Closing the Circle (Guardians of the Pattern, Book 6)

by Jaye McKenna

  Chapter Nine

  Miko had changed the data stored in FedSec Aurora’s Data Center within hours of Cameron’s request. Now, he was busy putting the finishing touches on a bot that would scour the Federation’s data-net and alter every copy in existence to match. He’d just set it free with instructions to report back what it had managed to accomplish when a shaft of anxiety-laced fear pierced through his mythe-shadow.

  It was Cameron, and he was moving closer.

  When he entered Miko’s office, he made a point of locking the door behind him before pulling the sonic disruptor from his pocket and giving Miko a questioning look.

  “It’s safe,” Miko said.

  Cameron pocketed the device without turning it on. “That Federation investigator wants to interview you.”

  “I don’t mind talking to him.”

  “He asked for you by name.”

  Miko sucked in his bottom lip. “Did… did someone tell him how I get into the net?”

  “I don’t know.” Cameron’s voice and his expression were grim. “I’m not allowed to be present at the interviews.”

  “Maybe someone noticed the missing data.”

  “I thought you said it was hidden.”

  “The real data is hidden,” Miko said. “It has been for a few days. I repopulated the database with false information within an hour of you asking me to hide it, but I can’t change what people remember. If someone who accesses the data regularly notices that something specific has been changed…” He trailed off.

  “Shit.” Cameron’s mythe-shadow flared bright with panic. “I can’t put him off, Miko. He wants to do this right now. I’m supposed to bring you back to my office.”

  “Then… then I have to talk to him.”

  “I’m sorry. I… I thought we had this covered. You’ll have to make sure you type your answers out when you use the voice synth. Last thing we want to do is give him reason to question how you’re accessing the net.”

  “Or you could translate my signs. Or Luka or Kyn could.”

  “If we use a translator, it has to be someone approved by the Federation Senate. He’s not authorized to use anyone local for this investigation. The alternative is to take you back to Earth for questioning with an approved translator.”

  Miko shivered at the thought. He couldn’t allow that to happen. “I can use the text-to-speech app on my slate.” It would be slow and cumbersome, but if he couldn’t use psi or sign, it was his only option.

  “I don’t suppose I need to remind you to be very careful of what you say.”

  “No. You don’t.” Miko smiled. “I wonder if he’d like to hear some stories about the dragons.”

  “I doubt it.” Cameron’s answering smile was grim. “He doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor.”

  “They used to call me your mad savant,” Miko mused. “I can play on that. If he’s read my records, he’ll know I spent a lot of time in a psych hospital. And more time in therapy.”

  “Be careful, Miko. I don’t like this. I have no idea why he wants to talk to you or what he thinks he knows.”

  “Then I’ll see if I can find out.”

  Cameron didn’t look happy about that. Miko wasn’t happy either, but the surest way to pique the investigator’s interest was to make him think they were hiding something. He grabbed his slate and followed Cameron to his office at the top of the Admin and Education building.

  Jacob Sylvester was waiting at Cameron’s conference table. He didn’t look frightening, though his mythe-shadow was very odd. It was full of holes, and its texture reminded Miko of a scratchy blanket. Cameron introduced them and left the office, clearly reluctant to leave Miko alone with Sylvester. Miko set his slate on the table, opened the text-to-speech app, and lowered his eyes, waiting for the questions to begin.

  “I understand you’re very busy, Mr. Asada, so I’ll try to make this as brief as possible. Your job title here is Chief Information Specialist. You seem very young for such an important position. Without getting too technical, can you tell me a little about what you do here?”

  Nobody ever called Miko Mr. Asada, and he looked around for Cameron before he realized that Sylvester was talking to him. He decided to play up his difficulty in communicating, so he made a show of studying the keyboard layout, and then slowly began to type, letter by letter.

  I take care of the data. The seconds stretched by as he slowly keyed in his response. I open and close the gates. I make sure everyone has access to the information they need to do their jobs.

  Sylvester’s impatience vibrated through his oddly-textured mythe-shadow, and Miko smiled to himself. If he took too long to answer, the investigator might decide it wasn’t worth his time to continue with the interview.

  When he’d finished, he touched the icon for speech and the words came out of the slate’s small speaker in a flat, dead voice.

  Then he typed, Sign is faster. Can I call someone to interpret?

  “Take all the time you need,” Sylvester said. “There’s nothing on my schedule.” He leaned back in his chair and eyed Miko speculatively. “So tell me about the Institute’s database. It was wiped three days ago and repopulated with false information.”

  Miko did his best not to freeze, but his mind was whirling. The best defense was to play his role as Cameron’s mad savant to the hilt. He wouldn’t even have to lie to do that.

  He typed slowly, Aio says the threads all lead into darkness.

  Sylvester’s mythe-shadow flared with annoyance and spikes of anger. “Aio? What is that?”

  She’s the dragon that found me when I got lost in the mythe. She showed me how to see the threads.

  Sylvester frowned. “Look. Mr. Asada. I’m interviewing you for a Federation Senate investigation. Under the terms of the Federation Charter, you’re bound to answer my questions. You are responsible for information security here at the Institute, so the bottom line is that you are responsible for whatever happened to the data. Now, stop playing games with me and tell me what happened to that database.”

  Biting his lip, Miko typed, If you can’t see the dragons, I can’t show you anything you will understand.

  “I’ve read your file. I know you’ve had some problems, so here’s how this is going to play out. You either give me a straight answer right now, or I’ll bring you back to Earth where you’ll undergo a psychiatric exam before being questioned under Veritane.”

  Miko felt sick. What would he tell them under the influence of the truth drug? Would he even be able to communicate? Or would they bring in a psionic interrogator to invade his mind?

  If they did that, he’d betray everyone he cared about; Cameron, Draven, everyone…

  There was no answer that would satisfy the investigator. If he admitted to tampering with the data, he’d be arrested. And if he didn’t, he’d be questioned.

  Either way he was in trouble, and worse, so was Cameron. It was an impossible choice, so Miko did the only thing he could. He fled into the mythe.

  Hours later, Tarrin found him there, trembling in the little shelter where they’d first met, and coaxed him out. When Miko opened his eyes, he was in bed in the Institute’s infirmary, but there was no IV, and Tarrin was sitting by his bed, holding his hand. Eleni stood on the other side, clearly waiting to check him over.

  Tarrin squeezed Miko’s hand and gave him an encouraging smile.

  “Are you all right, Miko?” Eleni asked.

  Miko glanced from her to Tarrin and decided it might be best not to say anything about the questions he’d been asked. He lifted shaking hands and signed, I need to talk to Cameron.

  “He wants to talk to you, too,” Tarrin said. “I’ll let him know you’re awake.”

  No sooner had Eleni pronounced him fit enough to leave than Cameron walked in. He sent both Tarrin and Eleni out. His mythe-shadow flared with tension as he sat in the chair Tarrin had just vacated.

  “What did he say to you?”

  He asked about the data I ch
anged, Miko signed. Said he would take me back to Earth with him. He wants to question me under Veritane.

  “He’s not taking you back to Earth, Miko. I won’t let him.”

  He’s a Federation investigator. You can’t stop him. He has all the authority he needs. He knows the data was tampered with. Someone must have noticed. I can hide the data trail, and I can make it impossible for him to get a message out, but I can’t make him forget what he knows. And he knows enough to take me in for questioning.

  Cameron gave him a grim smile. “Trust me. I’ll take care of it. But first, I need to get you and Rafe away from the campus. Tarrin’s gone to pack some things for you, and as soon as he gets back, we’re leaving.”

  Miko frowned. Rafe, too?

  “Rafe knows too much about what you can do. And I promised him my protection. That doesn’t just mean from Alan Romani.”

  Where are we going?

  “Somewhere safe,” was all Cameron would say.

  * * *

  It was dark when Cam hustled Miko and Rafe up to the roof of the Admin building and into his flyer. He hadn’t told Rafe much, except that a Federation investigator had been asking awkward questions. As Cam had suspected, Rafe was ready to do whatever was necessary to keep himself off of FedSec’s radar.

  Rafe didn’t say a word as Miko climbed into the front passenger seat. He slid into the back seat and stared out the window. Miko, too, was silent; he’d packed a voice-synth unit, and he had his slate, but he’d made no move to take either from his backpack.

  Cam was grateful for the silence. His thoughts were still whirling as he tried to determine the best way to prevent Sylvester from digging any deeper. The obvious answer was cooling his heels out at the island cabin, but Cam wasn’t sure he had it in him to be that cold-blooded. Hiding the man the investigator wanted to question was one thing; ordering a hit took it to a whole new level. A level Cam wasn’t sure he had the stomach to sink to, especially given what he’d already put Jake Sylvester through.

  He powered up the flyer and sat back to wait while the control system ran through the automated pre-flight checks. In the seat next to him, Miko was so tense, he was almost vibrating. The young man’s jaw was clenched, and his hands twisted the emerald-green mittens lying on his lap.

  “Are you okay?” Cam asked.

  Miko released his mittens and turned in his seat so Cam could see his signs clearly. Are you coming with us?

  “No. It would look pretty bad if I left, don’t you think?”

  Amethyst eyes narrowed, and Miko signed, What happens when Sylvester asks you where I am?

  “He thinks you’re down in the infirmary. Eleni’s going to tell him you had a massive seizure, and you’re still unconscious.”

  He’ll want proof.

  “He’s only here for three more days,” Cam said. “Eleni can put him off for that long.”

  What if they send someone else?

  “By that time, I’ll have something figured out.”

  Miko didn’t look convinced, but he turned his attention back to the windscreen and stared out at the night.

  “It’ll be okay, Miko.”

  After a long pause, Miko turned back to face him, shooting him a dubious look before signing, You don’t know that. A shiver rippled through his slender frame. Neither do I. I hate not being able to see. To know. I can’t even get a feel for what’s coming… just shards and flashes that don’t make any sense. There was another long pause, and then he signed, Where are we going?

  “To the McKinnon’s house.”

  We won’t be safe there for long.

  “No, you won’t, and I would never ask them to take that kind of risk. Anja’s there, and I’m hoping I can talk her into helping us out.”

  Miko’s eyes widened. You’re going to hide us off-world?

  “Maybe. I don’t know yet.”

  I want to see Draven before we go.

  “We don’t have time.”

  You want to see him, too.

  Cam ran a hand through his hair. It had been four long days, and the way things were going, it would be many more days before he could justify taking any time for himself. “It doesn’t matter what I want. Getting you to safety is my priority at the moment.”

  We have time. Sylvester doesn’t have anything solid, just suspicions. He’s in his suite making notes on today’s interviews.

  “What if he’s already sent a message out?”

  Messages can be garbled during transmission or even lost entirely. Miko gave Cam a small smile.

  “Is that your way of telling me you have everything under control?”

  Miko’s smile widened. It’s my way of telling you we have time to stop at the cabin first. I’ll let Draven know we’re coming.

  Cam glanced at the control boards. The flyer had finished its pre-flight checks, and all systems were on standby. Without another word, he took hold of the control stick and lifted the craft gently off the roof.

  * * *

  Draven managed to finish his workout, but the effort left him drenched in sweat and shaking. The fact that he counted it a victory to complete the most basic version of the routine was sobering. He’d made progress in the four days since he’d last seen Cam, but he wasn’t nearly ready to trust his life to his physical skills. If he left now, he’d have to rely on weapons to keep himself safe.

  Cam was probably right to advise him to stay a little longer, but the enforced idleness was starting to wear on him. He was itching to move, to do something. To put some distance between himself and Cam.

  It surprised him how empty the thought of leaving made him feel. What he’d shared with Cam had been unexpected. And not unwelcome, although it was going to make leaving a hell of a lot harder than it ought to be.

  Cam made Draven feel things he’d never felt before. Things he couldn’t afford to feel. Emotional ties were a liability, and the sooner he got away from here, the better off they would both be.

  Something stirred in the mythe, something painful and unpleasantly familiar. Draven’s heart stuttered as he recognized the dark, bitter mythe-shadow of Romani’s bloodhound, Rafe Azziani.

  He cast his awareness out into the mythe, and discovered that Azziani was moving closer.

  What the hell…?

  Miko had assured him that Azziani had come to Aurora to find his lost twin, not to hunt Draven down. But Miko had also admitted that he couldn’t bring himself to get close enough to Azziani’s mythe-shadow to read him with any accuracy.

  Had Alan Romani learned what had happened to DeMira?

  Had he sent Azziani out to make the hit?

  Steeling himself, Draven searched the currents around Azziani, and to his relief, sensed both Cam and Miko with him. All three of them were tense and frightened, though Cam was holding his fear in check with a cold, detached determination.

  Draven waited, fingers itching with the need for a weapon.

  If he’d been sold out…

  If they were coming for him…

  A tug on the thread connecting him to Miko caught his attention.

  he responded.

  Miko wasn’t amused. The gist of the situation followed in a stream of images and feelings. It was too much for Draven to process the details, but he got enough to understand that Miko was in trouble, and Cam intended to hide both him and Rafe.

  When Cam stepped into the cabin twenty minutes later, he was alone, though Miko and Rafe were both close by. Cam’s dark eyes met and held Draven’s before he said softly, “Miko’s in trouble. I’m taking him and Rafe someplace safe, but he wanted to see you first. He’s out in the flyer.”

  “What happened? Miko tried to tell me, but he’s scared enough that his thoughts weren’t entirely coherent.”

  Cam ran a hand through tousled hair. “When Senator Cottrell returned from
Earth, he brought orders from the Federation Senate. They want data on every psion who’s ever been associated with the Institute. I told Miko to hide it. He thought it would be safer to leave it in place so it wouldn’t be missed, but he altered it so it couldn’t be used against us. Someone out at Central Command must have noticed the changes made to the files and passed on their suspicions, because Sylvester is convinced that someone at the Institute tampered with the data.”

  “And Miko is in charge of information security,” Draven said. “Which would make him the prime suspect.”

  “Exactly. Sylvester had him on today’s interview list. Miko didn’t admit to anything, of course, but… Sylvester threatened to haul him back to Earth and have him questioned under Veritane.”

  “So you brought him here?”

  “No, I’m taking him to my sister. She can get him off-world. He insisted on seeing you first.”

  “Eleni can get him off-world?”

  “No, sorry. Anja. Foster sister.”

  “Ah. And Azziani?”

  “He’s going, too. He knows too much about what Miko can do. I can’t risk Sylvester seeing him.” Cam closed his eyes briefly. “It’s not going to be enough. Miko disappearing is only going to confirm Sylvester’s suspicions. Once he reports back to the Senate, it will only be a matter of time before someone figures out that psions have been tampering with the Federation data-net. Public pressure will force the Senate to come down on us hard. We can’t let Sylvester pursue this.”

  “Tricky,” Draven said. “If Sylvester disappears, they’ll only send another. You would certainly be questioned.”

  “They wouldn’t know anything about Miko, though. And they’d have no reason to suspect we’ve been using psi to change the data.”

  “Whoever noticed those changes is still there. They’ll figure it out soon enough, and when they do, they’ll have cause to question you under Veritane. That would be just as damaging to your people as Miko being questioned.”