by Saxon Andrew
“Thank you.” Ana turned to Leo, “And thank you.”
“That’s ok. It’s been nice doing business with you. See you later.”
“Leo!”
“I’ve thought about it, Ana, and I’m not going to work with you on this. That attack on the convoy makes it a certainty that there is someone inside your company’s inner circle that is trying to stop this new company from being created. I have other things to do and can’t afford to be constantly looking over my shoulder.”
Ana called out to the bald man and he turned around and walked back to her, “Kenneth.” He turned back to her. “Put the additional funds from the excess Trillium in to this account.” She handed him a slip of paper. He lifted the clipboard and punched some numbers on it. He handed her an electronic card and said, “Done.”
Ana turned to Leo and held the card out to him, “Take this.”
“What is it?”
“Fifty million credits in a blind account that no one in my company knows about. Use it to bring John Blakely to justice.” Leo’s eyes narrowed and Ana said, “You’ve proven yourself to me. If you need more, contact me on this number and I’ll transfer more in to the account.” She handed him a slip of paper.
“Ana, I really don’t think your life is worth much right now; if you can’t immediately find the one who used the pirates, you will be a target.”
“That’s why the inventor of the teleportation technology demanded that we purchase it from him this way and keep his identity a secret. He figured out that he wouldn’t live long if he tried to develop the technology on his own.”
Leo stared at her, swore, and said, “You’re dead if I walk away.” Ana’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head. Leo stared at her and then said, “What did you mean that Serge was your husband?”
“Actually, Serge wasn’t on the liner. The man that was killed was a man cosmetically changed to look like him and he was my husband. Serge is still alive and in hiding until this issue is cleared up.”
Leo chuckled, “And you have the authority to just hand over fifty million credits?”
Ana smiled, “I am his daughter.” Leo blew out a breath shaking his head. “What are you thinking?” Ana asked.
“I actually thought that Serge Romanov was quite the consummate idiot placing himself and his family in that much danger. It appears I was wrong. You should come with me until this mole is found. I’ll try to keep you safe until they are uncovered.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I agree with you.”
“What do you agree with?”
“That Serge will let everyone around him die before he gives up this company or any of his wealth. He could use you as bait and I suspect that is exactly what he’ll do. However, you’re free to go and I honestly hope you do. I don’t really want the aggravation.”
“I looked up what a Purple Card Warrior is.” Ana said as she stared into Leo’s eyes.
“And?”
“I think I’ll be safer with you.”
“Then let’s go.” Leo turned and headed toward the blast doors. Ana looked at Kenneth, “Tell whoever calls that I’ve gone to find out what’s going on.”
Kenneth nodded and said, “Did I hear you correctly that he is a Purple Card Warrior?” Ana nodded. “Tell him I have a job for him if he’s interested.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” She turned and ran after Leo. She caught up with him and heard him talking into a device, “What are you doing?”
“I’m transferring the money out of the account you put it in. I’m sending it to a remote computer that will move it into an account that I’m certain can’t be traced.”
“You don’t believe me about the account?”
“I believe you believe it. But Kenneth, whatever his last name is, doesn’t work for you and he will answer questions from those higher up in your company.”
“No he won’t.”
Leo stopped and sighed as he rolled his eyes, “Ana, money talks.”
“Kenneth will not tell anyone!”
“You’re certain about that!?!”
“I am!”
“Then three days from now, you’re going to try and contact Kenneth and we’ll see if he answers.”
She stopped walking, “What are you saying?”
“He’ll talk or he’ll be eliminated.” Ana’s face turned white. Leo looked at the device he was holding and said, “You have a personal relationship with Kenneth?”
“I do!”
“Then you should contact him immediately and tell him that the money has been moved and that you have no idea where I sent it. That should prevent his death.”
“Just how certain are you about this?”
“Ana! Wake up! Someone has enormous power to do all the things that’s been happening. He will be picked up! Whoever is pulling the strings will demand to know where that money is so they can track where you are. His life isn’t really important in the scheme of their tracking you.”
Ana took her communication device out of her purse and pressed button. Kenneth didn’t answer. She looked at Leo with wide eyes and Leo said, “Send him an electronic message, now! It might save his life!”
Ana immediately started texting on her communicator and two hours later, Kenneth contacted her. “Thank you!”
“Are you alright?”
“I am now. I was called out of the building after you left and someone shot a dope-dart into me. I guess they saw your message and decided I was a waste of time.”
“Kenneth, you had to be called out the moment we left.”
“I was and the message came from you. That’s why I left right behind you. Ana, ditch that communicator and stay safe!”
Leo looked at her and took the device out of her hand. He walked over to rail-transport waiting for passengers to board and tossed it inside a car before the door shut. He pulled her away and ran to the front entrance of a market across the street. They stood next to the front glass and saw three Romanov Security Vehicles come roaring up and stop the transport as six men rushed inside it. Leo pulled her toward the back entrance of the market, “Time for us to go!”
Ana was pulled away by the arm as she stared at the Security Officer in charge of the team. It was Serge’s Chief of Operations, she had always called him Uncle Jeff. Leo saw her expression, “Do you know any of them?”
“The leader is Serge’s Security Chief.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed as he led Ana out of the building and into another entrance across the alley. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere you won’t be recognized. Just stay close and hump your back a little.”
“What?”
“Lower your head slightly and pull your shoulders slightly forward.”
“Why?”
“Because there are devices that can be programmed to find you in a crowd. You have to change your normal posture and walk differently.”
“How should I walk?”
“Just lower your head slightly and pull your shoulders forward; your walk will change if you do it.” Ana followed his instructions and discovered he was right. She felt the change in the way she normally walked. He moved through the city stopping occasionally to sit down and observe everything around them. He opened his backpack and pulled out two soft pieces of silicon shaped like half of a ball. He handed them to her, “Put one of these on the inside of your cheeks.”
“What are they?”
“They’ll mold to your jawline and make your face appear fuller.”
“Don’t you mean fatter than it already is?”
“I prefer fuller.”
“Why are you doing this? I thought you were turning me down?”
“I was but you removed one of the requirements you stipulated and I felt compelled to at least make sure you’re safe.”
Ana’s head moved slightly back, “What stipulation?”
“That you had to be present when I captured John Blakely. I have no intention of capturing hi
m and trying to do so would only make the task more difficult. You gave me the funds without any preconditions so I feel obligated to at least make sure you aren’t killed.”
“Why would I be killed?”
“Someone went to a whole lot of trouble to prevent the Trillium from being delivered and you stepped in and got in their way. I suspect that individual is very unhappy with you at the moment.”
“I can’t understand why Serge’s Chief of Security would be working with them, whoever they are?”
“He’s not.”
Ana’s eyes opened wide, “What do you mean? I saw him leading that security team and Kenneth was kidnapped right after I left the Treasury.”
“The two events are not related. Whoever kidnapped Kenneth is working for the Spider inside your family’s organization weaving this web you’re caught in but the Security Chief is not part of that conspiracy.”
“And just how do you know this?”
Leo sighed heavily, “Ana, he showed up in a marked Romanov Security Vehicle. Do you honestly think he would do that if he were intending to do you harm? The Security Agents went in the transportation-car with no weapons in their hands. They were searching for you to take you to your family.”
“Then why didn’t you allow them to do it instead of running from them?”
“If you had looked up the street a block to the north, you would have seen a man standing next to a black vehicle with the back door open. I suspect he had a shoulder missile launcher inside and was prepared to hit the security vehicle if he saw you taken by them.”
Ana looked down and thought about the moment and shook her head, “I didn’t look up the street; I was focused on the security car.”
“I think the security team and that car showed up at the same moment and both of them were tracking your communicator. That car wasn’t there when I tossed it in the train. It drove up and parked as the security team arrived. Allowing you to go with him would have gotten you both killed.”
“Those security vehicles are heavily armored.”
“As were the Round Table Forces taking what they thought were the contents of the wall safe to the Unity Treasury. Those missiles are the highest tech weapons currently being used by the Unity’s military.” Ana stared at him and he smiled, “I notice you aren’t asking how they could be using them?”
Ana sighed, “My family’s company builds them and sells them around the galaxy.” Leo nodded. “So you’re of the opinion that someone in Romanov Industries wants me dead.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“They must think that you are much more than you appear. You had the code to the safe and the Spider was unaware of that and had to be surprised when the safe was opened. You changed the plan of how the Trillium would be delivered and then disappeared. They might be concerned that you may know who they are…or it could be something else entirely. However, that car tells me that someone wants you dead.”
“How can you be sure there was a missile launcher inside of it?”
“The man standing beside the open door had a trigger ring on his right hand.”
“And you saw it from more than a block away?!”
Leo shrugged, “He had his hand on top of the vehicle and I could see it.” Ana stared at him as he smiled, “I do have rather good eye-sight.”
“Whoever is doing this must know that I am now with you.”
“They know you’re with someone but they have no idea who it is.”
“Why is that?”
“Because my image is not in any database.”
“Then how did the Proctors determine you were a Purple Card Warrior?”
“An electronic transponder is embedded in the card that warns anyone who attempts to scan me that they will be prosecuted if they continue their efforts.”
“If someone is looking for a Purple Card Bearer, it could become a liability.”
“I only have it activated when I’m on public transportation where there are no avenues to escape. It’s not active now.”
“What did you do to be given a Purple Card?”
“I’d rather not say.” Leonidas said quickly.
Ana sighed, “Ok. I guess I should be thankful and leave it at that.”
Leo looked around and said, “You mentioned earlier that you investigated what a Purple Card meant.”
“I did?”
“How did you find out anything about it? That information is highly secret.”
“My family’s computer has many things in its database that are highly secret. It revealed that there can only be ten active Purple Cards in the galaxy at any given moment. The ones authorized to carry a card are chosen by the Regulatory Agency on Cruet and undergo the strictest scrutiny of any government employee.”
“I am not a government employee!”
“Well, you are an agent of the government.”
“Not really,” Leo responded shaking his head.
“Then they control your actions!”
Leo sighed, “No, they do not.”
“Then who do you work for?”
“Myself.”
Ana stared at him and said, “Yourself?” Leo nodded. “Then why did they scrutinize you in order to give you a Purple Card?”
“The Government realizes that sometimes there needs to be someone that will do necessary things that are outside the law. However, they are not going to give a blank check to anyone without knowing all there is to know about them first.”
Ana frowned, “Are you telling me that you are not bound to follow the laws made by the government?”
“I’m only bound to follow my conscience. The Card tells anyone that might attempt to arrest me for my actions that I cannot be placed under arrest and that any attempt to do so will lead to prosecution by the Unity Government.”
“So you could just kill me right here on this bench and nothing would be done to you?” Leo shrugged. Ana shook her head, “I don’t understand why anyone would be given that much independence?”
“Because there are those operating outside the law that are inadvertently protected by it. They must be removed by someone who is also outside the law,” Leo Answered.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“John Blakely’s fleet is at Tortuga. On that planet, the pirates are protected as productive citizens. You will be the criminal if you kill him there.”
“They will also kill you if you go there and try to do it.”
“Tortuga is bound by the Galactic Unity Treaty. They must recognize the rights of those that carry a Purple Card. The Officials on Tortuga will not do anything to me.”
“So they can’t touch you?”
“They can try but I doubt the planetary authorities would even make the effort. They know the Unity doesn’t like their sheltering pirates and they won’t do anything to cause the Unity to take action against them. However, the pirates on the planet are not bound to follow the laws of the Unity and will take action if anyone attacks one of their own there.”
“Tortuga should be punished for their sanctuary.”
Leo shrugged, “The pirates are tax paying citizens and behave themselves on Tortuga. Pretty much every planet has those that are hardcore criminals but use their planet to protect them in one way or another.”
“And you are the one to make them pay for their crimes?”
“Sometimes. Most of the time, I’m forced to ignore them.”
“Why?”
“Look no further than your own company. I believe more than two hundred Round Table Guards were just killed and someone in your company was behind it. But if Romanov Industries was shut down, what impact would that have on the economy of Romania?”
“It would devastate the economy there and on more than a hundred other planets that manufacture our products. Romanov Industries pretty much owns Romania. More than eighty percent of the population works for it in one capacity or another.”
“That has to be figured in to anything to bring cri
minals to justice.”
“But the Government could just have the perpetrators brought to justice.”
“There are high priced lawyers that will make that process take longer than the perpetrator might live. If the perpetrator is powerful enough, he will never be connected to the crimes being committed; he will insulate himself and it will be the underlings that are ultimately punished.”
“So you’re just a modern day vigilante?”
“No, vigilantes operate outside the system. If they’re caught, they face the punishment for their crimes. I operate within the system.”
“Why are there only ten of you allowed in the galaxy at any one time?’
“Actually, the most I’ve ever heard of being operational are six. More than ten would be too large a risk to take.”
“What?”
Leo sighed, “Finding someone capable of handling the responsibility along with the requisite talents is not easily done. Most are found when they’re arrested for breaking the law in a rather dramatic fashion.”
“Is that how you were found?”
Leo smiled, “Sort of. However, that is not something I’m going to discuss.”
“You mentioned talents. What do you mean by that?”
“Most Purple Cards Holders pay to be physically modified to some extent and can do things most other humans or aliens can’t.” He suddenly stood up and looked to the north, “There is a drone moving our way and we need to get out of the open.” Leo took her hand and pulled her up from the bench and quickly ran to the restaurant behind them. He paused inside the front door as he pushed Ana behind him and looked up. Ana looked over his shoulder and saw a drone come flying quickly down the middle of the street about a hundred feet above it. It made no sound as it passed.
“How did you know that was coming?”
Leo looked at her with a smile, “Talent.” He stepped outside and looked around. He turned south and Ana hustled to stay with him. They arrived at a train station and Leo pulled her in the transport and paid the fare with tokens. She looked at him with raised eyebrows and he shrugged, “Hey, it’s the best buy in transportation. Tokens are half the price of normal fares.” They rode the train for an hour and then transferred to another train going back the way they came. “What are you doing?” Ana asked.