The Ship Finder Read online

  "Is there anything I can do, officer?" Wilson asked through the translation box.

  "You could come to the forty-ninth district police station and get a lawyer for her, if you like," the officer said.

  "What's the evidence against her?" Wilson asked. He was shocked though Ramon Black had warned him and Lena about the SSS and its suspicions regarding Lena.

  "We're not privy to that," the young officer said. "An SSS official ordered us to pick up Miss Lavelle. That's all I can tell you because that's all I know."

  "Can I ride with you to the station?" Wilson asked.

  "You can come with us, but you'll have to find your own way back to your flat," the officer said.

  "Thank you," Wilson said. He put on his translation box during stressful situations when he usually had trouble with the Sunevian language. Even so, he had started to think in Sunevian and was surprised how fast he had picked up the language. But during Lena's arrest he was rattled and unable to catch the complete meaning of what the police were saying to each other. He had to focus. So, he thought in English.

  Wilson followed the three policemen as they hustled Lena into the elevator and out of the building's front door towards several squad cars. The policemen wouldn't let him ride in the same car with her.

  After a short trip, the cops parked their cars next to the station, and the clean-cut officer pulled on Lena's shoulder to get her out of his car. Wilson told her, "I'll see if I can get a lawyer. Don't worry. We'll get you out of here."

  "Thanks," said Lena, her voice subdued.

  Wilson thought that to get Lena out of this fix would be hard. This was not America. This was a dictatorship, and she might well "disappear," for all he knew. He smiled at her, even so. She returned his smile, looking brave, though he expected she was feeling far less than courageous. The police took her into the station through a side entry.

  Wilson entered the front doorway of the station and went to a sergeant who sat behind a tall counter.

  "I'm here to check on the status of Lena Lavelle," Wilson said.

  "We picked her up for serious charges," the sergeant said. "I can't go into details with you, but I think you should get her legal assistance. If she's guilty, she could face the death penalty."

  Wilson felt a chill run through his body. He cleared his throat, "Thank you, officer," he said. "I'll make some phone calls to see what I can do." He turned away and walked out of the building so he could use his mobile phone and not be overheard.

  The air was cool, about sixty degrees, and its briskness revived him. He sat on a bench at a nearby bus stop, took out his mobile phone, and punched in a number Raven had given to him for emergency use. Even if Raven and Yarnell were aware of Lena's arrest, Wilson knew he had to call. He had to play the role of a guiltless man who was hell bent to help his girlfriend.

  "Hello," Raven answered. "What's up, Bill?"

  "Lena's been arrested. She's charged with aiding the enemy and spying. It's a mistake. She needs a lawyer," Wilson said.

  "Bill, I wish I were with you in person to say this," said Raven. "Lena has surprised me. I knew she had a tendency to tell small lies, but now I've learned there's solid evidence that she's a spy."

  "What?" Wilson said. He felt deceived by Raven, not by Lena.

  "I should've warned you about her," Raven said softly with a touch of sympathy in his voice. "She's always had problems. She takes things that don't belong to her, and she stretches the truth. It's because of her background. She didn't have a mother and father, and I think that has a lot to do with it. She can't help it, but this time she's gone too far. I'll still help her as much as I can, though. Even if she has faults, she's still a good friend."

  "I'm glad you can help," Wilson said. "What's the proof against her?"

  "Yarnell planted a microphone just outside of her cabin, and he heard her obviously talking to a rebel, giving away important information about our plans."

  "That doesn't seem like her," Wilson said.

  "I know you're hurt," said Raven. "You've been close with her, but she's a clone. There are many more like her. Some of them who come up in group homes have problems like Lena has. Others are adopted at birth by people who'd like to have children, and those clones seem to have fewer problems."

  "What are you getting at?" Wilson asked.

  "We can get you another one, just like her, except we'll check to make sure that the new one was raised by a father and mother from infancy," Raven said. "The new one will be loyal, I can assure you. We have ways to make sure that any other companion clones you may interact with will be obedient and not prone to rebellion."

  "What about the lawyer? The police said this could be a capital offense."

  "I'll do my best to save her," said Raven. Wilson believed him. After all, she had been his companion and most likely his lover. "I'll get her a good lawyer, and maybe the court will have mercy on her. She'll probably serve a few years of hard labor and be free after the war ends."

  "All I can say is that I'm shocked," Wilson said, stunned. "I'll see if I can talk with her and say you'll get her counsel."

  "I'm sure that they'll let you see her," said Raven. "Ask the desk sergeant. Yarnell's with me, and he told me that he'll call the station in a few minutes. He was an officer in that precinct years ago and knows quite a few of the policemen there."

  "Good. How long do you think I should wait before I see the desk sergeant?"

  "Give Yarnell fifteen or twenty minutes."

  "Okay. Thank you."

  "After you see her, meet us at the ship. We can have a drink," said Raven.

  "I could use one," Wilson said. "I'll take a cab to the ship. It could be an hour or more before I get there."

  "That's okay," said Raven. "I don't think any of us feel like sleeping. It's been a hell of a day. I'll see you when you get here. We'll be in the dayroom, even if you get here at 2 a.m. Goodbye, and hang in there."

  "Thanks. Bye." Wilson broke the connection. Next, he dialed Ramon Black's number using his phone's scrambler.

  "Hello, Ramon here."

  "Hello," Wilson said. "This is Bill Wilson. I've got bad news."

  "If you mean that Lena's been taken into custody for espionage, we know," said Ramon. "We'll break her out."

  "When? Should I give her a clue? I'll see her in a few minutes."

  "Don't take a chance," said Ramon. "They'll watch you. We also have a plan in case we have to move you to a safe house."

  "Okay, I'll be careful. I talked with Raven, and he says he'll get her a lawyer."

  "She already knows that we'll break her out," said Ramon. "We planned how that would happen, if it were to become necessary. Just tell her about the lawyer. It's okay to show that you're upset, but be aware that the SSS will record all you say and do in the visitation room."

  "Right," Wilson said. "I'll call you after I meet her."

  "Be cautious when you call," Ramon said. "Make sure you are in the open. Cover your face somehow so they can't read your lips, even if it's a dark place. If you feel threatened, don't call."

  "Okay, I'd better hang up and go back in the station," Wilson said. "Bye."

  "Goodbye," said Ramon. "Good luck."

  Wilson walked back to the station and returned to the waiting room where the desk sergeant presided behind the tall counter. Wilson approached the sergeant.

  "Officer, is there any chance I can visit Lena Lavelle?" he asked.

  "You're Dr. Bill Wilson, right?" the sergeant asked.

  "Yes."

  "Officer Yarnell called, and if you're a friend of his, then it's okay. Wait a few minutes, and I'll have her taken into the visitation room."

  "Thank you, sergeant," Wilson said.

  In a few minutes the sergeant called Wilson forward. "Okay, Dr. Wilson, please follow Patrolman Clark, here, to the visitation room. He'll be present while you visit, but you and Ms. Lavelle can speak in private."

  "Again, thank you, sergeant," Wilson said. He forced himself to smile.<
br />
  The sergeant picked up his black desk phone from its cradle and dialed a number. "Bring prisoner Lavelle to the visitation room right away," he said. He hung up. "Okay, Clark," the sergeant said, as he nodded to the patrolman.

  Clark looked at Wilson and said, "You can come with me now."

  Wilson followed Clark along a corridor. The patrolman unlocked a door and led Wilson into the visitation room. Lena was in an orange prison jumpsuit and was sitting in a chair on the far side of a small table. Her right hand was shackled to a steel ring imbedded in the cement floor. The patrolman left the room and entered a glassed-in observation room.

  "Hello," Wilson said. He put on his best, cheery face.

  "Hi, Bill," Lena said, trying to be upbeat.

  Wilson sat in the chair across the table from her. "How are you?" he asked.

  "I'm edgy," said Lena. "I've admitted under interrogation that I'm a rebel. I'm sorry that I misled you and gave you the impression that I'm a loyal citizen."

  Wilson needed to make a stellar performance in front of the cameras for both of their sakes. "I don't know why you joined the rebels," he said.

  Her eyes were glassy, and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

  Wilson understood the tack Lena had taken. She had admitted that she was a spy because the Secret Service had ironclad proof against her. He hoped that the SSS did not think he was a spy, too.

  "I apologize, Bill, for the pain that you must've felt after you found out that I'm a rebel." She paused to cry. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were red.

  "There is hope," Wilson said. He smiled and wished to calm her. "I've just spoken to Raven. He's saddened that you joined the rebel side, but he will get you the best lawyer he can find."

  "They'll execute me anyway," she said.

  "Raven still values your friendship," Wilson said. "He told me that you were misguided. But he thinks your life could and should be spared, though you probably will serve jail time until the war is over. So there's reason to be hopeful." His gut told him that Raven was sincere. He was not all cold, and he did have a heart.

  As Wilson talked with Lena, his thoughts wandered for a moment, and he suddenly realized that even Yarnell, though he did work for the SSS, was a gray character, not all wicked. He had helped Wilson get through the police bureaucracy so he could speak with Lena and soothe her.

  "Thanks for that news about the lawyer and my chance to get a lighter sentence, Bill," she said, wiping tears away from her face with the back of her hand. She forced a grin, but then she began to sob. Wilson rose from his chair and hugged her.

  Patrolman Clark's voice boomed from a loudspeaker mounted near the observation room window that overlooked the visitation area, "Time to leave."

  "Bye, Lena," Wilson said. "I'll see you again soon." He kissed her cheek, and she kissed his neck.

  "Take care, Bill," she said.

  The two parted. A policewoman entered the room, unlocked Lena's cuffs from the steel ring anchored in the concrete floor, and led her away.

  The desk sergeant called a cab. Wilson asked the driver to take him to the spaceport where The Ghost Liner sat in its huge hangar. He wanted to get drunk, and he was sure Raven would feel the same. Wilson's mind raced, and he feared for Lena's life, even though Raven had assured him that she wouldn't be executed.

  Wilson walked into the ship's dayroom, and Raven and Yarnell were there. Both looked drunk, their faces flushed.

  "What are you drinking?" asked Raven, slurring his words.

  "Scotch on the rocks," Wilson said, and he sat on a leather couch near the pool table.

  "Coming up," said Yarnell, who stepped up to be bartender. He handed Wilson his drink.

  "Thanks," Wilson said. "A lot of my strength has been sucked out of me."

  "Same here," said Raven. "I would never have dreamt that Lena would join the damned rebels, even if she's a clone. She was one of us. What made her do it?"

  "I wish I knew," Wilson said. "I don't get it. Those rebels almost killed her lots of times."

  "The rebels might have looked out for her," said Yarnell. "Now I know why she never hit an enemy soldier even though she's a great shot on the rifle range."

  "Remember when she took you inside the ship just before the explosion at the Parliament Building?" Raven asked. "I think she had advance notice. She saved herself and you, her lover."

  "I was lucky that day," Wilson said. He took a big sip of the straight Scotch whiskey which bathed a few ice cubes in a large water glass. He began to feel scatterbrained and talkative. He wondered, did Yarnell spike my drink with truth serum? Maybe I'm just tired, jumpy, and paranoid.

  "So, what do you think of the rebels now that you've found out that Lena is one of them?" Yarnell asked.

  "They tried to kill me lots times. She must have known, and that saved me because she guided me out of harm's way," Wilson said. I feel talkative, on edge, and maybe even careless, he thought.

  Wilson rambled, "Lena seems okay, but I don't see why she joined such a rabble. I've lost some respect for her, and yet I still need her." He was determined to touch on many subjects and talk non-stop.

  "As far as the rebel cause is concerned, they want to destroy the Great Leader's society and discredit the intelligentsia that has made this civilization and all its advances possible," Wilson continued. "How could the rebels be against almost eternal life, the eradication of disease, and the many other advances made under the Great Leader's watch such as compact fusion and the generation of unlimited energy, the elimination of the need for money, and unlimited food production for all," Wilson said. He spoke fast like he was in a manic state.

  "I think you're running on adrenalin," said Raven. "We've all had quite a day. I doubt if I can sleep until, maybe, tomorrow night. By the way, do you still like Lena?"

  "Of course, I like her," Wilson said. "But it's more of a physical attraction. She's so beautiful, like she stepped out of a women's catalog for intimate clothes. She has perfect hair, teeth, skin, and curves. She has a sweet, clear voice, and she walks around with grace. It's such a shame she's gone, perhaps for years, just because of poor judgment on her part." Wilson took a brief breath. He was about to ramble some more, but Raven held up his hand to cut Wilson's speech short.

  "As for catalogs, I've got one for you to scan." Raven reached for a slick magazine-size publication on the coffee table. He tossed the catalog to Wilson, and it landed on his lap. He looked down to read the name of the glossy publication, "Classic Female Clone Catalog."

  "What's this?" Wilson asked.

  "Open it to page one," said Raven. Wilson flipped open the catalog. He saw a picture of Lena, listed as "Nordic Number Ten, the most popular companion model."

  "That's Lena!" Wilson said.

  "No, it's not her," said Raven. "It's another clone. There are thousands like her."

  "They're twins of Lena?" Wilson asked.

  "Yes," said Raven. "Thumb through it. There are many kinds of female clone companions – Oriental, Black, Polynesian, White, as well as other types – all beautiful. You can have a new companion, any one you'd like."

  "I like Lena," Wilson said.

  "I have a surprise for you then," said Raven. "I've ordered another Nordic Number Ten express, and she's here, fresh out of charm school. She'll be with you on a trial basis."

  "What?" Wilson said. He had forgotten for the moment that Raven had said in his phone call earlier that day that he was to get another clone woman. Wilson was at a loss for words, even though the truth serum had loosened his tongue.

  Raven picked up the handset of a red phone on the coffee table and pressed a couple of numbers. "Bring Rachel McCoy here, please," he said. He hung up with a clank and smiled with his crooked grin. "We've got to take care of our soldiers," he said. He winked.

  Within twenty seconds Rachel walked in, guided by a crewmember. Miss Rachel McCoy looked identical to Lena. Rachel had clad herself in one of Lena's red mini-dresses that showed half of her upper legs. Wil
son knew this was Lena's dress because he recognized a small stain on the left shoulder. That dress was Lena's favorite, even if it had a small flaw.

  "Hello, Dr. Wilson," Rachel said in a Nordic-like accent, a little thicker than Lena's. "I have to work on my English. I hope you can teach me some more." She sat on the couch next to Wilson.

  "I'm pleased to meet you," he said, and he paused. He could almost believe Lena was there, but he saw differences in the two women. These things were hard to see, but he sensed them. Wilson reasoned, Rachel is not like Lena. Still, I have to make it seem that any Nordic Number Ten would be just fine. "I'd be glad to help you with your English. When would you like to start?" Wilson asked.

  "I could start soon," she said. "Maybe we could go to my room where I have a few textbooks?"

  "Sounds like one way to begin," he said. "But I think conversation is a much easier and faster way to develop language skills."

  She works fast, Wilson thought. She's like a high-priced call girl. That's just what the Sunevian male elite has bred her to be. To make sure Raven and Yarnell would decide he was just hooked on sex, Wilson had to go along with this setup.

  "I'm tired," said Raven. "I'm going to bed."

  "I hope things will get back to normal soon," Wilson said.

  "They will," said Raven. "By the way, we all deserve some rest and recreation. So, tomorrow at thirteen hundred hours we'll leave for Triod to grab some gold. You'll come with us, too."

  "If we're at war with the cyborgs of Triod, won't we run into trouble?" Wilson asked.

  "No, Gold Country there is uninhabited except for a few primitive people," Raven said, and he waved goodbye. As Raven walked out of the dayroom, Yarnell got up.

  "I guess that's it for me, too," he said. "Good night."

  "Good night," Wilson said.

  After Yarnell had departed, Rachel said, "Are you still upset about Lena? Raven told me all about it."

  "I still can't believe what has happened. Now you're here, and for a second I thought you were Lena," Wilson said.

  "You can pretend I'm Lena, if you want," Rachel said. "Let's look at the English textbooks, and you can suggest which are useful, if any."

  "Okay," Wilson said. They stood up, and she led him to her cabin, which had been Lena's. This surprised him. Raven wanted Rachel to become the Lena of old as fast as possible. This meant Rachel had been given access to all of Lena's personal belongings, clothes, and her quarters aboard the ship.