Gold Rush

by Clay Moore

  “I commend your sense of right and wrong. If you let it get the better of you, I will be reading about a man who saved someone at the cost of his own life with my coffee and bagel.”

  Brian gave her a wan smile.

  “Do you know how to Waltz?”

  “Of course.”

  “That’s the next dance. Let’s go!”

  Brian smiled and nodded. He stood up and held out his right hand. He tugged, and she twirled her way into his arms. Then he walked her to the dance floor. He set them correctly for the dance. Then he heard the strains of Beautiful Blue Danube. He went straight into the dance.

  Dona felt catapulted into his world. The dance and the motion seemed to blend into what he told her of his job. In his case, it was more than a job. In a Waltz, it was hard to sneak a feel of your escort without being obvious about it. She felt herself falling for this young man. When his mission was filled, she knew that she would have to terminate the relationship. She vowed, however, to keep it until she had to let it go.

  This dance ended and brought smiles and laughter back to Dona as nothing else could. Dona signaled to a waiter. She tumbled into her chair. “A tin of caviar and a refresh of our champagne.” The waiter bowed and departed.

  “They serve the best Caviar here. An Aquaculture firm managed to have the life cycle of the beluga sturgeon transplanted here.”

  “How much of it do you own?”

  “All of it. Does that surprise you?”

  “I stopped being surprised when I saw all those appliances come off of you, and saw the real you.”

  “The matronly look gives men cover when I beat them at something. ‘She saw her ex-husband do something like the matronly.’ This way they can blame me as a matron and not be offended at being bested by a girl.”

  “You are no girl. You, my lady, are a woman.” Brian took her hand.

  “The waltz sort out your problems?”

  “No, I have to sort them out. I just got a plan of action, and no, it does not involve this ball.”

  She relaxed.

  “Who is the man with Dag now?”

  “That is Planetary Interests Director of Security Anton Hecton.”

  “Why is he talking with Dag. They are not supposed to be detected. Amarantha?”

  “I have his image,” she said to him through his earbuds.

  “Who is Amarantha?”

  “Don’t worry she is my ship.”

  Dona smiled and nodded knowingly. Brian held her hand and said: “Who are you really?”

  “I was born into a middle family. I had decent clothes, healthcare and half my meals were foodbase. Father had aspirations of rising in Alphacent. He needed capital for some kind of lame-brained scheme. My husband offered a good price for me, and Dad took him up on it. I was married and whisked up to the one hundred fifth floor. I was mistress of the house. I was given an account to manage the household expenses. He had no idea of what the expenses did, so I asked for twice what we needed. I spent what we needed for things, and the rest I bought stock and bonds.”

  “Did you trade on your insider knowledge?”

  “Of course. My ex-husband and his cronies batted about all this information. They did not trade on it that I could see. I finally realized that my husband was making all the moves for a divorce. I moved that account to another broker under my own name. I also raided certain accounts that had my name on them. I even got a lawyer. When I got served and saw the cause for action was my infertility. I went to a forensic pathologist and found out that I was a broodmare. All I needed was a sperm donor.”

  “Hubby was shooting blanks.”

  “The lawyer countersued for his infertility. He negotiated, and I ended up with another quarter of a billion. A few good choices on the market and being on the board of 3 corporations and I have a Penthouse apartment on the top floor of the tallest building in the world.”

  “You were a middling.”

  “My Husband knew that. He spent money to round off my rough edges. When I was divorced, I invented this matronly woman.”

  “No one could imagine this matronly woman bamboozling them. Would you consider reporting information to the Eridani Secret Service?”

  “I won’t have to get information from the military or anything?”

  “Your information will be more about politics and the corporations.”

  “That would make me technically a spy.”

  “Correct.”

  “Would you be my handler?”

  “The term is control. I already handle you. No, I would not be your control. Some agents do that, but not a Special Agent.

  “A man or woman will come up to you in a public space. They will say that they are Mister Bojangles, and you will reply I am Dennama. That person will make the official offer.”

  “How long from now?”

  “No more than a month.”

  “Can we still play?”

  “Most definitely.”

  “Send your agent.”

  “Can you go back to your room okay? I have to get back to my suite and report in.”

  “Don’t be too long. I want to be more aggressive.”

  Brian got up and took her right hand. He clicked his heels and bent over her hand. Then he stood up and walked out of the ball.

  A REPORT TO HEADQUARTERS.

  Brian walked through the door of his suite. He searched the suite top to bottom for people. Then Brian took an electronics sweeper and went through the suite. He did this when he first came into the suite, and there was nothing. He was not surprised. He tried not to tip his hand to any opposition as to his existence and what he did. He had not really begun his game, yet. In the days to come, he expected to be tailed and have electronic devices placed on him or his suite.

  Brian took the Hypercom device from the briefcase. This allowed him to have two-way communication across the galaxy. This was done because Hypercom placed satellites at strategic locations in Human space. The satellites did the dirty work of converting your signal into a hyper signal and shooting toward your destination. With no competition, Hypercom could charge what it wanted.

  Brian keyed in the particular Access number for Pendit corporation. Two minutes later he was looking at a holoprojection of a fake person.

  “Pendit corporation. How may I direct your call?”

  “Z02 for Director Sylvester. Update report.”

  There was a pause from the computer. Then the fake person was replaced by Carla’s smiling face.

  “Good Morning, Z02.”

  “I forgot the time difference. It’s 22 here.”

  “What have you to report?”

  “Deployment of Satellites completed. Contact with Witherspoon achieved, and placement of tracker. Had a spot of luck. Witherspoon’s superior was at a charity ball in my hotel. Witherspoon came in and talked with Dag Dankly. That’s my next target.”

  “Witherspoon is now a target.”

  “I suspected as much. Any idea as to the order?”

  “Witherspoon first. It will wake Dag up, but Witherspoon was on Eridani. Dag, on the other hand, has to have the committee determine his fate.”

  “I have determined his fate. He has an underage child slave. I intend to free her.”

  Carla paused for a good long time. Then she took in a deep breath. “Can you make his death grisly?”

  “Can do. Okay, those are the two big things.There is some indication that Planetary Interests is involved.”

  Carla did that pause she does when she is listening to a conversation in her ear. “We’ll need proof of that.”

  “I’ll get it. Oh, I have a spy recruit. Dona Magret. She would like to discuss that with us. Do you have an agent available to take her in hand?”

  “We will have a station there in a week.”

  “Standard call and response challenge.”

  “Okay. Good report. Director out.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  One Last Time

  ONE LAST TIME

&nb
sp; Brian put his Holocom unit in his briefcase. Then he went one time through the suite sweeping for electronic devices and actual people. It may seem paranoid to do this a second time, but a little healthy paranoia might keep you alive. He was clear.

  He took off Dona’s Husband’s tuxedo. He called her to find out if she wanted it back. She said no. He was to keep it. It was an Alphacent design that worked everywhere. He set out one of his grey suits. He also set out his weapon and belt holster. Then he took a shower. He put on his suit, which he was thinking of more and more as his work clothes. He rearmed and retooled. Then left his room pulling the door to. He went up to Dona’s Suite.

  He walked up to her door. He was about to knock when it unlocked and opened slightly. He pushed the door more ajar so that he could see inside the suite. He decided that there was no one waiting for him to enter while they knifed him from behind. He pushed the door aside and then turned around to shut the door. When he turned around, he saw Dona in a dress made of netting.

  “I bought this a few years ago when I thought about being who I am. I was hoping to find a man who would appreciate the dress and its contents.”

  Brian could tell that the dressmaker who made this Dress understood what the person wanted who bought it. If you concentrated, you could see the body of the wearer, but if you gave it a cursory glance, you saw just the surface of the netting.

  “While you were gone,” I ordered Champagne and caviar.” She walked to the small breakfast table. She touched the bottle and the caviar service. “Did they teach you how to eat caviar.”

  “Not really. Those who made up the curricula probably forgot about it.”

  “Sit down, this is the service prepared by the Hotel Kitchen. Hotel Catering is usually so uninspired.”

  Brian looked at the plate. In the middle was a crystal bowl. In that bowl looked like a pile of fish eggs. The container was put in ice. Flanking the bowl on the left and the right was a bowl of chopped chives and chopped red onions. Then there was three pieces of toast on Dona’s side and three pieces of toast on Brians side.

  Dona picked up a wooden spoon. “This is wood. Wood, bone, crystal is what you use for utensils. Metal is a no-no. You take the spoon and pick up a little of the caviar and put it on the tip of the toast. There are usually things like chives, chopped up onion, maybe chopped up egg white. Then you put it in your mouth and bite off the toast.”

  Brian felt such a fool. Here was something that it seemed all people ate if they were uppers. He picked up a wooden spoon and a piece of toast. He put the spoon into the caviar. He took a small dollop and spread it on his toast. He bit through the corner of the toast. He chewed slowly wanting to get all of the flavors.

  “You can add the chives and minced red onion to the caviar for a different flavor.”

  “I like it as it is.” He spread a larger dollop on the remaining corner of his toast. He took a bite of the portion of toast that his blob was on.

  Dona smiled. She liked broadening people’s horizons, especially Brian who really was just a little boy at heart, a deadly little boy. She also found herself playing the game of where was the gun. He wore his weapon as if it were another piece of clothing. He did not always adjust the set of his weapon. He did not rest his hand on it as if we were some kind of Wild West character. He looked like a 25-year-old Salesman who is doing well. She made up her mind to make him a gift.

  “Wait there I got something for you.” She went into the master bedroom. She came out holding a full sized pistol and a box of ammo for it. “I figured since you had me you should have something else that belonged to my husband. She set the pistol on the table with the box of ammo.

  Brian pulled the slide and checked that it was unloaded. It had one magazine also unloaded. Whoever maintained the weapon believed in cleaning a gun well. All the springs were good. The trigger was to his liking. The thickness of a ball dart was thicker than a discarding sabot round. The dart was solid cast and usually consisted of a single metal that was deformable. The newer dart round may contain frangible sections or a discarding sabot. Then she showed him the surprise.

  “It has something that my husband called an integral silencer, hence the size of the barrel. It was excellent.”

  “By giving me this gun, he will be implicated in the deaths.”

  “Exactly.”

  Brian grabbed her and kissed her thoroughly.

  “When you are done drop the gun at the last death.”

  “You want your ex-husband arrested?”

  “Yes, and for a very Alphacent reason. I want my ex-husband unable to cast his shares at a board meeting next week.”

  “I thought it had to be something like that.”

  “I get to cause my ex-husband some trouble. And win a vote in a Board meeting. You have your mission I have mine.”

  Brian smiled. “I could do him for you?”

  “No, I like torturing him.” She walked back to the door to her master bedroom. She turned back showing swell of breast and a firm butt. I like making love to you. Do you feel like making love to me?”

  Brian nearly leaped from his chair. He shut the door behind him.

  WHAT IS GOING ON HERE.

  Andrea looked at the report of the damage and the equipment lost from the shutdown of the mines that belonged to Planetary Interests under Alphacent law. The problem was that Eridani claims sovereignty over its own lands. The courts on Alphacent do not want to foment a war with Eridani, so they set aside the cases.

  Andrea was not angry that Alphacent would not defend their rights on Eridani. She was upset that all of the equipment was lost and a whole lot of gold dust and nuggets were lost. A few men were killed, and their mercenary surrendered. She ordered his death, but nothing has happened with that.

  Angered, even more, she reached over and jabbed her intercom button to her Assistant.

  “Yes, Chairperson Martin?” There was no fear in that voice. She knew the one rule to use with Andrea Martin; give her what she wants quickly.

  “I need to see Director Hecton.”

  “I’ll send for him, Ma’am.”

  Anton was enjoying a minute of self-love. Of all the worlds, Eridani had police that actually enforced their vice laws. That meant no Pink Pagoda Club, and no prostitutes to help a man out of any blockages. Anton had not even an appropriate Personal assistant.

  He went through his troubles at least once before his day usually began at 1100 hours. He was here now because he thought that there might be something that Andrea might get her knickers in a twist about. Ever since Andrea orchestrated the night of the long knives against the Theosai criminal clan, she ran the corporation as a feudal fief. Andrea managed Planetary Interests which was the legal arm of the Theosai. She hid the money she would need to end the clan. Anton helped her then, just as he was helping her now.

  The com buzzed on his desk. He picked up his mobile handset. “Hecton here,” he said into the com.

  “She wants you. Soonest.”

  “On my way.”

  Anton put himself back in his pants. He definitely would have to go shopping in the applicant pile. A good pliable woman who might like a bonus in exchange for spreading her legs at regular intervals.

  Anton stood up and shook the left leg where he wanted to have his items in his pants. Then he put a pistol in his shoulder holster. He twirled on his suit coat and trudged out the door. His current assistant giggled at his walk. He decided to stop and ask her the question again.

  “Will you—”

  “Yes.”

  He gave her breast a squeeze. She giggled. He never thought her lascivious. That was the problem with humans that had the Mary Jane look, wholesome, and pure. One made assumptions, and she passes by without showing you her dirty side.

  “I’ll have to finish this interview with Andrea. I want you to dream about this.” He showed her his tool. Her eyes popped open dutifully. “I’ll be back to show you how I do things.” She nodded slowly.

  Hecton put his too
l away and zipped up. Then he walked out of his office suite. Because he was director of security, his office was on the same level as Andrea. This gave him instant access to her. He also acted as an invisible guard when she was out among the public. All of the uniform guards in the building were his own people.

  Hecton understood that people outside of the organization would think that the guards were a military organization. Planetary Interests had accessed the Mercenaries the same as other companies and planets. He had a relationship with Danton’s Rangers and Verihof Fleet.

  If Danton had all of its people, they could mount a full regiment of Infantry and a company of armor. Verihof Fleet uses Starfighters instead of a war fleet. Verihof uses four carriers, and 12 Destroyers and 12 frigates. The real striking force was the starfighters riding in the Carriers.

  The Real answer is why Anton admired Andrea. These Mercenary elements were wholly owned by Planetary Interests. They appeared in the black purse, and they generated a goodly income for Planetary Interests. Andrea did her magic with corporate finance, and they seemed to be individual units. Anton smiled as he thought on the two Mercenary Units. Then Anton came to Andrea’s office suite. He opened the door. The receptionist announced his presence. Then she pointed to the door. “She’s ready for you.”

  He buttoned his suit jacket. He checked his fly. Then he stepped through the door into Andrea's office. He stopped at his usual spot next to the guest chair.

  “Good morning, Andrea.”

  “You may think it’s a good morning. Are you closer to finding who it was that broke down our two mines on Eridani singlehandedly?”

  “Not real close, but closer. It has to be the Secret Service. By law, they are the ones who investigates claims of illegal gold mines and counterfeiting. There doesn’t seem to be an enforcement arm of the Eridani Secret Service.”

  “There doesn’t seem to be a military arm of Planetary Interests. Eridani Secret Service is a bunch of spies they know how to be secretive. We are a bunch of former criminals we know how to stir the law.”