Harry Heron: Hope Transcends

by Patrick G Cox

  The Admiral nodded. “They’re on the hospital ship Emily Hobhouse. I’m sure you can find an excuse to visit before they leave for Earth.” She stood as her link chirped. “I think that’ll be your gigs.”

  The pair stood and Harry saluted. “Thank you, ma’am.” He turned as the door slid aside and Commander Nickel entered.

  “Ah, so, you’re ready?” The newcomer held out his hand. “She’s all yours, a worse crew of cutthroats I have yet to find.” He grinned. “You should fit right in.”

  The Sabre, though similar to the Lagan, was much larger and had a few external features which looked unusual. “We’ve some additional weaponry. Oh, and a system for blocking detection on other scanners.” Lieutenant Danny Gunn grinned. “It’s something the Lacertians developed.”

  Harry studied the ship. She was sleeker than the patrol ships, and her drive pods looked different as well. “She looks very good. How did she perform on her trials and working up?”

  “Amazing. She’s one of the new breed. The new drives are fantastic, and her weapons outfit gives us the same punch as a much bigger ship. Oh, and we carry a full platoon of Marines plus their officers.”

  Harry nodded. “So I’ve been told. Looks like we’ve got extra boats as well.”

  “Yes, a pair of landing barges, two launches and this gig, sir.” Danny grinned. “That’s why we have a different silhouette. They had to enlarge the hangars, but the new drive systems take up less space.”

  “On approach now, sir.” Jack Proctor called over his shoulder. “Docking in two minutes.”

  “Thank you, Master Warrant.” Harry smiled. “How many favours did this transfer cost you?”

  Jack laughed. “A few, sir. Mike’s here as well.” He grinned. “Leading TechRate Dorfling. He was a tad surprised to get his promotion, but apparently that Centaur captain chappie decided not to make a fuss about his ‘accident’ when Mike ‘fell’ on him.” He chuckled. “It was pointed out to him that his trying to have us killed probably wouldn’t sound good if he made a case of it.”

  The gig lined up on the open hangar bay and settled gently onto the deck. Behind it, the outer shell doors closed and the internal lights came on.

  “Atmosphere stable, sir. Opening the hatch.”

  “Thank you.” Harry glanced at the speaker, a man he didn’t recognise. “I’m sorry, I haven’t yet heard your name.”

  The man grinned. “TechRate First Class Leitvin Sonderburg, sir.”

  “Thank you.” Harry smiled. “I shall look forward to getting to know you as a member of my crew.” The hatch opened. “Well, Mr. Gunn, I take it my gear is already aboard?” He didn’t wait for a reply and stepped out of the gig to receive the salute of the side party.

  “Welcome aboard, sir.” Lieutenant-Commander Keiron Whitworth smiled. “I’ve had your kit stowed in your quarters.” He smiled. “I think you’ll find the Sabre as good a command as the one you had at Fleet College.”

  “Keiron! What are you doing here?” Harry smiled and extended his hand. “I thought you had your own command.”

  Keiron grinned. “Long story, but I’m your Exec on this commission.”

  Harry nodded. “I see. Perhaps you’ll join me for a meal later and tell me about it.” He gestured round the hangar. “First though, perhaps you’d give me a tour of the Control sections? I want to get to know at least my key officers as soon as possible.”

  “Of course, sir.” He fell into step beside Harry. “We’ve got a great team. I think you know a couple of them already.” He hesitated. “Did the Admiral tell you we’ve some ghosts aboard—Special Services?”

  “Yes, she did.” Harry made a face. “I am not certain I like the idea. Do you know who they are?”

  Keiron hesitated. “Yes, I do.” He paused, a half smile playing on his lips. “I’m one. I’m the Unit Commander, but that isn’t general knowledge, and probably best if it stays between us, sir.”

  Harry stared. “Ah. Very well, but I think I would appreciate your being open with me about what is really happening here.” He smiled. “I wondered why you seemed to vanish from the Fleet list. Would I be wrong if I guessed your actual rank is the same as mine?” He watched his friend’s face. “I thought so. Very well, if it suits you to act the Exec, then so be it. I’m glad it is you, Keiron.”

  Keiron smiled. “You don’t miss much, do you. You’re right, but it’s a necessary ruse. You remember Senzile? He’s also one of the ghost Fleet. He’s leading the squad providing protection for the Chief Justice in Dublin.”

  “I can see I’m in good hands then.” Harry smiled as they entered his new quarters. “Take dinner with me this evening. We have much to discuss for this commission.”

  Harry took his seat in the Command Centre. His conversation with Keiron had been enlightening and troubling. As he suspected, this command was more about keeping him out of sight and out of the line of fire than about any operational need. It seemed he’d made some extremely dangerous enemies by surviving and exposing the records they had tried to conceal.

  Harry expressed his concerns later that evening at dinner with Keiron. “There must be something more to it,” he said. “Security have the lists, so killing me or members of my family will not erase them. What more could there possibly be to it?”

  Keiron hesitated. “There are a couple of places in the list where the individuals’ names make no sense. They seem to be code names. We think, and their actions suggest we may be right, that the key to that mystery is somewhere in your head, or perhaps in something else you accessed. That may be why they want you dead.”

  That was bad enough, but the threat now hung over the rest of the family, and Mary in particular. It was little comfort to know that she, like Niamh, Theo, Ferghal and Danny, had the best teams of Keiron’s ‘ghosts’ guarding them round the clock. If anything, it made him even more concerned. The only thing he wanted for Mary was a happy, carefree life far removed from the madness of the world…

  Chapter 23

  Provoked

  _________________________

  “Do you have the feeling we’re being watched?” Mary glanced at Niamh as they walked through the Botanical Gardens in Glasnevin, a place of stunning tranquility on the outskirts of Dublin. “I know our shadow agents are here, but this feels different, almost malevolent.”

  “Now you mention it, yes, it does feel disturbing somehow.” Niamh looked round. “Something’s not right. Let’s go back.” She made a show of looking at her wrist tablet. “Good lord!” She exclaimed slightly louder than necessary. “I’d forgotten I should be at Theo’s Chambers. I’ll have to contact him and tell him we’re on our way.”

  “Oh!” Mary joined the charade. “I shouldn’t have dragged you out to the Gardens. If we go now, will you be in time?”

  The pair turned round and walked quickly toward the entrance, chattering to maintain the show. Their escorts, two humans and two nearly invisible Lacertians, sensed a problem and went into defensive mode, though they were uncertain of the type of threat they faced. One sauntered over to Niamh with a plan of the Gardens in hand and made a show of asking her for directions.

  “What’s the problem, Madame L’Estrange?”

  “I’m not at all sure.” Niamh went through a charade of trying to spot the feature she was supposedly identifying. “We both just suddenly felt as if there was something very unpleasant close by. You know—as if we were being stalked by a predator.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” The agent smiled and made a charade of checking the layout of the Gardens while covertly signalling his team into place. “Just keep walking toward the entrance. My people are between you and the exit and will cover you.”

  Niamh nodded. “Have a lovely visit,” she added cheerfully, and took Mary by the hand. “Oh dear, I think our protection people are worried...” She felt a sting in the shoulder, and before she could utter another word, she sank to the ground.

  “Aunt Niamh!” M
ary cried out in horror, and all hell broke loose as Mary struggled to revive the older woman and felt herself being pulled away.

  “Admiral, we have a concentration of Charonian and human ships in this sector.” The briefing officer indicated the location on the display. “None of the human vessels give current identification signals. Three are reported to belong to the LPSL—but we know they have lost contact with them and several more.”

  The Admiral nodded, his brow creased in a frown. “Ship types?”

  “Five of the eight human ships show as armed, sir. Big enough to be destroyer or cruiser class. The Charonian ships show as six destroyer class and one starship, a big one.”

  The Admiral was on his feet studying the display. “So I see. Do we have any indication of the weapons these ships carry?”

  “For the destroyers, yes, sir. For the starship type, we have only some sketchy information and some guesses based on observation. There aren’t many, so we’re told, but they’re damned fast and powerful.”

  “Let’s see if we have anything in that area that can do a running scan so we can know what we’re dealing with here…” The Admiral searched his dispositions. “Ah, yes, we have the Tenth Patrol Flotilla two days from there.” He frowned. That was Harry’s flotilla. Damn. The Tenth had been sent to that sector because it was supposed to be as far as possible from any chance encounter with the known assassins hunting Harry. “Get Commander Heron on link for me.”

  “Flag on link for you, sir.”

  “Thank you. On my display, please.”

  “On link, sir.”

  “Admiral, good morning, sir.”

  “Morning, Harry.” The Admiral smiled. “I take it the Sabre is getting used to you now.”

  Harry grinned. “I think we’ve reached an understanding, sir.” The Sabre had indeed got used to him, but it had taken a while for the ship’s AI, one of the latest generation, to recognise what it should and should not listen to in Harry’s thoughts.

  “Good. Now then, I have a tricky and very delicate mission for you. I’ll upload the coordinates at the end of this conversation. I require you to do a fast fly-by and scan of a starship. At this stage we think we have enough on its companions, but we need everything we can get on this ship. It’s a type unknown to us.” He frowned. “You’ll have a very brief window to drop out, scan and transit. I shall leave it to you to assess the best means of obtaining the scan. Don’t take unnecessary risks with it. If you think a drone can get the data, use one.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.” Harry hesitated. “If you’ll give us the coordinates, sir, I shall brief my commanders.”

  “They’re on their way. Good luck and good hunting.”

  Harry looked up. “Navigation, you have the coordinates?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He stood. “Highlight it in the display, please. Number One, have a look at this with me. It looks like a fleet is gathering, and the Admiral’s data suggests that starship is a powerful one.”

  Keiron joined him. “I agree.” He accessed a star chart for the target’s location. “Hmm, not a lot to hide us there either. Perhaps if we go in with our scan shield at full power, we can avoid detection for long enough to get a fix on the ship we want, drop the screens, run the scan, shield up and transit away before they can respond.”

  Harry nodded. He was listening to Sabre as the ship ran an assessment of the trajectory they would need, the range of the scan and the effectiveness of the shield against the known scanning equipment of the Charonians. “I do not think that would work at long range.” He frowned as Sabre supplied additional information. “I think we will have to make use of subterfuge and surprise for this one.”

  Keiron smiled. “Subterfuge?” He paused. “Ah, I think I see.” He looked at his tablet. “We need about thirty-six hours to get there. Gives us time to sort out the strategy then, sir.”

  “I agree,” said Harry. “So be it. Navigation, lay in our course to the target. Helm, link to our consorts.” He resumed his seat. “Ready Number One?”

  “Ready, sir.”

  “Bring us round to the course for transit, helmsman.” He watched the display. “Take us into transit when you’re ready, Navigator.”

  The display changed to the grey fog of hyperspace, and the seven other ships of the flotilla appeared in phosphorescent outlines in positions ahead, astern, above and below as well as on either beam. Harry smiled in satisfaction, picking out each of the craft and mentally recalling its commander. The four corvettes, with their Canid crews, held the positions above and below the Sabre, with two holding position ahead. Lagan followed, and the pair of Lacertian ships held positions on either beam.

  “Join me in my quarters in five minutes, Number One.” Harry stood and looked around. “You have the Watch, Pack Leader.”

  The Canid navigator acknowledged.

  “Five minutes, sir.” Keiron saluted as Harry left the Control Centre, then turned and studied the chart on his tablet. “Damn. How am I supposed to keep him safe on a stunt like this?” he said under his breath.

  Admiral Heron paced in his quarters. Sending Harry into the lion’s den was troubling, but it would have worried him if it had been any of his officers and men. Uppermost in his mind was his inability to reach either Theo or Niamh in Dublin, but in parallel with that was his frustration over the lack of any real information about the Charonians and their capabilities. His door buzzer sounded.

  “Come in.”

  “Sir, we’ve an update on the intel you asked for. There are almost as many new questions as there are answers.” The Flag Lieutenant handed a tablet to the Admiral. “I’ve asked for clarification on these issues, sir. Some of the intel is downright contradictory.”

  The Admiral accepted the tablet and studied it. “Hmph. Most of this is supposition and guesswork.” He handed the tablet back. “Let’s hope the Tenth Flotilla can get some real information for us. Otherwise I might as well tell the fleet to shut down scanners and fly by the seat of their pants.” He waved his visitor to a seat. “We have about five more hours before they reach the target. I pray the enemy hasn’t had any warning of them.” He shook his head. “With the corruption at home we’ve no idea who we can trust. Bloody fools, it’s always the same, a handful of people so blinded by wealth and power they’ll make a pact with the devil just to gain more.” He paused as his link chirped. “Admiral.”

  “Sir, message from Fleet C-in-C. There’s been an attempt to kidnap your sister and her companion a young woman named Mary Hopkins. Your sister is injured.”

  Harry felt a chill run through him as he listened.

  “There was an attempt to snatch your fiancée, sir.” Keiron’s face showed his concern. “The reports say she’s unharmed, just badly shaken, but I’m afraid your aunt is in serious condition in hospital.” Keiron paused. “We’ve placed them both in a secure facility, and your uncle is with them.”

  Harry’s jaw tightened. “How did this happen?” His voice was very quiet and very calm.

  Keiron noted that Harry’s face was stiff, and his eyes seemed to bore into him as he fixed his Executive Officer with a stare that felt hot enough to burn steel. “I’m not sure of all the details. Just that your aunt and Ms Hopkins were in the Botanical Gardens in Dublin when they were taken. It was a well-planned attempt. In fact, several of our people went down protecting them.” He paused. “If we hadn’t had a couple of Lacertians on the detail, it might have turned out very badly for us.”

  “What did they hope to achieve?” Harry asked, his tone frighteningly level. Those who knew him well also knew that this was the calm before the storm.

  “We think they planned to use your fiancée and your aunt as hostages.” He met Harry’s icy stare and couldn’t hold it. It was like looking into the open muzzle of a particle beam projector. “I’m sorry, sir. At least we thwarted them this time.”

  “This time. How many more times must we expect? How often do we have to be lucky
?” He met and held Kieron’s eyes. “You know who is behind this, Keiron. I need to know. Who is so lacking in morality or any concept of decent and civilised behaviour that they would stoop to this? Tell me, Keiron.” He paused. “I need to hear everything you know.”

  Keiron swallowed. Harry’s utter calm unnerved him. It was all the worse for the fact he could sense the fury held in check by his friend. He’d never seen Harry this angry, and he’d no wish to see the rage behind that rigidly calm exterior.

  “Yes,” he said quietly. “Yes, I do know who is behind it. We aren’t dealing with ordinary folk here, Harry. We’re dealing with people who have the wealth and power to buy governments and impoverish nations. The likes of us don’t normally get close to them.” He paused. “I’ll give you the names, but they won’t mean a damned thing to you. They take care never to be noticed by the news media, and they have ways of making sure that anyone who does notice them never talks about it. They won’t have ordered this attempt on Mary; that has all the trademarks of the people they’ve hired. The man behind it has so many aliases I doubt he can even remember what his real name is. We give him the code name Octopus, but he calls himself Zorvan. They only hire him when someone is close to exposing them, and you must have uncovered something they are very afraid of for them to have taken out this contract. I think I know what it is, and I think you do too.”

  Harry nodded, his eyes blazing with anger. “Yes, I think I do. Senator Samland hinted at it on the Voyager.” His eyes burned into Keiron’s. “I do not care how mighty or how important these men are, or think they are, they have dared to threaten the lives of those who, in this life, mean most to me. I will neither forgive nor forget that until every last one of them has been called to account.”

  The door buzzer sounded. “Come!” he barked.