by Michael Rose
“This is Alcestis,” said Alexander, “the largest planet in the system.”
The others in the room studied the image on the large screen covering the table at the center of the observatory. Alexander pressed another button, and the image rose from the table and hovered above it. “Here’s a 3-D view. Obviously, the far side of the planet can’t be seen from this angle, so the computer is extrapolating the 3-D image from live images of Alcestis taken from satellites orbiting the planet.”
“Any habitable moons?” asked Allen.
“No. None in the entire system, actually. Silvanus is the only habitable body. Now, some of the moons are mined for metals and other elements. That allows Silvanus to remain free of heavy industry.” Alexander pressed a button, and the image disappeared. “Next is the only other rocky planet besides Silvanus. It is the first planet in the system but far enough away from the sun to be clearly visible during certain times of the year.”
As he spoke, the telescope swung around and pointed at the horizon. The sound of shattering glass interrupted the whirring of the motor. In less than a second, Sullivan had surveyed the situation and ducked down below the dome, taking Kate and Mr. Alexander with him.
Frank Allen followed suit as three more bullets punched through the glass and either struck the telescope or exited the far side of the dome.
“Stay low and get to the door!” yelled Sullivan. The four of them made their way to the stairwell and down off the roof.
“What the hell was that?” asked Alexander, visibly shaken.
Sullivan pulled the door closed and glanced at each of them. “Anyone hurt?”
They all responded in the negative.
Alexander took a handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped his brow. “What was that? Gunfire?”
Sullivan nodded. “The first shot was meant for me. I think the telescope swung into the path of the bullet just as it was fired.”
Kate began to cry. “I thought all this was over.”
“Not quite. I haven’t told you about Harvey.”
Alexander furrowed his brow. “The bounty hunter?”
“Yes. How do you know about him?”
“He came to see me.”
“When?”
“A few days before you all returned from Damaris.”
“How did he know I was here? You brought us here in your car, and we haven’t left the building since then.”
“Maybe he saw me leave, followed me to the spaceport.”
Sullivan bit his lip. “Or maybe he heard about our arrival. Was he ever left alone when he visited you?”
“Yes. He was shown into my study by the footman.”
Sullivan turned to Allen. “Do you have a bug detector?”
Allen took out his tablet. “Standard on all Bureau-issued tablets.”
“Good. Mr. Alexander, we’re going to your study. I need you to play along with me for a few minutes. Allen, you’ll look for the bug. Quietly, if you please.”
Allen tapped on his tablet, making sure the sound was off. He didn’t want the bug detector beeping when the device was found.
The four of them made their way down the hallway to Alexander’s study. Kate waited at the door as the three men went in.
“The shots came from the other side of the building. We should be safe in here,” said Sullivan, walking over to the window and pulling the curtains. He tapped on his tablet and turned to Alexander, showing him the words he had written.
Alexander read them and nodded. “That’s it, Sullivan! You’re gone! I won’t have my daughter endangered because of you.”
“I saved your daughter’s life! I’m the only reason she’s here with you now.” Sullivan typed another message.
“I’m having one of my ships readied. If you’re not on it in six hours, I’m calling the Bureau and turning you in.”
“Fine. As long as it takes me to Faris.”
Allen waved his hand to get their attention. He pointed to the table. Sullivan nodded.
“I’m going to pack my things.” He typed on the pad again.
Alexander read it. He unfolded his tablet and made a call. “Yes, Reynolds? I want one of the freighters ready for launch in six hours. That’s right. For Faris.”
Sullivan smiled and beckoned for the others to follow him out of the room. He closed the door behind him.
“All right, we know where Harvey’s going to be in six hours.”
“The spaceport,” said Allen.
“Right.”
“Why did I have to prepare one of my ships?” asked Alexander.
“He’s going to check for that. He’ll know something is up if one of your ships hasn’t submitted a flight plan,” replied Sullivan. He turned to Allen. “Let’s pull up a map of the spaceport. We have some planning to do.”
HARVEY SAT CLEANING his rifle, going over the recording from Alexander’s study. Something was off, the responses a little delayed. He’d been hunting men long enough to know a trap when he smelled one.
If he went to the spaceport, Sullivan and Allen would have the advantage. They’d have him outnumbered and outmaneuvered. No, walking into an ambush wasn’t his style. Sullivan had gotten the jump on him once, and he wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Harvey finished his work by wiping down the exterior of the gun barrel with a clean, dry cloth. He put it away in its case and decided it was time for him to check out. When he didn’t show up at the spaceport, Sullivan would come looking for him, and he would find him if he didn’t move. Sullivan would figure out where the shots had come from.
13
SULLIVAN, ALLEN, KATE and Mr. Alexander had checked themselves into a hotel across town. Alexander, using his considerable influence, had convinced the hotel manager to rent them the rooms unofficially so none of their names would show up on the network.
The four of them sat in the living room of Alexander’s suite and debated their next move. Harvey hadn’t shown up at the spaceport. He had been checked in to the hotel next to Alexander’s building but had left soon after the assassination attempt.
Sullivan leaned forward and put his hands on his knees. “As far as I can tell, he doesn’t know about your hyper-hyperspace ships, correct?”
Alexander searched his memory. “After Harvey was in my study, I didn’t entertain anyone until the three of you arrived. And we didn’t discuss it.”
“That’s good,” said Sullivan. “My plan is this: you and Kate will go back home while I use one of your specially outfitted ships to get to Faris. We’ll find a way to tip off Harvey, and I’ll have almost two months before he arrives, long enough to secure my location.”
Allen cleared his throat. “I suppose I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?” asked Sullivan.
“When we were coming back from Damaris—when we were in hyper-hyperspace—I had an encounter with one of those entities.”
Sullivan narrowed his eyes. “You were supposed to tell one of us, Frank.”
“I know. But I couldn’t. It was Liz, Rick. It appeared as Liz. I had to know if it was really her before alerting the rest of you. I was afraid she would leave if I called you.”
“But it wasn’t Liz?”
“No. She—it—said it had appeared that way to communicate with me. It said they didn’t want us traveling that deep in hyperspace, that it disrupted them.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow. “Disrupted? What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. But they don’t want us there. I promised it that I would keep others from going into hyper-hyperspace if I could.”
Sullivan shook his head. “This is a little too important to worry about ‘disrupting’ some ghosts, Frank. I need to stay a step ahead of Harvey.”
“And I need to keep my promise, Rick.” He turned to Alexander. “It’s up to you, sir, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep sending ships into hyper-hyperspace. Those entities seem to have a great deal of power; they can read our minds. Who knows
what else they can do?”
Sullivan held his hands out to Alexander. “This is as much to keep you and Kate safe as it is for me. If I can neutralize Harvey, none of us will have to worry about him. He could have just as easily shot one of you in the observatory.”
“I need to think about this,” said Alexander. “Frank, I’d like to hear more about this encounter. Rick, Kate, if I could have the room?”
“Sure.” Sullivan stood and walked out. Kate lingered a moment to smile at Allen and squeeze his hand. She stood, followed Sullivan out and closed the door behind her.
Alexander, after watching them go, turned back to Allen. “This entity. What exactly did it say?”
“Just what I told you. If we—humans—start traveling deep in hyperspace regularly, it’ll disrupt them. It mentioned something about how they have, in the past, crossed over into our universe and caused disruptions. I can’t be sure, but I got the sense that they can freely cross over into our universe. For whatever reason, they don’t do it regularly.”
“And the strange encounters that some have claimed having while traveling in hyperspace, you think these can be attributed to these entities as well?”
“I think so, sir. They can appear as people that we know—or once knew—and I suppose that has led some to believe they’ve encountered ghosts.”
Alexander brought his hand up to his face and began stroking his chin. “I think I should let Rick risk it, just one more time.”
“I do not agree, sir.”
“You told it you’d keep people out of hyperspace if you could, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you can’t. It’s not up to you. But if you’re willing, I’d like you to go along with Rick so you can explain the situation to them.”
Allen shook his head. “No, sir. I really don’t want to go back there. Seeing Liz, thinking it was her… I don’t know if I could handle that again. Even if it means jeopardizing the job you’ve offered me.”
“Not at all, Frank. I understand how you feel, and you may still have the job if you’ll take it. However, I would like for you to tell Rick everything that happened, as well as you can remember. We’ll also tell him to deliver a message that we do not mean to disrupt them and would not do so if the situation did not demand it.”
“I hope that will be enough.”
“Did you feel threatened by the entity you encountered?”
“No. But as I said, who knows what powers they have?”
Alexander nodded. “I appreciate your concern, Frank. But with any luck, Sullivan won’t have an encounter at all. My pilots made over two dozen test flights into hyper-hyperspace before anything happened.”
“Well, if your mind is made up, sir, will you at least allow me to take on my role as your personal bodyguard immediately? If Harvey doesn’t follow Rick to Faris, he might try to get more information out of you.”
“Of course.” Alexander stood. “But how do we make sure Harvey knows Sullivan is leaving?”
“That’s easy. We tell him.”
SULLIVAN WAS GONE. Allen wanted to make sure Harvey wouldn’t have a chance to set a trap, so he waited until Sullivan’s ship had left Silvanus before traveling back to Alexander’s apartment, going into the study and plucking the listening device from beneath the table.
Allen tapped on it a few times and blew loudly into it. If Harvey was listening with headphones, Allen wanted him to feel a bit of discomfort.
“Mr. Harvey,” Allen began. “I know you fired those shots at us when we were in the observatory. And you should know that I still have Bureau connections. Now, in my role as Mr. Alexander’s personal bodyguard, I feel I should warn you that if you make another attempt on his life, I will report you to the Bureau, have your license revoked and have a warrant issued for your arrest. You tactics—while effective—seem to have skirted a thin line between legality and illegality. As long as you were going after hardened criminals, the Stellar Assembly was willing to turn a blind eye. But you made a mistake, Harvey. You endangered the life of one of the most powerful men not only on Silvanus but on all the inhabited planets.”
Allen flicked the listening device again and smiled, imagining Harvey wincing from the sound. “Richard Sullivan has left. He’s on his way to Faris to rally support for his cause. I would recommend that you leave Silvanus immediately if you want to catch him before he is able to get himself into a position of power. If you leave, no further action will be taken against you. Mr. Alexander is willing to forgive what you have done. Mr. Harvey, do not let this generous offer pass you by. It is not worth it to take on a man like Benjamin Alexander.”
HARVEY REMOVED THE headphones and replayed Allen’s message in his mind. They had lied about Sullivan leaving before. Was this also a lie? He decided he could afford a few days to find out before following Sullivan to Faris.
Harvey took up his tablet and pulled up the feed from one of the cameras he’d set up outside of Alexander’s building, trained on the windows of the penthouse on the top floor. He’d know within a few days if Alexander and his daughter were going to come out of hiding and return to the penthouse. If they did, he’d find out where Sullivan really was, one way or another.
14
FRANK ALLEN, NOW personal security guard for Benjamin and Kate Alexander, tapped the console beside the door of the Alexander’s penthouse. On the screen appeared the image of a delivery man. Allen couldn’t see the man’s face due to his cap.
“Please hold,” said Allen, depressing the talk button on the console. He walked down the hallway and knocked on the door of Alexander’s study.
“Come,” said a voice within.
Allen opened the door. “Mr. Alexander, there’s a delivery man here. Are you expecting a package?”
Alexander got up from his desk and stepped toward the door. “Yes. It’s a present for Kate.”
Allen put his hand out to stop Alexander’s progress. “I’ll get it for you, sir.”
Allen returned to the door and glanced at the screen again. The delivery man was now looking up at the camera. Allen didn’t recognize the face, so he cautiously unlocked and cracked open the door with one hand, keeping his other hand on his gun.
“Please sign here,” said the delivery man, holding out a tablet. Allen signed and took the package. He shut and locked the door then went back down the hallway. He stopped before reaching Alexander’s study and turned into his own makeshift office. He pulled a device out of his desk and scanned the package with it. The scanner didn’t detect any trace of explosives, poisons, or other dangerous substances.
Allen took the package to Alexander. “Is this what you were expecting?”
Alexander looked at the label. “Yes.” He took a small knife from his desk drawer and sliced open the box. He withdrew a box wrapped heavily in bubble wrap. He unfolded the padding, opened the smaller box and withdrew a glass sculpture of a bird.
“Would you look at that?” said Alexander.
“It’s a bird, sir?”
“Yes. Kate collects them. These were made in Finland on Earth, oh, some five hundred years ago. Not terribly rare, but she likes them.”
Allen heard the doorbell chime again. “Excuse me, sir.” He made his way back to the front of the penthouse and tapped on the screen. The deliveryman had returned.
“Yes?” said Allen.
“Your signature didn’t register, sir. Could I have you re-sign?”
Allen opened the door. The face smiling beneath the cap wasn’t the deliveryman. It was Harvey. Allen tried to slam the door shut but Harvey had his arm and shoulder through. The bounty hunter grunted as the door closed on him but managed to push with all his strength and send Allen toppling to the floor.
Allen reached for his gun, but Harvey was already pulling a weapon of his own. He fired and Allen felt a jolt of electricity course through his body. He tried to stay conscious through the pain, but it was too much for him. He turned onto his side, vomited, then fainted.
&n
bsp; HARVEY KICKED ALLEN roughly in the ribs. The man was out. He made his way down the hallway and pushed open the door to Alexander’s study. Alexander stood upon seeing Harvey.
“What the hell are you doing here? Where’s Allen?”
“He’s taking a nap. The better question is, where’s Sullivan?”
“He’s gone to Faris.”
Harvey took up his electroshock weapon, turned it down to its minimum setting and fired it at Alexander. The older man yelled out in pain and fell back into his chair. The glass bird flew from his hand and shattered as it hit the desk. Alexander sat clutching his chest where the beam of electricity had struck him.
“That’s level one, Mr. Alexander. I’m turning it up to two. Where’s Sullivan?”
Alexander winced as he leaned forward. “He’s on Faris.”
Harvey fired again. Alexander let out a cry of pain, fell back again and then slid off the chair and to the floor. “I’m turning it up to level three now, Mr. Alexander,” Harvey said. He stepped around the desk and looked down at the older man. The smile playing about Harvey’s lips faded. He leaned down and put his finger against Alexander’s jugular. There was no pulse.
Harvey cursed under his breath. He stood and turned toward the door. Kate Alexander was standing just beyond, terror in her eyes. Harvey raised his weapon, fired at her once and stepped over her as she writhed on the floor in pain.
WHEN FRANK ALLEN woke up, he was in a hospital bed. It was only a matter of minutes before he had attracted the attention of a nurse and learned the details of Harvey’s attack. Benjamin Alexander was dead. Kate Alexander was alive and recovering in the next room.
Allen closed his eyes. What could make Harvey do such a thing? How could he sacrifice his career, his freedom, to go after Sullivan with such a vengeance? What had Sullivan done during their first encounter?
A wave of realization swept over him. What had he given up his career with the Bureau for? It was revenge, plain and simple. Allen had resigned and gone to Damaris to find and kill Orion Zednik. Was revenge motivating Harvey?