Star Trader Update - On the Trail of Ezekiel Watts: The Clues (5)

Shattuck – The Clues

            “Tuck, you need to come home,” Lena pleaded. “You’re burning up all your stake for the big one.”

            This was the third time she had contacted him to beg him to come back since he left over a month ago. Tuck looked exhausted. His eyes were red, his hair uncombed, his clothing a mess. He was a man obsessed. He wasn’t coming home until he found this elusive Watts character.

            Shattuck was following the last lead he showed her of a recording he found in Watts’ N.E.T. history. It had no delivery site that you could follow, but it was a conversation between Watts and Arr about the release of William Braden.

            “You don’t understand,” Shattuck said. “This is the big one, and I am so close, Sis,” Shattuck said. “I can feel it.”

            They were both hooked up with Ethinn in the N.E.T. This was where Lena always found him lately.

            “Where are we?” she asked. The room they were standing in was a shambles. It had obviously been tossed by someone.

            “In Watts’ home on Rigil 4’s second moon,” Shattuck answered. “I physically just left Outpost #68. I found another lead.”

            “What?”

            Before her brother left he confessed to her that he found his way in through the backdoor of the Braden brother’s trial records. They were accused and convicted of murdering innocents on a mercenary mission. They had abused Azar root, a substance used sparingly by the military to stay awake on long shifts of duty. Five of their fellow mercenary team witnessed against the Bradens, Tim O’Malley (deceased), Jake Harcourt (deceased), Daniel Douglas (now deceased), Arr of the Henu (whereabouts unknown) and Ezekiel Watts. Shattuck formulated the theory that Braden was tracking down the men who accused him and murdering them one by one. He wasn’t able to get a lead on Arr of the Henu, but he knew where Watts lived. Watts was the man to follow if you wanted to catch Braden and Watts was way out of Wade’s jurisdiction.

            “Watch this vid. It was one of many I found under the bed at Watts’. Whoever tossed the room thought they weren’t important enough to bother with. They were wrong. I’ve studied these until my eyes are bleeding,” he exaggerated and rubbed his red eyes for emphasis. “They are full of information.”

            Shattuck started the recording which showed a man in a kilt playing a ukulele. He was singing the Earther version of Happy Birthday with a backup chorus of no less than a dozen very drunk grown men.

            “That’s Tim O’Malley in the kilt. The time stamp on the recording is years ago. Each of the recordings I found were of Jake Harcourt’s birthday parties. The guys all got together each year to celebrate.” Shattuck explained. “Wait…Wait…” Shattuck flipped to a bookmark he’d placed in the recording. “This is the part I want you to see.”

            Shattuck narrated as the recording started of a group of drunken guys sitting around a room littered with limp party decorations and half eaten plates of birthday cake with runny, melted ice cream.

            “That’s Jake on the right of Tim, Douglas is in the big armchair, Arr there at Jake’s feet on the floor and you recognize Watts. Listen….Jake is telling them about a mission he and Arr were on during the past year.”

            Jake told the story of a mission that had turned into a nightmare. A whole colony of miners and their families had died on Galnon Station #41. When he was finished, Tim checked the bottle on the coffee table in front of him. It was empty. He stood up and retrieved a fresh one from the bar at the back of the room. He came back and walked around the room filling all their glasses. He filled his last and raised it.

            “To the families of Galnon Station #41,” he toasted.

            Everyone raised their glasses and drank.

            Shattuck stopped the recording.

            “I am running with a hunch here,” Shattuck explained. “I think when Watts said he was going to hide in the ‘deepest, darkest hole’ he could find, he was being literal. I think he has gone to Galnon Station #41. I have been researching it and it is being independently mined.”

            “Where in the verse is Galnon Station #41?” Lena asked.

            “It’s out a ways. I’m headed to Trade Post A8767 on the outer rim.”

            “Jez Tuck, that’s half way across the galaxy. You have to use a window to get there,” Lena said in a worried tone. “Tell me you’re not thinking of using a window. That’s downright stupid.”

            “I’m not going to use a window,” Shattuck repeated obligingly.

            “You’re lying. You have to.” Lena cursed under her breath. “You idiot! Haven’t I taught you anything? You could get yourself killed hurtling through windows.”

            “I love you too, Sis. Don’t worry. I’m fine. I am picking up some really good stuff out here,” Shattuck assured her. “Have you been reading it?”

            “Of course,” she replied with a sigh. It was good stuff. Probably the best her little brother had ever written. He seemed to be feeding off the danger. He had a mission. He was going to get to the end of this story.

            “Promise me you’ll be careful,” she begged him. “Promise me if you catch the slightest glimpse of this maniac Braden guy that you’ll call the officials. No playing like you know what you’re doing in a fight. Promise me,” she reiterated.

            “I promise.” Shattuck crossed his heart with his fingers.

            “Tuck..I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you,” Lena confessed.

            “You’d have a lot more money to spend on yourself,” Shattuck replied with a grin. “Don’t worry, Sis. I’ll be the bane of your existence until the day you die.”

Star Trader Update - On the Trail of Ezekiel Watts: "The Station" (4)

Watts – The Station

“Drop it!” Watts ordered in a hoarse growl. He had reached the limits of his patience. His tolerance of the situation was at an end. No more looking the other way. No more non-interference. No more mister nice-guy. He hated bullies.

“Now!” he roared. His voice echoed throughout the cavern.

He had been on this God forsaken rock for just under two weeks. He was miserable. His throat was raw from lack of liquids. His skin was cracked and bleeding in places he didn’t want to discuss for the same reason. He hadn’t had a shower since he arrived and could hardly sleep from the overpowering aroma of his own body. On top of all that, he had been turning a blind eye on what the rest of the men were doing to a young kid named Lucas.

Lucas was here when Watts arrived. No telling how long he had been here. The youngster was ill equipped, alone, and way out of his element. He had already become the Omega dog in this miner’s pack. He was the brunt of all their frustration - the receiving end of all their stupid pranks to relieve the boredom. Lucas’ hands were permanently bound in rags to protect them, or bandage them, from falls or collisions with the crystals of the floor or walls. The guys were pushing him constantly.

The men would come up behind the kid and flip the light off on his headgear. The device was so antiquated that Lucas would have to remove it in order to get to the switch with his bandaged hands and turn the lights back on. This was all done with his eyes closed because the other miners would direct their lights and laser pics toward the crystal to create as much refraction as possible to blind the kid. His shades were permanently attached to the outdated headgear and couldn’t be worn alone for adjustment of the gear. He was verging on a mild case of crystal blindness.

When Watts first arrived the kid was scavenging crystals from anyplace not claimed by another miner. A few days ago he actually claimed a small area on the tenth level and was working it with his barely operating laser pic. This morning he hit a small, but rich vein. He actually mined out a nice handful of semi-precious crystal. A few hours ago he couldn’t contain himself when he hit a deeper pocket of precious crystals. He let out a whoop that echoed through the whole level. The other miners had been watching ever since just waiting for him to pack up for the night.

Lucas set his force field screen over the front of his site. It too was ancient and probably couldn’t keep mice out much less a determined rouge miner, but the men knew they would have to deal with the kid before they invaded his site. The six men on that level ganged up on him the minute he turned away from the wall. They had not imagined the old black guy would interfere. He had stuck to himself since he arrived. Didn’t even associate with them above ground. They were wrong.

Watts picked up his own satchel heavy with crystal in one hand, tucked his laser pic in the side pocket of his pants and grabbed his mining pick ax with his other free hand. Throughout his mercenary career he always picked the jobs defending the underdogs. This was no different. When the gang descended on the kid and wrestled his picking pouch away from him Watts came in swinging. He took care of two of the miners before they could even turn to put up a defense. Swinging the heavy crystal bag he caught the third under the chin and sent him flying. The fourth guy was smart enough to raise his laser pic, but his aim was off. He missed Watts and hit his bag. The laser slit it open mid-flight into the next guy and exploded a rain of sharp crystals projectiles through the air. Everyone got hit. The fourth guy being the closest this side of Watts caught one right through the left temple.

Four down, two to go. Watts wrung an arch with his mining pick and took out the guy with the laser pic before he recovered from the assault of the crystal ‘rain.’

The last man didn’t think to take Lucas hostage. He thought Watts was in it for the crystal, not to protect the stupid kid.

“Drop it!” Watts ordered.

He stood transfixed holding the bag to his chest.

“Now!” he roared.

The man tossed the bag at Watts and held up his hands.

“It’s yours,” he relented.

Watts leaned down and picked up the pouch. He tossed it to the kid.

“Clean up this mess,” he ordered the last man standing, indicating the fallen miners around him. “And once you’ve done that, I don’t want to see any of you on this level again. Understand?”

The man nodded his head. The walking injured picked up the crystal impaled dead guy and vacated the cavern as quickly as their damaged bodies could move.

“That won’t be the end of it,” Watts warned the kid.

§

            Watts uncoiled the fresh bandages from the roll as he wrapped Lucas’ hand.

            “I really appreciate what you did for me down there,” the kid said. “I was thinking maybe you and I could partner up. I have a pretty good claim.”

            Watts sighed – just what he needed. He would end up being the kid’s bodyguard.

            He cut off the roll of bandage and started taping over the cloth. The cloth would never hold up to the cutting crystal, but the tape was pretty indestructible. Give Watts a roll of Tough Tape and he could repair just about anything. He never traveled without it.

            “I know you think I’m sucking you into a lot of trouble you don’t have to deal with, but look at it this way,” Lucas continued, “you already put yourself in the middle and those guys aren’t going to forget it. Team up with me and at least you get some good crystal and you have someone at your back.”

            The kid had a point. He may be physically weak, but he had a head on his shoulders. He assessed the situation to a tee.

            Unfortunately, Watt’s didn’t have the opportunity to agree. It was at that moment that the Hydra attacked.

Star Trader Update - On the Trail of Ezekeil Watts: "The Lead" (3)

Shattuck – The Lead

Shattuck floated through the N.E.T. soup following yet another piece of background material on Ezekiel Watts. An incoming message pinged over his system.

“Shattuck here,” he replied not bothering to withdraw from the N.E.T. search in progress.

Wade’s Ethinn immediately appeared before him.

“You still in here trying to scare up a lead?” Wade asked.

“Where else would I be?” he replied in a sulk. The going was tough. He was monitoring S.Q.U.A.K. in the background with the intention of dropping the research and pursuing another story if one came up.

“Where should you be? Let me think,” Wade said sarcastically. “How about arranging that meet with your sister?”

“Come on, Wade,” Shattuck said in a tired tone. “I have a job here. I’ll play cupid for you when I get some time. I told you I would arrange a dinner and I will. I just don’t know Lena’s schedule and I haven’t had time to check in with her.”

“Well…” And it sounded more like welllllllllllll. “Maybe you should contact her so I have an excuse to meet up with you two and slip you a little clue we came across on the Douglas case.”

“A lead?”

Wade had the journalist full attention.

“Yup. A fingerprint.” Wade proclaimed with satisfaction.

“Did you find a match?” Shattuck asked excitedly. This could be the lead he needed to carry the story to the next level.

“Dinner. Tonight. Eight o’clock. Cyber Nest. With Lena,” Wade ordered, “and you’re buying.”

Shattuck checked the time – four hours. God, he hoped Lena would play along. He needed this. Surely she would help her little brother out. This could be the big one.

§

Shattuck tossed empty food containers from the front passenger seat to the back in an attempt to clear the seat in the cruiser for Lena. He finished and started to usher her into the car. She threw on her brakes.

“Where’s the wipes?” She demanded. She wasn’t about to sit in that seat until it had been fully cleaned and disinfected. She knew her brother too well.

Shattuck humphed and started looking for the sana-wipes. They were going to be late. They needed to make it to Level One in the next fifteen minutes. There was no way they were going to be on time. Cyber Nest was incredibly exclusive. He had to bribe three people just to get the reservation. They would give it away if they weren’t on time.

He retrieved the wipes from where they rolled under the front seat. He gave the passenger seat a quick rub down.

“Give me those.” His sister took the wipes out of his hand, added another two clean ones to it and scrubbed harder at a couple of questionable places on the seat.

“We’re going to be late,” he sighed in a frustrated tone.

“I am not going to sit on this seat in my nice dress clothes until nothing on it will come off on them.”

Lena gave the seat another complete rubdown and tossed the wipes into the back with the rest of the trash. She got in and fastened her seat belt. Shattuck bolted to the other side of the cruiser, threw himself in his seat and had the vehicle in motion before he even belted in.

Lena caught a glimpse of the sleeping bag in the back.

“Tuck, are you sleeping in the cruiser?” There was a fine in the city for vagrants. Just because you had a cruiser it didn’t mean you weren’t one. If you got caught sleeping in your vehicle and couldn’t prove you had a permanent physical address you would be heavily fined. The city could pull up surveillance records and fine you for every minute your vehicle was spotted between midnight and four a.m. when you didn’t have proof you were on a job and not using it as a crash pad. A big chunk of Shattuck’s stake would be eaten up quickly with fines like that.

“It’s okay,” Shattuck assured her. “I still have the apartment. I just rented it out to Charlie – figured it would add a nice little bonus to my stake each month.”

“Tuck, it’s a studio,” Lena said in disbelief. “What happens if the officials show up to check out your residency?”

“Charlie has strict orders not to open the door too wide.” Shattuck grinned as he wove his way through the traffic on Level Two.

“We might make it,” he said as a way to change the subject.

Lena was always worrying about him. He knew in her eyes he had never really grown up. He decided ‘busy’ talk was in order. He started to list the agenda for the night’s event.

“We’ll have a couple of drinks…”

“One drink,” Lena corrected. “I told you before I agreed to this, I have to shuttle Loc to the Rim Office early tomorrow. I can’t be out all night.”

Samuel Locitt was principle owner and Lena’s boss at Stellarlink. She was his personal assistant, his go-to gal. Loc knew he had a great employee in Lena and paid her accordingly. He spoiled her with periodic bonuses, bonuses that she often gave to Shattuck to add to his stake for the ‘big one.’

Lena was Shattuck’s brag-point. He told anyone who would listen what a clever and talented sister he had. She could drive or fly anything in the verse and most times better than anyone else. She had a memory as quick and complete as a Quad Level Valdavian Mapping Platform and she was an expert in hand-to-hand combat. And, it certainly didn’t hurt that she was round in all the right places and dressed like a diva. Lena loved clothes.

“Wade won’t give me the information he’s uncovered until he’s good and ready. That’s just how he is,” Shattuck warned Lena. “If he’s having a good time he’ll want to extend the night.”

“Then maybe I should just deck him right off,” Lena said with a sly smile. “I could beat it out of him for you.”

“Thanks, Sis.” Shattuck smiled back at her. This was an old game for them. She was his older sister and had fought more than one battle for him when he was young and skinny. She hadn’t needed to intercede for him since he reached puberty and learned how to duck and run.

“Wade’s not a bad guy. You might even like him,” Shattuck added hopefully as he turned the cruiser into the Level One traffic. He was happy to see it wasn’t bad tonight. Thankfully, weeknights were always less crowded.

“I’ll like him for a couple of hours and then my charm will turn off and I will hit the road, with or without you,” Lena warned. “I am willing to help you with your career goals as long as they do not interfere with my job.”

They both needed her to stay in her position with StellarLink. When stories didn’t pan out she was the one Shattuck turned to for support until the next gig paid off.

“Got it,” Shattuck agreed as he turned the cruiser unto the Cyber Nest parking platform.

§

Lena was pleasantly surprised. Wade was not only good looking, he was a charmer. Sure half of what he said was bullshit, but he had a way of greasing it that made it go down nicely.

Wade impressed her right off by bringing her a lovely holographic bouquet. He placed it on the table at her seat and touched the ring. The bouquet appeared to spring from the table, vase and all, including the wafted spicy scent of carnations. It was a kind gesture and probably set him back at least a day or two’s pay.

It turned out Wade was well traveled. He had served in the Galactic Forces for a couple of turns and then taken planet duty various places before settling down here. He still traveled on his vacations to distant places that most would not go to the trouble of exploring.

He was a good conversationalist and the banter between him and Tuck flew across the table like little projectiles all evening. It seemed to Lena that they both liked each other, but were too macho to show it in any sane way. They both had staked out their territory and they weren’t going to let the other one in the range of their leash.

About ten o’clock Lena began to give indications that she was ready to call it a night. She explained to Wade that she had an early morning call and since they had already discussed her employer he knew it was important that she not be kept too late. He obliged by retrieving her cloak from the coat check.

Shattuck was shifting from one foot to the other in anticipation of Wade’s sill undelivered case information.

“It has been a pleasure,” Wade said as he held Lena’s cloak for her to slip into.

“Thank you. It was a very nice evening,” she agreed.

Wade was putting on his coat as he offhandedly said, “the print at the scene was from an ex-con named William Braden. He was sentenced to a penal planet, but was removed to a hospital on Goliath’s second moon when he and his younger brother contracted Reeve’s Fever. The younger brother, Robert, died. William lived through it, but it left him insane. They rigged him with a sedation cuff and called it a day.”

Wade pulled on his own coat as he continued. “When the hospital was hit with cutbacks they released him back into society. Guess they thought the cuff would keep him under control. Guess they were wrong.”

The detective pulled on his gloves. “We’ve posted his picture on the N.E.T. If you hurry, you can be the one who gets it to the U.N.” Wade advised.

“Thanks, Wade,” Shattuck said. He stuck his hand out to shake.

“No problem, Tuck,” Wade answered addressing him by his sister’s nickname.

Shattuck’s face grew grim. “No one calls me Tuck except Lena.

“Until now,” Wade countered with a grin. “See ya around, Tuck.”

Wade took Lena’s hand, placed a kiss on her fingertips and winked up at her. “I’ll call.”

“I might answer,” Lena replied. She could handle Wade even if her baby brother couldn’t.

§

William Braden sought for the
Murder of Daniel Douglas

Read about it here or….

Experience it 1^st hand

See up-close and personal the impact of Reeve’s Fever on William Braden. Could the insanity plea be used to set this madman free to prey on others?