In Media Res - Part 3

The pin clicked in the tumbler and Arex smiled as he moved the thin wire closer to himself. Arex truly hated lockpicking, perhaps even more than bad drivers. It was a time-consuming and tedious process, not to mention placed him in the open while performing a very illegal activity.

Unfortunately, most of these people had long since learned that any Alliance police or military force had access to every legal electronic lock system in the 'Verse. Now tumbler-pin locks had returned to fill the void for the security-conscious, the paranoid, and the criminal. An analog solution to a digital problem. There was almost an elegance to it. Or would be if the damned lock didn't take forever and a day to pick.

Several excruciating minutes and grips of paranoia later, Arex felt the last pin lock in place and the tumbler turned slightly from the twist of the torsion bar. He fully unlocked the deadbolt and placed his latex-laden hand on the door handle lightly. The door swung with a low creak, revealing the quality of workmanship in the construction.

The flat was bathed in the same dark blue haze of a lazy night on Persephone. The door opened to a haphazardly arranged kitchen area. Several pots stood on the burners, awaiting a thorough washing from their owner. Arex had to step very carefully not just to avoid making noise, but also to keep from causing himself undo harm. Clothing and bedding items were lying on the cushions of a cheap couch resting against a wall as he entered the living space of the apartment. The table in the center of the room was equally disorganized. Various papers and books lay in chaotic fashions

Arex stopped as he spotted several black notebooks neatly stacked on the far end of the table. he picked the first notebook up and recognized the design almost imediately. It was a "Aranga" notebook, popular with collegiate bodies and the artistic crowd. The were well crafted, but at least several gold overpriced. A fashion item as much as a writing tool.

Arex opened the notebook and exhaled audiably as he looked over the blank pages. He picked up each of the other notebooks and thumbed through the pages in the same manner. Occasionally, he found a poorly written poem, or a half-finished short story in what he guessed was dire need of an editor. Arex replaced each of hte notebooks and turned his attention to the rest of the room. A large, expensive television set hung on the wall opposite the couch. He didn't recognize the model, but could tell at least a hundred credits where in the logo alone. A wireless router hung above the television set, the status lights blinking in indiscernible patterns.

Arex turned his attention to the short hallway near the couch and walked into almost complete darkness, feeling his way through the thin gloves. He opened the door to the bedroom as he turned on a flashlight. The room was a complete disaster. Feminine clothing was strewn all over the floor and on the foot of the bed. A utilitarian desk sat against a wall covered in books and an expensive computer system.

Arex made his way across the floor, doing his best to avoid stepping on anything, and thumbed through the books lying on the desk. They were chemistry textbooks of every level including physical, organic, and analytical books of varying editions and skill levels.

At least two of the books bore a yellow "PERSEPHONE UNIVERSITY - USED" sticker along the spines. Arex raised his eyebrows slightly. Now they knew where to start looking. He couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't add up. Everything in this flat pointed at a person living beyond their means trying to belong to a culture that very clearly required a cash burn in excess of what this person had available. These type of people were liabilities. The first ones to squeal when the powers that be applied the thumbscrews.

Arex removed the PDA and dialed Tazami's number int he darkness, continuing his observation of the room as he waited for Tazami to answer.

"Go ahead, Nomad."

Arex exhaled in preparation, setting a tone for his next sentence, "There's nine-hundred credits of electronics in this place. Half this go se I couldn't afford when I was living with my parents."

"Could just be another drug runner."

Persephone's rampant drug problems were known across the 'Verse. Every terrorist group, criminal organization, and general lowlife had a hand in the trade and it was nearly impossible to figure out where one group's involvement began and another ended.

Arex reached down and picked up one of the clothing items strewn on the ground. It was a female cut of a Colidi t-shirt. Probably cost as much as his PDA did, if not more.

"How many drug runners wear Colidi?" Arex didn't know how to communicate his assurances. Tazami's devil's advocacy was certainly not helping.

"The ones with good fashion sense."

Arex let out a soft burst of frustration.

"Nomad, it doesn't work like the movies. Now get out of there. We'll look into it."

Arex nodded in the darkness, rubbing the bridge of his nose in a Tazami-esque manner. He knew it was useless to argue. Tazami was probably right anyways. He had just been so sure.

"Nomad?"

"Yeah I'm..."

Arex stopped cold as he heard footsteps in the hallway.

"Nomad? What's happening?"

"Shit, she's back."

A female voice sounded in the hallway, "Oh you have to be shitting me!"

Arex felt his blood pressure skyrocket. He had left the flat door open when he had entered. Immediately, he reached for the pistol tucked within his cargos. He slowly pulled the slide back as he pressed his body against the door frame. He used his feet to close the door slowly, leaving a crack open so he could see into the living area.

A woman enered his field of vision. She was about his age and dressed in fashionably ripped denim pants and a fitted light red blouse with abstract artwork adorning the fabric. Arex slowly cocked the hammer of the pistol as she continued to move around her flat, looking for stolen items. Every time she turned towards he bedroom, he felt his heart surge with an adrenaline shot.

She let out an emphatic curse and removed a Coretex communicator from her pocket. Arex frowned as she dialed a number quickly and waited for a response. A gruff male voice answered, clearly perturbed by the disturbance.

"What?"

"My gorram apartment got broken into, that's what!"

Arex couldn't see the man's face but the woman let out a disgusted whine as he answered her.

"If you leave your door open for everyone..."

The woman cut him off before he could finish, clearly not wanting a lecture.

"I didn't leave my fucking door open, James."

It was the man's turn to answer angrily.

"Don't call..."

"No! I'm tired of this bullshit! You told me nothing was going to happen! Now my apartment's ransacked! What's going on, James? The code-name spy go se is getting old." There was an edge of fear growing in her voice. Arex could tell they had discussed this before, and appearently his attempts to calm her had been fairly unsucessful.

"Xia, please calm down."

The woman was close to tears.

"I can't, James. I want to know why you're always so secretive! Why strange people keep calling me for things in the dead of night."

The man tried to jump into the conversation several times, finally getting her attention as she struggled to keep from having a breakdown.

"Xia, listen, I can't do this over a public wave. Get on the black box and call me again."

Arex tensed and gripped the pistol with a greater anxiety. He hadn't seen a black box in the living area. That meant it had to be...

The woman shook her head definatly, "No James. No more secret talks. I want to see you, right now!"

The man made a sound that Arex guessed was frustration and exhaustion mixed together. Finally, he yielded to her pleas and answered tersely.

"Fine, meet me at the office."

The woman visibly relaxed and nodded her head, answering in a softer, warmer tone.

"Thank you James."

She sighed, appearently at some facial expression the man had made and answered again, slightly annoyed.

"Fine, Zedak."

Arex felt a spark in his mind. "Zedak" was the code name for one of the active cell members. The woman walked back to the kitchen area and closed the door, locking the deadbolt as she left. Arex slid down the door frame, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he brought the PDA to his ear again after dialing Tazami. He spoke as soon as he heard the connection go through.

"I've got a positive ID for Zedak. First name is James."

Tazami failed to answer immediately. Arex imagined he had been expecting a significantly more sober phone call.

"Can you tell me a location?"

"No, but his contact is going to meet him in person. Female, 20ish. Wearing a light red blouse and denim."

"Aye, Banzai reported her from overwatch. Follow her as close as you can, Nomad."

"Understood. I'm heading out."

Arex picked himself back up on his feet and enetered the living area again. He began to head towards the door when something clicked in his mind. The fashion. The chemistry books. The age of the man's voice. Arex looked down at his PDA and brought up the Coretex Explorer on the menu. He ran a fast search o the application and his face broke out into a smile as he opened the door to the hallway and ran to the stairwell, calling Tazami as he ran.

"Yes, Nomad?"

"I know where they're going to meet. Tell Banzai to be at this address."

A few seconds of silence passed before he heard Tazami answer, "Ok, go ahead."