Phoenix Carlyle craved a cigarette. His last smoke had been on Earth just before boarding his shuttle to the outer orbit docking station. Six Earth months had passed. Four and a half months of that time had been spent in a hibernation chamber. The technician assisting him with his chamber assured Phoenix that he would come out of hibernation at the Mars docking station a non-smoker but instead he woke up to a headache. The headache remained for most of the sixty days because of the artificial atmosphere here in Augustine, the first human civilization on Mars.
He had heard Augustine was a beautiful and exotic city free the troubles found back in overpopulated New York City and the charms of living on a new world seemed like a welcome change but after a week on planet he'd discovered that corruption had followed mankind and his new home was not very different than his old. 
Only on Mars he couldn't have a cigarette. 
A light flashed on his watch and earpiece implanted behind his ear gave a soft chime indicating an incoming call. 
He tapped the screen on his watch and answered, "Carlyle Consulting".
His ex-wife had came up with the name while the two were still married and even though he argued his customers might be confused by it she'd convinced him to set up his business under the name anyway. 
The soft female voice on the other end sounded confused. "Um... I think I might have the wrong number". 
Another client confused by the name. 
"You looking for a private investigator?"
There was a slight pause before she answered in the affirmative. 
"This is Phoenix Carlyle. I'm a private investigator. What can I do for you Miss..."
"Yordana. But you can call me Katelijn"
"What can I do for you Miss Yordana?", he asked. 
"I'd rather not speak over the line. Are you at your office?"
Phoenix looked at the mess covering his home office desk before replying, "I actually office from my apartment but I could meet you at..."
She cut him off. "Your apartment will be find. Link me your location?"
With his eyes fixed on the mess he said, "Sure. Be here in an hour."
She said "Okay" and he ended the call. He held his finger on the watch screen and after two quick beeps he said, "Send location to last caller" and got to tidying up the place as his digital assistant relayed the information. 

Only forty-five minutes had passed when there was a rapid knocking at his door. "Damn lady", he muttered as he approached the door. The knock grew more intense and he felt his skin turn warm as agitation rushed over him. He opened the door and Katelijn Yordana rushed in, her face covered in tears. She screamed, "Shut the fucking door" and began sobbing as he complied. "Look lady, I don't know what the emergency is but I'm still not quite ready for you." She must've seen he gazing at the empty beer cans spread across the living room. "I don't care about the mess. They're after me. They killed him and they are going to kill me." This wasn't the first time Phoenix had dealt with dramatic customers before, customers who felt someone was out to get them. He'd never actually found any threat worth worrying about on any of those cases and didn't expect things to change now that he'd set up shop a world away. "Who is trying to kill you and why?" "You don't believe me." "I'm just trying to get the full picture here." She spelled it all out. Her brother had been working at the landing site for the incoming shuttles last year when he'd gone missing. Her family had sent her a few weeks later to try and find him but by the time she'd spent the four and a half months traveling to Mars any trail that might have exist had gone cold. She'd talked to the shift manager that had seen him last. She talked to the few friends he had on Mars. She had even talked to his apartment manager who didn't seem to remember him much beyond having to clear his belongings out of the unit. None of them knew anything. She was about to take a shuttle off planet to begin her trip back to Earth when she noticed a man dressed in a dark suit had been hanging outside of her hotel. He must know something, she figured, so she confidently approached him and asked why he was following her and if he knew something about her brother. The man pulled a small taser from his inside pocket and fired it at her. Somehow she'd stepped out of the way but stumbled to the ground as the man stepped closer. That's when she ran. She ran down the hallway to an elevator. The doors opened after she frantically pressed the call button and three police officers were inside. Pleading for help she started to run to the men before noticing they were pulling for tasers of their own. She ran away, continuing down the hall, and scrambling down three flights of stairs to the hotel exit. She didn't look back until she had gone several blocks. Somehow she had lost them. She wasn't sure when but for the time being she was safe. That's when she found the number for Phoenix and contacted him. "You didn't talk to the police officers?" "They were trying to hurt me. I could see it in their eyes. They were there to help the man in the suit." "How do you know he wasn't a cop?" "He wasn't a cop. Trust me. Our dad was a cop for thirty-five years. I know cops." Phoenix wasn't convinced. In fact, he was worried this crackpot might get him in trouble with the law. He would have to find a way to step away and contact them. "Could you excuse me for a second, I need to use the restroom." He offered her a drink which she accepted before stepping out of the room. He held his finger on the screen of his watch and after the two beeps said, "Dial Detective Peterson". Ryan Peterson was one of the few contacts within the police department Phoenix had made during his time on Mars. He answered after several rings. "Look Phoenix, now isn't a good time. I'm jammed up with something else", he said hastily. "I'll be quick. You guys looking for Katelijn Yordana?" Detective Peterson's tone changed in an instant. "Yordana? Yes. She's wanted in questioning for he brothers disappearance. Have you spoken with her?" "She called me. Said some guys were after her. Ran for her life" "Some officers were sent to bring her in for questioning. Did she tell you about her brother?" "Yeah. She said came here looking for him after he went missing." "Oh is that what she told you? Her brother only went missing after she arrived on Mars. Are you meeting with her? We'd love to come pick her up if you have her location. She got away from a few of my guys earlier today and they've been unable to locate her." Peterson seemed a little too eager to apprehend his target so Phoenix decided to play his cards close to his chest. "I told her I would call her back. Let me see if I can get her location and I'll call you back." "That would be extremely helpful. You call me the second you have a location on her and I'll send my guys to snatch her up." There was something about that phrase that seemed off to Phoenix. "Sounds good. I'll let you know." Then he disconnected.

Detective Peterson waited for Phoenix to disconnect from the line before pressing his own watch. Two beeps and he said, "Get me recordings of all calls received by Phoenix Carlyle today. The screen illuminated with a golden badge which signified his digital assistant was connecting with the police network. 
Phoenix had only received two calls that day. The first was a wrong number. The second was Katelijn Yordana. He pressed his watch again and after the beeps said, "Call Mr. Black". 
The other end picked up but said nothing. 
Detective Peterson smiled as he said, "I've found her."

Phoenix wasn't sure what to believe. His past experiences told him the lady was likely a nut and couldn't be trusted. But something wasn't right about the Detective. In their limited dealings he had not been very easy to work with but as soon as he mentioned her name he'd suddenly become very nice. Too nice. And what about that odd phrase, "snatch her up?". Since when do cops snatch people?
He walked back into the living room.
"I just talked to the police."
She stood up and looked very frightened. 
"You what?"
"Look... I'm new on this rock and I can't afford to take any chances. My detective friend says you're wanted for questioning in your brothers disappearance. Know anything about that?"
"I wasn't even on Mars when he went missing. I've got shuttle receipts to prove it."
He didn't need to see them. His gut told him all he needed to know. 
"We need to leave. Follow me.", he said and he led her out of his apartment.
They made it to his transport, he never felt right calling the stripped down electric vehicles on Mars a car, and were pulling away from his building when another transport pulled up and the man in the dark suit stepped out. 
"Duck!" he said to his passenger but it was too late. They were spotted. 
Mr. Black stepped back into his transport and gave pursuit. The speed of the transports were limited to eighty kilometers per hour but on the crowded streets of Augustine it would have been difficult to go much faster even if the limitations weren't there. 
Phoenix checked his mirror and saw the man was several transports behind. They might just get away. But then where would they go? 
Suddenly a red light flashed on the dash and over the speakers came a computerized voice. "This vehicle is reported as being involved in a police pursuit. This vehicle will now power down.  Please place your hands on your head and await further instructions from law enforcement. Thank you." Then the electric motor powered off and the transport pulled itself to the side of the road. 
He looked at Katelijn before screaming. "Run!"
They managed to exit the vehicle before Mr. Black's own transport pulled in behind. He stepped out and came running after them without saying a word.