Revenge of the Catspaw

by Helena Puumala

  “'He's sitting in a cafe on this side of the Square,' one of them said,” said Jen, “'so to walk to the Port he'll take this street. We'll hide on the street side of the shrubs while we wait.'

  “I thought for a moment that one of them would want to use our hiding place,” Jen added shrilly, “cause the boss man was looking right at it.”

  “But he didn't,” added Con. “Whew!”

  “He probably realized that it would have been hard to get out of those bushes quietly,” Janis said with a nod.

  She knew the place. She had played in it herself as a youngster. The door had not been in use for a long time.

  “One of the other guys asked the boss man: 'What if he doesn't come this way?'” said Con, “and he shrugged, and said that then they had guessed wrong, and would have to try something else.”

  “But he said that he was pretty sure that 'The Agent'—that's what he called him—would come that way,” added Jen. “There was no reason for him not to.”

  “So they all—there were six of them—hid on the street side of the shrubbery. And then we all waited.”

  From Con's tone Janis deduced that it had been the most exciting event that he had ever experienced.

  “We didn't have to wait long,” said Jen. “Maybe five minutes. Then this off-worlder man comes walking along, from the direction of the Square, and he's hurrying. The guys behind the bushes got really quiet, so I figured that he was who they were waiting for. He looked like a really nice guy—and the others weren't nearly as nice—so I would have liked to have warned him, but I didn't know how.”

  “And when he got to where the others were, they all pounced on him,” added Con. “But he fought them! Boy, did he fight! He was smaller than any of them, and skinnier, but I think he might have got away from all of them, but one of them had some kind of a thing that was full of a drug—I heard the boss man call for the drug—and they injected his arm with it! Then he just keeled over!”

  Then one of the abductors had gone to get a flyer, and the men had hurriedly piled into it with their quarry, after first emptying the unconscious fellow's pockets on to the sidewalk. Jen and Con had remained hidden for a few minutes after the flyer had left, shocked, not knowing what to do. Then the Police flit had showed up and they had told their stories to the Officers Kerry and Sandy.

  Janis had located the Public Records file on Coryn Leigh. She zeroed in on a recent picture of him.

  “Was this the man that was kidnapped?” she asked, urging the children to look at her screen.

  “Oh, yes!” cried Jen immediately. “Like I said, he looked nice; just like he's really nice-looking in this picture! Lot smaller than our grown-ups, of course, but then all the foreigners are like that.”

  “Most of them,” Janis corrected. “What about the kidnappers; did they look like off-worlders, too?”

  They had talked funny. And they had been bigger guys than their target, although not as big as many male inhabitants of Paxic IV were.

  Janis nodded to Sandy and Kerry to take the kids away. Sandy would take them for ice-cream, she knew—Sandy was like that—and then ferry them home, getting them there before the parents had a chance to miss them and get frantic.

  Meanwhile her own eyes had become captivated by the Record on her screen.

  Records of its kind were added in great numbers to the Public Data Banks every day. It verified a marriage ceremony; as such it was one of those items that nobody ever looked at, unless there was some question of status, or else, like in this case, someone happened upon it while trawling for information about a particular person.

  **

  Janis sent word to the Atmospheric Defence people to warn them to look for rogue Space Ships. The quick scan she had made of The Organization tactics had suggested that this was probably the way they had arrived on Paxic IV; they often ignored the regulations of Confederation planets, and landed small ships on the surface, without so much as a “Hello”. Not that they didn't make use of regular transport systems, too; Janis was shocked by the nerve the Neotsarians (as they called themselves) showed in their disregard for normal rules of conduct.

  “Damn! How naive of us—and I'm a law enforcer—to not know anything about all this, about how easy it is to misbehave in the big Galaxy out there,” she snarked at herself, while she tried to figure out what she ought to do next. “We've been pretty isolated here on this world, and have assumed that we're somehow immune to the troubles infecting the Central Worlds and Space Stations.”

  “There was a fast, little ship, a Scout by the look of it, that came down somewhere in the vicinity of the Capital a few days ago; we didn't know what to make of it,” the person at the Atmospheric Defence informed her. “We haven't seen it leave, but when it does, all we can do is determine which omega-coordinates it uses to leave our system—determine its direction of travel, that is. No way have we got the capacity to intercept a little gnat like that. You better let The Agency know that The Organization has one of their people.”

  She would do so, of course. And inform the Kordean-Confederation Liaison Office about the loss of their VIP. Janis sighed. The man apparently had a new wife on the planet; she had the right to know what had happened to her husband. She shuddered, glad that she was not the person who would have to talk to the small, pale, black-haired woman. In the Marriage Record video the regard that the halves of the couple had for one another had been apparent. And the wife, though clearly lively and spirited, had looked slight enough that a strong wind would blow her over! Janis found it hard to imagine her handling such a tragedy!

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Jill, maybe you better take this,” Fiana called to her Second-in-Command at the Kordean-Confederation Liaison Office. “It's from Law Enforcement at Paxic IV, Prime City. It might be something personal; you have a connection to the place, through Joe, right?”

  Jillian flipped on the communications mode of her console. Yeah, there was a request for voice communication through the omega-transmission system, but it was not addressed directly to her, but simply to the Acting Liaison Officer without any name attached to it. Law Enforcement of Paxic Prime City? Neither she nor Joe had any connection to them—unless something had happened with Joe's family? But, no, anything like that would have been communicated to him through their home console, and/or Joe's personal communicator.

  Well, she better follow her superior's request.

  “Jillian Ashton here, the Second Liaison Officer, at the Kordean-Confederation Liaison Office,” she said, “What can I do for you?”

  “Oh, thank goodness!” cried a female voice on the system, coming from across the Galaxy, Jillian well knew. “You sound competent! I was just trying to inform the bosses at The Agency Headquarters on Space Station ASC about what happened here, and they refused to let me speak with anyone but a junior clerk! And this is serious!”

  Jillian switched on the visual, and found herself looking at a Paxic IV native in a uniform. The woman looked big, strong, and muscular.

  “Well, I'm listening to you,” she said. “I'm all ears, as a matter of fact.”

  Actually she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. As far as she knew, the Agency had never had any direct dealings with Joe's home world. There had been no need.

  “We had a kidnapping performed on a bright, sunny street in Paxic Prime City,” the Paxic IV law officer said. “A man by the name of Coryn Leigh, an Agent, and the Kordean-Confederation Liaison Officer from Trahea, Kordea, was kidnapped by six unidentified off-worlders, in a totally unprovoked attack, according to the children who happened to witnesses the event!”

  “Oh, no!” Jillian did not doubt but that her face was reflecting her dismay. “The Organization Hounds! They did find a way—and they were going after him bodily!

  “Gimme a sec. I've got to bring Fiana into this conversation!”

  “Why are the powers-that-be at The Agency Headquarters not taking an interest in the kidnapping of an important employee?” the Paxic IV wom
an was asking in a puzzled tone when Fiana joined the conversation.

  “Probably because The Agency Head, Marcues, just demoted him, and sent him into danger,” Jillian snapped acidly. “I wonder if this isn't the result he was hoping for!”

  “Easy does it, Jill,” Fiana admonished her.

  “By the way, I'm Acting Liaison Officer, Fiana Marsh, she introduced herself. “You've been talking to my Second, Jillian Ashton. And your name is...?”

  “Janis. Just Janis to you non-natives of Paxic IV. And I'm a Paxic Prime City Law Enforcer.”

  “Well, Janis, sounds like you have had a little introduction to the insane politics that these days seem to permeate the upper echelons of The Agency,” Fiana said briskly. “An excellent employee gets stripped of his responsibilities, and sent on a little side task which ends up in him being kidnapped by the very people we are supposed to be fighting.

  “Maybe you better send the details of the event, as you have them, to this Office, Janis. We, here on Kordea, are probably much more concerned about Coryn, than the Head of The Agency, Ry Marcues.”

  “Sure. We in Paxic Prime City are very concerned about the event, too,” Janis said. “It does not reflect well on us, and from our investigations, which have been very preliminary, mainly finding, and talking to people with whom he had dealt, en route to and on planet, Coryn Leigh is someone who was well-liked.”

  “He's an excellent diplomat,” Fiana said. “There was absolutely no sensible reason for Marcues to demote him. In fact, I've been waiting for the Diplomatic Corps to reinstate him, and ask him to sever his Agency connections, but, I suppose, with the shit that has been happening on Kordea, they'd rather leave the Agency ties in place. But, now we've lost twice over, it seems; we don't have Coryn's expertise either on Kordea, or anywhere in The Agency, for that matter.”

  “It's infuriating,” snarled Jillian.

  She had opened the data packet that Janis had shot over the com connection.

  “We're going to have to study this information, Fiana. And most likely call a major meeting with Marlyss, and some of the other Witches. How Sarah will react.... I don't even want to think about that!”

  “Thanks, Janis for this,” said Fiana. “Do you want to be kept posted as to what's going on? I think that it's very likely that we on Kordea will take some kind of action on this matter, although we'll have to decide what it will be. Ry Marcues be damned, I'm not leaving anyone—never mind my best friend—in The Organization's hands if there's something—anything—that can be done about it!”

  “Keep me—us—posted, please,” Janis said. “If there's something Paxic IV Law Enforcers can do to help, just ask. There are a few big guys and gals who wouldn't mind joining a rescue team, if such is on the drawing board!”

  Fiana thanked her, making sure that her console stored Janis' com coordinates. She had no idea whether or not they were going to be useful, but it was too early in the game to ignore any offers of aid. They did not yet know what they were going to need.

  **

  Jillian's nose was deep in the folder which Janis had sent (figuratively speaking).

  “Damn, damn, and double-damn!”

  Fiana had turned off her console connection to Jillian's computer while she studied the folder herself, so she did not hear Jillian's swearing, but, through the open door of the Second-in-Command's small office, everyone else in the Liaison Office did.

  “Jill, is it really bad?” The voice asking the question was Karan’s, but there were three faces at the door: Texi's, Nance's and Karan's.

  “Those miserable Neotsarians took advantage of the fact that Paxic IV has had zero experience with them,” Jillian said. “They have no way to defend themselves, or their visitors against the sort of raiding the Hounds like to do. You know, like they do here in Trahea: land a small ship outside the city, go into the city, and then find and grab whoever it is they're after. Then hurry to their ship and lift off, ignoring requests, or orders, to cease and desist, and to return planet-side.”

  “That sort of thing is pretty hard to defend against, at the best of times,” said Texi. “Unless your world has the satellite capability to track all ships coming from deep space, or else you can guard every possible target on the ground, persistent criminals can pull off nasty heists.”

  “Right,” Jillian sighed.

  For all that he was a native Kordean, Texi had a good grasp of the difficulties involved in Confederation planets defending themselves against Organization incursions. The problem, as Jillian saw it, was that the peoples of the Confederation were civilized, and few of them were willing to run rough-shod over their fellow citizens, whereas the Neotsarians had no scruples, at least when it came to dealing with Terrans of the Confederation.

  She told her office mates what she had gleaned from Janis' information. Coryn had avoided an altercation with the Hounds by not getting on a transport to the Flameworld, rerouting his travels via a freighter which was returning to Paxic IV from XER, instead. The slowness of that mode of travel had apparently given the Neotsarians the opportunity to research Paxic Prime City, and to set themselves up to make a grab for him there.

  “The crew of the freighter, Lydia, were flabbergasted to hear of his kidnapping, according to the info,” Jillian said. “Apparently they had told him not to worry about The Organization. The Hounds had never been seen or reported there, and there really wasn't any reason why they should come to a second-tier world such as it is. Anything that Paxic IV has to sell can be obtained on more central worlds.”

  “So they must have gone there precisely to kidnap Coryn,” Nance pointed out.

  Jillian sighed again.

  “I can't fault your logic in saying that,” she said. “Which leaves us with the same old question: Why? What do they want with him?”

  “Besides punish him for being an effective opponent?” Texi said, eyebrows raised. He drew a deep breath. “My guess is that they're hoping that Sarah will go chasing after him, and that they can pull her down like a ripe fruit when she does.”

  “Damn!” Jillian swore. “I wish I didn't think that you're right, Texi!”

  She thought for a moment.

  “Okay, let's get to work, arranging an emergency meeting. Karan, you and Nance get to call people—check with Fiana as to who all should be there, and Texi, you're in charge of arranging transportation for those who will need it. Me, I guess I better contact the Agency Headquarters. I'll try not to scream like a banshee at the first person to answer my hail.”

  **

  The plans for the meeting were nowhere near complete when Fiana was confronted with a new crisis.

  She received a message from the Port Security.

  “Chief Liaison Officer Marsh, there are two men at the Customs claiming that they are here to take over the running of the Kordean-Confederation Liaison Office. They are asking for our help in clearing out the present occupants. Could you be kind enough to advise us to as what is going on, and what we are supposed to do?”

  For a moment Fiana gaped at the woman on the screen. It was one of the Security Officials with whom she had dealt a few times, one who had got along famously with Coryn. Her first name was Madelyn, she knew. Abruptly, Madelyn winked.

  “Did the men identify themselves?” Fiana asked, gaining her equilibrium. “Did they say who sent them here to take over this Office? The last I knew I was still the Acting Chief Liaison Officer, and I have received no instructions from the Diplomatic Corps to step down.”

  “I'll query the Customs people,” Madelyn said. “If you'll stay on the line.”

  Meanwhile, Fiana opened a text channel to her usual contact at the Diplomatic Corps.

  “Just found out that two men have arrived at Trahea Port to take over the Kordean-Confederation Liaison Office,” she texted. “Do you know anything about it?”

  Then Madelyn was back.

  “Their names are Graeme Forshie and Hart Monroe,” she said. “They are here under instructions from The Age
ncy Head, Ry Marcues.”

  Fiana swore, drawing a grin from Madelyn.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Fiana added. “All three of them are overstepping their authority. This Office comes under the jurisdiction of the Diplomatic Corps, not The Agency. I intend to keep my job for the moment, thank you very much.”

  “Do you want us to detain them?” Madelyn asked.

  “Maybe not,” Fiana said, chewing on a fingernail. “But don't help them. Certainly don't help them to take over our office, nor the Official Residence. If they want to stay around for a few days they can take lodging at one of the Port Hotels; I have no intention of putting them up. I've got enough on my plate what with Coryn having been kidnapped, and....”

  “Fiana,” Madelyn shouted. “What did you just say?”

  “Shh! Sorry, didn't intend to give you a shock, Maddy, but the shit's just whirling around here, and now I've got these Marcues' idiots to worry about, too!

  “Oh! I just got an answer back to my text to the Diplomatic Corps, and I'm still the boss of this office and will be, until the baby forces me to step down, at which point the Corps will appoint my replacement! You can tell that to anyone who needs to know—I'm going to have to text my Corps contact with the names of the impostors, and then I'll have to talk to the Eldest Marlyss. She's waiting for me on the com, so if you'll kindly excuse me, Maddy....”

  Madelyn cut the communication and got in touch with her boss.

  “All hell has broken loose in the Liaison Office,” she informed him. “I think that we ought to keep those two idiots at the Customs away from there. Coryn Leigh has been kidnapped—during his travels, I presume; Fiana was too rattled to do much explaining.”

  Madelyn's boss stared.

  “Fiana Marsh rattled,” he said. “Shit. Normally that woman doesn't do rattle. We'll detain the dolts. At least until we know what exactly is going on. Ask the Customs to keep them there until we get personnel on the case. I wouldn't put it past those two to have something to do with Coryn's demotion and/or this kidnapping thing. Their arrival here is just too timely.”