Masha grimaced. “I counted twice that, easily. This must be the problem Ms. Treble and Bernadette were talking about.”
“Well, don’t just stand there,” Mischa snapped. “We need to catch them before they damage something vital. Look at that mess!”
She pointed at the bay where the rabbits had been, and they all saw the destruction inside. The crates had big holes chewed through them and the floor was strewn with filthy fabrics that the rabbits had dragged out of the crates.
Masha turned her back on the mess and muttered a curse to herself as she gathered the net.
They slinked out into the warren of loaded pallets, ducking low to check underneath anything with a gap big enough to allow a rabbit to hide.
Masha dropped to a crouch in front of a pallet and saw the raisin eyes of a rabbit blinking rapidly. “Get your nets ready,” she told the others. “I can see one.”
Halli and Mischa crept around to cover the rest of the pallet with their nets as Masha spread out her own as slowly as she could. The rabbit was frozen to the spot, shivering uncontrollably as it fixed Masha with one red eye.
“You ready?” she whispered.
“Uh-huh.”
“Yeah.”
She shuffled toward the pallet with her outstretched net and the rabbit’s instincts kicked in. It jumped back, twisting in the air, and hit the floor running in the opposite direction—straight into Halli’s net.
A thundering of paws announced the arrival of Craig, Maxim, and Devi from the back corridor.
Masha spun when she heard the noise, identifying the source immediately. “The net!” she yelled.
It was too late.
The furry trio pounded into the loading area. Devi saw the net in time and threw herself over it in a salmon-leap, landing neatly in front of a stack of crates on the other side.
The boys weren’t as lucky.
Maxim leapt the net, blocking Craig’s view. Craig slammed face-first into the net, tearing it free and taking Maxim out as it wrapped itself around his legs. The two wolves rolled, taking the puppy with them. The three of them skidded to a messy stop in the middle of the pile of crates, startling the rabbit hidden beneath into making a desperate run for it when its shelter was invaded.
Devi was first to disentangle herself. “I’ll catch it!”
Masha flung her hands up. “Devi, no!” The puppy looked at her in confusion. “They run when you chase them,” Masha explained. “I do need you to chase them, just not yet. We need to get that net back up before any more escape.”
Tina and Ron arrived as Masha walked over to the net and tugged, spilling the boys from the net. They loped off as she reattached it, returning fully-dressed and in their human forms by the time she’d finished.
Last to turn up was Yana, who came from the other direction. “What’s going on? Did you find the rabbits?”
Masha made a see-sawing motion with her hand. “Sort of. They were in the bay over there, but they got out before we could catch them.”
“Hey, we caught one!” Halli protested, holding up the rabbit in her net.
“We did. Now we need to catch the rest of them. The room is sealed now, and we can herd the rabbits if we work together.”
Yana tilted her head. “Herd them?”
Masha nodded. “Yeah. We start at the back over here, and sweep through, ramp up the werewolf vibe to flush the rabbits toward where you, Ron, and Tina will be waiting with nets to catch them.”
Ron grinned. “We need a box or crate to hold the ones we’ve caught until we’re all done.”
Maxim nodded thoughtfully. “If we form a line and hold it as we move through, it will drive them toward the nets.
“I literally just got dressed,” Craig complained.
Halli tsked at him. “Just go and change, preferably somewhere we don’t have to see your ass, k?” She walked behind a nearby pile of crates, coming out a few moments later, shaking her russet fur into place. The Halli-wolf looked pointedly at the boys, who were still standing there talking about the best way to flush the rabbits.
Masha clapped her hands. “Don’t just stand there, get a move on!”
Five minutes later everyone with two legs was on one side of the pallets preparing their nets, and all the four-footed were on the other getting ready for the chase.
Maxim held the middle of the line, Devi and Masha on his left, Mischa and Craig on his right. They advanced as one, letting out low rumbling growls to alert the rabbits to their presence as they slunk forward.
Tina winced when she heard the growls. “What if someone hears?”
Ron snickered. “If they can hear this, we’re definitely gonna get busted if the rabbits don’t run and they ramp it up.”
As if on cue the growling ceased, and from the other side of the room arose a spine-chillingly mournful howl that made Tina shiver.
There was movement.
“Quick, there’s one!” Tina dived with her net, releasing it to land over the rabbit.
Ron and Yana already had their hands full with the other rabbits that had made a break for it. Tina deposited the rabbit in the upturned box and turned to zero in on the next.
When they had all the runners, Ron whistled the signal for the canine contingent to regroup and begin a fresh sweep.
Tina counted eight rabbits in the box so far. “Devi, how many rabbits can you smell?” she called.
Devi’s translator carried the message clearly in the silence. “At least four more.”
Tina sighed. “Ready to go again?”
___
ADAM?
>>Yes, Meredith?<<
I thought you wouldn’t want to miss this.
>>Are they...<<
Yes. I’ve been watching since I was alerted by one of them switching the lights on.
>>HA! Wait a minute, how many rabbits are down there? I thought they only took the one?<<
The rabbit they took gave birth to twelve young, all of which are on the cusp of sexual maturity. My calculations have led me to this as the likely outcome.
ADAM received an image from Meredith showing a handsome blond man in a green jersey sitting chest-deep in a pile of small, furry animals.
>>Well, that’s the trouble with—<<
Meredith cut him off. You know what I am going to recommend.
>>Yes, Meredith. You can contact Diane and Dorene now.<<
Are you sure? I know you wanted to wait until you’d heard from Wells.
>>Go ahead, it’s fine. He is here.<<
Meredith checked the logs. I don’t have him listed as being aboard.
>>You wouldn’t.<<
___
Tina wiped her hands after placing the rabbit in the box. “That’s mom and eleven babies. Is that all of them?”
Yana shrugged. “I think so.”
Devi padded over. “Everyone went to get dressed. I can’t smell any more rabbits now, except the one that escaped.”
Yana’s eyes widened. “One escaped? What if that one is pregnant?”
“That one can’t get pregnant,” Devi told her. “Unless males can do that now?”
Tina snickered and then yawned. “I think we’ve done what we can for now. We can come back to find the escapee. Go home now, Devi. We can get these rabbits to their proper place before we call it a night.”
Devi yawned. “Sounds good to me.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Plants and Ecologies Level, Rabbit Habitat
Tina scowled at Masha when she looked up from the lock and hissed at them to be quiet for the fifth time.
“It’s impossible to be silent,” she hissed back. “It’s the middle of the night here. Just hurry up with that door so we can get out of here before we get caught.”
The lock beeped.
Craig groaned. “Oh, thank the ever-living...”
Masha shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”
The door opened to reveal the identical stony faces of the Academy administ
rators, who didn’t wait a second before launching into their tirade.
“What do you think you’re doing with those rabbits?”
“Out here in the dead of night?”
They turned as one to point at Craig.
“And you’re a Guardian now.”
“You should know better.”
Masha stepped forward. “It was my fault. I just wanted to get justice for Devi.” She looked up, seeing the confusion in Diane and Dorene’s faces.
“What does stealing rabbits have to do with justice?” Diane asked.
Dorene was no clearer than her sister. “And what does our puppy have to do with any of it?”
Mischa shook her head. “Not stealing; we only borrowed it. We didn’t know it would escape and have babies.”
Yana spoke up. “If Bernadette hadn’t been so awful to Devi none of this would have been necessary.”
The administrators’ heads snapped up.
“What do you mean, ‘awful?’” Dorene asked.
“She wouldn’t let Devi into the habitat,” Halli told them.
Diane shook her head. “We know about that. There was a reason. Something to do with the rabbits being scared easily.”
Masha snorted. “More like Bernadette is such a petty coward that she takes her jealousy of Yelena out on the dogs.”
The administrators were taken aback by that.
Dorene sighed, her temper fizzling out when Tina yawned again. “It appears there’s more to this than meets the eye. Craig, take that box of rabbits to Bernadette and then return to wherever it is Guardians go at night. The rest of you, get yourselves back to the Academy. We will discuss this, and other things, tomorrow when you have all had some sleep.”
There was a sleepy chorus of ‘yes, ma’am’s’, and ‘thank you, ma’am’s’ as the group dispersed.
Diane and Dorene watched them go with thoughtful expressions.
“What are we going to do with that girl?”
Diane frowned. “Masha? I don’t know. She’s got all the right qualities for the Guardians. All we can do is hope she finds her way.”
“Did you know that she wanted to be a spy?”
Diane shook her head. “I didn’t. Huh.”
They were about to follow Craig to make sure Bernadette did not accost him when they were pinged on their implants by ADAM.
“Go ahead, ADAM,” Dorene suggested. “We’re listening.”
Thank you, ladies. I hope you don’t mind my intrusion, seeing as you are in a public area? I overheard you talking about Masha Kosolov and I wanted to discuss her with you.
“What’s to discuss?” Diane asked.
Meredith informed me of Masha’s dissatisfaction with her possible future. She has the potential to live up to her dream if we can provide an avenue for it to be realized.
“I don’t get it,” Dorene told him. “Are you saying you want us to offer spy classes?”
No, nothing like that. Does the name Greyson Wells ring a bell with either of you?
“No,” Diane told him. “What about you, DJ?”
Dorene shook her head. “Me either. Who is he?”
Probably better if you don’t ask that, but he will be visiting Anna Elizabeth Hauser at the Academy tomorrow afternoon to discuss Masha and I want to make sure you allow him entry.
“As long as you vouch for him,” Diane acceded.
Dorene tapped a finger to her lips. “With Anna Elizabeth, you say? Is he a diplomat?”
ADAM was gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Etheric Academy, Dean Hauser’s Office
Anna Elizabeth looked at the clock with a small sigh of impatience. It was just like Greyson to be fashionably late, with the express intent of throwing her off-balance.
When would he learn that she was never thrown off-balance?
She was just as guilty of playing the game. He hadn’t chosen her any more than she had him, and their dance had begun the first time they’d met. It was usually amusing, but she had no time for games today. She had to get back to the Institute and she wanted to speak with him before Diane and Dorene arrived for their meeting.
The door to her office buzzed, and she saw the silhouette of a man behind the frosted glass.
“Your guest is outside,” Meredith announced. “Would you like me to let him in?”
Anna Elizabeth’s mouth quirked ever so slightly. Maybe there was time, after all. “Make him wait for a minute before you do, please.”
Meredith opened the door a minute later, just as Greyson stepped away, about to leave.
“Come in, Greyson,” Anna called.
She sat back and wiped the smirk away as he entered her office. She always felt like she was meeting him for the first time whenever she saw him. His appearance was that of someone of indeterminable heritage in his late twenties. His average height and physiology, pleasant but nondescript features, slightly shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes came together to create a face that slid from her memory the moment he left.
He was handsome in his own way, though, she thought.
“You asked to see me?” He spoke English without any distinguishing accent.
“I did.” Anna gestured to one of the empty chairs. “Would you like a seat?”
“I prefer to stand, thank you.”
She lifted an indifferent shoulder. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
He stared at her for a long minute before taking a different chair than the one she’d indicated, choosing one in the corner of the office that had a view of the door. Anna turned in her seat to face him. “I’m glad you’re back. I have a proposition for you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What kind of proposition?”
Anna shook a finger at him. “All in good time.” She caught the shadows approaching her door. “Ah, now we can get started. Would you let Diane and Dorene in, please, Meredith?”
The Velasquez sisters entered the office, spotting Wells in the corner immediately.
“Who is this?” Diane asked Anna Elizabeth. “We haven’t been notified of anyone arriving at the Academy. Meredith?”
Meredith was silent.
Dorene grasped her sister’s arm. “Oh, you don’t think he’s the guy ADAM wouldn’t tell us about?”
Diane arched an eyebrow at Wells. “Are you?”
He nodded. “And that’s as much as you need to know, ladies.”
Diane and Dorene looked him up and down before turning their backs on Anna and Wells to whisper to each other.
“Look at those big brown eyes.”
“Aren’t you glad we took those years off?”
“Think we have a chance?”
“I think we need to take care of Masha, then we can find out.”
Anna held in her amusement at the look on Greyson’s face.
The sisters turned back to Anna, taking the chairs opposite her.
“Time to come clean. What exactly are you planning for Masha?”
“And what does goo-goo eyes here have to do with it?”
Anna Elizabeth steepled her hands and straightened up. “I can’t reveal anything about my colleague just yet. but I can tell you a little about what we have planned.”
Diane folded her hands in her lap and leaned forward a touch, fixing Anna Elizabeth with a steely look. “Are you still talking about Masha or is this about something bigger?”
She nodded. “Yes. Much bigger. Bethany Anne and General Reynolds have both recognized the need for a structured intelligence service. As we stand, we lack the knowledge we need to keep the upper hand in galactic politics. Our knowledge of this galaxy as a whole and current events in particular needs to expand. We need to know more fast, and we need to reach out to the various planets and peoples surrounding us to bring them into the Empire.”
The sisters nodded.
“Makes sense,” Dorene agreed.
Anna nodded brusquely. “To that end, we are expanding the remit of the Diplomatic Institute, such
as it is at this point. I have been authorized to establish a SpyCorps in addition to the diplomatic arm. Since secrets and diplomacy work nicely together, I will be overseeing both the DipCorps and the new SpyCorps. This is the track I would like to see Masha on—as long as ADAM’s assessment of her is correct, of course. This gentleman has the necessary skills to take care of her training.”
Diane looked at Wells with a different set of eyes. “Which skills would those be?”
Anna Elizabeth smiled. “The ones he acquired during his time working for a particular U.S. agency.”
“Oh! Was it the FBI?”
“Pfft. Think again, DJ. I’m betting he’s from the NSA.”
“I suppose it could be the DOD.”
He gave them a disarming smile and held out his hands. “Ladies, ladies. I can neither confirm nor deny working for any of those agencies.”
Diane and Dorene turned towards each other.
“CIA!”
“Can’t mistake it once you’ve seen it.”
Wells tilted his head as he thought. “Is it wise to go into so much detail?” He glanced at the sisters and back at Anna Elizabeth with his eyebrows raised in a question.
Anna Elizabeth lifted a hand in reassurance. “Oh, don’t worry. These two might talk a lot, but they can keep a secret.”
Diane lifted a hand to her heart as Dorene crossed it. “To the grave, don’t worry. Not that it will be anytime soon, thank the Empress!”
“It’s time to come in from the cold .” Anna Elizabeth nodded as the decision was made. “Besides, as far as anyone will be concerned you’re just another diplomat, no different than any other.”
“A new cover? That could work out nicely for me.” He smiled slowly. “Excellently, as a matter of fact.”
Anna ignored Dorene fanning herself to focus on Greyson for the moment. “Just what I wanted to hear. You will be my Diplomat Spy. No one else will be involved in both Corps.”
Wells rested his hand on his chin while he digested the assignment.
Anna turned to Diane and Dorene. “We will meet with Masha later today, if that’s possible?”
The twins looked at each other.
“Today may be an issue. We have a disciplinary meeting this afternoon. Masha is one of the students being disciplined.”
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