"You can't always get what you want."
-Rolling Stones, song lyric late twentieth century.
"Is that my blouse?" Yuri asked as she brushed out her hair.
"Might be, it is a little tight around the chest," Kei told her.
"And around waist as well no doubt."
"My, that was a rather catty remark."
"You should know." Yuri looked around the room for her purse.
"What about breakfast?" Kei took a seat on the foot of her bed.
"I don't care, anywhere you want. I'll pay."
"You'd better, considering how much money you hustled off those guys last night."
"They really fell for the, 'I don't know which end of a pool stick to use' act, didn't they?"
"The vacant look in your eyes and that mindless giggle helped a lot," Kei told her. "Where did you learn those bank shots?"
"Some old vid."
"How about the place across the street?"
"For breakfast?" Yuri slid the purse strap over her shoulder.
"Yeah."
"Sounds good to me."
"Then let's go." Kei stood.
"Nose still bothering you?" Kei asked as she wiped her mouth with a serviette.
"Just a little. I suppose it will teach me not to get involved in your fights."
"Are you possibly suggesting I need your help?"
"No, but it may very well be true." Yuri dabbed the corners of her mouth with her serviette.
"Oh sure," Kei snorted.
"I suppose you could watch your own back from now on?"
"It might be safer."
"For who?"
"Yuri, you do realize that continuing this conversation may be hazardous to your health?"
"Oh I'm so scared." Yuri's expression and tone were deadpan.
"I'll give you reason to be scared," Kei stated.
"You would attack a blind person?"
"Only half blind, and as soon as the med techs put your new eye in I'll..."
"Beat the hell out of me?" Yuri suggested.
"Well I was thinking more on the lines of short-sheeting your bed, but if you're into pain..."
"Careful Kei."
"What do you want to do today anyway?"
"I don't know, rent a plane and see the glacier fields?"
"Sounds sort of boring."
"Why don't we just be spontaneous? Something interesting will happen, it always does." Yuri pushed her chair back.
"Excuse me," an attractive, middle-aged woman said as she approached their table. "You would be the Lovely Angels, correct?"
Kei and Yuri made a quick examination of the woman. She was average height, slim, dark brown eyes, blonde hair, conservatively dressed in a skirt, blouse and jacket. About two meters behind her were a man and a woman. Their presence screamed 'bodyguards' to the trouble consultants.
"Maybe," Kei said, unsure about the woman.
"Yes," Yuri admitted, hoping it was the right thing to do.
"I'm Tamikia Jiinas. Over the past months several kidnapping attempts have been made on my family and myself and recently there have been a few attempts on my life. I need your help."
"Uh huh," Kei said dubiously. "Perhaps you haven't realized, we're 3WA not mercenaries, we can't be hired. There's also the fact we are not babysitters. Perhaps Miss Jiinas you should go to the planetary authorities with your problems. In other words, push off."
Tamikia shook her head, a smile on her face. She placed a briefcase on the table and opened it. Slowly, as not to make the trouble consultants nervous, she removed several sealed envelopes. All bore 3WA markings.
"This is for you." She handed one of the envelopes to Yuri.
Yuri inspected it, making sure the seal had not been broken, then she opened it. There was a single courier chip, a card shaped piece of plastic about the size of her palm. It was marked with the 3WA logo. Yuri placed the chip on the table in front of her and then reached into her purse for a chip reader.
Kei looked on as Yuri slid the chip into the reader. Several seconds passed as the reader and the chip compared and interlocked encryption/decryption protocols. A few seconds later a green light flashed on the reader.
"It's authentic," Yuri said as she pulled an interface cable from the reader and plugged it into the neural interface jack behind her right ear. She closed her eyes as she read the information on the chip, her eyes moving behind her eyelids. "Apparently I've been taken off the injured list. We are reactivated."
"That's ridiculous." Kei slammed her hand against the table. She looked up at Tamikia. Tamikia picked up another envelope and presented it to Kei.
Kei scowled as she broke the seal and pulled out courier chip. Reaching across the table Kei grabbed the reader from Yuri, pulling the interface cable free as she snatched it away. Yuri shook her head and frowned. "I wish you'd stop doing things like that."
Kei ignored Yuri and ejected the courier chip from the reader and slid the new one into it. A few seconds later the green light flashed on it. Kei plugged the interface cable into her interface jack. She did not close her eyes as she read the chip's message. Finally she pulled the cable free and dropped the reader to the tabletop. "Well it seems we have been assigned to one Tamikia Jiinas's case. From the description given, this is she." Kei nodded at Tamikia.
"One more thing." Tamikia picked up the last envelope and handed it to Yuri.
Yuri tore it open and found a single piece of paper instead of a chip. Intrigued, she pulled the page free and unfolded it. She read through it, and then re-read it, just to be certain that she had not missed anything
"What does it say?" Kei asked.
"That we are supposed to be on our best behaviour and give Miss Jiinas our full cooperation. Basically to be good and play nicely. There are also a few veiled threats and the signatures on it are pretty high up, Goulet and others."
"Let me see." Kei took the paper from Yuri. "I don't know," she said after several seconds, "we can forge most of these ourselves."
"The two chips are authentic. So we are working on her case."
"I'm right here," Tamikia said.
"Can't we protest this or something?" Kei asked, ignoring Tamikia. "You're not finished convalescing, no matter how much speed heal is floating around in your blood, and that eye should be replaced."
"We could protest it, but I don't think it would be worth the trouble it would cause. We might as well do it, hopefully it will be a slack mission."
"I suppose," Kei conceded.
"I think we can cancel any plans we thought to make."
"You were right though, something did come up."
"Unfortunately."
"Well Miss Jiinas..." Kei said, turning to Tamikia.
"Tamikia please."
"Well Tamikia just let us get our luggage together and we can leave," Kei told her.
"No need. I've all ready had your belongings removed from your hotel room and sent to my mansion."
"Efficient, and rude," Yuri said. "I'm going to look forward to working with you." Her tone was sarcastic.
"I thought you would appreciate the efficiency," Tamikia said, apparently not concerned with Yuri's complaint.
"Come on Yuri." Kei stood. "Not much we can do about it now."
"I just hope none of my underwear goes missing this time," Yuri said quietly as she dug a hand full of crumpled currency from her purse and tossed it onto the table.
"We'll have to stop off at the Drackon ship yards," Kei told Tamikia.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I said we have to," Kei told her. "What we have to do, however, is to pick up a friend."
"Very well," Tamikia said. She did not sound pleased.
Tamikia led them out of the restaurant--the bodyguards fell in behind them--to a black Rolls Royce parked just outside the doors. As they had exited the restaurant the female bodyguard had removed a small remote from her jacket pocket, and started the car with it.
The male bodyguard opened the door to the passenger compartment while his partner circled around to the driver's door.
"Nice car," Kei said.
"Thank you." Tamikia entered the car.
"They still make these?" Yuri asked as she got in, following after Kei.
"Only about fifty a year. Rolls Royce is dedicated to warp drives these days. I believe that they only make the cars for tradition," Tamikia told them. "Candice, take us to the shipyards please," she said into the car's intercom.
"We'll need information on your security system," Yuri told her.
"These computers," Tamikia indicated the two computers on the seat beside her, "contain all the information you will need."
Kei picked up the computers and then handed one to Yuri.
"I'll handle personnel and equipment, you take the security system," Kei said.
"Fine." Yuri unwrapped an interface cord and plugged herself into the computer. Kei followed Yuri's example.
As the two women worked Tamikia watched them. They seemed engrossed in the work they were doing and were not paying any attention to her. Or at least she did not think they were paying attention to her.
Their actions when she had first met them had worried her. It was obvious that they had not wanted the job. If they were professionals, and she believed they were, that should not be a problem. Still, a little more enthusiasm would have been nice.
The Dirty Pair, she thought, watching them. Of course she would not use that title in front of them. It would be hard not to think it every time she looked at them. They were supposed to be protecting her. When she had learned a few hours earlier that 3WA had assigned them to her she had been worried.
They were not quite what she had expected. The two were dressed much more modestly then she would have thought. They did not seem to be armed. There was a quiet sense of professionalism about them. She did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
Perhaps she should have hired someone instead of petitioning for help from the United Galactica. The problem was that she did not think she could trust anyone she might hire. She could not trust purchased loyalty, not now.
The Dirty Pair might not be entirely pleased to be assigned to her case, but at least she could trust that they could not be bought.
Tamikia watched them work, interested in the differences between them. Kei was using the keyboard interface to access the information she wanted, fingers tapping at keys. Yuri gave herself fully over to the computer, eyes closed, not touching the keys.
The passenger compartment was quiet, no one saying anything until the car finally stopped. "We're here." Tamikia told them.
"Pardon?" Kei looked up from her work.
"The ship yards."
"Oh." Kei pulled the interface cable from the jack behind her ear. "I'll be back in a minute." She opened the car door and slid out, closing it behind her. Yuri did not even seem to notice. She appeared deeply engrossed in her work.
A few minutes later the car door opened again. Instead of Kei a large, black feline leapt into the car. Tamikia might have screamed if not for the fact that Yuri took a second to scratch the cat behind its ears and then push its head off her lap.
Kei slid in after, taking up her computer after she had closed the door.
"Don't mind Mughi," Kei told her. "He's rather harmless."
"Are you sure?" Tamikia inched back.
"I'd bet your life on it." Kei said as she plugged the interface cable back into her neural socket.
"I feel so much better." Tamikia said sarcastically. She looked at the big cat and licked her lips nervously. "Can I get you something, a drink or a small mammal?"
Mughi yawned.
"Home," she called the driver.
Kei finished her work and toggled the computer off. She tugged the interface cable from behind her ear and let it fall across her legs. She rubbed at her temples for a moment to ease a small discomfort. Sims, computers, she hated having to plug her head into anything, except weapon systems. The psytechs had told her it was psychosomatic, Kei had told them where they could put their theories.
"Would you like something to drink?" Tamikia asked.
"No thanks." Kei reached down and removed a small data chip from the computer. "This contains all my recommendations but I'll give you the basics now." She handed the chip to Tamikia.
"That was fast." Tamikia took the chip.
"I'm good. First of all you will need about two hundred more security people, so we can set up a proper defensive perimeter. They don't have to be anything special, just trained well enough to do what they are told. Make sure you can trust them."
"No problem. I have several installations on this planet; I can pull personnel from them. I can trust them as much as anyone."
"And how much is that?"
"Not as much as I would like, but enough for your purposes, I think."
"Good enough. Now I think you could use some armour. Tanks, or better yet heavy battle-frames," Kei said hopefully.
"I can get the battle-frames. How many?"
"Let's say fifty heavy ground based models and twenty five that are flight capable. And we'll need support crew."
"You'll have them in about six hours," Tamikia told her.
"You can do that?" Kei was truly surprised. She was asking for more than she needed in hopes she would get the numbers she actually felt would be able to do the job.
"I own several arms companies right out and have stock in quite a few others. Getting weapons won't be a problem."
"Good. Your biggest problem now is that you're too open to air strikes. I think twenty SAM launchers will take care of that. We'll also set up thirty AA batteries around your house to take care of anything that makes it past the missiles."
"Any particular missile in mind?"
"No, they're all similar enough for our purposes." Kei was pleased, but a little surprised, at how easy Tamikia was taking her suggestions.
"Any thing else?"
"Arm any of your household staff you can trust and who know how to handle a weapon. Make them think they are the only one with a weapon just in case you have an information leak. What do you carry?"
"Carry?"
"Weapons," Kei said.
"Nothing. That's why I have hired body guards."
"Wrong answer. You know how to fire them?"
"Yes."
"Good, we'll find you something then. How about you kids?"
"I'd rather not be arming my children."
"Tough."
Tamikia sighed. "I suppose we could give Catherine something. She's responsible and a capable shot, at least on the target range."
"All right. Like I said, the rest of my recommendations are on that chip. Put them into effect as soon as possible. If I think of anything else I'll tell you." Kei leaned back into the seat.
"I'm sorry I ruined your vacation," Tamikia said.
"Don't be. Things like this do tend to happen. It just would have been nice if they had put Yuri's new eye in."
"What?" Yuri asked, looking up from her work.
"Just telling Tamikia about you fetish for rubber undergarments." Kei smiled.
"Uh huh." Yuri went back to her work.
"I hate it when she does that." Kei shook her head.
"What?" Tamikia asked.
"Tunes me out like that. She's especially good at it when she is plugged into a computer."
"Some of my computer specialists are like that," Tamikia said.
"Pet hackers?" Kei asked.
"I prefer to think of them as somewhat tame."
"You know I often think Yuri was lucky she got into 3WA. If she hadn't she'd have probably been arrested for computer crimes." Kei thought about it for several seconds. "Well maybe not arrested, but she'd certainly be wanted for them."
"She still breaks ice doesn't she?"
"Mostly on cases but occasionally for a bit of fun and to keep her reflexes up. I think its sort of sad but she's a bit of a wallflower." Kei smiled.
"Many of my companies have a lot of trouble with people like that."
"Well its not like Yuri steals any thing or dumps viruses," Kei said in defence of her friend.
"Thanks for defending my honour." Yuri shut off the computer.
"Nice to have you back. What do you think?" Kei asked.
"There's not much I can think of that would make the security system better. It's on the cutting edge. I suppose we could rig up some panic buttons, disguise them as jewellery and tune them to our coms system." Yuri closed the computer. "Just busy work kind of stuff."
"Sounds good," Kei said.
"What sort of computer do you have running things? That information wasn't included." Yuri shifted her attention to Tamikia.
"A Heckler and Kotch 5000D," she told Yuri.
"That would explain it. A properly programmed 5C could take care of you better then many of the things we could suggest, and a 5D..."Yuri shook her head. "I didn't even know they were out on the market yet."
"They're not, but I have some connections. It's a good computer," Tamikia said.
"I prefer their weapons," Kei said.
"You would," Yuri told her; she reached down and pushed Mughi off her feet.
"Oh sure, and that VP70M you acquired isn't one of you prize possessions?"
"I'm not denying that they made good weapons, and still produce a very fine limited edition, but they are a computer company now."
"Do you have any other ideas?" Tamikia asked them.
"To improve your security, no. As for the other attempts on you life and the kidnappings, they all seem strictly amateur. We have no idea who's behind it, but you have quite a few potential enemies, as well as anyone looking to make a lot of money. The possibilities are almost limitless."
"Give us a little time, we'll solve this case," Yuri said.
"We always do," Kei told her. "One way or another."
"Very nice," Kei said as they crossed through the large, double doors into the foyer beyond. Above them skylights provided the illumination for the large, tiled room.
"Thank you," Tamikia said. "The house is currently my main centre of operations."
"The stone of the outside walls won't stop a determined attack," Yuri said as she looked around. There was painting on the wall looked like a Picasso, but Yuri was certain it could not be.
"There's twenty five centimetres of dura-armour alloy behind the stone," Tamikia told her.
"Think that will stop a determined attack?" Kei said, needling Yuri.
"If not we can always use something really dense, like your brain." Mughi moved a few steps away from the two women, as if he sensed danger.
"Oooh."
"Would you two like to see your room?" Tamikia asked, interrupting them. "I've put you together, but I can change that if you want."
"No, that's fine," Yuri said.
"Oh good. I'll have a maid show you to your room." As if Tamikia's words had worked magic, a young woman in a maids uniform was there. The young woman gave Mughi a nervous glance, but came forward non-the less.
Discrete servants, Yuri thought, cute uniform and cute girl as well. Moves like a fighter though, interesting.
"Anna, could you take Kei and Yuri to the room I had prepared for them?"
"Yes ma'am." Anna bowed shallowly to Tamikia. "If you will come with me," she said to Yuri and Kei.
She led the two trouble consultants, and Mughi, off towards the family wing.
Tamikia was about to head to her offices when her Major-domo, Pell, came into the foyer. He walked straight towards her.
"Ah Pell, good. The 3WA agents have arrived. Make certain they get anything they want."
"Of course, but Tamikia, I'm not sure about those two. They do have a rather unsavoury reputation and they will not be a good influence on your children."
Tamikia was rather surprised by that. Pell was usually tolerant of almost everybody. She knew Kei and Yuri had a bad reputation, but she also knew the press tended to be more interested in selling news than in telling the truth. If Pell didn't approve of the trouble consultants that was a minor problem. She had better make her opinion on the matter clear though, she thought.
"Pell, those two young ladies have never failed a case. Right now their job is to protect my daughters and myself. As for being a bad influence, I'd rather have Catherine and Susan corrupted than dead, or worse."
"Of course," he said, a slight hint of surprise in his voice. "I never suggested otherwise. I'm sorry I upset you."
"Don't be sorry Pell. I put you in charge of the household because you would question me." She reached out and patted Pell's shoulder then turned and left him, heading for her offices.