Tom Dowd - Burning Bright

His pocket phone rang.

Kyle let it ring twice more as he slipped into astral perception and carefully scanned the area. It looked normal, completely and utterly normal, including the van, the patrol car, and the two officers. He reached into his pocket on the fourth ring and slowly extended the interface cable and plugged it behind his left ear.

"Yes," he said to the caller, eyeing the white minivan.

Hanna Uljaken's voice echoed in his ear just as the plug clicked home in his datajack and her image sprang up in his view.

"Kyle, it's me." She was obviously still in his hotel room.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She seemed puzzled. "I'm fine. How about you?"

"So far, so good."

She was suddenly alert and cautious. "Devress just called me. I'm wanted back at the Truman apartment immediately. He wouldn't say, but something was definitely up. He asked where you were. I told him I'd let you know."

Still listening, Kyle watched the two police officers casually move away from the van and climb back into their own car. Though the street was two-way, the police car went in reverse until it reached the end of the block, then backed into a turn before moving forward again and out of sight. The minivan didn't move.

“I’ll be there as fast as I can, but it'll be about twenty minutes," he told her. "I'm at the edge of the city." For some reason, he didn't feel like telling her even generally where he was.

He saw her nod. "I'll let them know," she said, "Oh, and I found-"

He cut her off. "Wait and tell me when you see me. And ask the front desk to put extra security on my room. Have them bill your boss."

She nodded again. "I will."

"Copy any information you might have off the room's computer and take it with you. If the search is finished on my datapad, take that with you too."

"I will."

"And have Knight Errant come pick you up. Call Facile right away, even before you start copying files."

Hanna was obviously disturbed by his tone and the content of his requests, but she agreed. "I'll see you in twenty minutes at the Tower."

She disconnected.

Kyle did the same, got into his car, and quickly pulled away, making a U-turn so as to drive past the minivan. He couldn't see inside as he went by, but he did note the registration plate.

The van did not follow him.

"Kyle Teller," said Daniel Truman, "this is Captain Anne Ravenheart of Knight Errant. She's a personal security expert sent in to help with the situation."

Kyle stepped forward and took the offered hand of his former classmate and accidental lover of a decade ago. She hadn't changed that much, but some differences were noticeable. The long black hair that he remembered so well had become a ragged, ear-length military cut. Gone, too, were the dangling earrings she'd favored, replaced by a pair of chrome datajacks below each ear. Her eyes were still green, but they glistened differently, oddly. Kyle didn't think they were real. But when she smiled, that was exactly as he remembered it.

"Hello, Kyle," she said, squeezing his hand.

"How've you been, Anne?" He tried to keep his tone utterly casual. "This is quite a surprise."

She shrugged and widened her smile. "For me too."

Anne Ravenheart's arrival signaled some other changes that Kyle had noticed even before entering the building. Changes mainly to do with beefed-up security and a much more visible presence for Knight Errant. It had been a Knight Errant officer rather than the usual doorman who met his car. Kyle had also noticed a perimeter drone about half the size of a man sitting under a gray tarp in a niche near the doorway. At the elevator bank the guards were obviously armed and cybered, their body armor equally evident. Then the elevator had asked for re-verification of Kyle's vocal pattern by repeating the random words it said to him. There was even an armed guard in the hall outside the Truman apartment.

Anne Ravenheart and two other Knight Errant officers were with the Trumans on the patio near the pool, Mr. Truman looking tense and Mrs. Truman tired and distracted. Melissa and Madeleine were there too, both showing visible relief at Kyle's arrival. Hanna Uljaken looked just as relieved. The other assistant, Devress, who had hired Kyle, was also present. He gave Kyle a slight smile when their eyes met. No other staff members were present. Nor was Lieutenant Facile, who Kyle had not seen anywhere on the way up either.

The three Knight Errant officers were garbed in what he took to be casual field dress. One-piece gray and white urban camouflage jumpsuits and darker bulky jackets bearing their rank insignia and red and black corporate logos. Each carried a heavy sidearm, and Kyle guessed that the tall, thin, hawk-faced man with thin brown hair peeking out from under his black beret was, like Anne Ravenheart, also a magician.

"You know each other?" Daniel Truman asked, glancing from Kyle to Anne and back.

"Yes, sir," Anne said. "Kyle and I went to school together longer ago than I'd care to admit."

Truman laughed. "Well, Mr. Teller is probably wondering how he comes to meet you again here. Why don't you tell him?"

Ravenheart turned to Kyle. "As you know, Mr. Truman is a good friend of Damien Knight, CEO of Ares Macro-technology. When Mr. Knight heard about the disappearance of Mitchell Truman, he ordered Knight Errant's assets placed at Mr. Truman's disposal.

"And I've been sent in to handle Knight Errant's investigation of who's responsible and what we might do to restore the boy to health."

Kyle hazarded a glance at Hanna Uljaken, whose eyes showed concern.

"Well, your assistance is certainly appreciated," Kyle said. "With Knight Errant helping out I'm sure we can-"

"They want to take over," Melissa said suddenly, her gaze darting between Kyle and the frown her father was giving her.

Ravenheart was also frowning. "As Mr. Truman and I were discussing when you arrived, Knight Errant would prefer to handle the investigation and security exclusively. To do otherwise might slow down critical communication and hinder the operation-regardless of the other talent involved." She gave Kyle a slight smile. "Nothing personal."'

He shrugged. "None taken. I agree it would be a good idea to combine forces, but I'd argue for your people to assist us." He let his gaze travel briefly around the assembled group. Things are already happening. I'd be reluctant to lose any time transferring command and information.”

"And, truthfully, I've been exploring some avenues that I'd rather not reveal due to the confidentiality of the sources. Knight Errant's assistance is certainly appreciated, but it seems to make more sense for them to support the existing structure than trying to rebuild it."

Ravenheart was about to protest, when Daniel Truman cut in. "I tend to agree with Mr. Teller. Ms. Uljaken tells me that the two of them have been making progress toward identifying the people responsible."

"People?" asked Ravenheart, turning back to Kyle. She seemed about to continue her line of thought, but a flick of her eyes at Mrs. Truman apparently decided her otherwise. Instead, she said, "That's good news. Whatever your decision, Mr. Truman, Knight Errant is at your disposal."

"Excellent," he said. "Mr. Teller is still looking into this for me and my family, and your prior acquaintance should make it all the easier for him to get what he needs from your team."

"I'm sure it will."

"For anything else," Truman told her, "please liaise through my assistant Ms. Uljaken, who is also working with Mr. Teller."

"I'll do that, sir. In the meantime would it be possible for Mr. Teller to brief us on his progress?"

"Now's as good a time as any." Daniel Truman motioned his family toward the doors leading back inside. They obediently followed his lead, though Melissa gave Kyle another strained look as she disappeared from view. This time Hanna saw it too, but he didn't react to the questioning on her face. Devress also stayed behind, but melted farther back from the discussion.