by Sam Schall
Who was she?
“Are you crazy? If I do what you want, there will be nothing standing between us and the Callusians.”
“If you don’t, the Callusians will destroy everything,” Watchman countered.
“I’ll get back to you.” Silence fell and Ash waited, wondering if either of them would say anything else. “And don’t contact me here again.”
The call ended. Ashlyn looked from Okumura to Khan. Both were busy inputting commands into their datapads. Knowing they were trying to get her an ID on the woman as well as Watchman’s location, she left them to it and stepped out of the room. Khan would send for her once he had the information she wanted. In the meantime, she needed to let Tremayne know the latest developments.
“Talk to me, Ash,” the admiral said a few moments later.
“Are we on a secure channel, ma’am?”
“We are.”
Ash blew out a breath. “There have been a couple of developments you need to be aware of. Major Khan will be uploading some audio files to the flagship shortly. The first is a discussion between Watchman and a Callusian. I assume it is the Callusian commander. Watchman was instructed to find a way to force the government to use the defense platforms against our ships. Failure to do so would see them releasing the biotoxin on the capital planet.”
“Well, that answers one question. Watchman is in-system.”
“Not only in-system but in the capital from the sounds of it, Miranda.” She paced a few steps and then stopped. “The second call was from Watchman to a member of the government. My guess is someone on the Bureau but I couldn’t quite place the voice. Hopefully, either Khan and his team or someone on the ship can get an ID ASAP.”
“Do you have a location on Watchman?”
“Working on it.” She held up a hand when Khan appeared in the doorway. “One moment, Admiral. We might have something else.”
“We have an ID, Colonel,” Khan said as he handed over his datapad.
She scanned the information displayed. When she asked, he confirmed they’d double-checked their results. She thanked him and reopened the channel to Tremayne.
“Admiral, we have an ID on the person Watchman contacted. Bethany Waas.”
Tremayne cursed softly. “All right. Colonel, you know the timeline we’re operating under. I leave it to you to decide your best course of action at this time. I assure you we will take steps to make sure the platforms are secure. However, short of keeping at least some of our guns focused on groundside defenses, we can do little where they are concerned.”
“Leave that to me, ma’am. I’m sure Major Khan and his team can be of assistance there. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Be careful, Ash. Tremayne out.”
Ash closed her eyes and tipped her head back. She let her mind clear, knowing she needed to keep centered. When she opened her eyes a few moments later, Khan waited.
“Major Khan, the admiral expects us to do whatever we can to control the situation down here. She is concerned about the groundside defenses. Is there anything you and your people can do along those lines?”
“I do believe we can, ma’am.” His grin was almost as evil as hers as she thought about how best to deal with Waas.
“Then get on it. Let me know if you need anything. I’m going to take a squad with me and pay Waas a visit.”
“Begging your pardon, Colonel, but what the fuck do you think you’re going to do?” Anisimova’s voice as she joined them was soft and deadly.
Ashlyn looked at her and flinched. She recognized the master sergeant’s expression and knew it boded no good. At least not for her.
“Perhaps I should have said you and I were going to take a squad,” she hedged.
Anisimova frowned a moment longer and then nodded.
“You have command here until we return, Major. We’ll take one of the armored transports. Have one shuttle ready to respond to our location if necessary.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
“Button the embassy up tight once we leave. Do not open up for anyone until we return.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Raven, I wouldn’t go if I didn’t know you can handle this. I’ll make sure Colonel Santiago knows how invaluable you and your team have been on the mission.” She shook his hand. “Durga, put a squad together. Full battle rattle. We’re going to pay a visit to Bethany Waas.”
“Ma’am?”
“I’ll brief you once we’re on our way. But the short version is she was just in contact with Watchman and my money is on her knowing where he is. That, however, is secondary right now to the fact she may be about to betray our ships.”
Anisimova’s mouth pulled down into a frown and anger flashed in her eyes. Then she nodded and pulled her comm. A moment later, she gave Ash a nod. “The squad will meet us at the shuttle.”
“Then let’s go. The clock’s ticking.”
With that, Ashlyn headed down the corridor to their makeshift armory. Things were about to get interesting and she planned to be prepared for any possibility.
17
“You can’t go inside.”
The man stood in front of Waas’ office door. Even though his hand rested on his sidearm, Ash could all but hear his knees knocking. Not that she blamed him. Four armed and armored Fuerconese Marines, Devil Dogs every one, stood in front of them. Their weapons, unlike his, were in hand. He didn’t stand a chance against them, but she’d prefer it not to come down to that.
“You can step aside or we will move you. It is imperative I have a moment of Secretary Waas’ time,” she said.
“I can’t. You don’t have authorization.”
Ash shook her head, a slight smile on her lips. “That hasn’t stopped us so far and it won’t stop us now.” She motioned the one member of the squad in heavy armor forward. “Hound, if you please.”
“With pleasure, ma’am.” He reached out and easily lifted the guard away from the door. “Stay.” He placed a gloved hand in the middle of the man’s chest, holding him in place.
“My turn, Angel,” Boomer said.
The demolitions specialist stepped forward and gently nudged Ashlyn to the side. He quickly scanned the door and then shook his head, a look of disappointment on his face. Ashlyn chuckled softly as he stepped back and kicked open the door, knowing he would have much preferred using some of his beloved explosives.
Before Ash could enter, Anisimova stopped her. At the sergeant major’s order, Hound and Boomer entered first, weapons at the ready. By the time Ashlyn stepped inside, the squad had four people, including Waas, secured. Ash moved forward, Anisimova at her side, studying the four.
“How dare you!” Waas struggled to break free from Boomer’s grip.
“Quiet!” Ashlyn motioned for one of the squad to guard the door. She didn’t want anyone interrupting their discussion. “I’m going to make this short and sweet because time is running out. Bethany Waas, approximately twenty minutes ago, you received a comm from Alexander Watchman. His comments to you left no doubt that he has been in contact with the Callusian invasionary force. He instructed you to turn your defense platforms against our ships. Your response revealed a great deal. First, you weren’t surprised to hear from. You weren’t happy, but you also weren’t surprised. Nor were you surprised to hear from him. That leads me to assume you’ve been in contact with him not only after he was removed from office but after we arrived in-system. Finally, you did not tell him you refused to work with the Callusians. Instead, you said you would get back to him.
“If that’s not bad enough, y failed to contact Admiral Tremayne or Secretary Nelms after the call. That leaves me no choice but to conclude two things. First, you have been an active conspirator against not only your home system but against Fuercon and her allies. Second, you meant to do as Watchman said. That makes you an enemy combatant. We’re here to take you and anyone working with you against the best interests of Fuercon and this system into custody.”
“No!” Waa
s kicked back, wincing as her heel collided with Boomer’s armor. “You can’t. We’re just trying to save our system.” A tear actually appeared in one of her eyes.
“I can and I will.” At Ashlyn’s nod, Boomer secured the woman’s hands behind her back and forced her to her knees. “And I assume what you just said that these others are as involved in the betrayal as you are. Sergeant Major, please inform Admiral Tremayne and Secretary Nelms that we have taken Wass as well as Vreman, Reyes and Erdogan into custody. Secretary Nelms can inform whoever takes over as head of the Bureau of our actions and the reasons why.”
“Secure the rest of them,” the blonde ordered Boomer and Hound before doing as Ash said.
“Each of you, listen very carefully. You have one chance and one chance only to mitigate your crimes against Midlothian as well as Fuercon and her allies. Where is Alexander Watchman?”
“You can’t make us say anything,” Vreman all but spat.
“True. But I can make sure you don’t harm anyone else who was foolish enough to trust you to look after their best interests.” She made a show of considering her options. “Take them to the lobby and secure them there. Make sure they won’t be able to leave or call for help. Then break out the windows. Let them feel the fresh air.”
Her upper lip curled back as Reyes teared up. “I want to make sure each of you have a front row seat to the destruction of the capital. After all, you’ve played a role in what’s about to happen. As for us, we’ll take our leave once you’re secured and return to the fleet. We should have just about enough time to evacuate the rest of our people from the embassy and return to our ships before the enemy is withing weapons range. We can be out of the system before they have a chance to open fire. I imagine they won’t be happy to have their ambush foiled and will want to make someone pay.”
“No, please. Don’t leave us to them,” Waas pleaded.
“Convince me it’s worth the risk to stay and deal with you.”
“We don’t know where Watchman is, Colonel. You have to believe us,” Vreman said.
“Sorry, not good enough.” She turned and started to the door. As she did, she heard the others hauling their prisoners to their feet.
“No!” Reyes screamed.
Ash chuckled as Boomer cursed and muttered something about the coward pissing himself. There might be someone in FleetCom who wouldn’t approve of her tactics, but she didn’t care. Time was running out and she didn’t plan on being above ground when the fighting began. Not unless she could get back to the fleet.
“You heard the colonel, Marines. Let’s go make these folks a tad bit more uncomfortable.” Anismova’s derision was clear.
“Wait!”
Ash turned. Vreman stood next to Waas. His expression as he looked at the woman was resigned. Waas shook her head. He glared and nodded once.
“Tell her,” he said.
“He’ll have moved on by now. He never stays in one place after he contacts one of us,” the woman hedged.
“Tell me or take your chances with the Callusians and with your own people when they find out how you betrayed them.” Ash waited, wondering how the woman would respond.
“All right. But if I do, you have to get us out of here.”
“Oh, I will.” She just wouldn’t tell them where she planned to take them. Not until she had the information she wanted and had confirmed it. “You have sixty seconds to tell me or we’re out of here.” Ash made a show of checking her chrono.
With fifteen seconds remaining, Waas finally gave her an address.
“See, that wasn’t too hard, was it. Think about all the trouble you could have saved yourselves if you’d cooperated earlier.” She started toward the door and then stopped. “You heard?” she asked the security guard who had been hovering just outside.
He swallowed hard once and then nodded.
“I have no doubt you have an area where they can be secured for a short while.”
Another nod.
“Boomer, Hound, secure them and then report to the transport. We’re running out of time and I’d prefer to be able to tell the admiral the mission was successful.”
“Roger that, Angel,” Hound said and motioned for the guard to lead the way.
“What now?” Anisimova asked as the prisoners were led out of the office.
“We go for Watchman.” She paused as the transport driver commed. “We need to get a move on. Racer says things are starting to get dicey on the streets as people realize the Callusians are really are closing in.”
Hopefully, their luck would hold and they’d get their hands on Watchman before all hell broke loose. She did not want to have to fight her way through a bunch of panicked civilians in order to return to the embassy.
Alexander Watchman stared at the live feed from the security cams outside the building. In the last half hour, the streets had gone from almost deserted to clogged with people and vehicles as panic set in. The government’s order to shelter in place forgotten, they foolishly believed they had time to flee the upcoming onslaught. Fools! There would be no escape for them or anyone else. Not unless Waas and her fellow members of the Bureau decided to pull their heads out of the asses and do something. All they had to do was turn the defense platforms against the Fuerconese ships. If they did, the Callusians would leave them alone.
Well, for the most part.
He turned away from the screen and considered his options. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the Callusians would make an example of Midlothian. They believed the Bureau—and him—had betrayed them. They might not use the biotoxin against the entire planet, much less the entire system, but someone would pay the price. All he could do was watch and wait and pray they didn’t choose Caspian Bay as their target.
Damn it, he shouldn’t have waited so long before leaving the system. He knew better. But he thought he had more time. All he’d needed was another week or two. He had Waas, Reyes and several others on the Bureau in hand. He finally managed to bring Vreman to heel. Why in the hell did the Callusians have to make their move so soon?
Everything he’d worked for, everything he’d done to protect Midlothian and bring her into her rightful place as a power player in the galaxy had been for naught. Hell, his actions might be the reason why.
No, he couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that. This was the government’s fault for not looking beyond the next trade deal and taking steps that should have been taken years ago. This was the fault of the allies, and especially the Fuerconese, for not ceding to the demands of the Callusians. He’d had everything worked out. But they screwed it up, just like they did everything else.
And now?
Now he should be safe deep within the capitol complex. But no. He couldn’t go there without risking arrest—or worse. He’d gotten soft in his old age. He’d left too many enemies alive. Enemies who would gladly sign his death warrant. Now, with the Callusians beating on the proverbial door and Fuercon the only thing standing between them, those same enemies would bow to whatever Fuercon wanted if it meant living another day. He might as well put a pulsar to his head and pull the trigger.
But did he dare risk not using what pull he still had to make sure he—and his government—were safe.
Everything he’d done had been for Midlothian. If it meant his death to try one last time, so be it. But he’d take his own precautions first. He might be desperate but that didn’t make him a fool. If anyone in the government tried anything, everything he’d gathered over the years, all the dirty little—and big—secrets would go public, after first finding their way to Fuercon and to all of Midlothian’s so-called allies. Then the media and the public. He would see to it each and every one of them paid the price if they betrayed him.
“What’s your status, Angel?”
Ash checked the external monitors before answering. “We’re about to breach the last known location for Watchman. From there, we’ll head back to the embassy.”
“And the prisoners?”
“Secured in a cell at in the government house, ma’am. We, uh, reprogrammed the security system for it. They won’t be let out any time soon unless it is by one of us.”
“You have fifteen minutes to find your target and return to the embassy. After that, the enemy will be within weapons range.”
“Understood.” She switched to a private channel and secured her helmet. “Miranda, what’s the status up there. The truth.”
“We’ve issued the challenge. No response, not that I expected one. Weapons are at ready and the first volley will be away in ten minutes barring a change in status. You?”
“Things are getting dicey down here, as expected. But we should be able to do this in the time allotted.”
She hoped.
“How confident are you of your information?”
“Not as confident as I’d like, Miranda, but it is the best lead yet.” Mainly because it was their only lead. “Let’s say I got a bit inventive with the prisoners in order to get them to talk.”
“Ashlyn.” Tremayne drawled out her name and Ash winced slightly. Just then, the admiral sounded like her mother whenever Elizabeth didn’t approve of something she’d done.
“I promise we didn’t lay a hand on any of them, Miranda, other than to secure them. No one was injured. But I did put the fear of God into them. It might have been mentioned that they possibly could have been left in an open air location where they’d have a front row seat to what happened if the biotoxin was released in the atmosphere.”
Tremayne didn’t quite hide her chuckle. “I’d say that wasn’t stepping over the line and will make sure my report says so.”
Ash closed her eyes and swallowed against the emotion that suddenly tightened her throat. Despite everything going on, Tremayne was doing what she could to protect Ash and her Marines.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Get a move on, Ash. Time’s running short.”
“You watch your six, Miranda. They are here to make a point and you and the rest of the First would be a great big notch in their belt.”
