Karina squatted down next to him. “Come on,” she cajoled. “It’s not that bad.”
She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “You don’t want to anger him. He might easily decide to put us both back into his dungeon.”
“At least get him to take these cuffs off,” he pleaded. “They’re uncomfortable.”
Karina nodded. “Daddy?”
She waited for her father to look up. “What, princess? Daddy’s working.”
“Daddy,” she repeated coyly. “Please, may we take Sean’s handcuffs off? I promise he’ll be good.”
Vito thought for a moment and then his expression hardened. “You know we can’t do that until you’re married,” he ruled.
Sean couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer. “You’re going to have me stand at the altar in cuffs? Won’t your guests be a bit suspicious?”
Vito rocked back in his console chair. “No, not at all,” he said casually. “They’re used to it.”
Karina looked resigned. “He’s right,” she agreed. “Once, he had a guy killed at his own funeral. It was messy. Blood all over the casket.”
Sean’s mind whirred, trying to process what she’d just said. “You mean…”
“Yeah. Announced the funeral and had him lie down in the box after he’d said goodbye to his family and friends.”
Sean’s mouth dropped open. “That’s… awful!”
Vito sat up. “Actually, I was being kind. I gave him a chance to say goodbye to everyone. When does anyone ever get that opportunity?”
Sean tried to cover his face with his retrained hands. “But he knew he was going to die. And so did everyone else!”
Vito protested casually. “It was the humane thing to do. He’d served me well for twenty years.”
Sean couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Shit,” he muttered, making eye contact with Karina, who seemed to have nothing to offer the conversation. “I’d hate to see what you do to your enemies.”
Karina suddenly burst out laughing, shooting crumbs all over the carpet in front of them. “He used to joke about having them married off to his wayward daughter!”
Sean glared. “Well, I can see now that that makes sense.”
“Oh, come on,” she said, nudging him playfully. “Don’t be such a party pooper. This is going to be fun. After we’ve chosen the cake, we still have so many decisions to make, like flowers and table ornaments and…”
Sean had already stopped listening and was imagining he was back in his nightmare, trying to figure out how to break out of the corridor.
Because anything, including certain death from a team of assassins, was better than this…
Paige’s office, Safehouse, Gaitune-67
The safehouse beyond her office was deadly silent, offering no assistance to the dilemma the pair faced.
Paige sat quietly, poised at her desk, waiting for Gareth Jones to respond. Even through the holo medium, she could see that he was perplexed. The normally friendly, smiling eyes looked stressed and strained now as he considered the information she had just shared with him.
“I must admit,” he said finally, “I’m somewhat baffled by this.”
“Me too,” Paige agreed. “I’ve called around a few other admin departments at similar institutions. No one has heard of an investigation like this before.”
“I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s a clerical error? They have no reason to investigate.” He stroked his chin. “And they didn’t tell you anything else?”
Paige shook her head.
Gareth sighed and leaned back in his anti-grav chair. “There’s no reason for it. I was extra careful with the paperwork in having the university registered as a place of education. All the filings have been done on time and by the book. I suppose…” he paused, as if hardly daring to speak the words, “the issue may be political in nature.”
Paige frowned but waited for him to explain.
Gareth shrugged and leaned forward again, this time with a twist in his lips as if he were in pain. “It’s no secret that the content of our courses is controversial. Promoting peace and cooperation on a planet-wide scale alone is going to hit a lot of industries hard.”
Paige pursed her lips. “I was afraid that was the conclusion we might be left with. Have we any way to find out for sure?”
Gareth shook his head. “Not really. I can put a few calls in and see if any of my contacts have heard anything. It’ll all be hearsay though, and there’s no way to use anything I learn to stop it.”
Paige wrinkled her nose. “Bummer. So, anything we can do about stopping it any other way? Through the courts perhaps?”
Gareth scratched his face, thinking. “I suppose… You see, the thing is, because this hasn’t happened before, there is nothing to compare it to. And so, there is no precedent. By extension, there is no precedent to getting it overturned, either. Bottom line, since it is a private facility with customers and so on, the government will always be able to argue it has a right to protect its citizens.”
“So, we can’t stop them?” Paige’s spine slumped as she felt the exhaustion of the whole matter catch up to her. She’d spent all morning on calls trying to find some loophole or way out of the investigation.
“We can try,” Gareth said quietly. Paige noticed the lack of optimism in his voice, though. “I’ll get someone onto it, but I think realistically, they’re going to do what they want to do.”
Paige had to know. “And what do you think their endgame is?”
“Worst case? Shut us down.”
“And best case is that they get something they can use to manipulate us?” Paige asked.
Gareth nodded grimly. His complexion was looking pasty now. “Sounds like you know how the bigger picture gets played.”
Paige tried to smile. “I’ve had some experience.”
Gareth nodded gently. “Okay. Let’s stay in touch. I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything at this end, but as it stands, it looks like they’re going to end up doing that investigation. All we can hope then is that they don’t end up finding anything.”
Paige held her hand up to wave. “Okay, then. Thanks, Gareth. We’ll be in touch.”
The call ended, and Paige sat staring into space for several moments, replaying the conversation in her mind. She closed the open holoscreens, her eye catching again on the holocomm from Info Corp. Her stomach sank.
This is too much to deal with, she thought to herself as she grabbed her empty mocha mug and headed out of the door, with the full weight of the university and her company on her shoulders.
Aboard The ArchAngel, Sark System
Carol stomped her way along the corridors of The ArchAngel, her arm held by her husband and escorted by a pair of armed guards.
“Oh, for goodness sake, this is ridiculous!” she spat, struggling to release herself from Philip’s grip. He held firm.
“Come on, where am I going to run to?” she insisted.
Philip eyed her carefully. He maintained a cool exterior. The exterior she had thought of as sexy when he was out on missions. Right now, though, she could see the cracks appearing. She could tell he was having second thoughts. She also suspected he was somewhat embarrassed to be doing this. Whether that was in the face of the Federation, or her, she couldn’t quite figure out.
“Just stop struggling,” he told her firmly. “We’ve all made the mistake of underestimating you before.” He broke into a tiny smile before adding, “You should take that as a compliment.”
Carol stopped struggling. “Look, let me just walk, and I’ll make this easy. We don’t have to be… uncivilized.”
Philip sighed and released her. She continued to walk but straightened herself up and corrected her posture, now walking with dignity. Philip shook his head to himself. She was determined and proud, if nothing else…
Carol continued talking, by way of a thank you. “You realize I despise this man,” she muttered quietly so that the esc
orts couldn’t hear. Or so she assumed.
Philip glanced at her briefly, acknowledging the statement but saying nothing.
Eventually, they arrived on the corridor they needed to be on, and the guards took them into the office. The door swooshed open, allowing them to step through into a rather comfortable looking office suite. Lance appeared, ambling casually from his side office.
“Philip, Carol, good of you to come,” he greeted them, stepping forward. Philip and Lance shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
Carol glared at Lance before holding her bound wrists up. “I’d shake your hand, but it seems my husband would rather I stayed restrained for the duration of my kidnapping.”
Lance wandered over to her. “Hello, Carol. I’m sorry about the methods. I just needed to be sure to get you up here. And I know we have a difficult relationship, so I didn’t think you’d come easily.”
He glanced at Philip, who remained silent, watching as Lance took the blame for his methods.
Carol straightened her posture indignantly. Philip imagined the hackles on the back of her neck going up as she spoke. “By difficult relationship, you mean that you admit that you’re an overbearing nincompoop who thinks he can throw his Federation authority all over the place and expects everyone else to just fall in line?”
Lance smiled coolly as he wandered over to his drinks tray. He poured a drink for each of them and handed them out. Carol, surprisingly, took hers gracefully, despite having her hands bound.
“I hear you’ve been monitoring Molly,” he said, more as an opening statement than a question.
“That’s right,” she said. “I have a duty to my planet to monitor all threats. And as a parent, I need to make sure my daughter isn’t caught up in any Federation… shenanigans… that are going to get her killed.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate because it looks like you’re having the exact opposite effect.” Lance regarded her sternly. “Your daughter has gone off to the Kirox Quandrant, where we have absolutely no influence, I might add, in an attempt to find Sean Royale, who is now missing and probably dead. Want to explain what you know of this?”
Carol’s eyes narrowed, and her face darkened. “That Sean Royale is the reason we’re having this conversation. I know his type. He’s bad news. And he’s all wrapped up with Molly. I’m just protecting my daughter.”
Lance glanced over at Philip. “What exactly did she do?”
Philip shuffled his feet and took a swig of the Yollin Brandy Lance had just handed him. “Reading between the lines, I think Carol sent an ex-operative off to ensnare him. Get him married so that he’s out of the picture and keep him that way.”
“I see,” Lance mulled.
Carol protested, “I found chatter that points to specific threats against Molly during my investigations, I’ll have you know. People coming at her through the university.”
Philip’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. He said nothing.
Carol continued. “If I hadn’t been keeping an eye on things, we would never know, and then where would she be? Having to fake her own death… again. Or worse!”
Philip stood quietly, watching the interaction play out, wondering if Carol was just spouting paranoid conclusions… or whether something was actually afoot. He regarded Lance carefully, looking for signs of him knowing about these threats. The man wasn’t giving anything away. He remained his normally calm and collected self.
Lance didn’t ask any questions, either. Instead, he waved a finger to one of the guards. “Carol, how about you go with Bill and relax for a little while so I can talk with your husband?”
Carol looked at the two guards waiting to escort her. “What, you’re dismissing me?” she asked in a raised voice. “You have my husband break all kinds of laws and vows and bring me up here to—”
One of the guards went to take her by the arm. She pulled away violently, then composed herself. “I can walk,” she said angrily. And then without another word, she strode out of the room, followed by her two escorts.
“Where are they taking her?” Philip asked nervously.
Lance waved a hand. “Just somewhere to cool off. Let’s you and I go and grab some dinner. I’ve not eaten all day.” He closed down some holos on his desk and then headed across the office suite to Philip, before inviting him to step out of the door ahead of him.
Philip walked ahead, his mind churning. He glanced back at Lance as they stepped out into the corridor. “Sir, what if there really are other threats against Molly? In her position, Carol could help. And I’ve no doubt she’s looking out for her.”
Lance nodded, then put a finger to his lips. “This is classified, but we will talk,” he promised as he led the way down the corridor. “Let’s go eat.”
* * *
Philip shifted his food around his plate, barely registering that he should be eating. “I feel bad knowing you’ve got her locked up somewhere,” he confessed to Lance, who seemed perfectly composed and content.
“Locked up?” Lance repeated. “Oh, no. I’m sure she’s fine. ADAM, give us a visual on Mrs. Bates please.”
A holoscreen pulled itself up in the middle of the dining table. It showed a spa setting, complete with a small pool and hot tubs around.
“Punch in,” Lance commanded.
The viewer zoomed in on two women sitting with face masks on sun loungers. Philip recognized the type of drink they had from the shape of the glasses. “That’s Carol?” he asked.
Lance nodded, putting another forkful of food in his mouth.
“And the other lady?”
“Barb Kurns,” Lance relayed. “The two of them met at some counterintelligence conference or other. Thought Carol might be more forthcoming to someone who wasn’t me.”
Philip raised his eyebrows and then nodded. “And after a couple of martinis…” he observed.
“Quite,” Lance agreed, a mischievous glimmer in his eye.
“So, you really did send her to cool off…”
“Yeah. Those women, they’ll blow off steam gossiping and sharing and then be able to have a reasonable conversation.”
“So, you think that Carol actually has something?”
Lance nodded, glancing around to make sure there was no one else within earshot. “I do,” he confided. “I’d like to see the intel she’s uncovered, but we have our own suspicions about something in play.”
“Like what?”
“Well, we’ve noticed big shifts in the market. Moves of money… without any news or triggers that would influence market dynamics.”
Philip frowned, placing his fork down. “You suspect insider trading?”
“Oh, no… well, there may be some of that. But it more suggests to us that there is something else going on behind the scenes that we’re not fully privy to.”
“Okay. You say that like there’s more?”
“There is,” Lance confirmed. “We’ve noticed a certain rearrangement in the military. Like promotions happening that are… idiosyncratic. Appointments that are unexpected from our models. It suggests a changing political landscape and a shift in power.”
“In favor of?”
“Well, that’s what we’re in the process of figuring out. We haven’t been able to pinpoint it, which is why it’s important for us to look at whatever data Carol has collected.”
Philip’s eyes were alight with interest. “So, you think there is a movement happening?”
“I do. And we need to be ready for it. You and Carol have served your planet well. You’ve been loyal to the common good. I feel we can trust you. And as ambassadors for your planet, I hope we can work together more closely to deal with this potential threat.”
Philip’s eyes glazed over as he looked at his plate. “You realize I’m retired.”
Lance smiled. “Yes. I know that feeling well too, myself. But there is more to do. And your daughter is undoubtedly going to be at the center of whatever needs doing… so�
��” He kept eating for a few minutes, giving Philip time to think.
“Anyway,” Lance said eventually, “I figured that you and I were better off out of the picture for now. Given that she detests me, and given you kidnapped her to bring her up here, I thought it best.”
Philip nodded and started eating. “Yes, very clever,” he agreed.
“We’ll just let Barb do her thing,” he said, closing the holoscreen and checking the time on his holo. “She’ll mellow her out. We just need to wait.”
Chapter 10
Aboard The Empress, Glom Space station, Kirox Quadrant
Molly stood in the center of the lounge, guns strapped to her legs, in mission-mode. “Okay, folks, listen up. What we know is that Scamp last docked here for four days, arriving with Sean, leaving without him. We know that Sean was here. He might still be, so we’re looking for anything that can give us a clue as to his whereabouts now.”
She nodded at Pieter. “Pieter, you and I are going to hack the station’s security feeds and scan for any footage of him.”
She looked to the others one by one as she issued the orders. “The rest of you, head out there and blend in. No gunfights. No fisticuffs. Just blend. And see what you can find out. Do people get twitchy if you ask about a human cyborg out here? Has anyone seen him? Have a story… like he is your friend or brother. Try and keep any mention of the Federation, or our military operation and capabilities, out of it. This is enemy territory potentially. We have no idea what we’re walking in to, and this is a damn long way to get help from the Federation out here.”
She noticed the solemn looks on their faces. “And one more thing,” she added. “If anyone is capable of finding Sean alive and well, it’s you. You’re the best friends a soldier could have. And the most capable team that he’s ever known. He told me that once.” Her eyes drifted off as if remembering, and then she smirked. “Albeit, he was drinking at the time…”
Everyone chuckled.
“But he meant it,” she continued. “He has faith in you. And so do I. Now, let’s go get our guy and bring him home.” She clapped her hands in a “round em up and move out” way, and everyone hopped to, slinging their gear on their backs and moving to the exit.
The Ascension Myth Box Set Page 181
