They took off into the rainy night sky at exactly 2200 hours as always. Idina spent the five-minute flight to the platoon’s assigned patrol sector checking in with her JSP troopers and reviewing their intended deployment locations. Sandvik was a big city, and their joint platoon only had forty pairs of patrol officers between them. Every night, the AI set patrol spots and assignments, based on the current security situation and previously observed call patterns, to maximize the coverage they could provide with just eighty officers per sector.
“I really do wish I could finish this deployment with you,” Idina said after she had made all her usual comms check-ins. “I don’t like leaving jobs undone. And you’ll have to get used to a new Palladian in that passenger seat.”
Dahl shrugged.
“I will be fine. I have had to get used to many different partners over the years. At least it will only be two months if we end up disliking each other.”
“Sergeant Noor was supposed to be riding with you today already. I’m supposed to be on light duty. I just haven’t managed to redo the patrol assignments yet. I may not get around to it before I leave.”
“I see,” Dahl said with a wry smile. “I will make sure you do not strain yourself excessively.”
“Maybe we can actually wrap a few things up this week. What’s the word on the arms-dealer mechanic the kid from yesterday mentioned? Has someone been out to see him yet?”
“Vigi Fuldas,” Dahl said.
“That’s the name.”
“We have put in a request for a detention order. But the Hall of Justice is not working off its backlog very quickly. They expect to have an order ready by the end of the week.”
“The guy is converting illegal military weapons for the black market, and the Hall of Justice thinks that’s not an urgent enough matter,” Idina summarized. “That’s not very efficient.”
“They issue the detention orders,” Dahl said. “We have to wait for one before we can search his place. That is the way the system works. If I start searching homes without judicial consent, the system is no longer in place. Without the system, I am not a police officer anymore. Just someone with a weapon and a meaningless word written on my armor. And then Vigi Fuldas can claim the right to search my place, too, as long as he brings a bigger gun.”
Idina felt a pang of irritation at Dahl’s calm and matter-of-fact chastening. Every day, the woman confirmed some of her prejudices about Gretians and then completely dispelled them again.
They flew in silence for a few minutes. The gyrofoil’s autopilot corrected for the wind gusts so efficiently that it might as well have been a still and cloudless summer night out there for all the difference it made to the smoothness of the ride. Dahl started their patrol pattern a thousand meters above the bustling streets as always.
“What does the term ‘loophole’ mean to you, Sergeant Chaudhary?” Dahl asked.
Idina thought about the question.
“A loophole is a way to do something that is against the spirit of the rules without violating them openly,” she answered.
Dahl nodded.
“That is not a bad definition. In my experience, a loophole is a thing that is allowed when the person who calls it a ‘loophole’ would rather see it forbidden but does not have the ability to make it so.”
“Interesting perspective,” Idina said.
“On an unrelated subject, I have found out something interesting about Vigi Fuldas,” Dahl continued. “He lives outside of our patrol sector, which puts his residence out of our area of responsibility. But he travels to work on the Artery. And he changes Artery trains at Philharmony Station, which is in our patrol sector.”
Idina looked at Dahl with a raised eyebrow, but the other woman maintained the unreadable expression she had probably mastered decades ago.
“That’s an interesting fact,” she replied.
“I thought so, too.”
Idina brought up a map of Sandvik and isolated Philharmony Station, then laughed when she magnified the view.
“That’s barely in our sector. The border line goes right through that station,” she said. “Half of it is in the Oceanian sector.”
“That is true,” Dahl conceded. “But our half is the one with the main entrance. And all the transfer platforms.”
Idina laughed again.
“That is one tiny loophole. We have jurisdiction there. But it won’t do us any good unless we just happen to be there when he changes trains, and we spot him. And somehow get to him before he jumps on the next Artery train or leaves by the eastern entrance.”
“If we knew his work schedule, we wouldn’t have to happen to be there.”
Idina finally figured out Dahl’s intent. She shook her head with a grin.
“That’s a sort of rule-bending ingenuity I hadn’t expected from you.”
“I am glad I still manage to confound your expectations sometimes,” Dahl said.
“Do we know his work schedule?”
Dahl nodded.
“He works from 1600 hours to 0000 hours this week. The Artery ride from the spaceport to Philharmony Station takes thirty-one minutes.”
Idina checked the time. It was 2210. They would be on station until 0600 hours tomorrow morning. If they encountered Vigi Fuldas in their sector during their shift, they could detain and question him without waiting for a judicial order.
“I know you are ordered to be on light duty,” Dahl said. “And you have the final authority here on military security matters. But I am the patrol supervisor for the Gretian police in this sector tonight. And I think that the platform at Philharmony Station has not had a foot patrol checking on things in a good while. At around 0030 hours tonight, I may decide that all patrols are either tied up or too far away, and that I want to take a good look around. Personally. And you would have to accompany me. Regardless of your commander’s wishes.”
“Well,” Idina said. “If you did that, I really wouldn’t have a choice. Those
