Tek Net Read Online Free PDF Page A

else, just give a yell.” Smiling, she went walking away from their booth.
    The little restaurant was narrow and sat close to the beach in the Malibu Sector. It was less than a half-mile from the condo Jake shared with his son.
    â€œI miss the old waitress.” Gomez sighed and scratched at his moustache.
    â€œYou mean that rattletrap robot?”
    â€œSuzanne was her name. She worked here for years and was noted for her adoration of me.”
    â€œMost waitresses, mechanical and otherwise, are fond of you.”
    â€œ Sí, es verdad ,” agreed his partner. “They junked Suzanne. She’s on a scrap heap someplace.”
    â€œEverything ends up on a scrap heap eventually.”
    Gomez said, “Well, enough philosophizing, amigo . From what you’ve been telling me and what I’ve been telling you about our quest for the truth—we don’t have a single damn useful clue as to where the hell Jill might be.”
    â€œRight, so it’s time to report her disappearance to the SoCal cops.”
    â€œHer husband has probably already taken care of that, but even so—Oh, gracias , Patsy.”
    The pretty android was setting down their mugs of nearcaf. “Anybody like a soy-abalone sandwich to go with this?”
    â€œNot at this time, no,” Jake informed her.
    â€œTo stay on the good side of the local minions of the law,” observed Gomez after sipping from his cup, “we had better make a report. Damn, I wish to hell we’d been able to track Jill down.”
    â€œYou rescued her a lot when you were married, Sid,” Jake reminded his partner. “It won’t hurt to let somebody else take over this time.”
    â€œI know, but now that we’re damn sure there are some powerful Tek people involved—hell, I’m worried that they’ll kill her or at least hurt her seriously.”
    â€œWe’ll talk to Bascom at the agency in the morning,” said Jake. “Because of the Tek angle, he’s more than likely to let us go on working on this.”
    â€œThe possibility of turning a buck always appeals to the jefe ,” agreed Gomez. “I wonder if I really might want a bowl of New—”
    â€œGosh, look at that, would you?” The android waitress was standing at the front window of the little café, pointing out at the night sky.
    Gomez left his seat, moving toward her. “ Caramba ,” he mentioned.
    Dropping down out of the fog were three black skyvans. Spot-lights sweeping the beach and the front of the AllNite Neptune, sirens bleating.
    Jake joined his partner at the front of the place. “Cops,” he said.
    â€œTrouble,” added Gomez.

6
    Sand came spraying up as the first of the trio of SoCal State Police skyvans set down a hundred feet from the front door of the Allnite Neptune Café.
    â€œGolly, this is the very first police raid I’ve ever witnessed,” said the android waitress.
    â€œStay inside here, cara , and savor it,” suggested Gomez as he followed Jake out into the foggy night.
    The other two police vans were landing, swinging their spot-light beams to catch the two emerging Cosmos detectives.
    From the nearest skyvan came a lean black officer. “Just what in the hell are you two tricky bastards up to this time?”
    â€œ Buenas noches , Lieutenant Drexler.” Gomez gave him a lazy salute.
    Jake nodded toward the café. “I hear the New England tofu chowder is pretty good tonight.”
    Detective Lieutenant Drexler, fists clenched at his side, came walking right up to him. Three uniformed cops, carrying stunguns, backed him up. “You, Gomez,” he said, pointing an accusing finger. “Your wife was kidnapped hours ago, but you didn’t even bother to notify us.”
    â€œ Former wife,” corrected Gomez. “My current wife is safely at home.”
    Drexler made an angry noise. “Spare me the bullshit, Gomez,” he