Pop Travel Page 23

  Hasan stopped pacing when the offer sank in.

  “How ‘bout an espresso?”

  The officer squinted.

  Hasan shook his head and went back to his pacing.

  “Oh, uh. I guess I can have Hughes here go fetch you one.”

  Standing guard at the door, Hughes the android swiveled his head and focused on the officer. Before he could send Hughes on the errand, the officer’s vidcom buzzed. He touched the desktop and a female head popped up over it.

  “Captain Brown is on his way up,” she said.

  “Good. Thank you, Rachel.” When the officer disconnected, he spoke to Hasan. “Sorry, Mr. Creator. The espresso will have to wait.”

  Cooper turned to Geri, who smirked at him. He sniffed agreement. Why do people act so stupid around celebrities?

  “What? Oh, no problem.” Hasan had stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the room with his hand at his mouth, staring at the floor, lost in thought.

  A few minutes later, Captain Brown held the door open and Vivienne Jones, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, breezed in.

  So this is the connection.

  Smiling at Hasan like he was a sumptuous appetizer, Vivienne slinked over to him and grasped his chin, purring at him.

  “Hasan, my pet. What happened?”

  He opened his mouth, but she put a finger to his lips.

  “No, you don’t have to explain. Ray filled me in on all the terrible details. We will have you home in no time and you’ll never see these horrid troublemakers again. Don’t worry about a thing.” After another smile for Hasan, she turned and sneered at Cooper and Geri.

  “Right this way, Mrs. Jones. I just need your thumbprint on a few forms,” the captain said, holding his inner office door open for her.

  “Of course, Captain.” She gave him a seductive glance and went in.

  Dangerous woman.

  Cooper decided the best time to make their move would be when the police tried to relocate them. He just needed to figure a way to tell Geri. He looked at her and pursed his lips in frustration.

  “Well, looks like you won’t be needing that espresso. You probably have your own personal gourmet coffee maker, don’t you? What’s that called?” He snapped his fingers. “A barista!”

  With his back to the officer, Hasan winked at Cooper, then spun around and started to mumble between gasping breaths. He stumbled around and looked like he might keel over and faint any second.

  “What’s with him? Did he forget his meds?” the officer asked with a chuckle.

  His jab sparked an idea.

  “As a matter of fact, he did,” Cooper said.

  “He’s supposed to take them three times a day,” Geri added, eyeing Cooper and taking his lead.

  “With all the popping, we forgot. The bottle is in the right front pocket of my jeans.”

  The guard cocked an eyebrow.

  Hasan really poured it on, arguing with himself, shaking all over, and rubbing his head. He was a good actor. Is that drool?

  “Hughes, get the medicine bottle from Mr. Cooper’s pocket, there.” The officer pointed at Cooper and stood up.

  As the droid approached, Cooper rose with a smile.

  The officer drew his electrogun and stepped out from behind the desk.

  Geri tapped her head on the wall and whipped her hair around. Her comb flew out and stabbed the officer in the leg.

  He let out a yelp and as he reached for the comb, Geri stood up and head-butted him.

  In the split-second the droid got distracted by the fallen officer, Cooper kicked its feet out from under it and jumped on it.

  Hasan grabbed a stylus pen from the desk and jammed it into the back of the droid’s neck, short-circuiting it.

  The commotion brought the captain and Mrs. Jones bounding out of the office.

  Geri snatched the remote fob for the cuffs from the officer’s belt and the three were out the door before the captain could aim and fire off a jolt.

  Mrs. Jones screeched and swore as the door latched behind them.

  Geri buzzed her cuffs loose, then used her higher tech QV to fry the electronic door lock, sealing the Captain and Mrs. Jones inside. Then she released Cooper.

  Acting like an officer, Cooper led the three of them past the sparsely occupied desks, calmly, but quickly, toward the exit.

  The Captain sounded an alarm, and the few cops in the office swarmed after them.

  As the trio ran down the stairs, Cooper shouted instructions.

  “If we get separated, follow the plan.”

  “Right!” Geri agreed.

  “This is so great!” Hasan said.

  Such a kid.

  When they burst through the garage door, they barely heard the droid at the office window ask them for identification over the echoing alarms. It appeared to be bolted to the desk.

  Geri dashed over to some motorcycles. Pointing her QV at one of them, it started up. Cooper needed some of those apps. She started another for him.

  As the sirens of approaching cars got closer, Cooper hoped he remembered how to ride.

  “Get on, Hasan! You ride with me,” she said.

  Glad she’s on our side!

  Geri took a right and another right. Horns blared and swerved as she drove between oncoming cars on the wrong side of the road.

  Cooper took the lead and slipped over to the center lane, cutting off more cars as he turned down another street. He winced at the sound of screeching tires and fender benders behind him. As he rode the median, he glanced in his mirror, relieved to see Geri right behind him. But so was another bike. It had to be the guy from Dhruba’s house, dressed all in black. That guy is everywhere!

  Cooper ducked as the guy shot electric jolts at him.

  Ahead at the light, cops squealed around the corner toward them.

  Taking a quick left, Cooper dodged pedestrians on the sidewalk in a maze between the buildings. A static shot just missed his bike.

  The time had come to split up. As they came to the cross street, Cooper pointed right and turned left.

  Geri and Hasan headed for the transport station, according to their plan.

  Dark dude followed Cooper.

  Cooper sped onto the sidewalk and slalomed between trees and people. Seeing a covered opening in the middle of a building, he hit his brakes and slid to make the ninety-degree turn. The dude stayed right with him. Just as the dude caught up, Cooper took a left and they were back in traffic.

  Cooper crossed another street at full speed, narrowly missing a cab, and flew down a service road between a hotel and a construction site.

  The dark dude had to swerve, and Cooper lost sight of him.

  Speeding up, Cooper busted through the construction site’s partially open gate, breaking the weak chains holding it together, and almost fell off his bike. A quick scan showed him a pile of gravel to hide behind. No good. And too late.

  Dudeman darted in and zeroed in on him.

  They skidded and spun through the debris and the diehard Dude started firing again. The police bike should be shockproof, but Cooper didn’t want to find out. A police bike should have guns, too, but the controls weren’t marked. Forget that. With his luck, he’d stall it.

  A high pile of dirt by the wall taunted Cooper to jump. Done! He hit the accelerator, and drove straight toward the dude. Just before crashing into him, Cooper spun around, skidding up dirt and gravel at the guy and sped up the dirt pile. He flew over the wall and landed on the hood of a car. No stopping now.

  Spying a truck unloading at the hotel, he drove inside the open service elevator door. Trapped. Cooper killed the engine and ducked

  Dude sped past the truck, searching. He caught a glimpse of Cooper and spun the bike around.

  Cooper willed the doors to shut. Close! Hurry up! Close!

  Slowest doors in creation, but they finally came together. Poor Dude would have to go around.

  Cooper left the bike in the elevator and rushed into the lobby. More like
a posh mini-mall with several shops and a spa.

  Spotting Dude rushing in the front doors, Cooper held a brisk walking pace and ducked into the salon. When he saw Dude run his way, Cooper knocked over a cart of supplies and a couple of shelves of styling products, slowing down his pursuer. With the powerful scent of the permanents and hairspray fumes threatening to knock him out, he crashed into a large lady with a foil-covered head. Dancing around with her, he grabbed her arms and traded places with her, catching a glimpse of Dude over her shoulder.

  Cooper ran for the closest opening, a supply room. Swiping some hair dye and towels from a shelf, he kept moving out the back door, triggering an alarm.

  He sprinted for the street, turned the corner, and flagged down a cab.

  In the rear window, he waved at Dude and threw his QV out the window.

  FBI – Atlanta Division

  6:15 a.m., Saturday, July 27

  “Sir,” Nate whispered.

  Asleep on a cot in the back room of his office, Ed felt Nate lightly tap his shoulder.

  “Sir!”

  “Huh?” Ed squinted. “Time for my meeting already?”

  Once Geri, Hasan, and Cooper had been secured at the police station in Australia, Ed tried to get some rest. He needed all his strength to deal with Vivienne the Witch and her daily brew session at 0800. He dreaded listening to her gloat and scold him about having to go get Hasan herself. To soothe himself to sleep, he thought of his favorite dream where he enters her office and presents her with an arrest warrant and a police escort. It always made him smile.

  “No. They popped, sir.”

  Ed looked at his watch. Not even two hours? Ugh. He sat up and scratched his head, howling a yawn.

  “Where are they now?”

  “After Mrs. Jones showed up, they escaped from the police and had a little chase. Now Geri is at the Southwest Georgia Regional Transport Center in Albany. She has Hasan and called in to report to you.” At least Vivienne let Hasan slip through her fingers, too. Ha!

  “Well, don’t just stand there. Get me some coffee!” He barked the command like an angry dog woken up too soon.

  “Yes, sir.” Nate jumped into action.

  Collecting himself, Ed went into the bathroom and splashed water on his face, frowning in the mirror at his mussed hair and the five o’clock shadow muddying his cheeks.

  When he got to Nate’s station, his coffee sweetly called. How does this kid look so fresh and awake? Ed nodded at Nate to open the feed. The address under the frame showed Geri’s location, a public CC imager at the terminal.

  “Good to see you, Geri. Nice outfit, though I preferred the purple gown.” Ed smirked.

  Geri looked down at her clothes.

  “Oh, thanks. You look sharp, too, Ed. Get any sleep last night?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  He rubbed his stubbly chin.

  “Mmm. Well, what do you have for me?”

  “I have your package, the prize, and the target has been nullified,” Geri announced and stood at attention.

  Something didn’t seem right, from her overly focused eyes and extra smooth, business tone. Normally, she would be complaining about a lack of sleep and wanting a shower or something. Ed also noticed her light grip on Hasan, who stood next to her looking dramatically downcast, as if he wasn’t a flight risk.

  “That’s my girl. Never doubted you for a second.” He nodded. “What’s your next move?”

  “I’m taking Hasan back to the plantation. I wanted to stop and check in, since it’s been over twelve hours since I last communicated with you.” She gave him a weak chuckle.

  “Right. You’ve had quite an adventure. We will have to catch up after you drop him off.”

  “Drop him off? I thought I would stick around and help with the repercussions between him and PTI.”

  “Oh, no. You’ve done a great job. But you need to get some much deserved and needed rest. Blake will handle the rest of the boring details. He’ll be waiting for you at the plantation security headquarters for the hand off.” Despite what she reported, he doubted her intentions and would have to confirm her loyalty.

  “Of course. It will be nice to get some sleep. I forgot how exhausted I was.” She smiled and yawned.

  “Off you go, then. We’ll let you know when you need to come in for debriefing.”

  “Yes, sir.” When they disconnected, Ed turned to Nate.

  “Did you see what happened before she popped?”

  “They raced around the city. When they split up, Geri took Hasan to the transport station and Blake followed Cooper. We’re waiting for him to check in.”

  “See if you can reach him.”

  “Yes, sir.” Nate opened the frame.

  Blake had a stony scowl chiseled into his rugged features.

  “What’s the story, Blake?”

  “Cooper got away.” Blake spoke through gritted teeth.

  Ed figured that much.

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s bound to do something stupid and we’ll be all over him like an android virus. Geri has the video and Hasan. I still have faith in my girl.”

  “Yes, sir,” Blake answered. “But I think you should know, I suspect Harper has gotten attached to her marks.” Tension grated in Blake’s voice. He had the fury of a junkyard dog that hadn’t been fed in a week.

  “Bah. Geri’s a pro. She is better than you think, if she had you believing her act.” Even if she had gotten attached, Ed had faith she would finish her mission, especially since she got away from Cooper. Geri would come through. “It’s a delicate matter, Blake. Go ahead back to the plantation and you can take over for her.”

  Poor Geri. This assignment had exploded to epic proportions from the simple starter case he had expected for her. Not ready to undermine her and make himself look bad, he hoped he could avoid having to sic Blake on her. For now.

  “Whatever you say, boss.” Blake disconnected.

  Ed shook his head and moved on.

  “Let’s see how Ray is handling the search for his missing prodigy,” Ed said to Nate with a chuckle.

  “Yes, sir.” Nate rang Ray Saffioti’s QV.

  Ray’s neurotic eyes and red-cheeked face appeared in another frame on the large imager at Nate’s station. Still in the security headquarters control room at the plantation, Ray couldn’t hide his pathetic condition. His sweaty brow and droopy lids advertised his stressed-out exhaustion.

  “Ed? Do you know what time it is?” Ray asked.

  “It’s seven in the morning. How was the party? Looks like you’re still over there.” Ed taunted him like a troublesome little brother.

  “It went very well. I was just going over some security tapes with Manny, here.” Ray smoothed his hair. He was a terrible liar.

  “So Hasan enjoyed his birthday?” Ed asked with a big, mocking grin, barely containing his mirth.

  “Cut the crap, Ed,” Ray said, ending Ed’s game.

  “Have you located Hasan yet?”

  Ed knew every move Ray made. He had grown tired of holding the rug up for Ray to sweep his garbage under. The time had come to put an end to the irresponsible behavior of the miscreant PTI. Screw Vivienne and her threats to tattle to his wife about their affair. Ed would be handling things his way from now on.

  “Of course. We are closing in on him as we speak.” Ray’s desperate eyes searched those in the room around him for answers as he lied.

  Ed smiled again.

  “Oh, good. We are too. We should work together to bring him in.”

  Ray grasped for a handout.

  “Certainly. What do you propose?”

  “My people will secure Hasan and deliver him to the plantation. Apparently, he has come up with a solution to your little problem. Your job will be to have him write a report of his new findings and quietly distribute the fix to all travelports ASAP. Any other testing can be done during this temporary provision. You shouldn’t have to close the travelports, so we might be able to avoid a monumental disaster. Don�
��t you agree?”

  “Of course. Yes. That sounds good.” Ray nodded like a bobblehead.

  “Oh, and one of our agents will accompany Hasan at all times,” Ed added.

  Ray grimaced.

  “Is that really necessary? Our men could…”

  “Is that going to be an issue?” Ed glared down his nose at Ray.

  “No, but—”

  “Good. Contact us with any new info.”

  “Certainly.”

  Ed disconnected.

  “Let’s see what he does. Pull up his imager.” Ed crossed his arms, knowing who would be his first call.

  Nate opened two frames, one for Ray’s imager and a second for whomever he contacted.

  Ray speed-dialed Vivienne first.

  I knew it!

  “What now?” she shouted.

  Ed pictured her in cartoon form, with steam shooting out of her ears. He smiled in delight.

  “The Feds found Hasan and they’re bringing him back,” Ray said.

  “Damn it, Ray! Of course they are! That damn Geri Harper popped out of Australia with him using that damn untraceable code!” Vivienne growled and it turned into clearing her throat. Her glass clinked as she grabbed it, full of ice wading in golden liquid. Jerking it around, not caring or realizing it, she splashed a couple of drops onto the webcam. “Now they have the high ground. We need to fix this, Ray. Or they will have their way with you.”

  “I know. At least it looks like Hasan came up with a fix for the travelers. But now Ed is putting an agent on Hasan 24/7.” Ray gripped his forehead.

  “Of course he is.” She sipped her drink. “Your overpaid security company couldn’t nab him.”

  “Yes, they… Well, no. They reported a few hours ago they were following Hasan’s trail. Then things got out of hand. Those damn Feds are bullies. I can’t believe this is happening.” He dropped his head, talking to himself and moaning. Holding his face in his hands, he rocked back and forth.

  Vivienne changed her tone.

  “Calm down, my sweet.” Vivienne purred and drained her morning pick-me-up. “Let’s see what we have, shall we?”