The Nature of Predators - Gress’ Cases (2/8)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Gress, Krev Hostage Negotiator

Date [standardized human time]: August 2, 2156

Rameki was able to acquire the aquarium owner’s location through the Trombil-built surveillance network; I decided against attempting remote contact, since she was close-by and I wanted a read on her body language. Soressa was the name that showed on my profile; a forty-year old Krev businesswoman who’d snapped up the aquarium when it was barely limping along, and was willing to make drastic overhauls to increase profitability. The caretaking and water demands must’ve made it a challenge to recoup whatever was put into the place, so I knew I needed to seem sympathetic to the almighty coin purse. 

Soressa was sipping top-notch liquors at a morninghouse: a name for high-end dining clubs often run by Smiglis, whose hospitality and quality of goods were second-to-none—and their membership fee reflected that. I flashed my claw pendant at the Trombil guard, who scrutinized the holographic markings, before he stepped aside. In my own augmented reality lens, I was scanning the heads of the Krev patrons, rather than weighing which one was Soressa against her picture. As law enforcement, names of individuals were available to me regardless of privacy settings; then again, it was useful to know what to call a person at a glance, so most Avor socialites and well-to-do individuals had info sharing on regardless.

“Soressa?” I asked, hovering beside a table that could’ve fit ten people rather than just her. While the Smiglis themselves were caked in mud, the interior of the place, from the floor to the tables, was spotless. Automatic cleaning devices followed close behind the worm-like staff, mopping up after them. “My name is Gress. I’m a hostage negotiator with the Avor Police Force. We’d like to talk to you about the ongoing situation at the Tonvos Aquarium.”

I’d quietly selected the prompt on my augmented reality feed to record her words, transmitting them back to the control room. If Soressa said something that could be of use, or made a time-sensitive request, Rameki and my other coworkers would know it immediately. It never hurt to be able to replay a person’s words, in case some meaning was lost in the moment.

Soressa gave me a side-eyed look of contempt, as if I’d interrupted her during an important meeting. “Very well. I hope this won’t take long.”

“I’m not here to monopolize your time, but obviously, there’s a lot happening at the aquarium,” I offered, in a meek voice that I used to avoid rubbing a Krev’s scales the wrong way. “Hundreds of thousands of CAR protestors shutting down city blocks, because of the new yochid exhibits. There was an incident with the staff, and now, they’re being held hostage with the demand that the yochids are released.”

“Yes, I’m aware. Tell me, Gress, is your plan for us to just hop to exactly what they want? Does that give us any leverage? If that’s your proposal, I’d tell you to stop targeting me and do your job.”

“I think that it is the best option to do what they want. We don’t have much leverage, when we can’t get anywhere near them through the hordes outside your aquarium. You know that the Ulchids won’t leave until the yochids are gone, so the quickest resolution is to accept their demands. I don’t get the impression they want to hurt your people, or that they’re playing games with us. There’s no reason to drag this out.”

“You don’t think like a businessperson. You’re a low-minded cop,” she hissed, waving her claws with disdain. “The longer this goes on, the more publicity it brings to the aquarium; having lives at stake will only make more people tune in. Best of all, the advertising is free. Like you said, there’s no real danger from those coral huggers. Imagine a special exhibit detailing the harrowing experiences of the hostages, complete with a holographic reenactment.”

“This isn’t a game. You’re leaving people in danger because it…might attract more visitors down the road? Did you bring the yochids here with the intention of generating controversy?”

“The yochids ran into boats by chance, Gress; at least, that’s the story we tell. You can believe what you like, but I’ve only capitalized on a golden opportunity. They’re not going anywhere yet. Forget ticket sales. I can sell the rights to film on the premises for TV miniseries; the Smiglis love scandals and the true crime tales. I hope these Ulchids do something bombastic, Gress. I can picture Mincin playing you—you have his eyes.”

I stepped away from the table, narrowing my gaze at her. “I guess I was mistaken to think you might care at all about people’s lives, or at least your own reputation. Goodbye, Soressa.”

It was a relief to escape the stuffy club; I’d rather eat gravel-grub from the street vendors than dine on the haughty, silver-plated meals in a place like that. Not that my law enforcement salary would’ve been enough for the price of admission, regardless. I climbed back into the emergency pod, and knew that Rameki would grill me over my minimal pushback with Soressa. That Resket thought she was the hostage negotiator sometimes. The moment I’d heard the Krev aquarium owner flaunt her plan to exploit this calamity for commercial gain, I knew it was a lost cause. She couldn’t care less about saving the hostages. Someone trying to find the most exciting material for a TV show wasn’t the one I wanted calling the shots with lives in the balance.

Maybe Vinior and his buddies took what I said to heart. At any rate, I’d put more faith in convincing them to do the right thing than Soressa. What I need is to figure out how to convey that the yochids aren’t being moved; I doubt the activists are flexible on their terms.

After a lightning fast transition back to our operation site, I stepped out of the transit pod for what I hoped would be the last time. The drone techs who’d been milling about outside earlier seemed to have migrated to Rameki’s side, along with a flurry of new activity. That instantly drew my suspicion, wondering what the Resket was plotting while she thought I’d be away. Tactical units weren’t the experts on delicate situations like this; they weren’t supposed to make decisions without my input! I barged into the truck, fixing the commander with a scowl that could burn down a forest. The pink avian had the nerve to act pleased to see me.

“Perfect timing, Gress. We’ve got ears on the room, and I’ve found a way to sneak attack drones in through the air ducts,” Rameki squawked. “If we get them in position without being detected, we can neutralize the hostiles and liberate the hostages. I’ve mapped out the locations of all parties—”

I lashed my tail against the floor. “Rameki, why don’t we try talking to them again? This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed. I, for one, am not convinced these activists deserve a summary execution. An ambush like this seems pretty dishonorable, for someone as obsessed with the ideal as yourself.”

“This is a tactical unit; by default, we’re dealing with dishonorable people. Just listen to what they’re saying. They’re panicking—growing irrational. We have to act now.”

“I’ll listen to what they’re saying, but this is my operation too.” I synced my bone-conducting earpiece to the feed, so I could hear the conversation being picked up by the drones. “If hostages get slaughtered or there’s something that causes backlash, it falls on me.”

“Exactly. We can’t take the chance of hostages getting killed, Gress. We tried your way, playing nice, but the time for dawdling has passed.”

Vinior’s voice was climbing in volume, franticness evident. “What have we gotten ourselves into? There’s no getting out of this. Our lives, our family, back on Cieki; the Krev won’t let us go. We’ll never see the people we love again!”

“We can’t just release these aquarists. Our cause is too important to let it all evaporate,” a conspirator responded. “That hostage negotiator was using you; you showed him we’re too weak to follow through. Isn’t it obvious he has no intention of giving us what we asked?”

“I’m not a murderer, Baciek. I don’t want it to come to that, but I didn’t back down on our one demand; I won’t! If I can’t walk out of here, those yochids sure as shit will!”

“They’re frightened of what they’ve gotten themselves into,” I breathed. “They feel like they have no way out, and no hope of getting what they asked for. I know desperation when I see it.”

Rameki lifted her beak in victory. “Then you know I’m right.”

“What happens when they hear a rustle in the vents, and truly freak out? They’re not ready to die.”

“They made their choices. I swear, you hostage negotiators have way too much sympathy for dishonorable thugs.”

“You do realize my job is to connect and empathize with them? I can reason with these people. I just have to give them a way out, and hope for their cause. It’s that simple; let me try, dammit!”

A smug glint glittered in her eyes, as if she’d enjoy my “inevitable” failure. “Be my guest. Talking will keep them distracted.”

My jaw hardened, but I didn’t challenge the Resket any further. There wasn’t any time to waste; I dialed the number that the activists had spoken to us on before. My mind was racing for a viable plan, imagining how various entreaties would come across from the Ulchids’ perspective. Vinior had mentioned that he wasn’t backing down on his demand for the yochids, but Soressa had been quite clear that she had no intent of even humoring him. How could I keep him from overreacting, aside from playing along and lying? There was no possible way I could move the yochids, or else I would’ve already returned them to Cieki.

Baciek was telling Vinior that I have no intention of freeing the yochids: as if it’s even my decision. I need to show him that I’m powerless, just as he is, to change the circumstances we’re in now. If they know I tried, maybe that’s enough to see me as on their side.

“Where are the cargo spaceships?” Vinior greeted me. “You need them to move the yochids. They should be here.”

Baciek slapped a flipper on the floor. “They’re not coming, you imbecile!”

I sucked in a sharp breath, before my eyes scrolled back to the audio files on my lens’ projection. “She’s right, Vinior. I can’t get them to move the yochids: not without busting in there myself. Can I show you something that’ll make you angry? Because honestly, fuck the person who owns this place.”

“I beg your pardon?” 

“You heard me; I hope Vinior did too. Look, I recorded my conversation with Soressa, and I’m gonna play for you what she said. This is why I’m sure she won’t release the yochids, no matter how much blood is spilled. Listen.”

The ever-chatty tripeds fell into an unusual silence, as I played my conversation with Soressa aloud into the microphone. The Krev businesswoman outlined her plans to generate free publicity through the controversy, and to profitize it down the line with everything from re-enactments to movies; they heard how she was hoping they’d do something off the rails, to enhance the drama. The lack of concern for the hostages, contrary to their empathy and desire not to hurt anyone, was apparent. Most damning of all to a CAR audience, they caught the implication that the yochids’ injury which led to their capture might not have been an accident at all. 

There was a lot to unpack on that tape; at the least, it had to put to bed the idea that I wasn’t being straightforward.

“Why are you telling us this? You want us to be angry?” Vinior demanded, when the clip finished. “Soressa is heartless. She deserves everything that is coming to her.”

“I agree. I’d love to take Soressa down too, even if it’s a little outside my job description. You heard how she wants a spectacle, though. This entire time, all of you have been playing right into her claws! If you hurt the hostages now, you’re giving her exactly what she wants. That’s not how you win.”

“Then how do we win, Gress? You seem to be saying there is no winning. We should just give up, and you give us nothing? Baciek and I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I have something else I can offer you all—something that’d bolster your cause. Send the hostages out to the roof access, so they can be picked up peacefully. In exchange, I’ll give you that audio file. If you’re battling to free the yochids, you’re waging a war of the minds. You need the public on your side, to turn on her and pressure her; and this clip shows a callous disregard for life.”

“That could get this place shut down.”

“And you’d be the one who released the hostages because you didn’t want to hurt people, while Soressa hoped for their demise. It’d paint a pretty clear picture of who the good guys are. Who has empathy—who acts like a sapient being.”

Baciek chittered in irritation. “What about us, when we let them go?”

She said “when.” Good sign. “You can vanish into the crowd. We haven’t seen your faces, and you know how bad Krev are at identifying alien features. There are hundreds of thousands of people here: hide in plain sight. Plenty of whom share your names; and we don’t know those are your real names, do we?”

There was a pause, as she caught what I was hinting. “No. I suppose you don’t.”

“Then what do you say we end this here and now, and tell Soressa where to get off: without any bloodshed or punitive blowback?”

Vinior cleared his throat. “You have a deal. Text me the file, Gress, and you’ll have your hostages back. For what it’s worth, Lecca is lucky to have a father like you. You’re a good man.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “I wish you and your friends luck, Vinior. It’ll be a long battle, but I think you have a good heart yourself. Farewell.”

I disconnected from the call, and prepared to transfer the file directly to the CAR activist’s number. While freeing the yochids by strong-arming Soressa had never been in the realm of possibility, this gave the activists what they really wanted: a more tangible way to hurt her and the aquarium. Social media would have a field day with those sound bites; targeting protected wildlife on another planet was sinister. I’d known that, with the right motivation and a ticket out, I could persuade the Ulchids away from inflicting harm on living beings. CAR had a reputation for going nuts with their grievances, but on this specific case, I truly did hope they succeeded.

Rameki caught onto my distinct eye motions, squawking in disbelief. “You’re actually sending them the file; and before we receive the hostages?”

“It costs me nothing. I wager hearing that Soressa wants them to spill blood will ensure they do the opposite. Whatever you might think…I don’t think Vinior is dishonorable. He’ll hold up his end.”

“And what if he doesn’t? You gave up your bargaining chip, and Soressa will find out that we leaked a private conversation.”

“Well, let’s just say that an anonymous source was going to pass that clip on to a reporter anyway.”

“I wonder who that would’ve been.”

“Doesn’t matter. Vinior has the clip now, so what happens is out of my control. But maybe you should get medevac to the roof, instead of circling with your attack drones. I see two Krev scurrying out the hatch and flailing their arms.”

Rameki scoffed. “You want me to just let the criminals go? You told them exactly how to elude us; we’ll never find them once they slip into the crowd!”

“I think you shouldn’t use lethal options on people who released their hostages. It doesn’t encourage others to follow their example down the line. Not my fault you didn’t scramble anything nonlethal.”

“Ugh. Stand down!” The Resket barked at the drone officers, who switched their focus to summoning a ride out for the hostages. “Just make sure they don’t come back for those two; anyone tries to grab them again, you do shoot!”

“Oh, they’re not coming back, Commander. They’re running for the hills.”

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you, Gress?”

I turned my back on her, heading for the exit. “Clever enough not to be usurped on my own op. My work here is done. See you next time, Rameki.”

There was a skip in my step, as I allowed myself to enjoy a successful mission; all parties had made it out alive, and with exposing a fiendish businesswoman being all that was necessary to achieve that, it was about as positive an outcome as one could get in my line of work. I couldn’t wait to tell Nevi all about the rousing success—after Lecca was asleep, of course. That brought my thoughts back to Vinior’s parting words, about how I was a good father. Truth be told, I wasn’t always so sure of that, but that pet store visit I promised wasn’t something I’d forget. For today, however, I might be able to get home in time to salvage the day with my daughter, cartoons and all.

It was nice when a case could be completed in a single afternoon with a happy ending.

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A/N - Part 2! Gress discovers that the aquarium owner was using the yochids controversy and the CAR demonstration gone wrong to generate publicity and marketing opportunities, and that she had no intention of helping save the hostages. He returns to find Rameki gearing up to take out the Ulchids, who are panicking after realizing how deep they’ve gotten into this. Gress pushes them on how to disappear into the crowd, and shows them what Soressa is after—offering an audio clip to get the public to turn in her, and flip the narrative in their favor. Vinior agrees and releases the captives.

What do you think of Gress’ tactics, and how he navigated this situation? How do you think the public will feel when they hear what Soressa said?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!