Chapter 7
Union Station has seen better days, but then so has Dr. Justice and probably Lady Truth.
The sprawling transit center joins the city’s rail and bus service into one massive hub of traffic congestion. People with no money from all over the US of A converge here with dreams of joining the ever-growing western expansion that started in the 19th Century. Problem is it peaked in the 1950s and has been on the decline ever since.
Once Union Station was a place for families and fresh faces from the East, now it only services the downtrodden and the luckless who don’t have cars or the ability to buy a plane ticket.
Really, who takes the train cross country anymore, much less a bus.
People who don’t want to be noticed and people who don’t have the money to disappear in style, that’s who.
And Vicki Vixen was one of those people. As was her erstwhile boyfriend and obvious Slash clone, Robert Shan. Everything about this case speaks to the lowest rungs of human nature.
“Why is this girl worth killing over?” Dr. Justice says as the two leave the bus behind and walk through the Art Deco front doors of the station. “Why would a Slash clone bother with someone so worthless? What’s the point?”
Lady Truth looks over at Dr. Justice with an annoyed look in her eyes.
“Who knows. All I know is he killed Vicki and stole a small child. That’s enough for me,” she replies, her dark eyes showing her anger and resolve.
“Slash doesn’t do anything without a reason,” the doctor says. “And there must be a reason behind this.”
“How bout we find this clone and beat the reason out of him,” Lady T says with an edge to her voice. “We don’t need to beat ourselves up about reasons why. We just need to find Valerie.”
“Fair enough,” Dr. J responds. “But we need to understand his plans if we ever hope to defeat him.”
“I don’t see him here,” she says.
Lady Truth scans the room with a concerned look on her face. Peering at the upper gallery with it’s pueblo styling and gawking at the grand central room that used to be an impressive welcome center and now just looks dated, sad and empty.
“Great,” the doctor says. “Maybe he just went in a different door. Let’s go find the locker that fits this key. Maybe we’ll pick up the trail there.”
“Agreed,” Lady T says with a sigh and a wary look over her shoulder at the huge WPA mural against a far wall next to an ancient newsstand. “Where are all the people? It’s so dead in here.”
They pass through the faux Spanish doorway into one of the arrival wings. Following signs they soon reach a large chamber filled with rows of lockers.
Quickly finding No. 432, Dr. Justice slides the key into the lock and turns. It’s the right one, all right. Just as the door swings open a voice from the chamber’s entrance says, “I’ve found you.”
Chapter 8
Lady Truth whirls around her laser arm shooting out a lance of light and blasts a hole into the wall next to a pale man who just as quickly dives for his life.
As he hits the floor the man shouts, “Hold on, I’m with the police.”
LT aims her arm at the man’s head but holds her fire.
“Not the time to sneak up on us little man,” she says in a tense, tight voice.
Dt. Justice continues to rifle through the contents of the locker, never once looking over at the lean pale, balding man in a rumpled suit lying on the floor.
“Hey, guys. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on. I know you didn’t kill that woman back at that hotel. It’s not Capt. Justice’s style,” the man says.
Finally, Dr. Justice glances over at the man. “Let him up Lady Truth,” he says with dismissive tone.
“Who is this guy? How did he track us?” Lady Truth asks.
As he adjusts his tie, the balding middle-aged man extends his hand and in it is a badge.
“Detective Lieutenant Brian Brainman at your service, ma’am,” he says with a smile that reveals incredibly yellow teeth.
“Also known as the Master Zombie,” Dr. Justice says as he continues to read through the documents from the locker.
“That’s Zombie Master if you please,” the Zombie Master says.
“What’s the difference?” Lady Truth asks.
“Well, it’s just that I am able to create and control zombies. If I were just a master zombie I would only be able to control my own zombie nature. Which I can. So, I’m the Zombie Master who is master of his own zombie,” he says with a laugh.
“What?” LT replies.
“It means he doesn’t eat people’s brains unless he wants to and he can create other zombies,” Dr. Justice says with a sigh.
“Yeah, what he said,” ZM says.
“Anyway, I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me, so we can clear up this dead hooker problem you have,” Zombie Master says.
Putting the papers away in his pocket, Dr. Justice looks over at the smiling zombie who’s dead eyes show no emotion and says, “Let’s get going then.”
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