by Frank Carey
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Copyright
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1 - Nefarious Machinations
Chapter 2 - Preliminary Meeting
Chapter 3 - Reality bites
Chapter 4 - The Flight to Earth
Chapter 5 - Back at the Castle
Chapter 6 - Adrestia
Chapter 7 - Discoveries
Chapter 8 - Revelations
Chapter 9 - Space Command
Chapter 10 - Royce on Earth
Chapter 11 - Earth Command
Chapter 12 - Trip to Earth
Chapter 13 - Grendel
Chapter 14 - Desert Action
Chapter 15 - Back at Mira's
Chapter 16 - Marta Awakens
Chapter 17 - Ventosian Intrigue
Chapter 18 - Plans of Attack
Chapter 19 - Clubbin
Chapter 20 - Action!
Chapter 21 - Deconstruction
Chapter 22 - Demons
Chapter 23 - Hiding in Plain Sight
Chapter 24 - Back at the Rig
Chapter 25 - Cleaning Crew
Chapter 26 - After Action Report
Chapter 27 - End of the Day
Epilog
About the Author
Lucien
Heroes of the League Book 13
By Frank Carey
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Frank Carey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This story appeared previously as Smuggler’s Return.
League Tale #22
INTRODUCTION
My name is Lucien Irithyl, though I have been known by at least one other name in the past. Once I was a smuggler, a hacker, and a thief, but now I am Prince of Ventos Prime and Ambassador at Large. For a while, I was alone, except for my clone, but now I have a huge family with brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and not nearly enough grandchildren. Today, I came home to find my wife had left me and my children refusing to talk to me.
Truly, life can change in but an instant.
Chapter 1 - Nefarious Machinations
Nico's was one of four five-star restaurants in the Ventosian capital city. Serving an eclectic neomodern cuisine with elf, human, and Alturan influences, it was the go-to place for deal-making both within and outside the law. Unlike most Ventosian businesses, its waitstaff were all elves.
At the front of the house stood the Maître D’hôtel who was responsible for seating the guests. Her name was Hera, and she was a tall, willowy elf with a grace and poise which belied her skills as a trained assassin. Seeing no one waiting, she glanced down to check the time for the next arrival on her terminal. "Excuse me. The name is Tregga. I have a 1230 hours, entry word 'justice.'"
Hera looked up and suppressed a shudder. Standing in front of her was a demon. Though not a religious person, Hera had heard stories of demons, and Tregga was definitely a demon. He was of an unknown species--they get those from time to time--but the air of suffering and evil that surrounded him nearly choked the elf assassin. "This way, Mr. Tregga," she said while grabbing a menu and walking toward the private rooms at the back of the large dining room.
"Just Tregga. No honorifics."
"Yes, sir," she said as she fought the urge to pull out one of her knives--she had eight--and use it to cut his demon throat.
She walked Tregga back to a small room with a single table and two chairs. "Your guest will be here shortly. Would you like refreshment?"
"No. Thank you."
She pointed to a button in the center of the table. "You may activate a level seven privacy screen by pressing that switch."
"Thank you."
She nodded before walking out. As soon as the door closed, Tregga activated the field.
Finally, away from the creature, Hera leaned against a wall and trembled. "Are you OK?"
She looked up at her boss, Alex. "I will be. Damn, that thing is evil."
"Yes, but he's willing to pay well, so well that we can all live comfortably for the rest of our lives."
"Sir, if I may be blunt, are we selling our souls?"
"Maybe, if you believe in that sort of thing, and if you do, you are in the wrong profession."
"How do you do it? You've been dealing with him--it?--for four weeks now, yet you seem fine."
"You're a female elf, a warrior. He pushes your buttons, all of them. I'm a male elf, an administrator. I am a means to his ends."
"Right. You should get in there while I take the rest of the day off and get drunk."
"I wish you could, but you are part of this new operation. You need to report to the quartermaster and get outfitted for your new identity."
"What new op?"
"This one, the one for Tregga. He just came to meet you and sign some papers. The op is already in play."
"Damn you. Fine. What's my new name?"
"Meena."
She scowled defiantly. "I hate you."
"See? No buttons," he said as he walked into the room containing the demon.
"Tregga! How nice to see you. How are the wife and kids?"
"I am fine, and I have neither. Is she the operative?"
"Yes. That is Hera, our top agent. I have to give you credit. I have never seen her react that negatively to anyone. I'm surprised you're still alive."
"You assume I'm alive in the first place."
"There is that. So, have you decided on a target?"
"Earth."
"Excuse me?"
"Did I find a button?"
Alex glanced up at the demon. "Earth has a population of seven billion with a large number of off-world visitors. The effect on the League economy would be catastrophic. Who the hell pissed you off badly enough to kill eight billion people?"
"A half-human girl killed a relative of mine. I am returning the favor. Do you have a problem with my target?" he--it--asked as its eyes glowed an unhealthy red.
"No, no problem. When do you want the contract completed?"
"Three days. Your operations in the Simpson desert are perfect to deliver the package Hera is going to retrieve."
"Where will you be when the shit hits the fan?"
"At ground zero, of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
###
Five women--four elves and one human--walked into the restaurant in the mood for blowing off some steam. They had been working sixteen-hour days for the last two weeks preparing the weapons system for transport to the Cube.
"Damn, Marta, how the hell do you do it?" the tall, willowy elf woman asked as they sat down at a table and ordered a round of drinks. She nodded to the bartender then glanced at the human. The keep nodded back.
"Meena, dear friend, years of field experience. I could go a month without even noticing it. The bar tender returned with drinks. Meena nodded to the other girls.
"I need to go tinkle," A leggy redhead said as she got up and headed to the restrooms with two friends in tow, leaving Marta and Meena alone.
"Cheers," Meena said as she threw back her drink.
"Cheers," Marta replied as she did the same. She put her glass down as her eyes locked onto Meena. "Dam
n, you are beautiful."
"Yes, I am," Meena said. "Do you love me?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Would you do anything for me?"
"Damn skippy."
"What about your husband?"
"I'm married? Why don't we get married?" Marta asked as she scooted closer to Meena.
"Not yet, but soon. Now, I need you to do some things for me," she said as her friends returned, the three standing around Marta.
"Name them."
Meena smiled. "Ladies, time to wreak some havoc."
Chapter 2 - Preliminary Meeting
Lucien sat down at his desk and read the note from his wife one more time. Finally, he had enough darkness. It was time to shed some light on what was happening.
"Computer, connect me with Queen Losira."
"Her Majesty is..."
"I don't care if she is having tea with the white rabbit. Connect the damn call."
"Working..."
"Lucien, what's wrong?"
"Marta left me."
"What? Computer, secure this line."
"Working... Line secure."
"Now, tell me what the hell is going on?"
"I was up all night working with the finance committee on the funding bill for three more EMEF teams. We finished early, so I headed home. I found the residence empty and a note on my bed. It was from Marta. She said she was leaving me for someone else and that the divorce paperwork would follow in a few days."
"Could she have been kidnapped?"
"That's the first thing I thought, so I ran scans of the house and the computer records. She's the only one in or out in the last twenty-four hours."
"Dammit, what did you do?"
"Let's see... I saved her plarking life a few times, other than that I've got nothing."
"Did she contact the kids?"
"The house says she called Shenda's ship right before she locked the front door. I called Shenda, and she hung up on me. I tried Torren, Bobby, Christa, and Aerith and got the same reaction."
"What about Anne or our other neoLogash siblings?"
"I haven't been able to get a hold of them, but I've instructed the computer to keep trying. Losi, what the hell has Marta been doing for the last two weeks?
"I can't tell you. It's above your clearance level."
"Since when?"
Silence.
"Losi!"
"Your clearance level dropped when you reabsorbed the Atmar personality."
"It's been over a year, dammit. I've been checked so many times I feel like I'm in a hockey game."
"I know, but this is important."
"What's important?"
"What I can't tell you about."
"Who's on second?"
"What?"
"No, he's on third."
"Lucien! Calm down. I'll make some calls. Meanwhile, you need to calm down. Trust me."
"Like you trust me?"
"We will talk soon. Goodbye."
Harm stared at the comm for a moment before throwing a stuffed coffee cup doll against the den wall. "Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit to the seven hells!"
"You seem upset?"
Harm spun around to see his neoLogash sister, Jewel, sitting in one of the den's overstuffed chairs.
"Would you please stop doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Shunting in like that."
"I thought the bright blue flash would clue you in to my arrival."
"Yeah, it should have. Can I get you something?" he asked while reaching into the den's amply stocked fridge.
"Horchata," she replied, referring to the Latin American beverage.
He emerged holding a bottle of the white aqua fresca and a bottle of iced tea. "Glass?"
She shook her head. "Bottle baby," she replied as she took the bottle and popped the metal top using just her hand.
Opting for a conventional bottle opener, Lucien opened his tea and drank from it while he sat down in the chair next to hers. "You're probably wondering about the calls?"
"Fifteen in twenty minutes is a little excessive."
He handed her the note he found.
Her eyes flared bright blue. "Obviously a kidnapping. Have you contacted..."
"She's the only person who has been in or around the house in the last twenty four hours."
"Has she contacted the children?"
"Possibly. A call was made from here to the Marta McMurphy. The computer confirms Marta made the call."
"What do they say?"
"They refuse to take my calls. They seem angry at me."
"Those little... Fine. Excuse me," she said as she and her drink disappeared in a flash of blue light.
"Jewel! Don't... Never mind. Computer, music, synthpop."
Music played softly from the room's speaker system as Harm lay down on his couch with a picture of Marta cradled in his arms.
###
"I can't believe he cheated on her, then left her." Shenda said as she stormed around the Marta's flight deck.
"Sister, you need to calm down," Christa said as Torren and Bobby nodded. "Maybe Dad is innocent..."
"You saw the evidence!" Shenda said as her anger flared. "He cheated on her! He left her for a younger woman, an elf woman for gods' sake!"
"Would it be better if she were Goranthi?" Bobby asked. "I still think we need to talk to Dad..."
A blue flash interrupted Shenda's scathing comeback.
"Hey, kids, can we interrupt?" Anne said as she and her siblings appeared.
"How dare you enter this ship without permission!" Shenda said.
"My bad. Where are the grandchildren?"
"Lenora is watching them at the castle. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Excellent. Breanne, can you, Connie, and Adaira handle things for a while?"
"Sure, but why..."
Anne smiled as she and her sibs grabbed their nieces and nephews, then shunted off the flight deck."
"It's never dull around here, is it?" Breanne said to an empty room.
###
The nine travelers materialized in the living room of the Prince's Residence. "What the hell? Where are we?"
"The residence of your parents," Nels said.
"Why?" Shenda demanded.
"So you can talk to your father."
"I have nothing to say to him."
"Really? How about an explanation as to why you and the other children are acting like...children?"
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Anne ordered
The front door opened and Losira walked in followed by three members of Royal Security.
"Where's Lucien?"
"In the den," Jewel said.
Without a word, Losira and her entourage headed to the basement while several R-Sec team members patrolled outside.
"Now, back to the question at hand," Anne said as she removed her outer shirt and flexed her muscles.
###
"Get out of my life!" Marta screamed. She ran out the door with Aerith, leaving a pile of divorce papers on the kitchen table.
Lucien woke with a start, the nightmare dissipating like a morning fog. He heard knocking at his den door.
"What now? Come!" he ordered.
The door opened and two security officers walked in followed by Losira. None of them noticed a flash of blue light coming from the closet.
"Lucien, this is Colonel Sarah Toplin of Royal Security. We need to find Marta and quick. You said she left a note?"
He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her.
You've had no contact with her since you found this?" Losira asked as she handed the note to the colonel.
"No. I haven't heard from her since she went on assignment. I've tried calling her commlink, but I keep going to voice mail. E-mail is going unanswered as are messages. I have run out of ways to talk to my wife. What the hell is going on?"
"General McMurphy has been working on a new weapons system developed here on Ventos Pr
ime, a system which was to be shipped to the Cube for disposal in two days," the colonel said. "She is one of only a handful of people who know the go-codes for the system. It is imperative we find her."
"Why?"
"The weapons system was stolen. We don't know where it is, and she was one of a small number of people to last see it."
"And you think someone wants to use Marta's codes to activate the system?"
"Either that or General McMurphy is part of a conspiracy to steal it and sell it to the highest bidder."
"That's impossible. Marta is one of the most loyal people on this planet. Anyway, why steal it? My money is her money, and I have a whole lot of it. Colonel, if you and your Lieutenant would step outside, I need to talk to my sister, alone."
"Of course, Your Majesties," the Colonel said as she and the lieutenant stepped outside, closing the door behind them.
"Weapons system, My Queen? Why wasn't I informed of this?" Lucien said as he sat down at his desk and activated its built-in terminal.
"Lucien, it's on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know."
"Well, I do now. I need the shipping specifications for the system including number of crates, their sizes, and their weights. Also, any oddities about them such as radiation, EM fields, leaking fluids, etc."
"Lucien, I can't..."
"I think we both know how this is going to go down, so why don't we cut to the chase and let me find the system. If I'm successful, then maybe I can prove Marta is innocent of any complicity in the theft."
Frowning, Losira walked around the desk and motioned for him to let her have the seat. Once the seat was clear, she sat down and typed in a series of commands. "I've given you access to all project files."
He sat down and retrieved data. After staring at it for a moment, he said, "Computer, directory entry last name Cincom, first name Clivus. Initiate call, full security package."
"Working..."
"Who are you calling?" Losira asked.
"A friend. Oddly enough, I still have one or two left, ones who actually trust me."
"Lucien!" Losira said.
"Cincom."
"Clivus, it's Harmon, how are you doing?"
"Harmon! Long time, no hear. What can I do for you?"
"Remember all those markers I hold?"
"Shit yeah! How could I forget?"
"I have a single favor to ask. If you can do this, I will clear all of them."