White Fire

by Laurie Bell

  Khegh! She couldn’t stop the half-gasped scream that tore from her throat. Excruciating pain raced up her bad arm. Her vision blurred. She staggered drunkenly, her breath rasping. More shouts, a cacophony of moving chairs and bodies running drowned out any call for calm. The assassin rose to his knees. The crazed look in his eyes told her he would kill her. He leapt at her from his knees, his body stretching impossibly long.

  She twisted and came up under him, jamming her knee into his face. He doubled over, sucking in air, his skin snapping back with an audible pop. She hooked her foot around his leg and pushed at his chest. He fell hard. She dove on her fallen pistol, spun and fired. The assassin dropped, sightless eyes staring straight at her.

  She waited for him to sit up, the pistol in her hand trembling. When he didn’t move, she dropped to her knees.

  Deep breathing allowed her to push the pain of her hand back as she stumbled toward the body. Searching it thoroughly, she wiped her left hand absently along her chin. It came away a bloody red. The chaotic sounds from the hall were starting to fall in volume.

  Khegh. Her fingers found a piece of plastipaper in the assassin’s top shirt pocket. Dumb, very dumb. Written in a fine type were the orders detailing Vice-President Ramo’s assassination—signed by Senator Kalzee’tiam. She slammed her hand against it to prevent self-wiping.

  A little too convenient. Gallian set ’Tiam up. That meant he assumed Balandez would be caught. The evidence pointed only to Kalzee’tiam … which meant …

  Damn!

  She raced to the curtain and thrust it aside, searching the crowd. Senators, aides, and assistants were surrounded by security. The only people moving were the journalists and holo-crews who had escaped their barrier and filmed the bedlam. Vice-President Ramo and Antonio Zaambuka huddled behind the podium. Why hasn’t he moved her to a secure location?

  Gallian’s plans crystallized in Toni’s mind. For ’Tiam to be taken down, the assassin had to fail, but the Vice-President still had to die in order to trigger the Resonator attacks.

  There had to be a second assassin.

  She scanned the crowd. Where? One man moved determinedly toward the dais, His black beard did not detract from his fierce expression. He emitted a howl and easily slipped past the security block that shielded the stage.

  Dalmith!

  The giant man vaulted onto the dais, leaping impossibly high above the closest ring of security. A palm-sized pistol appeared in his left hand.

  Toni raised her gun in her bad hand and fired.

  She missed.

  Dalmith didn’t.

  The Vice-President flew back from Zaambuka’s push. Zaambuka fell to his knees, his own pistol lax in his useless hand. His chest bloomed with a red stain that spread rapidly.

  No!

  Amidst the chaos and runaway security, Dalmith took aim at the Vice-President. Striding forward, he bared his teeth in glee.

  Toni steadied her aim. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she fired again. The sounds of two shots echoed throughout the hall.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Toni gaped, her heart in her throat, expecting the Vice-President to fall. She didn’t. A red stain appeared on Dalmith’s chest. He fell forward onto the stage floor, dead before he hit the boards.

  The Vice-President knelt beside Zaambuka and began tearing at her skirt. Toni caught the movement of Zaambuka’s head in her direction. She nodded to him, unsure if he could see her, and pushed back the balcony curtain. “Zach, call the—” Khegh it, my shades! She found the shattered glass against the wall. Useless.

  Toni raced back out through the corridor anxious to get downstairs and to Zaambuka’s side.

  Pushing and shoving, her arm throbbing with every footfall, Toni made her way through the Great Hall floor in record time.

  Medics appeared as Toni reached the stage, rushing straight to Zaambuka’s side. Toni changed focus. “Madam? Vice-President?” It was a struggle not to stare at her boss while he was being worked on. He’ll survive. He has too!

  “No, I won’t leave.”

  “Madam Vice-President,” Toni snapped, fury rumbling deep in her aching chest. She pushed into the woman’s face. Zaambuka had been shot protecting her. How dare Ramo insist on staying out in the open. The Vice-President backed away, her eyes impossibly wide. Toni cradled her damaged wrist to her chest. Her priority had to be the Vice-President’s safety and she was seconds from drawing her pistol to enforce her order. I’m shouting at a distraught woman who’d just survived an assassination attempt. Today was not Toni’s best day.

  Beside them, medics knelt over Zaambuka’s body. Urgency filled their voices as they spoke of applying pressure and inserting tubes. Toni couldn’t look at them. She couldn’t bear to see her boss lying so pale and still. Her stomach churned, both from shock and pain, her mind in turmoil. She wanted to grab Zaambuka and demand that he not die. She also wanted to confront him about his relationship with Gallian. She pushed the noise away, knowing she had to pull it together and focus. Zaambuka would want it that way. But when he survived, and he would survive, they were going to have an important talk. Her awareness returned to Ramo as she realized there could still be a danger.

  Everywhere Toni’s gaze fell, there were too many people moving, too many unknowns she could not account for. The buzz of voices drowned out the chatter of the medics only three paces away. Toni wouldn’t hear anyone approaching. She had to get the Vice-President out of here.

  “Madam Vice-President. If you don’t start moving toward your quarters immediately, I will shoot you. Don’t think that I won’t.”

  Alarm fought with the leftover fear on the Vice-President’s face. She glanced down at Zaambuka’s still body. “Yes, yes, of course.” With a final order to the medics to inform her of any developments, Cat Ramo allowed Toni to usher her from the hall.

  Every part of Toni ached, and the throbbing in her wrist threatened to derail her concentration. But as soon as she stepped into the Vice-President’s rooms, her mental acuity snapped back into place. Demanding the woman remain near the door with her two bodyguards, Toni and the third bodyguard, a big-shouldered hulk with close-set eyes, searched the temporary apartment thoroughly. When Toni was satisfied the rooms were clear, she gestured for the guards to escort the Vice-President inside. Ramo was pale and visibly shaking. Blood speckled her white senatorial robes.

  Toni snapped her fingers at the bodyguard standing at the door. “Get her a drink.” She desperately wished she could have one herself. Following him to the table, Toni stared at his hands so intently the bottle trembled. Amber liquid splattered the table around the glass.

  Zaambuka had been shot—might even be dead. She recalled his face, frozen in annoyance, the day he arrested her. The choice he’d given her and of his implied belief in her abilities. Ever since that day, he’d believed in her and trusted her to get the job done. She couldn’t, wouldn’t let him down. She choked on a hysterical laugh and pushed the image of him covered in his own blood from her mind. Concentrate!

  Vice-President Ramo was frozen in the center of the room. She stared blankly at the wall and rubbed her hands together. Toni directed her to an armchair and pressed the glass into her hands. “Get me a blanket and a medic,” she hissed to the other bodyguard. He snapped her a salute and raced from the room. Turning back to the pale woman, Toni prompted, “Drink this, Madam Vice-President.”

  “What?” The woman looked up but her eyes didn’t focus. Tears glistened in the corners.

  “Madam Vice-President,” Toni coaxed again, kneeling beside the woman. After a moment, Ramo looked Toni in the eye.

  “Who are you?”

  “Agent Toni Delle, Madam Vice-President.”

  “The missing agent?” The trembling woman’s gaze flew to Toni’s wrist. “Oh, you’re injured. We must call a medic.”

  “On their way, Madam,” Toni confirmed.

  “Citriss, my assistant? Where is she? I need her here.”

  “Madam Vi
ce-President, we must limit—”

  “I need her.” It appeared Ramo’s strength had returned with her anger. She sat up and glared at Toni. “I completely vouch for her, she has been my friend and confidante for years—longer than she has worked for me, Agent. I assure you, I will be perfectly safe.”

  Toni eyed the remaining bodyguards. They nodded. One spoke, “She has been cleared, Agent. By Commander Zaambuka himself.”

  “When the other guard returns, send for her,” Toni ordered. He acknowledged and told the man next to him to remain outside the suite to guard the door. He then took up a position on the inside. Toni squawked as the Vice-President grabbed her arm.

  Ramo released her quickly and raised her hands. “Oh, I’m sorry, Agent. Please forgive me.”

  “Can I help you, Vice-President?” Toni asked through clenched teeth, tears threatened with the sudden agony. She blinked them away as her arm throbbed.

  “You have to send someone after the President. He must be put into protective custody until a formal inquiry can be launched against him.”

  “Ant will …” Toni broke off with a choked gasp. Zaambuka couldn’t do anything, might not do anything ever again. Her chest tightened with unshed emotion. He will be fine. They’ll patch him up as good as new. The Vice-President herself had kept him alive until the medics reached his side. Wait… “The President? He is the one you were investigating?”

  “Yes. His reclusiveness was merely a sham. He was taking money! And he—”

  “Madam Vice-President, the assassin carried instructions signed by Senator Kalzee’tiam. But I don’t believe he—”

  “What? ’Tiam too? Well, that will come as a surprise to nobody.”

  “Madam Vice-President—”

  “’Tiam must be taken into custody too.”

  Toni pinched the bridge of her nose. The woman was too shaken, she wasn’t going to listen to logic. Toni had no way of convincing her Gallian was behind it all, certainly not without proof. “Madam Vice-President, you need to contact your security council and General—”

  Ramo shook her head. “I cannot be involved in the investigation, nor can my people participate. It must be a SPT initiative or the Senate will think this is a coup.”

  Toni had no idea who the next in command was at the SPT. “Madam Vice-President, you need—”

  “Agent Delle, I am authorizing you to act on the Commander’s behalf while he is indisposed.”

  Shenghi! Toni stared at the woman as her mouth dropped. On the edge of exhaustion, with her arm echoing the beat in her head, she couldn’t possibly take over as head of the SPT. It was ludicrous. But the Vice-President held her gaze. Shenghi, she is serious!

  Heaving a sigh, Toni demanded a communication unit from Ramo’s bodyguard. As she spoke into the device, a confident knock rapped against the door. Toni’s stare shot to the closed barrier. She checked Ramo could not be seen, and drew her weapon. The bodyguard opened the door on her nod.

  Two women entered. The one in the medic’s uniform was stopped at the threshold. The other moved swiftly past. Toni sprang up. “What?”

  “She’s cleared.”

  “Cit?” The Vice-President held out her hand and the woman raced to Ramo’s side, brushing blond hair out of her face as she knelt down. Toni holstered her weapon and returned to her call. The medic hovered just out of Toni’s reach. When Toni realized she was there, she waved the girl to attend the Vice-President first. The call connected, and Mary Jeller answered.

  “Yes, Agent Delle?” The woman’s voice was soft and wobbled slightly. She must have been briefed on the earlier events. Probably the whole galaxy had heard by now.

  “Mary, we must put aside our issues and—”

  “Of course, Agent Delle, what do you need? I’ve been watching the holo-newscasts. Have you heard anything about Commander Zaambuka’s condition?”

  Haltingly, Toni told the woman what happened. She didn’t have an update on Zaambuka, but would ensure Jeller was added to the emergency contact notification list.

  Mary cleared her throat. “What can I do?”

  “Can you organize a conference call with the department heads? Put it through to this unit number?” Toni’s eyes ached.

  “Of course, Agent Delle. Give me five minutes. I will contact you shortly.”

  With a heavy heart, Toni moved onto her next call. Without her shades, Zach and Mate would have no idea what was going on. They’d be frantic.

  “Boss, what happened? Are you—?”

  “Zach,” she interrupted. “Are Mate’s systems back up?”

  “Yes, Boss. The reinstall of his backups are complete.”

  “Send him to my location immediately.”

  Instead of his usual litany of complaints or a bombardment of questions, he acknowledged and not even a second later, reported Mate was on his way. “Zach, any word on Nar?”

  “Last time I saw him on camera, he was headed toward the rear of the Great Hall.”

  “Zach, find him.” Dalmith had come from that direction—he wouldn’t have got past Nar unless . . . “Send medics to Nar’s last known location immediately. What about the smugglers?”

  “Disappeared from the surveillance cameras.”

  “Khegh it.”

  “Boss … Security reports finding Agent Nar’s body next to the reporters’ enclosure.”

  Toni screwed her eyes shut on her tears. Shenghi.

  At a loss for something to do, she stared blankly at the wall until the medic reappeared at her side and coaxed her to sit down.

  While she worked on Toni’s wrist, Toni called to the Vice-President’s assistant. “Ma’am, Citriss?”

  “Yes, Agent?”

  “Can you liaise with Zaambuka’s personal assistant, Mary Jeller, and keep her apprised of any news on his condition?”

  “Of course, Agent, anything we hear.”

  At the trill of the communicator, Toni forced herself to her feet. Head heavy and thoughts sluggish, she felt numb, as though she’d been drugged except the medic had not administered anything. Assuring the medic she would return, Toni stepped into the corridor to brief the heads of the SPT’s various departments: General Trasken of the STCT, the Leader of the Defenders, Peta Milterne, and the head of the Sentinels service, Maline Sesh. The three remained silent while Toni spoke. She advised them of the Vice-President’s order. “I don’t accept her command. These are your teams and you are the most qualified to make any decisions relating to them.”

  “As the agent on the ground, what is your current situation?” General Trasken asked.

  Toni strengthened her voice. “The priority is to find and contain the President. Ramo is insistent she has proof of his collusion with the Ascendancy. Kalzee’tiam has been taken into custody here. An investigation into all claims must be conducted. The Senate can sort it all out later. I have the Vice-President under my personal protection here on Midock, but I’m injured. I need a team to take over her detail.”

  Peta Milterne spoke, her tone troubled. “My Sentinels will protect the Vice-President, Agent.”

  “The Defenders will apprehend the President,” Maline Sesh added. “We will send a joint team of Sentinels and Defenders to Midock to isolate, interview, and escort the remaining parliament and the Sector Two visitors to a secured location.”

  “What do you require from the STCT, Agent?” the General asked. “We are already assisting Agent Nar’s teams with the Resonator raids across the Sector.”

  Khegh it! “Sir, Nar is dead. He died in the service of the Vice-President.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Agent Delle. Agent Nar was a good man.”

  Milterne and Sesh signed off, leaving Toni to speak with the General privately. “General, I know your teams are spread thin, and while I appreciate all that you were doing to assist Agent Nar, I have intel regarding an attack on Marn.”

  “We just received intelligence on factional in-fighting on Marn. But how did you—”

  “One of the fa
ctions on Marn call themselves The Underground. They have access to a poison and plan to contaminate the water reservoirs.”

  The General was silent for a moment then he swore vehemently. “Marn supplies all the STCT contracts.”

  Toni sucked in a startled breath. “Shenghi! I knew about the supply to the Sector’s army, but I didn’t realize they supplied the SPT too.”

  “It’s a recent contract.”

  “That’s why Marn’s the target,” Toni said. “General, I have the antidote here on Midock. The man who manufactured the poison for the terrorists created it. I have him in my custody. As soon as Milterne’s Sentinels arrive—”

  “Agent Delle, you cannot wait for them. Marn is an ongoing threat. We must have access to that antidote immediately in the event that our teams do not regain control.”

  Toni clenched her eyes shut and pinched the skin at the top of her nose. The General was right. She couldn’t wait. And she trusted only one to keep the Vice-President secure in her absence. Her heart cried out at the thought of leaving without him at her side. “I will meet your teams on Marn,” she said and signed off.

  Irregular footfalls indicated Mate’s approach. It sounded like he was favoring one leg.

  Within seconds, her arms were full of her partner. She buried her face in his fur and wrapped her arms around his sides, hugging him as tightly as her broken wrist allowed.

  “You are injured?” Mate asked.

  “I’m fine, or I will be. How are your legs?”

  “They are functional.”

  Rubbing his head, her chest constricted until it was almost impossible to breathe. She choked out, “I have a mission for you.”

  “Boss, I will not—”

  “Mate, I am ordering you. I need you to stay here with the Vice-President. Do not leave her side. Full protection detail until I return.”