Chapter 27- The Sting
They walked into the hangar, noting a familiar, rust-streaked ship in the center. Liu stood near a pile of boxes, with Captain Warren fidgeting nervously next to him.
"Wilde," said Liu in greeting. "I trust you are well?"
Nick gave him an insouciant smirk. "Doing just dandy, Chamberman. My, what big boxes you have." He walked up to one. "Mind if I inspect it?"
"Not at all," said Liu. "Please, go ahead."
Nick glanced around, noticed a crowbar. Using all his weight, he pried open the box and looked inside. "Parts?" he said, looking at Liu questioningly.
"Some assembly required," said the politician blandly. "But I assure you, everything you asked for is there."
"All right, then," said Nick. He nodded to Judy. "I think that-"
"It's strange, though," said Liu, holding up a hand to stop him. "The items you requested were all on the manifest of a particular ship. Convenient, wouldn't you say?"
"Yep," said Nick. "Very much so. What are the odds?"
"What, indeed, are the odds?" said Liu. He walked closer. "The ship was mysteriously delayed. And after I spoke with Captain Warren, here, I found out the cause of the delay." Warren paled noticeably as Nick and Judy looked at him, their eyes accusing.
Nick instinctively moved closer to Judy, whose paw hovered near her concealed laser. "Delay?" he said, trying to sound innocent.
"Oh, yes," said Liu. "It seems they were raided by some police officers. Including a rabbit and a fox."
"Could be anybody," said Nick.
Liu rolled his eyes. "No, it really, really couldn't." He walked closer to Nick, his eyes slits, staring down at the smaller mammal. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Nick looked up at him. "Do I have to answer that?"
Liu smiled frostily, and turned away. "Ranger Eddington, please come out!" he shouted.
Another man, wearing a hard expression, walked down the ramp of the cargo ship. "Have you heard enough?" asked Liu.
"I have," said the ranger. He turned to look at Nick and Judy. "It seems you were correct. The Terrans are attempting to procure advanced weaponry."
"Demonstrating their lack of good faith," said Liu. He adopted a grave expression and shook his head. "Their need for a guiding hand." He walked closer to Nick and Judy. "You think I wanted to be friends with your planet?" he said, too quietly for the ranger to hear. "That I wanted you as allies?" He shook his head.
"Then why buddy up to us?" asked Nick.
"You were right- the population of Alphacen is inherently stupid," said Liu dismissively. "They like little, cute, fuzzy things. My polls showed a five point increase from that ridiculous little interview you did with me." He smiled. "And now, in your pathetic little attempt to entrap me, I've entrapped you. This will provide just the excuse we need to invade Terra, to bring you under control."
The ranger moved closer. "Mr. Wilde, Ms. Hopps, you're under arrest. You will be taken back to the Terran embassy, to await transport back to Terra."
Nick looked up at Liu. "Huh. Looks like you've won."
"So it does," said Liu smugly.
"Ever play three-card monte, Liu?" asked Nick casually as the ranger moved closer.
Liu frowned, held up a hand, causing Eddington to pause in his approach. "Three-card monte?"
"Find the lady," said Nick. He reached into his pocket, causing Eddington to tense. Giving the ranger an amused look, he slowly withdrew three cards. "Pick a card."
"Is this some sort of game to you?" asked Liu angrily.
"Fine, I'll pick for you. How about a shipment of weapons that can be easily connected to us?" Nick flipped one of the cards. "Hey, you won."
"What-"
"Or an associate that helped us unwillingly, and was-" he looked at Warren, who cringed, "-unreliable at best?" He flipped another card. "Look at that, Liu, you won again."
The human watched him curiously. "Is there a point to this?"
"Finally, giving you a way to make the Terrans look bad, by pretending you were running a sting on us with this arms shipment?" Nick flipped up the last card. "Wow, your luck must be amazing."
Eddington shook his head. "I think that's enough, Mr. Wilde. Whatever that little display was supposed to prove-"
"Didn't prove anything. See, the thing is, this is your shipment," said Nick. "We tracked it using some information we received. Couldn't connect it directly to you, of course. But if you were to, say, make a payment to a certain party on Tejias at the same time as we predicted you would, for the exact price of this shipment- well, that's enough for a warrant." Nick smiled, showing his teeth. "Carrots? Would you care to call in the SWAT team?"
Judy put a whistle to her mouth and blew. At the shrill sound, the doors flew open and nearly a dozen heavily armed FLPD officers stormed inside. Leading them was Wu, followed closely by Barker. Wu walked up to Liu as Warren was shoved to the ground and cuffed. Eddington backed up, displaying his Security Directorate identification. He was nevertheless quickly disarmed.
"Chamberman Liu, you are under arrest for illegal transportation of arms, money-laundering and treason," said Wu.
Liu backed up a step. "What? These weapons are not mine-"
"You paid for them," said Judy. "And that got us a warrant to examine all your financials. You've been a very bad boy, Liu."
"I-" he tried to step back again, only to bump up against a SWAT officer. The officer quickly pinioned his arms behind him and there was the sharp snick of handcuffs closing. "You can't do this to me! I am a member of the Chamber-"
"That's true. And you have certain rights," said Wu. "Such as the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will-" He continued as they led Liu from the hangar.
Judy looked at Nick. "So, one question. What did this scam have to do with three-card monte?"
"Three card monte doesn't work anymore," said Nick dismissively. "Everyone knows the con by now." He grinned at her. "Even dumb bunnies."
She elbowed him. "Okay, so it doesn't work..."
"Not as the con," said Nick. "But as a distraction- see, you don't take the mark at the card trick. The mark has it all figured out- he knows you let him win the first round to hook him, so he decides to bet on that one and walk away. So he takes out his wallet and slaps down the money."
"Right, like Liu buying back the shipment to give to us. Okay," said Judy, nodding. "And then-"
"Then your accomplice, seeing where he keeps his wallet, picks his pocket. And that's how you beat someone at three card monte when they already know how the game goes." Nick shrugged. "It helps if they underestimate you, of course. And Liu clearly doesn't have a high opinion of our abilities."
"So do you think he knows who Prometheus is?"
Nick's expression became very thoughtful. "Actually, Carrots, I think he does. There's something he said a while back, when we first met. About 'Terrans being the natural allies against the terrors of the stars.'"
Judy frowned in thought. "That phrase sounds familiar. Not something I was told directly, I don't think-"
"But part of a conversation someone else recounted to us?" said Nick. "Exactly."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Hunter, there's someone at the door," said Khabat, shaking him awake.
He blinked, looking up at her and slowly becoming aware of the rapid-fire taps at his door. He groaned as he recognized Tavi's distinctive knock. "Oh, shit," he muttered.
"What?" said Khabat. She was wearing one of his shirts, he noticed, and was looking substantially better in it than he generally did. It even seemed less wrinkled. She turned to her discarded pants and pulled a small hold-out pistol from the inner waistband.
Hunter frowned at that. "You're not supposed to be carrying," he said accusingly.
"C'mon, Zach, what are you going to do, arrest me? There's Drex on the planet. I'm not going unarmed." She put one hand on her hip and gave him a smile.
Hunter sat up and pulled on his pants. "Just- just keep that hidden away. That's Tavi at the door. She always knocks like a cocaine addict at his dealer's door." The tapping continued throughout their conversation. It was getting annoying. Hunter trudged over to the door and opened it a crack. "Tavi?"
She looked up at him, her eyes widening when she saw he was shirtless. "Did I wake you up?"
He squinted down at her. "It's five in the morning. That's a reasonable assumption."
"Sorry," she said. Suddenly her ears came to points and she sniffed the air curiously. Curiously, then suspiciously. "Zach," she said slowly. "Why do you smell like perfume?"
"Um." He hesitated, cursing the mammals' superior sense of smell. "Would you believe it's a new cologne?"
"And not just any perfume," she continued, still sniffing. "That smells like-" She suddenly shoved past him into his one-bedroom apartment.
The mongoose stopped as she saw Khabat, still dressed only in Hunter's old shirt, sitting on the bed. The ranger smiled. "Hey, Tavi."
The mongoose's eyes widened, then narrowed. Her tail suddenly puffed out. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.
"Tavi!" said Hunter, a bit shocked at her sudden hostility. "What's-"
"I think it's pretty clear what I'm doing here," said Khabat calmly. "Or rather, what I've done here."
Tavi made a weird chattering noise before stopping it with an effort. She hopped to one side, apparently unconsciously, before spinning around on Hunter. "Aren't you wanted for murder by them, Zach?" she demanded, pointing to Khabat. "I know you can be reckless sometimes, but literally sleeping with the enemy?"
He frowned. "Now just wait one damn minute, rookie. First of all, I've been pardoned- got the official document and everything. And second, she's not the enemy."
"And you believe them?" demanded Tavi. "When they said you were pardoned?" She shook her head. "They killed your children, Hunter!"
Hunter had been keeping his temper under control- assisted by his shock at seeing his usually cheerful rookie so angry- but that was too far. "You think I don't know that, Tavi?" He advanced on her, but she stood her ground, paws on her hips, craning her head to stare at him fiercely. "I can't blame all humans for what happened to my family!"
"No, but she works for the government that did it!"
"So did I!" shouted Hunter. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. A little more controlled, he spoke again. "This isn't about that, Tavi. Is it?"
Tavi wavered, backing a few steps. "What do you mean?"
"He means," said Khabat, who had been watching the confrontation intently, "That you have a little crush on him. That what we're seeing from you isn't concern, but jealousy."
Tavi looked at her, her eyes wide with shock. "No, I-"
Khabat stood. "It's obvious, really. I'm not surprised Zach failed to see it- he can be an idiot sometimes when it comes to interpersonal relationships- but it's pretty clear from the way you look at him, the way you try to look after him." She shook her head. "I saw it from the first time I saw you two together. But you had to know it could never work."
Tavi's ears drooped, and her voice was a whisper. "I know."
Khabat knelt down next to her. "He's your friend, Tavi, and he always will be. But that's all he can be. He belongs with his own kind." She looked up at Hunter, and he saw the love in her eyes. The love he had betrayed once, long ago.
It made him happy- and ashamed. He looked away.
Khabat looked back at Tavi, meeting her eyes. "He belongs with me."
The little mongoose's eyes filled with tears. "This is his home, now," she said, her voice low, choked with emotion. "It's where his friends are." She looked at Hunter, her eyes pleading. "Tell her, Zach."
He rubbed his face with one hand. "It's not so simple, Anila."
"What?" Tavi's face froze in shock. "What do you mean?"
"The human delegation is leaving the planet," said Khabat. "We can't stay here if the Drex are going to be on the planet. Hunter is going with me."
"No!" cried Tavi. "Zach, you can't!"
"It's too dangerous for me," said Hunter, not meeting her eyes. "The Drex are going to be after me, Tavi."
"And since when has that stopped you?" she demanded. "Since when have you decided to run away from a threat?"
"Since I realized I had something to live for!" he shot back, his temper rising again.
"And we weren't enough?" whispered Tavi. "I wasn't enough?"
That stopped him cold. "Tavi-" He couldn't go on.
She waited for his response, slowly nodded when it was clear he didn't have one. "I think I see," she said. "I think I understand perfectly."
Khabat stood, taking Hunter's arm possessively. "I think you do, Ms. Tavi."
Tavi's back straightened, taking her to her full three feet height. "It's Officer Tavi, Ranger Khabat." She looked at Hunter. "Officer Hunter, I apologize for disturbing you." She turned to walk out the door.
"Rookie, wait-"
"I'm not your rookie anymore," said Tavi, not looking back at him.
She slammed the door behind her.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Nick and Judy sat down across from Liu in the interrogation room. It was a classic interrogation room, complete with one-way glass- which in Nick and Judy's experience, was generally an invention of cop shows.
Apparently whoever had designed the building had watched quite a few of them, as even the light was simply a bare bulb hanging over the table. Judy, with an effort, set a fat folder on the table between them and Liu.
"So, treason," began Judy conversationally. "Let's start with that."
"I have nothing to say to you," said Liu.
"You transported arms to groups rebelling against your allies," continued Judy, ignoring him. "That's treason under Alphacen law." She looked at Nick. "Penalty?"
"Death by hanging," said Nick.
"Multiple counts of illegal arms dealing," said Judy, flipping over a page. "As in, lots and lots of illegal arms dealing. Penalty, Nick?"
"Death by firing squad," said the fox.
"And money-laundering, including some connected to the notorious Hamilton cartel." The bunny looked at Nick. "Penalty?"
"Death by beheading. Which seems pretty extreme."
"Apparently the cartel likes to use beheading as a punishment, and the humans believe in fighting fire with fire," said Judy. "So right now, Liu, you're looking at being hanged, shot, and beheaded. And I think they might fine you as well, which just seems cruel."
Liu's eye twitched slightly, but otherwise he showed no signs of cracking. "I have nothing to say to you," he repeated dully.
"Maybe you think you'll get out of this," said Nick, leaning back in his chair. "That your friends in the Expansionist Party will help you."
Judy held up her phone. "Hey, look, the news is on."
"This is Michael Bairnes, reporting live from the capital. I'm here with Avenford Raines, the current Expansionist Party leader after the arrest of Lin Tu Liu. Mr. Raines, would you care to comment on this arrest?"
Raines had a somber expression. "Chamberman Liu, as we know, was considered a valuable member of the Party. But he is in fact a reminder that even those we think we know, we think we trust, can betray us. The Expansionist Party is dedicated to humanity, not to those who would trade with our enemies and sell us out to drug cartels and terrorists. We will seek the highest penalty for Mr. Liu, as a way of restoring the people's trust in our integrity and honor."
Judy clicked off the phone. "It's got something like twenty million views," she said. "And climbing."
For a moment, Liu just stared at them, then he sighed. "What are you offering?"
"A deal," said Nick. "You give us information, and we can get the death penalty off the table."
"Really?" Liu cocked his head. "You two can do that? You're not even police officers on Alphacen."
"No, but we helped them." Nick took a piece of paper from the folder, slid it over to Liu. "That's the deal we can offer. The First Landing DA's office won't prosecute to the full extent of the law if you cooperate."
He read over the paper carefully, then looked up. "What do you want to know?"
"I want to know about Prometheus," said Nick.
"Prometheus?" repeated Liu. He smiled slowly. "What an interesting name."
"Uh-huh. Did you pick it yourself, or did someone else suggest it?" asked Nick.
Liu's face froze. "What?"
"You used a phrase when we first met," said Nick. "That the Terrans were humanity's natural allies against the terrors of the stars, if I remember correctly."
"Prometheus used the same phrase to Hunter after he killed Lucas," said Judy. "The exact same phrase."
"And Lucas was being protected- and enabled- by Prometheus," continued Nick. "The resources he used, the cures that maniac developed- all taken from your company. You even patented the process to cure schizophrenia."
"So," said Judy, leaning on the table to peer intently into Liu's eyes. "What's your game?"
Liu looked at both of them, his eyes darting back and forth between them. He pushed back his chair. Both Nick and Judy shot to their feet.
Liu laughed. "You think I'm- you think I'm Prometheus?" he said, between guffaws.
"You're not?" said Nick, disappointed.
"Of course not," said Liu. "Though I admit I was working with him. Or her. I never saw the man." He shook his head, amused. "He contacted me. Offered me several benefits for working with him."
"Benefits?"
"Oh, yes. Immortality, for one. It so happened I had Lucas on the payroll, and provided his services to Prometheus when he requested a scientist with, shall we say, a loose moral code?" Liu shook his head. "It's a shame that project failed. You'd have never been able to touch me if I'd been the man who could sell immortality."
Nick and Judy shared a disgusted glance. "Then who is Prometheus?" demanded Nick. "How did you come into contact with him?"
"Through a drone sent here to Alphacen," said Liu. "Through a wormhole."
"Wormhole? Sent from where?"
"You don't get it?" said Liu contemptuously. "Ever wonder how the wormhole to Terra got opened, Wilde? It wasn't opened from our side."
Judy's eyes became wide. "You're saying-"
"Prometheus isn't here on Alphacen," said Liu. "He's on Terra. And he always has been. He's the one who opened the wormhole to the Human Stars. And all of this- everything that's happened- has been part of his plan."
Author's Note: So I'm writing romantic scenes- well, sort of- involving a human and mongoose. I did not expect to ever be doing that, in case you're wondering. You can thank Erinnyes for this, by the way- he convinced me that it was possible. It's all practice, I keep telling myself.
It should be noted that Tavi is a fair amount larger than mongooses would be- this is because I've decided that the process which anthropomorphized mammals also tended (not in evety case, but in many) to make them slightly closer to human sizes (larger become smaller, smaller become larger). I based this on the movie, where quite a few mammals don't seem to be as large or small as they would actually be in relation to one another. It also makes a certain amount of sense- some degree of resizing would be expected in an uplift scenario.
Finally, Tavi's reactions- bottle-brushing of her tail, the chittering noise she made, and hopping from side to side- are all part of the "weasel war dance", seen when ferrets, mongoosen, and the like are in a playful or hostile mood. It has been observed when they are attacking prey, though most of the time pet owners will see it when they are playing.
By the way, I am naturally playing very fast and loose with policing- Nick and Judy obviously have no jurisdiction and wouldn't be allowed within a country mile of an investigation. But the dramatic effect is higher this way, so...artistic license.
