— ♦ —
Alice left the Peace Force building a few moments later, munching on a chocolate bar she'd bought from Birch on the way. She was dressed in the grey Peace Force uniform she'd borrowed earlier, when she attended the so-called burglary. Bernie told her it was meant for senior officers, but since the rest were too big it would have to do. Alice frowned at that - for a major crime-fighting organisation, it was odd how much they had to struggle for everyday items like uniforms. A few extra guns wouldn't go astray either, and as for catching cabs …
She strolled towards the main road, enjoying the chocolate bar, and barely noticed the man walking in the opposite direction. He was moving quickly, with his collar drawn up, but Alice didn't spare him a second glance because at that moment the cab drew up alongside her.
Alice hopped in, gave the address, then sat back to endure the ride. Bernie had tried to explain what she was getting into, and she just hoped she could cope with the situation when she got there.
A long-forgotten memory surfaced, and she smiled grimly. When this mission was over she'd treat herself to an ice cream. Two, if she had enough money.
— ♦ —
"Are you sure?" demanded Tyron Smith.
"Certain. I just walked right past her. She got into a cab right outside the building."
"Good, tell the others to stand by." Smith felt a surge of elation. The girl was out of hiding at last! "I want this done right … and whatever you do, make sure you bring her in alive."
Chapter 9
Harriet got Steve to cut the sirens and lights as they turned off the main road, taking a smaller street between rows of older warehouses. She stared up at the buildings, wondering how they'd ended up in such disrepair. Some looked abandoned, and she began to feel suspicious. She glanced at the screen. The report had come from a building just ahead, but it looked like another abandoned warehouse. All the windows were broken, and if any kids were going to toss rocks they'd be wasting their time with this place. She was now convinced the call was a hoax, designed to get her out of the office. The only saving grace was that Smith didn't know about Bernie, and she smiled grimly at the thought of him coming face-to-face with the huge Peace Force robot. Let him try and get to Alice!
Steve pulled into a car park, which was thick with weeds growing through the cracked tarmac. The rough surface didn't bother the cruiser, which glided through the air blasting the weeds into atoms. Then the car came to a gentle halt, the landing legs popped out to support its weight, and the engines whined down to silence.
"Do you detect any life forms?" asked Harriet, peering through the windscreen at the run-down building. It didn't look like anyone had been here for years, but she needed to check it out.
"Sorry, that function is not available."
"Can't you enable it?"
"Not unless you upgrade to the next licensing tier."
"Yeah, no. Bernie would have a fit." Reluctantly, Harriet undid her seat belt and prepared to get out. Steve helpfully opened the door for her, even though she'd rather have stayed inside.
The first thing she noticed was the complete silence. No traffic noise, no sounds of civilisation, nothing. She wasn't that far from the main road, but it was like she'd set down on an uninhabited planet. As Harriet walked towards the warehouse, her boots crunched loudly on the gritty surface, and she was certain people could hear her progress for about about a block in every direction. They could probably hear her heartbeat, too, because it was going about twice the usual rate.
On her way to the building she passed a couple of shattered wooden pallets, and she picked up a length of wood to defend herself with. Unfortunately it weighed about as much as a sheet of paper, and when she gripped one end in her gloved hand, the rotten material crumbled to dust. She pulled a face and threw the rest aside, brushing her hands together to get rid of the fine powder.
Harriet entered the shadows at the base of the building, where broken windows gaped like empty eye sockets. At some point the building had been set on fire, because there were great sooty trails above every window, and the fierce heat had twisted the window bars into fantastic sculptures. As she got closer she tried to pull one free, to use as a makeshift weapon, but they were anchored firmly.
She heard a noise and spun round, but there was nothing. Spooked, she put her back to the wall and crept to the nearest window, raising her head slowly to peer inside the building.
Nothing.
Dust from the brickwork left streaks on her dark blue uniform, and when she brushed it off the cloud of particles made her sneeze. The sound was like a gunshot, and she stood still for a few seconds, listening. Then she continued past three more windows, reaching the corner of the building. She peered down the side, past a litter of broken pallets, tattered plastic sheeting and broken glass. If she went down there, she thought, there was a good chance she'd twist her ankle.
She decided to check down the other side, then call it in. Moving quicker now, she strode along the front of the building, past the empty windows with their ruined bars. At the far end, she didn't hesitate: she walked straight round the corner … and stopped dead. The call said two kids were throwing rocks, but that wasn't entirely accurate. Instead, she was facing two large men, each holding a length of iron bar. Harriet took one look and turned to run, knowing immediately that she could never hope to fight them off.
Before she could move another man stepped out of the shadows, directly in front of
