They strolled through the aisles, and she noticed a few books locked in glass cabinets. Holo-vid and vid-screen chips filled cubbies on the outside walls between windows. The lobby was furnished with couches. Shining wood partners desks sat in corners of the room. Instead of the dusty, untidy picture a library brought to her mind, Amina found herself in a cozy, shiny, plush environment.
He led them to a wide partners desk with two vid-screens. They sat across from each other, and Kindel handed her half of the chips from his bag. “Look through these for anything on Rhys.”
“Yes, sir.”
They worked silently for a while, separating the chips that didn’t pertain to Rhys Smithe’s case. It didn’t take long to find his case files, but there was very little in the first few they didn’t already know, and Amina felt discouraged.
Questions were bouncing around in her mind. She was trying to ignore them, but she felt like bursting. He had to know it was making her crazy. “So, any plan how to return these to Captain Lindon, who just happens to be your uncle, without him knowing? Oh. Before you explain that, please tell me how you knew which cabinet and which drawer, etc, these particular chip files were in.”
He smirked. “Like I said, not much imagination in District Four. My uncle is using the same filing system he did when I did all his filing after school. Regarding Captain Lindon being my uncle, there isn’t much to tell.”
Amina studied him as she opened the next file. “There must be something, or you wouldn’t have kept it a secret.”
He looked across at her with a softness in his expression. “I didn’t keep it a secret from you. The team doesn’t need to know my personal history.” That made her heart flutter just a bit. “I was raised by my uncle and aunt. Captain Lindon is my aunt’s husband.”
“Thus, the different last name.” She glanced up at him. “Your parents?”
Kindel shook his head briefly, not taking his eyes from the folder open on his screen. “They died shortly after I turned five in a shuttle crash. I was raised here, but I never wanted to stay. That disappointed my family.”
Amina’s heart clenched. He understood her more completely than she could’ve imagined. “Didn’t your uncle want you to become a Captain like him?”
A bitter laugh shook his shoulders. “He wanted me to follow in his footsteps as a Peace Squad hypocrite like all the rest of District Four.”
“Oh. The low Peace Squad numbers and the shady underground criminal set. I see. You couldn’t sit on your backside and let the bad ones get away.”
“I’ve found something!”
“What is it?”
“I’ve got testimony on how he committed the embezzlement and where he was living at the time.” He swiped through a few more pages in the file. “Here are eyewitness accounts of the kidnapping.” His eyes glittered with determination. “We need to get these pages copied and return the chip files.”
“About that, I doubt your uncle will believe a second visit in one day.”
“The way things work the receptionist will file them and won’t even know we had them. She’ll assume her boss got them out and just do her job.” He took a blank chip from his pack and popped it into the vid-screen to copy the files.
“Let’s go.”
He snuck into the Peace Squad lobby and left the chip files on the receptionist’s counter. With everything else piled up and her face buried in her novel, she probably wouldn’t even notice.
On their way back to the ship Amina looked around District Four with a new interest. This was where Kindel had grown up. She wished she could meet his aunt, see where he may have spent time outside or with friends, but this wasn’t a social visit. It was just curiosity. It didn’t mean there was any connection between them.
“I’m wondering now if you knew Rhys when you lived here? It was five years ago the commander said everything happened with the embezzlement.” She remembered that hawk-like stare of his when he had spotted Kindel.
“No. I was on my way to GIPS. He’s older than I am, and I don’t recall ever seeing him around.”
“Good to know that won’t be one more surprise.”
That afternoon when they gathered to report their findings to Kindel, they relaxed on the couches in the ship lounge. Amina tried to sit between Mara and Gem, but he shot Mara a look that had her choosing a different chair. Not too subtle, and Amina’s face burned with embarrassment. She didn’t want everyone to know what had happened, or not happened, between them.
Mara said, “Gem and I went and talked to the company head, Mr. Jorgensen. He told us how Smithe broke into his home and kidnapped his wife at laser point. He blames himself terribly.”
“We learned when they caught him for the embezzling it was only because one of his little helpers messed up. He was running a group of extortionists, but the Peace didn’t have proof of all that just the embezzling from the one company.”
“That led us to conclude he may be using the same crew now for his illegal drug trafficking.”
“Mr. Jorgensen told us Smithe had been using an abandoned warehouse, but he didn’t know exactly where. He hadn’t found it entirely important then.”
Sari said, “that’s where Katlin and I come in.”
Katlin jumped up from her seat. “Yeah! The newspaper had all sorts of juicy details.”
Amina’s eyes widened. “Like?”
“Like the warehouse was in the foothills of Distar’s largest mountain range. To get there you have to travel through thick jungles infested with blood-sucking insects and cross a desert plain riddled with caves.”
“There are caves in the range next to the plain.” Sari smirked at her. “The warehouse was described as near the mountains and the plain.”
Kindel cleared his throat. “I’ve got the actual coordinates for the location, so we won’t have to check every warehouse in that huge area. It’s not guaranteed, but the peace officers were confident their informant was telling the truth. I also have eyewitness testimony of the kidnapping from outside the Jorgensen residence. There were men waiting in a van for Smithe. They had red dragon tattoos on their necks.”
She shivered beside him. “That’s evidence tying his crew to him and vice versa.”
Gem said, “not to be negative, but this is all assuming he’s using the same warehouse. Why wouldn’t he pick a different location? And if GIPS has coordinates wouldn’t they have picked him up ages ago? Wouldn’t they have said to us, by the way, this is where he hangs out?”
“For one thing, we know he hasn’t been there. Remember, he was in Kildren for some time. Also, the location is difficult to reach. It’s entirely possible it was abandoned for years. The rumors about drug trafficking are recent, so we’re not looking at a long period of time here. I doubt he spends much time doing the dirty work. That’s what a crew is for. He could be using this warehouse for this one purpose.”
“He probably uses different locations for different illegal activities,” Amina said. “He runs them as an overseer. If one operation is discovered and shut down, he has others. He knows we’re onto him, so he knows this is a risk. He’s hoping to get his ransom currency before we can reach him.”
Mara’s eyes filled with tears. “I think Mr. Jorgensen will pay the ransom if we can’t rescue her before the deadline. He’s desperate to get her back, and Rhys probably knows that, too.”
Gem rubbed her temples. “I’m sensing we’re missing something. If he’s so smart and rich and he’s got all these locations running operations, why is he risking everything now?”
“Our primary focus is saving Mrs. Jorgensen, whether we capture Rhys or not. This is the best lead we’ve got. We’re working with the theory he’s not a permanent resident, it’s been put into use recently, and it’s close to the scene of the kidnapping and ransom demand. As soon as GIPS figured out all of this was happening, they sent us. We’re the ones going to pick him up,” Kindel said. “I can’t really explain why the coordinates intel wasn’t shared. It woul
d’ve saved us this entire day.” He looked at her with dark suspicion in his eyes and sadness. Her heart ached for him at that moment.
“We better be right about this,” Mara whispered. “It means Fiona Jorgensen’s life.”
“This is one crazy smart crook,” Katlin said. “I’d have never guessed it when I met him. He could charm the hair off of a hippo.”
They laughed, and Amina asked, “does a hippo have hair?”
“Not if it met Mr. Rhys,” Katlin said.
“Sari, start preparing to take off. Mara, please ready the medical deck just in case there’s a problem. Gem, please check the gear especially the wrist comms. I want to be in the air in an hour, so we can get to the location before dark and camp.”
“Yes, Sir,” they chorused and quickly dispersed.
Amina shifted away from him on the couch, and he stopped her by gently taking her hand. Surprised, she glanced up at him.
“If you recorded a list for me like you did for Rhys, what would you say?”
“That’s a nervy, arrogant question. I don’t need to make a list for you.” What do I know about Kindel Withes? Charmer. Remembering how she’d felt, how she’d responded to him, it was humiliating.
“I know what I would record about you, Amina. You’re beautiful. You’ve stolen my breath with your beauty. But that’s only a small part of you.” He began to softly stroke her fingers. “Your courage has amazed me.” He turned her hand over and traced his fingertips along the paths in her skin. Tingles burst over her skin. “You’re kind and loyal, smart and strong. You love your family and always think of others.” He lifted her palm to his lips and kissed her sensitive skin. A hot pang clenched deep in her belly.
She jerked away. “I’m going to help Gem check the lasers and stunners.”
He affected her with a simple stroke of a finger, and she hated that lack of control in herself. He probably said those pretty things to a lot of girls. The next one on his list: Gem. Maybe he’s using her to get closer to Gem. That’s what he wanted to know right? How to “reach” her. She opened cabinets and slammed them shut.
Gem approached her. “No matter what you think, Kindel doesn’t have feelings for me. I don’t know how he feels about you. You get near him, and he puts up a mask, but he has no feelings for me.”
Amina sighed tremulously. “I’ve gone and fallen in love with him. Stupidly, naively, I’ve given him my whole heart.”
“You need to catch me up,” Gem told her firmly. “What makes you think he’s interested in me?”
“Other than the fact you’re amazing and it wouldn’t surprise me at all?”
Gem rolled her eyes. “Please. Give me the specifics before I shoot you with a stunner.”
“He did talk to me at the ball. He asked me why you didn’t like him and how he could “reach” you.”
“You must’ve misunderstood him. He was probably so googly-eyed over you his brain was misfiring. You didn’t see how the two of you danced. I did. That dance floor practically melted. Good Gwana Amina, you actually floated! Don’t forget the speech. He talked about you in front of an entire assembly of people. That’s impressive, and I told you so after the ceremony.”
A tiny bit of hope uncurled in her chest. “Did I tell you he went to Aldernon?”
“No!”
“He went to my family and got them to come to the graduation. Derick said he threatened my father with bodily harm if he sneezed at me.”
“Oh, sweetie. He’s got it bad. Real bad. I’m sorry he’s an idiot and said something stupid. He must’ve been temporarily insane. That’s what lust does to a man.”
“Gem!”
Her friend just laughed and hugged her.
Sari’s voice crackled over the comm. It was time to fly.
Chapter 16
Since they were only moving from one area in the District to another it was going to be more like a hop. The landing was rocky, on the edge of the plains where they met the foothills of the mountain range. Distar’s District Four region was split in two by the range, so one side was jungle-like with nearly constant overcast skies and rain while the other side of the range was dry covered in squat scrubby trees and brown grass.
“We’ll leave the Sunstar-3 in stealth mode and take the scout shuttle closer to the coordinates. Sari will go ahead of us and scout the area. Hopefully, she can locate the warehouse and determine a good entry point. While she’s gone, we’ll set up a camp for the night.”
“As long as we can skip the jungle this time, I’m in,” said Sari.
He motioned for them to gear up.
The scout shuttle was just large enough for them all to sit and stow their packs. They buckled in, and Sari flew them closer to the coordinates and landed them behind some rocky protrusions for cover. They disembarked and started out on foot to scout the immediate area before Sari left them. There was a bit of an oasis on the other side of the craggy rocks with a small pond surrounded by the squat scrubby trees. They hunkered down and scanned the area to see if any people or dangerous animals may be using the pond. Kindel gave them the all-clear and they went to check it out.
The pond water was murky. There was brown smog hanging low in the air like fog rising from the ground.
“What has happened to this world?” Mara gasped as if she felt its pain.
Amina stepped close to Kindel. Quietly she asked, “have you ever seen it like this before? Is this normal?”
Kindel shook his head. “I’ve been riding through this country several times since childhood. I’ve never seen it like this.” He glanced back the way they’d come. “It appears the foothills have blocked it from spreading into the plains.”
Katlin pointed to a plant growing along the pond edge. It looked near death. “These plants seem to wilt just breathing.”
Amina began to feel ill herself. “Maybe we better test the air and water before we stay out in it too long.”
Kindel scowled and looked at the time on his wrist-comm. “It’s going to slow us down, but we’ll have to head back to the Sunstar-3 and sleep there tonight. Meanwhile, don’t even touch the water, and leave ship only if you’re wearing a mask.”
Testing the water and plant samples was left up to Mara and Sari, since Sari could easily fly back out with a respirator mask to get samples as needed. Katlin assisted by running soil tests. The air in the ship was filtered every hour.
Amina pulled up a holo-vid file in her bunk room to do some private research on Distar. Just out of curiosity. Not because it had any connection to Kindel.
After a while, she began to wonder what Gem was doing and went to look for her. As she came up to the lounge doorway, she was surprised to see Kindel and Gem together. Sick fear nearly made her step away, but she had to know. She eased back, so she could see them, but they hadn’t noticed her.
They were facing each other, Kindel seated on a chair and Gem standing in front of him. Her expression was intense. Not angry but upset. She was gesturing in frustration, her arms waving about, but she wasn’t speaking. Kindel was staring at her like she was a mad woman, surprise registering in his upswept eyebrows and widened eyes. His expression changed as she silently berated him, and he began to wave his hands in front of himself as if he were saying wait, wait. He remained silent as he took her arms and shook her very gently as if to get her attention or make her repeat something she’d said. His expression became pained. He stared at her and she stared at him. She started shaking her head and pulled away from him, gesturing again making chopping motions with her hands to drive home some silent point. Then she crossed her arms and started tapping one foot as she silently glowered at him. He wiped a hand wearily over his face, ran his fingers into his hair, and sat back in the chair as if whatever she’d said had blown up his world. Then he sat forward and nodded at her. He’d come to some conclusion or decision. His expression became serious, determined. Then he stood and grabbed Gem and pulled her into a fierce, firm hug. Gem’s shoulders relaxed, they broke apart, she
shook her finger at him but grinned at him at the same time. She started to pivot away, and she’d see Amina for sure.
Amina dashed back down the hall to their bunk room. Sitting slowly on the bunk, she laughed. It hadn’t been romantic in the least, which was a huge, huge relief. She was nearly giddy with relief. But it was crazy to have witnessed a telepathic conversation, or argument, she wasn’t sure what it had been.
“Captain!” Mara’s voice called excitedly over the comm. “We have results!”
Amina joined the rest of the team as they crowded into Mara’s lab.
“This water has particles of a deadly chemical floating in it. That’s why the water is tinted brown. It’s called Collax, and it’s used to make drugs that cause hallucinations and personality changes. It can alter the brain’s chemistry, so it’s irreversible. People dosed with this would be highly suggestible and controllable. Even if the effects were temporary, it’s addictive, and the withdrawals are so powerful few people could survive detox.”
Gem said, “it became a problem on Pystar. The planet’s cities are overpopulated, and we’ve got slums, and we’ve got druggies. The authorities in some districts bought into the original manufacturer’s claims that Collax could be used to replace the substances the druggies were using and make them contributing citizens by conforming them to work assignments. They tried to make the druggies into slaves really, so they could clean up the slums and maintain cities.”
“What happened?” asked Kindel.
“The drug outright killed some of them, some became vegetables, and others worked just as it was advertised. Eventually, everything Mara said made them stop the program. That’s what they called it, a program.”
Amina sighed. “Sometimes I’m relieved I’m from Aldernon.”
“It would’ve been released into the water system intentionally,” Sari said.
Agreeing, Kindel said, “Smithe might be up to a whole lot more than we suspected.”
Sunstar: Amina's story a YA scifi romance (Peacekeepers Book 1) Page 10