Covert Talents

by Amy DuBoff

  “That doesn’t surprise me. They always were a nosy bunch, given how they are.”

  “It’s what makes them so perfect, after all.”

  Andrea examined the other scientist. “Does it ever bother you?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “What we’re doing here. Permanently changing people’s lives.”

  He shrugged. “I do think about it sometimes, but my job requires me to remain objective.”

  “Yes, it does,” Andrea emphasized. She joined him in the center of the room and activated the control panel, navigating to a video she’d pulled from one of the surveillance cameras the night before.

  The video popped up on the screen closest to Tim’s chair—just a still image of a holding cell, paused on the first frame.

  “Now, Tim, I have always valued how you follow the science. In the five years we’ve worked together, I have only gained respect for your capabilities as a geneticist. But for as great as you are with the science, I feel you are equally prone to misplaced sympathies.”

  Tim’s face paled. “Andrea, I don’t know what you saw, but it’s not what you think.”

  “I’m not so sure.” Andrea’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head, never taking her gaze off of him. “See, if we’re moving into Stage Three, I can’t have even the slightest hesitation. Everything we’ve done up to this point will have been child’s play by comparison. My team’s loyalties must be unquestioned.”

  Tim sat up straighter in his chair. “Right, of course. You have no reason to doubt me.”

  “I really wish that were the case.” Andrea started the video.

  Aside from an advancing time-stamp, the video didn’t change for several seconds. Then, a woman appeared at the front of the cell—the same woman Andrea had confronted several minutes prior. That brief conversation had confirmed what she already knew from the video. Her spirit was alive and well because she had hope for freedom. It could only mean one thing.

  Five seconds later, Tim appeared in the frame, rushing toward the cell. “It won’t be much longer,” he said in the footage.

  “I can’t take it anymore,” the woman pleaded. “Please, just unlock it. I’ll find my own way out.”

  “You’d never make it. Next week—it’s all arranged.”

  She wiped a tear from her face with the heel of her hand. “I guess I’m in no position to argue.”

  “It’ll be okay, Melissa. Trust me.”

  “I do.”

  Tim placed his palm against the plexiglass covering the cell entrance, and she held up her own hand to mirror his.

  He lingered for two seconds before hurrying away outside the camera’s view.

  Andrea stopped the video, shaking her head with disgust at how easily Tim had lost focus of their mission. Young humans were far too prone to whims of the heart. It was pitiful.

  She glowered over Tim. “I think that’s exactly what it looks like.”

  Her associate rolled backward in his chair. “I can explain—”

  “Whatever you were going to say, it’s not good enough. I’m sorry, Tim, but with Stage Three coming, you’re just too big of a liability. It’s a shame.” Her eyes ignited, glowing red.

  “No, I—”

  Tim’s cry cut off in a garbled choke as Andrea’s hand wrapped around his throat. “For what it’s worth, I’ll miss you,” she told him, his hands grabbing her arm as she pulled him out of his chair and up to her waiting teeth. His eyes lost their fear as they rolled back in his head, his body going limp as she continued to drain him of his blood.

  Minutes later, she dropped his body back into the chair. “Waste not, want not,” she murmured. Alas, it was so difficult to find good assistants.

  She released her hand, and his lifeless body lolled to the side, the chair entering a slow spin.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The following morning, the Raven arrived at the FDG’s base, a space station in the Dren Cluster. A series of Annex Gates made interstellar travel easy and quick, provided a ship had the right clearance to get fast-tracked in the queue. Being in the FDG did have its perks.

  “Are your mission reports filed?” Ava asked her team as they debarked from the Raven.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Edwin replied. “There has been a full report of the mission.”

  Nick and Samantha snickered.

  Ava rolled her eyes. That damn video—

  Her comm pinged in her ear. It was a summons to Colonel Kurtz’s office.

  Under normal circumstances, Ava would have cursed the stars for needing to endure an audience with one of the most notoriously rigid, domineering officers in the FDG. This time, though, she wanted answers. If getting answers meant turning the charm up to eleven with that Were hardass, she’d do it.

  “I need to go meet with the brass,” she told her team.

  Samantha’s eyes sparked. “I wonder if he liked your dancing?”

  “Hey, that mission is classified,” Ava reminded them. “If command catches wind that you leaked classified documentation, don’t expect me to save your necks.”

  Momentary panic flashed across Edwin’s face, then he relaxed. “You almost had me for a second.”

  Damn it, she really did care about her team too much, and they knew it.

  “Just… don’t push your luck. I’ll see you later.” She jogged away.

  The administrative section of FDG headquarters was situated at the center of the star-shaped space station, where it would be the most protected in the unlikely event of an enemy assault. Each arm of the star configuration contained a central concourse leading to starship berths and bays for the significant complement of fighter craft.

  Ava hopped in a car along the maglev track running the length of the concourse where the Raven was docked to expedite her trip to the center of the facility. Knowing Kurtz, he wanted her in his office a minute before he even sent the summons.

  At the central hub, she hopped off the car and jogged the rest of the way. She paused to make sure her shipsuit was in regulation compliance, then knocked on the door.

  “Enter,” a baritone voice called from within.

  Ava plastered on her most professional smile and entered. “Hello, sir. You wanted to see me?”

  “Have a seat, Lieutenant.” Kurtz gestured toward a metal chair across from his desk.

  “Thank you, sir.” She sat down but didn’t bother to get comfortable. Prior experience with that particular seat had revealed it was impossible.

  “I understand that you ran into some trouble at the NTech lab.”

  He has such a way with understatement. Ava nodded. “Yes, sir. Our intel said the facility was abandoned, but we encountered armed guards and a military-grade mech.”

  “A mech? Indoors?”

  “Barely fit in the hallway, sir.”

  Kurtz frowned. “I’m glad your team was able to fulfill the mission objective despite those setbacks.”

  ‘Setbacks’? That’s how he’s going to play it? Ava leaned forward in her chair, forearms resting on her knees. “Sir, may I speak freely?”

  He gave the hint of an exasperated sigh but quickly composed himself. “Permission granted.”

  “Someone doctored the mission brief.”

  Kurtz studied her. “What makes you say that?”

  “The resistance we encountered wasn’t some new arrival that walked in moments before us. They had been there, and there wasn’t any shielding around the facility to have hidden the thermal outputs. Someone knew that facility was occupied, but the FDG would not have received data retrieval authorization for an active private lab. They wanted us to think it was abandoned so we’d go in.” Ava leaned back and crossed her arms.

  “I can’t deny the possibility,” Kurtz said after a ten-second pause.

  “Was it you, sir?”

  The colonel’s eyes widened, taking on a hint of yellow. “Why would I put one of my best teams at risk like that?”

  “Because you knew we coul
d handle it, like we did.”

  “You have a unique ability, Ava.” Kurtz folded his hands on the desktop. “Few others would have been able to get the password for those files.”

  That was a roundabout admission of guilt, if ever there was one. But why? “Before we left, the man I… ‘interrogated’… indicated that there’s something going on with the Nezarans, and potentially beyond that.”

  The colonel swallowed. “The FDG’s responsibility is to assess threats and carry out orders in the best interest of the Etheric Federation. You have performed admirably in retrieving information to support those goals.”

  If the FDG hadn’t worked out, Kurtz would have made one hell of a politician. Ava flashed a prim smile. “Happy to do my part, sir.”

  Kurtz steepled his fingers. “It’s been, what, nine years since you joined the FDG?”

  “Yes, sir. Coming up on ten in two months.”

  He nodded. “I can tell you’ve been around long enough to know when a superior officer is dodging your questions.”

  No shit. Ava decided a shrug was the best response.

  “Well, your observations at the NTech lab support a larger pool of evidence we’ve gathered over the past eight months. We’re at the leading edge of a crisis.”

  That was surprisingly candid. Ava came to attention. “Sir…?”

  “We’ve been tracking a group of researchers in NTech performing illegal genetic experimentation,” Kurtz explained. “The lab you infiltrated was one of those facilities, and the data you retrieved is documentation of the experiments.”

  “What kind of experiments?”

  “We believe they are trying to make a hybrid—bringing together the traits of Weres and vampires.”

  Ava’s mouth involuntarily dropped open. “A… Were-vampire? I thought the nanocytes were incompatible. Once you had one—”

  “That had always been our belief, yes. It would seem NTech has discovered—or gained access to—a way to program a new strain of nanocytes. Using some of the old technology from the two Kurtherian clans, they are bypassing the incompatibilities that caused the two types of nanocytes to attack each other. NTech’s reports refer to this new group as the Hochste.”

  Were-vampires? What the fuck would a person like that be able to do?! Ava shifted in her chair. “Sir, why are you telling me this?”

  “Because we fear that the Nezaran Coalition intends to use these Hochste to attack Alucia, which will soon be a member of the Etheric Federation. We want to stop that conflict before it starts.”

  “Of course. But I—”

  Kurtz fixed her in a level gaze. “The FDG needs you to go back to Coraxa, Ava. NTech has established a new lab. We need you to find out why.”

  Ava worked her mouth, unsure what to say. She hadn’t been back to her homeworld since she left as a teenager.

  While the FDG’s promises of using her abilities for the greater good had resonated with Ava, not everyone in her community had seen it that way. Some considered it a waste of her gift, others an adulteration. Her family had begged her not to leave, but the opportunity to travel the stars was too much for her to pass up. She’d left them all behind. The FDG was her life now.

  “Sir, why would NTech set up a lab on Coraxa?” Even as Ava voiced the question, she already knew the answer. Whatever gives the planet its special connection to the Etheric, they want it.

  Nezar and Alucia had argued over claim to Coraxa since the system was colonized. NTech, though, was a private company and could tread where government could not.

  However, what Ava had witnessed on NTech’s remote moon lab had made it clear something else was going on besides sanctioned research.

  “We trust you’ll get to the bottom of it,” Kurtz responded after giving her a moment to reflect. “You have authorization to use any means necessary.”

  “No restrictions, sir?” That was a first. Even in the most critical missions, Ava had always been held to strict rules of engagement about which forms of telepathic influence were allowed—a code she followed even in her personal life. If they were granting access to the dark side, the situation was very dire indeed.

  Kurtz inclined his head. “We need this handled quickly and quietly.”

  “That’s what my team does, sir.”

  “Your team won’t be going with you on this one—at least not for the initial recon work.”

  Ava’s eyes narrowed. “Sir, but—”

  “We feel that a more… local contact would be beneficial for the mission.” His tone was final.

  Ava sighed inwardly. “Of course, sir. I’m happy to work with anyone.” She hoped the statement came out with a straight face. In truth, she’d joined the FDG so she’d be among the esteemed elite, rather than being partnered with whatever poor sap happened to be assigned to a random project. Her patience for idiots lasted about as long as her tolerance for poor musical accompaniment to viral videos.

  “When your name came up for the assignment, our local government contacts remembered you. They located someone with the appropriate qualifications who already appears to be an acquaintance of yours. He’ll serve as your liaison.”

  Just my fantastic luck… Ava braced herself. “Oh, and who’s that, sir?”

  “Luke Carter.”

  Oh, shitbiscuits. “Um.”

  Kurtz raised a quizzical eyebrow.

  “That’ll be… fine, sir.”

  Luke Fucking Carter. That figures. It had been more like ‘fucking Luke Carter’ a decade prior, before Ava dumped him with no notice to join the FDG.

  “Excellent. You’ll depart on a transport to Coraxa this afternoon,” Kurtz stated. “We’ll assess the right time to bring in your team once you have the lay of the land.”

  “Yes, sir.” She stood, her head swimming with the possible scenarios for how her reunion with Luke might go.

  “Good luck.”

  “Thank you, sir.” I’m going to need it.

  ***

  Partnering Ava with Luke was an underhanded move, but Kurtz knew this op would need every advantage it could get.

  With the necessity for Ava’s team to be on the sidelines for the first phase, she’d need someone she could trust. An ex, while not ideal, meant an automatic level of familiarity that could never be achieved with a stranger. Couple that with Luke’s degree in genetics, and he was the perfect counterpart to accompany her in an undercover investigation of the NTech facility on her homeworld.

  It was obvious Ava wasn’t happy with the arrangement, but she’d adapt. She always did.

  Kurtz turned his attention to his own task: finding the mole in the FDG.

  Ever since the official investigation into NTech began eight months prior, little bits of information hadn’t added up. Nothing on the scale of the botched mission data for Ava’s team, but enough that he’d been suspicious.

  Now, with the safety of his people and the fate of the Alaxar Trinary on the line, they needed to stem the problem. Fast.

  He tapped his fingertips together while he thought. If the mole is working with the Nezarans, we have to bait the trap. What information would a potential opponent want to know?

  An idea popped into his mind. He tried to dismiss it as too risky, but it persisted. Before he could question it further, Kurtz touched the comm link icon on his touch-surface desktop. “Cindy, please draft an order for Bravo Company to depart on the Zepher tomorrow at 06:00 for a patrol of Nezar’s moon. However, do not distribute the communication.”

  His assistant took a moment to respond. “Sir, I see no prior record of that deployment.”

  “There hasn’t been. Just save it in the public folder—I’ll talk to Colonel Walton.”

  “Understood, sir. Anything else?”

  “No. Thank you, Cindy. Let me know when it’s ready.” Kurtz ended the comm link.

  The idea now fully formed, he called up Spencer Thoreau, the head of FDG digital security. “Spencer, I have a favor to ask.”

  “What is it, Colonel?”
/>
  “The public folder where we queue deployment orders before the release—can you turn on tracking for everyone who views that folder?”

  “Sure,” Spencer replied. “What are you looking for?”

  “A pattern. Can you send me a log of the views every hour?”

  “Yeah, I can set up an automatic report for you.”

  “Excellent. And is there any chance you can give me access to view the outgoing communications from the facility?”

  Spencer hesitated. “Half of it is classified as personal information. We don’t make a point of listening in on conversations between our warriors and loved ones back home.”

  “I don’t need the content, just the precise data use for any files transferred within the facility and outside.”

  “Just file size, huh?” The security specialist thought for a moment. “I think I could configure a dashboard for you. Is there something I should be aware of?”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I determine that,” Kurtz told him. “When can you have the dashboard ready?”

  “Give me fifteen minutes.”

  Now that’s FDG efficiency. “Thank you, Spencer. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “I’m on it.”

  No sooner had Kurtz ended the comm link than a message from Cindy popped up on his desktop that the mission brief was ready.

  He pulled up the file and attached a dummy set of encrypted orders and a manifest—information that would be easier to forward rather than transcribe into a different communication. After closing out the file, he made a note of the specific file size, then added a tracker to it. Even if the perpetrator stripped away the tracker—as any competent individual would—he’d be able to see if a data packet that size began circulating. Of course, there were no guarantees that the information wouldn’t be relayed in some other manner, but the short timeframe would prompt distributing the message to collaborators as quickly as possible.

  He leaned back in his chair. Now we see who bites.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Ava stared out the shuttle window at the Coraxan landscape before her.

  Pristine mountains rose above a fertile valley, which contained a sprawling forest and a river that wove its way toward the ocean to the east. The unique environmental properties had prompted officials to declare ninety-nine percent of the planet protected land, and her hometown of Tribeca was the largest of only three settlements on the planet.