The Iron Admiral: Deception (18 page)

Somewhere, Astin fired his weapon. The warehouse plunged into darkness.

Ears straining, Allysha scrambled to her feet. In the dark, her enhanced eyesight gave her the advantage.

Maybe she could even make it to the warehouse exit. She scurried along the aisle.

The lights came back on.

****

“Anything to report?” Captain Pedder asked.

“No, Sir.” The commander grinned ruefully. “We’ve all been bored out of our brains.”

“Are you in the next group down?” asked Pedder.

“I am, Sir, looking forward to it.”

“Well, enjoy your break.”

Saahren hovered. “Care to join me for a drink, Karl?” he asked as they headed for the transit.

Allysha’s voice echoed through the hangar bay.

“What’s this about Chief Astin? Why are you chasing me around the level thirty warehouse with a gun, and why did you kill Lieutenant Wong?”

Saahren ran, his heart a frozen lump in his chest. Not again. She was supposed to be safe on the ship.

He leapt into a transit car, Pedder only a little behind him.

“Express to thirty hector, Arcturus,” Saahren said. “Where is Allysha now? And get me a copy of Chief Astin’s service record.”

“I am unable to find her, Grand Admiral,” said the IS, unmoved and unemotional, “But based on an extrapolation of last data,Allysha is on level thirty, in logistics store 30-Hector .The store is locked down.

The main access door is damaged .”

Pedder summoned a squad of troopers to meet them at the store room door.

“Astin served onAl Debaran when I was her captain,” Saahren said reviewing the Chief’s service record via his implant. “He’s a good man. Or at least, he was.”

“I’ve heard no complaints, either,” Pedder said. “To all intents an able, long serving CUO.”

The transit stopped. The two officers ran the twenty meters to where a small group of curious people, all from the logistics section, were gathered outside the door of warehouse 30-Hector.

“Chief? Chief Astin?” called a sergeant, banging on the door. “What’s happening in there? Open this door.”

He must have sensed the change in his audience’s demeanor. He turned around. And froze to attention, round eyed, when he saw the grand admiral and the ship’s CO, both in dress uniform.

“In here, help me.”

Saahren’s head snapped around. Allysha, somewhere inside. She screamed in pain and a male voice snarled. His nostrils flared. He’d hurt her. “Go about your business, Sergeant, and take these people with

you.”

As the sergeant shepherded his people away, a squad of troopers in battle armor replaced them.

“Lieutenant, get this door open. Cut through it if you have to,” Pedder said, “And find out if you can get snipers in there from anywhere else.”

Saahren stood to one side as the officer deployed troopers with laser cutters. He stilled himself, entering that core within him that shut out emotion and allowed him to deal with what was. She was alive; he would get her out. He thrust aside for later any thought of what he would do to Astin.

Astin caught Alysha before she got to the door, bringing her down in a tackle that slammed the air out of her lungs and crushed her broken arm beneath her body. Unbearable pain burned through her nerves, scalded her brain. She screamed.

“Bitch!” He grabbed her hair and smashed her face into the floor. “You smart bitch! Get up!”

He grasped her collar with one huge hand and dragged her to her feet. “Get a message to the bridge commander, Sergeant,” called Astin. “Tell him I have the woman here and I’ve got a pistol. He’s to get me a shuttle so I can leave the ship. Now. Or I’ll kill her.”

He held her right shoulder in one hand, the other pointed the pistol at her head. Now she was a hostage.

But that was better than dead.Please, please somebody get me out of this. Colored lights sparkled in front of her eyes. Her nose throbbed; it felt like something that didn’t belong to her, stuck on the front of her face.

“I’m going to open the door, Chief. I want to see her.”

Saahren, his baritone voice calm. Her legs trembled. Saahren. Oh, thank the Spirit. Saahren.

“Admiral,” Astin said, a new note of respect in his voice. “Sorry, Sir. I can’t do that. I need that shuttle.”

“You’ll have to open the door to get out at some stage. How did you think you’d reach the shuttle?”

Astin’s fingers kneaded her shoulder. “You’ll let me leave?”

“I need to see her, then we’ll talk. You have a weapon and this is the only way in. There’s no risk. I don’t want her hurt any more than she has been.”

“All right. But only you. I’ll shoot anybody else.” The CUO tightened his grip on her, holding her in front of him like a shield as the door slid aside.

Saahren, calm, face expressionless, stood alone, dressed in ceremonial white, palms exposed at his sides. The Confederacy Star glowed blue at his throat. She’d never been so pleased to see him, so relieved.

“Allysha?”

The pain pounded but she forced herself to smile for a moment.I love you . The words echoed in her head. “’M’ all right,” she mumbled. “Broken arm.”

“Let her go, Chief,” Saahren said.

Astin’s fingers clenched and unclenched on her arm. “Sorry, Sir. I can’t do that. Order me a shuttle.”

“And if I do that, you’ll leave her here?”

The Chief laughed, an ugly, humorless bray. “So you can blow me into space debris? I don’t think so.

But I’ll leave her somewhere for you to find.”

“Alive? Unharmed?”

“Yes. Of course. I didn’t want to hurt her. She left me with no choice.”

“I trust your word, Chief. You’ve served with me for many years—including when I captainedAl Debaran . You’re a good man, with an excellent reputation. But do you think your HRL friends will be so understanding?”

“Their argument is with the toe rags, not human women.”

“Do you know what I think, Chief?” Saahren said softly. “I think theywould leave her somewhere for me to find, but she would not be unharmed and she might not be alive. And I won’t let that happen, Chief.”

“Then I’ll have to kill her.”

“What do you think I’ll do to you if you kill her?” Saahren said, glacier cold. “Do you think it will be a swift shot between the eyes? Maybe a quick walk outside the ship? Oh, no. You know me, Chief. You know I keep my word. And believe me… if you take my lady from me, you… will… pay.”

He means it. He loves me. He’d told her often enough.

“So it’s true?” Astin croaked. “The rumors about you and her?”

“Yes, they’re true.”

“You were never one for women.”

“Not women, Chief. Just this one.”

Astin hesitated. She felt his indecision in his fingertips. She should break away, make her escape. But pain cast a red net that fuddled her thoughts.

“Let her go. Let her leave now and we’ll talk.”

“You’ll court martial me,” Astin whispered.

“Yes. But you have thirty-five years of good service behind you.”

Saahren hadn’t moved.

Astin adjusted his grip on her shoulder. “I never meant for this to happen,” he muttered. He pushed her gently in the back. “Here. Good luck to you.”

Weak with relief, she stumbled forward, cradling her broken right arm with her left. A pistol shot rang out.

Saahren put out an arm to steady Allysha while behind her Astin’s body crumpled to the floor. Damn the bastard. He’d shot himself. But she was alive if not unharmed. He slipped an arm around her waist as she

leaned her forehead on his chest.

“He killed Tensan,” she mumbled.

She was trembling. His fingers stroking her hair, he nodded to the troop commander, giving permission for them to enter and search the warehouse.

“Get security in here,” he called over his shoulder. “You have a broken arm?” he asked her.

She nodded.

Saahren lifted her chin so he could see her face. Damn it, she was supposed to be safe. How had it come to this? Her cheeks were scratched, a cut swelled on her lip and dark bruises bloomed around her eyes and nose. She looked terrible. He’d never loved her more.

“What happened to your face?” He ran gentle fingers down the side of her cheek.

“Pushed into the floor. Just bruised.”

“Come on, let’s get you to the medical center.”

“No!” She stared up at him.

“Don’t be silly, Allysha. You need treatment.”

“I need to find out what Tensan found. He’s dead.” She squeezed her eyes shut and mashed her lips.

He felt her pain; he’d felt something similar often enough himself. “It’s not your fault.”

“He found something,” she insisted. “I have to check. Isn’t that why I’m here?” Her eyes were brilliant with suppressed tears.

“Your team can do it.”

“No.” She shook her head. “They can’t. There’s more to this than is obvious. Please. They can fix my arm, give me pain killers. Let me do this.”

His first instinct was to shout her down, order her to the medical center. And yet if she was anyone else, he would have agreed to let her stay without hesitation. It was what she wanted.

“All right.” He turned to the waiting doctor. “Set the arm and give her pain suppressants. She’s needed here.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. In a louder voice, she said, “I need the others to help me.”

“SenComm Ernshaw’s here, Sir,” Pedder said. Ernshaw stood beside him.

Saahren summoned the man with a jerk of his head. “You know Lieutenant Wong is dead?”

“Yes. I just returned, heard the transmission.”

“I’d prefer it if Allysha wasn’t here, but she insists. She wants the others here, too. ”

“Bristol and Sakara are on the ship—or should be. Should I call the other two back from leave?”

Ernshaw’s eyes flicked between Saahren and Allysha.

“Yes, please,” she said after a moment’s thought. “I don’t know where this will lead. You’d better get them back. I’m sorry.”

“It’s their job.” Ernshaw’s face went blank as he issued his orders through his implant.

“You’ll tell them about… Tensan?” Her voice broke and she brushed away the tears with an angry hand.

“Yes. I’ll tell them when they get back,” Ernshaw said.

“Come on, Allysha, you’re keeping the doctor waiting.” Saahren put an arm around her waist and led her to one side, where a medic fidgeted.

Ernshaw finished his calls and came back to Saahren while Allysha received treatment. “Do we know what we’re looking for?”

Saahren met his eyes and shook his head. “Allysha was looking for information about how the terrorists were getting hold of fleet grade weapons. It seems Lieutenant Wong must have found something. I’m guessing Astin must have been part of the supply chain. What I’m hoping for is a link to the people Astin was supplying. And then I’d like to know how it was done. Let Allysha take the lead.”

“Aye, Sir.”

“She really should be in the med center, Sir,” said the young doctor. His voice dripped disapproval.

“Her arm is not just broken; all the muscle is bruised as well; and she’s in shock.”

Saahren quelled him with a look. “If it was an option, she would be. What have you done?”

“I’ve administered an anesthetic and injected knitting agents. The arm should be good enough to use carefully in half an hour or so.” He moistened his lips, a little wary. “She’ll have to keep the cast on for a while at least. The rest is superficial. I can’t do much about it.”

Allysha wore a light protective casing around her arm. The doctor had wiped some of the blood and dirt from her face, but her lip was still swollen, her eyes and nose bruised.

Saahren’s heart burned for her. Damn Astin to hell. If he hadn’t topped himself, Saahren could have had answers from him and Allysha could have received proper treatment. Although he wasn’t sure what he would have done with Astin later. “It will have to do.”

“I bet I look really nice,” muttered Allysha. She hauled herself to her feet and brushed an ineffectual hand over her dusty, bloodied clothes.

“You’ve looked better.” She looked so damaged, so vulnerable and he felt so helpless to protect her.

He’d failed her, again. “Are you sure you have to be here?”

She shot him a look, her jaw tightened. She walked toward the machine room. “Come on, you guys,”

she said to Lieutenant Bristol and Lieutenant Sakara, who waited with SenComm Ernshaw. “I need you to get me some data.”

Bristol hesitated and directed a stare back at Saahren but whatever went through his mind, he thought better of it and followed Sakara. All three stopped as a medic guided a shrouded sled out of the machine

room.

Saahren gazed at the covered corpse. He sent men and women to die, that was part of his job, the hardest part. But this man had been murdered—murdered by his own. And for what? Did Astin have a story? He didn’t seem the type to be a terrorist. Well, maybe the Fleet investigators would find an answer.

Commander Ernshaw broke into Saahren’s reverie. “I’ll see to Lieutenant Wong’s body, Sir, and make sure his relatives are informed.”

“He was married, with a small daughter.” Saahren smiled a little at the surprised look in the commander’s eyes. “Oh, I wouldn’t know that about every junior officer on the ship.”

Ernshaw nodded in understanding, and took his leave, following the sled out of the warehouse.

Saahren fought with himself. He should go. Now he was probably in the way. In the machine room, Allysha leaned over Sakara’s shoulder, presumably giving instructions.

Bristol appeared in front of him. “Sir, she shouldn’t be here,” he said without preamble, his voice low and urgent. “She should be in medical.”

He sympathized but he wasn’t about to say so. “I would prefer it, but she insists she must be here.”

“We can do this,” the young man insisted. “Anna and I. She needs attention.”

He held Bristol’s eyes for a moment. The man was pushing his luck. “She insists that you cannot do this without her. I must trust her judgment.”

Bristol frowned, disbelieving. “Sir, she’s not herself.”