“He has witnesses,” one of the security officers stated loudly. “You’re drunk and in no condition to give orders, sir. You tried to assault the current acting head of security. I stand by his assessment. You’re a mess.”
More security officers mouthed their agreement, backing Mitch.
Mitch jerked his head. “Let’s escort him back inside his quarters.”
“You don’t have permission to go in there! No!”
Commander Alderson looked extremely panicked all the sudden. And Vivian wasn’t the only one who noticed. Mitch had one of his men grab hold of the commander then moved in front of him. “You’d rather I secure you in the brig, sir?”
“Yes! Might as well make sure your court-martial gets you at least twenty fucking years!” Commander Alderson spat.
Mitch turned his head, glancing at Vivian. “Order Abby to open his doors. She can override the locks, correct?”
“On it,” Abby responded.
“I forbid you to do that!” Commander Alderson shouted. “Stay out of my quarters!”
“She’s doing it,” Vivian informed Mitch.
The doors slid open in front of them and Mitch stormed inside, two other security members going with him. The doors closed behind them, and Commander Alderson continued to shout and curse and make threats at everyone in the corridor, promising he’d end their careers, ensuring they’d never work on a fleet ship again.
Minutes passed.
“I wonder what he’s hiding. That’s how he’s acting, isn’t it? Or is it just me?”
“It’s not just you, Abby,” Vivian whispered.
The door opened and Mitch stepped out, looking enraged. He glanced around until he spotted whoever he was looking for. “Thomas, take your med kit and get your ass in there now. There are two injured women.” He kept his body in front of the sensor on the door to keep it open. Then he shot a purely pissed-off glare at Commander Alderson.
“That’s why you cleared out the control rooms, isn’t it? They’re the only crew able to record and make copies of footage if they wanted to blackmail you for cheating on your wife.” He glanced around at his security. “The bastard smuggled on two sex workers from the Branston station. He was keeping them in a nearby room and escorting them to his quarters when he was off-duty. Then the lockdown happened,” Mitch glared again at Commander Alderson, “and he clearly took out his frustrations on them. He beat the shit out of both women.”
“What the hell?” Yole, one of the female security officers, stepped forward.
“It’s not what it looks like!” Commander Alderson sputtered. “They’re into that shit. It was just a little rough sex. I’m ordering everyone to forget this happened!”
“Fuck you, sir,” Mitch hissed. “We’re clearing your quarters, and then you’ll be confined there.”
“He should go to the brig,” someone muttered behind Vivian.
Mitch shook his head. “He’s a commander. He’ll be confined to quarters until a higher authority takes over. You all know procedures. We’re going to follow them, despite how distasteful that is. I’d love to lock his ass in a cell after what I just saw and heard from those women.”
“You make me sick,” Yole hissed at Commander Alderson.
Vivian was glad she was no longer the only target for the outspoken security officer when she was displeased.
Two women were led out of the commander’s quarters, and Vivian was stunned by their condition. One sported a split lip and a black eye. Her clothing was torn, revealing scratch marks on her left breast and what appeared to be a bite mark. The second woman was in even worse shape. She had similar injuries, and Thomas was helping her walk, as if something was wrong with one of her legs.
Mitch unlocked the cuffs on Alderson once security had cleared his quarters, and then shoved him inside. “Seal it,” he ordered.
“You’re going to regret this!” Commander Alderson roared. “All of you! I’ll see you destroyed!”
The doors closed to the quarters—and everyone glanced at each other in silence.
Mitch sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “What a fucking mess.”
“You really think he ordered the operators from the control stations to stand down?”
That was someone Vivian didn’t know, probably new to the security team, maybe from the Branston station.
Mitch nodded and dropped his hand. “Yes. Or he could have fucked with their schedules to make them think someone else was covering their posts. It’s the only way I can think of that he pulled it off. The operators can record copies of security footage and store it off the main computers. He probably worried he’d be blackmailed, and there would be no denying any allegations against him if they had visual proof of who was going into his quarters, and how long they stayed, when he wasn’t on duty.”
More curses sounded around Vivian.
Mitch glanced at her. “I have to put you in the brig, Vivian. I’m sorry. It’s protocol. You’re a civilian who breached secure areas, and this is going to warrant a full-scale investigation. I wish I could just confine you to your quarters, too. You’d be more comfortable there, but…rules are rules.”
She had expected it. “I understand.”
He hesitated. “I’m also going to have to arrest your friend.”
“Tell him that’s not happening. I have full clearance on all fleet ships and can prove it. Tell him to contact Admiral William Fellows, if he’s in doubt. Hell, any of the top brass of United Earth, for that matter. My parents own D Corp.”
After a moment of stunned silence at that revelation, Vivian repeated what Abby told him.
Mitch sighed again. “Understood. I need your earpiece now.” He glanced around. “Tick, escort her to the brig, and make damn sure she’s as comfortable as possible. You stay with her.”
A female security officer stepped forward. “Yes, sir.”
Vivian hesitated. “Thanks for everything, Abby. I’m going to pass you over now.”
“I’m going to be reaching out to my contacts when the rescue teams come. You’re not going down for any of this. I swear,” her new friend promised.
“I appreciate that.” She pulled the earpiece out and handed it to Mitch.
He accepted it and put it in his own ear. “You did a hell of a job, Vivian Goss. I’m going to put that in my report. We’ll try to kick you free of any shit that comes your way.”
She blinked back tears, touched by his words. “From your lips to the investigator’s ears.”
“This way,” Tick ordered, gently gripping her upper arm.
At least she wasn’t being handcuffed. The woman led her back to the lift. They had to wait for it, and Mitch asked Abby to open a route for the women to the brig, on the lowest level of the Gorison Traveler.
“I’m Meg Tick,” the woman whispered. “I agree with Reese. Um, Mitch. You did a hell of a job.”
“Thank you. I’m glad it’s all out of my hands now.”
Tick snorted a laugh. “No shit, right? I can’t imagine having to make some of the calls you did during this clusterfuck.”
The lift opened and they got inside. Vivian already missed having Abby’s voice in her ear. She glanced up at the camera and gave it a sad smile, and when the lift stopped, both of them got out.
She was going to the brig. At least she knew they were kept clean, thanks to the tours she’d taken with Big M. Any cell she was put in would contain a single bunk, a thin mattress, one blanket, a sink, and a toilet.
“Commander Alderson is going down for this bullshit. He was so drunk. It’s about damn time.”
Vivian turned her head and studied her companion. “He’s a total dick.”
Tick snorted. “That bastard hit on me a few times, implying I could get a promotion if I blew him. As if the tiny pay increase would be worth that trauma. Speaking of tiny, every guy who acts as bad as he does owns a micro penis, in my experience.”
Vivian figured Tick was trying to cheer her up. It didn’t work, tho
ugh, when she was locked in the cell.
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Me either.” Tick leaned against the wall. “So you’re the one who filed stalking charges against Hugh? Good for you. He hounded me, too, thinking I’d cave at some point—until I beat his ass in the training room half a dozen times. Then he decided I wasn’t an easy enough target.”
“He thought because I was adopted, Big M wouldn’t take my word over his. He was wrong.”
“Big M was a good man. Fair. I’m sorry. We all lost out with his death.”
Vivian took a seat on the hard bunk mattress, and then lay down. “Thank you. I’m tired. Do you mind if I take a nap?”
“Go ahead. You’ve earned some sleep. I’ll check over inventory down here to make sure we won’t starve until we’re officially off lockdown and they can get the cafeterias back open. God, I’ve missed cooked meals. I hate those emergency ration bars we’ve all been stuck eating.”
Vivian closed her eyes and her thoughts instantly went to Brassi, wondering how he was doing, where he was now…and hoping she’d be able to use that card to contact him. Tick hadn’t patted her down or taken it from her.
Chapter Eight
Sub-Commander Garland Shaw glared at Vivian from the other side of the bars. He was now in charge of the Gorison Traveler, with Commander Alderson under arrest in his quarters. He’d come to see her once lockdown had been lifted, freeing all the crew members.
Meg Tick had kept her updated. The remaining three Ke’ters had been found where Vivian had already guessed, trapped inside crew quarters. Their victims were dead and eaten. None of them had peacefully surrendered. The security team had to kill them.
Despite that, Sub-Commander Shaw’s first words killed any hope Vivian had that he might release her. “You are in serious trouble.”
Vivian opened her mouth, ready to defend herself.
“Excuses don’t matter. You breached Control One—illegally, I might add—and initiated lockdown before our security forces could handle the situation. Then left us trapped in quarters, unable to do anything. Then you allowed unfriendlies aboard a fleet ship. They could have stolen it and killed everyone! You’re going to be facing life in prison, if not execution.”
She sealed her lips.
“That’s the way I see it—as does Commander Alderson. Get comfortable behind bars, Miss Goss. This is your new life.”
Without allowing her a word in defense, he spun on his heel and marched out of the cellblock.
“What a prick!” Meg whispered once he was gone. “We have over sixty dead, last I heard.” She shook her head. “Reese said lockdown happened less than five minutes after you’d notified security of the attack in the debriefing room. Not all of us are morons, Vivian… If the Ke’ters killed that many of us in that short of a span? Lockdown saved a lot more lives because you acted quickly. What made you even think to go there?”
“Mikey told me to.”
“Did he give you the access codes to get into Control One?”
Vivian shook her head. “Big M did after what happened to the Hail Nine transport.”
Meg nodded. “Smart. With the rebels acting up, it’s always a real fear that they could target high-ranking crew members with access to control rooms on ships. Did Big M upload your DNA to give you bridge access, too? I heard we’re still locked out. Maybe you could bargain your future with that.”
She shook her head. “Only admiral DNA can do that.”
“I didn’t know.” Meg shifted her position, leaning against the wall across from her in the cellblock hallway. “At least we finally got a transmission from Branston Space Station. They’re sending rescue ships. They should arrive in about seven days.”
“I hope they bring an admiral with them, or the Gorison Traveler will remain stationed here a lot longer since it can’t be flown.”
“The tech guys are trying to find a way onto the bridge. That friend of yours, Abby Thomas, is working with them.”
“Good.” Vivian took a seat on her bunk.
“Imagine the money her and her family are worth. I’m told ever since Sub-Commander Shaw realized who she was, he’s been kissing her ass big time. She’s apparently on a first-name basis with the brass. They’ve given her free access to pretty much any ship.”
Vivian was glad to hear that. She’d hate to have Abby locked in the cell next to hers.
Meg’s coms buzzed, and she answered. “Tick here.”
Vivian couldn’t hear what was said to the security officer, but Meg nodded. “On my way.” She looked at Vivian. “They have the cafeteria up and running. I’ve been given permission to take a meal break. I’ll return in an hour, and I’ll bring you something back.”
“Thank you. A hot meal sounds nice.”
“No shit. I don’t even care if they’re just serving noodles and that white plant stuff they call chicken.”
Vivian watched her go, and the doors at the end of the cellblock sealed once more, leaving her alone. She leaned back against the wall, sighing.
It had been about eight hours since she’d been locked up, and she might be looking at weeks more. If Shaw and Alderson got their way, it would be for the rest of her life. They didn’t care why she’d done what she had. They seemed to be looking for someone to punish. And the Ke’ters were all dead.
The doors opened, and Vivian turned her head—standings in surprise when Abby entered. Her friend had changed outfits, and now wore some kind of loose black tech jumpsuit with a ton of large pockets, her red hair pulled back into a ponytail.
Vivian strode to the bars. “What are you doing here?”
“We don’t have much time.” Abby touched the coded panel and the locks disengaged. She yanked open the door. “Come with me.”
Vivian hesitated. “I’m not allowed to leave.”
Abby reached in, grabbed her, and yanked her out of the cell. “You’re in danger! Walk and talk.” She released her and spun, jogging toward the doors. “Stay on my ass and trust me.”
Vivian rushed after her. “What’s going on?”
“That piece-of-shit Sub-Dickhead Shaw is plotting with Bigger Dickhead Alderson to spin this entire nightmare to shove the blame on others. I hacked into their private com conversations. They’re going tell brass it was you, as the ship’s cultural specialist, who recommended the Ke’ters come onboard. And after the attack, you locked everyone in before the crew could do anything to save the ship because you supposedly panicked, realizing what a huge mistake you’d made.”
Vivian was momentarily stunned speechless. “That’s not true! I wasn’t even consulted. Hell, I wasn’t even allowed near the Ke’ters.”
“I’m aware, of course. They’re also going to blame the head of security for allowing the Ke’ters such freedom on the ship, including the tour that gave them access to both the bridge and the operators in the control centers.”
Vivian felt sick. “My dad didn’t—”
“I know,” Abby interrupted. “They’re trying to save their jobs, Vivian, and they don’t care who they have to shove the blame on. Big Mike is dead. He can’t defend himself. Nor can the murdered bridge crew, who were apparently ordered by the commander to give the Ke’ters a tour.
“But you’re still here—and they can’t allow you to live to testify about what really happened. They decided it would be believable if you committed suicide in the brig over the guilt of so many dead crew, because of what you and your father had supposedly done. It’s why we need to get you to safety. They’re going to kill you, Vivian.”
“But…there are recordings! There’s no way they can hope to get away with any of that bullshit.”
“Sub-Piece of Shit ordered Reese to his quarters. He plans to put Shithead Commander back in charge so they can destroy any proof of what happened before and during the attack. And you’ll get blamed for doing that, too. Assholes!”
Shocked, Vivian could only gasp.
“But I have plans for t
hem.” Abby paused, overrode the locks to gain them access to another door, and they entered the cargo area. “You need to suit up.” She pointed toward the far wall and yanked a small digital pad from one of her pockets. Her finger tapped it and part of the wall opened. A spacesuit came out, hanging from a mechanical arm that stored it upright.
Vivian was still reeling from everything she’d heard. “They can’t do this!”
“They can try, but they won’t get away with it. I made sure of it. I changed the access codes to all four control centers. I also locked them out of the computer’s core, where everything is stored—but I made backups first of the hours before, during, and after the attack, just in case. I’ve already sent them to a computer at home. Climb into the suit.”
The suit lowered, the mechanical arm still holding it in place. Vivian frowned. “That’s for exterior repairs.”
“Yes, it is.” Abby was tapping on her pad. “Just crouch down in the suit and when I open the exterior doors, it will create a vacuum that will propel you far from the ship.”
Abby shoved the pad back into a pocket and withdrew a second device from another one. It was palm-sized, and when she activated it, a red light began blinking. When Vivian continued to stand there in shock, her friend grabbed the front of her shirt and literally began shoving her inside the uniform.
“This is a distress beacon I stole off one of the emergency pods. I couldn’t get you into one, since only the bridge can launch them. The spacesuit is going to have to do to get you off the ship.”
Vivian shock started to wear off…replaced by paralyzing fear.
Abby grabbed her arms and gave her a shake. “Stop standing there, damn it! I shut down all the cameras on this level but security might be doing sweeps. Get in the fucking suit, Vivian! We don’t have a lot of time. Someone also might get suspicious when your guard shows up to eat while she’s supposed to be on duty. I, uh…kind of relieved her for an hour, pretending to be one of her superiors.”
“You want me to float in space until the rescue teams come? I don’t think the suits store enough oxygen for that.”
The Gorison Traveler Incident (Veslor Mates #1) Page 9
