Stephanie Steele
Chapter 31

Two armed metal droid guards stepped out of the Cyber Corp building, checked up and down the street and stood with blasters at the ready as Noel Chandler walked out of the front door and got into his cruiser parked outside. The guards got into the cruiser with him. The under carriage lit up as the magnetic propulsion system was turned on. It moved forward then zipped into the blackened sky.

Freddy had taken his cruiser with him wherever he’d gone so Steele was without transport. She’d returned to her apartment and to her surprise discovered her own cruiser was still where she’d left it what seemed like an age ago. She was sure the PD would have towed it, but it had been still there in the side street where she’d parked it the night she’d taken Rachel back to her place. The night she’d been torn apart by Edwards.

There were so many things going round in her mind right now. Everything to do with Leon and the dead girls, her feelings for Uma and the fact she’d betrayed her and slept with Rachel. That she now had strong feelings for Rachel even though one version of her had tried to kill her when she had promised herself she’d never look at another girl again. On top of that she was still trying to work out why she wasn’t a heap of scrap right now when she saw Noel come out of the Cyber Corp building and fly off in his cruiser.

Steele tailed Noel’s cruiser, keeping at a safe distance so not to arouse suspicion. She even changed skyways several times just to make sure. She could just make out the tail lights in the smog as she peered through a dirty windshield. She squirted some glass cleaner onto the window, the view didn’t improve much, and tried to figure where he was heading. Their trajectory was taking them towards the Red Hill area of the city and she guessed the spar. Was that where he had Amy Towers, or was she with some other member of their sick cult? There were so many possibilities with this case now. The only thing she could do was follow Chandler and see where that led her.

Her guess was right.

She landed her cruiser across the street from the Red Hill Spar. Chandler and his guards were just entering. If she was to get inside she would have to get to the door before it closed and locked her out. It was evening and the street was empty. She sprinted across the road, nearly avoided being hit by a passing cruiser and got to the door with just an inch to closing. She rammed her hand into the small gap between glass and metal frame. The door continued to try to close, the pressure on her hand threatening to snap her fingers.

She ducked out of sight as Chandler and the two droids hung in the reception area a moment. She peered round the door and saw him giving instructions to the guards. They then marched off as one and she was able to push back the heavy door and slip into the building unnoticed.

The reception was empty. The receptionist having gone home for the evening and the building closed. There were a couple of corridors Noel could have gone down. She wasn’t sure which one it was as they were out of her view from her previous position at the door.

She choose one, opened the door and stepped into the corridor. Silence greeted her. It was too quiet. Maybe the wrong door? She returned to the reception area and opened the other door into another identical corridor.

A figure emerged from a room ahead of her. He was wearing a black cowl and a mask. The mask was that of a wolf. He was in a hurry so didn’t look in her direction. He scurried down the corridor and disappeared through a door. Steele ran to the door, but it was locked. Damn! It needed your finger prints in order to enter and she wasn’t a member. Just then she heard voices approaching. She ducked into the room the man had emerged from and was confronted with a locker room.

Several cowls and masks hung on hooks at one end. Wasting no time she put on a black cowl and selected an owl mask. The voices were coming near. The cowl didn’t disguise her womanly shape and she doubted there’d be women in the fucked up club. She grabbed another cowl and stuffed it up inside the one she was wearing to pad out her belly and hide her large breasts which would give the game away immediately. It did the trick.

As the door opened she put on the mask and pulled up the hood of the cowl to hide her long hair. Two men in business suits entered. They were surprised to see someone else there. Steele didn’t know what the etiquette was so just nodded politely and went to pass them.

“You late as well?” One man with a moustache asked.

Steele switched to the male voice she’d used when disguising herself on past occasions. It was deep and manly. “Yeah. You mind if I wait for you guys? It won’t be so bad if we’re all late together.”

“Course. Just let us get ready and we’ll be right with you.”

Steele waited as they put on cowls. The moustachioed guy was in his fifties, overweight by a good thirty pounds. He was the more jovial of the two and engaged her in conversation as they changed.

“What’s your limit?” He asked Steele, seeming excited about something.

Steele didn’t have a clue what he meant so tried to skirt around it and not arouse suspicion. “I’d rather not say. We don’t have to say do we? I mean, what about you if you don’t mind me asking?”

The younger guy seemed wary of the stranger and kept looking at her out the corner of his eye. Moustache man had a nervous tension about him which meant he just wanted to talk.

“I see, you want to wait, see what the others are offering. I don’t blame you. Well, I don’t care who knows it. I’ve been saving for this for two years, putting away all my bonuses at work. I’m prepared to go to one fifty. One seventy max. But it’ll be worth it” He said, smoothing his moustache. He selected a fox mask, put it on and turned to look at his accomplice. “Ready?”

The younger man nodded and slipped on a badger mask.

“Do what thou wilt.” The fox head said.

“Do what they wilt.” Badger echoed.

Their words stung her ears. She had found the Order of the Temple of the East. She thought she felt her skin go cold. Impossible she knew, as her normothermia or inner core temperature never dipped below thirty seven Celsius, slightly higher than a human body temperature but constant all the same.

Both men stopped and looked at her. Had she given herself away? No, that wasn’t it, she hadn’t said anything. Then it clicked. They expected her to respond.

“Do what thou wilt.” She said. “Sorry, not with it today. Think I’m coming down with something.”

They bought her excuse. She let them lead the way. They’d have access where as she didn’t.

They walked down the corridor to the door at a quickened pace. It led downstairs to who knew what. The fox head flashed his hand against the recognition plate and the door pinged open. A sound rushed her like a bad smell, inviting her into the lair of a dangerous creature. A world she’d spent two years searching for but never knew existed until recently. She could hear it in the distance. Something that sounded like chanting. Demonic ritualistic chanting. It sent a shiver up her spinal cortex. The chanting was emanating from deep down below, an eerie, unearthly sound that make Steele feel nervous.

As she descended the stone steps to another level her senses picked up that the air was cooler. Just a half a degree, but it was cooler down here. The stairs led to a small basement room. It was empty except for an armed droid guard stood at the side of a closed door on the other side of the room. If the guard asked for her I.D or a secret password she was done for. All she could do was follow fox and badger’s lead.

Fox and badger didn’t pay the guard any attention. They’d obviously been here before and knew what to expect. The guard opened the door for them and held it until all three had passed through, never once looking at them or uttering a word. Steele was relieved.

The basement door led to a narrow stone floored passage. Flaming torches protruded from iron brackets bolted to either wall casting dancing shadows on the ceiling as they passed by each one, their shoes crunching small pieces of grit into the hard stone surface as they walked. The smell of burnt kerosene hung in the air and stung her noise sensors.

The corridor was old and there was the odour of an ancient building steeped in history about it. She reckoned wherever it led to had been kept this way since the building was built three centuries ago. The corridor was sloped to an angle of twelve degrees. Wherever they were going it was well underground, and well hidden from anyone.

The chanting grew louder, guiding them, an audio beacon beckoning them in, enticing and seducing, to what end Steele didn’t know, but she did know it wouldn’t be good. She had that feeling again, telling her something was wrong, so terribly wrong. She pressed on regardless, following the two black cowled figures in front of her.

Finally, the corridor opened into another basement, a chamber as big as a cathedral. Indeed it looked like a place of worship. Around the periphery of the room were many stone columns and beyond those, several doors. As it was underground there were no windows and as in the corridor the light source was from flaming torches evenly spaced around the walls giving it an eerie ritualistic feel.

Dark shadows moved about, cast by the two moving circles of men, one within the other. The outer circle moving clockwise, the inner counter clockwise. All wore the same black cowls, but each had on a different animal mask. There was a hawk, a toad, a weasel, a rat, a lion, a horse and many more besides. They were chanting in what Steele could only assume was Latin, performing some strange unknown ritual, to what ends she could only guess.

In the centre of the two circles and designed into the floor tiles was the all seeing eye inside a huge triangle. She had found them. This swirling body of men with their cowls flapping as they moved was the Order. The steaming pile of excrement she had been chasing for two years, the rapists and killers of innocence all in one room.

Fox and badger joined the outer circle, leaving Steele alone on the perimeter to watch and wonder and decide her next move. She didn’t have to wait long. Fox passed around the circle and waved her to join in. She did as she was beckoned, she had no choice if she wanted to seem like one of them, and slipped in front of him on his next pass.

Round and round they continued. The circle began to shrink as they moved ever tighter and closer together towards the all seeing eye, still chanting the same rhythmic words of an ancient language she didn’t comprehend. She made a note to learn it if she ever got out of here. As she went round and round she looked at every mask and tried to figure which one, if any, was Noel Chandler. He had to be here. He owned this building. He had to be down here somewhere.

From the corner of her eye Steele caught a flash of crimson. She looked across the room between the rotating black figures. A red cowl wearing a stag mask complete with antlers moved to the head of the circle and faced them. As if some signal had been given the two circles halted and the chanting stopped. Steele was just able to prevent herself from walking into the rear of the hare in front of her. Everyone turned inwards and backed out to form one larger circle.

The red cowl entered the circle and stood in the centre of the all seeing eye triangle and addressed the group. The light from the flames on the outer limits of the room made the stag mask seem quite satanic. For those seeing this for the first time this could bring nothing but fear.

Steele recognised his voice immediately. Noel Chandler. So he was the leader of this pathetic bunch. She listened as he spoke. She could take them all out with her blaster which was still strapped to her thigh, but that wasn’t how she was going to play this. She would bide her time and see how this played out. They weren’t going to get away this time.

“Welcome brothers. Do what they wilt.” Noel said. The group repeated it back in unison. “Tonight is the night of sacrifice.”

“Do what thou wilt.” The group replied.

“To take the pure by right and by force. To ordain the pure and drink of its purity as is the Order’s will and right.” Noel’s voice rising like some politician at a podium addressing his constituents. The crowd repeated their mantra. “Let us welcome the pure to the fold.”

The group began their devilish chant as two blue cowls escorted a white cowled figure into their midst, positioned the shorter white cowl in the triangle and stood either side of it. Neither the white nor blues wore masks but their hoods disguised who was underneath. Noel signalled the group to silence with a raised hand, and walked around the circle as he spoke.

“Only one of you will have the honour of drinking the purity.”

“Do what they wilt.” They all chanted back.

“Are you ready to cast your eyes upon the purity?” The stag head called and held out a hand towards the white cowl, presenting it to everyone.

“We are ready.” The group all said together.

The red, stag headed, cowl moved to stand in front of the white cowl. The two blues turned in to the white and stripped the cowl from the person underneath. A girl of about twelve years of age stood before everyone wearing a simple linen dress. There was an audible sigh of appreciation of the girl who was on the verge of womanhood. She slightly lifted her head to look at them but seemed unable to focus. She was drugged to keep her calm. To make her manageable, Steele assessed.

Steele was unable to get a clear look at the girl until the blues left the circle and disappeared through the door through which they had arrived. Steele recognised her from the photo Nixon had shown her. Amy Towers. Her cooling fluid seemed to register below zero for a moment.

Noel strutted around the circle. “Behold gentlemen, a certified pure. Age, twelve” He extended an arm at the pretty blonde girl who stood stock still like she was rooted to the spot, her blue eyes coming in and out of focus, like he was presenting the world’s greatest treasure. “A rare and beautiful item. The bidding starts at $50,000. All in, raise their hands.”

Steele was horrified. So this is what fox had meant by her limit. It was a skin trade, an auction to sell a little girl to the highest bidder. The purity was her virginity, and these fuckers were going to bid to see who had the right to steal that which they had no right to take. Jesus fucking Christ! Steele wanted to shout. She had to force herself from not taking out her blaster right then and blowing these fuckers to hell, spilling their blood over this room of evil and ending it once and for all. But she waited, pushed back the urge. She was prepared to wait for retribution for all the girls they’d taken, for Uma, Mia and for destroying Nixon. She just stood there and listened, waiting for the right moment, quietly seething, her trigger finger itching.

Everyone in the room raised a hand, starting the bid at $50k. All, except Steele.

“The bidding will increase until there is only one hand left raised.” Noel stated.

Fox saw that Steele hadn’t raised her hand and leaned to whisper to her. “Are you not bidding? This is the best one we’ve had in a while.” He said gleefully.

“You’re right, I was just so taken with her I forget.” She whispered back.

This seemed to please him and he turned back to the proceedings. Steele raised her hand in keeping with everyone else.

“Bids will increase by increments of $10,000. The next bid is $60,000.”

Steele kept her hand up as the bidding increased. At $100,000 several had put down their hands. Small time players she guessed. The bidding went up and up. How much were these deviants prepared to pay for a little girl, a human being, a life? Fox’s hand went down at $180,000 and she could feel his disappointment. Saw his head hang as he was forced to withdraw.

“You prepared to go halves?” Fox whispered. “I don’t mind sharing. Half the cost for both of us. You’d have dibs obviously.”

Steele looked at him as the bidding climbed to $190,000 and shook her head.

At $240,000 nearly all hands had gone down. Just three remained. Steele was one of them. The room was deathly quiet. Only the crackle of the flames from the torches broke the silence. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths. She wondered how high these things had gone before. What was the record for a small life? All eyes were looking at her and the two other remaining bidders, an ape and a hawk. At $250,000 the hawk’s hand went down. Noel continued raising the amount, pausing dramatically between bids to give her and the ape time to consider.

When the bid reached $300,000 there was gasps and whispering as neither bidder refused to withdraw. As Steele wasn’t going to pay she could keep this going as long as it took. There had to come a point when monkey man reached his limit. She was determined that he wasn’t going to walk off with Amy. She’d failed so many little girls in the past, she wasn’t going to fail again.

The apeman’s hand went down at the next bid. Noel approached her and she took down her hand.

“Congratulations. Do what they wilt with this item.” He said from behind his deer’s head.

Steele nodded, not knowing if she should or was allowed to speak. There was a muttering amongst the crowd. She didn’t understand why. Had she done something wrong?

“Brother, your acceptance to seal the bid.” Noel said with a level of impatience.

“Do what thou wilt.” She ventured. It seemed to be the correct response as he stepped away and presented the prize.

“Come, take your item and retire.” He urged with an outstretched arm.

Steele tentatively stepped into the circle, all eyes on her. The circle began the chant again and a blue cowl came to show her the way.

“For the rest of you, enjoy everything on offer here.” Noel said, and turned to look to his right as a number of blue cowls entered from the doors. One for every black cowel.

Steele paused at the door to look back and watched as each blue cowel stood in front of a black cowl and disrobed to reveal a pretty young girl. Each one offered for pleasure to the man they stood before. The Cyber Dolls, a complimentary gift for the losers of the bid. Each Doll, a female child aged around ten to twelve, linked arms with their partner and escorted them away through the numerous doors. Although these weren’t real children, it still sickened her.

Steele’s blue cowl took her arm and gave her a gentle tug, expecting her to follow. Steele took Amy’s hand and was escorted down a corridor lit with more flaming torches. The black cowls with their Dolls joined them in the corridor and fell in line so that there were some behind and some in front of her. It was all so serene and calm, the Dolls walking at a co-ordinated pace.

One by one the Dolls peeled away to rooms off the corridor and disappeared for discreet pleasure. Steele’s blue cowl who she guessed was an older Doll, took her to her designated room and opened the door with graceful effort.

Once inside the blue cowl closed the door and Steele was alone with Amy. Steele knelt before the subdued girl, checked her pupils and checked her heart rate by holding her wrist. She didn’t notice the plushness of the room she was now in. Didn’t see the king size bed with fresh bed linen, nor the complimentary bottle of champagne chilling in a silver bucket of ice on a table by the side of the bed, or the selection of sex toys laid out for her use on her pure, didn’t notice the room was two degrees warmer because of the under floor heating. But what she did notice was that Amy was unresponsive. Perhaps they’d medicated her too much.

“Amy, I’m here to save you.” She removed her mask and hood so Amy may see who she was. “My name’s Steele and I’m a cop.” The girl continued to stare blankly at the floor.

Steele wondered if she was to leave if anyone would notice? She only saw the one guard in the basement on her way in. She suspected there’d be more and of course there was the two which had accompanied Chandler here, but she’d seen no sign of them. With everyone occupied in their rooms she figured this may be the ideal time to try an escape. She’d abandoned the idea of taking Noel and his cult out tonight. She’d have to come back another day for that. Her priority now was getting Amy to safety.

Steele pulled up her hood and put on the mask and inched open the door to look. The blue cowl was standing outside and turned towards her.

“Just checking how long I have.” Steele said in her male voice.

“As long as you need.” Blue cowl said.

Steele nodded her thanks and closed the door. Damn it! This wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. She had to think. With no windows there was only one way out. Maybe if she asked the Doll in the blue cowl to come inside a moment, pretending there was a problem, then she’d be able to incapacitate her without anyone seeing or hearing. Steele was just about to do that when there was a knock at the door. She moved Amy to one side before opening the door.

Noel with his red cowl and dear mask stood large in front of her. The antlers hanging over her like two giant claws about to grab her. He was accompanied by the Doll in the blue cowl. In his hand a small swipe tab screen which he held out to her.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I need your authorisation for payment of the item.” He presented Steele with the device which depicted a hand on the screen. All she had to do was place her hand on the screen to verify her payment, which of course would be declined as she wasn’t a member of this club.

“Can’t this wait until after? I’m good for it.” Steele tried to stall to give her time to put her plan into action.

“I’m afraid not. You know the rules.” He said, and lifted the screen towards her. “If you provide authorisation for transfer of your fee then you’ll be free to proceed with your purification.” He prompted Steele again with the screen.

Steele dithered, looked from him to the blue cowl and back again, trying to judge whether either of his droid guards were with him. Probably not. He probably felt completely secure down here on his own terms.

“You do have the purchase price?” He asked, sounding a little irritated.

“Of course.” Steele lied. She reached to place her hand on the screen, as her other hand reached to take Amy’s arm. As soon as her palm made contact with the screen she’d have to make her move and every second could be vital if she was to not just get out, but get out with a twelve year old drugged up girl.

She felt the warmth of the device as her hand neared, looked into his eyes which were looking back at hers. She lowered her eyes and her synth hand made contact with the identification plate. Instantly a red warning sign flashed.

UNABLE TO INDENTIFY

“Who are you!?” The red stag yelled.

Steele’s boot hit him in the midriff and he tumbled backwards sending the device towards blue cowl who tried to catch it. Steele shoved her and she stumbled backwards, tripping over Noel whose mask had slipped off in the fall, cracking one of the huge antlers.

Steele had no use for the cowl and mask any more. She ripped them off, grabbed Amy and took off down the corridor as fast as the girl would move, which wasn’t fast at all. Being half comatose Amy’s steps were small and without urgency and she had to drag her.

Blue cowl got to her feet first. Noel was still scrambling on all fours.

“Kill her!” He ordered. “And get the girl!”

Blue cowl stripped off her outer garment. It was Nixon! She drew a pistol blaster and sent a few rounds Steele’s way.

Steele grabbed Amy in her arms, holding her tightly to her chest to shield her from the bullets which were now pinging off her back and surrounding walls. The man with the moustache, minus his fox mask, stepped out of a room as Steele flashed passed. A bullet caught him and he fell against the doorway and slumped to the hard stone floor.

Nixon’s blaster was having no effect. She stopped firing and took off down the corridor after her quarry.

Steele stopped, stood Amy on the floor and keeping her behind her, turned towards Nixon, slipping her blaster from the holster and returning fire. Nixon dodged the bullets with ease. More black cowls stepped from their rooms to see what was going on, appalled at the disturbance. All of them had discarded their masks and hoods and looked frighteningly normal.

Steele scooped up Amy and set off running again, black cowls now getting in her way. One tried to confront her, demanding she stop at once. Steele shoulder charged him and he fell in an ungainly heap. His Doll came to help him up. Another black cowl caught a slug and panic then ensued. Some darted back into their rooms where they thought they’d be safe. Others ran off in every direction, two running into each other and falling heavily. A Doll took a hit to the head and went down, a bald man tripped over her and took down another thinner man who was holding onto his pants. The resulting chaos slowed Nixon and allowed Steele to make some ground.

Noel got to his feet and spoke into a wrist communicator.

“Security, we have an intruder attempting to leave with the item. Use lethal force to stop her.”

A man came up to Noel in a panicked state to replace out what was going on. Noel assured him that the problem was being sorted and that he should go back to his Doll and forget about it.

Steele found the sloping corridor which led to the small basement room and the stairs to the ground level. She holstered her blaster in order to get a better grip on Amy. She felt the girl wriggle against her and wondered if she was coming round. She had no time to check. She just had to get out of there fast.

The droid guard from the basement room who had been so courteous in holding the door for her now stood blocking that same door, blaster in hand. He had a friend with him and they started her way when they saw her coming. They opened fire on her.

Steele dropped to one knee, stood Amy on her feet and with a flick of her arm sent Amy hurling back down the corridor out of harm’s way. She returned the fire, caught the guard’s friend on a spot between head and shoulder. A vulnerable spot. The droid malfunctioned and ran into the wall, the clattering sound it made hitting the hard floor echoing along the darkened passage.

The other droid, Mr Polite, refused to be stopped. Steele was in no mood to tackle it in a one on one. She turned on her heel, collected Amy and headed back the way she came, hoping there was another way out of this God forsaken place.

Steele charged through a door and into another flame lit corridor. She came to another door. It was locked. Without clearance to open it she had no other option than to blast the lock. It took two blasts but the door popped open.

She entered a superbly decorated corridor. This one well lit with electricity. She guessed she was in the main spar. Now she just had to replace the lift to the next level. She started down the corridor feeling thick carpet under foot, the lift was ahead of her. Just a few feet now. Just a few seconds and she’d be out of there.

She slammed on the brakes.

From around the corner another droid appeared and sent a round of bullets her way. Steele retreated, returning fire. The droid kept coming, forcing her ever back. She turned and ran, hoping that she’d come to a stairway at least. The droid was gaining on her. She had to do something.

She crashed through another door and found herself in the pool room. Several men with Dolls in attendance were enjoying the warm water and were surprised to have their privacy invaded in such a sudden manner. They were even more shocked when the metal droid crashed through the door after her and started shooting up the room. Steele deposited Amy behind a large rockery with fake Palm trees growing from it and returned fire. A round hit Steele in the shoulder and she turned her head to see Nixon coming at her from the other side of the pool. She was trapped between them.

By now the men in swimming trunks and Dolls in small bikinis were scrambling out of the pool in terror. One of the fleeing men caught a bullet and dropped back into the pool, a redness misting the clear water around him. Another man pushed aside a Doll and she fell and hit her head against another rockery. She malfunctioned and flailed about on the floor, a high pitched screeching sound spewing from her gaping mouth. Men stepped around, abandoning her.

Nixon closed on Steele. Bullets just weren’t much use on an android unless you had enough fire power and she didn’t. Steele stopped firing and took aim. With one shot she sent Nixon’s blaster hurling through the air and into the pool. To her detriment she’d forgotten about the metal droid who had closed her down. It put its blaster close to Steele’s head and fired. Steele’s head jolted from the impact but otherwise was fine. She grabbed his huge metal arm and with all her strength spun him round and let go. The droid tried to correct its balance but slipped on the wet flooring and crashed through the thick plate glass of a huge aquarium holding lots of multicoloured tropical fish. A waterfall cascaded out. Brightly coloured fish flapped on the floor gasping for breath.

Now Nixon was on her. They exchanged fists, slamming each other in the face, stomach, spinal column. The brutal hits would have felled even the toughest man, but these females were made of stronger stuff. They could take punches all night and still come back for more.

A right connected with Steele’s jaw and she staggered backwards. Nixon came at her again. Steele went to meet her, shoulder charging her, and lifting her off her feet. They crashed to the slippery tiles. Steele had the advantage now, sent iron fists into Nixon’s skull, ripping beautiful skin and exposing alloy.

What she didn’t see until it was too late was that Noel had crept in and was now leaving with Amy firmly in his grasp. She caught a flash of red out the corner of her lens and turned to see him disappearing through the door.

Steele smashed Nixon’s head off the floor, cracking several tiles, and jumped to her feet to go after him. Nixon’s arm reached and caught her leg, tripping her. Nixon stood and came at her again, intent on finishing the fight. Steele had more urgent matters to attend to and kicked out at her advancing former lover. Her foot caught Nixon mid thigh. Nixon’s gyroscope tried to correct her step, but she misplaced a foot and fell into the pool sending a wave of water back onto the side, washing a flapping fish up against the rockery.

Steele hauled herself to her feet and took flight, her feet having trouble gaining purchase on the slick porcelain floor.

Steele hurled herself along the passage, the torches flames flickering rapidly as she sped past, threatening to go out but unable, into the temple room where several black cowls were gathered discussing what had happened. Some were attending to the dead. She skidded to a stop, saw a red cowl discarded on the all seeing eye in the centre of the room. She guessed he was bolting for the main exit. She sprinted across the room, stepping on the triangle symbol of the Order and into the passage which she knew led to the small basement and stairs out of here.

Under water Nixon’s lifeless body floated to the bottom of the pool. Her feet touched bottom and her legs bent and it seemed like her weight would take her completely to the pool floor when her eyes flicked wide and her legs stiffened. She looked about, gaining her bearing. A green and blue fish swam passed her vision. She put one foot in front of the other, the water resistance making it hard going, and walked towards the shallows. Her head broke the surface, and she waded towards the steps, getting faster as the water resistance eased.

Out in the choked night air Noel Chandler bundled Amy into his limo cruiser before hurriedly getting into the driver’s seat.

As the cruiser took flight Steele ran out of the Cyber Corp building and sprinted towards it, firing shot after shot to try and bring it down. The blaster clicked – empty. She reloaded and continued firing. As she reached kerbside the cruiser lifted into the sky, disappearing from her reach and view in seconds.