by C. R. Daems
"Drop the gun, or I'll kill your friend," he sneered. I guess he thought that would frighten the young girl into surrendering her weapon. He was right; it did frighten me. The thought of me being responsible for Kris's death made bile rise into my throat, but I knew with certainty this wasn't a guard protecting his admiral. He was here for a purpose—and Kris and I were that purpose.
"Lieutenant, we are acting with Priority One Access authority. You are facing prison time if you don't put down that weapon immediately."
"I'll count to three, then she's dead," he shouted this time. Kris didn't say a thing. She didn't have to. I could feel her determination and amusement as she watched me like she was enjoying a stage play. I thumbed the shard gun spread to the narrowest—about ten centimeters at this range—and grabbed Red from my shoulder. Like he understood, he didn't wrap himself around my arm.
"One ... two ..."
"My friend will go to Heaven, and you and the admiral will go to Hell a second later," I said, interrupting his count as I placed my gun against the admiral's head. I had taken a huge risk, but I felt he wasn't ready to face death.
"Not so easily intimidated. How about I cripple her one piece at a time? How about we start at the knees?" His laser left her head and began to move toward her leg. I steadied my breathing as Chief Ransom had taught me and concentrated on my target.
"I'm sorry, Red," I whispered as my arm circled down and then up. "Incoming," I shouted as Red’s wiggling body arched high into the air heading for Kris and her attacker. The lieutenant's eyes flew open, and his hand with his laser rose toward Red, who was beginning his descent. Kris’s eyes went from me to Red to the lieutenant's laser as it rose toward Red. She pushed her body backward as he and I shot simultaneously. He screamed, his face twisted in pain as the shards tore his extended hand and forearm to shreds. I prepared to shoot again, but it wasn't necessary. He had dropped the laser and let go of Kris to clutch at his mangled hand and forearm.
"Oh, my God, Anna," Kris said as she pulled out her laser and simultaneously kicked the lieutenant's laser across the room, then raced to pick up Red. "You'll die ..." She scooped up Red and examined him from head to tail. I almost laughed with relief seeing Kris, who hated snakes, examining Red like he was a cloth toy. "He missed. If he had killed Red..." Tears filled her eyes as she handed Red back to me.
"I just hoped I could shoot before the lieutenant, or that being Red’s nanny, you would jerk enough when you saw him trying to shoot Red to screw up his aim. You did." Red slid around my neck, and his tongue flicked against my cheek.
Just then, Major Pannell came through the door with his multifunctional weapon at the ready.
"Arrest them, Major," Comstock shouted. Pannell scanned the room and looked to me, then Kris.
"Major, that man needs a doctor and is under arrest for failure to obey a lawful order by an officer with P1A authority. And Admiral Comstock is under arrest for ... specific charges are yet to be determined."
Pannell nodded and waved in the rest of his detail and began giving orders to secure the lieutenant and the admiral and to see to his injury. I walked behind his desk with Kris following. "What do you think, Anna?"
"I think the admiral is the missing piece of the puzzle. I didn't think the people in the WavCom unit were smart enough or had sufficient authority to pull this off. I think we'll find the admiral is the head of the smuggling organization."
"I hope so. Otherwise, we're never going to get P1A authorization again," she quipped. "You're bleeding," she screamed and pulled up my shirt to examine the blood-soaked area. "You're lucky, sort of. That protective vest absorbed most of the laser's beam, but you have a nasty cut where it ends."
Just then, a corporal handed her a towel. "Here, hold onto this until the major can get you to the hospital," she said while placing it over the wound.
"Can you walk, Lieutenant?" Pannell asked. When I nodded, he supported me under my arm and walked me to the car, with two marines following. I was glad to sit, not sure if the sudden weakness I felt was from a loss of blood or the aftershock from the incident—the lieutenant could have killed Red or I could have shot Kris, or both.
"You can shoot, Lieutenant Paulus. Even with a shard gun, that was a remarkable shot. Your mother must be a Seer, Chief Ransom an excellent teacher, and you a very clever ... woman. Even with your shard gun set to a tight beam, you couldn't have shot the admiral's lieutenant without hitting Lieutenant Sinclair. With a laser maybe. So that was quick thinking and risky. If I understand correctly, if the lieutenant had killed your krait, you would have eventually died of the Coaca Virus."
"Some things are worth dying for, Major," I said knowing I'd do it again, and I pressed Red to my cheek in apology.
* * *
After I was released from the hospital two days later, Adrian, Kris, and I spent the next two weeks going over the admiral's files, CPC, tablet, and private computer system. It detailed the names of merchants—which we already knew—and his contacts on every planet as well as in the FPU.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Returning Heroes
Two weeks later, Admirals Webb, Lulltrel, and Rawls appeared on Oasis for a review of our findings. Arrest warrants were issued for the names in Comstock's records and the merchants who were still loose.
And at a private ceremony, the three of us were awarded the Navy Cross for solving the drug and contraband crises which had been growing for more than twenty years, and I received another Purple Heart. To my delight, Alexa was allowed to attend the ceremony. Afterward, she took the team to dinner at a very exclusive restaurant.
"Alexa, how would you like to adopt me?" Kris said after the waiter delivered our drinks. They had all ordered some wine. I thought about doing the same but in the end decided against it. I wasn't sure how it might affect Red or me. Wine did enter the blood stream, and Red drank my blood. "Your daughter has become like my little sister this past year. We could make it official."
"You will always be welcome in our home, Kris. It terrifies me Anna risked Red to save you, but it also shows how much she thinks of you."
"That terrified me to death. I would have stopped her if I could, but she was too quick."
"You should have seen her, Mother. After I shot the lieutenant's hand and he fell to the floor, Kris ran over and scooped up Red and examined him from head to tail."
"And obviously Red didn't bite her."
"No, he somehow understands those close to me. I don't understand, but I know he’s something more than a common krait, and he communicates with me on some level."
"I believe her. On the ship when she had her tirade with Captain Sharat..." Kris went on to explain the incident.
"Red stayed with you and didn't try to leave or feed off you? That is amazing," Adrian said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Remind me not to go on missions with Anna without you, Kris. Actually, hanging around both of you is dangerous." He laughed and raised his glass. "One for all and all for one."
* * *
The next day, Stauffer called a team meeting, which turned out to be a sort of mini-party.
"You have made a lot of people very happy. Admirals Webb and Lulltrel are looking like geniuses and getting credit for breaking up the smugglers' operation. Admiral Rawls is being promoted to Vice Admiral and will be in line for Admiral Lulltrel’s position when he retires. I'm being promoted to Commodore. Thank you," he said, and paused until the clapping stopped. "Adrian and Kris will be promoted to Lieutenant Commanders on the next promotion list. Anna, they are not sure what to do with you. They want to promote you, but your age presents them with a dilemma."
"I understand," I said. "I'm not old enough to be a full lieutenant."
"It's not fair." Adrian scowled. "Many of the clues that led us to the smugglers were Anna's."
"No, it's not fair. The missiles led us to the merchants and were our first big break. And then there was the admiral," Kris said, looking mad.
"I know. I don't know what they are
going to do. They might start Anna's time in grade as a lieutenant commander from today but hold the promotion for a year or two, or ... who knows what they will decide. It's being discussed way above my pay level." He shrugged. "Admiral Rawls would like to keep the team together on Oxax." He paused, looking at each of us. "Hearing no objections, I assume that means you are all agreeable?" He received nods from each of us. "Good, you each have three weeks’ leave coming as a bonus. By the time you come back to Oxax, I'll have an assignment for you. I have to keep you busy, but in truth, you will be held in reserve for the next big NIA case."
To be continued.
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SCIENCE FICTION
The Riss Series:
The Riss Gamble (Book I)
The Riss Proposal (Book II)
The Riss Survival (Book III)
The Riss Accession (Book IV)
The Riss Challenge (Book V)
The Black Guard
Red Angel
FANTASY EPIC
The Shadow Series:
The Shadow Ryana (Book I)
The Shadow Gypsy (Book II)
Zara the Wolf
Women of Power
Talon of the Unnamed Goddess
Scales of Justice
URBAN FANTASY
The Kazak Series:
The Kazak Guardians: Lynn's Rules (Book I)
The Kazak Guardians: The Unthinkable (Book II)
PARANORMAL ROMANCE / HORROR
The Seer Renee
The Laughing Hounds
