The Human Blend Read Online Free PDF Page B

course.” Setting him down, the lod turned to his massive colleagues, then looked back at the much smaller Meld. “You’re right, bug-boy. Shaking you around would look bad to an adjudicator. So would this.”
    Stepping out and forward, the sergeant brought one elephantine foot down on the smaller Meld’s right foreleg. The bone snapped loudly, not unlike a branch of dead pine, and Jiminy screamed like a girl. Clutching at the shattered limb he collapsed to the pavement. Widening eyes filled with unrestrained tears as he held himself, moaning. Unmoved, the police sergeant extended a huge hand downward.
    “Give it over. Last chance.”
    “Can’t be the last chance.” Another of the lods was gazing emotionlessly at the writhing, whimpering Cricket. “Can’t kill him ’til we have it.”
    “Shut up, Noril.” Kneeling down beside the sobbing prisoner, the sergeant reached out and placed one hand over the other man’s face. Fingers the size of small clubs began to squeeze. “Talk to me, bug-boy. Tell me where it is. Don’t bet your life on the corporal’s faux pas. Bet it on us recovering what you took.” He relaxed his grip.
    Trembling with fear and from the screaming pain in his smashed leg, Cricket struggled to raise an arm and point to his left. “There—over there. I dumped it over the side. In the water.”
    Releasing the detainee’s face the lod sergeant stood and gave an impatient jerk of his head in the indicated direction. Immediately two of the squad moved toward it.
    “Better be well packaged and not damaged. Better be easy to find,” the irritated cop growled.
    The water was dark, but with the advanced search gear at their disposal a badly shaken Jiminy knew these police should have little difficulty finding and retrieving the ampuscated meld hand. In any case, it was over. After recovering what they had come for they would haul him to jail to await an adjudication. That would give him time to prepare a plea.
    He could blame it all on Whispr. The stick-man was not good with words and would likely put up a poor defense. As he considered his options Jiminy felt a little better. With luck he might get off being charged only as an accomplice to the tourist’s killing instead of being marked as the instigator. His hesitation had cost him a broken leg, but before he could appear at trial that would have to be repaired at state expense. He might even be able to file a successful claim charging the Savannah Authority with police brutality and use of excessive force. Though things hadn’t worked out as planned, he would get through this all right. He always had.
    Raising a hand, he tried to block out the stark illuminators that were still shining on his face. “Could you guys maybe do something about the light? It’s hurting my eyes.”
    “Oh. Sure.” Looking over a shoulder, the sergeant spoke to one of his subordinate Melds. “The lights are hurting his eyes. Fix it.”
    The bigger cop nodded and the lights winked out. Jiminy had just enough time to experience a moment of gratitude when the Meld shot a necap. Landing squarely on the prisoner’s head the highly charged diaphanous material adhered securely and flared once, instantly short-circuiting every cerebral neural connection. Jiminy’s head slumpedforward as his brain went out. The sergeant eyed the dead detainee a moment longer before turning expectantly toward the roadway railing.
    “Find it yet?”
    A voice called back from somewhere in the shallow water below. “Still looking, sarge!”
    Muttering to himself the police noncom checked his chrono. “Hurry it up! Word from Downtown is they want it back Outown as of yesterday!” Raising his gaze he let it drift south and east, deeper into the wildlife sanctuary. Bug-boy might have been lying all along, the sergeant thought worriedly. His broken leg notwithstanding, what they had been ordered to recover might not even be where the insolent Meld had indicated.
    Which made it all the more