An Undercity Cop E-Book

Julie Steimle

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

It is not easy being a cop

It’s not easy being a cop. Not in any time, or in any place. But a cop in the undercity of Arras is perhaps the most dangerous job in the universe. Stuck between the corrupt government and a rough neighborhood, maintaining peace and safety for everyone can be a juggling act. But somehow Officer Javer Clendar manages it. With his partner K’ren, he patrols the neighborhood where Jafarr Zeldar lives, keeping it safe from punks and the People’s Military.

But even the best cop cannot be everywhere at the same time.

Leseprobe

Julie Steimle

An Undercity Cop

Martian Prophecies Prequel: Story Two

“I had shoes and complained, until I met a man with no feet.”BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

The Beat

Officer Javer Clendar ran his fingers through his mop of red-black hair as he gazed up at the undercity building intersection sixty-three. The false sky above flickered. The cracks in the plasti-panel that covered the rotating lamps intermittently let in glaring strips of light. Little spotlights shone over the roadway, pillars of white that fell down in streams revealing the dust, smoke, and debris that floated in it. Steam rose up from the floor grates. That was his beat.

He and his partner, Officer K’ren Brikks, often walked on the dirty street, shooting the gang members (that everyone more commonly called groupies) sharp looks while tossing the children playful glances. As police, they were there to make sure things did not get out of hand. But the lamps were turning and it was getting dark. Day shift would soon end. Their beat would be taken over by Officer Llenz and Officer Teldan of the sixty-second precinct. There were not enough police for all of the undercity, but it was the best they could do to keep the undercity out of chaos.

Officer K’ren pointed out a P.M. flight scooter that emerged from the transport tunnel and started down the cavern street, coming toward them. It hovered over the stone and metal tiled floor and slowed to meet them on the street.

The People’s Military officer astride nodded to the two policemen then flipped open the shield to his helmet. “Hello boys. Keeping the streets clear I see.”

His comment was neither complementary (though it was meant to be) nor courteous. That condescending tone always gave Officer Javer a sour stomach. Javer hated the P.M.s. It was no secret. The People’s Military were involved in the deaths of his mother and father when he was just a teenager, and he never forgot who did it.

“What are you doing here?” Officer Javer asked, folding his arms with a terse frown.

The People’s Military officer smiled with a glance down the street. “Just checking things out, same as you.”

“This is our beat,” Officer Javer said.

His partner nodded, having no more love for the P.M.s than Javer did.

The People’s Military officer continued his cool smile, not at all fazed by the cold reception.

“As it is mine—Officer…?” The P.M. leaned in for the completion of his question.

Officer Javer let his eyes narrow, despite the necessity for civility between the government and local police. “Javer Clendar, sir.”

The P.M. grinned. “Javer Clendar—the man with the reputation,” he mused mostly to himself. “Not just a common Clendar, I see. You keep this place pretty much crime free. I’m impressed.”

Officer Javer frowned. Impressing a P.M. had never been his intention, and he was about to say so when the P.M. stared down the cavern at the apartment buildings where children were playing around the stairwell doors. A boy with midnight black hair had been watching them, staring with fathomless blue eyes on the People’s Military officer and the two police officers. When the boy saw the P.M. turn to look, he immediately walked to the front entrance and stepped inside.

The P.M. grinned to himself. Then he revved up his motor, smirking as he did.

The other children scattered, ducking into the stairwell and behind the heaps of old ventilation cast on the side of the road. Their eyes peered out at the People’s Military officer; blond and red heads now skittishly watching. Though, that one black head still waited in the shadows.

Officer Javer frowned. He grabbed the P.M.’s hand that rested on the handlebar of the flight scooter and clenched it. The P.M. immediately turned.

Javer glared at the man as he said through clenched teeth, “Leave the boy alone.”

The P.M. laughed. “Not a problem, Officer Javer. That boy there was Zeldar’s kid. This neighborhood would be mighty riotous without all the Zeldars gone, now wouldn’t it?”

The man’s mockery hinted to the opposite, but Officer Javer knew the man would be true to his word that night. The P.M. kept laughing, even as he revved up his flight scooter before taking off into the cavern air space. The two police officers watched him go, both hoping not to see him around for a long while.

The moment after the P.M. had left, Officer Javer walked over to the apartment building where the boy had hid. The little boy was right where the officer expected him to be, crouched behind the small wall still peering out at them.

“You can come out now,” Officer K’ren said.

The eight-year-old smiled sheepishly as he stood up. “You should have blasted him.”

Officer Javer shook his head. “Don’t be silly, Jafarr. You know as well as I do that I can’t go killing P.M.s—even if they deserve it. We can’t be like them.”

“But he killed my mother,” the boy said through his teeth. His hands balled into tight fists.

Looking down at the boy, Officer Javer set his hand on Jafarr’s head. “You still remember that detail, huh?”

“It was last year,” young Jafarr said bitterly, pulling his arms into himself.

Officer Javer crouched down and faced the boy, resting his hands on Jafarr’s shoulders. “I know how you feel, Jafarr. You wish you could punish them for what they did to you. I do too. I want to so bad, but…” looking up at his partner and then at the boy again, he said, “but you know we can’t.”

Jafarr jerked away and scowled. Though tears dripped down his face, he tried to proudly hide them before his playmates could see them.