Shard (Part 2)
"Kruger," Miller called out, "we need to talk."
The precinct was almost empty, at least of CPF uniforms. Third shift had come in, and would eventually replace the second shift after the two hour overlap they had, but the PK presence was as strong as ever. The black-suited enforcers always seem to outnumber the blue CPF uniforms at least two to one. However, it was surprising to see that Kruger was still there as late as it was getting, but Miller had a few ideas as to why. Rumors spread fast.
Kruger was moving for the elevator, but he turned when Miller. He thumbed the call switch. "Yes, Lieutenant, is there something I can help you with? I'm afraid I can't talk long."
He played his hand right away. "I heard that Kate's transport was ambushed today, and that she escaped. Why was I not informed?"
Kruger hmphed, making an unimpressed face. "Yes, there was an escape attempt, but Connors was recovered earlier this evening, so there was no reason to call in support from the CPF. It appears that she had been receiving help from Runners. A strike team hit one of their hideouts and found her there."
Well, at least most of the rumor was true. Miller figured it had been the Runners. What was more unsettling was the fact that PK had found Kate again so easily. In all his years in the CPF, no one had stumbled across anything that might have been considered a Runner hideout, so how did they recapture Kate in a matter of what, hours? Kruger had to have been holding something else back from him; one last card that gave him a leg up on Runner movement over the rest of the CPF, but at that point, it was irrelevant. Kate was back where she stared, and he needed to move fast.
"I see. If that's the case, then may I ask why she hasn't been booked in prison yet?"
"This is a special case, Miller." Kruger spoke in that same condescending patience he always had, but at the same time, there was a note of stress in it. "Connors has some very shifty people trying to break her out. PK, under approval from the mayor, has taken some extra precautions to guarantee that doesn't happen."
"Oh really? What sort of precautions?"
"The strike team that recaptured her has been ordered to temporarily detain her at the Shard."
Miller blinked. "The Shard? Why there? If you had her in custody, why not take her directly to county?"
The elevator doors opened with a ding, a few latecomers stepping off between the two of them. Kruger prevented the doors from shutting with a hand. "I'll be honest, Miller, we were caught off-guard today, and our birds weren't suitably fueled. They are refueling as we speak. The building itself is well-fortified, especially against Runners, and if we can keep her above their reach, we can safely move her to prison by air. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
He stepped into the elevator, but Miller clamped a hand on the doors. "I want to help with the security detail."
Kruger outright laughed. It was a clear, concise chuckle that sounded both genuine and forced at the same time. "Lieutenant, you've stuck a gun in my face, dug around unauthorized in our case, and in general, been an overall headache to this investigation. Pardon my language, but why the hell would I let you help oversee PK operations?"
It was time for the moment of truth: to see how stupid Kruger really was. "You seem to forget what I told you earlier," he stated. "The fact that Kate was one of my subordinates was incentive, but it is also irrelevant. I'm more interested in upholding the law in this city." He needed to play the part of a beaten cop, not someone trying to save a friend. "If Kate was innocent, then she wouldn't have run, and since she was my subordinate, I want to make sure that she goes down for her crime appropriately."
The look of surprise on Kruger's face was a good sign. It was a full one-eighty from a few days ago, but it was plausible; he had been playing the part of trying to get his officer out of a mess, then realizing that the whole time she had been guilty, just like the evidence was saying. He was feeling the pressure from the CPF integration, and wanting to keep his position, decided to join the side of the strong. Better to do some ass-kissing now and keep his job than get dumped out with the rest of the officers that PK thought they could do better without.
Now the only problem that remained was if Kruger was stupid enough to take the bait. He was certainly cocky enough. This would be the perfect chance to lay down some law and order among the CPF ranks; Miller held quite a bit of pull at the precinct, and seeing an officer like him showing loyalty to their new bulldog overseers would undoubtedly create a nice example.
Slowly, Kruger stepped out of the elevator. The doors closed, and he heard it move down to a different floor in the precinct. Kruger pursed his lips, mulling it over. "Been hitting the bottle, Miller? I can smell it on your breath."
"I'm not drunk, if that's what you're implying," he countered, glad he had drank as much as he did. Better that Kruger see his resolve crumbling, or at least let him think that was the case. "If you ask any precinct officers, I'm sure they would agree that a drink on the job every now and then helps keep your morale up, especially in a city like this."
"You'll have to forgive me for being cautions, but I can't really see your angle on this." Kruger's expression didn't change. Miller could tell that he sensed something wasn't quite right, but if he was taking this long to think about it, then he didn't know what. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you're up to something."
Miller spread his hands. "Come on Kruger. It doesn't take a genius to see what you're doing with PK. Your enforcers are replacing CPF officers little by little. I doubt you'll be able to replace all the officers, and given my age and standing, it's a bit early for retirement. Consider this a show of good faith."
It felt like an eternity for Kruger to respond. He just stood there, eyes slightly narrowed as his jaw ground back and forth. "You know Miller, that might not be a bad idea," he said finally. Miller's heart beat a little faster. He'd actually taken the bait. "If you really care about cleaning up this city, then you should have no problem making sure that Connors is safely extracted tonight." The tone of his voice dropped slightly, taking on a more dangerous tone. It was the same tone when they'd had their standoff in the interrogation room. "But understand, given your previous involvement, I will be issuing an escort for you…just in case you're thinking of trying anything funny."
Well, he didn't think it would be that easy. Apparently Kruger still didn't fully quite believe him, but he seemed more interested in flexing his power than playing it safe. That was all the opening he needed.
Miller forced his shoulders to sink a little. "Thank you." He kept his voice neutral. "While I can assure you that an escort won't be necessary, I can respect that you want to cover all the angles."
"Indeed. We move out in ten minutes. First floor of the garage. I'll see you there."
This wasn't a pissing match, so he let him have the last word. Kruger turned and thumbed the call switch again, and Miller returned to his office, letting out a deep breath once inside. Not quite the point of no return, but common sense kept screaming at him to back out while he still could. If it had been anyone other than Kate, he might have listened to it, since this was going to be a one way trip.
He only had a few minutes, but there wasn't much he was going to need to take with him. He left his radio and earpiece on his desk and double checked to make sure he was carrying his full loadout: both of his sidearms, and two extra magazines for both. After a moment of thought, he unclipped his badge from his front pocket, the weight of it familiar in his hand. He thought about leaving it on his desk, wanted to. What he had in mind was not something a sworn officer would do, and at this point, he didn't even consider himself a cop. But, for all intents and purposes, he was, so he clipped it back on and headed out the door.
No one from operations really gave him much consideration as he crossed the floor, which was good. He didn't want good-byes, or any lingering connections that might come back to make trouble for his officers. This was his decision, and his alone; no need to sully anyone, or the entire precinct in the process, let alone the CPF itself. It had taken enough bad heat with this incident with Kate. He had almost made it when he nearly bumped into Moreno coming out of the break room with a cup of coffee. Miller swore silently in his head. Not her, anyone but her…
"Oh, boss," she said, looking up from the cup and spotting him. "Hey, about earlier…look, I didn't mean to…Miller? Where you going?" He brushed past her, ignoring her and hoping that she would take his silence as a sign that he was still angry with her, but he should have known better. Moreno was stubborn as hell. She caught up to him, trying not to slosh her drink over the floor. "Hey, Miller?"
"I have something I have to do, Moreno," he replied crisply, hitting the call button a few times. "I'll be back later." That was a straight up lie.
"I saw you talking to that pendejo Kruger…What's going on?"
"It's nothing to worry about." He pushed the call button a few more times, hoping that would make the elevator arrive faster. "I saw that you were backed up on your paperwork again. I'd like to see that done before you leave tonight."
She opened her mouth to reply, but two PK enforcers came around the corner, stopping at the elevator. Miller paid them no mind, but Moreno reared up to her full height as her face turned into a scowl. It immediately vanished when she saw that he didn't react. She always did have something of a knack for picking up small details.
"Boss?" she asked softly, "What are you doing?"
"It doesn't concern you, Moreno," he said, hoping that the finality in his voice would end the conversation. "Remember what I said: do your job…" he paused, and then added, "even if I'm not here."
That would have to suffice as a good-bye.
The last view of Moreno he saw was her standing with one fist balled, eyes glistening as the doors began to shut. She looked as if she was ready to chuck the cup and leap into the elevator after him, but she stayed motionless. The doors closed, and the elevator lurched as it began to descend to the parking structure level. Miller allowed himself a tiny sigh. He couldn't show the frustration he felt with the two enforcers right behind him; Moreno had deserved better, and he wished there was a way he could have given it to her.
The elevator stopped, opening to the parking garage. There were three armored transport trucks lined up, all jet black and stamped only with the Pirandello/Kruger bulldog insignia and a little over two dozen enforcers around them, fully armed with a variety of assault weapons and full body armor. Even though he was flanked by the two enforcers from the elevator, the others subtly moved into a semi-circle as they approached, almost as if he was being surrounded. Miller tried not to think of them as a pack of wolves ready to attack, but it felt like something similar. Kruger emerged from behind them in a business-like fashion, looking out of place in his three-piece suit among weapons and armor.
"We move out now," he called, "RV with Able and Bravo and prep Connors for exil." No responses or 'yes sir' from any of the enforcers, but they immediately began to filter out to specific vans. Kruger jerked his head in the direction of two of them. "Stenson, Marks, meet your new best friend: Lieutenant Miller. He's volunteered to help us make sure things go smoothly tonight, and I want you to show him how PK does things. Lieutenant Miller? I'm sure you won't mind."
A lot of words to just say 'watch him carefully and shoot him if he causes trouble', Miller supposed, but he didn't expect anything less. They hadn't even disarmed him.
Miller remained indifferent. "No, I won't. I would do the same in your shoes, Kruger."
"Glad we have an understanding," he smirked, moving to one of the vans.
Stenson and Marks, his newly appointed bodyguards sized up in front of him. They looked almost like clones; same broad, strong features, same efficient army-style haircut, same armor and weaponry. Miller didn't back away, and after half a second, Stenson, or maybe it was Marks, simply jerked his head towards the last van, and turned with his comrade to enter in through the rear. Miller followed them.
It had been a little over a decade since he had worked in SWAT, so the cramped rear of the truck was foreign from his own personal car. Stenson and Marks sat on either side of him, with two enforcers sitting across. It must have been intended for four, not five, as his shoulders brushed the pauldrons of both of them. The two across the way seemed to have plenty of space for themselves.
The truck's diesel engine spurred to life, and after a moment of waiting, they began to move. With no windows in the back of the van, it was hard to tell exactly which way they were taking to get to the Shard; for all he knew, maybe this was just a ploy to take him somewhere else and dispose of him quietly. That thought made him shift tensely, and he thought about how quickly and efficiently he'd able to draw in a cramped space like this so close to four other men. It would be messy.
After the familiar slope of the parking garage exit and a right turn, Miller quickly lost his exact orientation. He felt regular stops and turns that felt like the city street, complete with a few potholes and horn honks audible through the armor. Eventually the drive smoothed and turned steady; it felt like the freeway.
His company wasn't exactly a chatty bunch. Whether this particular group just didn't talk because of his presence, or if it was just how PK operated, he didn't know, but the drive seemed to stretch longer than it should have. The enforcer sitting across from him kept making eye contact as he cradled his weapon on his lap. It was a sleek, but brutish looking shotgun, pump action, but with two barrels. NeoStead, Miller recalled, Bradley said it was a NeoStead. European. No, not European, somewhere else…but designed to kill.
Miller stared back, and after a minute or two, the enforcer seemed to lose interest entirely. The drive continued, until they started to slow down. Not entirely to a stop, but it felt like they had left the freeway. Then more starts and stops, sharper turns. They were back on city streets. After a few more minutes, he felt another gentle incline, and then they pulled to a stop.
The enforcer nearest to the door opened it, flooding the back of the van with brighter light, and they began to casually file out. It wasn't an abandoned construction site, or the outskirts of a city. He recognized from previous visits that they were indeed in the Shard's underground parking structure. It consisted of several floors, mostly containing reserved parking for city officials, the floors unassuming concrete grey and the walls painted white and orange.
Stenson, or Marks, stayed at his flank, while the other one moved in front. He pretended to ignore them, but kept their position and what they were doing in mind. While his plan would have been easier without an escort, he had expected it. They were a nuisance, one that he had to put up with until he located Kate.
Kruger was nowhere to be seen, but the elevators were nearby. He could already be somewhere in the Shard while Miller's truck was still pulling up. Instead one of the enforcers was now giving orders, first picking out half of the squad.
"Secure all entry points in UNICOMM offices on floors thirty-eight through forty-one. Delta will supply cover and overwatch from the surrounding buildings." He turned to the other half. "Bravo wants additional support at the helipad." Lastly, he turned to Miller and his two escorts, but spoke mostly to them as if he wasn't even there. "Kruger wants him on the fifth floor atrium. Don't let him out of your sight."
All the enforcers began to depart with their respective orders. Miller was ushered towards the elevators, silently thinking about what his next step was. The Shard was a massive building, over a hundred and ten stories tall. That was a lot of ground to cover for just the enforcers he saw. There were already some there, but he didn't know how many. They couldn't watch the entire building, though; just the chokepoints. He was beginning to see what Kruger meant by keeping Kate out of the Runners' reach. There was no way to get to the top of the Shard except by helicopter or through the building. All they had to do was watch all the entrances above the surrounding buildings at rooftop level or lower.
However, by that logic, he knew exactly where they were holding Kate: at the very top of the building.
They stepped into the foyer just outside of the fifth floor atrium. The atrium itself led straight to the top of the Shard, and Miller wondered for a moment why Kruger had ordered him to such a critical location. Then, he realized, as they stepped into the atrium itself, that it was crawling with almost a dozen heavily armed enforcers.
Their leader stepped forward, his features obscured beneath a dark mask and his helmet. He was toting an assault rifle. "Just the two of you? Who's this guy?" he asked, nodding towards Miller.
"CPF," one of his escorts replied. "Kruger wanted him present."
The leader made an odd sound beneath his mask. It sounded like a growl of contempt. "Keep him in the foyer for now, and watch him carefully."
This is impossible, Miller realized as he was escorted back down the hall to the receptionist desk in the foyer. Not with that kind of firepower waiting for him, and who knew what else on the hundred or so floors that stretched above him. Even if he wasn't planning on getting out alive from the start, there was no way he could help Kate now.
Author's Note: Yes, I'm still working on this! I just don't have a lot of time for writing anymore, but I believe there's just 2-3 more chapters left with this. This was the last 'difficult' chapter for me to write, and from here on things should be a little easier for me. I personally didn't think this chapter was all that great, but it's necessary, since it details Miller's presence at the Shard, or at least gives some context to it.
