Vengeance from Ashes: Special Edition with Exclusive Content (Honor and Duty Book 1)

by Sam Schall

  Before he could start his search, his comm-link sounded. Impatient at the interruption, he glanced at the incoming code. A slight smile touched his lips as he recognized the code. Interesting that she should be calling him just then. He reached out to activate the link with his right hand while, with his left, he input a search command for the video feed from the security wing of the brig.

  “Santiago.” He didn’t activate the video feed. The code might be one he recognized but that didn’t guarantee it hadn’t been cloned by someone. That suspicious mind had kept him alive for years and he wasn’t about to be careless now.

  “Rico, it’s me.” The caller waited a slow count of three before activating the video feed on her end. He carefully studied the image that appeared before him, checking his readouts to make sure it wasn’t a composite.

  “Good morning, Admiral, or should I say Senator?”

  “Admiral will get you an answer quicker, old friend,” Miranda Tremayne replied. “You know I’ll never consider myself as a politician.”

  “You should have thought of that before you resigned your commission, ma’am. You know we were working on other alternatives,” he reminded her. As he did, he fought back a smile. Never one to believe in coincidence, he felt confident about he knew why Tremayne had called. If he was right, it would also explain how Shaw came to be on-planet without even the faintest whisper about her arrival reaching him.

  “You don’t have to remind me and I don’t have to like it.”

  No, she didn’t, but it had been her decision.

  “I take it this isn’t a social call, ma’am.” He leaned back and wondered how long it would take her to get to the point.

  “Unfortunately no. Let me start by saying that Admiral Collins is here with me.”

  Interesting and, now that he thought about it, not all that surprising. In the years he’d known Miranda Tremayne, Santiago had been aware of the friendship and respect she held for Richard Collins. He’d suspected for a long while that the two had been lovers but he’d never found any evidence to support that suspicion. The fact that they were working together on whatever it was that had brought Ashlyn Shaw back from the Tarsus military prison made sense.

  “I have to admit you’re beginning to worry me, ma’am.”

  “Good because I’m already worried, Rico.” She paused and he could see how she searched for the right words to explain the reason behind her call. “Rico, I need you to do something for me. It has to be off the record and it has to be done now.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I need to know what’s been happening at the Tarsus military prison over the last two years.”

  He tried not to smile but it was hard, especially since it always felt good to have his suspicions confirmed.

  “Is there anything in particular you want me looking into, ma’am?” Not that he had to ask, not with that reason sitting in a cell below his office.

  “I need to know if anything out of the ordinary has been happening.”

  Oh, she was being very careful with what she said. For some reason, she wasn’t ready to tell him that Shaw was back on-planet. Maybe it was because she trusted such information over a comm-link no more than he did. But it could be there was more to it. If that was the case, he needed to know.

  Of course, he could be wrong. She could be asking for his assistance because the prison administration refused to allow any contact with Shaw and those sent there with her. He’d run into that very same roadblock each time he’d tried to reach out to the former captain. He’d even made a trip to the prison, only to be told on his arrival that he should have checked before coming. According to the prison commandant, Shaw had been in the infirmary for days with some sort of virus and couldn’t see anyone. No, there was no timeframe on when she’d be cleared for visitors.

  That could be why Tremayne had contacted him but he didn’t think so. He’d bet his next two paychecks that she’d been behind bringing the captain back to Fuercon. As a senator, she’d have the resources to find some legal reason for bringing Shaw back and she certainly had the contacts within Fleet to arrange for Shaw’s transport on the QT. She certainly the contacts to do so without any but a handful of select members of FleetCom knowing about it.

  Perhaps it was time to cut through the verbal sparring.

  “Ma’am, does this have anything to do with a certain mutual acquaintance of ours, one who shouldn’t be on-planet, much less in the capital, but is?”

  Tremayne shook her head, one corner of her mouth quirking up. That confirmed it. She had been involved with bringing Shaw home. “It does and I’m very interested in hearing how you happen to know her whereabouts.”

  “Ma’am, I’ve been looking into certain events concerning this individual for months now. I can’t tell you why, not over the comm. But I can tell you I was very surprised when I discovered that she was no longer on Tarsus and was, in fact, just a few floors below my office in the security complex.”

  “Then I think it is past time for two old friends to get together,” Tremayne said.

  “Agreed, ma’am. I’d be mighty appreciative if you’d send the invitation through my admin with the time and location.” That way no one would think to look too deeply into why they were meeting. Fortunately, they already had the habit of meeting every month or so for drinks.

  “I’ll do that,” she assured him. “I look forward to our meeting.”

  And so do I, he thought as he ended the call.

  He leaned back and shook his head. The morning had certainly been filled with surprises and that was something he didn’t like. No intelligence officer did. Now he had to find out how Shaw’s transfer had slipped under his radar. Then he needed to get ready for his meeting with Tremayne. It was clearly time for them to compare notes.

  But there was one thing he wanted to do first. He wanted to see Shaw and he wanted to do it without anyone else in the office knowing.

  Well, that was easy enough. Santiago smiled to himself as he entered a code into his desk link that would forward any messages to his personal link. Then he pushed to his feet and crossed to the bookcase against the far wall. It might not be the most original method he could have chosen to hide the secondary exit from his office but it sufficed and no one had asked any questions yet. Of course, they had looked at him more than a bit strangely when he’d had the bookcase installed and when the books had been delivered. He had no doubts some of his staff had never held a real book before. But he was a throwback. He loved the feel of a book in his hands. So, he’d let his passion also be his cover.

  His fingers found the right pressure points to activate the release for the bookcase. It swung silently away from the wall to reveal a narrow door. Next to the door was a security panel coded only to him. He pressed his palm to the panel and then stood still as the scanner activated. Facial and biometric recognitions passed, the inner door opened and he stepped through, pausing only long enough to make sure the bookcase swung shut behind him.

  Every senior intelligence officer in the capital knew about the passages that ran throughout the security complex but he doubted many had used them. Too often the men and women in his position had been put there through family ties and had never seen battle nor run a covert operation. He’d been an exception. For more than fifteen years he’d been one of FleetCom’s best intelligence operatives. Much of that time had been spent behind the lines, gathering intelligence to help win the war. For the last seven years, he’d trained the next generation of intelligence officers, making sure they learned from his experience. For the last year, he’d been FleetCom’s senior intelligence officer in the capital and had been doing his best to make up for all the mistakes his predecessors had made.

  Three floors down, he paused before another door and waited. The video pickup indicated the corridor beyond was clear. Satisfied, he entered the code that unlocked the door and he stepped out, closing it before anyone appeared. A quick look over his shoulder and a slight smile touched
his lips. If someone didn’t know where to look, they would never know a door was there.

  “Major, we didn’t receive word you’d be coming down,” the corporal in charge of the current watch said as Santiago rounded the corner, surprising him and the two privates manning desks near him.

  Monitors along the wall showed a dozen cells, only one of which was occupied. As Santiago watched, the prisoner continued to move from one exercise to another, each more difficult than the one before it. The Marine in him approved and so did the intelligence officer. Shaw was not only keeping herself in shape but it wouldn’t surprise him one bit to discover she used the exercises to keep her guards from guessing she was planning something. At least that’s what he’d do and he had helped train her.

  “I need to see the prisoner, Corporal.”

  “Sir, we haven’t received authorization– “

  “Shall I contact Senator Tremayne and Admiral Collins for you?” His tone bit and his eyes were hard as he reached for his comm-link.

  “N-no, sir.” The corporal swallowed hard. Then he nodded to one of the privates. “Escort the major– “

  “That won’t be necessary.” Santiago waited until realization dawned on them. As an intelligence officer, he had every right to be there. He was also one of the very few people who would be able to activate and deactivate the security field for the prisoner’s cell without assistance from the guards.

  The corporal nodded and entered the security code to let the major through the door into the cell block. As the door slid shut behind him, Santiago allowed himself a slight smile. There were some benefits to having the reputation of not suffering fools kindly. Of course, the three would soon learn first-hand that reputation had been well earned. The fact they had simply taken him at his word and hadn’t contacted either Tremayne or Collins meant they’d soon be standing before their CO explaining why they’d violated procedure.

  But that was for later. He had something much more important to see to first.

  A few moments later, Santiago stood before the door to Shaw’s cell. She was executing a set of perfectly executed fingertip pushups. He waited, wondering if she’d acknowledge his presence. When she didn’t, instead moving on to sit-ups, he nodded in approval. She’d maintained the discipline he’d come to expect of her when she was a young officer fresh out of the Academy. In fact, she’d honed it until it was not only her weapon but her armor as well.

  Even as a part of him regretted the fact she’d had to do it, another part approved. Of course, if it kept her from listening to him and trusting that he had her best interests at heart, they’d all be up the proverbial creek.

  Without a word, he deactivated the security field and stepped inside. The first indication Shaw gave that she was even aware of his presence was a startled glance in his direction when he didn’t reactivate the field. Then the mask was back in place and she went back to her sit-ups.

  He waited until she finished her set before speaking.

  “All right, Ash, you’ve put up a good front, just as I taught you. But you can drop it now. Believe me when I say the guards are looking at a video loop of you exercising and me standing outside the cell watching.” He waited, wondering how much time would pass before she responded.

  Ashlyn Shaw slowly stood and then dropped onto the edge of her bunk. Her eyes were wary, her mouth tight. Santiago felt his own mouth harden as he saw the scar marring her left cheek and another bisecting her right eyebrow. She looked pale, as if she had not been in the sun for a very long time. Worse, she was thin, too thin, even if she had managed to maintain muscle tone through her exercise regimen. It was no wonder Tremayne had called him.

  “What do you want, Major?” Shaw’s voice seemed harsher than he remembered, almost as if she’d been screaming for a long while and had strained it.

  “I just had an interesting call from Miranda Tremayne.” Before she could say anything, he shook his head. “No, she didn’t tell me what you talked about and I didn’t ask. But she did ask me to look into what has been happening on Tarsus for the last two years. Since I was already doing so, I told her I thought it was time she and I shared information. But now I want – no, I need – to ask you some questions.”

  “Sorry, Major. I’ll tell you exactly what I told her. Until I know my people are safely away from Tarsus and have received full pardons, I’m not talking. If you can’t accept that, then you might as well just send me back so I can finish out my sentence.”

  Santiago drew a breath, held it for a long moment and then blew it out. Her response didn’t surprise him but it did frustrate him. There were too many possible reasons for her reluctance to talk and none of them were good. So he had to find a way break her silence, at least enough to give him a clue about where to start looking for answers.

  “Kid, I know something’s going on. Anyone taking a look at you would. But I need to know what it is so I can put an end to it.” He’d always been honest with her and he wasn’t going to stop now. “I need you to listen to me, Ash. I’ve known you for a long time. I helped train you, make you into the Marine you are–”

  Her lips peeled back in an almost feral snarl and her eyes flashed dangerously. For one moment, she looked as if she might say something. Before she could, Santiago held up a hand to prevent her from interrupting. He understood at least a little of what she must feel. The court-martial had stripped her of her rank and had ended her career. He doubted she’d allowed herself to even consider the possibility she might one day be able to rejoin her beloved Corps.

  “You are a Marine now and forever, kid. Don’t forget that. Don’t you ever forget that. It’s in your blood. But that’s not what I want to talk about.

  “I’ve reviewed your reports from before your court-martial. I’ve seen your correspondence with Admiral Tremayne, Rear Admiral Sorkowski and Major O’Brien. I’ve also seen the original copy of your orders. I know you did your best to keep your people from being caught in the backlash caused by those orders. I have also discovered evidence proving Sorkowski had those orders altered after the fact. Further, I can prove O’Brien knew and didn’t say anything. I know they did it to cover their own sorry asses. I know and can prove they were responsible for the loss of most of your unit as well as the civilian deaths that were the result of your orders as well as enemy reprisals. I can also prove you not only warned Sorkowski and O’Brien about what could happen but that you also officially objected to your orders as being unlawful – not to mention stupid – and how you forwarded copies of your objections to Admiral Tremayne and others. Finally, I can show how those messages were delayed or miscoded so they wouldn’t be admissible at your trial. In other words, Captain, I can prove you were set up.”

  Shaw’s head snapped up, anger flashing in her eyes. Santiago nodded slightly. He understood. She’d sworn over and over again that the copy of the orders that had been introduced at her court-martial hadn’t been the orders she’d received. Now there was proof of that and more.

  “Then why in hell haven’t my people been brought back here and cleared?” Her hands gripped the edge of her bunk so tightly her knuckles shone white.

  “I just found the information last night, Ash, and I have to make sure I can prove its validity.” God, didn’t she know how badly he wanted to do exactly what she asked? He wanted to clear all of them. Their convictions were a black eye to the Corps and to the military as a whole. He’d like nothing better than to be able to correct the miscarriage of justice. “That’s why I need you to talk to me.”

  He hoped thought she might actually relax enough to answer his questions. Instead, she shook her head, her expression closing again.

  “Damn it, Ash, I’ve been looking into what happened since before your court-martial. But Sorkowski isn’t stupid. He covered their tracks well. It’s taken time to break through and find evidence corroborating your claims.” Frustrated, he waited, watching for any sign she believed him. What was it going to take to get through to her?

  “
Major, whether you want to admit it or not, you already have what you need. If you need more, check my personal files. If the admiral – sorry, senator – doesn’t have them, my parents will. But that’s all I will say, at least until my people are freed.”

  “I’m doing my best, but it would be a hell of a lot easier if you’d help me.” He took a step forward, stopping when she shook her head. “Ash, please.”

  For a moment it looked like she might change her mind. Then she pushed off her bunk and moved as far away from him as she could. When she turned and looked at him, the anger reflected on her expression rocked him.

  “You want to know what’s happening at Tarsus, Major?” Her words were clipped, her voice harsh. “Take a look at the prison records. Compare the stats for the current leadership there to earlier administrations. How many people are sentenced there and how many actually manage to survive their sentences? Of those who do, how many are still sane?

  “If that’s not enough to answer your questions, then look at me. Take a good look, damn it!” She waved a hand at her scarred face. Before he could say anything, she grabbed the left sleeve of her jumpsuit and pulled. The sound of the shoulder seam ripping filled the cell. She dragged the material off her arm and tossed it onto the floor.

  “Look at this, Major. Look at what they did and know it is only a small example of what they’ve done to all of us.”

  Santiago’s stomach churned and bile rose in his throat. The skin of her bicep had been torn away from the underlying muscle and it looked as if it had been left to heal without proper medical treatment. Rough, discolored scar tissue hid the definition of the underlying muscle. Worse, he knew what had been on her arm where now there was only ugly scarring. His own right hand reached up to touch his left arm and the Devil Dog tattoo he proudly bore. Every member of the Devil Dogs, past and present, had one. Shaw had as well – at least until someone had so cruelly removed it.