"You had no reason to suspect them," Randl said. "Stop beating yourself up about it. What you can do now is tell the Captains what you know about Akrinn and Lorvis. Knowing their habits, food preferences and such may help us track them."
"You'll have a new, untraceable comp-vid by the end of the day," Kooper Griff informed me before disappearing.
"Is that our new mission?" I asked, refusing to look at Travis or Trent. "To find Akrinn and Lorvis?"
"For the next few days, at least," Trent said. "Conclave is set to begin in five days unless it's delayed again. We have a lot to do between now and then. I suggest lunch with your parents, then we'll be on our way. We're still looking into which ship those two could have escaped on, so it'll take about that long to determine which one to follow."
"Randl, want to go look at manifests, to see if you can tell something from any of them?" Travis asked.
"Yes," Randl said. "I hope I can get an idea of where they are."
"Me, too. Sabrina, Trent invited your parents here for lunch. Clean up, all right? We'll catch these assholes, and you can be a part of that."
Trent
Jayna, Sabrina and I had lunch with Ruther Kend and his wife, Barra. Sabrina was crumbling inside—I could see that easily. As a result, she was pushing food around her plate, drinking too much rice wine and not talking much.
"I'm part Falchani," I answered Ruther Kend's question. "The Falchani genes run strong in my family."
"Is your mother or your father of Falchani descent?" Barra asked.
"My father," I said, offering a smile. "My mother has Karathian and Elemaiyan ancestry."
"That's a strange mix," Ruther observed and dipped noodles expertly from his bowl with chopsticks.
"It seems to work, though," I shrugged.
"What's your father's name?"
"Drew Tatsuya."
"What about your mother?"
I was afraid he'd ask that question. Well, there was nothing for it, I suppose. "My mother is the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis."
Ruther Kend went still. Sabrina's mother stopped chewing. Sabrina's head snapped up and she stared at me in shock.
"Pardon me for being blunt, but what the hells are you doing working for the ASD?" Ruther demanded.
"My family has a strong work ethic," I said and reached for the bottle of rice wine. "My father and grandfather insist on us making ourselves useful. My father and his brother run the Queen's army on Le-Ath Veronis. Travis and I have extensive training on and off the battlefield. Working for the ASD is a very good fit for us."
"I think that's outrageous and wondrous at the same time," Barra admitted. "An actual Prince is my daughter's boss."
"We don't prefer that title—it makes us sound like more than we are," I confessed. "We're regular ASD, nothing more."
Sabrina choked on her rice wine. Eat, I told her in mindspeech. If you don't, you'll pass out before lunch is over.
An angry frown was her answer, but she lifted noodles to her mouth as instructed.
Sabrina
I didn't appreciate Trent telling me to eat and stop drinking so much, but he was right. Already I felt dizzy, and wouldn't be particularly coherent if Daddy asked me anything.
The rice wine was taking the edge off my misery, though, and that's why I was drinking so much of it.
"I hear Akrinn and Lorvis stole your work," Daddy leveled a gaze on me. I almost choked again.
Why is it that whenever you want to be alone or unconscious to drive away your troubles in your own way, that's when people tend to crowd around you?
"They did. I only found out this morning."
"Did both kill Fergue? I'm sorry to bring this up, sweet thing, but I need to know," Daddy said.
"Maybe. I know Akrinn was there for sure," I said. "Lorvis—it's so hard to believe." My last words had turned into a choked whisper. We'd confided in one another. Told each other everything.
Had her part always been a lie—even in primary school?
"Word is that both sets of parents are being questioned," Mom huffed. "I hope they didn't know anything about this, or they'll be in prison before the day's over."
"That's routine, Mrs. Kend," Trent interjected smoothly. "It's my guess that their parents knew nothing of this. Akrinn and Lorvis lived separately from their parents, and it isn't unusual for criminals to hide this sort of thing from family members."
"Right under our noses, and we knew nothing about it," Dad shook his head. "I always considered myself a good judge of character. Those two had everybody fooled."
My stomach rumbled after I swallowed a second mouthful of noodles. Trent was correct—I needed to eat. I just hated to give him the satisfaction of being right.
Randl
Travis and I studied seventeen ships that had cleared Jaledis' orbit after Fergue's murder. My senses tingled every time I saw the Strafer. Travis sent all the images to Quin, for a second opinion. We now waited for a reply.
All look normal except the Strafer, came her reply. Not that it doesn't look normal, too, it's just that it feels—empty.
Travis was in silent communication with Kooper immediately, and three ASD ships, including BlackWing VII, were sent after it.
"Tell them to approach with caution," I said. After the way Fergue died and the spell that was laid on his body to kill another, I was wary.
"Will do." Travis wore a grim expression as he relayed the message to Kooper. Afterward, Travis and I turned our attention to the vid-camera images at the dock where Strafer was berthed before she left Jaledis.
"Here," I pointed at the images of two who walked toward the gangway leading to Strafer.
"That's not them," Travis said, zooming in on the images.
"You say that, because you can't see past the spelled disguises," I sighed. What I saw was an outer shell, covering Akrinn and Lorvis. Both appeared to be males and taller than they actually were.
"That has to be a really good spell," Travis whispered and ran the images back so he could look again. "I'll ask for the local office to run a recognition program, to match movements instead. I've already requested a manifest for passengers and cargo."
A few moments later, we had the records Travis wanted. I went over the manifest while Travis reviewed images taken of Lorvis and Akrinn, while the ship's comp compared them to the two I'd pointed out near Strafer.
"May I send this to Quin?" I asked after leaning back in my chair. "Something feels—strange."
"Go ahead. Kooper trusts her with everything."
"Good." I sent the manifest to Quin right away.
I see the words on the screen, she sent mindspeech back. But it feels as if they're empty, too.
What about this? I sent the vid-images of the disguised Lorvis and Akrinn to her.
I get the same feeling from them, Quin reported. The outside is empty.
Then that leads me to believe that there were spells on whatever the ship carried, too, I replied. The list of parts and supplies is legitimate. What they actually loaded onto the ship probably isn't. I think Lorvis and Akrinn may have had collaborators and masterminds all along. They'd have to, in order to get Sabrina's design data off the planet to begin with.
Yes. Transmitting data would leave a trail. Carrying a spelled comp-vid or something else that contained the information could be gotten away easily. Whoever is casting these spells is very strong and talented, I think.
What if Lorvis and Akrinn were recruited by the ones they escaped with? I asked. I worry that the idea to take Sabrina's technology may not have been their idea at the beginning.
Very possible, she agreed. In fact, I think it likely. They may have been behind the idea to kill Fergue if any of their subterfuge was discovered. Killing Sabrina would only be secondary to getting away with their misdeeds.
Since Sabrina's technology was used to destroy the ship heading toward Pyrik, then these have to be connected to that in some way. I wish I could have seen them myself, to determine whether any carry the affl
iction.
Lissa says Karzac is examining the bodies remotely, in an attempt to isolate the disease—if that's what it is. So far, I haven't heard any results.
Please let me know if you hear something, I begged. This is far too confusing.
I agree. I've never encountered anything so puzzling in my life. Usually I can detect diseases easily. Not this, and I fail to understand that.
Thank you for your help, I said. You've confirmed my thoughts on this, and I am grateful.
Then don't hesitate to ask again, she replied. Send mindspeech anytime. I think this is too important to employ proper etiquette in requesting assistance.
As you say, I agreed. Please feel free to do the same.
"How long will it take before our ships catch up to Strafer?" I turned to Travis.
"A day—two at the most. We'll be underway and traveling in that direction before nightfall."
I sagged in my chair. I wanted it done now—and I didn't. The thought of what we could find aboard that ship troubled me.
Mer'bali, Pyrik
Lissa
"I have the how, but not the what. That is still being processed."
I'd never seen Karzac looking so tired or stressed. He leaned back on the easy chair inside my suite, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"The how?" I poured a cup of tea for him inside my suite.
"A small disc inserted in the body, just outside the liver," Karzac said. "The disc is designed to expand and puncture the liver if it is exposed to air. It then sprays a bit of bile outward. I imagine that whatever is affecting these people will infect anyone who breathes it in or has contact through exposed skin. The clear hoods worn by the physicians in this case would not be enough, I think, to keep it away."
"What is it?" I asked.
"I don't know, yet. What I know is this—I've never seen anything like it. I'd like to speak with Randl—he was the first to notice it."
"Feel up to hopping onto BlackWing X?" I asked.
"In the morning. The lab-bots are still testing the tissue samples, and I hope to know more by then."
"I can order dinner in, if you'd like."
"I would prefer that."
"Then it's done," I replied.
BlackWing X
Randl
"We have information from Uncle Karzac," Trent set his breakfast tray opposite mine and pulled out a chair in the galley.
"What information?" I looked up from my egg and ham scramble.
"There was a small device inserted into the bodies, right outside the liver. Mom says it's an old technology, that was used at one time to help diabetics by pumping an emergency ration of insulin into the body. This time, it was used for something else. Karzac thinks it was to spray a micro-mist of bile into the air, so it would either be inhaled or touch exposed skin. Those physicians weren't wearing biohazard suits when they examined the bodies."
"So they were hit with whatever came out in the spray?"
"Looks that way. Karzac is still trying to figure out what that could be. If Uncle Karzac hasn't seen it before, then it didn't exist before."
Trent wore a frown as he snapped a piece of crisp bacon in half and stuffed it in his mouth.
"Uncle Karzac wants to talk to you, too," Trent went on after chewing and swallowing. "Since you're the first one to notice that something was wrong with those people."
"I can't answer much, because I don't know either," I pointed out.
"He knows that. Don't worry, Karzac's more bark than bite."
"Did you intend to make it worse?" I blinked at Trent.
"He and his brother have a penchant for making things worse," Karzac himself pulled out a chair for Queen Lissa, then seated himself at the table after she was comfortable. He had light-brown hair, green-gold eyes that could measure anyone in a matter of moments and a no-nonsense approach to everything, including taking a seat at the breakfast table.
"Hey, Mom," Travis leaned toward Lissa and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Good to see you again," Karzac gave me a nod and a half smile while extending his hand politely.
"Pleased to have you aboard," I shook with him. To everyone else, Karzac appeared to be a gruff physician, who wasn't accustomed to being questioned or gainsaid. I saw past that, to the caring soul behind the exterior.
"Did young Trent inform you of our findings?" Karzac asked immediately.
"He told me about the device, which appears to spray a micro-mist of bile into the air," I said. "Has it been redesigned to react to oxygen or something?"
"I believe so." Karzac nodded his thanks as Susan set plates of food down for him and the Queen. "I also believe that the cells contained in the livers of the affected ones are mutated—likely from the leaking radiation from the waste dumps we've discovered on Pyrik. What the affliction is, however, continues to elude me."
"Quin and I are baffled as to how an obsession, such as the one affecting the four physicians, can be passed from one to another."
"I've never heard of anything like that," Lissa said. "Obsessions always had to be placed directly by a Sirenali—until now."
"Do you think the mutation and whatever it is that causes the affliction to be passed from one to another is concentrated in the victim's liver?"
"Radiation poisoning and any subsequent mutation can take many forms," Karzac sighed. "You could be correct, however, since the devices were placed in the same location on all three bodies. I hesitate to make an examination on the four physicians, but it will have to be done."
"They won't have the devices," I said.
"Yes, but a biopsy of their liver will have to be handled carefully. I don't want an epidemic of obsession burning through Pyrik."
"What about the original prisoner?" I asked. "Will he have a device?"
"Possibly," Karzac appeared thoughtful. "My dearest, shall we travel to Le-Ath Veronis from here?" He turned his gaze on Lissa.
"That's fine with me," she shrugged.
"They've found the Strafer," Trent interrupted. "No signs of life aboard."
"We'll stay for this," Lissa said and rose from the table with a nod. I scrambled to my feet to bow to her.
"Honey, that's not necessary," she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Let's go see what Travis found for us."
Sabrina
I couldn't hide in my cabin feeling sorry for myself any longer—an alert sounded for the crew to assemble near the bridge. We were closing in on the Strafer, if my guess were correct.
Time to see what sort of mess Lorvis and Akrinn left behind. If I said I didn't feel the hottest kind of fury for Lorvis and her betrayal, then I'd be lying.
When I joined the crowd in the assembly room, I found two new passengers. Queen Lissa and one of her mates had joined us. I'd been wallowing in anger and self-pity and hadn't known of their arrival.
This is Travis and Trent's mother, I reminded myself.
The Queen of Le-Ath Veronis.
A vampire.
Holy, fucking hells.
"We found the Strafer," Randl said quietly when I stopped beside him and attempted to tighten the tie holding my hair back. Against the wall, a vid-screen showed an image of the ship, transferred from the bridge.
The ship floated before us, while two other ships lay at intervals around her. I realized that those two ships and the Raptor II formed a triangle surrounding the targeted vessel.
No ship was in a direct line of fire from its allies, either—by design.
"There are no signs of life," Jayna joined Randl and me. She held a cup of tea in her hands as she gazed at the vid-screen.
"Empty of life," Randl breathed beside me. "I sense bodies," he added. I stiffened at his words.
"How many?" Jayna asked. "Can you sense that, too?"
"Two," Randl replied. "Lorvis and Akrinn."
Travis
"Akrinn and Lorvis performed their duty, and then were destroyed because they weren't needed any longer. The ASD was on their tail, and they'
d become a liability," Kooper Griff paced inside the Captain's cubby. "I figure the ship is set for destruction if anybody sets foot on it. Your mother has offered to Pull the bodies away, but the only ship that has a shielded containment compartment is the Melody IV."
"In case the bodies explode?" I asked.
"Or worse," Kooper said. "The containment compartment is set to hold a violent explosion, and Karzac has offered to shield it further, so nothing will be damaged. He's already working on scanning the bodies for any devices, and Ilya Ironsmith is on the way to check for spells of any kind."
"This thing is getting worse by the second, isn't it?" I asked. If Kooper called for a Fifth-level warlock, who many suspected could be a Sixth-level, then he was very worried.
"We've already started moving people farther away from those dump sites, but somebody is using the damage already done to their advantage. What I want to know is this—how the fuck did they know to focus on the mutation to begin with?"
"No idea," I said. "But we'll keep looking for answers, you can count on that."
"What if we're running out of time?" Kooper stopped pacing and frowned at me. "We may have to postpone the Conclave again; it's targeted in some way; you can count on that."
"They tipped their hand when they tried to kill Riffler," I said.
"They would have killed Riffler and Sabrina, if Sabrina hadn't carried a ranos pistol and if Randl hadn't warned us in time. With Riffler dead and his attackers on the loose, we'd be worse off than we are now, because we wouldn't know anything. Hell, we almost don't know anything, now."
"With Sabrina gone before she could examine those images, we wouldn't know it was her stolen technology," I nodded. "Akrinn and Lorvis would probably still be alive and operating on Jaledis. We've put a crimp in the enemy's plan, Director."
"At what cost? They have a powerful wizard or warlock at their command, and a disease or whatever this is, to pass an obsession from one person to the next. That's more than frightening, Captain Tetsuya."
"I understand that," I said. "I worry about how many of them are out there, and whether they intend to make more. Was industrial espionage the only thing Lorvis and Akrinn were doing, or were they into other things?"
MindSighted: BlackWing Pirates, Book 1 Page 13