Price of a Bounty (Reliance on Citizens Makes Us Great!) Read Online Free

“Sure.”
    Richard
walked over to the dresser. As he opened the bottom drawer and
pulled out an old fashioned lie detect, I quietly sighed with relief.
    He
turned to me. “Is there anything you need before we begin?
This will be more reliable if you’re relaxed.”
    “Mouthwash
or toothpaste – morning breath,” I explained with a
shrug.
    Richard
nodded toward the bathroom. “In the medicine cabinet.”
    After
I took care of business, I located the mouthwash, mint flavored,
sipped some and began to swish. I gazed into the mirror over the
ebony sink. A slender young woman with long wavy black hair and
emerald green eyes framed by long dark lashes gazed back at me. I
spat into the sink, and then glanced over at the whirlpool bath.
    Well,
now that I had some time. It was black and shiny. I ran my fingers
along the edge, clean. I hadn’t seen anything like this, well, ever.
Working Class apartments had tubs stained by mineral deposits. I
turned one faucet, cold, then the other, hot – a rare
commodity! If this ended up being my last day ever, I was going to
make it a good one, and if it wasn’t…well, a hot bath
certainly wouldn’t hurt. When the water was high, I removed my
clothes, lowered myself into the tub and pushed a button that started
the jets. The tension drained away as I enjoyed the first hot bath
of my life.
    My
eyelids fluttered open when I heard a knock on the door. It opened,
and Richard poked his head inside. I made no move to cover myself
but just looked at him, then leaned my head back, closed my eyes and
sighed.
    About
an hour later, I exited the bathroom. I felt refreshed and
confident. I’d blown my cover, and I was still alive, at least for
the moment. Richard and Eberhardt were in the living room. They
stared at me for a minute.
    Then
Richard stood and asked, “Are you ready?”
    “That
tub is one piece of old techno I could get used to! You did say this
will work better if I’m relaxed,” I reminded him.
    Richard
ignored my comments and simply pointed to a chair. I sat, and he
began to connect me to the machine.
    “I’ll
ask you questions. This part,” he pointed, “will record
my questions and your answers. The electrodes,” he indicated
some wires, “will send signals to these needles which will make
marks on this paper. Truthful answers will leave different marks
than false ones, so I’ll begin by asking you some questions we both
know the answers to. Are you ready to begin?”
    “Are
you sure this thing is reliable?”
    Again,
he ignored my comment, and the interrogation began. “Where did
we first meet?”
    “At
the Café de Rivoli, downtown. We had dinner together.”
    “Who
hired you?”
    “Elaine
Ramsey.”
    “What
is my name?”
    “Your
birth name is Richard Burke III. You also go by Oren Johnson, but
you prefer Guy Bensen, at least with people you trust.”
    “What
do you do for a living?”
    “I’m
a Freelancer.” I saw no need to lie about this, not now.
    Richard
paused and shook his head.
    “Does
Elaine Ramsey know about my ties to the Resistance?”
    “I
don’t think so, but maybe.”
    “Is
Madeline Jones your real name?”
    Finally,
something new. “No, I’m Keira Maddock.”

-Guy-
    The
Lie Detect

    The
next morning, I awoke early as usual and prepared for the day.
Finally, Eberhardt called, “Rick! The girl is awake.”
    When
I entered the bedroom, I noticed that Madeline’s eyes went directly
to the open safe. Just as I’d expected! Then she looked at
Eberhardt and seemed to realize something.
    It
was troubling that she knew me as Guy Bensen, especially since she
was working for Elaine Ramsey.
    Most
people who used my code name worked with me or needed my help.
Madeline fell into neither category, and I feared that she knew too
much. I needed to know exactly how much. It was time to use the lie
detect.
    “I
don’t really trust old techno,” she said.
    “Don’t
worry, my lie detect works every time.”
    “What
do you mean?”
    With
a