Murder On Mars Read online

  Murder On Mars

  Sean Devney

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher and/or authors, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Publisher: Apollo Publications

  ISBN: 978-1-64084-059-1 ePub

  ISBN: 978-1-64084-061-4 Paper Back

  ISBN: 978-1-64084-058-4 PDF

  ISBN: 978-1-64084-060-7 MOBI

  SAN: 990-4514

  Printed In The United States Of America

  First Printing 2017

  Table of Contents

  Murder On Mars

  PART ONE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  PART THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  PART FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  About The Author

  PART ONE

  CHAPTER ONE

  Detective John Walker walked into Captain Tex Parker’s cool office. Outside, it was a hot, humid day in the middle of August in New York City. Captain Parker stood at the window, looking down on the busy street below. It was crowded with people furiously fanning themselves as a siren went off in the distance. Captain Parker was an old man with white hair and dark, leathery skin and light blue eyes. He wore old, rumpled clothes that looked lived in. He smelled of whiskey and cigars. He turned to face Walker and smiled. Walker was sweating up a storm. Parker said in his thick Texas accent,

  “Pretty hot today, ain’t it? Not as hot as Texas this time of year. It really gets hot in the middle of August.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Walker, as he wiped his forehead with a white handkerchief. He was a tall man with light brown hair and a handsome face and dark, intelligent eyes. He said, “Just another hot day in New York City, captain. What’s up? Where am I going this time?”

  Captain Parker chuckled and said,

  “I can’t keep anything from you, that’s for sure! You heard the news about Max Thorton? He escaped from prison last night.”

  “Yeah, I heard about it. He escaped while being transferred to a prison hospital. Obviously he had help. Probably an inside job. Where did he go?”

  “Well, he had a tracking device implanted in his brain. He was tracked to a spaceport on Long Island where he boarded a freighter going to Mars. It’s going to take ten days for the freighter to reach Mars. I want you to go to Mars and bring him back alive. He’s very important, John. He has a true photographic memory and total recall. He used to work for Johnny Rocco and his gang. He knows everyone in the underworld.”

  “Hmmmm…..didn’t Rocco move to Mars a couple of years ago?”

  “Yes, that’s right. Word is he set up shop with the help of Governor Pat Ryan. They’re old buddies from way back.”

  “Yeah, I know about that. Both Rocco and Ryan used to work here in the city, doing all kinds of bad things like extortion, murder and fixing elections for their boss, Al “The Chin” Marco. It’s amazing that they never seemed to spend too much time in prison. I guess it’s important to have friends in high places.”

  “It’s all politics, John. You know that. Well, anyway, the Justice Department is really embarrassed about this whole situation, as you can imagine. They want Mr Thorton back real bad and in one piece. It makes them look really foolish, to say the least.”

  “I can imagine. But what does this have to do with me?”

  “Well, someone from the department called me this morning and asked that you go to Mars and track him down.”

  “Hmmmm…..why me? They have an entire army at their disposal.”

  “Look, John, they want this done as quietly as possible. They don’t want any publicity if you know what I mean. You’re an expert in this sort of thing. You know how to get things done. Now, I know you want to do this on your own but this time, you’re going to have a partner.”

  “I am?”

  “Now, listen – the government has sent over one of their newest androids or robots or whatever you want to call it. He’ll be going with you.”

  Captain Parker pressed a button on his desk and a side door opened. A tall, pale man with black hair and black eyes walked into the room. The android was dressed in a gray suit and a blue tie. The android looked at Parker and said in a normal sounding voice,

  “Yes, captain?”

  “Joe, this is Detective John Walker. He’s a special agent. He’ll be your partner.”

  The android looked at Walker and said,

  “Detective John Walker. 45. Unmarried. Divorced after ten years. Has two cats and tropical fish. Lives in Astoria, Queens, New York City. Very highly intelligent. Expert in martial arts and weapons. Served three years in the military. You are psychic. You scored very high on the Hurkos test. Interesting.”

  “It’s just another tool in my box. And what about you?”

  “I am the last version of the Kubrick model. I am connected to the main government computer system called Zeus. I can access any computer system there is.”

  “Impressive.”

  “John, look at his hands. See that? He has no fingerprints or wrinkles or fingernails. That’s how you can tell he’s a robot. Other wise – “

  “I get the picture, chief.”

  “Okay, you’re both going to take a flight on the Martian Express at the Kennedy Spaceport in three hours. That should give you enough time to get ready. Now, John, listen – I’ve spoken to Chief Hernandez in New Washington. He’s the head of the Martian Police Force. He’ll give you everything you need. You have been given the authority to do whatever you think is necessary to get this done. You’ll be in charge when you get there. Understand?”

  “Yes, chief. Anything else?”

&nbs
p; “Yes. You’ll be meeting a detective on your way to Mars. I don’t know anything about her, so don’t ask. She’ll fill you in on all the information you’ll need. Oh and get me a T shirt or something. It’s for my grandson. Okay?”

  “Right. Say, captain – have you ever been to Mars?”

  “Yeah, a long time ago. It took forever to get there. I took Agnes. It was our second honeymoon. It was pretty boring when we arrived. Nothing on Mars but scientists and engineers. Now, they have legalized gambling and sex robots! It should be really interesting to see how things are today!”

  “Yeah, it’ll be interesting.”

  “Okay, you two! Get going and good hunting!”

  Parker shook hands with both Walker and the android. They walked out of the office and headed for an elevator.

  CHAPTER TWO

  In the elevator, Walker said to the android,

  “Look, I have to swing by my apartment to get some things. This was kind of sudden.”

  “I understand. Can I tag along?”

  “Sure.”

  The elevator doors opened to a busy lobby. They walked out of police headquarters and into a hot August day. The air was thick with humidity. Walker put up his hand to hail a cab but the android said,

  “This is not necessary. I have already contacted a police cruiser. It is coming right now.”

  A blue police car drove up and the middle aged officer at the wheel leaned over and asked,

  “What’s up? Where are you guys going?”

  Walker said, as he entered the car,

  “To my apartment in Astoria, Queens.”

  “Fine, detective. What’s the address?”

  “36-12 38 Street. You know where that is?”

  “Sure. I used to drive a cab before I became a cop. Hang on, boys! Here we go!”

  The car took off into the thick late afternoon traffic. Walker leaned back in his seat and said to the android,

  “Look, uh – “

  “Call me Joe. I like that name.”

  “Okay, Joe. I want to refresh my memory about Governor Ryan and Johnny Rocco. Show me what you got.”

  The android pointed to a video monitor located on the seat in front of them. The monitor came to life and there was a photo of Governor Pat Ryan wearing his usual white suit and pink tie. He had a puffy red face and sharp blue eyes. The android said in his dry voice,

  “This is Pat Ryan. He was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to Irish parents. He was a street hustler before he began working for Al “The Chin” Marco when he was fifteen. He got involved in politics and became a part of the local Democratic machine. He was also involved in various petty crimes but he was always protected by Marco. He served only a few years in prison in Sing Sing when he met Johnny Rocco.”

  The monitor showed a deeply tanned man with silver hair and a crooked smile. He almost looked reptilian. The android said,

  “This is Johnny Rocco. He is a career criminal and con man. Very smart. He knows how to work the system. He has been in and out of prison most of his life. He got involved in politics through his friend, Governor Ryan.”

  The next image was that of a big man with a bald head and a handle bar mustache. His eyes were dark and hard. The android said,

  “And this is Max Thorton. He is another career criminal. He was born in Sydney, Australia. He bounced around until he came to New York City and hooked up with Johnny Rocco. He has a photographic memory and he is very strong. He is six feet, four inches tall. He is the muscle for Rocco and his gang.”

  “Hmmm….okay. So when did Ryan go to Mars?”

  “About five years ago. He has lots of political connections. That’s why he was elected to be the governor of Mars. Then Rocco joined him two years ago.”

  “Hmmmm…..something’s not right. Neither man should have been able to travel to Mars. I wonder what happened?”

  “I don’t have any information about that, detective.”

  “Yeah, I suppose not. It just doesn’t add up.”

  “Detective, why are these two men allowed to roam free like this? Shouldn’t they both be in prison?”

  “Yeah, Joe, that’s a very good question.”

  “Detective, I am new to this. I have learned a lot at the police academy about crime and criminals but I don’t understand human behavior. How do they get away with this?”

  “Joe, you have a lot of information but you have no life experience yet. Until you have experience, none of what you learned will make any sense to you but it will one day. One day, it will all click together. Trust me on that.”

  The android nodded. The cop driving the car asked,

  “Hey, detective, where are you guys going?”

  “To Mars. You ever been there?”

  “No but my sister moved there a few years ago with her husband and three children. She likes it up there! She says it’s really dry and quiet and there’s no pollution! There’s not that many people but I know that people are moving to Mars ever since they built those new ships. Boy, are they fast! They fly almost at the speed of light – well, that’s what they say! You get to Mars in just three days! It’s called time warp travel or something like that. I don’t understand that stuff myself.”

  Walker laughed and said,

  “You’re not the only one! We’re taking the Martian Express tonight.”

  “Hey, aren’t you that psychic cop I’ve heard about? You’re John Walker, right?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Boy, it must be really something, huh? I heard you can read minds and stuff like that! Is that true?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look, detective, why are you going to Mars?”

  “I really can’t tell you anything.”

  “I understand. I’m sorry to pry like that but I’m just nosy, that’s all. You know I heard that Max Thorton escaped from prison. Is he going to Mars?”

  “I can’t say.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now.”

  They fell silent as the car drove over the bridge and headed for Walker’s apartment building. It was getting late. The car drove to the apartment building and the cop said, turning around,

  “Hey, detective, do you want me to drive you to the spaceport?”

  “Sure. We’ll only be a few minutes.”

  Both Walker and the android got out of the car and walked over to the entrance of the building. A doorman opened the door and said hello to Walker. Walker smiled and they headed for the elevators. They took an elevator up to the fifth floor and they walked down a long hallway to Walker’s apartment door. He opened the door and they were greeted by two cats. One cat was black and the other was an orange tabby. They meowed and rubbed themselves against Walker’s leg. He bent down and rubbed them. He said to the android,

  “The black one is named Charlie and the other is Tiger. They’re both good cats. They cause too much trouble. Right, boys?”

  Both cats meowed loudly and the android asked Walker,

  “Why are they crying? Are they hungry?”

  Walker laughed and said,

  “No! They just to play, that’s all. Look, I’ll be right back. I have to go and talk to my neighbor. She looks after my cats when I’m gone.”

  Walker left the apartment. The cats stopped meowing and looked up at the android and then jumped up on a couch and stared at the android. The android looked around. It was a medium sized apartment with a large window that overlooked the city across the river. The android saw a large fish tank filled with colorful fish. A moment later, Walk
er walked back into the apartment and said,

  “Okay, that’s settled. Mrs Wallace will look after the cats when I’m gone. Let me just grab a few things and then we’ll take off.”

  He walked into his bedroom and a few minutes later, he came out with a medium sized suitcase and said to the android,

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  They walked back to the elevator and back down to the street. They got back into the police car and Walker said to the cop,

  “Okay, take us to the Kennedy Spaceport.”

  “Right,” said the cop, as he put the car into gear and drove off.

  CHAPTER THREE

  They drove in silence. It was getting late and Walker said,

  “Okay, Officer Bentley, how long have you been on the force?”

  “Oh, ten years now. It’s been interesting.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “So, detective – let me ask you something.”

  “Shoot.”

  “When did you know you were psychic?”

  “Oh, I knew it when I was a boy. I just knew things before they happened. I would know who was at the door – things like that.”

  “Yeah, I had a cousin like you once. She was really good.”

  “Yeah, everyone knows someone who’s psychic. I’m just better than most. It helps in my line of work.”

  “You know, I remember reading about you in the papers. You helped to solve that Tanner case. She was kidnapped and you found her safe and sound! How did you do that?”

  “Ah, trade secret, my friend! It was really easy for me. They brought me on the case when they couldn’t figure out what had happened to her. They brought me a piece of clothing the young woman was wearing when she was kidnapped. I touched it and I knew instantly that the kidnappers were working with the butler! They had taken her to a cabin in the woods upstate. I could see the cabin in the woods. I was given a map and I pointed out the area where they were holding the young woman and they found the cabin and she was unharmed. The kidnappers were found nearby and arrested and the butler confessed. He thought they could get away with it!”