by Don Viecelli
“Yes, sir.” Manny picked up his headset and pushed the call button.
Captain Parrish took another sip of coffee. He and his crew had patrolled the mining belt for almost four years. In that time they had made numerous arrests for illegal drug smuggling and peddling. A few times, they had discovered major drug shipments on freighters and captured the drug dealers involved. Lately, however, drug trafficking had gotten a lot worse. The miners working in the asteroid belt were the prime customers. It was such a tough and dangerous occupation that demand for drugs was increasing. The miners lived on the edge. They were buying all sorts of illegal drugs and mixing it with alcohol and gambling for entertainment. The space marshals were cracking down on every front, trying to keep things from blowing out of control. The drug dealers knew what was going on and made every attempt to avoid capture.
To make matters worse, there was a large, organized drug ring operating in the belt. Captain Parrish and his men were searching for the drug dealers and, hopefully, the ringleader. The drug dealers used fast shuttlecraft, heavily armed with the latest weapons. The dealers would not hesitate to open fire on a space marshal patrol craft. The penalty was a long term in prison if caught, so the drug dealers often tried to shoot their way out of being captured and made a run for it.
Recently, the space marshals were hearing rumors of a new drug on the market. It was so new that nobody in law enforcement knew what it was, how it worked or who sold it. One rumor said it was being produced on a secret space platform in the mining fields. Captain Parrish thought that was very possible, but it would take someone with a lot of money and resources to keep something that big going. It was very frustrating to Captain Parrish and his bosses that they couldn’t crack the drug ring and capture the ringleader.
“Got something, Captain,” Manny said out loud. “One of the mining superintendents on asteroid 611 just reported a drug deal that went down in his camp. The drug dealers took off in a shuttlecraft ten minutes ago, heading in our direction.”
“It’s about time!” Captain Parrish grumbled, jamming his empty coffee cup in the disposal container. “Let’s find the bastards. What do we have on radar?”
“Nothing yet, Captain. But there are a lot of asteroids in the way. If they’re leaving 611, they should fly right by us on the way out of the asteroid belt.”
“Let me know when you find them, Manny.” Captain Parrish sat forward in his seat and hit the alert button. He spoke to the crew. “Okay everyone, listen up. We’re going for a ride. Phillip, check weapons and shields. Everyone else buckle up tight and hold on.”
“I’m picking up their signature, Captain. Their coming fast out of the belt,” Manny reported. “I don’t think they spotted us yet.”
“Advise headquarters we’re going to intercept. Call for backup. The next patrol should be nearby.”
“Roger, Captain.” Manny made the call.
Captain Parrish looked at his monitor screen and saw the blinking blip. The screen identified the model. It was a newer shuttlecraft built for speed and probably armed with signature missiles. The drug dealers finally realized they had been spotted. They made a sharp turn to the right and increased speed.
Captain Parrish gave chase. “I’m increasing to maximum speed. They’re fast, but not fast enough to outrun us.” He flipped on the emergency broadcast channel and identified himself. “This is a space marshal patrol shuttle. You are ordered to slow down and proceed on our directions. Acknowledge.” He waited for a reply. Nothing. He tried again. “We are federal space marshals. You are ordered to slow down or we will fire weapons.”
The drug dealers did not acknowledge. They kept going. Captain Parrish had no choice. He ordered a warning missile to be fired at the craft. It would explode a hundred meters in front and below the craft. It would not cause damage, but it would scare the hell out of anyone in the craft. Just as he was about to release the missile, the drug dealers fired first.
Captain Parrish cussed out loud and took immediate evasive action. The police shuttle turned abruptly and fired laser pulses at the oncoming missile to disarm its guidance system. It worked. The missile missed them and sped out of control into space. The drug dealers fired two more missiles; both were destroyed by the space marshal’s countermeasure systems. The drug dealers pulled away.
Captain Parrish was furious. Certainly, the drug dealers didn’t think they could hit them with missiles, he thought. They were just trying to cause a delay so they could get away. Well, he wasn’t out of the race yet. Captain Parrish brought the police shuttle back to within firing range.
“Prepare to fire weapons. Wait for my signal.” Captain Parrish sped closer.
The drug dealers were losing distance. They were running out of options. They made a dash for Mars. If they could land near one of the cities, they could use the dust storm to cover their tracks and escape.
Captain Parrish guessed their tactics and yelled to his crew, “Fire missiles!” Two laser guided missiles shot out from their tubes and sped toward the drug dealer’s shuttlecraft, closing the remaining distance within seconds.
The drug dealers tried to evade the speeding missiles. They were successful in foiling one missile that missed them by several meters. But the second missile found its way to the target and exploded inside the left engine. It crippled the shuttlecraft, but did not stop it. The drug dealers descended on one engine and flew into the dust storm at reduced speed.
Captain Parrish followed. He couldn’t see a thing through his front window. He relied on his instrument panel to guide the way through the storm. He wasn’t going to let the drug dealers escape. “Let me know where they’re headed, Manny!”
“They’re headed for Marineris. Damn! They’re flying down inside the canyon. They seem to be losing speed.”
Captain Parrish struggled to keep on their tail. The wind was pushing the police shuttle side to side. It was bigger than the drug dealer’s shuttlecraft and not as maneuverable in the wind. Sweat was beading up on the captain’s forehead. He could see the mountain ridges on each side of the craft as he flew deeper inside the canyon. Alarms were sounding in the cabin. They were flying too close to the ground for safety.
“It looks like they’re landing. I think their engines gave out.”
“It could be a trick. Stay on the alert.” Captain Parrish slowed down and landed 50 meters behind the drug dealer’s damaged craft. Smoke was billowing out of the back. Sand was blowing everywhere. It was going to be difficult to arrest the drug dealers if they made a run for it. On the other hand, it would be suicidal to try and make it out of this canyon on foot. It was 50 below zero and they were miles from the city.
“I’m going to try and reach them on the radio. The rest of you suit up.” Captain Parrish transmitted on the emergency frequency. “You are under arrest. Do not try to escape or we’ll fire. Do you hear me? Acknowledge.”
“We hear you,” came back the reply. “Don’t fire. I have two men who are hurt and require medical assistance. Over.”
“Prepare to evacuate the craft. Open your door, step outside and throw down your weapons. We’ll board your ship for inspection.” Captain Parrish took off his headset and turned to the crew. “I’ll go with you to make the arrests and inspect the ship. Manny, let headquarters know where we are. Tell them to send a crew to pick up the shuttle. Alright guys, let’s see who we got.”
Chapter 19
Bald Head Island
Jack and Ingrid were in paradise. The weather was perfect. The ocean warmed up another five degrees. Spring had arrived on the beach. It was the middle of March. They would have to leave soon and they both dreaded it.
Jack and Ingrid’s love grew stronger each day. They had spent the last three weeks getting to know each other. Ingrid told Jack about her relationship with her father, their work and how they had moved from Earth to Mars. She mentioned her first marriage and quick divorce and various relationships since. Jack told Ingrid about growing up in Chicago, about his wife’s accident and how it
affected him. The time flew by. By now there was little they didn’t know about each other’s past, but they couldn’t make plans for the future. It was too uncertain. The strain was beginning to show. They knew it was time to act. They had to get their lives back again. The catalyst came from an unexpected source.
Jack was watching the news while Ingrid lay sunbathing in a lounge chair down by the pool. A newscaster suddenly came on with the story about a suspected drug dealer named Orlan Reddy who was caught by space marshals on Mars. The man sold illegal drugs to miners working in the asteroid belt. When the space marshal’s finally captured him, they didn’t recognize him. The man had drastically changed his appearance and looked much younger than he should. He finally confessed he used a new anti-aging drug, a youth serum that worked miracles. No one believed him at first, but DNA tests soon confirmed he was telling the truth. The drug dealer wouldn’t say where the drug came from, but it was available to the right people if they had the money to buy it. The rumors were flying. Somebody had invented a new fountain-of-youth drug that could reverse aging. The genie was out of the lamp.
Jack yelled down to Ingrid to come quickly and told her what he had just heard. She looked concerned. “Ivan must be selling the drug.”
“Well, he’s going to have more customers now. What happened between Ivan and your father, Ingrid?” Jack finally asked.
Ingrid knew it was time to tell Jack everything. She sighed and sat down beside him. “My father agreed to give Ivan some of the drug as part of our agreement. Just before he was killed, my father found out that Ivan was selling the drug for profit instead of using it for testing purposes. Ivan said he could sell the drug to wealthy clients for millions of denoms per vial. My father was furious with him and threatened to cancel our agreement. That’s the reason I think Ivan had him killed. He knew what my father was planning to do.”
“When did you find out about this?”
“A few days before my father was killed. I wanted to know what he was going to do. I was worried about it. That’s when my father gave me the memcard with the new formula and our copy of the agreement. He asked me to store them in a safe place, so I put them in a lock box on Mars. He said if anything should happen, I should leave Mars and take the formula with me. I didn’t think anyone would be killed, Jack.”
“I’m so sorry, Ingrid. It sounds like Ivan wants the discovery for himself.”
“I don’t think he’s acting alone. When I was kidnapped, he mentioned there was others involved. He wanted me to become his partner. I told him no. He became very angry,” Ingrid added.
“If the drug is worth as much as Ivan says it is, then that’s a good motive for killing your father. I think he would have killed you as soon as you gave him the new formula. I’m on his list too.”
“What should we do?”
Jack told Ingrid his plan. “I think it’s time to go back. There’s nothing to stop Ivan from claiming his company discovered the drug and selling it—except you.”
Ingrid looked at Jack and knew he was right. They had postponed the inevitable long enough. It was time to take a chance. “You’re right. We have to go back. Let’s call your friend.”
Jack called his old boss from Chicago, Captain Edward Stiles, who had taken a top job at the Space Law Enforcement Agency (SLEA) headquartered in Washington, DC. He used a new smartcom that couldn’t be traced. He didn’t want his location to be known. Captain Stiles answered the call. Jack hadn’t spoken to him in over a year. “Hello, Ed. It’s me, Jack. How are you?”
Captain Stiles was taken by surprise. “I’m fine, Jack. It’s been a long time. Where are you? There’s a warrant out for your arrest. Everybody is looking for you and that lady doctor. They say you’re both involved in a murder.”
“I know Ed. It’s a long story. Look, we need your help. Doctor Johanson is with me. We’re both safe and back on Earth. I can’t tell you where. We need to meet with you. We need your help to straighten things out.”
“I’ll do what I can, Jack. Where do you want to meet?”
“We’ll come there. I’ll call you when we reach the city, sometime tomorrow. I’ll let you take us into custody, but I want you to keep it a secret. After you hear us out, you can decide what to do. Is it a deal?”
“Sure, Jack. You have my word.” Captain Stiles wondered what he was getting himself into.
“Thanks, Ed. See you soon.” Jack terminated the call. He looked at Ingrid. “It’s all set. We’ll leave in the morning.”
“Do you think he’ll help us?”
“He’s a good friend, Ingrid. We have to trust him. I don’t see any other option. We can’t face Ivan and his friends on Mars alone. We’re going to need help.”
“I’m worried, Jack. Do you really think it’s worth the risk to go back?”
“It’s the only way. We have to prove the discovery belongs to you and your father, and I have to clear my name.” Jack tried to remain calm. He continued. “The plan will work, Ingrid. We both have to go back to Mars. Let’s see what Ed can do for us. We have enough proof to convince him we’re telling the truth.”
“Do we?” Ingrid didn’t sound convinced.
“We just have to show him the drugs and the memcards, and let you tell him what you know. Let them do some tests if they want. You know they’ll be convinced we’re telling the truth.”
Ingrid finally gave in. Jack hugged her closely. He kissed her. Her body relaxed. Jack smiled and felt relieved. The decision had been made. They spent the rest of the afternoon down on the beach, sunbathing and swimming in the warm ocean. Finally, it was time to eat and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day.
They rose early the next morning and watched the sun rise over the ocean. They ate breakfast and took one more stroll along the beach. The future was still uncertain and they didn’t know when they would be able to return to this island, but they felt more hopeful now that their minds were made up.
They returned to the house, packed their things, turned everything off except the air-conditioning, set the thermostat and called for a ride. They arrived at the village harbor just as the ferryboat docked to unload passengers. Jack bought two tickets and they got on the ferry for the return trip. It would take twenty minutes to cross the Cape Fear River to Southport where Jack would rent a car. They planned to drive to Washington D.C. The drive was about six hours. They took their time and enjoyed a nice lunch halfway to Washington. Jack called Captain Stiles and got directions to SLEA’s headquarter building. It was located outside the capital along the beltway. Captain Stiles told Jack to drive to the underground parking garage and park in one of the reserved parking spaces. The security guard would let them pass when Jack told him a code name and password. Ed would meet them at the service elevator to bring them up when Jack called.
They both felt a little anxious when they reached the security guard gate, but the guard let them through without any hassles. They were expected. Jack drove to the parking space in front of the service elevator and parked. He called Captain Stiles.
“We’re here, Ed,” Jack said as he shut off the car engine.
“I’m on my way. Give me a minute to come down. I’ll meet you by the elevator door.”
They got out of the car. Jack pulled out a duffle bag from the back seat. It contained the drug vials and memcards Jack had taken from Ivan’s valley retreat on Mars. They left the suitcases in the trunk. Jack and Ingrid walked to the elevator and waited. The elevator chimed as the doors opened. Captain Edward Stiles stepped forward and stood in the doorway. He was a big man, taller than Jack, and several years older. He had a loud, booming voice. He reached out to shake hands with Jack and smiled. “It’s good to see you, Jack. It’s been too long. And who’s this pretty lady?” Captain Stiles looked carefully at Ingrid’s face. “I thought you said you were bringing Doctor Johanson with you.”
“This is Doctor Johanson, Ed. I’ll explain everything when we get upstairs.”
Captain Stiles look
ed perplexed, but just for a moment. He quickly recovered and shook Ingrid’s hand as well. “Nice to meet you, Doctor Johanson. This should be a good story.”
“Nice to meet you too, Captain Stiles,” Ingrid replied, smiling back. She liked Ed immediately. “Jack has told me all about working with you in Chicago.”
“He has, has he? Well, I’m sure he left a few things out, which I’ll have to fill in for you. Come with me. I have a room we can hide in for awhile.”
They hopped on the elevator and Captain Stiles pushed a button. The elevator rose quickly. When the doors opened, Captain Stiles escorted them to a small conference room on the twenty-third floor. The window blinds were partially open and a view of the capital buildings, including the White House and the Potomac River, could be seen off in the distance. Captain Stiles closed the door and indicated for them to take a seat around the conference table.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Captain Stiles asked. They both said yes. Captain Stiles ordered refreshments on the deskcom to be brought in.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to record this session. You know the drill, Jack. Why don’t you start by telling me what’s going on.” Captain Stiles leaned back in his chair.
“Tell me what you know about the case, first, Ed. It may save some time.”
“I know a little. We received a police report from the Mars Crime Division in late January about a double homicide investigation on Ares and that you were in charge of the case. The report said there was a break-in at a SpaceMed research lab, and a doctor named Leif Johanson was murdered. They also found a dead security guard. During the investigation, the police received a tip that you were involved in the murders and the police captain issued a search warrant.
“They found some of the stolen drugs in your apartment, Jack, so Captain Black put a warrant out for your arrest. Then the police got a 911 call from the President of SpaceMed, Mister Ivan Hellstrom. Mister Hellstrom claimed you broke into his place and shot him with a laser. He said you were looking for the formula of a new drug the doctor was working on. Apparently, this drug is very expensive. SpaceMed had spent a considerable amount of money to develop the drug and Mister Hellstrom wasn’t about to give you the formula. One of Mister Hellstrom’s security guards was able to chase you out of the house. The police report said that you were on the run and might be working with the doctor’s daughter. When you’re found, MCD wants you both back for questioning.”