Her Past, His Future

When she was younger, Roberta Sandler dreamt of being the first woman in space. She would wake up every day believing she would one day become famous and achieve her dream.
Her father told her, just before he walked out of her life forever, that the first woman in space was --- back in the twentieth century. From that moment she forced herself to learn everything she could; she would never be let down again.

Roberta thought about that memory as she raised her rifle and sighted her target. She didn’t know his name, and she didn’t need to. She had gotten a picture through her employer, and had proceeded to stake out and assassinate this man. The target was shaking hands with a group of elderly gentlemen. A businessman. That was usually the type; rich, smart, and an enemy of some sort.

A single shot whizzed through the air in total precision, followed by loud screams of terror and police rushing about. But by this time Roberta was gone. As soon as the bullet left her rifle, she was off the building and out of the city. This was what she did. This was her life.

Lieutenant Matthew Carlson’s quiet morning was rudely interrupted when all the phones in the station went off with an urgency that could only accompany the Apocalypse. Within seconds the officer’s office was filled with robotic women in short skirts, all talking at once. “Why can’t this happen when I’m not at the station?” Matthew sighed and grabbed his jacket before he headed out to his car.
“Unit Twenty-five, there has been a killing at the old courthouse on Veteran Rd. Proceed with caution.”
Matthew cursed under his breath. That courthouse was scheduled for demolition this morning.
“Base, this is Unit 25; has a suspect been apprehended?”
“That’s a negative Lieutenant. It’s pretty bad down there. Reports say the only fatality was one U.N. Congressman Black.”
“Fuck!” Matthew swerved sharply to the left to avoid a transportation bus.
“England’s not going to be happy about this.”
“No sir. Be careful sir.”
“Unit 25 clear.”
Matthew pulled up to the still standing courthouse and stepped out of his car into the bright Georgia sun.
“Just another fucking day in paradise huh sir?”
Matthew turned toward his friend.
“What have we got, Jake?”
“Damn Matt, we don’t got anything. Seems as though the Congressman was shot straight the brain by an invisible attacker. Nobody saw anything except for the old man fall. There’s no evidence on any of the rooftops or alleyways. It’s as if this person doesn’t exist.
Matthew swore for the third time in half an hour and walked up the stairs of the courthouse. Crime Scene Investigators swarmed the perimeter, searching for invisible clues.
“Jake, have we got an angle of trajectory?”
“Working on it sir. The damn hole was so small it took the medical examiner fifteen minutes to find it. Some stupid bloc moved the body and further damaged the already fucked up crime scene.”
Matthew shook his head and scanned the rooftops.
“Jake, did you ever think it was a mistake making those robots?”
Jake stared at Matthew hard.
“Do you think a robot killed an English Congressman?”
“No, but I do think they have something to do with this. Do you know why this courthouse was going to be torn down?”
Jake shrugged. “Cause it’s old I guess.”
“England is a partner in the AR Corporation. They bought this land for a new cloning facility. With their technology, Georgia could make its mark on the twenty-second century. Congressman Black was the head of this operation.”
Jake whistled.
“So you’re saying this weren’t an ordinary murder, but an assassination? By someone who doesn’t want this facility to open?”
Matthew tilted his head back to look into his seven foot short friend’s eyes.
“if it wasn’t for your remarkable record as a sharp shooter, no one would know you’ve been on the force for twenty years.”
Jake laughed and tousled Matthew’s hair. And if it weren’t for your impeccable intelligence, no one would take you seriously because you are so short!”
Matthew, standing at six foot four, was the shortest man in the city. His friends, like the rest of the world, ranged from seven feet to a towering nine. Unlike theirs, Matthew’s mother never shoved genetically enhanced growth tablets down his throat. She was what the council would call a radical. Matthew had worked his ass off to get into the academy because he was marked as an outsider. Then again, nothing was wrong with that.

“Jake, can you do me a great big favor and collect all the data and send everything to me? I’m going to go home and see what I can look up. Assassinations are never an easy thing to piece together.”
“Sure thing boss. Oh yeah, the monster is looking for you. Your fiancé.”
“Thanks bud. And she’s not a monster. She’s much worse!”
Jake laughed and waved Matthew away. He turned and there at his car was a striking redhead. Matthew smiled. Then he saw the badge around her neck. Damn.
Why couldn’t it just be someone who wanted to dance?
“Lieutenant Carlson?” Her voice came out in a soft and completely seductive tone. He coughed.
“Yeah that’s me. But if you don’t mind, I’m in the middle of a case and can’t be disturbed.” He tried to move around her but she blocked him from his car door.
“I know sir. I was sent to help you. The English are not very trusting. I have been asked to work alongside you in this case.”
She never cracked a smile and Matthew felt his weekend go down the drain. With this woman beside him, he’d never get any work done. Not to mention his fiancé was back in town. That was going to be one big mess.
“So I have to report everything to you? I’m afraid I’ll have to talk to my supervisor.”
“No need. I took the liberty of having him sign this form stating that you will cooperate with the English justice system.”
She handed him a form, and there in bright blue ink, the captain’s ink and handwriting, was his signature. Damn.

“Well, I guess we’re partners. I’m going to work on the case now. I suppose you’d like to follow me?”
The redhead nodded and held out her hand.
“Roberta Jones.”
Matt smiled. “Nice to meet you.

.

What the hell was this?
Roberta was not paid ten thousand dollars upfront to babysit a cop!

When she had called her boss to set up the drop off point for her next ten thousand, he had informed her that the situation had become more complicated. That, with the controversy surrounding cloning, the police would be more alert and desperate to find the assassin. They required her services for a while longer.
Complicated my ass! Roberta threw a pillow across the room. Before it hit the ground, feathers were flying out of it and her silencer was smoking.
And now she has to pose as a cop in the very case she committed. What was wrong with this picture?

Too bad the lieutenant she was working with was extremely hot. Roberta smiled at the memory of Matt’s face; his smile when he first saw her. No doubt he got upset when he saw the badge. Roberta was used to men staring. With her fiery red hair, she was rarely missed in the eyes of men hoping for a one night stand. She was perfectly proportioned with her hair extending to just above her butt, which, over the years, had grown muscular and firm. Her clothes always fit perfectly over her breasts, a proud 38C. Standing at 5’ 11”, she was hardly tall, but her legs made up much of her body, and she took advantage of that when she wanted something from a hormonal guy. Funny what a short, tight skirt and a pair of black pumps can do to a man.