hard work, sometimes you
could follow a man over hundreds of miles without stopping.
Her whole family—more than forty
people—had long specialized in tracking criminals on planets
throughout the quadrant. They had made a brand name out of Whiteclaw . Now her father, uncles and brothers were known for their
excellent work in finding escapees where the police had
failed.
On the other hand, she wanted the danger to be over. Unlike
one of her brothers, who thrived on dangerous situations every day
and boasted with his heroic deeds, Rayenne had become a police
officer to bring a little bit more justice to worlds that were
sunken in crime. So far she had not had much impact, and it nagged
her that the simple transport of a prisoner to Belson Park had
developed into an adventure with an unknown outcome. If she told
her father and brothers, she’d be laughed at. She could already
hear all the comments and the mocking laughter. We told you before. Stick to tracking only. There’s nothing
more criminal than the police of a retarded
planet .
Finally Sajitar broke their
mutual silence. The first drops of rain hit their faces. “We need shelter
for the night.”
“ I know. Just another hour. There’s still
enough light.”
He looked up, his expression worried.
“I’ll feel much better if we got a roof over our heads sooner than
later. The old man was right, it will rain.”
“ The old man’s a miserable snitch. Under
different circumstances, he would have been shot.”
“But we got away unharmed. Isn’t that what
counts?”
She gave him a wry smile, hardly keeping
back that she did not like to be escorted and helped by a criminal.
However, Sajitar was a polite and obviously capable man. She could
have had worse company.
“ Sanjongy’s people expected us to leave the
woods again.” They exchanged a glance of mutual anxiety,
extinguishing the smile at once. “I’m sure they paid more
lumberjacks to bushwhack us.”
“You’re right.” Sajitar frowned and added
after a moment of hesitation, “Are you sure these were Sanjongy’s
people waiting for us?”
Rayenne looked back over her shoulder,
realized it was absurd to expect to see anything but trees, and
turned back again.
“No policeman would force a lumberjack to
lure us into his hut. They would’ve come in person. After all, this
is a police operation.”
“I’m not convinced.”
Rayenne sighed.
“Sanjongy might not be everywhere, but their
net is widespread. They hire poor men like this lumberjack to do
their dirty work for them. Believe me,” she added with more vigor
than she felt when Sajitar still frowned, “they have more helpers
on their list than the police do. And that’s a real pity.”
The forest was dark as night and empty as the
old man’s purse.
Who else waits for us? She sat back in the
saddle, easing her butt, wishing she could ease her mind. How is it possible
they found us so fast? She had seen the frightened face of the old man
and assumed he had had no choice but to lead them into the trap.
Still, the circumstances were weird. There had to be a logical
explanation why Sanjongy had been able to wait for them.
“Are you all right?”
“I don’t know yet.” She realized his worry
was real and shook her head. “I’m okay.”
“Good. Let’s see if we find a fitting place
to pitch a tent.”
“ I have something better than
that.”
“You do?”
Instead of an explanation she dismounted and
took off the saddlebags. Her hands shook when she opened them. He
came to her side, taking the reins of their horses.
“Let me do it,” he offered, putting his big
hand over hers. She shook it off.
“I do it. You
didn’t know about this technology before, so how would you know how
to use it?” Without waiting for a reply, she unpacked a sleeping
bag and a silvery package. While Sajitar watched, she pushed four
oblong sticks, each the length of her forearm, in the ground to
form a square, then hit a switch. The tops of
could follow a man over hundreds of miles without stopping.
Her whole family—more than forty
people—had long specialized in tracking criminals on planets
throughout the quadrant. They had made a brand name out of Whiteclaw . Now her father, uncles and brothers were known for their
excellent work in finding escapees where the police had
failed.
On the other hand, she wanted the danger to be over. Unlike
one of her brothers, who thrived on dangerous situations every day
and boasted with his heroic deeds, Rayenne had become a police
officer to bring a little bit more justice to worlds that were
sunken in crime. So far she had not had much impact, and it nagged
her that the simple transport of a prisoner to Belson Park had
developed into an adventure with an unknown outcome. If she told
her father and brothers, she’d be laughed at. She could already
hear all the comments and the mocking laughter. We told you before. Stick to tracking only. There’s nothing
more criminal than the police of a retarded
planet .
Finally Sajitar broke their
mutual silence. The first drops of rain hit their faces. “We need shelter
for the night.”
“ I know. Just another hour. There’s still
enough light.”
He looked up, his expression worried.
“I’ll feel much better if we got a roof over our heads sooner than
later. The old man was right, it will rain.”
“ The old man’s a miserable snitch. Under
different circumstances, he would have been shot.”
“But we got away unharmed. Isn’t that what
counts?”
She gave him a wry smile, hardly keeping
back that she did not like to be escorted and helped by a criminal.
However, Sajitar was a polite and obviously capable man. She could
have had worse company.
“ Sanjongy’s people expected us to leave the
woods again.” They exchanged a glance of mutual anxiety,
extinguishing the smile at once. “I’m sure they paid more
lumberjacks to bushwhack us.”
“You’re right.” Sajitar frowned and added
after a moment of hesitation, “Are you sure these were Sanjongy’s
people waiting for us?”
Rayenne looked back over her shoulder,
realized it was absurd to expect to see anything but trees, and
turned back again.
“No policeman would force a lumberjack to
lure us into his hut. They would’ve come in person. After all, this
is a police operation.”
“I’m not convinced.”
Rayenne sighed.
“Sanjongy might not be everywhere, but their
net is widespread. They hire poor men like this lumberjack to do
their dirty work for them. Believe me,” she added with more vigor
than she felt when Sajitar still frowned, “they have more helpers
on their list than the police do. And that’s a real pity.”
The forest was dark as night and empty as the
old man’s purse.
Who else waits for us? She sat back in the
saddle, easing her butt, wishing she could ease her mind. How is it possible
they found us so fast? She had seen the frightened face of the old man
and assumed he had had no choice but to lead them into the trap.
Still, the circumstances were weird. There had to be a logical
explanation why Sanjongy had been able to wait for them.
“Are you all right?”
“I don’t know yet.” She realized his worry
was real and shook her head. “I’m okay.”
“Good. Let’s see if we find a fitting place
to pitch a tent.”
“ I have something better than
that.”
“You do?”
Instead of an explanation she dismounted and
took off the saddlebags. Her hands shook when she opened them. He
came to her side, taking the reins of their horses.
“Let me do it,” he offered, putting his big
hand over hers. She shook it off.
“I do it. You
didn’t know about this technology before, so how would you know how
to use it?” Without waiting for a reply, she unpacked a sleeping
bag and a silvery package. While Sajitar watched, she pushed four
oblong sticks, each the length of her forearm, in the ground to
form a square, then hit a switch. The tops of
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