The Winter War

by Niall Teasdale

  ‘We just happened to be nearby and my PDA is set to alert me of any news about you two,’ Sharissa said. She was standing beside Aneka, watching her partner crushing Ella. ‘We should probably rescue your girlfriend.’

  ‘If we do that, I’ll probably get the same treatment,’ Aneka pointed out.

  ‘Yeah, but you’ve got a metal skeleton.’ Sharissa glanced at Dillon and Katelyn. ‘Vashma it’s good to be able to say that and not mind who hears it.’

  ‘Double that and you’ve got how I feel. Janna, I do need her ribs more or less in one piece.’

  Reluctantly, Janna released her daughter. ‘Just for that, I won’t hug you now,’ the older Narrows said. ‘I’ll get you though. You just won’t know when…’

  ‘That’s evil, Mother,’ Ella said, after sucking in a lungful of air.

  ‘Thank you, Daughter,’ Janna replied, grinning. ‘Now you drink so we can get you tipsy and then we can make improper suggestions to each other’s partners.’

  ‘Mom! I thought you’d stopped that?’

  ‘I’ve stopped trying to succeed, dear.’

  ‘How long before your colleagues show up?’ Aneka asked Sharissa, mostly to change the subject.

  ‘About thirty minutes, at a guess. Oh, and since I’m here I can officially inform you that the secrecy order on your nature has been lifted. Just in case one of them tries to catch you out.’

  ‘You think they will?’ Dillon asked.

  ‘I think,’ Sharissa replied, her expression sour, ‘that I don’t trust anyone Dowler sends to meet you.’

  ~~~

  There were three agents, two men and a woman, and they did not seem pleased to be outnumbered by the people already in the small flat. Even the fact that all three were armed did not seem to put them at their ease.

  The leader was a tall, powerfully built man with an expression that suggested he had drawn the short straw. ‘I’m Agent Drow,’ he said by way of introduction. ‘I’ve been instructed to take you to headquarters for debriefing.’

  ‘Are they under arrest, Harry?’ Sharissa asked before Aneka or Ella could respond.

  Drow glared at her. ‘You know there’s no warrant…’

  ‘Then you’re here to request that they accompany you for an interview.’

  The Agent’s jaw tightened. ‘Of course. A request.’

  ‘Then we’ll have to decline,’ Aneka said. ‘We’ve had a long day and we’re planning to rest before what will probably be a long day tomorrow.’

  ‘My orders…’ Drow began.

  ‘Don’t include forcing us to go with you. We don’t know anything anyway. We’ve been in a small cottage in the Norden Forest for the last several weeks. We’ve had no communication in that time.’

  ‘Then why did you come back?’

  ‘We were told to make our way back to Yorkbridge if we heard nothing before now. Actually, we waited two days longer than our instructions suggested because I was being cautious.’

  ‘And that’s your statement?’ Drow said. ‘You know nothing that happened after you went into protective custody?’

  ‘Except what we’ve been told since getting back. Sharissa has brought us up to speed on most of it. You people really suspect that Winter was a Xinti agent? That they assassinated her due to a change of heart?’

  ‘All the evidence points to that.’

  ‘Except that the Xinti are dead,’ Ella said.

  ‘If there were any left,’ Aneka added, ‘they were destroyed attacking Negral. They couldn’t have ordered her execution.’

  ‘Clearly they aren’t all dead,’ Drow stated.

  ‘Or your theory is wrong. It’s far more likely that the terrorists you’re supposed to be looking for killed her to avoid her revealing who they are.’

  Drow smiled, his lips still tight. ‘The “terrorists” are clearly Xinti…’

  ‘Xinti would employ reactionless drives,’ Ella said. ‘Even a moron could see that these ships are using patched together Xinti technology, and they’re not even very good at it. Clearly they aren’t Xinti.’

  Drow opened his mouth, but Aneka got in first. ‘I think your business here is concluded, Agent Drow. If you don’t mind, we have guests to entertain.’

  Aneka followed them to the door to make sure they left, and only relaxed entirely when the door was closed behind her.

  ‘That was… tense,’ Dillon commented.

  ‘Do you two know that Winter wasn’t working for the Xinti?’ Sharissa asked, her eyes narrowing.

  ‘Yes,’ Ella replied.

  ‘How?’

  Aneka heaved a sigh as she dropped onto the couch beside her partner. ‘Keeping my secret was, arguably, good for me. Not having to anymore may bring complications, but they’re basically problems I’ll have to deal with. Keeping Winter’s secret… We’re doing that because it’s a lot safer for you if you don’t know.’

  The Islands, 6.10.527 FSC.

  Elroy was looking more casual than Aneka was used to. The tall man was wrapped in a long, Nusilk dressing gown which seemed a little inappropriate for meeting visitors, but he seemed eager to put them at their ease, despite having had them whisked away from their apartment quite early in the morning.

  ‘We need to discuss the situation we all find ourselves in,’ Elroy said as he ushered the couple through into a large lounge at the back of his rather palatial residence, ‘and I wanted to be sure that I got to you before the press did.’

  ‘Of course,’ Aneka said. Through the large window at one end of the room she could see a pool. There was a woman lying on a sunbed beside it. Tall, elegant, and dressed in a very small bikini. ‘Is that Diana Ollander?’

  ‘Hmm?’ He glanced at the window, which served to hide the slight blush that had crept over his cheeks. ‘I forget your eyes are rather better than a Jenlay’s. Yes. She’ll be joining us shortly. She lives on one of the adjacent islands so it wasn’t difficult for her to get here.’

  ‘She has two partners doesn’t she?’ Ella put in.

  ‘Yes. They’re in Barnard City currently, on business, so she’s… Well, never mind that. You’ve been brought up to speed on events while you were out of touch?’

  Aneka suppressed a smirk. ‘We’re pretty much caught up, yes.’

  ‘Then you know that we need to ensure the public remain on your side.’

  ‘From what we’ve heard, they’re fairly sympathetic already,’ Ella said.

  Elroy waved them to a couch while he sat down in a large chair that faced a huge wall screen. ‘That’s true, but we could do with swaying them further, if possible. I understand that you’re not keen on fame, Aneka, but right now you need it.’

  ‘So I’ve been told.’

  ‘I believe we need to give you the best public persona we possibly can,’ Elroy explained. ‘It’s going to mean some appearances on the news channels, interviews with the press. You’re going to hate it. Do you think you’re up for this?’

  ‘It’s not like I have a lot of choice. I have to consider more than just me. My friends are going to suffer if I can’t operate normally here.’

  ‘That’s very selfless of you, Miss Jansen.’ Ollander padded into the room. ‘We’ve barely met. I’m Diana Ollander, New Earth’s Senator.’

  Aneka smiled at her. ‘I know who you are, Senator.’

  ‘Diana, at least while I’m wearing next to nothing.’

  ‘Then it’s Aneka. I’m not especially keen on formalities either.’

  ‘Good.’ She settled onto the couch opposite them, one arm resting on the back, and crossed her long legs. ‘People like to think they know celebrities. One of the problems of office is commanding the respect required while still appearing as a normal person.’

  Not living on a private island with two partners would likely have helped, but Aneka was not about to say that. ‘I am just a normal person, Diana.’

  ‘But you’re not and they all know it. I’ve read the reports on your body, which they haven’t. I’d give all four
limbs to have the advantages you have when it comes to this operation.’

  ‘She’s right, you know?’ Ella said. ‘You’re built for politics, even if you hate it. I don’t think you try because you don’t like it.’

  ‘Uh…’ Aneka glanced between the two women.

  ‘Your brain operates at… ten times ours?’ Elroy said. ‘You can take all the time you need to think about answers and still appear to be giving off-the-cuff replies.’

  ‘Those eyes of yours,’ Ollander continued. ‘Multi-spectral analysis not unlike the equipment used in interrogation suites. You can judge reactions far better than we can.’

  ‘And you’ve got Al to back you up,’ Ella added. ‘You’re no psychologist, but he is.’

  ‘I can also supply you with a library of information on anyone we may have to deal with,’ Al said. ‘I have Winter’s files on public figures and I’ve been gathering more information since we got back.’

  ‘I guess…’ Aneka said aloud. ‘I’ve had some training in diplomacy and things like that. Being a soldier isn’t all about shooting people. If we can talk our way out of a situation it usually works out better.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Elroy said. ‘Diana will make some arrangements. She’s the local representative so it’s better coming via her. Some suitable reporters will be scheduled for interviews…’

  ‘At your apartment, I think,’ Ollander put in. ‘It has a more comfortable and open feel to it. It says you have nothing to hide. I’m also going to organise an appearance on Federation Life. Stephanie Julietta and her producers will jump at the chance, and she can be guaranteed to keep things fairly light.’

  ‘Oh wow,’ Ella breathed.

  ‘Should I know that show?’ Aneka asked.

  ‘It’s the most popular chat show on Consolidated Media’s news channel.’

  ‘You want me on a chat show?’ Aneka’s eyebrows went up, and then sagged back down. ‘Hearts and minds… Yes, I suppose it’s a good idea.’ She looked over at Elroy. ‘You’re right, I’m going to hate this.’

  Yorkbridge Mid-town, 7.10.527 FSC.

  Elaine Truelove walked out through the ground floor entrance to her apartment building, checked the door had closed behind her out of habit, and started down the street toward the subway station a block to the south.

  There were people about, of course. Commuters headed for the station to go to work could be identified by their movement rather than their dress code. Truelove had taken to wearing a smart, stylish skirt suit rather than the more casual attire she had worn when Winter was in charge, but there were just as many workers in mini-skirts or shorts as in jackets and ties. There were also younger citizens, almost exclusively in casual clothing, some of it more suitable for a club than the street. That was quite normal too.

  One trio of boys paid her more attention than the others. She felt their gaze before she saw them, all in leather jackets and jeans, standing around near the steps down to the station. Their eyes fairly drank her in, but they were not her type and she ignored them, heading down the stairs at a brisk pace, her mind and implant already at work collating data she wanted to put into her report to the Security Council.

  Her primary concern was Dowler’s determination to get Aneka into an interrogation room, preferably under arrest, and his obvious desire to act on the extradition request from the Herosians. Of course, the FSA was supposed to be an independent organisation, without preference for any race, and it could have been argued that Winter had been a little partisan toward the Jenlay. But Dowler was definitely leaning far more heavily toward the Herosians.

  As she stepped onto the northbound train, Truelove noticed one of the men she had seen earlier stepping on at the next door. They had not looked like they were commuters, but then again, she could not see the other two. Maybe they had been seeing this one off. Truelove located a free seat and sat down, reports moving through her vision field to be categorised and filed.

  Two stops north she saw the second of the trio sitting at the end of the car. He had been hidden behind other passengers, trying to remain unseen. If there were two, then it seemed likely that there were three, and the fact that they had split up was not a good sign. They were covering all the exits, making sure one of them would see her getting off. Whatever they were up to, she did not like it.

  Opening a connection through the train’s wireless network, she dispatched a message to the one person she knew could help her.

  ~~~

  Sharissa felt her PDA buzz in her pocket and pulled it free, flicking open the hard-shell cover to look at the screen. She frowned, pushed the message away and accessed a secure link to the FSA server network. No one had been assigned to Truelove on protection duty. There was a possibility that she was being watched for other reasons, but if that was the case there was nothing to worry about and sending someone to watch the watchers was not going to be a problem either.

  The problem was that Truelove was too far away to get there before someone did something, if they were going to do it. There was a need for a more immediate response.

  Sharissa flicked through her contacts and hit dial.

  ~~~

  Truelove checked her location on the tracking indicator she was using. Six more stops to FSA Headquarters, thirty seconds away from where she was getting off. Sharissa’s message had been explicit, the plan quite clear. She got to her feet as the signs above the doors changed to show the next station, 86th Street and B4 Mid-town.

  She noted the slight frown on the face of one of her watchers. They had been expecting her to follow her normal pattern, getting off at Century Plaza and then walking the five blocks or so to the headquarters. They were probably going to be more surprised soon.

  Truelove slipped off the train and headed immediately for the steps that would lead across to the other platform. She made no attempt to check on her watchers, but she caught sight of one behind her as she turned a corner and was fairly sure the others were there too. There was a wait of sixty-two seconds, which felt like an hour, for the next train and then she was heading south.

  If the trio of men were paying attention, they should have worked out they had been spotted. If they were up to no good, then they would back off, right? Then again, if they were agents sent to observe they would have backup, so they would be replaced soon. Truelove was not a field agent. She had had the same basic training as everyone else in the Agency, but had rarely had to put it to use. Winter had spotted her early in her career and promoted her to be her assistant. After that all her training had been aimed toward administration and intelligence analysis. She had only a very limited capacity to work out what individuals or small groups would do in a given circumstance. But that was why she had messaged Sharissa.

  South one stop and then off again. This time she headed to the surface, going south from the entrance a couple of hundred metres and then heading down a side street. Mid-town was a grid of major roadways spaced a kilometre apart, but there were smaller roads and alleyways between the buildings and a few open areas. She turned again, moving between two towering apartment blocks which disappeared into the mist overhead. The alley was a small, service access route to the back doors of the building, normally only used by utility operatives. Right now there was no one in it aside from her.

  Her steps faltered. She had been expecting to see someone, anyone really, but probably Sharissa. All she saw in the alley was empty space. Glancing back, she spotted two of her followers and knew she had to keep going. She had gone twenty metres when the sound of a footfall behind her made her turn. The three men were there, one of them holding a big, stubby pistol with a wide barrel. She recognised it: an electromagnetic shot-pistol, quite popular with street thugs on the Rim. The other two were moving forward with knives in their hands, keeping out of the firing line with a practised ease that suggested these were not simply muggers. So that was the plan: kill her and make it look like a theft gone bad. If she ran, she got shot in the back. Her eyes narrowed and she shifted in
to a slight crouch; there was no way she was going to make this easy for them. The knife wielders actually grinned, as though the challenge made it more interesting.

  Before they could even get close, the wall came alive and attacked them. One moment there was nothing there, the next a jet-black female figure was stepping out of the Plascrete. Her right hand lifted and a pulse of energy slammed into the man furthest from her. He was bounced off the wall of the building beside him, lost his footing, and fell, but the black figure was ignoring him. Her leg snapped upward, slamming into the second knife-man’s stomach. Spitting blood, he went over backward, collapsing to the floor and lying still, his knife skittering across the textured Plascrete surface.

  There was a shot, a loud crack which echoed in the confined space. Metallic darts hit the figure, apparently not even fazing her, and buried themselves in the faux brickwork, blasting away chips of Plascrete. The woman turned, her right arm rising again, and there was another pulse of energy. Hit in the face, the gunman reeled backward, falling onto his back as though he had been hit with a baseball bat.

  The woman stepped forward, spinning on her heel and swinging her leg up to kick her first target in the head. He went with the blow, falling sideways as his eyes glazed over. He was not getting up, but his partner with the gun was going to. Sitting up, the man raised his gun. The pulse weapon fired again and his head snapped back alarmingly. The pistol dropped from limp fingers and he fell backward, lying still.

  As Truelove watched, open mouthed, the black sheen on the woman drained away, shrinking from bottom and top until Aneka was left standing there in her leotard and leggings. The white-haired woman gave Truelove a grin.

  ‘Hi, Elaine. Are you okay?’ Aneka said.

  ‘A little shocked. That suit…’

  ‘Yeah… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention that. Sharissa’s on her way, but she figured I’d be able to get here faster. I’d imagine that shot will be bringing the Peacekeepers too.’