The Man between my crosshairs (girl X assassin)

Chapter 33/Zoe & the Ball

Zoe had avoided Ryder for the few days before the ball. She noticed the ball started to be mentioned on the news and was shouted about by the local social media. It sounded like it would be an important event. Cathy was still missing but this was news getting the old in the retelling. According to the news this had happened four years ago and she had come back safe.

Zoe still hadn't heard anything from Jericho and wasn't sure what was going on. She knew she was being watched by Styles men. Styles had been slowly getting more and more insane with Cathy's absence he acted like a junkie with withdrawal symptoms. Cathy must have known this and was with Jericho laughing punishing Harry for interfering with her love life. Zoe wondered what Jericho was making of all this. She had expected that Cathy would make Jericho's life unbearable and Jericho would call in Style's private army to take her away.

One afternoon Zoe had returned to the hotel to discover an expensive dress had been delivered to her room. It was white and the hem lined with diamonds, exquisitely well designed with a price tag to match. Jeeves had given it every kind of scan but it was poison free. A sensible girl would have assumed it held a danger she could not work out and worn something else. Not Zoe, it was a gift from Ryder. She walked into the ball throwing caution to the winds.

****

Zoe had taken the elevator up to the ballroom. Security wasn't as tight as it would have been for the president of Earth but it was difficult enough to prevent her walking in with anything lethal. The primary problem tonight was that Jericho still wasn't around. Neither did he respond to the phone, text, email anything. With no Jericho to frame it would be difficult to take advantage of any opportunities which appeared that night. Unfortunately, if Jericho had Cathy around, then with a witness, it would be hard to pin any killing on him. Time was running out, Zoe would have to strike soon, her cover would not last forever.

Zoe looked around, the ball was on the top deck of the crawler. The midday sun stood over head, with shade being provided at intervals by potted palm trees. There was a real band playing music before a dance floor at the southern end of the rectangular ballroom. To the right facing in the direction of movement was the open parerie, in the distance was a huge heard of bison walking at the speed of the city. Beyond it you could make out the dust kicked up by a large wagon train of RV's and caravans paralleling the city. On the left was the gap of the central street. Facing them on the other side of the street was the office block for Style's company. From the ballroom they could see into Style's private office and the rest of the offices of his company.

As soon a Zoe arrived Styles made a line towards her. The wealthy middle-aged people around looked at him and tried to wonder who she was, and what family she came from.

"You have arrived!" Styles said as he took her hand.

Zoe was soon given a martini. Cocktails had become fashionable again on Earth but someone had forgotten to tell the people of the outer rim that the style had passed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Styles began to the crowd about them. "Thank you for joining us. We have had problems. I won't deny that. But I feel something which tells me our troubles are behind us. Tonight you will see the deorbiting of the next block for this great city of ours. A block .. a Block which will provide much-needed housing and work opportunities." Then while he spoke Styles looked at Zoe "and I think we will soon be concluding a deal to build many more."

Turning to the crowd Styles looked around "but it's not much of a party during the day so let the night begin!"

Ever the showman Styles nodded to Max who pressed a button on his phone. It took a moment but people looked out across the ocean of grass to see a large black mark approach them. It took a second to realise it was a huge shadow racing across the plain to them. It slowed down as it reached the city and suddenly they were plunged into complete darkness. The crowd 'Ooowed' their appreciation. The air immediately began to cool to a more comfortable temperature. Zoe's eyes reacted immediately. Then some lights came on.

They were currently under the shade of a giant orbital mirror. Out in space a massive mirror many miles across but thinner than a hair held pace with the city. They had used them on Venus to cool the atmosphere creating oceans during the terraforming process. Orbital dynamics meant that the mirror could only provide a few hours of night. Styles had outdone himself. In the land of constant sunlight night was the ultimate luxury.

Styles had insisted on doing a formal dance with Zoe. Fortunately, this style was something she had been taught briefly by Mother for cover during a previous mission, Ubaniti princesses normally could be expected to dance pretty well. Shame she hadn't needed to use it. While she danced she noticed Ryder and saw his eyes follow her every slip and shimmy.

The band and the dancing stopped. While a large video screen emerged. The picture came on. It showed the massive ship hanging delicately in low orbit. It took Zoe a while to realise how massive the ship was. A huge crawler box was half the size of the massive heat shield. When the alarm came to evacuate the ship tiny specs moved purposely away. These tiny specs Zoe realised were astronaut workers performing last second inspections. The voices of mission control now flooded the ball.

While they did Ryder approached Zoe. She felt safe. He would be unarmed and while he was strong enough to break someones' neck with his bare hands it was hard to do it quickly and quietly and mostly when your target was expecting a move like that.

"Where is your boyfriend?" asked Zoe.

"At orbital control. Where is the sister?"

"I don't know," Zoe said.

"What about your goat? Irritated he's not around?" Ryder added.

"Yep" Zoe confessed. This is what she liked about being with Ryder. He was the first person she didn't have to pretend with. She was evil she killed people for a living but she didn't have to explain or justify it to him. She could be her self. The lack of lies and deceit was like a barrier had been lifted between them.

Ryder came over and didn't say anything he looked over to the left. Zoe looked were Ryder was looking. She noticed thing was moving in Style's offices. Something which had all the awkward gawkiness of Jerrico.

"Crap," said Zoe under her breath.