Surveillance (Ghost Targets Book 1) by Aaron Pogue Read Free Book Online

She didn't need much in the way of luxury, but she had learned a long time ago that a separate room for a home office was a must. There was lots of covered parking near the street, with what looked like a stable of community cars. She'd have to check into that. It would be worth a few bucks a week to avoid the subway.
    Hathor prompted her with a beep and played back the last few words of her message. Then in its simulated voice, Hathor asked, "Is this recording complete?"
    "No," she said, her attention snapping back to the message. But as the cab pulled away from the curb, a car emblazoned "Chen's Chicken" replaced it immediately, so she said, "Just a sec, Hathor. Pause the recording. Thanks."
    The window nearest her rolled down to reveal a small dispensary compartment, instead of a passenger interior. Her voice stamp announced her name, and the total for her dinner. She said, "Put it on my tab," and a payment light blinked from red to green a moment later. Her dinner dropped into view, a greasy bag almost too hot to touch, but the smell of her chow mein made her sigh contentedly. She grabbed it and turned back to the apartments as the delivery car disappeared into the night.
    "Okay," she said as she turned. "Hathor, resume recording. Wait, no. Damn." The complex had a receptionist out front, no more than a couple years old. It was a pedestal waist-high, with a bright touch-screen that illuminated as soon as Katie approached it.
    The screen said, "Welcome, Katie. Moving in?" She touched the yes button, and then skipped quickly past the confirmation screen listing all the complex's amenities. She trusted Hearth better than her own judgment, really. Two more button presses approved everything the apartment owner needed to know, and she chose "Map" instead of "Rendered Environment" to find her way to her door. Hers was the second building on the left of the courtyard, upstairs, third door past the stairs. Easy enough. She closed out the screen with a swipe of her hand, and headed across the courtyard. Her stomach rumbled again.
    "Hathor, resume recording." She caught her breath, and shook her head. "Sorry, Dad. Anyway. My boss's name is Rick. Rick Goodall, and he's larger than life. Sweet enough to make you sick." And, because she knew her dad would worry, she added, "Too old for my taste, though."
    As she approached her door, she heard the locks click open in response to her proximity. She made a mental note to activate the physical key requirement, out of paranoia more than anything else, and kicked the door closed behind her. "Anyway, Rick gave me the ten cent tour, showed me just enough of what they do to get me feeling really overwhelmed, then dropped a homicide on me."
    She paused, imagining her dad's reaction to that. He would be grinning ear-to-ear, so proud of her. She could almost hear him say, "You're big time now, Katie."
    "I won't forget the little people," she said. "Hey, I'm going to call you back. Ten minutes. I've got to get some food in me."
    He wouldn't be able to take that call either, but she liked to pretend. She took a deep breath and let it out in a puff. "Later, Dad. Goodbye." Hathor killed the connection on the keyword, and Katie dropped her dinner sack on the little kitchen table before looking around the apartment.
    Hearth did a good job. She'd only enrolled with them a couple years ago, but she'd liked the place they found her back in Brooklyn, and she liked this place, too. On her own, she would have picked something spartan, and this space wasn't luxurious, but it was a lot more comfortable than she would have chosen. Midas wouldn't have approved anything she couldn't afford, so that wasn't a concern. It was furnished, too, with a bed set in one of the rooms and an office set in the other. Perfect. The walls were a mute brown, almost gray, with just a touch of purple on the trim. Quiet, but appealing.
    The living room was a small space that opened directly into the kitchen, with a three-place dining