Aminat sucks her teeth. She tags the ambulance, then sets the auto-drive to Link, after which she calls Olalekan up.
“I know what cats feel like,” she says.
“Boss? What do you mean?”
“When you take away their kill.”
“Were you planning to kill Alyssa Sutcliffe?”
“Shut up. You see who I’m locked with?”
“Special Ambulance Service.”
“Tell me where they’re going and why.”
“Stand by.”
The Link function can be glitchy. At best it gives a jerky ride despite both vehicles having synchronised software. The vehicles are different, so a quick turn by one does not guarantee the same torque on the other. And fleeting background electromagnetic radiation surges often break the link, sometimes leading to resync with a completely different vehicle. Worse, the AI of the Rosewater central self-drive tries to break in at random times, thinking the pursuit is a software error.
The steering wheel moves left and right with the directions of the auto-drive. The dash shows the route on a makeshift digital map. The government-issue processor starts a download from the ID chips of the occupants.
“Olalekan, requisition some COBs to follow us,” says Aminat.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Aminat keeps the ambulance in sight, ready for a quick manual override in case it becomes necessary. She has no specific plan, but whatever she does will involve talking to Alyssa Sutcliffe. Street traders rush out of the path of the ambulance, but try to reconverge immediately, so the car, detecting obstructions, blares its horn.
“Boss,” says Olalekan.
“Tell me.”
“They’re off to St. Joseph’s. Each of them is a registered psychiatric nurse.”
“You’re telling me she’s being committed?”
“I have the paperwork right here, Boss. One month for observation. I’ve sent the coordinates—”
“Got ’em. Thanks. Stand by.”
Aminat breaks off the Link and feeds the coordinates in. The self-drive propels the car towards the shortest route. She examines the documents. Husband Mark requested that Alyssa Sutcliffe be taken into hospital for delusions of identity, whatever that means. Aminat can stop pursuit and just report back to Femi, awaiting instructions, or she can flash a badge and take custody of Alyssa at the hospital. What if she goes berserk? Or is already uncontrollable?
The car takes a different route from the ambulance, but they arrive at the same time at the hospital gates. With S45 ID it should be easy to get in, but health workers always think they’re special. The gateman scans Aminat’s ID and seems about to ask a question, but thinks better of it. The gate opens and the car parks itself. Aminat checks her sidearm, raking the slide, then holsters it and leaves the vehicle. Three hawks hover in formation, then land on the roof above, obviously cyborgs.
“Olalekan, keep track of me. Fix on my ID.”
“Roger that.”
Aminat puts on field sunglasses. The inner surface is a screen and the blueprints of the entire complex are layered on what she can see with her naked eye. A guy in a suit approaches. He has a hospital photocard—a security person.
“Ma’am, I’m Lawson, head of security here. How can we help S45?”
“I need to interview someone you just brought in…”
Lawson is officious and solicitous. He sets up an interview room and waits outside. Aminat isn’t quite sure what she will do, but keeps still so that she looks like she has a plan. The door opens and Alyssa walks in, eyes narrow, fists clenched, skin white from tension. Yet she says nothing.
“Mrs. Sutcliffe, my name is Aminat. I work for the government. Would you like to sit down?”
Alyssa, apart from her fury, is unremarkable, although nobody can look their best in a hospital gown. Brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, wound dressings on forearm, posture like she has never seen the inside of a gym.
“I’d rather stand.”
“As you wish. Can you tell me why you’re here?”
“I thought you would have read my file.”
“I have. I want your point of view.”
“I’ve not been feeling myself. My memory has been playing up. Other than that, I’m fantastic. Dizzy with pleasure.”
“Your husband says you think you’re someone else.”
“No, that… not exactly. I am not Alyssa.”
“But you answer to it?”
“It’ll do for now, until I can figure out what’s going on.”
“Where is Alyssa, then?”
“I do not know, but she is not here.” She tilts her head. “You are not a doctor.”
“No.”
“Why are you here?”
“To take you in for questioning.”
“‘Questioning.’”
“Yes, something came up in your blood tests—”
An alarm, the red lights flashing on Aminat’s glasses.
“BOSS!”
“Calm down, Olalekan. What is it?” Aminat stands.
“Incoming hostile. You are not alone.”