in schools.
“Why do you take orders from a little
girl?” Oliver asked, curious whether he could get any more information about
these people.
Tyler looked up from his comic. “Let me
give you some advice. Never call Artemis little , and never underestimate
her. And for god’s sake don’t make her angry.”
“What, she’s supposed to be dangerous?”
Tyler didn’t blink. “More than you can
imagine.”
Oliver studied the other man’s face.
There was no sign that he was about to grin and betray that he’d only been
joking. “Okay, then.”
“Okay.” Tyler went back to his comic.
Minutes passed and then there was a
sharp rap at the front door. “It’s still locked,” Tyler said. “Do you mind
letting her in?”
Oliver peeked through the window. Sally
was waiting there, arms folded in front of her. He wished Artemis would have
sent someone else. Sally’s presence here could lead to another confrontation,
and he really wanted to avoid having that happen again.
Oliver unlatched the deadbolt a bit
nervously and opened the door, hoping his face didn’t betray the fact that he
was at least a little bit afraid of her.
Sally nodded at him as she entered the
shop, latching the door behind her. She didn’t look happy to see him, but
Oliver was pleased that the rage he’d seen in her eyes earlier was gone. He
wondered if she’d ever really shot anyone with that gun she always seemed to
carry, or whether that was just an act she put on to intimidate people.
No, he thought. There was no way that
was an act. She had definitely shot someone. Quite possibly a lot of someones.
“His office?” she asked Tyler,
completely nonplussed by the dead body in the center of the room.
“Over there,” Tyler pointed. “Where’s
Seven?”
“Seven had a nutty. He’s not coming.”
“Figures,” Tyler said.
“Who’s Seven?” Oliver asked.
“Tech support,” Tyler answered.
“I’ve got this covered,” Sally said.
“You guys can get out of here.”
“We can give you a hand,” Tyler offered.
“No. Artemis wants you two mobile in
case you’re being tracked. You have any other leads you can follow?”
Tyler shrugged. “Not really. There are
some people I can talk to. Rocky was my best shot, though.”
“Yeah.” Sally looked at Oliver and he
noticed her shoulders stiffen slightly. “I’m…” she began. “Damn it.” She took a
deep breath. “Oliver, I’m sorry I hit you earlier. It was uncalled for and
wrong of me.” The apology sounded rehearsed. Oliver wondered how long she had
been working on it.
“Oh,” Oliver said. “Okay. Well, I’m
sorry I tackled you.”
“You tried to tackle me,” she
corrected him.
“I’m sorry I tried to tackle
you.”
“Okay,” she said. “Done.”
Tyler stared at her in shock. “What did
Artemis say to you?” he asked.
“Never mind,” she said, her eyes
challenging him to make an issue out of it.
Tyler looked like he wanted to say
something else, but then just shrugged. “All right.”
Sally nodded at Oliver again, and then
went into Rocky’s office. Tyler watched for a moment as she began dismantling a
computer, then turned to Oliver. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since
she apologized for something?” he asked quietly.
Oliver had no idea, having only met her
this morning. “It’s not a big deal,” he said.
“It’s a very big deal,” Tyler disagreed.
“It’s progress.”
“Oh?”
“Anyway, let’s get going. There’s
nothing more for us to do here.”
“Where are we going?” Oliver asked,
hoping that there wouldn’t be another dead body wherever they wound up.
“Trust me. I have an idea”
Chapter 9
Tyler drove them to
Haight-Ashbury, a neighborhood that had been famous in the 1960’s as the center
of the hippie counterculture movement in San Francisco, if not the entire
United States. A lot of time had passed since the “summer of love,” and the
neighborhood
“Why do you take orders from a little
girl?” Oliver asked, curious whether he could get any more information about
these people.
Tyler looked up from his comic. “Let me
give you some advice. Never call Artemis little , and never underestimate
her. And for god’s sake don’t make her angry.”
“What, she’s supposed to be dangerous?”
Tyler didn’t blink. “More than you can
imagine.”
Oliver studied the other man’s face.
There was no sign that he was about to grin and betray that he’d only been
joking. “Okay, then.”
“Okay.” Tyler went back to his comic.
Minutes passed and then there was a
sharp rap at the front door. “It’s still locked,” Tyler said. “Do you mind
letting her in?”
Oliver peeked through the window. Sally
was waiting there, arms folded in front of her. He wished Artemis would have
sent someone else. Sally’s presence here could lead to another confrontation,
and he really wanted to avoid having that happen again.
Oliver unlatched the deadbolt a bit
nervously and opened the door, hoping his face didn’t betray the fact that he
was at least a little bit afraid of her.
Sally nodded at him as she entered the
shop, latching the door behind her. She didn’t look happy to see him, but
Oliver was pleased that the rage he’d seen in her eyes earlier was gone. He
wondered if she’d ever really shot anyone with that gun she always seemed to
carry, or whether that was just an act she put on to intimidate people.
No, he thought. There was no way that
was an act. She had definitely shot someone. Quite possibly a lot of someones.
“His office?” she asked Tyler,
completely nonplussed by the dead body in the center of the room.
“Over there,” Tyler pointed. “Where’s
Seven?”
“Seven had a nutty. He’s not coming.”
“Figures,” Tyler said.
“Who’s Seven?” Oliver asked.
“Tech support,” Tyler answered.
“I’ve got this covered,” Sally said.
“You guys can get out of here.”
“We can give you a hand,” Tyler offered.
“No. Artemis wants you two mobile in
case you’re being tracked. You have any other leads you can follow?”
Tyler shrugged. “Not really. There are
some people I can talk to. Rocky was my best shot, though.”
“Yeah.” Sally looked at Oliver and he
noticed her shoulders stiffen slightly. “I’m…” she began. “Damn it.” She took a
deep breath. “Oliver, I’m sorry I hit you earlier. It was uncalled for and
wrong of me.” The apology sounded rehearsed. Oliver wondered how long she had
been working on it.
“Oh,” Oliver said. “Okay. Well, I’m
sorry I tackled you.”
“You tried to tackle me,” she
corrected him.
“I’m sorry I tried to tackle
you.”
“Okay,” she said. “Done.”
Tyler stared at her in shock. “What did
Artemis say to you?” he asked.
“Never mind,” she said, her eyes
challenging him to make an issue out of it.
Tyler looked like he wanted to say
something else, but then just shrugged. “All right.”
Sally nodded at Oliver again, and then
went into Rocky’s office. Tyler watched for a moment as she began dismantling a
computer, then turned to Oliver. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since
she apologized for something?” he asked quietly.
Oliver had no idea, having only met her
this morning. “It’s not a big deal,” he said.
“It’s a very big deal,” Tyler disagreed.
“It’s progress.”
“Oh?”
“Anyway, let’s get going. There’s
nothing more for us to do here.”
“Where are we going?” Oliver asked,
hoping that there wouldn’t be another dead body wherever they wound up.
“Trust me. I have an idea”
Chapter 9
Tyler drove them to
Haight-Ashbury, a neighborhood that had been famous in the 1960’s as the center
of the hippie counterculture movement in San Francisco, if not the entire
United States. A lot of time had passed since the “summer of love,” and the
neighborhood
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