Sullivan Saga 1: Sullivan's War
Page 1
SULLIVAN’S WAR
A Novel by
Michael K. Rose
SULLIVAN’S WAR. Copyright © 2012 Michael K. Rose
Cover Design by Michael K. Rose
All rights reserved. Except for fair use as determined by the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to any actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
First Digital Edition: 19 July, 2012
This Edition: 06 June, 2014
PREFACE
SULLIVAN’S WAR WAS originally released as a serial novel in three installments. As I wrote those installments, however, Sullivan’s universe expanded and so did his personal story, and I decided I would make the series a proper trilogy. This book is the first part of that trilogy, The Sullivan Saga. The serial nature of the novel will be apparent in how each installment ends, but unlike my earliest readers, you have the luxury of not having to wait to see what happens.
The second and third books of The Sullivan Saga, Sullivan’s Wrath and Sullivan’s Watch, are also available, and while it is not essential to your understanding of the series, reading my novelette “Sergeant Riley’s Account” will help flesh out the universe in which the story takes place. There is a character in common between the two, and in this book, mention is made of events that occur in “Sergeant Riley’s Account.” It can be found singly as an eBook and also as part of my 2012 collection Short Stories, available both as an eBook and in print. Please visit www.MichaelKRose.com if you would like more information about this or any of my other projects.
Initial thanks must always go to my family. Your support has been phenomenal. I would also like to acknowledge all those who provided encouragement and helped me develop this book. In particular, I’d like to thank Alexia Purdy, Benjamin X. Wretlind, Dale Herring and Karen Wodke. The four of you have been there for me every step of the way.
I would also like to thank, in alphabetical order: Jeff Currie, Michael J. Foy, Jason Scott Gleason, Teri Heyer, Vincent and Jaime Hobbes, Clive S. Johnson, Craig McGray, Abby Miller, Micheal Rivers, Stefano Scaglione, Steve Umstead, Jeff Whelan and Craig Withers.
Finally, thanks to all of you who have supported me by reading and reviewing my books. Because of you, there will be many more to come!
Michael K. Rose
May, 2014
Contents
Title Page
PREFACE
BOOK ONE ALL GOOD MEN SERVE THE DEVIL I: COGS
II: PRISONERS
III: LOSS
IV: ALL GOOD MEN SERVE THE DEVIL
BOOK TWO A CITY WITHOUT WALLS I: PROMISES
II: RETRIBUTION
III: A CITY WITHOUT WALLS
IV: ALLIANCES
BOOK THREE EDALINE’S DAWN I: RETALIATION
II: REBELLION
III: REUNION
IV: EDALINE’S DAWN
ALSO AVAILABLE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BOOK ONE
ALL GOOD MEN
SERVE THE DEVIL
I:
COGS
1
IT WAS A grisly sight that met Special Agent Frank Allen as he stepped past the yellow crime scene tape and into the foyer of Assemblyman Gene Palmer’s Manhattan penthouse. Palmer was on the mosaic tile floor of the foyer, face up and dressed in pajamas with a baseball-sized hole in his chest. Allen’s partner, Liz Wagner, knelt down beside the body and leaned in toward it. “Energy discharge. That’s a bit of bad luck.”
Allen grunted in consent. “Untraceable. Is there an energy weapon registered to Assemblyman Palmer?”
Wagner pulled a tablet computer from her pocket, unfolded it and began tapping on the touch screen. “No. Guy two floors down has a Mark Two, though.”
“He’d need a special permit for that. Who is he?”
“Former cop named Forrest.”
“How does a cop afford an apartment in the Underwood?”
Wagner studied her tablet for a moment longer. “Worked for a private security company before retiring. He apparently helped arrange security for visiting dignitaries.”
Allen frowned. “That’s interesting. But a man who knows the ins and outs of securing the safety of politicians wouldn’t be dumb enough to kill an assemblyman in his own building.”
“You never know,” said Wagner, looking up from the tablet.
Allen nodded. “I doubt he’s our guy, but go down and have a talk with him anyway. I’m going to poke around here.”
Wagner went out to find Forrest, and Allen watched her leave before stepping over the assemblyman’s body and casting his eyes around the living room. It was richly furnished and immaculately clean. He doubted forensics would find anything. He doubted the killer had even entered the penthouse. Ring the bell, squeeze off a round and be on your merry way; that’s the way a professional would do it. The energy weapon was a sign of a professional, too. Of course, a professional would know that an upscale building like this would have cameras everywhere. Allen took his own tablet from his jacket pocket. He unfolded it, scrolled through his contacts and tapped on a name. A voice in his earpiece greeted him.
“Larry, it’s Frank. Anything on those surveillance cameras?”
“Just uploaded them now, Frank. Give me a minute.”
“Right.”
Allen walked down the hallway of the penthouse as he waited for Larry’s response. The first door he came to was open and revealed the assemblyman’s study. Allen walked over to the desk. A few sheets of cotton-fiber writing paper sat in the middle of a leather writing pad. The top sheet was half-covered in a tidy cursive script. Allen shook his head. It amused him that these political types still sent hand-written letters; they considered it a matter of etiquette. He leaned over the top sheet and read it.
Dear Assemblywoman Conner,
Your continuing support regarding the incorporation of Edaline into the Stellar Assembly is most appreciated. With Assemblyman Howard agreeing to join our caucus, we now have enough votes, and I suspect that tomorrow’s session will finally see Edaline admitted into the SA. I thank you, and the people of Edaline will surely thank you as well.
Yours Sincerely,
Gene Palmer
Allen held his tablet up and snapped a photo of the letter. A moment later, a tone chimed in his ear. He pressed a button on the side of the earpiece. “Larry?”
“Bad news, Frank. The perp knew what he was doing. He wore a hat and kept his head down. All I can tell you is that he’s Caucasian with short brown hair, medium build, about one hundred eighty centimeters.”
“Great, Lar, you just described me.”
“Best I can do. Good luck with the forensics.”
“Thanks. Not that I doubt your abilities but I’d like to have a look at the surveillance footage anyway.”
“It’s up on the system when you need it.”
“All right. See you in a while.” Allen tapped on the side of the earpiece to end the call. He folded the tablet back up and placed it into his coat pocket as he stepped out of the study and went in to explore the bedroom. It revealed nothing obvious, but in the bathroom garbage can he spotted a used condom. It appeared that Palmer had recently had company.
Allen finished his survey and went back out in time to meet Wagner in the hall.
Wagner shook her head. “Found Forrest at home, and he gave me the gun without hesitation. The chip shows that it hasn’t been fired in eight months.”
“I didn’t expect to get that lucky. W
e’ll keep him in mind, but I don’t think he’s our guy. What do you know about Edaline, Liz?”
“Nothing much. Isn’t the Stellar Assembly considering them for membership?”
“That’s right. And Mr. Palmer there was a major cheerleader on their behalf.” He looked down at the body.
Wagner moved beside him and followed his gaze. “Palmer was from Virdis, right? Why was he so interested in Edaline?”
“I don’t know. There must be something he would have gotten out of it. These politicians always have an angle.”
“Do you think this was a political hit?”
“Maybe. I remember reading about some political assassinations on Edaline last year as well as anti-government demonstrations. And there was that story about the soldier a few years ago who sabotaged Edaline’s first attempt to get into the SA. Something about the military killing their own troops.”
As Allen spoke, he took his tablet back out and began tapping on the screen. He found the relevant information and summarized it for Wagner. “Three members of Edaline’s parliament have been murdered within the past year. And there was an attempt on the prime minister’s life.” He tapped over to another document. “All of them were high-ranking officials within Edaline’s government. And they were all vocal proponents of incorporation, as was our Mr. Palmer.”
Allen looked back down at the body. “One thing about energy weapons, they leave a nice clean, cauterized wound. Not even a drop of blood to mess up that expensive tile.”
“I’ll take blood and a bullet any day. At least it gives you something to go on.”
“Liz, will you supervise things when forensics arrives? There’s a condom in the bathroom garbage, make sure that gets a DNA test as soon as they get here with their equipment.”
“Sure thing. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to head down to the SA building and see if I can’t stir up some trouble.”
“You’re pursuing the Edaline angle?”
“That’s the only angle we have. I’ll probably be back at the station around sixteen hundred.”
THE STELLAR ASSEMBLY’S legislature hall stood large and imposing on First Avenue. This was the building where the ninety-six representatives of the Assembly’s thirty-two planetary members met, deciding on issues such as the incorporation of new planets, the fair administration of trade tariffs and the settling of interplanetary disputes. Flashing his badge, Allen was able to enter the building without challenge. As an agent of the Stellar Assembly Bureau of Investigation, he had jurisdiction on all SA planets and any vessels traveling between them.
The Assembly was in session when Allen arrived. He took the stairs up to the balcony and sat down, his tablet in hand. As he listened to the proceedings, he researched the Edaline issue. Karen Conner was at a microphone, addressing the Assembly.
“… and because Assemblyman Palmer is absent today, I am taking it upon myself to move that the Assembly begin debate on the incorporation of Edaline in anticipation of tomorrow’s vote.”
Someone, Allen did not see who, seconded the motion.
Ruth Mandala, the Assembly’s president, banged her gavel. “All members, please vote on opening discussion regarding the incorporation of Edaline, resolution 529736B.”
Around the chamber, the planetary representatives tapped on the display screens attached to their desks. After a moment, Mandala looked down at her own desk. “Of ninety-two members present, forty-seven vote ‘aye,’ forty-five vote ‘nay.’ The motion, not garnering the support of fifty percent of the entire Assembly, fails.”
A murmur arose from the chamber. Mandala banged her gavel again. “Assemblywoman Conner, are there any other issues you wish to raise?”
“No, Madame President. I yield.”
“Thank you, Assemblywoman Conner. It’s about lunchtime. Any further brief business?”
Another member of the assembly stood. “Madame President,” he said, “I would like to propose the introduction of a bill lifting the moratorium on the development and installation of cerebral implants on SA planets. The technology has progressed to the point where….”
“Just a moment, Mr. Bayne. This isn’t going to be brief, is it?”
“No, Madame President, I’m afraid not.”
“In that case, I call for a recess until thirteen hundred. You will have the floor to present your bill at that time. Assembly adjourned.”
Allen raced down the steps toward the floor of the chamber as the members of the Assembly began to file out. He spotted Conner and moved toward her. “Assemblywoman Conner, may I have a word?”
“Are you press? How did you get in here?”
“My name is Special Agent Frank Allen. I’m with the SABI.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Agent Allen. Is there something I can do for you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Miss.”
“Sorry… miss. Is there somewhere we can speak in private?”
“I was just heading to my office.” She stopped walking and turned to study his face. “What’s happened?”
“I really think we should speak in private, Miss Conner.”
KAREN CONNER’S OFFICE was located on the twelfth floor of the Assembly building. Allen looked out Conner’s window at lower Manhattan as the assemblywoman poured the coffee that her assistant had brought in a moment before.
“Do you take cream or sugar, Agent Allen?”
“No, thank you. Just black.”
She brought the cup over to him by the window. “I can tell you’re trying to put off telling me something.”
“It’s not good news.”
“I can see that.”
Allen took a sip of the coffee. “May I ask, when was the last time you spoke with Gene Palmer?”
“Last night. He was excited about opening debate on the Edaline issue today. I tried to call him this morning to ask him where he was.” She swallowed. “Is he all right?”
Allen broke her gaze and looked back out the window. “This morning, Gene Palmer’s housekeeper found him dead inside his penthouse.”
Conner set her coffee cup down heavily on the windowsill. “I see.”
“We haven’t released the information to the public. We’re trying to get this sorted out before the media circus begins.”
“I see.”
“I understand you worked closely with Mr. Palmer on the Edaline issue?”
“Yes.”
Allen waited for a moment for her to continue. She did not. “Well,” he said, “perhaps if there’s anything you could tell me about it?”
“I’m sorry, Agent Allen. I just need a moment.”
“Of course. Maybe you should sit.”
“Yes. Yes, I’ll do that.” Conner walked unsteadily over to her desk and sat in the chair. Allen picked up her coffee cup and carried it to her.
“Thank you.” She took a bottle from a desk drawer and added a dash of its contents to her cup. She sipped at the coffee, set it back down then ran her hands over her cheeks. She was suddenly composed, her voice steadied. “Well, now I know why Gene didn’t show up today. As I said, I talked to him last night. He called to tell me that Scott Howard had decided to support him on Edaline’s incorporation. That gave us the forty-eight votes needed to reach fifty percent. When I saw that Gene was absent this morning, I was concerned but decided to move to open debate anyway. I was hoping someone else would switch at the last minute. If not, I figured Gene would be back tomorrow and we could bring up the motion again.”
“So now you don’t have the votes?”
“No. Virdis will have to elect someone to replace Gene, of course, but it isn’t likely that that person will adopt Gene’s position.”
“There’s nothing Virdis would gain from the incorporation of Edaline?”
“Nothing more than the usual: regulated trade, reduced tariffs, investment opportunities. In fact, I’d say Gene was unusual among the inhabitants of Virdis in wanting Edaline to become part of the SA.”
“There’s still bad blood between the two planets.”
“You mean the Colonization War? That was two hundred years ago.”
“I know. But after the war, Virdis—being one of the founding members of the SA—made sure that Edaline wasn’t offered membership. And you see how Edaline has suffered as a result of that. A strict, militaristic regime was able to take power by appealing to the people’s resentments, and they’ve held the planet in an iron grip ever since.”
Allen furrowed his brow. This didn’t add up. “Then what was Mr. Palmer’s angle? Why was he pushing for incorporation?”
“He had no ‘angle,’ Agent Allen. Gene was an idealist. He wanted what was best for the people of Edaline.”
“And who didn’t want what was best for them? Or who had different ideas about what was best?”
“The revolutionaries.”
“The ones who’ve been killing members of Edaline’s parliament?”
“Yes. They are vehemently anti-incorporation and believe that Edaline’s current government will only profit from membership in the SA. They want guarantees that the government will advance social reforms, and if they refuse, the revolutionaries have threatened to actively pursue a violent takeover.”
“Can you think of anyone else who would want to hurt Mr. Palmer? Any personal enemies?”
“None. He was well-liked by everyone who met him. Even his political opponents respected him.”
“One final question, Miss Conner. A delicate question.”
“I know what you’re going to ask, Agent Allen. No, Gene and I were not involved.”
Allen smiled. “Am I that transparent?”
“Most men are when it comes to sex.”
“I suppose that’s true. Would you happen to know if Mr. Palmer was involved with anyone else?”