Covert Talents

by Amy DuBoff

“At least she can’t hurt anyone else.” Ava came around the middle of the computer station so she could see what Luke was working on. “Is everything unlocked?”

  “Yeah, I’m working my way through it now. I found a summary report that indicates there were only two semi-successful Hochste conversions from the Stage Two trials, so that explains Melissa and the man… didn’t catch his name.”

  “And then Stage Three was converting a non-Were person into a hybrid. But it sounds like they didn’t get it quite right.”

  “Thank god. I wouldn’t want to think about what would happen if a strain of nanocytes like that got out.”

  “No kidding.” Ava slipped off the gloves of her powered armor so she could type more freely. “I’ll help you look around. We need all the information we can get to see if we can reverse whatever was done to these people.”

  ***

  Connors stared at the signed digital document in front of him. With its submission, the Alucian Alliance was officially part of the Etheric Federation. The Alucians and Nezarans were no longer just two governments fighting over a third world in their small system; his people were now amongst the most powerful force in the known universe. Whether his neighbors would be willing to join with them remained to be seen.

  Karen had remained across the desk from Connors while he made the final arrangements for the signing. Her face was drawn and her arms were crossed.

  “Do you think this was the right call?” Connors asked.

  “I’m probably not the best person to be asking, considering that I was ready to kill in order to keep anyone in this system from joining the Federation.”

  “That’s precisely why I want to know what you think.”

  She considered the statement. “Yes, I do believe this was for the best. The mentality that we should remain separate is an old way of thinking that won’t move us forward. Unity is what’s best.”

  Achieving that unity would be a long road, Connors knew, but his people might not have had a future if he’d continued to delay a decision. With Heizberg on alert, the entire Nezaran fleet could be directed toward Alucia at any moment. It would only take several well-placed shots to level the cities on his world, should they choose to take such aggressive action.

  “I hope the Nezarans see reason,” he murmured.

  “They’d be foolish to move against a Federation world. Even if the Federation didn’t directly retaliate, they could still make life difficult and unpleasant. These three worlds need each other—Nezar on its own isn’t sustainable.”

  “It’s funny how interdependent current worlds have become. To think that your human ancestors lived so long on one planet…”

  “And the Torcellans on their homeworld, in ages past,” Karen pointed out. “Advancement causes us to rethink how we interact with the rest of the universe.”

  “True.” Connors took a deep breath. “I’m anxious for the Nezaran’s response. The Federation’s warning to halt their ship should have been received by now.”

  “Yes. I wonder—”

  The desktop lit up with notice of an incoming call.

  “And there she is!” Connors tapped his desk to accept the video call from the Nezaran Chancellor. “Madam Chancellor, I trust you have received news of our joining with the Federation?”

  The woman glared at him through the screen. “Yes, we did indeed. I’m surprised you’d let them sway you so easily.”

  “This was a long time coming. But they didn’t force our hand—you did. I won’t let my people live in fear of your military threats. You’d be foolish to take any action against us now.”

  “And you think that by signing an agreement we want nothing to do with, you will improve our relations? Bah!” She threw up her hands. “You’ve just signed an extension of your slow decline.”

  Connors kept his tone calm and measured. “I know the resources of your world just as well as you know mine. We are better off together than we are apart. The Federation is not what you think of them; they don’t seek to control or meddle in our lives. What they provide is access. Our people can seek education and employment on worlds throughout the galaxy, and beyond. We can be among ancient races and learn from their wisdom to better ourselves. To remain isolationist is to condemn our people to a narrow life of tedium, when a whole universe of possibilities exists out there for the taking. Why are you so bent on keeping us here by ourselves?”

  The chancellor’s face twisted. “I… I—” she sputtered, unable to complete the words.

  “Chancellor, are you all right?” Connors asked.

  Karen’s brow furrowed with concern across the desk.

  “There’s this compulsion,” the chancellor said at last. “I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. Everyone in our government does. It’s just the way we are. We must stay alone.”

  “That defies logic. You must have a reason why,” Connors pressed.

  “I understand that at a rational level, but something else within me is compelled to keep us alone.” The chancellor’s pale green eyes were wild, as though she were accessing some part of herself that she hadn’t recognized before.

  “Where does this compulsion come from?” Connors questioned again. Something is going on here… She’s always seen reason, even when she doesn’t agree. A ‘compulsion’ isn’t the reasoning of a sane person.

  Chancellor Heizberg’s face suddenly transformed to a neutral expression. “President Connors, you must forgive my statements earlier. I was distressed over this discovery that you have joined as a vassal to the Federation. I must take time to process this development. You need have no immediate fears of Nezaran military action.” The call ended.

  Connors’ mouth dropped opened. “What the fuck just happened?”

  Karen shook her head side to side. “I have no idea, sir. It was almost like she was… possessed.”

  “That was my thought, too. But… how?”

  “I don’t know, sir,” Karen murmured. “But if she is under the influence of someone, or something, it would connect with the information leaks.”

  “Fuck!” Connors groaned. “There is no way to predict what she might do. Who could we even tell about this?”

  “What about your contact at the FDG?” Karen suggested. “They have the resources to investigate a matter like this covertly and figure out what to do.”

  “Yes, I suspect that’s our best option.”

  Karen nodded. “In the time being, we should prepare a statement informing our people of the vassal agreement. There’ll be some dissent, I’m sure, but what you said to Chancellor Heizberg right now makes a very compelling argument: the universe is theirs if they want it, and if not, Alucia will always be a home, if they wish.”

  “Yes, let’s make a statement. I’ll ask the FDG to look into Nezar’s government as soon as the situation with Coraxa is resolved.”

  Karen leaned forward in her chair. “I was thinking for the opening line, ‘You now have the means to make your own future’.”

  Connor smiled. “I like it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Kurtz followed the other Were warriors at a distance, watching Andrea’s movements. She glanced back at him on occasion, as if waiting to see if he would say something else.

  What would I possibly have to say to her outside of an interrogation room? He kept his gaze ahead, trying to ignore her.

  After a minute, and several more glances, Andrea finally let out a loud sigh. “Fine, then I’ll make the move.” Her cuffs seemed to fall to the ground of their own accord.

  She moved faster than Kurtz could track, knocking Nick’s and Edwin’s heads together, throwing Samantha to the ground, and tackling the other warrior leading Jared. Unfortunately for Jared, he was pinned under the warrior’s armor when he fell.

  In the blink of an eye, Andrea grabbed cuffs from the warrior’s waistband and tethered the FDG warriors to the floor, then ripped out the comm systems from their armor.

  Kurtz watched the attack happening before
his eyes, frozen in place.

  Does she have me under some sort of telepathic influence? It was possible. He knew of other vampires who’d possessed such abilities, but he’d never encountered one. All he knew was that he was trapped inside his own body, and it made him furious.

  Andrea finished securing the warriors and stood up.

  “A little help?” Jared called, unsuccessfully trying to pry the heavy, unconscious warrior off him.

  “No, this must look convincing. Stay quiet.” She turned to Kurtz, then shoved him against the wall. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  ***

  “Ooo, this is good!” Ava said, dragging another collection of lab reports into a ‘best of’ directory she was compiling. “And by ‘good’, I mean these people are fucking monsters.”

  “Yeah, I’m getting the impression that the higher-ups at NTech are an unsavory lot,” Luke agreed. “I feel sick that I was working for them.”

  “You didn’t know. And what you were working on wasn’t this.”

  “Yeah, but still…” he shook his head. “I have some making up to do.”

  “I think there’s a lot of that to go around.” She paused her typing to brush his forearm.

  “Ava Landyn! I still have that secret to tell you.”

  Ava’s heart leaped when she saw Andrea in the doorway in full-on vampire mode—red eyes, teeth extended, elongated nails that tapered to a point. “The f—”

  Andrea was on top of her before she could react, wrestling her on the floor.

  Even with Ava in powered armor, the vampire’s strength was a fair match. But without her gloves, Ava’s hands were useless for punching or grabbing. Instead, she tried to elbow Andrea off her and get in a jab with her knee, but the vampire’s reactions were always one step ahead.

  “Stay… still!” Andrea’s movements were a blur as Ava struggled to get free.

  A cool prick registered on Ava’s wrist, and she twisted her arm away.

  “You’ll make quite the prize,” Andrea whispered. Then louder, “I’ll make you mine.”

  “The fuck you will!” Luke appeared behind Andrea and looped his arm around her neck, twisting it with the strength of his powered armor.

  Her head jerked at an unnatural angle with a sickening pop. He released her, and her body dropped to the floor, her head lolling to the side with her mouth agape in shocked horror.

  She’s a vampire, she’ll heal! Ava scrambled to her feet. She should subdue her—cuff her and place her under armed guard—but Ava knew that Andrea would never reveal her secrets through interrogation. Andrea had tried to kill her, had ruined the lives of hundreds of others… and she’d do it again if she ever got free.

  “So long, bitch.” Ava stomped her foot onto Andrea’s head, splattering it across the floor.

  She stumbled backward, chest heaving. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

  “It’s okay. It’s over,” Luke whispered to her, placing a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

  “Bitch didn’t know when to give up.”

  Luke averted his gaze from the corpse. “She won’t be coming back from this one.”

  “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have done that. But I couldn’t let her get away with what she’s done…”

  “She had it coming,” Luke agreed. He looked her over with concern. “Are you okay, Ava? It looked like she was messing with some sort of syringe.”

  Ava touched the spot on her wrist where she’d felt the cool prick. It was a bit tender, but she felt fine. “She might not have been able to dose me, with all the tumbling around. I don’t feel any different.”

  “Given what went on here…”

  “I’ll go in for a full medical screening as soon as we’re back at FDG headquarters. Our doctors are the best—the whole science support team, actually.”

  He still looked worried but nodded.

  “What the hell…?” Kurtz appeared in the doorway, a welt on his forehead.

  “Colonel!” Ava exclaimed. “What happened? Andrea—”

  “She overpowered us, knocked everyone out,” the colonel explained. “The others are rousing now. I came back as quickly as I could. She said she was coming for you.”

  “Yeah, she certainly tried.” Ava looked down at the bloody mess at her feet. “Didn’t go so well for her.” I feel bad for whatever maintenance tech has to clean vampire brains out of my boot treads…

  Kurtz grunted. “So much for being able to interrogate her.”

  “Sorry, Colonel. That thought wasn’t front and center while she was trying to kill me.”

  “Based on what I’ve found so far, Jared will be able to offer valuable insights,” Luke offered. “Not sure if he was connected to the boss like Andrea, but in terms of the tech, he knows his stuff.”

  “And honestly,” Ava added, “she was never going to talk. A vampire like her would be impervious to any interrogation technique we could throw at her.”

  “Then perhaps it’s for the best.” Kurtz tore his gaze away from the body. “Finish the data transfer and meet us outside.” He departed without another word.

  “Was he angry?” Ava asked Luke when her superior officer was gone. “I can’t tell if he was angry.”

  “I think he was embarrassed that she escaped.”

  Ava took a deep breath. “I’m not happy about that, either. Any of what’s gone on here.”

  He took her hand. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “We’re alive—can’t complain.”

  Luke smiled back at her. “All right. But you have to go to Medical as soon as we’re finished.”

  “No more worrying.” Ava returned her attention to the computer console. “Let’s finish transferring this data. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The sun was well above the horizon by the time Ava and Luke emerged from the NTech facility.

  Andrea’s body had been removed while they worked, and Samantha had had the foresight to bring them some protein bars to munch on when she returned to the lab to help out. The three of them had transferred all the information they could find related to the genetic experimentation to external drives, prepping the data for the arduous analysis process. Samantha had gone ahead with the drives while Luke helped Ava do one final sweep of the lab. With everything now shut down and secure, they could finally begin processing the night’s events.

  Ava shed her powered armor as soon as she was outside, seeing that no one else was in their combat gear. “I’d like to distance myself from what happened this morning as much as possible,” she said while staring at the red smear on her boot.

  “Same.” Luke stepped out from his own armor. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  “Today was the exception, not the rule,” Ava replied. “Normally it’s ‘covert’ ops, not ‘blow up the front door and smash people’s heads in’ ops.”

  “An important distinction.”

  “We like to think so.”

  He smiled at her. “So, what now?”

  She released a long breath. “In order of personal preference? Shower, proper breakfast, and decompressing time.” Let’s see if he takes that hint.

  “We were about to have an important discussion before we were interrupted last night,” he replied, picking up on her meaning.

  “One I look forward to finishing.” She flashed a winning smile. “I also promised my parents lunch or dinner together today—no need to sit in on that, unless you want to.”

  “Of course, I’d love to come along.”

  And he likes my parents. God, now I’m suspicious that he was engineered himself. She beamed. “All right, it’s a date.”

  Ava excused herself from Luke so she could check in with her team. Edwin, Samantha, and Nick were gathered under a temporary overhang that had been erected near the landing craft.

  “That was intense,” Nick said when he saw Ava approaching.

  “Yeah, two firefights in a week is a bit much,” she agreed. “You all
okay? I know Andrea did a number on you earlier.”

  Edwin shook his head. “That vampiric speed is something else. I was blacked out before I even saw her move.”

  “Samantha filled us in on what happened while we were out,” Nick added. “Sounds like things got a little up close and personal for you.”

  “I showed Andrea what was what.” Ava grimaced.

  Samantha place her hand on Ava’s shoulder. “Better this way—can’t trust someone like that.”

  “I know.” Ava rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “And once we know more about what was done to those poor people…”

  Nick nodded. “I talked to some of them while we were debriefing. They were from all over. NTech must have been at it for months.”

  “We need to find out if there are any other places like this. I hate to think there’s anyone else being held against their will,” Ava said.

  “You’re in luck.” Edwin smiled. “Delivering justice for the disenfranchised happens to be the FDG’s specialty.”

  She grinned back at him, the weight on her lifting. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “I gave the data drives to Major Widmore,” Samantha said in the ensuring pause. “The colonel seemed a little distracted.”

  “Thanks. That knock on his head was probably harder than he wants to admit,” Ava replied.

  “We Weres do take our pride very personally,” Edwin pointed out.

  “Seeing a big lug like you get knocked over had to have made him feel a little better,” Ava needled.

  Edwin grunted. “Andrea just caught me by surprise.”

  “Uh huh…” Ava walked away. She knew how much he hated being left hanging.

  Luke was just coming over the crest of the hill, and she jogged up to him. As she neared, she saw he was frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I just saw them transporting a giant ‘Condemned’ sign to the lab.”

  “Oh.” She crossed her arms. “I imagine the facility will be under investigation for some time. I’m sorry things had to go down this way.”

  “Well, I guess I really am out of a job,” he muttered.