investigating a crime syndicate run by Michael D’Angelo. Speedy had been murdered and Doug, along with Javelle, had traveled to the world of Dwyer to avenge Speedy’s murder. Doug had taken down D’Angelo’s crime syndicate and rescued the women being forced to work at the Golden Key Nightclub. Among the women were Ryan and her two sisters.

Ryan was supposed to go with Javelle to another city where they had made arrangements with a cargo vessel to take them to another world. Instead, Ryan had stayed behind and helped Doug take down D’Angelo’s crime syndicate, terminating some of the people involved in criminal activities but being wounded herself. Fortunately, the blaster wound in her side had been through and Doug was able to disinfect and sew up the wound, then applied a pressure bandage to her superficial wounds.

The world of Beckley was only a slight detour on their way to Trenton, the capitol world of the Empire. They had planned to stop on the world of Beckley so Ryan and her sisters could return home. But they learned that the world of Beckley, being ultra-conservative world, would not permit Ryan and her sisters to return, reasoning that they were now damaged goods. Ryan and her sisters were now banned from ever returning to the world of Beckley and continued on to the world of Trenton, home to the Galactic Empire.

Ryan’s sister, Karen, was hired by Doctor Raquel Creed, Director of the Galactic Empire Bureau of Investigation as an office manager and assistant to the directors. Her sister, Pamela, had gone to work for Trenton Security. Ryan herself, being a trained security officer, was hired as one of the Galactic Empire Bureau of Investigation’s investigators.

Ryan was proficient in hand-to-hand combat and with blasters, so Doug introduced her to Master Sergeant Janaka, the martial arts instructor. Ryan was a quick learner and became a master in martial arts herself. Doug also introduced her to Master Sergeant Grijalva, the blaster training instructor at the Star Base who instructed her in all aspects of blaster training, including combat shooting. She was an expert shot with both hand and rifle blasters. She completed the training earning the coveted lightning and thunderbolt patch designating her as a member of the elite group known as strike force.

Ryan is a very attractive woman, with shoulder-length dark brown hair and an athletic body. She stands 165 centimeters tall and weighs around 64 kilograms. From all outward appearances, she is a beautiful woman who turns men’s heads; but underneath that exterior she is a dangerous woman.

Javelle is a humaniform robot. He is anatomically complete in all aspects. Few people know he is a robot. Only Doug knows Javelle’s background and he was not certain he knew all about Javelle. Javelle was created on Donovans World by Doctors Bayli Goyenechea and Ankur Jayaraman, specialists in robotics. Javelle had been the property of Doctor Goyenechea. When he died, he left a will transferring ownership of Javelle and a non-humaniform other robot, Onward, to his daughter, Olympiad. They served her for nearly a century until she died, after which they served her daughter, Saru Arikawa.

After Saru Arikawa died, and fearing for his existence, Javelle fled first to the world of Nitro, where he established the identity, Robert J. Kovoj, and earned doctorates in mathematics and physics. Then he moved to the world of Mentor, where he resided for the next fifty standard Galactic years, teaching mathematics and physics at the Galactic acclaimed Mentor University.

Doctor Issie Divjak excelled academically. She has a genius level IQ. She held a Ph.D. in computer systems and operations and another in communication networks. She is an attractive young woman in her early twenties. She stands 168 centimeters tall and weighs around 58 kilograms, although she devotes little time to her appearance. Her brunette hair is rather long and she usually combs it out straight. Her normal day attire is usually a pair of cut-offs and a work shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Anyone seeing Issie on the street might mistake her for a school dropout unable to find a job, but looks can be deceiving. When she dresses up and fixes her hair, male heads turn.

Issie was hired as the director’s assistant and office manager. But when she accompanied Doug to the world of Zillow to investigate a murder, her computer skills showed she was overqualified, and with the aid of her computer skills, Doug was able to apprehend the assassination team, a man and woman who murdered an investigative reporter for the Galaxy-wide renowned publication, Zillow’s Intergalactic News Agency.

No words were ever exchanged, but from that time on it was accepted that Issie was a member of Doug’s team. When he goes off-world to investigate a crime, Issie goes with him, and so it was that Doctor Raquel Creed, Director of the Galactic Empire Bureau of Investigation, had to hire another office manager and assistant. Issie’s ancestors arrived on Trenton nearly three centuries earlier. Her parents own a specialty store at the Trenton Mall, and her brother Pahl Divjak is a Lieutenant in Trenton’s military security force, serving on the Empire battle cruiser Chancellor as a navigator.

Today, Issie and Ryan each wore tan pants and a beige blouse. Walking through Lodes Intergalactic Spaceport towards customs, Issie was uncomfortable when men stared at her, though Ryan smiled and flirted. Doug saw one man give her a big smile and a little hand wave and his female companion poked him in the ribs for flirting with Ryan. Doug couldn’t suppress a smile wondering what the man would think if he knew just how dangerous Ryan was. Seeing them together, most people would have thought them to be sisters. They traveled under their own names, and their travel documents listed them as college students visiting the world of Anchors on holiday.

Doug and Javelle were traveling under aliases – Raymond ‘Ray’ Spine and Michael ‘Mickey’ Shims. Director Major Justice said he had found the names in some old hyperwave movie and Raymond Spine and Michael Shims were supposed to have been investigators or detectives about fifteen centuries earlier on Earth. Their travel documents listed them as sales representatives.

Major Flemington, Lodes security chief, had officially requested help from the GEBI to locate some missing women, presumed abducted. He informed them that they would be met by three locals: Lieutenant Ramsey and Sergeant Mulligan of Lodes Security and Global Bureau of Investigation’s Agent Gants. They arrived five days early as a precautionary measure. If word leaked, they would not be seen meeting with Ramsey, Mulligan and Agent Gants. Moreover, it would give them time to familiarize themselves with the city of Lodes and find a meeting place of their own choosing. They remained separate from Ryan and Issie so as not to be seen together.

As Doug and Javelle exited from Lodes Intergalactic Spaceport, Doug saw Ryan and Issie enter a ground vehicle for hire. They were all staying at Lodes Intergalactic Hotel and had Doug chosen, he could have flagged down the same ground vehicle for hire and ridden with Ryan and Issie. But to maintain appearances, Doug and Javelle took a different vehicle.

“What room are you in?” Doug asked Issie when she answered his call.

“1301,” Issie replied. “Ryan wants to know where her stuff is.”

“Tell her I will knock twice, hesitate and knock twice more and she will find a bag outside the door,” Doug replied.

The ’stuff’ was Ryan’s 9mm hand blaster and her M-Bar knife. Doug had secured their hand blasters and knifes in the stored luggage. As GEBI investigators, they could have carried them on their persons, but that would identify them as investigators, and besides, Doug was traveling under an alias.

“What room are you and Javelle in?” Issie asked.

“We’re in 1402,” Doug replied.

Then Issie said, “Ryan and I are going on one of the tours. Will that be okay?”

“Yeah, but you girls be careful and tell Ryan not to start any trouble,” Doug said.

Doug heard Ryan say, “I heard that.” Issie asked, “What about you and Javelle?”

“We’re going to rent a ground vehicle and familiarize ourselves with the city.”

It was 0515 hours on the third day when Doug called the personal vistaview number for Lieutenant Ramsey. He expected him to be asleep, but he wanted to do the unexpected. A groggy voice said, “Hello?”

“Lieutenant Ramsey?” Doug said, to confirm it really was Lieutenant Ramsey.

“Yeah, who’s calling?” Lieutenant Ramsey replied.

“This is Investigator Doug Kincaid with the Galactic Empire Bureau of Investigation.”

“Oh…yes, what can I do for you, Investigator Kincaid?” Lieutenant Ramsey said.

“Let’s meet for breakfast,” Doug replied.

“Breakfast! You’re here in Lodes - now?” Lieutenant Ramsey exclaimed. “I didn’t think you would arrive until tomorrow or was it day after tomorrow. I was going to meet you at the Spaceport.”

“We got here early. Call Agent Gants and tell him we’ll meet for breakfast at 0700,” Doug told Lieutenant Ramsey. Then he gave him the name of an eatery he and Javelle had found. It was near the Intergalactic Spaceport and Lieutenant Ramsey would probably assume they were staying at the Spaceport’s transit hotel. It probably didn’t matter, but Doug didn’t want Lieutenant Ramsey knowing where they were staying.

Doug and Javelle arrived early and parked in a place where they could watch the eatery. People arrived and entered the eatery, but no one remained in their ground vehicle. About ten minutes before 0700 they saw Lieutenant Ramsey and Sergeant Mulligan arrive. They parked their ground vehicle, entered the eatery and took a table near the window. Issie had retrieved pictures of Ramsey and Mulligan, so Doug and Javelle were able to identify them when they exited their ground vehicle. Doug and Javelle waited and watched.

A few more people arrived and entered the eatery. Except for the waitress, no one approached Lieutenant Ramsey and Sergeant Mulligan. A few minutes after 0700 a man entered and sat down at the table with them. Doug figured that to be Agent Gants.

Doug and Javelle kept watch for another twenty minutes before entering. At the table, Doug said, “I’m Doug Kincaid and this is Javelle Jovok.” Lieutenant Ramsey, Sergeant Mulligan and Agent Gants moved to stand, but Doug motioned to them to remain seated. He and Javelle pulled up chairs and sat down. Doug would have preferred a table away from the window, but said nothing. Instead, he said, “Do you want to see identification?”

“Anyone who calls at 0500 has to be who they say they are,” Lieutenant Ramsey said in a sarcastic tone of voice. He introduced Sergeant Mulligan and Agent Gants and asked, “Are you staying at the transit hotel at the Intergalactic Spaceport?”

Doug ignored this. “Tell me about the missing women.”

Lieutenant Ramsey told him about five women who had gone missing during the past thirty days, and Sergeant Mulligan added a few more details. “What makes you think they are still here in Lodes, or even on the world of Anchors?” Doug asked. “They could have been smuggled off-world.”

“Major Flemington attended the security conference on the world of Arcadia when your director made her presentation and explained how independent haulers transport abducted women. We are searching the ships of independent haulers and registered commercial ships, but no women have been found,” Lieutenant Ramsey explained.

Doug listened as Lieutenant Ramsey explained what their security had done thus far. Then he looked at Agent Gants who had remained silent and said, “It’s not unusual for the Global Bureau of Investigation to be called in when women or children come up missing. But my sixth sense tells me there is more to this than what Lieutenant Ramsey just told me.”

Agent Gants cleared his throat, took a sip of coffee, and said, “Lodes Security recently found a young woman, dismembered. In fact, they found only her arm. However, they were able to retrieve her fingerprints. She was reported missing in the city of Sussex, on the west coast, three thousand kilometers from here.”

The waitress came. Doug ordered coffee and the ‘hungry man’s breakfast.’ Javelle said he was not hungry and would have a glass of water. When the waitress left, Agent Gants continued, “It gets better. Another body, or body part, was found near Los Amos. This time it was a leg. If not for a birthmark, we would never have made identification. It was a nineteen-year old woman who had gone missing here in Lodes.”

“Let me guess - Los Amos is on the west coast,” Doug said. Ramsey, Mulligan and Gants all nodded that it was.

“So let me get this straight,” Doug started to say, but he was interrupted when the waitress brought his breakfast. When the waitress left, Doug continued, “Women are being abducted on the east coast and transported to the west coast and vice versa?”

“Something like that, or a city in between,” Sergeant Mulligan said. Looking at Agent Gants, he said, “Tell him about Carrolton and Brinkley.”

Carrolton Security found the body of a young woman who was reported missing in Dawson. Her organs had been harvested; heart, liver, everything. Security in Brinkley found the body of a young woman in a shipping container. She was reported missing from Jackson. The medical examiner said all her blood had been drained from her body.

“Did she have a rare blood type?” Javelle asked.

“Yes, AB negative,” Agent Gants replied as the waitress came and refilled their coffee.

“What kind of theory have you formulated, Lieutenant?” Doug asked Lieutenant Ramsey.

Lieutenant Ramsey looked at Agent Gants and said, “Why don’t you explain it, Gants?”

“It’s the ’Corporation or consortium,’” Agent Gants replied.

“The ’Corporation or consortium’? Do you mind expanding on that?” Javelle asked.

“These cities, actually there are twelve cities, have an organized crime syndicate. At least we think so. They operate from front businesses that are legitimate. Here in Lodes, it is the Lodes Wholesale-Retail Company. And the manager is Jackson E’step. But we have never been able to connect E’step to any illegal activities,” Agent Gants explained. “The Bureau has identified front businesses, all legitimate, in the other cities.”

“We have arrested a total of six people who worked for Lodes Wholesale-Retail Company on varied charges - one for murder. But E’step lets the company attorney do all the talking and he claims they were acting on their own and that the company had no knowledge,” Sergeant Mulligan explained.

“Okay, I get all that. But how do we make the jump to a Corporation or consortium?” Doug asked.

“The Bureau’s profile analysis division theorizes that all these businesses are in some way connected, and that they have to be operated or managed by one person or group. Like a board of directors, if you will,” Agent Gants said.

“What have you done thus far?” Javelle asked.

“We got a female agent into the Lodes Wholesale-Retail Company. She found, on the surface, it was operating as a legitimate business. She was there about a year, trying to get close to E’step. Then she turned up missing. E’step called her handler, who was posing as her brother, told him she had not come to work for three days, and asked him to file a missing person’s report. Her body was found about a month later when it surfaced downriver,” Agent Gants explained.

“Was she dismembered?” Doug asked.

“No, and we could never tie her murder, which the autopsy concluded was drowning, to E’step,” Agent Gants replied. He went on to add that another undercover agent had come up missing after going to work at a company in Dawson, and was never found. “Posing as customers, undercover agents tried to get prostitutes to talk, but they were too frightened. One agent became friendly with one prostitute, who voluntarily went to work at a club in Loudden. The agent called his handler and informed him that the woman had called to say she was bringing a flash drive containing information proving the other women were abducted. But when the agent failed to report in, they went to his apartment and found both him and the woman dead. Both were shot, execution-style.”

“Do you think you can help us, Investigator Kincaid?” Sergeant Mulligan asked.

“We’ll need all the files and relevant data,” Javelle said, as he wrote one of Issie‘s vistaview numbers down on a piece of paper and slid it across the table to Sergeant Mulligan. He wrote the number down on another piece of paper and gave it to Agent Gants. Then he said, “Please call that number. The woman who answers will identify herself as Issie. She will instruct the person calling how to transmit the data.”

“And who is this, Issie, person?” Agent Gants wanted to know.

“She is our researcher back on Trenton,” Javelle said, lying easily. Doug and Javelle did not want anyone to know that Issie was accompanying them. “Okay, I’ll provide the information from our local office, but I cannot speak for the bureaus in the other cities. Probably only the director can approve that request,” Agent Gants replied.

“Who is the Director of Anchors Global Bureau of Investigation?” Doug asked, though he knew already.

“My brother,” Lieutenant Ramsey replied.

Doug raised an eyebrow and said, “Your brother? Then you should be able to persuade him to give us the information we need.”

“That may not be so easy,” Lieutenant Ramsey replied. “Major Flemington was taken aback by your director, especially after someone tried to assassinate her.”

him. And he understood what he meant that Major Flemington was taken aback by her. Raquel Creed was young and beautiful, and most individuals who met her were surprised to learn that she was the Chief Director of the GEBI, a rank equivalent to that of a Vice-Chairman and answering only the to the Chairman of the Empire.

Lieutenant Ramsey continued, “After returning home, Major Flemington suggested to my brother that we officially request the help and assistance of the Galactic Empire Bureau of Investigation. But my brother, well, he….”

“He did not want outsiders meddling around. I understand, Lieutenant. No need to apologize,” Doug said. “So how come we’re here?”

“Major Flemington does not answer to my brother. He contacted you on his own.”

“I see. What about you, Lieutenant, do you want us here?” Doug asked. A mental scan told Doug that Lieutenant Ramsey was uneasy about answering this question. Doug said, “That’s okay, Lieutenant. I understand you’re caught in the middle.”

Displaying an ingratiating smile, Doug said, “I’ll have a chat with the director. I am sure my warm and overpowering personality will persuade him to cooperate.” Ramsey, Mulligan and Gants just looked at one another and Doug said, as he started to get up, “I’ll be in touch.”

Outside, Doug retrieved his vistaview unit from his pocket. He saw Javelle retrieving his. He had felt his vistaview unit vibrate once. Had Issie or Ryan been in trouble, it would have vibrated once, and a moment later it would have vibrated again. Having vibrated once, Doug knew it was not trouble. Doug read the message. Then Javelle held his vistaview unit for Doug to read. The message was the same:

R & I going shopping at the mall. Sign I (:

Doug could never remember what the little symbols Issie placed at the end meant.

“I will call Issie and tell her to expect that information,” Javelle said.

“Okay, and tell her to find the number for the Director of Anchors Global Bureau of Investigation and text it to me. We should turn the audio and video blocking function off; we probably did not need them activated in there, anyway,” Doug said.

Javelle told Issie about expecting the information and started to disconnect when Doug said, “Oh, ask Issie to find out all she can about Lodes Wholesale-Retail Company and the manager, Jackson E’step, and see if he owns any other businesses.”

“I think a ground vehicle we saw parked at the eatery is following us,” Javelle said.

“I saw two men in it. When I mentally scanned, all I picked up on was the normal curiosity people exhibit,” Doug said.

“That was all I detected. But I think it is the same ground vehicle. I will drive around a block and see if they follow,” Javelle said.

When Issie had texted Doug the number and address for the Director of Anchors Global Bureau of Investigation, Doug called and the person he talked with said the director would see him, so they were on their way there. Javelle turned right and Doug tried to see the ground vehicle from the eatery. In the side view mirror he saw some ground vehicles turn and follow, but he was not certain if the one he sought was among them.

“The ground vehicle turned,” Javelle said.

Javelle turned right again at the next block, but Doug did not see any other ground vehicles turn and follow.

“The ground vehicle went straight and did not follow,” Javelle reported.

“Might be a coincidence if it was the same ground vehicle, or it could be a different ground vehicle,” Doug remarked.

“I think he spotted us,” Link told the driver. “Go straight, don’t turn and follow,” he ordered, after seeing Javelle make the second right turn.

“What will we do now?” the driver wanted to know.

“We’ll go back to the office. Let the Boss decide what he wants done.”

“What did you find out?” E’step wanted to know, when Link and the driver entered the office.

“We lost Ramsey in the early morning traffic, but he was headed toward the Intergalactic Spaceport so we continued on. We spotted his ground vehicle at an eatery just outside the Spaceport,” Link told E’step. Then he explained how they had watched Ramsey, Mulligan and Gants talk with two other men.

“Did you record what they were saying?” E’step asked.

“All we got was static, like something was blocking transmission. Even the pictures we tried to take came out all blurry,” Link said. “Do you think one of them was Kincaid from the GEBI? I didn’t think they were supposed to arrive for another day or two.”

“According to our informant in Lodes Security, Lieutenant Ramsey called in early and said he was meeting with the men from the GEBI. They must have arrived early.”

“What are we going to do now?” the driver asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t like to have those agents from the Empire snooping around. Rumor has it that when agents from the GEBI are called in, they do not always follow the legal niceties, like securing warrants and making arrests. People just turn up dead,” E’step said, with concern in his voice.

“Hey Issie, what do you have for me?” Doug asked when Issie answered his call.

“It’s only been an hour. What do you think I am - a miracle worker?” Issie replied.

“Oh! You need a couple more minutes,” Doug said, looking at Javelle and grinning.

“Ha. Ha. Funny,” Issie said. “If you’re calling about Lodes Wholesale-Retail Company and that manager, Jackson E’step, I did not find much.”

“You didn’t find anything,” Doug said, becoming serious. “I didn’t say that. I said that I did not find much,” Issie replied.

“Okay. What did you find?” Doug asked.

“E’step appears to be a model citizen. He has never been arrested - not even a speeding ticket. Never married; can’t say about live-ins. As for Lodes Wholesale-Retail Company, nothing, zip; it’s legitimate. Taxes are paid, no safety complaints, nothing. But there is something interesting.” Issie hesitated and Doug said, “What’s interesting?”

“The company lawyer, name of Dongen, also represents two gentlemen’s clubs, ’Pleasures Delight,’ and ’Your Heart’s Desire;’ plus Matsuto Massage Parlor, a nightclub and a restaurant. Apparently, the night club and restaurant are high-class. There’s also the Continental Warehouse and the Waffle Inn. The Waffle Inn appears to be a local eatery,” Issie explained.

“Good work, Issie. Transmit the information to me, including the addresses for the gentlemen’s clubs, as you call them. Advise Ryan we’ll be visiting those clubs tonight,” Doug told Issie.

It was going on 2100 hours when Doug called Ryan. “”Hi, Doug,” Ryan said, answering his call.”

“Hi, would you like to go out on the town with me tonight?” Doug said.

“Sounds nice. Where are you planning to take me on our date?” Ryan asked.

“I thought we would patronize a couple of gentlemen’s clubs,” Doug replied.

“Oh, now, that sounds exciting,” Ryan said. “Are we packing heat?”

“Packing heat?” Doug asked, puzzled by what she was talking about.

“Yeah. Issie and I watched an old hyperwave gangster movie. That’s what gangsters called their blasters, heat.” Ryan said.

“Oh. Well, we’ll definitely be packing heat. Don’t forget to carry enough fuel to keep the fire burning in your heater,” Doug replied.

“Do I need to dress formal?” Ryan asked.

“I would recommend something in black,” Doug replied.

Doug parked half a block down from the ’Pleasures Delight’ gentlemen’s club rather than parking in the designated parking lot. He did not know if the club had valet parking, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t want their vehicle to be readily seen.

They didn’t have their customary battle gear so they had to settle for black clothing with a ballistic vest underneath and boots with neoprene soles. And in lieu of the cosmetic war paint, they were wearing a balaclava, a close-fitting knitted covering for the head and neck that left only their eyes exposed.

Doug and Ryan exited the ground vehicle and became the consummate stalking predators, silent, deadly, as they approached the ’Pleasures Delight’ gentlemen’s club which was set back from the street to provide a parking area for customers. Doug stopped on the street and looked around the fence that separated the ’Pleasures Delight’ gentlemen’s club from another business. He counted nine vehicles as he mentally scanned for the presence of anyone in the parking lot area. He detected the presence of one brain wave, but he could not see the individual. He held up one finger to signal Ryan that there was one individual present.

Silently, Doug moved forward, followed by Ryan. A man was sitting outside the door to the club reading something. Considering the type of establishment this was, Doug guessed it to be a skin magazine. The man was older, overweight, balding, and Doug was within two meters before the man realized anyone was near. Seeing two black-clad individuals, the man dropped the magazine and started to reach under his jacket. Doug immobilized him. Doug figured he was there more for show than to be a real guard and saw no need to terminate him.

When he approached the man, Doug reached under his jacket and withdrew a hand blaster and stuck it in his pocket. Doug placed his hand on the door and then looked back at Ryan. She nodded and Doug pushed the door open and entered the ’Pleasures Delight’ gentlemen’s club. But he was not expecting to find any pleasures.

Doug stepped aside to make room for Ryan. He immediately saw five girls in skimpy dress. One appeared to be completely nude. There was an older looking woman whom Doug took to be the Madam. A man on a sofa was watching a hyperwave program. The girls gasped when they saw two black-clad individuals enter waving blasters. Doug immediately immobilized them so they would not scream out. The man on the sofa reached for a hand blaster in a shoulder rig and tried to stand at the same time. It was a losing move from the beginning as Doug delivered a tri-burst to his chest that shattered his heart and lungs. He slumped back onto the sofa, dead.

The Madam was defiant, staring daggers at Doug and Ryan.

“Are there any more…” But before Doug could complete the question, a man waving a hand blaster came out of a room on the right. Doug and Ryan both delivered a tri-burst before the man could fire his blaster. “I’ll check the room,” Doug heard Ryan say.

“Are there any more guards?” Doug asked the Madam. Remaining defiant, the Madam said nothing. “Are there any more guards?” Doug repeated in a cold icy voice, and applied a little mental persuasion.

“No, only the two,” the Madam replied. A mental scan told Doug she was telling the truth, but he asked her again to confirm it was the truth.

“The room is a surveillance room, but it’s clean,” Ryan said.

“How many customers?” Doug asked the Madam, but she was remaining defiant. He turned to the five girls, relaxed his mental hold and said, “How many customers?” Hearing a thud, Doug looked at the Madam and saw a star-throwing knife embedded in her right arm and a small blaster on the floor. Doug knew it had to have been Ryan who threw the star-knife and wondered where she had gotten the thing. But it didn’t matter.

The Madam said, “She tried to murder me.”

“If she wanted to terminate you, that thing would be between your eyes,” Doug said. “Now how many customers are here?”

“Seven,” the Madam replied.

Doug looked at Ryan and said, “Get the customers out. Tell them not to dress, just go.” Looking at one of the girls, Doug said, “You - help her. Get them out of here - now.”

It was pandemonium as the men tried to leave. One man, trying to pull up his pants as he passed Doug, was shocked at the sight of a black-clad individual and tripped and fell. The men finally got out, and then Doug heard a crash outside, and figured there was a ground vehicle collision as the men tried to drive away.

Ryan was ushering the other girls into the commons area. When they were all together Doug asked, “How many of you been abducted and forced to work here?” They were obviously frightened and just stared at Doug. He asked them again and this time applied a little mental persuasion. Of the twelve girls now present, hands of ten of them went up.

“Lodes Security will be here soon. Tell the security officers your names and where you were abducted and how you were forced to work here. In short, you answer any and all of their questions truthfully,” Doug told the girls and then imprinted the command in their minds.

Doug then turned to the Madam and saw her arm was bleeding and dripping onto the rug. He placed his blaster back in the shoulder rig and retrieved a pressure bandage from the ditty bag fastened to his belt. He pulled the star knife from the Madam’s arm, wiped it on the sleeve of her blouse and flipped it to Ryan who caught it easily. Then he applied a pressure bandage to stop the bleeding. He didn’t bother applying antiseptic. Medics could do that when they arrived.

“Who owns this place?” Doug asked the Madam. “I do,” the Madam replied.

“You’re lying. Your name might be on some paper, but you don’t own it. Who owns this place?” Doug applied some mental persuasion to force her to tell him the truth.

“I don’t know. I only know him as the Boss,” the Madam replied.

“How do you contact him?” Doug asked.

The Madam looked at a vistaview unit lying on an end table. Doug walked over and picked it up and started scanned through the listing and asked, “What’s the name?”

“I just told you, Boss.” the Madam replied, still trying to be defiant.

Doug scanned through the listing until he found Boss. Then he said to the Madam, “Okay, you’re going to call Boss and tell him what just happened here and make it fast. Tell him that El Lobo is taking over.” He emphasized El Lobo, imprinting it in her mind.

Doug hit the speed dial button. A moment later a male voice said, “Yeah, what do you need?” Doug had turned the speaker on so he could hear.

The Madam said, “We’ve been raided.”

“What?” A now-excited male voice exclaimed. “Why would Lodes Security raid your place?”

“It wasn’t Lodes Security. It was two people dressed all in black with their faces covered,” the Madam replied.

“Okay, okay, I’m sending some men over right now and they will take care of it,” the male voice said.

“And he said to tell you that El Lobo was taking over,” the Madam said.

“Who is El Lobo? What’s going on?” the male voice wanted to know.

Doug disconnected the call and stuck the vistaview unit in his pocket. Maybe Issie could retrieve more information from it later. Then he said to the Madam, “Sit down over there. Lodes Security will be here shortly. You tell them everything that happened here and you will answer any and all of their questions truthfully,” and imprinted the command in the Madam’s mind.

Doug nodded for Ryan to go and he followed her out. Outside he saw that one ground vehicle had struck another broadside and the two men were arguing. They saw Doug and Ryan and took off, rounding the fence and heading down the street. If you’re married, Doug thought, good luck explaining this to your wife.

Ryan retrieved her vistaview unit from her pocket and Doug heard her say, “We‘re leaving the ’Pleasures Delight’ club now. Call and inform Lodes Security.”

It was prearranged. As they left, they would call Issie, who would call Lodes Security to tell them there was a shooting and that someone had been terminated. She would give the name of the gentlemen’s club, and then ring off. There would be no way Lodes Security could trace Issie’s call. They were three blocks away when Doug and Ryan saw the first Lodes Security vehicle coming with its siren blaring and lights flashing and half a block behind came the second vehicle.

“Sir, the ’Pleasures Delight’ gentlemen’s club has just been raided,” Kyle said when E’step answered his call.

Kyle served as E’step’s contact person for the other crime syndicate operated businesses. Such contact was always by vistaview or computer transmissions, never in person. The managers of the other crime syndicates operating businesses did not know Jackson E’step and he meant to keep it that way.

“Why would Lodes Security raid the ’Pleasures Delight’ gentlemen’s club?” E’step asked Kyle. “Prostitution is legal. Have they called attention to themselves?”

“Sir, I don’t think it was Lodes Security. The Madam said that two black-clad individuals entered the club. They terminated the guards, forced the customers out, and forced her to call me. And the Madam said the man instructed her to tell you that El Lobo was taking over,” Kyle explained.

“Who or what is El Lobo?” E’step wanted to know.

“I don’t know, sir. The call went dead. Maybe they terminated the Madam,” Kyle replied.

“Send some men over to check, and notify the ’Your Heart’s Desire’ club and Matsuto Massage Parlor. In fact, send some extra men to ’Your Heart’s Desire’ and Matsuto’s.”

Doug drove by the ‘Your Heart’s Desire’ gentlemen’s club. Like ’Pleasures Delight,’ it was set back from the road. But it appeared a larger building and there were more ground vehicles in the parking lot. Doug wasn’t sure, but thought he counted fifteen. He went on two more blocks, and seeing no other ground vehicles, u-turned and drove back by ‘Your Heart’s Desire,’ stopping half a block further down the street.

Doug looked at Ryan pulling the balaclava down over her face, and asked, “You ready?”

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Ryan replied.

Exiting the ground vehicle, they once again became the consummate stalking predators, silent, deadly, as they approached ‘Your Heart’s Desire.’ For the last twenty meters, there was no building to conceal their approach. They squatted low and crept forward. One customer’s ground vehicle was near the street, and Doug carefully rose up to peer over the top. Mentally scanning, he detected three brain wave signatures. One was near.

Rising a little higher, Doug saw two guards at the door. He wondered if ‘male voice’ had called and warned them of a possible attack. Using hand signals, Doug indicated to Ryan that they would sneak forward behind the ground vehicles, using them as cover.

Doug could still detect the brain wave signature of an individual close by and had just reached the second ground vehicle in line when he detected the brain wave coming closer. A man walked out from between the two ground vehicles, completely unaware of his environment. He turned to his right to go toward the club. Doug rose up behind him and encircled his neck with his right arm, then placed his left hand over his mouth.

Doug immobilized the nerves that controlled the vocal cords. Then he released his hold on his neck, and spun him around. To Doug’s surprise, he was just a kid, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old. His mouth hung open and his eyes widened seeing a black-clad individual before him.

“What are you doing here?” Doug asked.

“I…I…I’m, er, the valet,” he stammered. Doug wondered why someone so young would be permitted to work at an establishment like this. But it was of no concern to him.

“Okay, Mr. Valet, this is what I want you to do. You lay there in the grass behind that ground vehicle. Don’t move or make a sound until Lodes Security arrives,” Doug told him, imprinting the command in his mind.

Doug and Ryan crept forward behind the parked ground vehicles. Doug estimated they were now about ten meters from the front of the club. Doug could not hear Ryan. He didn’t need to. He knew she was there. She was like a wraith in the night, silent and deadly, ready to strike.

Doug got between the two ground vehicles. He hesitated just a moment at the front, and then rose up and took five or six steps into the open, enough space to provide Ryan with some combat stretch.

The two guards had not paid any attention to their environment until two black-clad figures materialized in front of them.

“Wh-wha…” one began as he tried to rise from the chair and pull the hand blaster from his shoulder rig. He didn’t have a chance as Doug emptied a tri-burst into his chest. He slumped back into the chair which tilted sideways and both the guard and chair spilled over onto the ground.

Beside him, Doug heard the telltale audible ‘puff, puff, puff’ sound of Ryan’s blaster and saw the second guard settle back down in his chair, as Ryan emptied a tri-burst into his chest.

Ryan was closer to the door and placed her hand on the door handle and looked at Doug. He nodded and Ryan pushed the door open and rushed in. Doug followed on her heels.

Doug was trying to take in the entire room. He saw some girls sitting on a sofa skimpily dressed. Two looked as if they had no clothes on. At least they were bare breasted. The front had a small bar and a man was standing behind the bar and two men standing in front drinking. And two more men were on the right with drinks in their hands. One was obviously a guard as he dropped his drink and clawed for the hand blaster in a shoulder rig. He never made it. He went flying backwards, as Ryan placed a tri-burst into his chest.

The man behind the bar was trying to level a shotgun blaster. Doug blew him backwards with a tri-burst, hitting liquor bottles stacked on shelves and sliding down behind the bar.

A man came out a door on the right, trying to level a shotgun blaster. Doug and Ryan both delivered a tri-burst, knocking the man back through the door.

It seemed an eternity, but only a few seconds had elapsed. The break in the action gave Doug time to mentally restrain those still alive in the room. Ryan made her way toward the room the man had exited to make sure no one remained inside. Doug saw an older woman, wearing a long evening gown, and took her for the Madam. Like the Madam at ’Pleasures Delight,’ she was defiant and stared daggers at Doug.

“Any more guards?” Doug asked.

“No.”

Doug immediately detected she was lying. He started to mentally force her to tell the truth. Instead, he looked at the girls on the sofa and asked, “Any more guards?” relaxing the mental restraint he had on them. One girl held up a finger, then shifted her eyes left where there was another door. Ryan emerged from the other room and said, “Clear.”

“Watch them,” Doug said to Ryan, and went to the door. He stood by the side of the door and pulled it open in case the gunman was on the other side, and started blasting away. Nothing happened and Doug peeked round the doorframe. He saw a man at the end of the hallway, both hands on the wall, pressing himself up against a woman.

Doug entered the hallway, blaster up and ready. The man looked at Doug and stepped back from the wall, trying for the hand blaster in his shoulder rig. He never had a chance. Doug’s tri-burst caught him in the throat. He bounced off the wall and slid to the floor.

Doug hoped the girl outside was right and that that was the last guard. “Any more guards?” Doug asked the girl. She appeared to be in shock at what she had just witnessed, but she shook her head, no.

“Get the customers out now. This place is on fire,” Doug ordered in a loud, authoritative voice. Turning and kicking open the first door he came to, Doug shouted, “Out! Out, the place is on fire! Out! Out!” He continued to kick doors open and order people out.

One man ran out naked. He stopped and started back. “Out,” Doug ordered.

“My pants, my keys are in my pants,” the man said.

Doug saw a pair of pants draped over the back of a chair. He reached in, grabbed them and threw them at the man and yelled, “Now get out. Go.”

Doug motioned for the girls to come out to the commons area. “Any more girls in the rooms?” Doug asked one of them. She shook her head no.

Returning to the commons area, Doug saw the two men still standing in front of the bar and the other alongside the wall. “Who are you?” Doug asked in a cold voice.

“Uh…er…We…We’re…” one of the men stammered. Doug got the message; they were just customers. “What about you?” Doug asked, directing the question toward the man alongside the wall.

“I just came here to…er…You’re not going to terminate us, are you?” the man finally said, his voice trembling with fear.

In a well-modulated voice, Doug said, “Get out of here and don’t come back.”

Conscious of time slipping away, Doug looked at the girls and said, “Lodes Security will be here shortly. If you have been abducted and brought here against your will, tell the security officers when they arrive. I instruct you to answer their questions truthfully.” Doug imprinted his command in their minds.

Doug turned to the Madam. “Who do you call if there’s trouble or you need help?” Wanting to remain defiant, she said nothing.

“Answer me,” Doug said and applied a little mental persuasion.

“Freddy,” the Madam replied.

The quick, one-word response was so fast Doug was unsure if he had mentally scanned correctly that she was telling the truth and Doug said, “What’s his name again?”

“Freddy,” the Madam repeated.

Satisfied that she was telling the truth, Doug said, “Where is your vistaview unit?”

Her left hand moved toward the side of her evening gown and then stopped. “I don’t have a vistaview unit.”

A mental scan told Doug this was a lie. He reached over and felt the vistaview unit. Doug found an opening to the pocket on her gown, reached in and retrieved the vistaview unit. Scrolling through the listing, Doug found Freddy. The number was different than the number the Madam at ’Pleasures Delight’ had on her vistaview unit. Doug wondered if it was a different person she would be calling.

Doug told the Madam, “Call Freddy, tell him what happened and make it fast. And tell him El Lobo is taking over.” He emphasized El Lobo and imprinted it in her mind, then turned the speaker on and hit the speed dial button.

“Yes,” a male voice said. The voice sounded like the other man, but Doug was not certain. “We’ve been attacked,” the Madam said.

“What? Didn’t the other guards arrive? What happened to them?” the male voice said. It was enough for Doug to confirm it was the same man that the other Madam had called.

“They were terminated,” the Madam said. “And the man said to tell you that El Lobo is taking over.”

Before the man could respond, Doug disconnected the call and pocketed the vistaview unit. Then he said to the Madam, “Sit down over there. Lodes Security will be here shortly. You will tell them everything that happened here and will answer any and all of their questions truthfully,” and imprinted the command in the Madam’s mind. Then he turned to Ryan and said, “Time to blow this joint.”

“Sir, Your Heart’s Desire’ has just been hit,” Kyle said when E’step answered his call.

“What! How could that happen? Didn’t you send the guards?” E’step wanted to know, his voice rising in pitch.

“Yes, sir, but they terminated all the guards. Evidently, it was the same two individuals who hit ’Pleasures Delight’. The Madam said it was two black-clad individuals, and that one was a woman. They terminated the guards, forced the customers out, and forced her to call me. The man told her to say that El Lobo was taking over,” Kyle explained. “And like the other time, they must have taken the Madam’s vistaview unit.”

“Can those vistaview units be used to trace the calls back to you?” E’step wanted to know.

“No, sir, there is no way those calls can be traced to this location. Whatever else she has on her unit will not relate to us. Besides, I have cancelled the numbers. If someone calls they will only get a message that the numbers are no longer in service,” Kyle explained.

“You did send men over to ’Pleasures Delight,’ didn’t you?” E’step asked.

“Yes, sir, they reported that Lodes Security was on the scene when they arrived.”

“Contact the other businesses and warn them of a possible attack, and send some men to the Matsuto Massage Parlor,” E’step ordered. “And call Link and tell him to go to the office. I’m going to the office, too.”

“Good morning. This is Amanda Yellen with the Morning News. The major stories from overnight are raids on the ’Your Heart’s Desire’ and ’Pleasures Delight’ gentlemen’s clubs. According to earlier reports, each was raided and numerous individuals were terminated. Robb Tomms is standing by at ’Your Heart’s Desire.’ Robb, it’s unclear who raided the club. Did Lodes Security carry it out?”

“Good morning, Amanda. According to a security officer I spoke with, the raid was carried out by two individuals. The Madam, the woman who manages the club, said it was two black-clad individuals and she believes one of the individuals was a woman.”

“Earlier reports indicated a number of terminations. Were these customers, Robb?”

“No, those who were terminated were armed guards. The customers were ordered to leave,” Robb replied.

“What about the women who worked there? Were they harmed?” Amanda inquired.

“No, according to the security officer I spoke with, they were instructed to cooperate fully with security with they arrived. And according to what I was told, the women said they were abducted, brought here, and forced to work,” Robb replied.

“We’ve had reports of missing women. Are these the same women?” Amanda asked.

“Lodes Security had the women taken to Lodes General Hospital; I understand this was a precautionary measure. If the women are okay, Lodes Security will question them further. But the security officer told me that the women said they had answered an ad for models or extras for a movie, and then they were forced into prostitution.”

“Were the women abducted here in the city of Lodes?” Amanda asked.

“No. According to the security officer, they were abducted from across the continent.”

“This club, ’Your Heart’s Desire,’ who owns this club?” Amanda asked.

“The property supposedly is owned by the Madam who managed it. But according to the security officer I spoke with, the Madam said a man known only as ‘Boss’ owns the club, and she has no idea who this ‘Boss’ is,” Robb explained.

“Okay, thank you, Robb. That was reporter Robb Tomms at the ’Your Heart’s Desire’ gentlemen’s club. We’re now going to Alinda Zanns, who is at the ’Pleasures Delight’ club that was also raided. Alinda, as you heard Robb say, the raid on ’Your Heart’s Desire’ was carried out by two black-clad individuals. Were these the same individuals who carried out the raid on the ’Pleasures Delight’ club?” Amanda inquired.

“Good morning, Amanda. It is unconfirmed if it was the same individuals. According to the security officer here that I spoke with, the Madam who manages the club, said it was two black-clad individuals. Security believes it to be the same two individuals.”

“We keep saying black-clad individuals. What do we mean by that, Alinda?”

“According to what the Madam told the security officer, they were dressed in dark clothing, and wore some sort of head covering everything except their eyes.”

“Does Lodes Security know why these individuals raided the clubs?” Amanda asked.

“Lodes Security has no idea why the clubs were raided. Prostitution is legal here. The security officer I spoke with speculated that these individuals knew the women were abducted and were forced to work against their will. Under questioning, the women confirmed they were abducted. As Robb said, the women claim to have answered an ad for models or extras for a movie, but were being forced to work here,” Alinda explained.

“Do we know who owns this club?” Amanda asked. “Again, it’s similar to what Robb said. The property is in the name of the Madam, but the Madam here said a man called Freddy actually owns the property,” Alinda said.

“Robb said the women at the other club were taken to hospital. Were these women also taken to hospital?” Amanda asked. “That’s the customary procedure in abduction cases. If there are no health problems, they will be turned over to Human Services who will make the necessary arrangements for the women to return home,” Alinda explained.

“Okay, thank you, Alinda. We’ll have more on the raids of these two clubs when we learn more.”