"Ignis Fatuus" by Launa Sorensen

[Launa]

Introduction: This started as a fun, no-pressure piece I wrote simply to explore my character "Darlin'" from the Leather Ladybird comic book series. I found I really liked it, though, and decided to post it here.

This isn't the entire story (obviously) and I have more to add later. For now, enjoy

~*~

There’s something freeing about writing to you like this. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this headset, guiding controls and writing letters with a twitch of my eye. I don’t even have to speak aloud to put my thoughts onto virtual paper. I play with the idea of sending them to you. But I never will. Freedom in expression without giving offense. It's a dream come true.

The streets are cold tonight. It’s been more than a decade since I last walked them. I remember the dark. I don’t remember the cold. It had been easy then to go from being a soldier to a police officer. Even a private, high-security team like the Bes Squadron. Now all I want is to come home. To you.

My arm hurts. The wiring in my shoulder is off. Neon tech is so much more advanced than military tech. A team of specialists did my last upgrade and round of maintenance. I don’t think they know what they’re doing. It never hurts when you do it.

She switched off the private log and crouched along a corner of the alleyway. The back streets of one of the many refugee districts in Cairo were far from empty, but it was late enough that no one was asking questions.

“Any sign of him?” Kaf’s voice rang loud in her headset. She shuddered once. After so many years their voices were familiar, almost second nature. She had worked with them for years. Before Charlie had dubbed her “Darlin’.” Before meeting Strawberry. Before the Neon and Leather Ladybird and everything that had woven into her life. Back when she lived every day in secret, when they had called her “Mewet.” Mother in Ancient Egyptian. Going back was surreal. But still she heard Kaf’s baritone voice and it was like nothing had changed. She wished they had allowed Strawberry to come. But Strawberry was busy immersed in cyberspace tracking the cracker that has been breaking down Neon security systems. And she wasn't a member of Bes Squadron.

“Not yet.”

“Madu and I are approaching the park where the first attack took place. Maybe ol’ slice and dice is there.”

“Don’t be crass, Kaf.”

“Refugees say he’s a cybernetic experiment gone wrong.” Zaid’s soft, deep voice flitted over the connection.

“Where are you, Zaid?” she questioned.

“With Seth in the subway tunnels just beneath Kaf and Madu. In order to mummify the heads of his victims so quickly, he would need a steady source of air and…”

Darlin’ tuned out the rest of Zaid’s information. She shuddered. She remembered seeing the heads found around the city. She remembered the looks on the victim’s dead faces as they were unwrapped and studied by local forensics. All were severed while the victim was alive, their faces contorted in agony and terror. All were freshly mummified with protection amulets stuffed in their mouths. She didn’t need to know the exact process that could have made them. She just needed to know who was doing it and how to stop it.

She knew the Egyptian government suspected fouler play than a mere serial killer. One of the victims had been a leader during the Sudanese refugee riots a few decades back. Darlin' couldn't find any evidence that the killing was more than coincidence, but she wouldn't have been called back to the Squad if they didn't suspect a threat to national security.

“Mewet. You'll want to get down here. I think we found the base of his operations.” Seth's voice was tight.

“Are there any bodies?” she questioned as she stepped quickly out into the street. Half-lit neon signs cast an eerie glow on closed market carts and boarded up shops. Trash and empty beer bottles jangled as she inadvertently kicked them with her boots. Her eyes flickered across the faces of everyone she passed. No one looked twice at her.

“Just get down here.”

By the time she reached the entrance to the subway, Kaf and Madu were standing along the abandoned loading platform. Madu's hands were tucked into the pockets of his long, black jacket. His eyes burned. Kaf's hand was on his gun.

“It's in one of the old maintenance rooms,” Kaf stated, all of the earlier humor in his voice gone. They leapt down onto the tracks and Kaf led her deep into the tunnel system toward the room as Madu continued on, searching for any sign that the killer was nearby. She reached the maintenance room where Zaid was crouched over another mummified, severed head, carefully sealing it in an air-tight evidence bin. The stains on his gloves were deep red and dry. The victim had been dead for some time.

“No sign of the body. We found the head on the back table along with a few tools. And video equipment.”

Kaf swore softly. “Creep was filming the murders?”

“Perhaps,” Zaid responded. “We found a few discs but will have to analyze them in the lab.”

“I'll put a call out on the black market. He could be selling them.”

Darlin' shuddered.

“I have a police team coming to stake out this room in case our man comes back, but I doubt he will. Most of his necessary supplies are gone. He probably moves bases. And once he sees that we've been here, he won't come back,” Kaf stated.

Seth walked up to her and placed his large, rough hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from the others. Darlin' looked up at him. She was always surprised by the silver in his hair. He had been the first in the squadron. And he had aged the most since she'd been away.

He reached into an evidence bag and pulled out a bloody dogtag.

“This was sitting next to the head.”

She glanced down at the dogtag and froze. Zahir Alam.

“Is it him?”

“We won't know until we can safely analyze the head. You served with him, didn't you?”

Darlin' nodded slowly. “I helped train him.” She could see Zahir's face in her mind. He had been so young. So scared. They had fought together in Sudan and along the southern Egyptian border.

“Do you know where his family is?”

“He didn't have one that I know of. But it's been a long time.”

"He doesn't fit the victim profile. He was a native Egyptian, yes?"

"Yes."

Darlin ' took a deep breath and Seth glanced down at her. She knew what he was thinking. "When you knew Zahir, did he show any sign of mental instability?"

Darlin's lips curled back from her teeth. "We were fighting in the middle of a genocide. We were all mentally unstable. But he didn't show any signs of criminal insanity."

"What about an interest in ancient Egyptian religion?'

"Not that I knew of. We didn't serve together long."

"But you remember him."

Darlin' fell silent for a moment and stared down at the dogtag. “If he moves, why leave the head?”

“I don't know.”

“Do you think the killer knows we're following him?” she asked.

“I have a feeling we'll know a lot more when we unwrap the head.”

~*~

Darlin' paced her room, her fingers clenched in her hair, still wet from her shower, before dropping heavily onto her bed. Her eyes locked on the ceiling. She absentmindedly rubbed the joint in her right shoulder where her cybernetic arm attached to her bones. She couldn't get Zahir's face out of her mind. It was no wonder she remembered him. He had been there on the night the war had become too much for her. When she had watched hundreds of refugees massacred in her own country. When she had been ordered not to interfere.

Her thoughts drifted back to Strawberry. Darlin' knew that when she returned home she'd find Strawberry exhausted, thinner and jacked into the internet. The threat to the Neon was still vague. A series of hacks and cracks threatening the community and the AI proprietors. Darlin' had suspected some punk Terrapyre or lucky human messing with the unknown, but the work was clean. Very clean. And where Strawberry was usually ten steps ahead, she was constantly playing catch up. It infuriated her. She was obsessive. This was the worst time for Darlin' to be called away. But Bes Squadron was a lifetime commitment. They may have officially released her from her duties, but Darlin' knew they kept tabs on her whereabouts and, without their support, the Egyptian military would go after her on charges of desertion during her army days. They would kill her. And probably Strawberry, too. It was better to indulge them. At least until the Neon could truly make her disappear.

She grabbed her headset and opened her log once again, lingering over a picture of Strawberry she had saved nearly a year ago. Strawberry looked so unamused. Her normally reserved face was twisted in a look of annoyance. She hated pictures. Darlin' felt her eyes soften and a slow smile come to her lips. For a moment she stopped thinking of the severed head in the forensics lab.

It's good work we do. I know that. And I know why we must continue to fight. But the more I think about my limits and fears and the nature of this work the more I want to cast it all aside and fall gasping into your arms.

Darlin' paused. It was hardly the most provocative thing she had ever written about the woman she shared her life with but could not share her love with. But the image, the sensation, of standing in Strawberry's arms suddenly wrapped around her. She could feel her strong hands on her waist and the warmth of Strawberry's breath on her shoulder. She shuddered and gasped once.

The shrill ring of her telephone broke the silence of her room and she jumped. She flicked off her log and reached for the phone.

“Hello?”

“Zaid's finished his investigation on the head. They want us here for debriefing,” Seth explained.

“I'll be right there.”

She climbed out of bed and ran her fingers through her hair. Her hands shook as she pulled her jacket on and walked out onto the street.

~*~

"The victim is Eshi Kouri. She was a legalized refugee from Sudan, and worked as a shop keeper at the park above the subway entrance," Zaid announced.

Darlin's brow knit. "Not Zahir Alam?"

"No. As far as I can tell, she had no relation to Zahir Alam. Madu is headed to his house. At least his last recorded house. His public records are sparse."

"I wish I were with him." Darlin' turned as Kaf entered the room. His normally tied back hair was loose around his pale face. "The discs we found at the subway were blank. But I found something on the market." He dropped a small, unmarked case on the table before Zaid. "The entirety of each death. Ms. Eshi Kouri's murder hit the markets this morning."

"You read my report?" Zaid asked.

"No. He makes them say their names." Kaf shuddered. He closed his eyes as he continued. "There's no direct evidence of who the murderer is or what he does with the bodies. The angles are tight on the victim and the murderer wears unmarked gloves. He rarely speaks, but when he does it's filtered. I've sent copies to the lab for review, but I doubt they'll find much."

"Did you find the distributors?" Seth questioned.

"The usuals. I brought them in for questioning but the discs are delivered anonymously. This guy is smart and hides his tracks."

Seth sighed. "Which amulet was found in the mouth of the latest victim?"

"A vulture amulet of Isis," Zaid commented.

"The mother goddess. Did the woman have any children?" Seth questioned.

"Two. They don't live far from the park. We've taken them into protective custody. If the killer knew about her children, he may be close to the family."

"It does appear to be evidence that he selects his victims carefully as opposed to at random."

Zaid's lips pursed and he clipped on his communication device. "Madu? Do you have status?"

"I need the team down here now."

"Have you apprehended Zahir?"

"No. But I found a head in his freezer."

[Launa]

Darlin' stepped carefully into the house. The building was small and falling apart. The scent of mold and animal urine was overwhelming. She pulled on her gloves and fought the urge to plug her nose.

"It doesn't seem like anyone has been here in years."

"Our records show that he lived here at least a month ago," Zaid remarked.

She walked around the living room. She ran her fingers over a small, dusty picture frame on a weathered desk near the couch. The glass was shattered. A woman smiled back at her, her arm around someone whose face had been scribbled out with a black marker.

She made her way toward the kitchen, bracing herself for what she'd find. Madu stood near the freezer. Carefully placed inside was a woman's head, her mouth taped closed. She wasn't mummified. Darlin' gasped and glanced away. It was the woman in the picture.

"There's no one else on the premises. Whoever killed her is long gone."

"The M.O. isn't the same. She isn't mummified. And she isn't Sudanese," Seth stated.

"Perhaps he was interrupted," Kaf suggested.

"Zaid, you should bag the head. You can do it without destroying evidence," Seth stated. "The rest of us will sweep the house."

"We should have the entire fridge transferred to the lab," Zaid suggested.

Darlin' walked back into the living room and bagged the picture. She searched the desk and the couch, finding old magazines and receipts, notes and foodbags. As she searched a small wooden end-table her fingers caught on a locked drawer. It wasn't hard to break the top off drawer, which was soft with rot. Inside was a pile of papers. She sifted through them. Most were notes and lists, some spotted with grease and food stains. Near the bottom of the stack was a cream envelope. She crouched on the ground and opened the papers. Her eyes widened.

They were military employment papers and medical records for Zahir Amin.

Darlin' sat carefully on the floor. She connected to the internet through her headset. She logged into the military archives and pulled up Zahir's file. Her hands clenched as she read. She took a deep breath and whispered a soft prayer.

She pulled up the laboratory files and downloaded the latest murder video. Eshi Kouri. She was terrified, strapped to an old medical gurney. A black blindfold was tied across her eyes but her lips were contorted in fear. Her skin was pale and glossy with sweat. She trembled as a black sleeve and gloved hand came into view. A gleaming knife ran lightly over her throat. She screamed.

"What's your name?" The killer's voice was distorted beyond any recognition. Darlin' clicked off the video before the victim could respond. She let out a deep breath and forced herself to unclench her hands.

Darlin' knew the technical skill involved in a voice distortion like the one in the video. She had seen Strawberry do it before. It wasn't a simple filter. it was layers of filters and randomized sound frequencies. It was irreparable. Zahir would never have the training to do it.

But she recognized the knife. It was Sudanese, sold along the border. She had heard stories of soldiers giving them as rewards when a peer made their first kill.

“I found something,” she called over her headset, thankful that her voice was steady.

“We’re listening, Mewtet,” Zaid responded.

“I found Zahir Alam’s discharge papers from a year ago and medical records. I looked him up in the archives. He's had enhancement surgery.”

“What kind?”

“He’s almost entirely cybernetic.”

Seth fell silent for a moment. “Are you sure it was enhancement surgery and not restorative?”

“Yes. The technology is new and still in trials. It's obscenely expensive. Someone must have covered it."

"Zahir must have been on a very specialized assignment," Zaid remarked.

"Or blackmailing someone," Kaf stated.

"Before his discharge he was a Second Lieutenant based near the Sudanese border. Tango Sector. Officially they're border patrol."

"And unofficially?" Madu questioned.

"They're good soldiers. But some have been known to use terror tactics and to deal in the Sudanese slave trade. Some even hire out as mercenaries. It's a tough gig. But it definitely ups his chances of either dealing in some unsavory markets or being hired out as a killer."

"If he's cybernetic, he's probably jacked in to the internet. We may be able to track him. It'll be hard. I'm sure he'll have intense defenses," Kaf announced.

Darlin' stood and tucked the papers into an evidence bag. "I know someone who can do it.

~*~

Darlin' leaned back against the headboard of her bed and took a deep breath, trying to steady her heart as it pounded in her chest. It had been almost a month since she'd seen Strawberry. She placed her visor over her eyes and logged in. She appeared in an empty, white room. It wouldn't take long to find her. Darlin' wasn't particularly proficient with the internet or technology in general, but she could always find Strawberry. Online or not, it was all the same.

She glanced at her avatar. It looked just like her. It was even wearing the same shorts and tank top she wore in real life. Strawberry had designed it years ago. She tugged at her hair, forgetting that the image wouldn't shift with the motion.

Strawberry? I need you.

Hmm...

Darlin' smiled openly. She knew that distracted grunt.

Are you busy?

Uh huh.

Have you eaten yet today?

Uh uh.

Did you sleep last night?

There was silence. Darlin' sighed. That would explain the monosyllabic grunts.

The room simulation shifted and Strawberry's avatar appeared. She was dressed in loose overalls, a long-sleeved henley tee shirt and work gloves. A cross shone at her throat. She had been programming.

What do you need? she questioned. Her face was still but her eyes were soft. She was happy to see Darlin'.

She speaks. Darlin' chuckled.

I was working, she remarked. This cracker is kicking my bum. I'll rip him apart pixel by pixel if we ever meet.

You got a moment to help a tech-deficient ex-soldier?

Always. She cocked her head to one side, her brow furrowed. Is your arm okay?

Darlin' rubbed her shoulder and shrugged. The tech team that did my last round of maintenance did something. It just aches every now and then.

Strawberry frowned. Talk to me. I'll run diagnostics.

Strawberry walked up to her and ran her hands over Darlin's shoulder. Strawberry didn't need to touch her in order to check the programming in Darlin's arm. She did it for Darlin's benefit, to keep things real. Darlin' wished she wouldn't. In an instant her senses were filled with Strawberry. In her mind she could recall with perfect clarity the feeling of a normal maintenance. The weight of Strawberry's hands. The scent of her hair. The heat of her skin. Even the texture of the overalls she was wearing. Strawberry's avatar brushed against her side and Darlin' turned off her biological read out. Strawberry glanced up at her and stepped away a bit.

What can I do for your team?

Darlin' was glad her throat couldn't go dry online. The murderer we've been tracking may be a cyborg.

Strawberry looked up, one eyebrow raised. Really?

Yes. The murderer just killed his fifth victim and we can't find Zahir. But...

...but if he's a cyborg he may be trackable online.

Yes. Zahir Alam. His records show he received his last surgery a year ago, but I don't know if they can be trusted. She uploaded Zahir's files to Strawberry.

Enhancements like this are rare. I'm sure I could at least find more information about his operations.

Bes Squadron would be hiring you. You should send me your rates.

Strawberry chuckled and Darlin' felt a shift and a small shock in her arm.

You don't think your team hiring me is a conflict of interest?

It definitely is. But you're the best at what you do.

The tension in Darlin's arm loosened and Strawberry took a step back, wiping her hands on a towel she had just loaded in.

Darn right I am. I'll see what I can do.

Just... take care of yourself? Eat something first, maybe? I don't want you to get sick.

Strawberry scowled. I'm fine.

Darlin' didn't argue. She never did. But as Darlin' lowered her eyes and sighed lightly, her brow furrowed with genuine concern, Strawberry shifted her weight uncomfortably and glanced away.

I'll be careful, Darlin'.

Thank you.

I'll message you when I know something. Strawberry glanced up and held Darlin's gaze. Her eyes were so soft, so full of care. Darlin' gasped. Be safe, Darlin. Please.

Darlin' nodded and they hugged tightly before logging off. Darlin' removed her visor. As the real world closed back in around her, she slid down her bed and curled her knees to her chest. She covered her face with her hands for a moment and then reached back for her phone, one hand still over her eyes. She called Seth's answering machine.

"I got her working on it. Call me if you need me. I'm going to sleep for a while."

She hung up the phone. Her fingers gently stroked the cross necklace that Strawberry had given her. It was not hard to call the memory of Strawberry to her. To feel her lying beside her as they did every night they were together. In moments she was asleep.

[Launa]

The dying rumble of the motorcycle engine followed by the sharp clack of her heels on the cement floor echoed through the parking garage.

Strawberry's voice, spoken through cyberspace into Darlin's headset, rang in her ears. Zahir's information is pretty secure. Most isn't available online. They must keep paper records.

"Good to know old school reconnaissance is still worth something."

Always will be, Darlin'. As long as the 'net can be corrupted.

Darlin' smiled and walked toward the elevators. She fingered her new ID badge. Nadia Mushahwar. A temp accountant working at one of the many private hospitals in Cairo.

Can you run in those cha cha heels?

Darlin' snorted. “How would you know what I'm wearing?”

I can hear the clicking over the audio feed. Strawberry paused. And what about your skirt? How did you get your thigh holster on?

Darlin' grinned. “Hacking security cameras just to comment on my wardrobe is not very polite,” she whispered. Strawberry fell silent but Darlin' knew she was laughing.
“Switching to silent. Keep an eye out?”

I'm on it. Messing with the cameras to keep you off the tapes, too.

Darlin' scanned her pass and entered the elevator.

Records are on the fourth floor, but if they're keeping his information out of the digital system, they might not be in public storage.

Darlin' walked passed the front desks without being stopped. She forced her muscles to stay loose and kept a pleasant look on her face. She was invisible.

She scanned her pass at the records room on the fourth floor and entered. The room was long and narrow filled with boxes of files stored on shelves that reached to the ceiling.

I've found three different aliases for Zahir. He's gone by Abasi Alam, Gahiji Eboni and Zahir Sefu.

Darlin' began searching through the files. There was nothing filed under Alam or Eboni, but tucked near the back of the “S” box was a small file for Zahir Sefu. She carefully removed the file. There were no details of his surgeries or patient records. Just a single sheet of paper.

You find something? Darlin' gripped the paper. She should have known. Darlin'?

“It's his insurance contact information.”

Always follow the money.

“He's insured by Osiris Insurance. It's a cover. His surgeries were paid for by the government.”

Strawberry took a deep breath. Okay.

Darlin' pulled a small camera out of her purse and snapped a picture of the paper.

Darlin'. Strawberry's voice was tense. Someone's coming.

“I'm an accountant. I'm allowed to be in the records room,” Darlin' muttered as she snapped a closer shot of the agent's contact information.

It's not what I see on the cameras that's giving me bad vibes.

Darlin' paused. She placed the file back where she'd found it and turned to leave. As she reached the door, a security guard entered. He looked at her without surprise.

“What are you doing here?”

Darlin' showed him her badge. “I'm working with accounts today. I needed to check a couple facts.”

He fingered her badge. “Would you mind answering a few questions Ms. Mushahwar?”

Strawberry gasped and Darlin' felt their connection cut. She tensed, her eyes flicking across the room.

“Of course. Is something wrong?”

His muscles shifted and she ducked as his hand flew, the butt of his gun clenched in his fist. She pulled her shoe off and cracked him over the head with her heel. He hit the ground hard, blood slowly trickling down his face. She pulled him behind one of the shelves, hoping that Strawberry still had the cameras covered.

She searched his pockets, her hands gripping a hidden badge. She swore softly. He wasn't a security guard. He was from public security. A government official. He should have known who she was.

“Strawberry, are you there?” There was no answer. She bit her lip. “Madu. Madu, do you hear me?”

There was nothing but static. She had been completely shut down. She could only hope that her backup would notice and come after her.

She walked back to the door. Suddenly, the door flew open and a guard rushed her, tackling her back. She shouted as the shelves dug into her back and neck. She fell to the ground. She felt blood run down her face as he punched her and grabbed her throat.

“I'm public security, too. You're attacking an undercover agent,” she gasped, barely able to breathe in his grip.

He didn't say anything. She grabbed for the gun at her back and he threw her head back, cracking it across the bookshelves. Pain exploded across her head. She was losing oxygen. The world was going black.

Suddenly, the guard pitched forward, blood draining out of his mouth. Within an instant he was shoved aside. Madu placed his gun in his holster and pulled her up.

“He was public security. Undercover. There's another unconscious behind the shelves.” She wiped the blood away from her face and caught her breath. She felt her face beginning to swell.

“You told them you were undercover?”

“Yes.”

“And they didn't stop?”

Darlin' took off her heels and held her sleeve to her nose. “I have a lot to report when we get back.”

~*~

Darlin' sat back in the office chair, waiting for the rest of her team to assemble. She traced the marks on her face with her fingers. The bruises on her neck. The swollen bruises along her jaw and near her right eye. She was glad the marks wouldn't show up online. She placed a new headset over her eyes and pulled up her messages. Still no response from Strawberry. She took a deep breath, convincing herself that Strawberry was still safe. Still alive. It was a technical issue. That was all. An ill-timed glitch.

She uploaded into the white room. She pinged Strawberry's machine. She was online. But Darlin' couldn't sense her.

Strawberry?

There was no answer. No indication that Strawberry could even hear her.

Please answer.

Nothing but silence.

The red light at the corner of her eye flashed. Someone offline was hailing her. It would be the team. They were ready for the review of her mission. She hesitated. She didn't want to leave.

Strawberry!

The light went off again. Darlin' shifted with worry.

Mewet?

It was Kaf. Darlin' closed her eyes and held her head in her hands.

Coming.

She switched off her headset. They were all standing before her. Seth's eyes glanced over her injuries with worry.

“We read your report. Osiris Insurance and attacks by public security. It doesn't make sense,” Zaid began.

“They're protecting their investment. Zahir,” Darlin' suggested.

“They could have talked to us. They knew what we were doing,” Zaid continued.

“More's going on than they're saying,” Seth agreed.

“You expect any less?” Madu grunted.

“You're gonna want to hear this,” Kaf called from across the room. His face was stiff as he turned on the television over the meeting table. A reporter spoke over video of police pulling the bodies of the two downed security officials from the hospital.”

“I thought you had a clean up crew come in?” Darlin' asked Madu.

“I did.”

“The attack happened around 10 this morning. One of the guards was found dead, shot in the back while the other was brutally attacked and left for dead. Security footage of the incident shows this man and woman leaving the scene of the crime.” Pictures of Darlin' and Madu flashed across the screen. Darlin' paled. “They have been identified as members of the Bes Squadron. Once rumored to be a myth, Bes Squadron is a private police force that was disbanded years ago due to reports of excessive violence and a disregard for regulation.”

“That's not why,” Zaid muttered.

“It is now,” Kaf remarked.

“Officials are currently looking for both suspects for questioning in regards to this crime as well as a string of murders...”

Kaf clicked off the television, his fists clenched. “They're going to pin the murders on us, too.”

“Why?” Madu growled. “We were acting in self defense, that guy was going to kill Mewet.”

“We're a scapegoat,” Seth stated. “That's why we were called together. How better to get your expensive, glitchy mass-murderer off the hook than to pin his crimes on an organization of criminals that disbanded long ago? Get rid of us. Save their investment.”

Darlin' tensed as a ping sounded in her headset. She didn't have to speak. Darlin' knew it was Strawberry.

Don't make a sound. Don't let anyone know we're talking. We were hacked. Right before you were attacked. It wasn't a coincidence. Don't trust anyone.

Strawberry's voice was soft and tense. Darlin' clenched her jaw.

“What are we going to do about the investigation?” Darlin' asked, hoping Strawberry would listen in. “About the guards. Are the bosses giving us lawyers? Are we on our own now?”

“I don't know. I just heard about it in my newsfeed,” Kaf admitted. “The people are angry. They always are when they feel left out of the secret. They think we're out of control. Power hungry. They'll want blood.”

“Do we know how much video they have of the attack?” Seth questioned.

“I'm looking in to it,” Kaf admitted. “It's pretty secure.”

I'll get it, Strawberry promised. Compare our results. Strawberry paused. Come see me tonight. Alone. In our secret place.

Darlin's heart skipped a beat.

“This seems too complicated just to cover up a few murders,” Zaid announced.

“Whatever's going on, we have to keep Mewet and Madu out of prison. They can't go back to their homes,” Seth responded.

“I know a safehouse where they can go,” Kaf offered.

I got you a place.

“I know where I can go, Kaf. It would be better if no one else knew where I was,” Darlin' stated.

Kaf nodded. “Tell someone where you're going. In case we need you.”

“I'll find you when you need me.”

[Launa]

Darlin' bowed low as she entered the bunker. It was small and dank, but she could see a stash of food across the room, a small supply of weaponry, and the distinct hum of a strong internet connection in her headset.

She locked the door behind her back and flipped the fluorescent lights on overhead. A note with keys and passcodes from Strawberry's contact was taped to the food shelves. She took a deep breath and sat on the military cot set up near the secret escape hatch that ran underground for five miles before opening up near the city. She laid down and flipped on her headset. Within an instant she was sitting in the white room. Strawberry would have to load her in, securing their special meeting place before anyone else entered. But Darlin' couldn't stay away. She had been following the newsfeeds closely... too closely. Evidence and press buzz was skewing every fact, linking her directly to the murders of the refugees. She couldn't get the memories of the death videos out of her head. The thought of being linked to them...

She shook her head and breathed deeply, deliberately. Things weren't supposed to affect her like this. Not anymore. She needed to see Strawberry. She needed to exist, if only for a moment, in their secret paradise.

A single chime rang in her mind. She smiled. The white room shifted and blurred as she loaded in to the secure chatroom. In an instant she was surrounded by thick forests. The trees reached high over her head, letting in radiant shoots of sunlight that fell across her face and skin, glancing off the loose white sundress she wore. She could hear the soft rumble of the sea nearby and the tinkling of Strawberry's windchimes she'd loaded in along the porch of their cabin. Darlin' ran through the forest trails, hardly pausing to marvel at the intricacies of the leaves and flowers Strawberry had coded in by hand. When a shock of birds burst out of a nearby bush and flew to the sky she barely noticed that each was different, even the angle of each feather was unique. All she could think was that just at the end of the trail, just around the corner created by the giant pine tree whose twisted trunk looked like two dryads caught in an endless dance, Strawberry would be waiting.

She stood on the porch, her hands in her pockets, a soft smile on her face. Darlin' raced up the steps and pulled Strawberry into her arms, lifting the smaller woman off her feet. Strawberry chuckled and held her tight before pulling away.

You made it to the bunker? You're safe?

Darlin' nodded. As safe as I can be. And you? Did the hacker cause any damage?

Nothing I couldn't repair. But he caught me completely off guard. He was good. Scary good. And he knew what was going on with you. This was a planned attack. No one but Bes Squadron knew it was happening. But you were attacked and our communications were destroyed. And... there's evidence that this new hacker is linked to the Neon hacker.

That's impossible. These are completely separate cases.

Apparently not.

Darlin' leaned back against the railing of their long porch and stared down at the wooden plank floor. I don't understand.

Neither do I. But it makes your case significantly more dangerous. Someone's playing us. On multiple fronts. Whether it's Zahir or not, this person is targeting you specifically.

They attacked you, too.

And I may be a target. Or I may just have been attacked in order to leave you alone.

Darlin' paused and looked back up at Strawberry. If I'm caught, they'll charge me. I'll be publically outed as an AWOL soldier. The government won't protect me in a case this public. They'd kill me, Strawberry.

Strawberry walked closer to her and took her hands. I know. I know what they're trying to do. But I won't let it happen. The Neon won't let it happen. They'll make us disappear.

And my squad? My friends? They're in as much trouble as I am.

I already talked to Jessica. The Neon will help them, too. But they want you to stay as long as you can. They need to know who this hacker is. They need you to find Zahir and either clear him or neutralize him. You don't work for the Egyptians anymore. This is Neon work. Leather Ladybird work.

Darlin' nodded. I understand.

And Darlin'... they need you to clear each member of Bes Squadron.

The squad is secure. No one there would turn on me.

It's been a long time since you last fought together. And you all have a lot to lose.

Darlin' nodded. Fine. I'll check them out. But...

Suddenly, a soft static rumble rippled across the sky. Darlin' looked up in shock as the clear blue pixels shattered and shook, turning a deep, violent crimson. Strawberry's brow furrowed.

What? In an instant, the sky split, leaving a jagged black gash of suspended lightning stricking the sand just before the porch. Strawberry took Darlin's hand. It's all show. Digital art.

I thought the room was secure?

It is.

Not secure enough. A new avatar stepped out of the lightning portal. He fixed the sleeves of his black, designer suit, his long brown hair brushing along his collar. His eyes glowed red in against his olive skin. He smirked at Darlin' and Strawberry before glancing around the room. Nice detailing. It must have taken you quite some time.

This is a private room. Strawberry's voice was dark with warning. Darlin' could feel her mind racing elsewhere, checking coding and trying to track the intruder. He just laughed.

Mewet. That's what they call you, hmm? Some very powerful people are looking for you.

You some kind of bounty hunter? You can't hurt us here. It's just the 'net, Darlin' announced.

Darlin', get out of here. Strawberry's command was like a whisper along a private line. A prick in her mind.

I'm not leaving you.

Darlin', he's tracing your feed. If he cracked this room, he could break through your security. He'll know where you are.

Darlin' tensed. Okay.

There's no use running. I already know where you are.

Darlin's eyes narrowed and her hand went instinctively for the gun she kept on at her back. But of course it wasn't there. There were no useful guns online. She suddenly felt very vulnerable.

I'm safe, Darlin' countered.

The man laughed. His avatar sparked and shifted. For an instant his features distorted. His hair and skin darkened. One eye glowed green, cybernetic. There was blood dripping down his hands. His voice deepened and twisted as his lips curled into a feral snarl. Are you?

Darlin' gasped. Zahir?

Darlin', get out now! Strawberry screamed and in an instant the room disappeared. Darlin' shouted as her stomach flipped in with vertigo and she sat up in her army cot.

She flipped off her headset, reached down under her bed and grabbed her shotgun, loading it within moments. She ran her fingers over her back, her thigh, her side. All her hand guns were in place. Her knife in one boot. She clipped two grenades to her belt, dropped into the escape tunnel and ran.