Finally he could get out of here. With a nod to Nadira, Jon left the room.
Out in the corridor Matt was talking to a short woman in a dark brown suit. When she saw Jon, she abruptly turned and scooted down the corridor.
"Matt!" Jonathan was glad to see him. "How did you know where I was?"
"One of my company contacts told me you were picked up." He pressed his palm against the lift sensor plate. "Someone is going to answer for hauling you in here."
"I used my father's account to get the shuttle passes, so what?" The lift doors opened and Jon followed him inside.
"So what?" Matt waited for the doors to close before he continued. "They're strict here when it comes to stealing. That's the worst offence you could be charged with."
Jonathan sighed and leaned against the metal paneled wall. "It's my father's account and his security clearance. What the hell was I stealing? They had Guardians question me over shuttle tickets?"
"Guardians questioned you?" Matt grimaced. "We'll talk more when we get to my place."
*****
"Why did you let him go?" Nadira asked. Jonathan Keel used his father's security clearance fraudulently. He should've been sent back to his planet and barred from returning to Hathor.
"One of the company executives ordered us to release him." Brant was staring out the window, his hands clasped behind him. His usual pose when he was deep in thought. "You read him. Was he involved?"
"No. He was deceived by Ilana Travac." Using her abilities to read Jonathan had been very easy. His emotions were close to the surface, as was his arrogance.
But she'd detected something about him that was unexpected. It reminded her of a time when she'd tried unsuccessfully to read another Guardian. A rebound of energy had hit her, making her head ache for hours afterwards. Jonathan's energy had also rebounded, which was unusual for someone without abilities.
And the way he was looking at her--how dare he? Instead of giving her the respect she was due as a Guardian, he'd behaved like a spoiled company brat.
Tall and muscular, he looked more like someone suited to physical labor than the pampered son of a company executive. On Hathor, members of the executive class shunned manual work. Maybe things were different on Jon's home planet, Astarte.
His dark, curly hair was cut shorter than the longer styles most company men favored. And when she'd been close to him, her eyes had been drawn to the hint of stubble on his squared face. For the perfection-obsessed, clean-shaven was the norm, the better to show off the results of various chemical and surgical procedures. But what they had to create, Jonathan came by naturally. And he certainly knew it.
The Leader strolled back to his desk and touched the tabletop. More stats scrolled across the opaqued window. "A company records search confirmed that Ilana Travac has a Novacorp ID chip implanted."
"She works for Novacorp?" Company workers, other than Guardians, executives and miners, had ID chips implanted in their forearms. If only Brandon Keel had one, he probably would've been discovered by now.
"No. It must have been done fraudulently."
"She couldn't have stolen Ansi's identity and uploaded it to her own ID chip without a Novacorp security clearance," Nadira said. "Only certain managers have access to those records."
"Correct. Ilana Travac has been assisted by someone in the company." Brant cleared the display. "Unfortunately her ID chip is no longer functioning, or we'd be able to track her."
"Is she marked?" Nadira asked, referring to the tats thieves were given after their first offense. Placed on the side of the face by the ear, they could not be removed. But they could be hidden.
"No," Brant replied. "She's never been apprehended for stealing. Not yet."
"Brandon Keel is still missing," Nadira said. "He has clearance. He might've helped her."
"That is true. He may make contact with his son." Brant folded his arms across his broad chest. "But Novacorp will not detain the CEO of a profitable mine on suspicion alone. His guilt must be proven first."
"Who ordered Jonathan Keel's release? Why not question them?"
The Sentry Leader unfolded his arms and stared at her as though he'd been struck. "No company executives are to be questioned ever. We have no authority over their decisions."
Why did he always defer to the executives at every opportunity? Didn't the Guardians have any authority? Nadira couldn't stop the tired sigh that escaped her lips.
Brant raised a bushy eyebrow at her response. "Track Jonathan Keel's movements. He may lead you to Ilana Travac or to his father. But do not let him know you are following him. We must be discrete when dealing with people at that level."
"But she doesn't need Keel anymore. Why would they hook up?" The last thing Nadira wanted to do was deal with him again.
"Ilana Travac is a suspected thief and killer." The Leader propped himself on the edge of his desk. "She's a dangerous woman who is smart enough not to get caught. If he meets her again, I have no doubt he will need your protection."
6 Deceptions
After she left the Novacorp Administration building, Nadira went straight to the City Park, an area that stretched for several kilometers in the heart of the city. It was her refuge when she wanted to escape from the glass and metal towers that filled the Nova City landscape.
She often spent hours walking through the gardens. Or strolling along the waterfront where the ferry boats regularly transported people to the seaside towns of the North.
Sitting on a wooden bench, staring out over the lush green grass-covered knoll, she hadn't expected to see her Guardian mentor, Zina. In fact, she'd been able to approach without Nadira detecting her presence beforehand.
In keeping with her disciplined manner, Zina's fitted, brown jacket was closed almost to the neck. She kept her long black hair clipped back, where it hung down past her shoulders.
An empath by nature, she was skilled at zeroing in on the vulnerabilities of her targets, allowing her to use their own energy against them. Zina never wore jewelry or engaged in affectation, other than her expensive residence and its furnishings.
Without uttering a word of greeting, her mentor sat on the edge of the bench, her back rigid. She reminded Nadira of a very tightly coiled spring.
Tell me what happened at the meeting," Zina said, her almost-black eyes focused like lasers.
Nadira slid closer to the end of the bench, putting more space between them. Close contact could, at times, create physical discomfort between Guardians, a fact that Nadira had learned early in her training.
"Jonathan Keel was brought in for questioning. But an exec wanted him released. I don't understand why Brant let him go on the orders of a company bureaucrat."
"The Sentry Leader is also a bureaucrat. He's not a real Sentry and he certainly isn't leading anything," Zina said, a slight smile on her lips.
Nadira had always been suspicions of Brant. But this was the first time Zina had revealed this information. "Then why is he in that position?"
"Someone has to appear to be in control. And it's in our interests to let the company think they are. But you will find out why in time." She whisked away a leaf that had drifted down from one of the trees. "Did anyone else come with Jonathan Keel?"
"Yes, a woman named is Ilana Travac."
At the mention of Travac's name, Zina's head whisked towards Nadira like it had been jerked. "She wasn't brought in?"
"She and Keel were separated at the terminal."
"Can you track her?"
"Brant told me to track Jonathan Keel."
Zina slapped her hand down on the bench. "He's a fool. If we allow the thieves to elude us, it will reveal to the company that the Guardians are vulnerable. That must never happen."
She'd heard these words often enough over the years. Any failure could be interpreted as weakness, and that could lead Novacorp to question why Guardians were needed at all.
"There's something else," Nadira continued. "Travac doesn't work for Novacorp, but she h
as a company ID chip implanted. And she's a suspect in the death of a mining operations director named Cintra Ansi."
Zina clasped her hands in her lap. "She must be involved in the robbery on Demeter. We must locate her."
Though Nadira usually couldn't read the emotions of other Guardians, Zina's growing displeasure was hard for her to ignore.
"We can look at connections between her and Novacorp management. Find out how she got the ID chip," Nadira offered.
Zina shook her head. "If her contact in the company was still helping her, she wouldn't have needed to use Jonathan Keel to get here."
"Then should I continue to track him?" Nadira could almost feel sorry for him for being deceived by Travac, but she didn't want to.
"Yes. She'll dispose of him now that he's no longer necessary. That is how she works. He can be our bait to catch her."
*****
Walking into Matt's apartment, Jon was drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the entire space. Dropping his bag on a nearby chair, he strolled over to take in the Nova City skyline, where silver, gold and jewel-tone spires glistened against the darkening sky.
"Overwhelming, isn't it?" Matt was at his bar pouring himself a drink. "Want one?" He held out the crystal liquor decanter.
"Not right now," Jonathan replied. "There's nothing like this view on Astarte. How long have you had this place?"
"Got it after I opened my club." Matt led them over to the seating area opposite the window. "Tell me what happened with the Guardians."
"I used my father's security clearance to get our passes for the shuttle. Then I used his account to reserve the room at the Emerald Club. Mine security locked his account this morning."
Matt sighed. "Your father is missing and under suspicion. Are you surprised they alerted security?"
"When you put it that way, no."
"Wait a minute--you said, 'our?'"
Should he tell Matt everything? Could he trust him? Did he have a choice? "A woman came with me. She overheard the thieves on the shuttle. They found out and threatened her."
"What the hell? Where is she?"
Good question. Now if only he had an answer. "I don't know. She's the one I was chasing at the terminal."
"Why did you bring her here? She should've talked to security at the mine," Matt said.
Jonathan shook his head. "She was afraid. She needed my help. I came with her to make sure she'd be all right." Sitting here telling Matt about it now, he realized how ridiculous it sounded. He should've convinced her to talk to Cat.
Matt sipped his drink. "Who is she?"
"I met her about a month ago when she came to my club." Jonathan stared out at the city scene in front of him. "Her name is Ilana Travac. The Guardians think she's a criminal."
"Ilana?" Matt slammed his glass down on the table in front of them and jumped up from the couch. "Damn it, Jonathan! Why didn't you tell me about this?" Matt looked like he was about to punch a hole in the wall.
"What's wrong? Do you know her?"
Matt held out a hand to silence him. "Wait here." He stormed out of the living area, his footsteps pounding against the stone floor.
In another part of the apartment, a door slammed hard enough to rattle the glasses on the bar shelves. What was going on? Whatever was happening, he had no intention of waiting. Instead, Jonathan went after him. At the end of the corridor, stood an imposing set of gold metallic double doors.
Tempted to lean against them to hear what was happening on the other side, he stopped. If he went too close, he might trip the sensor and they'd open. But as it turned out Matt's voice was loud enough to be heard very clearly.
"You don't understand. We have a problem here," Matt bellowed.
Was someone in the room with him? No, he was probably using a com unit. But who was he talking to?
"Yes, he brought her here! You should've stopped it."
Straining to listen, he moved closer, his fingers slight millimeters away from the shiny metal door. When Matt spoke again, his voice was so low that it could barely be heard.
"I know, I know. I'll take care of it. He's going to have to go…"
Jon backed away from the door. He'd trusted Matt and that had been a mistake.
Heading back out to the living area, Jonathan shot a glance over his shoulder. Matt was his father's friend, but if he tried anything, Jon would have to defend himself.
There was no point in staying here any longer. He grabbed his travel bag and left the apartment. If he wanted to find out what happened to his father, he'd have to do it on his own.
7 Pursuit
Nadira lingered in the park after her meeting with Zina. Her next step was to track Jonathan Keel. Would he want her help? Most likely not. He thought he was smarter than everyone else. But it didn't matter. Keel was on her planet now and her territory.
Drawing in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused, waiting for the pictures to form in her mind. She saw Keel riding in a transport with an older man. Both men exited the vehicle and walked into a building.
There was a name over the entrance in silver letters. What was it? The scene was fading. Wait--what was the name…she could still make out some of the letters…D…I...A…M…O…N…of course. It had to be the Diamond Star apartment tower. Keel was at one of the most expensive residences in the Palatine.
Fifteen minutes later Nadira was standing across the boulevard from the tower.
Transport traffic was becoming congested, as was the foot traffic along the marbled sidewalks. In front of her, passengers queued up for transport vehicles. Company workers in their somber suits jockeyed for position with festively attired tourists.
Nova City's ground transport system covered the entire megalopolis. For pedestrians, wide sidewalks, automated people movers and footbridges traversed the various districts, easing the congestion of the traffic lanes.
Standing out of the way so she wouldn't get jostled, Nadira scanned the tower. Each floor had tinted glass walls that kept her from seeing what was going on inside. Was Keel looking down at her right now from one of the apartments?
On Hathor being the son of a CEO was nothing special. The planet was filled with them. Nadira smiled to herself. Keel thought he was untouchable because of his father's connections. Yet his emotions were so easy to read. Dealing with him wasn't a challenge at all. If only he'd come out of that building right now. Seeing her there would wipe that arrogant smirk off his face.
*****
Jonathan watched the floor numbers tick off as he rode down in the lift. The entire front was clear glass, giving him a view of the marbled lobby as he descended. People were moving around below. But he didn't detect anyone dressed in security garb.
The lift stopped and the door swept aside, allowing him a quick exit. Before he reached the entrance, a holographic attendant appeared, asking if he needed transportation.
Maybe that was a good idea. He could get back to the Emerald Club. And if Ilana showed up, even better. It was time to get some truth from her too.
"Yes, I need a transport," he said.
Dressed in a form-fitting gold dress that matched the lobby interior, the holo motioned towards the doorway. "Please step outside and your vehicle will arrive shortly," she instructed, before her image disappeared.
Jonathan looked up at the floor he'd come from. The half-walls that ringed each level were clear enough to give him a view if Matt were following him. No, there was no one up there.
When he stepped outside, transport vehicles were crowding the traffic lanes as aircars whizzed overhead. He heard strains of music off in the distance. Maybe once he checked in at the Emerald Club, he'd head back out and see what the entertainments were like.
Down at the curb, a sparkling white vehicle pulled over and stopped in front of him. Across the street people were lined up waiting for transports. From the looks of them, they were Novacorp workers. Why did they all dress in those boring suits? Even miners' overalls had more color.
Wait. A few pedestrians filed past her, blocking his view for a moment. She was looking up at the tower. Squinting as though she could see inside it. What was she looking for?
Their eyes met. Did she just jump, or was he imagining it? Oh no. She did react. He was sure of it. What the hell did she think she was doing by following him?
He looked at the transport, then back over at Nadira. Was that a smirk on her face? Damn it. She was daring him to come over there.
So, she thought she could just track him across the city and he couldn't do anything about it? It didn't matter to him if she was a Guardian, or whatever she called herself. He wasn't going to be treated like a common thief.
Jonathan hitched up the strap of his travel bag. He wouldn't even bother to use the pedestrian bridge. It was half a block away and would take too much time.
Walking around the transport, he stepped into the street. There was a break in the traffic. If he moved fast, he could make it across without a problem. The transports were programmed to stop for obstructions. But whether they could stop short if he ran out in front of them was another matter.
Nadira darted down the side street. She wouldn't get far. Jonathan dodged a couple of passing vehicles on his way across the boulevard.
He made it to the opposite corner and in his haste, banged into a company worker. Flashing Jonathan a scowl, the man smoothed his dark brown jacket. But Jon didn't have time to apologize. Nadira was up ahead, just a beat away from running.
Not that it mattered if she ran. He knew he could get her. She was obviously fit. But he had longer legs. And a lot of practice catching what he wanted.
"Nadira!" He called out, reminding her that he was still there.
Ignoring him, she kept up the pace. Skillfully weaving between the oncoming pedestrians without touching them. She moved gracefully. He enjoyed watching her. Just like he was enjoying the chase. But unless she could disappear like a holo, she wasn't going to escape him.
Hathor Legacy: Outcast Page 4