The Begining (The Navigator Book 1)

by Ben Winston

  “Relax, Thom, this is my friend Becka, and I assume my Doctor,” Joe said.

  Thom nodded to them. “Hello Doctor Symms.”

  “What's going on here Thom?” Symms asked.

  The young man just looked at the floor.

  “Jared sent Thom to kill me in my sleep. He's holding Thom's sister hostage against Thom's obedience,” Joe explained. “This isn't Thom's fault, and I don't think he should be held responsible for it.”

  :NanoSys/> Security ETA now 01 minute.

  “Uh, Doc, what's with the computer terminal in my head?” Joe asked.

  “It's a long story and I'll fill you in on everything as soon as we get this handled.” Symms replied. “But for now, I'd like you to think 'nanosys request communication with Admiral Hawkling' please.”

  As the words were said, Joe thought them, and like an overlay before his eyes, he saw:

  :Com/> Req. comm. with Hawklings, Admiral, Darkwater station.

  :NanoSyS/> Local Comm unit available, initiating comm. Req Display option: Audio only, Video only, Internal only, External?

  Getting the hang of it, Joe thought 'nanosys comm display option video only, external.'

  :NanoSySquery?> Set Display Option as default?

  'nanosys set current display option as default.' Joe thought and saw :Com/> Set current display as default.

  :NanoSyS/> Comm Default Set.

  “Well, that was different,” Joe said aloud.

  “What was different, Major?” the Admiral said as a hologram of him sitting in a chair took form next to the head of Joe's bed.

  When Joe tried to stand, Symms and Becka rushed to him. “Stand down, Major! You're still on medical, so forget protocol for now.”

  Joe settled back on his bed. “Thank you, Sir.” he sighed. “I asked to speak to you because something's come up, and we have a problem."

  “Go ahead, Son,” the Admiral said.

  Joe told him of the events of the morning, and saw the Admiral getting madder by the minute. When he finished, the Admiral sat in thought for a few moments, then turned to Thom.

  “Son, if the Major says you're not in trouble, you're not. But, unfortunately, we are going to need you and Hal to keep working for Jared for the time being. Can you do that?”

  “Will it mean rescuing our sisters, Sir?” Thom asked.

  The Admiral nodded. “It'll mean far more than that, but yes, getting your sisters home to you is included in that.”

  Thom smiled. “Absolutely, Sir. What do you need?”

  “Well, for now, we need to make sure that Jared believes the Major is deceased. Then I'll need you to resume feeding Jared the information he asks for. Just the same as before, be sure to do everything just as you have before and don't get caught. The fewer people that know of this the better."

  :NanoSyS/> Security has arrived.

  “NanoSyS says security's here,” Joe said.

  The Admiral looked at him funny, but didn't ask. “Doc, please go meet them. Ask the team to stay put, tell them it’s because of some top secret shit you're working on. Have the Security Chief follow you back so he can ‘look over the crime scene' until you can secure all the secret stuff.

  “We'll brief him, then move the Major to another room. Once there, we'll stage the crime scene, and do something with the security footage. Do we have a cadaver available?”

  Symms shrugged. “I'll find out, we do keep a few from Earth for experimentation. I'll see if I can find one roughly Joe's size,” he said as he left the room.

  The Admiral turned to Becka. “Sweetheart, would you please get Thom something to drink and maybe a chair? I think he's had enough of an emotional rollercoaster to need a rest by now.”

  “Certainly Admiral, Thom, what would you like to drink?” Becka asked.

  “Uh, cold water I guess. I never could develop a taste for coffee,” Thom said. When Becka left he said, “Sir, can I tell Hal? All of this has really been bothering him."

  Hawklings was very tempted to say yes, and was about to when Joe interrupted. “Thom, that might not be such a good idea. I mean, I know it's really getting to him, but what if someone overhears you? That crazy bastard will kill your sisters before you finish telling Hal. You can't tell anyone. The risk is far too great. Okay?”

  Thom thought about it for a minute before he nodded. “Yeah, you're right. I hate to see him like this, but it'll be better when I can tell him his sister's safe.”

  “You'll be one of the first to know,” Joe said.

  “Major,” Hawkling said to get his attention. “By order of the Terran Council, you are hereby recalled to active duty effective immediately. After considering your unique set of skills, they have tasked you with removing Jared Small as the leader of the Citadel, and correcting the potential insurrection brewing there.

  “An open Sanction has been authorized at your discretion. The Council further requests that you preserve viable reproduction material from those you sanction, however, because it is still unknown if the propensity for mental aberration or defect is genetic in nature, this is not a mission objective,” The Admiral said, finishing the order.

  “I will be dispatching a package for you, addressed to Becka, care of Doctor Symms. In it, you will find a hard copy of your orders, the findings and reasons for the discretionary sanction order signed by all the Council Members.

  “You will also find your usual toys, with a few modern upgrades added in. I would suggest that, before you use them, find a way over to the far side of the planet and acquaint yourself with them.”

  “Yes, Sir. I'll get on that as soon as they arrive. In the meantime, I'm going to do a little poking around to see if I can find anything else Jared might have his claws into,” Joe replied.

  “No, in the meantime, you're going to finish getting healed up. You scared the hell outta me. One thing you need to know, Major. You are not expendable. The Council was scared as hell that they had given you permission to go on a killing spree, but I managed to convince them you wouldn't.

  “I had to call in a lot of favors, and do a few questionable information requests, but I managed to get the real records of your previous disagreement with The Agency. After reviewing it, they all agreed to sign the order to make sure you knew that no one was using you,” Hawklings said.

  “I really appreciate that, Sir. It does make my job a lot easier,” Joe replied. “After this mission is over, could you let me know what the protocols are for making requests to the Council for consideration?”

  The Admiral grinned. “Yeah, just remind me later. You really want to get Laura up here don't you?”

  Joe nodded. “I don't see a reason against it, Sir. I really do need her.” He gestured to Thom. “This situation is a perfect example. She is my grounding rod. She keeps me sane enough to be able to recognize things like the fact that Thom would never have pulled that trigger.”

  “Without her, I'll begin to slip. If this would have happened in a couple of months, there is a good chance Thom would be dead, we wouldn't know Jared is taking hostages, and I would eventually need to be sanctioned myself. Seriously Sir, if you want to keep me sane and useful, I'm going to need Laura here with me," Joe explained. “I do not want to become a bigger problem to you than Jared is.”

  “You're really not just blowing smoke are you? You really mean it.” Hawklings said.

  “I swear to you, Sir. I really need my wife with me.”

  Hawklings said. “How does Becka feel about this? Would Laura become a problem with the more, uh, intimate aspects of your duties?”

  “Sir, Laura is bisexual. She likes women a bit more than she likes men. If she's healthy, and in shape so she feels good about herself, about the only thing that'll bother her is if I don't let her play too,” Joe replied.

  “I agree, Admiral,” Becka said from the door. “Even if Laura objects to me, Joe needs her like he needs air. Although I do hope she'll accept me into their relationship, if she doesn't, I'll step aside for her without c
omplaint.” She brought Thom the chair and his water.

  About that time, Doctor Symms returned with another man in a khaki uniform. The man looked around questioningly as he followed the Doctor. “Forgive me, Doctor. But where is the body?” the man said in an Indian accent.

  “That would be me, Constable,” Joe said and held out his hand. “Major Joseph Anderson.”

  “I must say, Major, you look quite spry for a dead man.”

  “Admiral Hawklings, I believe you know Constable Singh?” Symms said making introductions. Singh bowed to the Admiral. “It is good to see you again, Admiral."

  Symms turned to Becka. “This is Navigator Becka of the Citadel.”

  Again, Singh bowed. “It is an Honor, Navigator.”

  “The young man here is Thom Garreth, one of my lab assistants.”

  “It is a pleasure, Mr. Garreth,” Singh said.

  “Constable, just as a point of clarification, Major Anderson is a Senior Navigator that has yet to officially join the Guild,” Symms explained.

  Hawklings took over and explained the situation to the Constable, who listened intently. When Hawklings finished, Singh slowly nodded his head as he processed the information.

  “A messy business this is. However, Senior Navigator Small is in need of retirement. I will assist where I may. Doctor, please make your inquiry for two bodies. One for Major Anderson, and one for Mr. Garreth. If I can report him as deceased, it will neatly close this case, so none of my people are searching for him,” Singh said.

  “Wait!” Thom asked. “If I'm dead, where am I supposed to go?”

  “Your profile says you want to become a medical doctor, is that still your dream, Son?” Hawklings asked.

  “Yeah, but I don't have enough work credits yet for the learning center,” Thom said.

  “Really?” Hawklings said. “Are you certain?”

  Thom was about to open his mouth, when Joe cut him off. “He can't stay here, Admiral. Can he start there on Darkwater with Dr. Ortegon?”

  “I don't see why not. We just need to get him here,” Hawklings said.

  “Sir, is Shana Darryl still in port here?” Becka asked.

  Hawklings looked down and typed on a keyboard no one could see. “Uh, yes she is, but she's due to leave in about an hour. Why?”

  “She's a friend, and very trust worthy. If we tell her you need to get a stowaway back to Blackwater without anyone knowing about it, she'll get him back to you safely,” Becka said.

  Hawklings nodded. “Okay, call your friend, Becka. Try not to tell her everything, though.”

  Becka grinned. “No problem, Sir!” She bolted out the door before anyone could say anything else.

  “Shana is a very nice young woman. Really lonely though, I'm sure she'll welcome the company for the trip back,” Joe replied.

  Symms also headed for the door, but at a slower pace. “I'll go arrange for the bodies for the Constable.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. Now, we are going to need a believable motive for the murder,” Singh replied.

  “He's a little young, but we could always say he recognized me from my former life, and sought revenge. The Admiral could then classify the whole thing, so no one can see it. That way, when Jared has his flunkies get to it, he'll discover his ruse is still in place,” Joe suggested.

  “What would you have done in your past life that would make a man want to kill you?” Singh asked.

  “Sorry, Constable, I can't tell you any of that,” Joe said.

  “Constable, the Major is a former black ops soldier. He cannot disclose the nature or goals of any of his duties,” Hawklings explained.

  “Ah, in that case, I agree, that would be a very good motive.” Singh bowed once again to Joe. “Thank you, Major, for your service to our homeworld." Turning back to the Admiral, he continued. “Is he still then, a black ops soldier?”

  “Not officially, Constable,” Hawklings said, putting an emphasis on the second word and raising an eyebrow.

  Singh nodded. “I understand. I will take steps to be prepared. I wish you good hunting, and clear weather, Major.”

  Becka returned to the room. “Thom, come with me. We have to get you set up to sneak on board Shana's ship.”

  Thom got up and took three steps toward the door when he turned around. “Thank you for this chance, Admiral. Thanks for not killing me, Major. I'll look forward to hearing from you.” Before either man could say anything, the excited young man left.

  “I will remain, to 'guard the scene' until we are ready for the forensics team to come in. May I have the murder weapon, Major?” Singh asked.

  Joe handed the weapon to him, not mentioning the weapon was unloaded. Singh took the weapon, backed away a couple of steps aimed and fired the weapon at Joe's head.

  Click.

  Joe got off the Bed and took the gun away from Singh. “There are three things you fucked up on, Singh; first, you didn't check to see if the gun was loaded. Second, a special ops soldier will never hand a loaded weapon to someone he doesn't know intimately.”

  Singh was reaching for his stun baton when Joe struck him in the windpipe crushing his larynx. “Third, never try to kill someone like me. You don't stand a chance,”

  Joe watched until the light left the man's eyes, then dropped him to the floor. “This is a problem.”

  The Admiral had watched the whole thing, he hadn't actually seen the strike that had killed the Constable, but that could have been the electronics he was watching through. “Not really, get Becka back in here before she and Thom head for the landing field. We'll need Symms too.”

  When Laura got into her suite she found a handsome redhead sitting in her lounging area, with an iced tea. She was about to step back out into the hallway, when the woman spoke.

  “Please Laura, come in and talk with me? My name's Sharon. I'm the woman that sent you the note that led you here.”

  Laura entered the room cautiously. “Uh, Hi! Thank you for the note. I'm sorry, it's just that you've taken me by surprise.”

  The woman stood and turned around. She gave Laura a slight smile. “I imagine I did, and I'm sorry for that. But, you said something at the bank that I had to ask you about.”

  Laura cringed. “You had it bugged?”

  “Yeah sorry; I did say I would start watching over you when you got here,” Sharon replied, nodding.

  Laura nodded. “You want to know what I meant when Jed and I were talking about Joe.”

  Sharon nodded. “Is he alive?”

  Laura sat her belongings on one of the chairs. “I'm not sure really, but I think so.” She pointed at the tea. “Mind if I order one of those?"

  “I ordered a pitcher. It's in the fridge,” Sharon said nodding toward the mini-bar. “I was tempted to order long-island iced tea, but I need to have a clear head for a little while at least.”

  Laura poured herself a glass of tea then sat on the couch with her visitor. “Joe told me about you. Thank you for coming to his funeral.” She took a drink and swallowed, hard. “We thought you took him. When I got your note, we really started wondering. Since you're here and you're asking me that, you obviously didn't take him, so you don't know either?”

  Sharon shook her head as she stared into her tea. “No, since I heard you say that, I've done some discrete checking. Nothing so far. Do you mind telling me what you know?”

  “It's not much really. Joe had his cellphone record the conversation when they came to get him and he managed to leave it behind without them seeing it,” Laura said and pulled her purse over to herself.

  “That was sloppy. They should have at least stuck around to make sure he didn't get some kind of message to you. I don't mean to scare you, but if it had been one of the combat agencies, they would have simply staged an accident that killed you and your son and leave a body that would have been identified as him,” Sharon said.

  “They did threaten to kill me, but; well listen to this,” Laura said and played the message for her. She'd been af
raid to leave the cellphone anywhere in case it disappeared like Joe had.

  As Sharon listened she seemed to get more confused. When the message ended, she looked thoughtful. “Did you get the money?”

  Laura nodded. “It came to my account as a wire transfer from an insurance company. That's how I could bring Jed and his family with us.”

  “Joe's still alive then,” Sharon said, relieved. “However, I wouldn't bet against you not seeing him again. Look, I'm not supposed to even know this, but there's been something very big buried deep in the black bag for years now. It isn't a combat operation though, because no one has seen it.

  “Even in the condition he was in, Joe's still dangerous, but he simply wouldn't be worth reactivating for his previous skill set. There's just too much wrong with him for field work and trainers aren't acquired like that. It had to be for some other reason!” Sharon said, frustrated.

  “Forgive me for asking this, but why do you even care? He left your world twenty years ago and never looked back,” Laura said.

  Sharon still wouldn't look Laura in the eye. “I love him. I always have.”

  Laura thought she saw a tear falling down one delicate cheek, but that would certainly be at odds with the cold, heartless bitch Joe had told her about.

  “He told me that you never showed anyone weakness. Even through the sex and all the training, you never let any of them see how you really felt. He hated you for awhile, especially when the others started dying and you still didn't show the least bit of emotion. But he told me, just before he left, he thought that he'd begun to understand you.

  “He knew that once he ran, that you'd have to order the team out that would kill him. He also knew that you had been the one that had ordered the others destroyed when they started going insane. He told me that the one thing that had saved your ass from him, was you were not the one that sent him on the last mission," she finished.

  Sharon shook her head. “I'd been called back that night. They didn't want me around when the cleaners went through. Joe got there before the cleaners did. Although what he did to the command section did raise some questions, they had me come in to track down any loose ends. I made sure Joe wasn't one of them.