Lise by DM Arnold (which ebook reader txt) 📖

an assortment of rough-looking individuals. A white man with tag number 1 sat on the end of the bench. Lise sat at the other end, her hands still cuffed behind her back. The restraints were beginning to dig into her skin.

She bowed her head, closed her eyes and fought back tears.

The cell door opened and a middle-aged prostitute wearing tag number 9 was pushed into the cell. “Busy day for the inspector,” Lise heard the intake officer remark.

Lise sat and waited. The cell door opened. An officer entered and escorted Number 1 out.

The door opened. The intake officer entered and escorted Number 7 out. Lise looked down the row. They were up to number 21. She shook her head -- they were arresting people faster than they could process them.

The door opened again and the officer grabbed her upper arm. “This way, green girl.”

He led her into an interview room. A plain-clothes detective sat at a desk. On another chair sat the deputy who had arrested her. “What have we here?”

“Unregistered. I thought her registry tattoo looked awfully fresh.”

The inspector stood and approached Lise. He examined her tattoo. “Yeah... They're getting better and better...” He looked into Lise's face with a smirk. “How much scrip do you have to pay for one of these? Fifty? A hundred?”

He licked his thumb, rubbed it against her serial number and examined it. He licked it again and rubbed harder. Then, he turned to his media terminal and punched in her number. He manipulated the device. “RAA005010 ... comes up registered to Ramina! Have you lost your mind, man? Bringing in one of Ramina's?”

The deputy whipped out his communicator. “It comes up invalid on mine ... look...” He punched in the number. “Look!” He turned the device toward his commander.

“It's a new number. You've gotta check the addenda, too. What are you? Some rookie?”

“She looked too old to have a new number. That's why I didn't... Who IS this Ramina?”

“She's one of the top breeders -- and she's tied in with the commissioners and prefects. She looks like a sweet old lady, but she's a demon. I've seen her flay a man at twenty-five metres with a single lash of her tongue. You have to double-check these, man! If Ramina complains to the Chief -- you'll be busted down to beat officer.”

“I'm already a beat officer.”

“Then you'll be busted off the force.”

“But that number's too new for someone her age,” the deputy protested. “It still could be counterfeit. One her age should have a number in the high QZs”

“Only one way to know -- take her to the lab.”

The deputy led her to a lift and called for the basement level. Lise felt the drop as the lift descended. The doors opened and he prodded her down the corridor. She entered a room with shelves lined with cabinets holding bottles and equipment.

A white-coated woman entered. “What have we here?”

“Quick DNA screen,” the deputy replied. “Confirm the registration number.”

The woman approached Lise. “It's all right, dear. I won't harm you.” She turned to the deputy. “You'll need to take the shackle off.”

The deputy unhitched a device from his utility belt. “Here's the key...” He handed it to the attendant and drew his weapon. “No funny stuff, green girl.”

The attendant unlocked Lise's restraints. She brought her arms to her lap and rubbed her wrists.

“Now, dear,” the attendant said, “I'll need to take a little of your blood.” She produced a syringe.

Lise gasped and recoiled.

The attendant showed it to her. “See, dear -- it's empty -- nothing in it to hurt you. Just relax and it'll be done in a moment. Let me see your arm. Are you left or right handed?”

Lise stared at the needle. It grew to fill her entire field of vision.

“Look how frightened she is,” the attendant said. “You can see her heart pounding.”

“Probably 'cuz she knows the outcome of the test,” the deputy replied.

“No. They're all like this -- terrified of needles. They know what they're often used for. Most of them are left-handed...” The attendant tied an elastic band around Lise's upper right arm. “Make a fist, dear. It'll be easier if you cooperate.”

Lise complied. The attendant was probing the inside of her elbow with her finger. Lise clamped her eyes shut and forced out a tear.

“You'll feel a poke...” Lise chewed her lip. She felt the needle biting into her skin and let out a whimper. “Almost, dear... All right -- you're done.” Lise looked down. The attendant was pressing against her vein. “Put your finger here and press down.”

Lise looked at the syringe. It was now filled with a dark brown fluid. The deputy continued to point his gun at her, his finger outstretched and lying against the trigger guard.

The attendant returned and handed the deputy a viewer. He regarded the results of the analysis. “Species: Novo Homonid... No shit...” He scanned down. “Registered RAA005... Ramina...”

“Did you get what you were looking for?” the attendant asked.

“Not quite...” He checked the safety of his gun and slipped it into its holster. “Come on, green girl. Back up to the inspector.”

“Well?” the inspector asked.

The deputy handed him the report. “One of Ramina's. She was registered early this year.”

“Would it matter,” Lise asked, “if I was registered yesterday or five years ago?”

“Watch your lip, greenie,” the deputy sneered. “If I had found you a year ago -- you know where you'd be now.”

“But you didn't,” Lise replied finding courage for some defiance. “And, now I'm legal.”

“She's right,” the inspector replied. “She's legal. We have to release her. I'm going to have to write this up ... don't know how... Must be a new wrinkle for Ramina -- cruising the Zone for unregistereds.”

The deputy faced Lise. “Okay, Zero-One-Zero. Get outta here.”

“What about the twins?” Lise asked.

“Twins?”

“The children you took from me.”

The deputy smacked his forehead. “The kids! What did you say their names were?”

“Klarissa and Geddes.”

“Come here...” She followed him into an office. The deputy made one call and another. He stood and conferred with a sergeant. “We're trying to locate them.”

“Trying to?”

“They're all right -- they're with Family Services ... somewhere...”

His media phone warbled and he answered the call. “Yes... Young novonid girl -- registry RAA005010.” He looked up. “They found 'em. A car is bringing them around. You can wait at the corner of First and Hope.”

“Thank you, officer,” Lise replied. “What about my belongings?”

“Right...” The deputy rifled through a drawer, removed the envelope and tapped out the scrip and key cards. “Here.” Lise tucked them into her pocket. “I'll show you the way out.”

“I can follow the exit signs,” Lise replied, turned and left.

Lise stood at the corner. She didn't know what time it was, but by the look of the sun it was late. Megan was certainly home by now and likely frantic. She looked at the street, filled with two, three and four-wheeled vehicles.

A squad car pulled up and a woman stepped out. She approached Lise and compared her registry number to one on a handheld screen. “Are you looking for two children?”

“Yes, I am.”

She opened the door and Klarissa and Geddes tumbled out. They ran to Lise and hugged her legs.

Lise picked up Geddes and looked into his face. The boy broke into tears. “You're angry with me,” he sobbed.

“I am,” Lise replied, “with the constables. Geddes -- do you see what can happen when you lie? You wouldn't want to go back to the foster home, would you?”

“NO!” he blubbered.

“Have you learned your lesson?”

“Uh -huh!” Geddes nodded.

“Good. Then, I'm not angry with you.” Lise kissed Geddes on the cheek.

“You don't hate me?”

“Of course not. You're a delightful little boy, Geddes.” She looked toward the woman from Family Services. “They live at number 505 -- quadrant three, block fourteen-forty. Can you take us there?”

“I'm sorry -- it's against policy.”

“It wasn't against policy for the constables to bring them here?”

“That was the constables' doing. You can take it up with them.” She climbed into the car and it pulled into traffic.

Lise rolled her eyes. “Come on, gang. Let's see if we can find the deputy who arrested me. Maybe he can arrange a ride home.”

She led them back into the Safety Palace and to the floor where the deputy kept his desk. A sergeant looked toward her. “May I help?”

She pointed to the empty desk. “The deputy?”

“Gone for the day.”

“He arrested me -- by mistake and brought these children in. I was hoping you could arrange for a ride home.”

“Sorry -- don't know a thing about it.”

“What about the inspector?”

“He's gone, too.”

Lise led them back to the street. “How are we getting home?” Klarissa asked.

“Let's try a streetcar,” Lise replied.

She led them to the corner bus stop and waited for a bus marked with the correct route. One pulled to a stop and the door opened. Lise stood at the tail of the line of passengers and waited for them to board and present their fare or scrip cards.

She pushed the twins aboard ahead of her. The driver held out his hand.

“Please,” she said. “I'm minding these children. We need to get home.” The driver shook his head and gestured toward the back of the bus. Lise pulled out the red scrip card. “I'll pay a fare.”

“Rules is rules, green girl,” the driver said. “They can ride, but YOU have to use the back.”

“But ... they won't know where to get off! Can they ride in back?”

“No. Now, get off the bus!”

Lise took Geddes's and Klarissa's hands and stepped onto the street.

“Now what?” Klarissa asked.

“I guess we'll have to use a taxi.”

She led the twins to a livery call box, pressed the button and watched traffic. The light went out and she saw a livery cab approaching. The driver slowed, eyed her and pulled back into traffic. Lise pushed the button again.

“Why didn't he stop?” Klarissa asked.

“He must not have needed the business,” Lise replied

The light darkened and another cab approached and stopped. It's door opened. “Come on, gang...”

Lise watched as a business man pushed ahead of them and sat in the cab. The door closed and the car pulled into traffic. “Hey!” Geddes yelled.

She pushed the button a third time and waited. She saw a livery car approach and stop. The window rolled down. “Where you going?” the driver asked.

“Number 505 -- quadrant three, block fourteen-forty.”

“Do you have the fare?” Lise pulled the red scrip card from her pocket and handed it to the driver. He held it up to the light. “This should cover it. Get in.”

The rear door swung open and Lise gestured the twins inside. The driver slipped the scrip card into the meter, pressed a button and pulled into traffic.

“I've never been in a taxi before,” Lise said to the children. “Have you?”

“No,” Klarissa replied. Geddes shook his head.

“Then, this will be a little adventure for us.”

The car headed away from the central city and toward the residential districts. Lise watched the fare on the meter mount: five units ... five and a half ... six...

They turned off a boulevard and into a neighborhood Lise recognized. The car pulled to a stop outside number 505. The driver punched a button on the meter. The fare read eleven and a half units. The scrip card ejected and he pocketed it. “Here you go.” The door swung open.

“Excuse me, sir,” Lise said, “but the fare read eleven and a half. There were twenty- five units on that card. You owe me thirteen and a half in change.”

The driver regarded her through narrowed eyes. “There's a surcharge for carrying greenies. Now -- get out before I call the constables.”

Lise pushed the twins onto the sidewalk and climbed out herself. The door slammed and the taxi sped away.

She took the twins' hands, climbed the steps and slipped the key card into the lock. The door swung open.

“Lise!” Megan said. “Where have you been? I've been worried...”

“Oh, mam -- I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...”

“Sorry? What happened?”

“We were arrested!” Klarissa blurted out.

“Arrested? Lise -- tell me what happened.”

“We were headed to the park. There were a pair constables who questioned us. One of them checked my registry number. I don't know if he made a mistake, or if there was a problem with the registry or if he was just harassing me, but he said it came back invalid.”

“Oh, Lise!”

“He took me downtown to the Safety Palace. I sat all day before seeing an inspector. Of course, then they realized the number was good and they released me.”

“Geddes did it,” Klarissa chimed in.

“Geddes did what?” Megan asked.

“Geddes told the deputy Lise wasn't our nanny. That's why they arrested us.”

Megan's jaw dropped. Geddes collapsed in tears. “You did WHAT?”

“Please don't punish him,” Lise said. “They've suffered enough and he learned his lesson.”

“Have you?”

“Yes,” Geddes blubbered.

Megan turned to