by C. R. Daems
"What happened, Anna?"
"Two men dressed as Marine police tried to snatch Red. If not, I'm in big trouble." I gave her a wry smile and melted into her arms and cried. Sometime later six Marines entered. The senior Marine, a woman captain, came over to Alexa and me.
"Is Commander Paulus all right?" she asked.
"She has a minor leg wound, but I think she is in shock. It looks like the Navy security guards attempted to aid the kidnappers and she had to defend herself against them."
"She tried to kill us," the petty officer shouted, pointing a finger at me.
The captain gave a snort. "Petty Officer, you will get to explain how you attempted to assist two men trying to kidnap Commander Paulus. Should be an interesting story."
A few minutes later I was put on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. When I woke it was late, judging by the darkness of the windows. Alexa was sitting next to the bed holding my hand, with her head lying next to mine. I sighed with contentment and drifted back to sleep.
* * *
"I'm sorry, Mother—" I said when I opened my eyes and saw Alexa, but then realized she was talking to a Marine captain and a doctor… "What are you doing here, Dr. Renata?" I blurted.
"I see our patient is awake and alert," she said, smiling. "The Eastar Naval Hospital offered me a position when they knew you were going to be the NIA Station Chief, because of my extensive experience with the Coaca Virus and red-headed kraits."
"Thank you, Renata. Without you doing my psychological evaluations, I'd have to retire or wind up in a mental institution."
"True. You would be an interesting case study, but I'm afraid they would all come to the conclusion you were repressing your true feelings. And you would be in treatment for the rest of your life." She squeezed my hand. "That would be a tragedy."
"I didn't think I had been badly wounded," I said, looking from Renata to Alexa.
"You weren't. A few pellets in your calf. I think you were suffering more from shock—"
"I didn't kill either of the security guards, did I? I shot for non-lethal areas…they were trying subdue me and the kidnappers would have… They were kidnappers weren't they?" I looked to the captain.
"Yes, Commander Paulus. They were kidnappers. They caught your security detail on the way to meet you. They are in the hospital but will recover. And that was good shooting with the security guards. They are also in the hospital, under guard." She laughed. "By the way, I'm Captain Hoffman, in charge of your security detail. I've had a long talk with Colonel Pannell. He's very fond of you. Without our chat, I'm not sure I would have believed you intentionally wounded those guards and you weren't just a bad shot."
"I'm sorry, Mother," I said looking up at her. "I didn't mean to frighten you but…"
"I don't blame you. When I arrived, those damn Navy security guards had their guns pointing at you." Alexa gave a wry smile. "I lost it. Only Captain Hoffman's calm presence got me to stop screaming at them."
"Your mother was quite mad." Hoffman laughed. "Like most good stories, it's more amusing after the fact."
"Admirals Lulltrel and Webb weren't happy either." Alexa gave a crooked smile and a choked laugh.
"I know," Hoffman said, shaking her head. "My ears are still ringing. Commander—"
"Anna," I interrupted.
"Lynda. Anna, your security has just tripled. I never want another call like that from Admiral Webb. I swear the whole floor heard him reading me my obituary."
"I'm sorry, Lynda. I'm afraid, Red." Red emerged just then and worked his way into my hair, with his red head showing. I reached up and felt his tongue against my finger. "Is worth enough money on the Black Market to justify considerable risk." I paused while worrying my lip. "You had better educate all the guards on my detail about the Coaca Virus. I wouldn't want anyone to contract the virus trying to save me. They can't infect me, so in that case it's better for me to deal with the individual."
"If you don't object, I'd like to get the detail together and let you explain the dos and don'ts of dealing with those with the virus," she said. I nodded agreement.
* * *
Admiral Lulltrel, at Webb's suggestion, had the captain of the building security and Captain Hoffman and their reports at a mandatory meeting with me to explain my unique situation, and what not to do in the event a person with the Coaca Virus attempted to enter the building. I included Dr. Renata to make it more official.
I had just walked to the front of the room when a lieutenant commander entered and shouted, "Attention!" As the room bolted upright, Admiral Webb entered.
"At ease. Let me keep this simple. Commander Paulus has a tendency to aggravate very aggressive criminals who then want her retired. Right now the ones we know about are either dead or in prison forever. But she has a red-headed krait that keeps her Coaca Virus in check and is worth over two hundred and fifty thousands credits on the Black Market. That makes the reward worth the risk and the expense of creative solutions, like the other day. So if you see her draw that weapon she is required to carry at all times, you are to support her and obey any orders she gives." He paused and looked around the room. "Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" The walls vibrated with the response.
"Good. I'll leave Commander Paulus and Dr. Renata to explain what to do and not do if you encounter someone with the Coaca Virus."
Not too surprisingly, the room was very attentive when Webb left. Renata explained how to identify someone who had the virus, how the virus could be transmitted, and to call her after an incident to ensure the area was decontaminated and people were treated. I gave a few examples of past creative attempts to snatch Red.
* * *
"Ma'am, Commander Hadley is here to see you," Stamm said through a partially opened door. I stood and waved for him to let her enter.
"Commander Hadley—"
"Teresa, please. I was curious about your request and interested to hear what you are looking for, if you don't mind satisfying my curiosity. And I wouldn't mind hearing about your shootout the other day."
"No, I don't mind. Help yourself to something to drink," I said, waving to the sidebar. After she poured herself some coffee and sat, I joined her with my own cup. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. After reading the most recent reports from the NIA offices, I noticed two similar incidents where our NIA offices were involved for a local killing but there didn't appear to be any Navy personnel involved. I'm curious, but before I inquire I thought I'd see if this is a common occurrence. In my experience, the local police don't like outside involvement. So, if Navy personnel were involved, why wasn't it reported? It may be nothing but..."
"That's why Lulltrel wants you here." She smiled and took a sip of coffee. "And I'm glad to chase anything that interests you. Frankly, the job is boring so I'm hoping you can find something exciting to break the monotony. The more you can share with me, the better information I can retrieve for you." She paused and her smile faded. "What happened in the lobby? I've heard too many rumors and too few facts: the security guards shot you, you went mad and killed several people in the lobby, Marines were called in to stop you, Admiral went ballistic except no one knows why…"
I spent an entertaining hour explaining what had happened and a few of the previous attempts to steal Red.
"Thank you, Anna. We have to do this more often. This has been the most enjoyable hour I've had in months. Being a commander has its perks but it can be really boring." She left smiling.
* * *
"I see two Marine shuttles are following us home," Alexa said in our skimmer that night.
"As you know, Captain Hoffman said Admiral Webb went nuclear when he heard I had been attacked in the lobby of the Naval Headquarters Building, and has been making sure everyone knows he's unhappy and that it won't happen again without his personal permission. He stopped in on my Marine and Naval security seminar on the Coaca Virus dos and don'ts. He was very clear that Naval security was there to protect me in the even
t there was a problem. Consequently, Hoffman has Webb's permission to increase her detail as she feels necessary. She said her ears are still burning from his talk with her and decided that includes security at our residence."
"What did Lulltrel say?"
"At her weekly staff meeting she warned everyone to carry a weapon if they were going out with me."
"You were the main topic at the Appeals Court. I've spent most of my time over the past two days explaining what happened."
That night after dinner I curled up on the couch with Alexa and began reviewing the information Hadley had retrieved for me. When I quit well after midnight, I had found three more killings where the police made inquires of the local NIA office, making a total of five: one each on Eastar, Shadows Rest, Black Water, Stone Ring, and Westar. Only in one case, Eastar, was a Navy man killed, but the NIA offices were involved in all five cases. I didn't see the connection but I felt sure there was a common thread. And judging by Red's interest while I reviewed the reports, so was he.
I also found several confusing entries: requests by the local government to the NIA office to check on merchants who’d failed to arrive at their planned designation. The merchants were the Hercule, Easy Lady, Aladan, and the Deal Maker. If nothing else, they were interesting anomalies.
CHAPTER THREE
Eastar: Interesting Anomalies
The next morning I had Stamm arrange a meeting with Lulltrel. While I waited I called Hadley. "Teresa, its Anna. Would you do two searches for me?"
"What would you like?" She sounded interested.
"First, I'd like to know which cruisers were in port on the days of the killings I found reported on Eastar on 12/5, Shadows Rest on 7/20, Black Water on 4/11, Stone Ring on 3/18, and Westar on 1/23 of last year. And I'd like every merchant ship's port of call from 1/1 thru 12/28"
"What are you looking for, Anna?"
"Maybe nothing…but something feels strange. Maybe I just got a bad case of spook-paranoia but there appears to be a few anomalies I'd like to understand. If nothing else, it keeps me from getting bored." I laughed.
"Can you share?"
"The reports you generated for me revealed the local NIA offices participated in five cases involving a killing of one sort or another, but in only one case was Navy personnel involved. So, why was NIA involved? And while scanning the reports I found several cases where the local authorities asked the NIA offices about a missing merchant who failed to show at his scheduled designation. They probably all have logical explanations but…"
"All right. But keep me informed. I'm interested in knowing what you find." She cut the connection, and when I looked up Stamm was peeking through the partially opened door.
"Ma'am, the admiral will see you now. One of her appointments finished early."
"Thanks, Carl," I said as I hurried out the door and took the stairs up two flights to her office. Commander Spalding smiled and opened the door for me. I stepped inside and saluted. "Thank you for seeing me so quickly, ma'am."
"You seemed in a hurry, Paulus," she said after returning my salute and waving me to a chair.
"While reviewing this month’s reports from the NIA Offices, I found a couple items I didn't understand, so I had Commander Hadley retrieve the NIA monthly reports for the previous eleven months and found…what appeared anomalies to me. Of course, they may be normal operating procedure." I shrugged. "I'd like to follow up on them to confirm, but wasn't sure of the protocol." I hesitated before adding. "They may not like being questioned."
"By a young woman or by their equal or…" She gave a snort. "I understand your concern. I imagine there are a few commanders who would get their feathers ruffled if you requested information from them about their cases. Then they would write me." She laughed. "I'll send out something today that will at least avoid me getting inundated with whining memos. And what is my Eastar NIA bloodhound chasing?" She tilted her head slightly to listen better and looked interested.
"It may be nothing, ma'am. But I noticed several NIA offices were involved in killings which didn't involve Navy personnel. That seems strange. And government inquiries about merchants who went missing. It's what I thought you wanted me to look for—strange coincidences. They may be just that…"
"But one may be a clue which leads to a potential problem. I support what you are doing but keep me in the loop. It will ruffle feathers."
"Thank you, ma'am." I saluted and made a hasty retreat. I remained uncomfortable reporting directly to a vice admiral. I had only been in my office an hour when a WavCom message appeared on my tablet.
TO: ALL NIA STATION OFFICES
I HAVE ASKED COMMANDER PAULUS, AS THE EASTAR NIA OFFICE CHIEF, TO REVIEW ALL ACTIVITIES AT EACH OF THE NIA OFFICES IN AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY POSSIBLE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT EXTENDS ACROSS THE UAS. YOU ARE THEREFORE TO TREAT ALL REQUESTS FROM COMMANDER PAULUS AS IF THEY CAME DIRECTLY FROM ME. DO NOT COPY ME WHEN RESPONDING TO HER REQUEST.
FROM: VICE ADMIRAL LULLTREL, CHIEF OF NIA OPERATIONS
"Wow." I sat stunned. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't that. Just then Stamm knocked and entered when I acknowledged.
"That was the fastest promotion I've ever witnessed," he said shaking his head in disbelief. "Of course, it does cut down on all the messages she would otherwise get every time you asked a NIA office for information." He sobered. "Ma'am, if you don't mind advice from a master chief," he paused until I shook my head, "I'd keep the admiral well informed. There will be some who won't like you having that authority and will be looking to embarrass you if they can."
"Thank you, Carl. That's excellent advice. I won't mind you reminding me if I appear to forget." I spent the next hour sending queries to the NIA Office Chiefs.
TO COMMANDER HAMMOND (BLACK WATER NIA CHIEF ), COMMANDER SHRADER (WESTAR NIA CHIEF ), COMMANDER SINCLAIR (STONE RING NIA CHIEF) , LT. COMMANDER ROMERO (SHADOWS REST NIA CHIEF )
OVER THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR MURDER INVESTIGATIONS WHERE NIA OFFICES PARTICIPATED, ALTHOUGH ACCORDING TO THE CASE REPORTS, NO NAVY PERSONNEL APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. I WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING THE REASON NIA PARTICIPATED, I.E., DID THE POLICE REQUEST OUR INVOLVEMENT AND IF SO, WHY, OR DID WE ASK TO BE INCLUDED AND IF SO, THE REASON. THE SPECIFIC INCIDENTS ARE LISTED BELOW BY SYSTEM AND DATE:
BLACK WATER 4/11
WESTAR 1/23
STONE RING 3/18
SHADOWS REST 7/20
FROM: COMMANDER PAULUS, EASTAR NIA CHIEF
And a second message:
TO COMMODORE STAUFFER (OXXAX NIA CHIEF ), COMMANDER HOLMES (OASIS NIA CHIEF ), COMMANDER SHRADER (WESTAR NIA CHIEF) , LT. COMMANDER CALVIN (SAFE HARBER NIA CHIEF ).
OVER THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR INQUIRES FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO NIA OFFICES FOR INFORMATION ABOUT MISSING MERCHANT SHIPS. I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT ACTION YOU TOOK, THE INFORMATION THE GOVERNMENT WAS SEEKING, AND WHAT INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE PROVIDED. THE SPECIFIC INQUIRES ARE LISTED BELOW BY SYSTEM AND DATE:
OXAX 7/20
OASIS 9/1
WESTAR 5/12
SAFE HARBER 10/21
FROM: COMMANDER PAULUS, EASTAR NIA CHIEF
At Stamm's suggestion, I sent Lulltrel a hidden copy of each memo.
* * *
The next day, Hadley had a petty office deliver a chip which contained both searches. I wasn't sure what to do with the search for Navy cruisers in port on the day of the killing until I had more information from the NIA offices on my requests. When I scanned the second search, I realized immediately it would take me days of work to review it. I laughed, realizing I had a staff to do the work. Since my weekly staff meeting was scheduled for the next morning, I decided to wait. Instead, I reviewed my section heads' monthly reports and tried to decide what to include in my executive summary for Lulltrel. The truth, I decided.
TO: VICE ADMIRAL LULLTREL, CHIEF OF NIA OPERATIONS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR THE FIRST MONTH OF EASTAR 521
I AM STRUGGLING TO DETERMINE MY RES
PONSIBILITIES AND THE APPROPRIATE INVOLVEMENT IN EACH. MY STAFF INFORMS ME THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS AND OUR ACTIVE CASES APPEAR MINOR AND NORMAL, BASED ON THE LAST FEW MONTHS' REPORTS TO COMMANDER WRIGHT. I HAVE NOTHING NEW ON THE TWO ANOMALIES I'M PURSUING. WHEN I RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE NIA OFFICES, I WILL UPDATE YOU.
FROM: COMMANDER PAULUS, EASTAR NIA OFFICE CHIEF
When I finished I sent it to Stamm for his feedback. Ten minutes later he entered the office, smiling.
"Ma'am, when I first read it I was shocked. You've been working your…butt off and not taking any credit for what you've been doing. But then I realized it's not your style—the naked truth. I like it and think the admiral will also.
* * *
"Sit, please," I said as I entered my conference room. "Since I've had no urgent messages or calls from you, I assume nothing exciting happened this week. But since this is all new to me, why don't you share your non-eventful week with me, Commander Newman?" I said looking in his direction. Everyone had a touch of amusement except Newman.
"Commander Wright wasn't interested in the daily details. He left them to us," he said while shaking his head and trying to imply I shouldn't.
"He was probably too busy running the Raider Operation to worry about NIA business. I, on the other hand, have nothing else to keep me from getting bored. He glared for a brief second then shrugged. My section responded to two cases of theft of Navy property…" His account was thorough, if a bit light on detail. Commander Atkins followed. His account was not only thorough but sprinkled with humor. The comparison to Weiss brought an ache to my chest—the painful thought I would never see Wilbur again. Commander Cooper was next. Her account included the individual's names who were working on the cases. I liked that.
"Thank you. That will help me understand the normal workload on Eastar and to get to know the individuals in the group," I said, hoping Newman and Atkins would take the hint. "Commander Newman, would you have the people who worked on the murder of Admiral Sherman on 12/5 prepare a comprehensive review for me. Schedule it with Master Chief Stamm when you are ready."