Sunstar: Amina's story a YA scifi romance (Peacekeepers Book 1)

by Annalise Whelan

  The commander turned to her. “Officer Tinsome. Do you know these men?”

  “I met this man,” she pointed to the first picture, “at The Shuttle.”

  There was a murmur, and the officer passed out a sheet to everyone. It was their file on him. Thin.

  “This says his name is--” She choked. “His name is Rhys Smithe.”

  “Probably an alias,” the woman officer said.

  Horror gripped her. “He told me his name is Reece.”

  Kindel said quietly, “it’s not pronounced ‘rice’. It’s pronounced Reece, just different spellings.”

  She stared down at her hands. That was a little better.

  “The other man?” asked the commander.

  “I saw him at The Shuttle once talking to Rhys. And then I saw him on our training mission. He was playing the part of a militia group member and ambushed us.”

  “She recognized him and reported it, Sir,” said Kindel.

  The commander squinted at him. To Kindel’s credit, he didn’t squirm. The commander turned to her. “It is possible Rhys Smithe sent him on that particular mission to kill you. You had become a loose end.”

  The room spun. She pushed her chair away from the table and stuck her head between her knees. There was silence in the room while she got herself stabilized. This was more awful than anything she’d ever experienced. She sat back up and straightened her clothes. Looking across at Kindel, she remembered something worse. His expression looking back at her suggested he was in agony. Good for him.

  “What role did Rhys Smithe play in your life Officer Tinsome?” asked the commander.

  This was so humiliating. “He said he wanted to get to know me. He started coming to the campus and seeing me every day.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  She was going to be sick. She reached for the water glass but trembled so badly the water shook. She put the glass down and laid her hands flat on the table, willing them to stop shaking. Kindel moved as if to reach for her, then he paused and sat farther back in his chair. She cleared her throat. “He recited poetry to me. We read poems from that book,” she gestured to the one on the table, “and he said – nice things about me.”

  “What information about GIPS did you pass on to him?”

  “Nothing important. He asked about my team, the captain, the ship. He wanted to know what we were studying and when. But I ended it before it went further than that. I only saw him a few times, really.”

  “We suspect he was planning to use you to gain intel on GIPS technology and operations.”

  Her despair and anger and sense of betrayal spiked. Did NO ONE really want her? Kindel flinched. Oops. She probably broadcast that one. “So, who are they really?” she asked.

  “Five years ago, a company was founded on the planet Distar. The company became profitable, hugely profitable. This man named Rhys Smithe began embezzling currency from this company. He was eventually discovered to be the embezzler, but by then he had disappeared. He used this currency to fund other illegal activities. We believe the rumors about the drug trafficking are legit and connected to Smithe’s operation because they are located on Distar, his initial home base. It seems he came to Kildren, the GIPS campus, and The Shuttle Club because it was a new season for the recruits, and well, the rest of that aspect is history. It appears the henchman did infiltrate GIPS. How much he knows,” the commander shrugged. “We don’t know what he gained, but to be included in a training mission he had some level of trust. It’s possible there are others, and we’ve got another squad investigating. It would explain how Smithe knows we’re aware of his activity. He has just abducted the wife of the company’s owner, Fiona Jorgensen. Smithe has Fiona held hostage for a ransom of 50 million credits. We think he wants the currency to make a clean break from Distar and start his drug trafficking operation elsewhere.”

  “He’s running,” she said. “What about the dragon tattoo man. Where is he now?”

  The commander smiled under his mustache. “We got him. I was briefing Captain Withes on the mission because of Distar, and he realized you were involved in this whole situation.”

  “The henchman isn’t forthcoming,” said the woman officer. “We still have no idea where Smithe’s operation is on the planet or even how big it is. It seems Smithe generates absolute loyalty in his crew.”

  “He can be very charming. Clearly, he’s intelligent,” Amina said. “But he can also be scary.”

  Kindel said, “our mission is to track him down, release Mrs. Jorgensen, and find out what else the jerk is up to.”

  The commander nodded. “Because of your understanding of Distar, Captain, and Officer Tinsome’s connection to Rhys Smithe, we feel your squad has the best chance of bringing this to a satisfying end. Obviously, time is of the essence, as they say, because Mrs. Jorgensen’s life is in jeopardy. Smithe has given Mr. Jorgensen 72 hours to come up with the currency. I want her rescue to be your primary focus.”

  It was a lot to absorb in a short time, and Amina was preoccupied with her own thoughts on their march back to the ship. Once inside, though, Kindel followed her back to her bunk room. Gem was there since she shared the room.

  “Please allow me to speak to Amina in private,” he said. Very dry and serious. Not a wink or a pat or a smile in sight. Gem didn’t hesitate and left the room immediately.

  She faced him. Now what? This new Kindel glowered at her. “It’s been a long day, Sir. If there isn’t anything else you need from me, I’d like some privacy.”

  “Need from you?” he repeated as if the words choked him. He paced in the small space like an angry, caged bull. “I’ve got a question, Amina. This time, I need an answer.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Why did you stop seeing Rhys?”

  “Seriously?” She flopped down on her bunk. No, too intimate. She stood and faced him. “He scared me. He was controlling and cold, and he hurt me, and I saw that Gem was right.”

  “Gem,” he spat angrily. “That’s what I thought. She saves you every time, doesn’t she? You can’t think for yourself. Like a child!”

  “Not seeing him was my decision, not hers.” In her anger, she focused on the top drawer of her desk and yanked it out using her Ability. The drawer flew across the room and crashed against the opposite wall. She lifted her holo-vid player and chip, pulling them to herself. Then she inserted the chip and slammed it against the middle of his chest. “This is why I stopped seeing him! My thoughts, my decision.”

  His hand came up to touch the round metal machine. Realizing her hand still rested on his chest, she jerked back. He watched her warily and then looked down at what she’d recorded. It seemed forever ago to her now. It was short, so it didn’t take him long.

  A change came over him, a loosening of his shoulders and the pinched look around his mouth. When he looked back at her, there was a bit of spark in his eyes. “Thank you, Amina.”

  For what? “You’re welcome.”

  He actually smiled at her. “Get some rest, we’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. I expect the ship to be loaded with supplies by 9 a.m.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  As he was walking out the door, he gestured to the drawer on the floor. “Not bad, Tinsome. Your Ability is strengthening and developing new talents.”

  Chapter 14

  Six in the morning he called them all to order in the lounge. He briefed the squad on the mission and how Amina was connected. He didn’t mention his mysterious connection to Distar, and she didn’t ask.

  Katlin raised her hand to speak. “So, Captain, how do we start? We don’t know where he is.”

  “That’s what you have to discover first. Think about it. How can we find his location?”

  Mara said, “no one is going to announce that he or she knows Smithe’s whereabouts.”

  “We know he’s been here on Kildren. But the kidnapping occurred on Distar,” Sari said.

  “The focus is on Distar since the commander think
s his operation is based there,” Katlin said.

  “That’s still an entire planet to search,” Mara said.

  Amina and the others brainstormed for a while. Everyone talking, getting loud, and being opinionated. She cleared her throat. Kindel glanced down at her with a grin, as if he knew she would come up with an answer all along. “I have an idea.”

  Sari shook her hair. “Of course, you do.”

  Kindel nodded for Amina to continue and gave Sari a reprimanding glance.

  “Well, I’m thinking we should start with where the company is located. That’s District Four, right? We know he lived there once. If we can find out more about where he’s been, it might tell us something about him personally and give us clues where he might go or hide.”

  Gem sat forward. “If Rhys expects to pick up a ransom, he isn’t going to leave the planet. Perhaps not even the district. He must be close to where the currency will be exchanged.”

  Katlin brightened. “Maybe an interview with the company owner could tell us --”

  “Or,” added Amina, “a newspaper.”

  “Good idea!” Mara said. “It had to make the headlines.”

  “Wait, which time?” Sari asked, holding up a hand. “When he embezzled or when he kidnapped Fiona?”

  “We could go to the Peace Office in District Four. His original case should be in their files.” Katlin said. “They may have done a lot of the initial investigating for us and save us time looking into his past.”

  “That’s an excellent point, Katlin,” Kindel said. The old Kindel seemed to have returned. She turned toward him, wondering what he thought of this. “Sounds like a good plan. I want Gem and Mara to interview the company owner and ask if he remembers anything specific about Rhys’ local connections. Go easy, ok, he’s got to be under a lot of strain over his wife. Sari, Katlin, start with the local newspapers. Find out everything you can about the embezzlement and the kidnapping. Look out for any rumors or speculation about his original operation location.”

  Her feelings jumbled, as she realized his directions left her out.

  Sari had noticed too. “What about Amina?”

  Amina met Kindel’s warm gaze, and she felt her knees weaken. “She and I will sneak into the Distar District Four Peace Office and peek at some files. It would be useful to know if there were any eyewitnesses or informants. How many people may have been involved in the kidnapping? Were there vehicles sighted? I want you all to be aware the local Peace Squads may not be happy with nosy GIPS teams.”

  Sari’s eyes narrowed, and she darted Amina a dirty look. “Why Amina? All she’s good at is levitation.”

  Amina felt as if she had been slapped. She thought Sari had become a part of the team, but that old rivalry was there.

  “You’re going with Katlin. I need Amina’s Ability on this one. That’s final, Sari.”

  Amina escaped into her duties preparing the ship for their mission, refilling supply boxes, and doing the inventory. She wasn’t sure how she felt about being partnered with Kindel. It was a mess in her head. Focus on the work. Ignore him. Forget him. He’s gorgeous. He’s strong. He’s wonderful. Doesn’t matter because he doesn’t love you.

  They landed the ship on the GIPS Distar Branch tarmac, just a few miles outside of District Four, where the Jorgensen corporation was located and where Fiona had been kidnapped. Amina stood with the others as they stared out of a round ship window.

  “Why’s it so dreary?” asked Katlin.

  “I miss the Kildren sun,” Gem said.

  Kindel clapped his hands. “Time to get going. I want you all back here in three hours. Be careful and discreet.”

  Outside the ship, the teams went their separate ways, leaving Amina alone again with Kindel. Nerves had her on edge, her fingers trembling. She frowned as she struggled with her pack. “This stupid hip belt won’t latch!” She heard him laugh and fought her stomach’s urge to turn flips.

  “Let me help.” He stepped in front of her, so close his chest filled her view. Trying not to stare at his chest, she lifted her chin and found him watching her closely. He never took his eyes off her, as he ran his hands around her waist and felt for her hips, adjusted the belt. She fought to keep her expression neutral as he left a trail of sensation every place he touched. As he clicked the latch, his fingertips grazed her belly button, and she inhaled a quick, sharp breath.

  “How does that feel?”

  “Excuse – oh! Fine. The weight’s balanced.” She tried to give him a cavalier smile, but it was probably quivery.

  They set out on foot for the local peace office.

  Chapter 15

  It was a squat, square building without any decoration or life. “It’s much smaller than I had expected.”

  Kindel laughed bitterly.

  “What is it?”

  “The peace squad here is limited. There aren’t enough squads to care for the problems. They’re busy taking care of the everyday duties, so the bigger criminal set makes more trouble. That makes Distar the ideal planet for Smithe’s operation, and this particular district is the perfect location for his base.”

  “But that’s awful! Why doesn’t the captain add recruits or more squads? It makes no sense. This district is large enough to support major corporations and a GIPS branch. So why wouldn’t they have more peace officers?”

  Kindel’s grin reached clear to his eyes. “You’re so innocent.”

  Like a puppy. So innocent. So cute. She glared and stalked into the office building ahead of him. She heard him chuckle.

  They stood in front of a long counter cluttered with stacks of papers and files. A receptionist sat at the desk wearing two pairs of reading glasses stacked on her head, another on the end of her nose, reading a racy novel. She glanced up with surprise when they rang the desk bell and then narrowed her eyes at their GIPS uniforms.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I’m Captain Kindel Withes. I’d like to speak with the Peace Captain please.” Kindel flashed his credentials, making sure she saw his name.

  Amina was struck speechless by his actions. So much for discreet. As if sensing her surprise, Kindel whispered, “authority will assure her cooperation.”

  The receptionist immediately rose and retreated through double doors. He flipped his pack off his back, pulled out a bag, and leaned in close to her ear. “When we go back to talk to him, I need you to levitate some vid-screen file chips from a storage cabinet into this bag.”

  “Which cabinet?” She looked around the reception area. No cabinets.

  “I need files from the cabinet in the left corner. The second drawer. The desk will be on the right, in front of the office. I will be distracting him, so he won’t notice you.”

  “You mean, a cabinet in the captain’s office? While we’re standing there talking to him? How do you know what the office is like?”

  “Don’t worry about that now. Trust me.”

  She snorted. Did that. No thanks.

  The receptionist came back. “He’ll see you, sir.”

  Kindel beamed at her. “Thank you, Miss.”

  He took Amina’s shoulders, steered her to the office door, and knocked. The door opened, and a handsome man looked them over. He was an older captain with silver and black hair but still tall, trim.

  “Come in,” he rumbled with a deep chest voice. He stepped back into his office and toward his desk chair saying over his shoulder, “how do I earn the honor, Withes?”

  She cut her eyes up at Kindel, but he ignored her.

  He replied calmly, “thought I’d stop by. I heard you’re planning an expansion on the building. This is Amina. Amina, this is Captain Lindon.”

  Captain Lindon barely acknowledged her, which was perfect. She eased away from them, pretending to study some certificates he had hanging on the walls, so she was out of the captain’s direct line of sight. She focused her concentration on the file cabinet in the corner, and the conversation became a dull buzz in the background. She directed the
pull and flow of her Ability, easing a drawer open. She ‘lifted’ one chip at a time and placed it in the bag. It felt like she was taking too long, and perspiration popped out on her forehead. She pressed a little harder and lifted several file chips in a cluster. She faltered slightly when her name was mentioned, bobbling three file chips, but she caught them and slipped them into the bag. She glanced at the men. Their faces were flushed with emotion and neither turned in her direction. Whatever Kindel had brought up had Captain Lindon totally engaged.

  When Amina pushed the drawer closed, Kindel abruptly ended his conversation. She stalled silently as he walked with Captain Lindon to the door, leaving her enough of a chance to grab the bag without being seen. She slipped into the hall behind Kindel and followed his lead out of the Peace Office.

  “You did that perfectly. Come with me to the library, and we can go through that bag.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t hear the conversation. How does he know you?”

  He quirked one eyebrow at her. “Curious?”

  “Yes, I admit it. I want to know what you said about me. He must’ve thought I was a bit strange just standing there silently.”

  “He’s my uncle, and he thought you were charming. He likes quiet women.”

  “He just happens to be your uncle? I’m sensing a story here.”

  The library was massive compared to the Peace Office. The sign said District Four, Public Library Museum of Knowledge and History. “Does the city not have a name?”

  Kindel shrugged. “Not a lot of imagination in Distar, and even less in District Four.”

  The inside was a stark contrast to the plain Peace Office. Shelves wound the inside into a maze of deep, rich, woody material. “I spent a lot of time here, growing up,” Kindel said. He took a deep, full-bodied breath as he looked around them. “It smells the same.” She breathed in, but she didn’t smell anything except furniture oil. “I’ll give you the tour. You’re looking at an antique collection from Distar’s and humanity’s history crammed on these shelves.”