The Liberal Assassin

A Long Night (1)

I love the simplistic design as it served my purpose. The suit was made to protect my vital organs but not restrict movement. More importantly, it was infused with medical technology that was connected straight to Kevin's system. Should anything happen to me, the nanofibre will detect it and send the information back to Cain. Depending on the severity of my condition and location, my artificial intelligence assistants will take the necessary actions as pre-programmed.

Tonight is an all-out mission and I needed to be more equipped than usual. Everything I can get my hands on including traps and surveillance will be brought along. Being at three places at once is something only the Night Walker can pull off. I must admit that I'm nervous thinking about it because the success rate of this mission is highly dependable on Cain's logical analysis and Kevin's timing. However, after the modifications done, they should be able to pull this off smoothly.

"Kevin. Cain. I'm hijacking two droids and equipping them with images of myself. Can you run the virus and upload it to their system when I give the command? Cain, you're in charge of running the distraction and Kevin, I need real-time feedback on Spencer's movements."

With positive responses from both my assistants, I set to work. Hijacking two service droids near the Patrol Guard's headquarters and Luna Cryonics Services was easy. The virus was uploaded and their work schedule altered to fit the requirements of my plan. Nothing would seem out of place even if Spencer was on high alert.

"What is Spencer doing right now?"

Kevin paused and ran through his surveillance. "Spencer is currently observing the cameras for interference."

"What is the patrol deployment like?"

Cain ran a system file and pulled up the spreadsheet. It looked a lot stricter than usual. However, most of the manpower was focussed around the Patrol Guard's headquarters where Mia's body was supposedly at. The other heavily patrolled location was around Luna Cryonics. Both patrol patterns were consistent and difficult to breach.

"Cain, can you run an analysis of the time most favourable for a break into Luna Cryonics?"

It didn't take long before Cain came back with results. "Option with the most favourable chance of success is at ten forty-two with sixty percent of success."

I glanced at the time. It was only ten eighteen and I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. "No. What's the next best option?"

"Eleven thirty-six with fifty-two percent chance of success."

I shook my head. It was still too soon. "Any options after midnight, preferably about one in the morning?"

Cain was silent for a while.

"Cain?"

"Sir, the results are negative. All service droids are to return to the charging station after midnight. There are no options."

I smacked a hand over my forehead. I forgot to customise the analysis. "Sorry, Cain. Assume that the service droids were in the form of a Patrol Guard on duty. Could you reanalyse that probability again?"

With a beep, Cain started humming before returning with a different set of results. It appeared that all the probabilities were at least above seventy percent chances of success regardless the time.

"Okay. Here's the plan. For the first distraction, I want you to have the service bot use the hologram of a Patrol Guard and program the droid to patrol according to the given schedule. At one, the spy droid will break off from the group to a place without surveillance. Kevin, distract Spencer somehow. Tinker with his lights or something for a few seconds so that he doesn't watch the droid break from the group. Cain, have the droid on standby after activating the light bending device.

Activate the virus on my command. The droid should change into a hologram of the Night Walker and run a distraction by breaking into the cryonics. Cain, you handle the response analysis. Whatever you do, do not let the droid get caught. Once all the Patrol Guards are scattered into a chase, make the droid blend in as a Patrol Guard with the confusion and await my second command.

On the second command, I want the same thing to happen to the droid in the headquarters. Let Spencer have his guards give chase. The moment Spencer steps out of his office, have the first droid to run as the Night Walker as well. Both Night Walkers must vanish at the same time headed in the direction of Centurion's headquarters. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir. The time now is twenty-three o' clock. Mr N's delivery has reached its destination and the packages are verified. There were no interferences along the way. Shall we proceed now, sir?"

I glanced at the time, unable to believe it was already eleven. Grabbing the visor and pulling up my hood, I was about to leave until I remembered that the hair tie was broken. This won't do. Fashioning the hair tie bobble into a clip-on earring, I put it on and did a final check.

Now we're good to go.

It would be my first time visiting Area Forty-One tonight. Rumours have it that the place was filled with lunatics and was more run-down than the Slums. If it were a normal situation, I would never have chosen Area Forty-One for a sightseeing trip. Unfortunately, I would be visiting for business.

The star of the evening was a famous scientist many years back. Helenos Satchel was known for his obsession with anything dead. The Parliament ordered his confinement to Area Forty-One after they found him guilty of stealing four specimens from the cryonics and the attempt to murder and obtain New-Man bodies.

As much as I wanted to use a charged orb or hire a wheeler, neither were feasible ideas with my Night Walker getup. I really wished there was an easier way to travel.

After about half an hour of running, I finally saw the rusted signs.

===Warning, you are about to cross into forbidden zone Area Forty-One. Cross at your own discretion. ===

The words were faded but the message was clear. Well, nobody in their right mind needed to be told that. Ignoring the pathetic warning sign, I jumped over the tall metal fence and started running in the direction Helenos' apartment was.

"Isn't this funny, Kevin? If the Parliament really wanted it to be a forbidden zone, shouldn't they pass a law to execute anyone who tries to trespass this area?"

"Sir, I find your sense of humour highly morbid. May I take the fifth on this?"

Rolling my eyes at Kevin's stiff reply, I was about to ask Cain for his opinion when the ex-scientist's apartment came to view.

It was a really plain looking thing, nothing like what the rumours had stated although it was slightly better looking than Nash's little house. What baffled me was the poor security. I could waltz in there and nobody would be wiser. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Kevin, I want an area scan for surveillance."

It didn't take long for Kevin to return to me claiming none was found in the vicinity. I scoffed. So much for the tight security.

Making my way over in a calm manner, I went around finding the best angle of entry. The apartment was small and the scientist was hunched over his working terminal, possibly keeping an eye on Mia's body wherever it was hidden. Curiosity overwhelmed me. I wanted to know how the man Spencer entrusted the body with looked like.

He looked nothing out of the ordinary with his curly dark hair, dark blue eyes and stubbly chin. The only distinguishing feature was a pair of thick glasses on his nose. I was prepared to go all out on a dangerous and highly intelligent lunatic seeing how Spencer entrusted this man with such an important issue but seeing him in person was a little disappointing. This man would go down in a kick, anything more would be sending him to the cryonics.

Taking three steps back from the window, I sprinted and hurled myself at the window, thankful that there were no neighbours in the area to hear his shriek. The poor man would have peed in his pants if I didn't end his horror with a swift chop to the back of his neck.

After laying the unconscious man on his bed, I peered over to his work terminal. After fiddling with the camera system, I finally got the hang of it. Going through hundreds of live feeds would have been difficult. However, Helenos made my job a lot easier. Zooming in on one of the cameras he was viewing earlier, I confirmed that the body in the cryonics was indeed Mia's. Her innards ripped open but the undertaker had it cleaned out nicely. Her blonde hair matted with blood, indicating an old head wound, probably while she was held captive. Despite the calm analysis, none of those registered in my head.

Red filled my vision quicker than I thought was possible and I felt the blood pounding in my ears.

This was no accident.

It was murder.

Who and why anyone would do such a thing remained unknown for now. Mia was a poor person living in the Slums and minded her own business. Nothing about her stood out and she didn't look like the kind of person who would have any enemies.

Using the live camera feedback, I traced it to the exact location and noted down the coordinates. Kevin helped me to identify the location on the map but instead of clearing my doubts, it only served to confuse me more.

"Kevin, are you certain about this?"

"Positive, sir."

The camera was located about five kilometres away from here underwater. It wouldn't be surprising to find a hideout in the sewers. However, this was in the middle of the ocean that we were dealing with. Everything about this business was getting more suspicious by the minute. I knew of the underground society in Luna but I never expected them to be able to afford the technology to build a territory in the sea. I would have to discuss this with Nash after I successfully retrieve Mia's body. She deserved a proper farewell with the people who care about her.

"Kevin, I need you to do a detailed scan and find me an entrance to that place."

There was a moment of silence while Kevin worked and I decided to give Nash a call. The communicator hummed for a while before Nash picked it up on the other end.

"Nash, it's me."

"So soon? I thought it might take you longer to get the samples."

"I'm still on it. I just happened to run into some complications. Are you aware of the underground territories in the Slums? This illegal cryonics laboratory seemed to be located off Luna."

There was a long pause before Nash asked, "What do you mean? All the underground territories are on Luna. How can anything be off Luna? It doesn't make sense."

I quickly explained the situation when Kevin returned with a detailed scan and marked several possible routes. There was one particular route that got my attention but wasn't mission related. I mentally noted where it was and wrote a reminder to look into it when I had the time.

"It appears that the underground society has links with both the Inner City and the Slums. I found a route in tonight, would definitely need more information about Area Forty-One and the Slums. Thanks anyway. I'll talk to you more soon."

Hanging up, I noticed how the abandoned docks in Area Forty-One were the only way into the illegal cryonics laboratory. I hated one-way entrances but there wasn't much of a choice. Going in invisible wasn't an option as self-opening doors were extremely suspicious. I had another idea but it was extremely sloppy and full of flaws. Anything could go wrong and it was a gamble. Should I still proceed?

At the back of my mind, Allen smiled. Don't worry too much about it for now. You'll figure it out when you get there. After all, you are Nash's student.

The knots in my stomach faded and only a warm afterglow remained. "Thanks, Allen. I owe you again."

Getting to the warehouse was easy. However, getting in was a problem. Sighing in defeat and settling behind some old structure in the distance, I brought out my spy drones. Nash liked to call them capsule bots because of how they literally fit into a capsule. Armed with only a small syringe of poison or tranquillizers, these bots were hardly useful in battle.

Now, they will finally be put to good use. With the spy-bots, Horus will receive all the information they gathered. As much as I hate to go in unprepared, time is something I didn't have tonight. Even without sufficient information, I would have to charge in blind. The operation's success depended on getting Mia out of here while my distractions hold Spencer off. It has been an hour since I left the Academy and the more time I waste, the higher the risk of failing.

Once the spy-bots were inside the abandoned warehouse, I had Horus adjust the lighting. It wasn't very clear but I could see two men talking as they parted. One of them left the warehouse while the other headed back. I concentrated on the one going back to base, observing how the trapdoor was cleverly hidden. Two taps with the right foot followed by a heel click and a knock from the tip of the shoe of the left foot. The trapdoor started to move and descended. Another trapdoor replaced the previous one as if nothing happened.

That had to be the code!

My other spy-bot tailed the other man wearing a beige jumpsuit until he entered a camera-free zone. At my command, the bot swooped down swiftly and injected the tranquillizer into his system. The man fell lifelessly to the ground and I recalled my bots. Allen was right. I can cross the bridge when I come to it.

A quick wardrobe fix later, I found myself descending from the hidden trapdoor feeling slightly sick from all the anticipation of not knowing what to expect next. Instead of some poorly lit area filled with tough-looking men holding weapons, I was greeted by the sight of people hollering at each other and shifting boxes. There were floating delivery platforms and drones all over the well lit underground warehouse, a perfect picture of chaos. I have only seen a semblance of this at the bazaar in the Slums where people met up yearly to trade things they made for services.

"Hey, kid! What are you doing here?"