The silence was palpable. The other patrons had all begun backing up as soon as my hand had connected with the cop’s face. The Blue-eyes, however, were getting brave, nodding and backing me up since I had stood up for one of their “brothers.” Allen was slumped against the wall behind me, and I turned to see if it was okay. It wore an expression of utter shock. Of course, I wasn’t going to kill the cops, or even shoot at them, for that matter. But they didn’t know that.
I kicked the cop on the ground and heard him cough as he breathed in. He pushed himself off the ground and returned to his companions. I kept my Diamondback levelled, not ready to let them off the hook just yet. They might want to take my head off, but they wouldn’t. They couldn’t.
“C’mon, boys …” The lead cop spat a glob of blood onto the hardwood floor. “Only dirty cops drink here.”
“You got that right. Get the hell out!” I yelled.
The four cops lumbered out the front door, careful to not take their eyes off of me. I figured I might be seeing them later.
I pushed my revolver back into my holster, turned to the other patrons, and shrugged. “Round on me?” The crowd cheered and lifted whatever glasses they were holding. I slapped a twenty on the counter and signalled the barkeep.
Then I went over to help Allen up, brushing off its suit jacket. It walked past me back toward its seat. I picked up the largest piece of the mangled badge and scooped up the remaining shards from the floor. Allen could get a new one eventually — the last thing it needed now was to worry about that. It righted the overturned chair and took its previous seat, as did I. We sat together in a silence that went on for the better part of an hour.
“You okay, Allen?”
It turned to me, seemingly pulled out of deep thought as it took some time to formulate a response. “Yes, Detective. I believe I sustained only minor or superficial damage.”
“Not what I meant. You good?”
“Yes, I suppose I am.”
We sat in silence for a while longer. The group of Blue-eyes came up to me soon after, thanked me for “sticking it to the coppers,” and offered us both drinks. A tonic for Allen, and for me, some of the beer the barkeep kept in the back corner of the storeroom. It felt good being thanked — even if I had spent a hard-earned twenty on strangers, and even if my methods weren’t the best way to defuse such a situation.
It was good to hear Allen’s flanging voice finally pierce the silence. “There is one thing still bothering me.”
“How fucking lowlifes like them got badges in the first place?”
“I meant about the case.”
“Ah, right.” I’d been so wrapped up in street politics that I’d almost forgotten why we were here.
“We have probable cause for this Stern, whom we are cornering at his apartment, and we have deduced that Jaeger did not have the necessary motivation or tools to enact this kind of vengeance. However, the absence of a Neural-Interface in the assailant that you reported is cause for concern, as such evidence could be dismissed as human error. While I am quite knowledgeable in Automatic functions, I believe that in order to narrow down the possibilities, we must definitely prove whether or not it is mechanically possible for them to run without a Neural-Interface.”
“Agreed.” I bit my lip, thinking. Not many people down here know anything about Automatics, beyond how to fry them or Red-eye them. Jaeger was one of the best, and he’d had no clue. I figured we needed to go higher. “Can you get me a warrant for GE?”
“General Electrics is accessible to the public.”
“I meant the higher floors, where the bigwigs sit.”
“Ah.” Allen nodded. “I can ask Robins to try getting something that will keep us there long enough to get some answers. It might be tricky, though.”
“Well, call it your next assignment. I have all the faith in the world in you.” I sipped my drink, wetting my throat. “Also, be sure to check out some of the local speakeasies in the area. I know the Brass and Pass is the place for high-profile Automatics. Maybe someone there knows those dead boys and might be able to give us a lead. Something tells me it’s bound to be tied up with the Iron Hands.”
“The who?”
Shit. Forgot it doesn’t know anything about them. Don’t sweat, or it’ll think something is up.
“They’re the biggest Automatic parts cartel in America and currently the biggest crime family on the Eastern Seaboard. They’re everywhere down here, and nothing gets past them. Most criminals who try to edge into the Iron Hands’ business turn up face down in the dirt or in the bay after they attempt something. I don’t know why those boys were shot at Prince and Greene, but I have a gut feeling the Iron Hands might be the cause.”
“I’ll be sure to check thoroughly, Detective. Until then, it seems we can’t do much without Stern here. We are still at a loss as to his whereabouts and will remain so for a time.”
“In any case, darts again.” I stood up and felt my body bloat. I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t finished my piss after dealing with the assholes who roughed up Allen. We could play darts afterward.
CHAPTER 9
HOURS INTO THE DRINKS, GAMES, TALKS, and even laughs, the speakeasy was at a standstill, and anyone still here was either passed out or very near to it. It was during this winding down of Tuesday night — or Wednesday morning, to
