“Doesn’t sound like an errand boy,” Kaskey said.
“Explain,” Grant said.
“Well,” Kaskey thought it over again. “Hounsards said Cobroy came and picked the boys up, said they were just the kind of people he looked for.”
“Good,” Grant smiled. “You’re right. Why would the leader of a gang want to become a scout for someone else?”
“It’s a bigger gang, a better one,” Gulch offered.
“Still a step down.” Grant said.
“Not if he’s running his own gang,” Regrette said. “The Desards keep things compartmentalised, as do a lot of the big crime families. Keeps them safe. Cobroy would be hiring for his own work which in turn would be what the Desards wanted.”
“What do you know of him?” Gulch asked.
“Crazy Flows put out a hit on him once. Crazy, the hitman, Crazy’s close family all got whacked before they could even start.”
“That doesn’t tell us much,” Grant said and Regrette gave him a sneer.
“The reason Crazy put out the hit was because Cobroy was taking on the Raiders. Stepping into their territory. Crazy thought it was bad for all of them.”
“Durden Raiders?” Kaskey asked with surprise.
“No, the Calto Raiders Cricket Team,” Regrette ironicalised.
“Good team,” Grant said.
“Yes,” Gulch agreed. “Their test against the Icardet 11 was one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
“The point is, boy, that there are criminals and there are Durden Raiders and you better be big to step into Durden territory,” Regrette said. “And also, yes, it was a great test match.”
“So what happened?” Kaskey asked.
“The Raiders got Icardet all out on the last day with only one run left to win it,” Gulch enthused.
“I mean about Cobroy.”
“Oh,” Gulch frowned.
“As far as anyone knows he took his slice and took over Crazy’s territory. After that he disappeared. You’d only hear about him working the shadows,” Regrette said.
“So what’s useful to us?” Grant asked.
“If we’re going bigger then he’s our in, but he’s going to be difficult to get to,” Regrette said.
“Agreed,” Gulch said. “But we don’t have to go bigger. I’ve finally got a hit on the spaceship. It landed in the city of Vexupulla on the planet Cravalor two days after we know it was in Canberi’do.”
“There or Gothra?” Regrette asked.
It was choosing time. Big or small. They could go and check out Vexupulla and hope to get a lead, but then they were always behind and Hounsards had been right. The boys would have handed the girls over by now. But if they went after Gothra then they were getting bigger, facing down far worse enemies. Making themselves a target.
“We go back,” he said finally. “We follow the lead first. I think we’ll still be coming here to find Gothra, but let’s keep a low profile for as long as we can.”
“You think they already know who we are? After the hotel?” Kaskey asked.
“I think they were after Hounsards. They knew he was talking, but we have to be prepared that they will come after us before we can get too far. The higher we aim, the quicker and heavier they’ll come at us.”
“Agreed,” Regrette agreed.
“I’ll turn the ship around,” Gulch said and dropped off of his chair.
“Follow Gulch, he’ll get you set up with a radio and earpiece,” Grant told Kaskey who dutifully left.
The two men looked across the table at each other.
“You’re stalling,” Regrette said at last.
“Possibly,” Grant admitted.
“You really think we’ll find anything in Vexupulla?”
“I don’t want to jump the ladder. I’m hired to find the girl, not take down a crime family. What if there is a lead there?”
“It’s sound, but don’t try and brush me off with it. You want to jump the ladder, you want to go for the top.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I just want to go home and drink good Carute whiskey without anyone trying to kill me.”
Regrette laughed.
“Now where’s the fun in that? Keeps things exciting.”
“I’m tired of always looking behind me, Steve; checking under the bed and in the cupboards every time I go home.”
“Alright, alright, fair enough. But you know it isn’t you,” Regrette said as he stood up.
He walked to the door.
“They went for Hounsards,” he said turning. “What’s to stop them taking down Gothra?”
“Hounsards was talking to try and take them down, from what we know Gothra has helped them, is on their side,” Grant said, but Regrette pulled a face. “What’re you thinking?”
“I don’t like leaving her out there.”
“I understand killing people to keep yourself secret, but there comes a time when doing that just lights you up.”
“Still. I might go watch over her,” Regrette said and Grant nodded in thought.
“I’m not paying you, so why’re you doing this?” Grant asked.
“Got to balance the bad with the good,” he replied and left.
CHAPTER 11
Vexupulla was less of a city and more of a mass of sprawling suburbs. The planet, Cravalor, was incredibly flat with all the mountains clustered on one continent as if they’d all huddled there for warmth. A lot of the flat land was fertile farming land, but there was still so much left that the people felt no need to cramp themselves together and build upwards. Except on the small city-continent of Haffir.
“Doesn’t seem the place to traffick people,” Grant commented as they walked through the spaceport.
“Good place to get lost,” Kaskey said.
“You been here?” Grant asked.
“Yeah. Mainly Haffir though, ‘cause of the casinos.”
“Right,” Grant nodded. Good place to hustle.
They reached the security office and knocked. The door was opened by a Grey.
“Yes?”
“I’m Grant, we spoke.”
“ID?”
Grant showed her.
“OK, come in, ‘fraid it’s a bit cramped.”
Inside there was a bank of computers and screens that flicked through images from around the port. Apart from the Grey, Tandish, as she introduced herself, there was a Carute, Kov and a Merrick, Loveritto.
“Small gang for a big port,” Kaskey commented.
“You don’t have to tell us,” Loveritto said.
“But you have people out there, right?” Grant asked.
“Of course, but still not many,” Kov told them. “It’s a peaceful city in a peaceful country.”
“What about Naval presence? This planet was targeted by the Laikans during the war.”
“Indeed,” Tandish said, “but as they got pushed back to Tegariff Major the forces were taken from here to help there. They left a small force just in case, but that has all gone now.”
“So this ship,” Loveritto said pushing his chair over to a console.
“Right, this one,” Grant showed a picture and told him the date.
Loveritto hit a few buttons and brought up a security tape.
“This is what we got, that’s right, isn’t it?” he looked from the screen to the picture.
“Looks good,” Kaskey agreed.
They watched the tape to see the back of the ship open and the van drive out.
“Same van,” Grant said.
They hadn’t stopped anywhere to dump it and he assumed this was because they still had the girls.
Someone got out of the ship and wheeled over a refuelling station and got to work.
“Five guys,” Kaskey said.
“Huh?” Kov asked.
“Turnod said five, but only four went to the nightclub.”
“Handler,” Grant said still watching the screen. It was impossible to make out the person’s face. “Is there a closer camera?”
“Sorry
, no and we can only zoom a live stream without the picture breaking up.”
“That’s OK. How long were they here?”
Loveritto fast-forwarded the tape until a van returned. He stopped and rewound to just before and they watched a different van enter the ship.
“Go back, I want to see that van,” Grant said and Loveritto complied and paused it.
“New Cabberino,” Kov said floating by Kaskey’s shoulder.
“Gulch?” Grant asked.
“Already looking into it.”
“Who’s Gulch?” Tandish asked.
“The guy at our computers,” Kaskey said.
“What exactly are you two doing?” she asked.
“These guys kidnap women, seems they brought them here. What I want to know is, why here.”
“Couldn’t they just be swapping vans?” Tandish asked.
“Possibly,” Grant said.
“But if they have hostages aboard they risk an escape or someone finding out. Safer to use a stolen car until after the job is done,” Loveritto said.
“I like your thinking,” Grant pointed a finger-gun at him and fired.
“Dangerous to steal a car anyway,” Kov said. “If it’s reported it comes straight to us to look out for.”
“And in a city like this, I bet that’s pretty quick,” Kaskey said.
“The police are good; the people are good, they want things to stay that way,” Tandish said.
“Well that throws up another question, where’d they get the car from?” Grant asked.
“Are you suggesting there is a kidnapping ring here in our city?” Kov said somewhat offended at the idea.
“No,” Grant said. “Why would they?”
“Casinos,” Kaskey realised.
“Yes,” Grant pointed at him. “Haffir. Casinos are heavily monitored, easier to get people in from on-world.”
“Wait,” Loveritto said holding up a hand. “If they are smuggling in women and taking them to the casinos, why are they leaving stolen vans here?”
“Yeah, it’s a pretty big lead,” Kaskey agreed, but Grant shook his head.
“Can you imagine if places like this had to look out for every single stolen vehicle in the Universe? They only get flagged if it’s important and so far this van isn’t linked to the kidnapping,” he explained.
Tandish hit some buttons and three screens filled up with writing.
“That’s all the stolen vehicles and criminals we’re watching out for. Just the ones flagged up with the InterG as of special interest. That third list is a list of known criminals we’re supposed to note on arrival or departure, but can’t actually be arrested for anything,” Kov explained.
“Wow,” Kaskey said.
“So we need to find somewhere where they can get rid of cars,” Tandish said.
“We?” Grant asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Today’s our last day. We work one week on one week off.”
“It’s the only way they can get people to stay on the job, I mean look at it,” Loveritto spread his arms and trunk to take in the room.
“So?” Kaskey asked.
“So you’re going to need some local knowledge and I’ve got nothing in my diary,” Tandish smiled at Grant.
“And you two?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t mind actually catching one of these goodfornothing’s for a change,” Loveritto said.
Kov looked at them all.
“Well, why not? A change is as good as a rest.”
***
It was already late in the day when they left the security office so they headed to a hotel with a contact for Tandish. They booked into the pleasant Sky Vapenner Hotel, named after one of the planets many famous birds, and sat in the lounge.
“Any hits on the van?” Grant asked over a Chokdee cocktail.
“No,” Gulch shook his head. “But a couple on the tattoos.”
“Cool. Let’s have a look.”
Kaskey pulled his chair around so they could all see the screen of Gulch’s portable computer as he brought up an image.
“This one is in the InterG database because it was the tattoo of the infamous gangster Loodrod, but I cannot see why they would have that,” he skipped to the next image. “This one because of a group of mercenaries who formed and disbanded during the War and finally,” he skipped again, “this one. An odd one. It’s in the database, but there is no real good reason as to why it is. Something about an alleged cult and nothing else.”
“Does that help?” Kaskey asked.
“Only if we see someone with it. I can’t see a group of well-to-do young men having any of them, or getting one when joining with Cobroy’s gang,” Grant said.
“Yes,” Gulch agreed. “It doesn’t make sense to have your minions get a tattoo that links you to them. Not if you wish to keep yourself a secret.”
“Let me see them again, I wanna make sure I can remember them if I see one,” Kaskey said.
“What about places to scrap cars?” Grant asked.
“Lots of places actually. A lot of farm machinery that needs fixing so a lot of big workshops and garages throughout the city.”
Kaskey shifted his seat back and took a swallow of his drink.
“Good thing we’ve got locals then.”
“We’re still going to need to narrow it down,” Grant thought aloud.
“I’ll work on it,” Gulch said. “For this sort of operation they will need a number of factors.”
“You do this sort of thing with the InterG?” Kaskey asked.
“Not often, not my field.”
“Yeah? What was your field?”
“It’s the past, Kas.”
“Come on, man.”
“You revisit the past much?” Grant asked instead.
Kaskey’s face dropped a little and he looked down into his drink.
“Yeah, sometimes. Mainly in space looking out of a window with a bottle of Ryffinger’s.”
Gulch laughed.
“Hey, man, it’s funny to you?”
“No, I apologise, you just sound a lot like me.”
“You?”
“What? I can’t have a dark past?” Gulch said mock offended.
“Well, er, yeah, I guess, it’s just…” Kaskey trailed off.
Grant grinned.
“There was that time that he had to break the vault lock at the Merrick Embassy on Tarmin.”
“Oh don’t, Ben,” Gulch complained.
“What? Come on, what happened?” Kaskey pleaded with a grin of his own.
“The Jastworthiagg Diamonds were stolen and had been smuggled into a package that was destined to be held in the vault there. It was an impressive operation just to get it that far and Gulch and I were one step behind. We knew that the package was being moved again after a party there, it was to be given to a visiting dignitary from…”
“Jotar,” Gulch said. “A Petruthsian galaxy, that’s why I had to do it, remember?”
“Right, had to pretend to be a Petruthsian dignitary,” Grant continued. “That’s what got us in.”
“You were my bodyguard, I seem to remember.”
“And I seem to remember you playing that up,” Grant said with mock annoyance.
“All for the role, Ben, all for the plan,” Gulch said and winked at Kaskey.
“So what happened?”
“He was supposed to be breaking the vault code, but he was a little too good at his role and got snagged into conversation about intergalactic politics and the role of the UTN Councils. I had to go and do it while he tried to work his directions into polite conversation,” Grant said and laughed at the memory.
“I was quite cunning,” Gulch said proudly.
“He even ended up delaying the Petruthsian dignitary who was picking up the package. Completely unaware of the diamonds as far as we know. You know how he did it?” Grant asked slyly.
“I don’t think we need get into details,” Gulch said brusquely.
“Let’s j
ust say it had something to do with the dignitary’s daughter,” Grant winked at Kaskey and nudged Gulch.
Kaskey laughed.
“Well, I should go,” Gulch said getting down with his computer. “Work calls. Good night to you both, I’ll see you here in the morning.”
“Night, Gulch,” Grant said.
“Yeah. Sleep well and dream of dignitary’s daughters,” Kaskey laughed.
“I often do,” Gulch replied with a sly grin and slithered off.
“Told you it could be fun,” Grant said and motioned for more drinks from a passing waiter.
“Yeah, alright. I can see that.”
“And we could use someone with your skills, Kas.”
“And what skills are those?”
“Your way with people, your charm, your mouth and your knowledge of how the Underworld operates.”
“I think you’ve got that last one sewn up, man.”
“No,” Grant shook his head. “Not in the same way that you know it.”
“Look, you don’t have to sweet talk me. You’re right, I’m just a small time hustler with no aspirations to go any further than that. But we all get old, right? You already there. I can’t be hustling forever.”
“I’ll drink to being old,” Grant laughed as the drinks arrived.
“And I’ll drink to still being young,” they clinked glasses.
CHAPTER 12
They met in the lounge of the hotel after breakfast, the six of them, and Gulch ran through his possibilities. Tandish, Kov and Loveritto had different reasons for knocking places off of the list until they were down to just four.
“This won’t lead us to them though,” Gulch said.
“No, but you see here, Frart’s,” Loveritto said, “I nixed that because there is nowhere close for them to hold people. It’s not that type of neighbourhood.
“But this one, Kayde’s, this is in an area of warehouses and it’s near the skyway,” Tandish said.
“They don’t have to be close,” Grant pointed out.
“Why are they all in the city anyway?” Kaskey asked. “I mean, wouldn’t they be better off out with the farms?”
“Too big of an area,” Kov explained. “Big distances. If there’s going to be travel involved you might as well set up in the city rather than the middle of nowhere.”
“What would you want, Kas? If it was you?” Grant asked.
Kaskey thought about it.
“You drive in and drop off the people, you need to do that inside where no one can see. If it’s regular then you need a place where it doesn’t look suspicious having vans driving in and out all the time. Same goes with the chop shop.”
“Yes. Good,” Grant nodded and looked at the three security guards.
They in turn looked at the map on the screen.