Severed Bonds

by R S Penney

  His supervisor came over.

  Dex Velori was a tall man with sun-darkened skin, a thick brown goatee and hair that he wore parted to one side. A good guy, really, though Ben still couldn't figure out why he would want a felon on his team.

  Dex bent over with his hands on his knees, peering into the screen. “Layat's ghost!” he said. “I think our boy found it!”

  The four other people in this room – two men and two women – all started clapping and cheering him on. Alesi Tyse, a plump dark-skinned woman with a bob of black hair, stood and said, “We've been at that for weeks.”

  Red-faced with chagrin, Ben closed his eyes. “It really wasn't that big of a deal,” he said. “I just looked at the code…thought about how I'd break it if I wanted to control…”

  Finishing that sentence was too difficult. The last thing he wanted to do was remind these people of his criminal past. But despite the fact that he had done just that, they were still clapping him on the shoulder, telling him how glad they were about him being here. Almost as if his past didn't matter.

  A fresh start.

  It was a strange thing, being confronted with exactly what you wanted. Until now, he had never imagined that it would be possible. He was still having a hard time allowing himself to believe that it was really happening.

  Dex backed away from his desk, standing in the warm sunlight that came in via the window. “You did a good job, Tanaben,” he said. “I knew bringing you onto this project was a good idea.”

  Ben swiveled around.

  Leaning back in his chair with arms folded, he frowned up at the man. “I still don't get it,” he said, shaking his head. “You know everything I did; I was upfront about all of that…Why would you want me working for you?”

  Dex looked down at his own shoes, deep creases forming in his brow. “You really have to ask?” he mumbled. “Tanaben, I believe everyone deserves a second chance, but more to the point, who better to strengthen our security than someone who used to break security systems?”

  “I see your point,”

  “We get that bug fixed,” Dex added, “and the app can be released to the Commons Review Board in less than three months. People will use our software to improve their fabrication units. Think about that.”

  Ben grinned into his own lap, nodding his agreement. “I take your point,” he said. “I'm just glad I could help.”

  “We're glad to have you.”

  Gratitude: that was a new experience. Even before Tyron exposed his actions out on the Fringe, Ben had worried that maybe one day, someone would find out about what he had done. What he had done…

  What he had done was save lives, but try telling that to the arbiters who had passed judgment on him. Try telling that to Larani Tal. He could still remember the sting of her words when he'd asked Keli to read Isara's mind.

  Well…maybe life as a public servant wasn't for him.

  He slouched in his chair with arms crossed, tilting his head back to blink up at the ceiling. “It's been rough,” Ben said. “After everything that happened…It's nice to know someone is happy to accept my contributions.”

  Dex performed a quick about-face and paced a line in front of the window. The man paused after a few steps, looking back over his shoulder. “A few of us are going to lunch in about an hour,” he said. “Join us.”

  “Count on it.”

  Yes, Tanaben Loranai was doing all right. Jack popped by his house at least once a week, and he often asked Ben whether there was any chance that he might be willing to work with the Keepers again. But no. That life was behind him. The danger, the fear, the boyfriends who turned their back on you when they found out about something you had done six years ago: all in the past.

  For once, things were easy.

  The air was warm and muggy on a beach where a twilight sky stretched on to the distant horizon. Waves lapped at the sandy shore in sprays of white foam, and the gulls were squawking in the distance.

  A lovely setting, to be sure, which was why Jack wondered what had made Cassi call him all the way down here to Buenos Aires. Her message had just said that he was to meet her at these coordinates – she had used a GPS – with no explanation as to why. Was this Keeper business? He doubted it.

  Larani had brought both of her aides with her to Earth, and Cassi seemed to want to take every available opportunity to go sight-seeing. Jack supposed he couldn't blame her. This was his world, after all, and she was trying to get to know it. But it was all just a little too relationshipy for him.

  He wasn't ready for that.

  In sneakers, jeans and a tight gray t-shirt with a v-neck, Jack walked through the sand with his head down. “Lovely setting,” he called out. “You wanna tell me why you had me come down here?”

  Cassi was sitting with her legs stretched out on a blanket, looking gorgeous in a strapless purple dress. The wind teased her pink hair, and she laughed as if it tickled. “I thought we might have a late dinner.”

  Jack noticed the picnic basket that she had brought with her and the tiny candles she had burning in little glass jars. So, this was a date then. Summer was nervous about that; the Nassai was vocal in her opposition to Jack pursuing a relationship that he didn't really want. He should probably just nip this thing in the bud.

  Grinning like a fool, Jack stared down at his own feet. He rubbed his forehead with the back of one hand. “Yeah, I appreciate the effort,” he began. “But I think we both have a lot of work to do.”

  “What work?”

  “Reports for Larani?”

  Cassi looked up to pout at him, soft candlelight casting flickering shadows on her face. “All of that is done,” she said. “Besides, we've been here for over a week, and we spent most of that time on the station.”

  Jack dropped to his knees on the blanket, glancing toward the ocean. The dark waves lapping at the shore held attention for a little while. God, he really didn't want to have this conversation. “Well, we've been busy.” That excuse sounded hollow in his ears. “It hasn't exactly been an ideal week for touristy fun times.”

  “Are you sure that's it?”

  My oh my, this was reminding him of conversations he'd had with Gabi less than one year ago. Always some excuse for why he couldn't do whatever it was she wanted to do. Which, in this case, was meet his family. Cassi was in full girlfriend mode, and Jack Hunter was living in Avoidance Central. He had never thought he'd catch himself doing that particular dance.

  It wasn't that he didn't like Cassi – God help him, he was physically attracted to her – but she seemed to be wanting an emotional commitment, and…Well, maybe that would sort itself out if he just gave it time.

  Summer was angry with him.

  “What did you bring?” he asked.

  He opened the basket to find a small container full of broccoli soup, and when he opened the lid, hot steam rose up with a delicious scent. Well…At least Cassi knew what he liked. But that just made his gut twist.

  She was stretched out before him, resting on her elbows as she stared off into the distance. “Still thinking about her?” Cassi asked. “The woman who cut you to pieces? You know that moping won't make it better, yes?”

  Jack looked up to fix his gaze on her, then narrowed his eyes. “I'm well aware that I can't simply will my desires into existence,” he said. “But even if I were 'moping,' putting me down for it isn't helpful.”

  “Just offering some perspective.”

  Clamping a hand over his mouth, Jack shut his eyes and cleared his throat. “Yeah. A perspective that nobody asked for,” he said, letting his arm drop. “Cass, I know you mean well, but you have to let me sort this one out on my own.”

  She tossed her head back, rolling her eyes. “As you say.” Instead of the fight that he had expected, Cassi just rolled onto her side and watched the waves lick the shore. “Your planet is beautiful.”

  “So I've been told.”

  “Why do your governments take such poor care of it?”

  Jack
fell backward with hands folded behind his head, smiling up at the night sky. “Wish I could tell you,” he mumbled. “I've been trying to figure that one out since I was nine years old.”

  “Our world had similar problems with pollution,” Cassi explained. “But the fossil fuel deposits on Leyria weren't nearly so rich as they were here, and we had to develop other technologies. We suspect it had something to do with the fact that the Overseers terraformed our world. Life didn't have millions of years to develop naturally.”

  “That makes sense…”

  “So, you don't want to do any sight-seeing?” she asked. “Might be your last chance to show me your hometown for a while.”

  Crossing his arms, Jack sat up until he was hunched over, then shook his head. “At the moment, my hometown is covered in snow,” he said. “I did the obligatory visits: Dad, Lauren, Mumsy Dearest. I'd rather just get my work done.”

  When he looked up, she was staring at him with flickering candlelight reflected in those purple eyes. “Jack,” she said flatly. “We've interviewed everyone on our list. What's that phrase your people use? Zip, zilch, nada?”

  “Well, sure…if you wanna be all 90s about it.”

  “The point is you've earned a break.”

  “You weren't here these last four years,” he said. “Someone let Wesley Pennfield out of his cell. Leo kept hinting about knowledge from a source we couldn't trace. If we have a chance to clean house here on Earth, I'd rather not pass it up.”

  With a sigh of exasperation, Cassi shuffled about on the blanket until her back was to him. She sat there with her legs curled up, hugging her knees and watching the water. “You realize there's a simple explanation for both of those things,” she said. “We know that Isara posed as Director Morane and leaked sensitive information to our enemies. It's likely she was responsible for releasing Pennfield.”

  It was plausible.

  Jena had been on Earth in those first few weeks when Earthers and Leyrians were still learning how to talk to each other. Her presence would have provided Isara with an opportunity to do some damage. But it was just a little too simple for Jack's liking.

  Giving Isara credit for every security breach that had taken place over the last four years seemed like a very good way to ignore other potential threats. And why would Isara risk exposing herself by funneling information to Leo? It wasn't like he could do anything with it, stuck in a cell as he was. Isara was extremely practical, focused and methodical; she wasn't prone to leaving her mark just to prove she had been there.

  Of course, there might be a way to find out…

  He picked up the container of soup, dipped a spoon into it and began shoveling it into his mouth as fast as he could, ignoring the heat. “This is great,” he mumbled around the spoon. “Where did you get it?”

  Glancing back over her shoulder, Cassi squinted at him. “Bleakness take me,” she said. “You're gonna give yourself a stomach ache! Slow down.”

  “Can't,” Jack replied. “I've got me an idea.”

  Chapter 2

  Bright sunlight coming through the window glinted off the surface of a round conference table in a room with sky-blue walls. The man who sat directly across from Anna was tall and broad-shouldered with a hollow-cheeked face of dark brown skin. His hair was cut short, barely more than stubble, and he had a stare that could pierce through to your very soul. “So, the intelligence was bad,” he said. “They had no weapons.”

  Director Jon Andalon sat back with his arms folded and raised an eyebrow as he waited for Anna's response. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of him. The man wasn't a stickler for the rules by any measure, but he lacked Jena's flare for bucking the system at every opportunity. He seemed to be the sort of Keeper who just wanted to get down to business.

  Anna wore a light blue sundress as she sat with elbows on the armrests of her chair, hands folded over her belly. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail, a lock of peroxide-blonde strands falling over one cheek.

  Pressing her lips together, Anna held the man's gaze for a long moment. “That's the gist of it,” she said, nodding to him. “We searched each and every cargo hold on Colonel Sorelu's ship, and we found nothing.”

  On her left, Melissa wore a yellow skirt and a white sleeveless blouse. The young woman had a confidence in her stare that hadn't been there just a few weeks ago. “They had telepaths,” she said. “They said they'd been attacked by Keepers before.”

  “So your report indicated.”

  “I believe this was a setup, sir.”

  Anna felt a surge of pride when she heard her young pupil speak up without a trace of hesitation. Melissa had always been a little shy, and she still preferred to remain quiet throughout most meetings, but a Justice Keeper had to be able to speak her mind when it counted. Amazing what a few successful missions could do.

  “You seem to trust this colonel,” Jon said. “Is there any chance that he was hiding weapons elsewhere on the ship?”

  Anna scowled, then gave her head a shake. “I doubt it,” she replied. “The man was way too eager to help us. He seemed to want to prove himself.”

  Reclining in his chair, Jon covered his mouth with three fingers and stared blankly at nothing at all. “Then the real question becomes 'who is setting us up?' ” he whispered. “You said the Antaurans were attacked by fallen Keepers.”

  “Most likely Isara's crew.”

  “Can you be sure of that?”

  Anna grinned into her lap, her cheeks suddenly very warm. “Can I be sure of that?” she said, her eyebrows rising. “Of course not, but who else would it be? Pretty much all of Slade's minions report to her now.”

  “Then it seems our next goal should be to liaise with the Antaurans,” Jon said. “We should make it a priority to find out who has been attacking them and perhaps offer some assistance.”

  “That could be tricky,” Anna replied. “Councilor Dusep has the media all riled up about us. We start talking to a hostile foreign government without direct approval from the Hall of Council, and there's a good chance badness will ensue.”

  “Your suggestion?”

  Tilting her head back, Anna blinked several times as she thought it over. “I would be uncomfortable doing anything without talking to Larani first,” she answered. “She's supposed to be back in a few days.”

  “I suppose that's wise.”

  With a frustrated grunt, Jon stood up and smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt. He glanced first at her and then at Melissa, nodding to each of them in turn. “Well done,” he said, before walking out of the room.

  Short and to the point, all business and no pleasure. Not that there was very much pleasure to be had in discussing someone's attempts to start a shooting war between her people and the Antaurans. Whatever was going on, they had to get to the bottom of it and soon. Nothing about this sat well with her.

  After Slade used the Key to open the SuperGates, hostile civilizations that had been separated by thousands of lightyears were suddenly capable of showing up in each other's backyards. It seemed the Overseers wanted a shooting war. Or at least Slade had, which meant the minions who had committed themselves to carrying out his legacy wanted one just as badly.

  Anna got up and made her way around the table.

  A moment later, Melissa fell in at her side, reaching up to thread fingers through her long, dark hair. “You really think Isara's trying to set us up?” she inquired. “Don't the Antaurans have enough reason to hate us?”

  “Maybe they do,” Anna said softly. “Maybe this whole damn thing is a field of dry grass, and Isara wants to light a match.”

  In the long hallway outside the conference room, they found Keli standing on the tiled floor with her arms folded. The woman wore a pair of black pants and a white short-sleeved shirt. “What did he decide?”

  “You can't just read our minds?” Melissa asked.

  “You're all two-souls, remember?”

  Anna held the woman's gaze for a long moment, her eyeb
rows slowly rising. Did Keli really think that she could just waltz back in here without any consequences? “That is really not your biggest concern,” she said. “You've been avoiding me since we got back from the raid.”

  When Keli looked up, her dark eyes were full of anger. “Can you blame me?” she asked, raising one eyebrow. “I'm really not looking forward to one of your lectures on the sanctity of life.”

  “You killed two people!”

  “Two enemies.”

  Other Keepers who stood further up the hallway stopped in their tracks and glanced back in her direction. Great! Just what she needed! Anna didn't mind making a scene if it was necessary, but she wasn't exactly thrilled about the notion of her colleagues finding out that someone under her command had killed in cold blood. Few things could embarrass her, but this was one. She started up the corridor, leaving the telepath to revel in her own satisfaction. There was no point to continuing this fight.

  Keli fell in step beside her with hands clasped behind her back, smiling pleasantly like a girl at a carnival. “I'll tell you the same thing I told Larani,” she said. “I do things my way.”

  Maybe the ideal Keeper would have reacted differently. Maybe the model officer that Larani wanted to see in all of her subordinates would have found a better way to deal with this. Anna was none of those things. What she was was pissed off and way too impulsive for her own good.

  Anna spun to put herself in front of the other woman.

  She punched Keli right in the face, using maybe a tenth of her full strength. It was still enough to make the woman cover her nose and dance backwards in a daze. “You…” Keli mumbled. “You would…”

  That look came over her, the one that said she was about to rip through your mind with nothing more than a casual thought. And she could probably do it, if she really tried. Telepaths were dangerous.

  Anna narrowed her eyes and refused to look away. “Go ahead,” she said, nodding to the other woman. “Lash out the way you did on that ship; make me pay for it. You do know your actions could have gotten us killed, right?