Botany Bay (Part Two)

April 24 - Botany Bay

"Why did you think to call me here?" I asked.

"Well.. I figure that you could help.. that you had access to such as the virus.. or the research into their technology."

"How did you hear of me?"

"You know Pluto? Pluto Kozlov?"

"Yes I do."

"She mention you as friend of Brooke and Tillery."

I nodded, "How is Pluto since the trial?"

"She is fine. Her (birth) day is today. I am sure she is celebrating on Paquin. She feels cursed and not willing to leave (the island)."

"She mentioned that you might want to talk about the night of the arrest, the night you were injured."

"She did?"

I checked my notes.

"Well," she began, "I was glad to hear that that Wirefly fellow is gone."

"Oh?"

"Machine gunned in two in his own office? Da. Is bastard that hire me for that job."

As we talked, Serus made her quiet way along the shoreline and disappeared up one of the alleys between buildings.

"Tell me about it," I invited.

Svetlana whispered, "When I get shot?"

"Yes."

She sighed, "Well, things were quiet and I figure would be good idea to do another job. There was security job I hear about. It was this Wirefly guy. He hire security detail for this new factory out on rim. He say be at tarmac here at such and such a place. I get there, they give uniforms and weapons and say, 'We are to do training exercise. We use blanks. The other side knows. You are to take back a building.' I am like, this is kind of weird, but, if all is using blanks, is okay."

"Blanks," I repeated.

"Da, we were given blanks. We drop to surface. The ramp drops. It Bootleggers.. Karesho! is fun.. mebbe some vodka afterwards."

I chuckled.

"I get in door. Cody is coming down stairs."

"Cody Winterwolf," I clarified.

"I open up on him.... I fired first...da.. I want to make that clear."

"Okay," I said.

"He is not fault. I shot first. He fire second. I fire blank. He fire real bullet. I get hit in shoulder. I am like stop! 'Stop! wait a second!!!'That is when flash bang go off and they grab bartender. They leave me behind, mebbe thinking I am dead. I wake. Cody is all kinds of upset. Cody had every right to shoot me."

"So Cody shot you," I prompted.

"After I shot first," she said clearly.

"You don't blame him then," I said.

"He had no idea about training exercise. You see someone trying to kill you, you have every right to try to kill them right back. He had no idea they were blanks."

I nodded, "Then what happened?"

"He see silly grinning duva suska unloading sub machine gun in his direction. He returned fire. They are mad at first and I am too. But they patch me up after I explain."

"Why do you think you were issued blanks?" I asked.

"I find out it big Alliance operation to arrest the bartender for bombing Londinium ..well. so we would be body count. We had military style uniforms."

"You think they intended for you to be killed."

"Would be big news.... 'So many soldiers were killed trying to arrest bartending nuclear terrorist.'... well yes..."

"So for the optics alone... you were to die."

Svetlana Pleides whispered "You think of other reason? But if this was legitimate arrest, why use big amateur muscle like me? Why not use your own Sheriffs, or Marines?"

"An interesting point," I conceded, "How did it make you feel?

"Sore...was only flesh wound. It impacted my shoulder blade."

"It could have been much worse as you said," I said.

"Well da...but on bright side.. Cody is always getting shot himself.. was his turn finally."

I chuckled.

"That week.. I was also on Caliban, fighting reavers..Oh.. and at end of that week... was at Shadow.. when it...." Svetlana Pleides shivered.

I placed a 9 mm bullet on the bar. It was the bullet from the Wirefly crime scene.

"Is this yours?" I asked.

Svetlana Pleides stared at the bullet. She picked it up and looked at it.

"Is bullet," she remarked, "9 millimeter. I use 45 rounds.. find it better stopping power."

"Yes," I agreed "a 45 will get the job done."

"Hey...Cody uses 9s"

She looked at the bullet again carefully.

"Is this my bullet?" she asked and looked at me curiously.

I began, "You can plead guilty for a reduced charge. Given the circumstances and the fact that you have offered to assist in the matter of the beaten slave girl, I am certain that the Federal Attorney will pursue a lesser charge."

"Chevo? You can't think....."

"How did you know that Wirefly would be at Gateway Station?" I asked.

She looked at me incredulously, "You can't think... hunny....."

I smiled gently.

"I do not know who killed Wirefly," she answered, "but if I did... I would help them..but you can't believe I had anything to do with it."

The baby kicked. Svetlana rubbed her tummy.

"You have your baby to think of," I remarked.

"Exactly.. which is why I have been for the most part..stuck on this rock." She scrunched her face up trying to stop from laughing.

"Where were you on the night that Wirefly was killed?"

"Here, in Botany Bay."

"And what night was that?" I asked.

"From what I hear, 18 March."

"And how did you hear?" I probed.

"Umm.. I read...?? how did I hear...."

"The Cortex News story was a little shy on details, so I'm wondering how you heard it was Wirefly."

"We do get Cortex news... Grapevine," she answered with conviction, "I remember being very happy.. and that is why." She looked amused as if this is a big joke she is playing along.

I smiled gently, "Yes of course... you had been heard wanting to 'do great bodily damage' to the men who hired you on the night of the arrest."

"He tried to kill me," she replied, "Is not normal to want to kill him right back?"

"And did you?" I asked.

"So I have motive. I am only person in entire 'Verse who want him dead? I was not only survivor of that day for starters."

"Go on," I prompted.

"You really cannot be serious," she said and ran her hand over her swollen belly.

"I am only being so forward in this matter because you have shown a great concern for others." I held up the photo of the slave girl.

"No," she sighed, "I cannot honestly let you think that."

"Your cooperation will make things easier," I added.

"I did not kill that girl's chip out of concern for her. I did it solely to teach Conner a lesson. I knew he would just brain wipe her and rechip her.. but mebbe he understand reciprocity. She is not there any more."

"So what," I asked, "are you saying that revenge is your primary motivation?"

"Is not revenge," she said firmly, "Is only moral code that really work."

I nodded.

"Here is deal...you make rules.. any rules we have to live under.. you can make all of them, as long as I make one. Same rules apply to all."

I listened carefully.

"My one rule is that complete reciprocity. If you say it okay to eat pork for you, you cannot then say not okay for me."

"Fair enough," I gave her.

She continued, "If I shalt not kill you, you no kill me. You take my eye, you give me right to take yours. You have to stand up to hypocrites and power tripping egotistical.... MEN!"

"And so things are in perfect balance," I declared.

She grimaced at the last word. "Da," she replied, "otherwise bad guys run amok."

I held up the 9 mm bullet. "And this?' I asked, "Where is the balance?"

"Is a 9 mm bullet," she replied, "I think mine is aboard the Asgard.. is a new boat we are just moving aboard."

"Wirefly must die because of a shoulder injury?" I asked.

She grinned. "You are making a big assumption here. You find this with him?"

I did not answer. Instead I slipped the bullet back into my breast pocket.

Meanwhile, Svetlana Pleides tried to hold back the smile.

"I have kept you busy long enough," I said. She had enough to think about.

"Nyet is just..."

"Go on," I prompted.

"I am sorry but look at me."

"Yes?"

"I am pregnant.. 6 months now...."

"Wirefly was an old man in a wheelchair," I replied. She would have been four and a half months along at the time of the murder. Hardly incapacitating.

"I, what... smuggled a Tommy gun in with my belly? Waddled up to his office..and shot him in two? and waddled away?"

"He was killed with a 45." Three shots. Hardly requiring carting a machine gun anywhere.

Sveltana laughed merrily, "Da. Tommy gun uses 45's... so do 1911 pistols is one reason..."

She did not finish the sentence.

"Oh!" She held a finger up, smiling, "But seriously.. this is really funny.. I do have alibi for March 18th? you say?"

"You need to rest I'm sure..." I said. I would handle the matter of alibi later.

"Nyet," she replied, "I rest too much."

"We can talk about this further..."

"No, really you can stay we can talk all you want."

"...but please," I added, "think about what I said about cooperation."

"First off, I am innocent. I agree I have motive, but come now, isn't it a bit... silly?"

"Silly? The man who tried to have you killed just for a body count?"

"My doctor and Mistress both forbid me from engaging in gun fights while pregnant. No, the silly idea is that fat duva like me would be involved."

"Of course," I replied sarcastically, "I'm sure no jury would convict you. No one was ever sent to jail pregnant."

"...besides which, this colony is outside Alliance jurisdiction."

"Exactly," I agreed. It only added to the appearance of guilt.

"You are not going to railroad me and take Ana away." Svetlana Pleides got a very cold look in her eye.

I smiled, "Why would I do that?"

"I have no idea. Why did your people hire me to arrest a damn bartender? Why did you wait till I was two steps aboard Shadow highport when you shot it out of the sky!"

"Go on," I said. Show me your rage. Let's see what the jury will see.

She turned fierce and poked me in the chest. "You tell ME? Why you want to mess with me at all?"

"Is that why Wirefly had to die?" I countered.

"Just because I want him dead, and I make no bones about it.. you think I do it," she said in a whisper.

"No," I corrected, "I think you did it because of this bullet. It's an old bullet... with old blood. It represents an old wound. A memory, and as such, leaving it at the crime scene, that's a message. Balance."

"Assuming it is my bullet.... all that means is I have friend."

"You have a good evening Ms. Pleides," I said and turned to go.

As I left the bar, Svetlana Pleides shouted, "I really hope you do not catch him!"