Sessi Dark gen Wattar was checking various displays at the festival for security concerning the Council of Ministers when the alarms sounded. He had carried out his investigations in the unrest and this had included interviewing Ardine Makapet, Lorena’s mother. Now he was waiting for further instructions. He paled with shock at the alarm and ran along with other police officers, to the main gate. Running to the vehicles, he showed his identification when a patrolman tried to stop him. Like others, he was at first stunned by the carnage.

“No …” he rebounded with the shock of seeing the slaughtered Dressiler’s. “Not the whole family.”

“Another one ran that way, sir. These killers were shooting at her but all missed,” one patrolman indicated some of the shooters as he shook his head in wonder, “lucky girl”, he recognised authority when he saw it. “Alive, but I don’t know what happened to her, she disappeared into that building,” he pointed.

“Cami!” The Gray swore a rare oath as he realised who was missing. He looked at the building but decided not to follow immediately.

“You know her, sir?” the patrolman, asked.

“Yes, she is or was under contract to that family there.” He pointed to the Dressiler’s. “Her name is Cami sis Nep, put out a call for her, recovery only.”

“Got it, sir. Most of the rest are dead, I think.”

“Do it! And keep me informed of any reports.” He showed his identification to the patrolman. The patrolman eyed him, the secret police were not to be trifled with, and he wondered as he waved the arriving doctors over, what interest the secret police had in the girl and her family.

*********

When Cami arrived at the bottom of the stairs she was alone but remembered what the man and the woman had told her what she had to do. With fixed purpose she opened a heavy door, securing it behind her then trotted along a poorly lit corridor, through several twists, turns, cross corridors and doors but always staying in the main passageway. Cami stared wildly around as her panic subsided and she caught her breath, who were those people? She wondered, as another thought came to her, were they with the men who tried to kill me? The panic rose in her again and she started to hyperventilate even as she opened the latest of several doors which she secured afterwards. Never, not once did she look back.

Leaning up against the door, Cami stopped for a brief fraction. Catching her breath, she calmed down and tried to remember what the woman and the man had said.

Keep to the main passageway, don’t take any side tunnels, she recalled. There are two major T intersections, take the first to the left, but ignore the second that comes in from the right otherwise you will go the wrong way. The man and the woman had assured her that she would find friends at the end but she would have to be careful and trust her instincts.

Look for an alcove where you will find food and water on your right after the second intersection, it is not close but a good distance that you will have to go, Cami remembered, that the man had said and then he had finished, when you have eaten, you can take the stair which will be through the door to the left. You will find friends there. Listen for Flora, now go, he urged her. Through the metal door at the bottom of the stairs she had gone. The sound of the door locking behind her had seemed to be the voice of doom announcing the end of part of her life.

*********

At the scene of the murderous rampage, chaos still reigned. Dark gen Wattar bent over the bodies confirming the identity of each of the Dressiler’s to the senior patrolman present, a senior sergeant. It was unnecessary due to the chips and bar-codes, but something he felt he had to do. Arriving at one of the bodies, he groaned again to see Lorena Makapet was one of the dead. Standing back up and staring at her, he knew what he had to do.

Waving his hand at the sergeant, he moved away and activated his comm, “Ardine Makapet,” was the prompt reply.

A pause, then “Madam Makapet, this is Dark gen Wattar. Do you remember me from when I interviewed you?”

The response came after a fraction of silence, “I do. Is there something you wish to tell me?”

Wattar paused again, “I am at the rains festival. I have very bad news, very bad news.”

There was the sound of sharp drawn in breath. “Is it Lorena?”

“Yes, your daughter, and the Dressiler’s. They were coming to the festival.” He stopped again.

“Are they all hurt?”

“They are all dead.” He said in a rush. Dark could not hide the anguish in his voice, “All except the young girl, Cami, and she has disappeared, I am going to try and find her.” He stopped, wondering why Ardine was acting so calmly.

“I see, go find her.” The comm went dead. Dark gen Wattar stared at his comm unit. Ardine sounded much too calm after receiving such news. It was almost as if she had anticipated the event. He shook his head and went to check on the building Cami had disappeared into. Before he could do much more than examine the entrance and determine the buildings use, he was interrupted.

“Sir, this one survived, where do we send him?” A patrolman called. Dark gen Wattar walked back across the street to him, and stared at the still groggy killer.

With a jerk of his head, the Gray told the patrolmen to take him away. Calling the Senior Sergeant to him, he gave instructions as to what to do with the gunman.

“Call Chief Inspector Nic ra Ptocto. He is to take over the interrogation of the prisoner right now. This will set the planet on fire if not handled properly.” He turned his back on the rough handling the gunman was getting.

“Sir, over here!” Another patrolman summoned Dark.

The Gray walked over. “What is it?”

“This woman, her identification shows that she was Nikie di Frim!” He showed the reading on the scanner which also contained the brief details of her previous activities. “That man there, the only survivor, shot her at close range.” He stood, putting his scanner away. “No loyalty! I guess honour amongst killers isn’t what it used to be.”

“Secure everything around her! Chief Inspector Nic ra Ptocto will want it.”

He gave a dispassionate look at the lifeless body of Nikie di Frim, turned on his heel and left, heading back to the building that Cami had vanished into.

*********

At patrol headquarters, Chief Inspector Nic ra Ptocto, Inspector Evit ra Docci and Detective Jan ot Reppa sat glued to the live feed. Once aware of what was going on, they had their technicians send the recorded feed from the surveillance cameras directly to their offices. They weren’t alone, throughout the building other patrolmen were doing the same. Stunned at first by the carnage, the brutality and the ferocity of the attack, they began to shake off the surprise and study the actions of the gunmen. Reviewing the feed, they paid close attention to the action.

“Look at that,” Docci pointed out, “he took a hiding place between the two transporters. That shows training or he is very …what! He just took a shot at that girl and in the back!” All three officers jumped to their feet.

Ptocto snarled in rage, “I want whoever trained these animals. Whoever backed them and funded them!” A knock on the door interrupted them. “What is it?” he growled.

A nervous young patrolman stood there, mouth working. “I just got a comm, it was from the Senior Sergeant in charge. There is a member of the secret police there, and he told them to take the surviving gunman here and hand him to you.”

They looked at each other and smiled. Trust Dark gen Wattar to be on top of everything.

Calmly, but with an undertone of eagerness, Ptocto asked. “Time of arrival?”

“Under half a period sir.”

“Good. And the secret policeman?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“Not important. Go to the senior sergeant in charge. Tell him what is happening and get an arrival squad ready. Inspector Docci!” Ptocto turned to his top man.

“Sir?” the lanky patrolman asked as he put his jacket and hat on.

“You’re in charge! Get down there! We can’t do anything about what happened up to now, but we need the propis here in one piece so that we can ring him dry.”

“Yes, sir. I understand, but if you need to turn your head sometime …” the rest went unsaid.

“Good, now leave!” Docci hurried out.

Ptocto turned to his assistant, and mused, “I wonder what Dark was doing down there?” He shrugged and continued, “Have there been any reports of who was killed yet?”

Jan ot Reppa was silent and still, staring at his comm. Slowly, he raised he head to his chief, “Two groups it seems, though the main target was the Dressiler’s.”

“No!” Ptocto, sat back abruptly in his chair and covered his face for a fraction. Then, he quietly enquired, “Which ones?”

“All of them, I think.” This brought another groan from Ptocto. The next piece of information made him feel even worse, “A Lorena Makapet was there as well. She is dead too.”

“Oh, all the gods!” Considering that Ptocto had been told by Dark gen Wattar who and what her mother and aunt were, he was sure that there was going to be a lot more trouble.

“A young girl, Cami sis Nep, the Dressilers held her contract, she was seen alive running into a building alive, but has disappeared.” Jan tapped his comm again. “The Secret Police are trying to find her and have issued a recovery notice on her. If you remember sir, I think she was the one we saw who was running when that last gunman tried to shoot her in the back.” He said with raised eyebrows.

Ptocto had a shocked look on his face, but brought himself quickly under control. Giving a mental, and physical, shrug, he put it out of his mind. “That’s not our problem, let’s get ready, bring the rest of the team in.” Chief Inspector Nic ra Ptocto got down to business.

Tapping at his comm, Jan was just leaving when he suddenly stopped. Sensing the detectives’ change of mood, Ptocto’s head came up. Turning, Jan looked at his chief, “Now this is interesting. One of the dead is someone we know.” He paused for effect. Ptocto waited. “Remember Nikie di Frim?”

Ptocto’s breath hissed out. “Well, well, well. That is of interest!”

*********

At last, Camis thought to her relief, she had reached the part of the long service tunnel that the man had told her about and now stood in a small room. It was really just an alcove across the tunnel from a set of stairs leading up to somewhere, she had checked on that. There was a table, a couple of chairs, a set of cupboards and a sink.

I wonder if I could rest now, Cami thought, and is there really something to eat or drink?

Searching the cupboard, she found water, bread and a jam she could use as a spread. Checking the rest of the alcove, she retrieved a knife and some clean rags. Sitting down she ate, taking some time from habit and using some of the water to wash her face and hands. Looking around, she saw nothing other than the rags to clean up after herself so she packed everything back in the cupboard as neatly as possible and sat back to consider her position.

She did not consider what was going to happen to her now that the Dressilers were all dead, that was just too painful for now. No that would come later. Cami knew that she had to deal with the now, the present. If I try to stay here, someone I do not want to find me will so I have to find this Flora, she thought in a somewhat convoluted fashion. That means I should keep moving, there are those stairs across the tunnel that lead somewhere they said. Looking around she stood, walked to the door that she had checked, opened it then slowly moved to the stairs now revealed. Taking a deep breath, Cami took the first step up, then stopped. Going back to the eating area, she looked at the knife again. It was a short but wide bladed weapon, about five centis long and two and half wide. I might need this, she thought and attached its scabbard to the belt around her waist, pushing it somewhat towards her back and covering it with the jacket she had worn under her coat.

Back at the stairs, she took another breath and started on her way up.