I’m in the Atlanta police department headquarters.

Inside of Chief Baranowsky’s office.

This is, once again, not an unfamiliar circumstance.

“I can’t BELIEVE you thought you could just go out on your own,” Chief Baranowsky says as he chews me out. “You were under police protection. We were solving this case. We were about to bring down the entire Cybermancer ring!”

“Well, Moonslash– I mean Max Gisbon was the Cybermancers’ primary accountant for their criminal enterprises. He should have records that you can use for all of this.”

“Not in his apartment he didn’t,” he says. “But you know what he did have? Hundreds of copies of some video games and a bunch of retail crap. Real useful to us, huh.”

“How many Cybermancers could there be these days?” I ask.

“None of your business!” Chief Baranowsky shouts. “You aren’t part of the police. If I had my way…”

He’s right; if Max Gibson knew he was in danger of being arrested, then surely he also knew he was going to hide any incriminating evidence. And thanks to the crazed robots attacking his own apartment, he got exactly the chance he needed to get everything ready for his surrender.

“I apologize,” I say.

“I’m letting you off the hook but do not do this again. This is the LAST time. ”

This is the fourth time he has told me this.

“Even still…” his face lightens up as his anger subsides. “I wanted to discuss your proposal a bit further. About Kobi Gibson.”

“Yes?”

“We have not been able to locate his mother, and as we told you, his nearest kin, an aunt on his mother’s side, lives in Tallahassee and is not financially able to make the trip to Atlanta at this moment. So…”

“It’s not impossible, as irresponsible as I am?”

“Well… it’s not that I like you, Harding, but you make a very valid point, and considering the circumstances…”

“I’d be happy to accept it, if you are willing to let me.”

Chief Baranowsky sighs. “It’s certainly not my place to say this, but I know full well that our Child Protective Services is extremely lacking. One in ten of every child under our watch ends up on the streets one way or another, and even if it is only a few weeks… I don’t want to be the one lying awake at night thinking about that. As lacking in resources as we are at the moment, I have no choice but to ask for your assistance.”

That’s a hefty switch in tone from the way he was berating me just thirty seconds earlier. I’m a bit humbled. “I will be as responsible as I possibly can,” I say.

“That’s not a very reassuring statement, but okay.”