Sometimes Dade couldn’t believe the things that were said at these parties. If it wasn’t about money, the Solizen didn’t seem to care. To them there wasn’t an outside world that existed beyond their enclosed Towers. Public unrest wasn’t on their radar. Only when it cut into their profits would it become a problem.
Sophia watched the reactions of the Solizen to Nakomzer’s words, probably to discuss and analyze them with Nakomzer after the dinner. Her open purse was closer to him now. This could be the opportunity he needed, but her body was pivoted too far his way. Dade would definitely be in her peripheral vision. Which made it tricky, but maybe he should just go for it. Dade leaned forward, moving his body in slow increments to see if she noticed. If she indicated in any way that she did, he’d back off.
Meanwhile Nakomzer tried to convince the assembled Solizen that they had a far greater problem on their hands. “The civil unrest is far outweighing the peacekeeping corps. If this continues, you’ll have a much worse problem than distribution. You’ll lose your client base.”
“There’s always someone who will buy our products. There is no sun, after all,” Dade’s father said. “They need us.”
“Maybe it’s not Lasair or any of the street gangs who are agitating the situation,” said a dark-skinned man from the other end of the table. His face pinched, making the weathered lines groove deeper around his eyes. “We need to take a look at the Ghost.”
Dade tensed, his hand inches from the purse. He was just about to make his move and drop the disk in, but he found himself frozen. His breath caught in his chest, like the sharp prick of a knife right under his sternum.
Clarissa went still beside him, her body coiled. Though how she knew the implications of that was a puzzle to work out another time.
Nakomzer gave a short, stuttered laugh. “There isn’t any such person.”
“Of course there is,” the pinched-faced man insisted, frowning at Nakomzer. “Rumors always have a grain of truth.”
“It could just be any one of those thieving gangs looking to cover their tracks,” Nakomzer hypothesized.
“Why would they do that?” Hernim asked. “They’ve been quite willing to claim all their activity up till now. How do you explain the footage of the lone character? He leaves his mark after every crime.”
“A sun-star symbol,” the lady with the pearls said.
Dade’s mother gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. “How dare they.”
Nakomzer didn’t look pleased when he confirmed. “That symbol has appeared on the streets in greater frequency. It would seem that whoever is doing this has appropriated the symbol and plans to use it to start a revolution.”
“Mocking us,” the pinched-faced man added.
The woman with the pearls spoke up. “It’s because the people see him as a sort of Robin Hood character. Steal from the rich, give to the poor.”
“What do you mean ‘give to the poor’?” Dade’s mother asked.
“The VitD this Ghost steals, it’s not reformulated into Shine like it is with the gangs. It’s given to charity houses,” the pinched-faced man said.
A grumbling tension took over the table as the Solizen whispered among themselves.
Nakomzer spoke louder, trying to get their attention back. “If there is a Ghost, he’s little more than a street thug.”
“I make this promise,” Hernim said, looking around the table, the threat in his voice clear. “When we catch this so-called Ghost, we will show him or her no mercy.”
Agreement was swift and vocal.
Dade felt Clarissa’s hand rest against the back of his. Her touch was light, shocking him out of his thoughts. He made a face, sending her a silent question.
She answered it by glancing down at where their hands joined.
When his gaze followed hers, he realized that the hand she’d covered had curled into a fist around his fork, his knuckles turning white. It took him a few seconds to consciously relax. He set his fork down and turned his hand over so that he could lace his fingers together with Clarissa’s. Dade nodded his thanks.
Clarissa winked.
“In the meantime,” Hernim continued, “we should focus on Lasair. It is the bigger threat. If we take it down, the other gangs will follow shortly behind, as will the Ghost.”
Hernim motioned for Nakomzer to explain. Dade realized it was an olive branch, letting Nakomzer appear to take control. Yet his father would blame Nakomzer if the plan failed.
“We’re in the process of sweeping the Lower Levels, looking for anyone associated with a street gang,” Chief Nakomzer said. “We’ll find someone and then squeeze them for information we can use.”
Dade’s stomach sank. That would mean catching Arden or one of her friends. The thought made him cold.
He wanted to see Arden, to warn her of the danger. It was irrational and stupid, but he couldn’t put the thought out of his mind. If he could see her, see that she was fine, he could let it go, perhaps breathe easier. He knew he was fooling himself. That it was only a flimsy excuse to see her again. It would be a foolish errand. But in this case, he was okay with playing the fool.
Clarissa squeezed his hand again, regaining his attention. She tilted her head to Sophia’s purse. Then she gestured, indicating that no matter what else was taking place, he had a job to do.
Right.
Dade didn’t care about stealth at that point. He wanted this done. The servers began to pick up empty plates before bringing out the dessert trays, which meant that his escape would come soon. He moved forward to pick up his glass. Right before he reached for it, he dropped the disk into the open mouth of Sophia’s purse. He watched as it fell, making sure it hit its mark, and then he sat back and took a drink. His job was done.
He waited till dessert was half-finished before he pushed to his feet and murmured his excuses to the table. His father glared, but Dade didn’t care. He kept his movements fast and efficient so that there wouldn’t be an opportunity to stop him.
Clarissa stood as well. It didn’t surprise him. The fact she had his back meant that she also nosed into his business. She wouldn’t let him leave without grilling him, not after the tension he’d displayed all evening. She followed him all the way to the front of the apartment.
There wasn’t time to change. Dade grabbed his cloak from the closet near the door and swung it over his shoulders so that the fabric fanned out before it settled. Then he grabbed his phaser, strapping it to his side. His body vibrated with anxiety, so much that his hands shook. He flexed them, taking a moment to make sure he didn’t leave the house missing something vital.
He felt Clarissa behind him. She didn’t say anything till he stood at the apartment door, ready to bolt, his weapons strapped. “Where are you going?”
“I have to check on some things in the Zero District.” It was the slummier part of Level One, where all the party kids hung out because drugs were easy to score and the govies generally ignored the area.