Enemy of my Enemy (Horatio Logan Chronicles Book 1)

by Chris Hechtl

  He shrugged her irritation away. She pursed her lips thinly in silent reproach but he just smiled boyishly at her.

  “Very well,” Ingrid said as a cavalcade of teenagers and others came in. Horatio tried to make sense of the lot. He found out some were friends of the family, some were distant relatives on vacation, while others were the children of neighbors.

  “Quite the menagerie,” Ingrid said with a smile of sympathy. He shrugged.

  “I admit, I haven't been in many big households lately, ma'am,” he said, darting his eyes to her husband as her husband took her hand. She frowned but didn't call him on calling her, ma'am. “I think this is refreshing,” he said.

  “Good,” Sven said with a nod his way. He rubbed his wife's hand until she softly scolded him to behave and snatched it back. Horatio could tell that she hadn't really minded though when she softened the scold with a small fond smile she directed to her husband.

  After dinner they retired to the den to chat. Horatio gave the gifts Captain Perth had left behind for Moira's nieces and nephews. “Can you see that the others get to their intended destinations?” he asked, turning to Ingrid.

  She nodded as she accepted the packages. “Not a problem. We have a family gathering coming up in a month. I'll pass them on then,” she said. She glanced at the kids as they tore into their gifts and then exclaimed politely at the contents.

  “Thank you, ma'am,” he said with a wink. She pursed her lips in mock amusement but didn't rise to the bait.

  “So, you are a commodore … and you were a military governor?” Sven asked.

  “No, sir. Well, the first part is true, I am a commodore. I'm afraid I never was a military governor though. That part isn't true.”

  “But …”

  “Admiral Irons was the military governor of Pyrax briefly. He set-up a constitutional convention once the pirate attack was broken, and then after an election he handed over the governorship.”

  “I see,” Sven said as he sat back in his arm chair. His wife smiled and took a seat on one of the ample arm rests. He smiled, hooked his arm around her waist and drew her into his lap and arms. She scolded him softly, but when he wouldn't let go, she gave a sigh and settled in for the duration.

  Horatio fought another smile. It was obvious Sven dearly loved his wife and liked to show it to others. That was fine with him.

  “I'm surprised Moira gave you the gifts and messages. I mean, don't get me wrong but …”

  “Some she gave to me; some she gave to Captain Perth. Captain Perth handed them to me since I'd be here longer,” Horatio explained. “Moira encouraged me to look you up,” he explained.

  “I see,” Sven said thoughtfully.

  Horatio shrugged his host's considering eyes off. Sven like Maggie and Joffery had the Sema looks and hair. Maggie looked like a younger version of Moira. She barely had any genetic traces of her mother.

  “Moira set her sights on me when or before we met,” Horatio admitted. “She said she wanted a local guide,” he said. “We had a good time. She managed to drag me out of my being a strict workaholic for awhile and opened my eyes a little to the changes in Pyrax. I hadn't really noticed, or I guess you could say I had, I just hadn't really processed them at a gut level,” he admitted.

  “I'm glad you two had a good time,” Ingrid murmured.

  “Oh, we did. I think my feet have recovered by now,” he said as the teens took off for a neighboring room. After a moment, he heard sounds which were similar to music wafted in through the tall open doors. He shook his head. The doors to the den were wood and over four meters tall. Everything about the house screamed rich.

  “How bad is it at the Admiralty? I mean …,” Sven locked eyes with him. It was clear from his eyes that he wanted and needed to know more.

  “Well …,” Horatio drawled, wresting with what he could safely say and what might come around to bite him in the ass.

  “You're among friends here, Horatio. You can trust us,” Ingrid said softly. He looked at her. She nodded.

  “Okay,” he said, exhaling slowly. “It's … not going as planned, I will say that much. Admiral Irons had sent orders and goals for us. I was supposed to be assigned to the yard to oversee everything being overhauled and brought up to modern standards. Instead I've been, well, to put it bluntly, dumped in a dead-end job.”

  Sven grimaced and then nodded. “It's what we've been hearing in the administration as well,” he said.

  “Sven …” Ingrid laid a hand on her husband as he looked at her. “Pardon. Sven is in the current administration. He's the deputy chief of staff,” she explained.

  Horatio nodded. That partially explained the house he thought. Old money he thought. “I don't know if you were passed the messages you were supposed to get,” he said. Sven shook his head silently no. “Well, um, I can't really help you there, I have them on file but I can't pass them on now,” he admitted. “I've been repeatedly advised to keep my head down and wait it out,” he said. Sven grimaced but then nodded.

  “What I'd like to know is, how Childress got back in. Who gave him the antigeriatric meds? And who signed off on his return to duty? And is it as bad as some of the scuttlebutt is saying?” Horatio asked, turning the situation around on his hosts.

  “Well,” Sven said. “It's a long story. It all comes down to patronage and I believe you already know about the admiral's connections.”

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  They talked late into the night and then again once the kids were off to play and lounge around the pool. Horatio recorded it all for later retrieval and viewing. He wasn't surprised by some of the answers he'd gotten.

  When it came time to return to Command 1, he shook hands with Ingrid. He was surprised to be invited to come again. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders for a hug, then gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. “I know you aren't family, but you feel like it. So don't be a stranger,” she said.

  He nodded. “Yes, ma'am,” he said. She poked him, eliciting a chuckle. “I mean Ingrid,” he said as Draven the driver took his bag and put it in the truck of the air limo.

  Sven had let it be known the day before that some powerful people in the government had wanted to attend but had been distracted at the last minute by a hurricane. He wasn't certain what to make of that but had nodded. Sven had been called away late Saturday evening. He'd made his apologies at the late departure.

  “I feel for you, ma'am, and Sven. Hang in there, ma'am,” he said.

  “Thank you. We're managing,” she said as a female screech made her wince. “Will you lot of mangy brats kindly keep your shrieks down to the lower decibel levels?” she said, turning on the group of horse-playing teenagers on the other side of the door.

  Horatio chuckled. “Boy, I remember that. Shelby and her friends …,” he shook his head and pretended to wring his ear out. “I suppose getting them to say something other than a mumble is nice. But …”

  “They do need some sort of volume control,” Ingrid said in exasperation as the cavalcade thundered into another room. Once they were gone or at least temporarily out of ear shot, she seemed to sag a little against the door jam. “As I said, don't be a stranger,” she said as she bucked up. “You technically don't have to leave right this moment …”

  “I need to get back to the port, ma'am. I want to beat the rush up you see,” Horatio said. “That's why I booked an earlier flight. I was warned that later flights are swamped. I don't want to get stuck next to someone that's hung over and smelling … ripe,” he said wrinkling his nose.

  She held up a restraining hand. “Say no more, I know what you are talking about,” she replied with a sage nod. “Safe trip,” she said.

  “Thank you … Ingrid,” he said when she turned a mock stern look on him for the pause. He chuckled as she pointed her finger at him. “I'll try to give you more warning next time I'm available,” he offered.

  “You definitely do that and I'll get Sven to bring the rest of the family around. We'll have a barbeq
ue or something,” Ingrid offered.

  “I'd like that,” Horatio said with a two-fingered salute.

  “Go on then,” she said, waving a hand. “Shoo before you miss your flight,” she said as he turned. Draven had the backdoor of the air limo open. “Take care of him, Draven!” she called out.

  “Yes, mum,” the young man said with a bow.

  “See …,” Horatio started to tease, but she just rolled her eyes and slammed the door. He chuckled as he got in the air car. He could hear the driver chuckle as he closed the door, then walked around to the driver's compartment.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Horatio noted an air car that followed the air limo back to port. He put it down to security keeping tabs on him. The air car dropped off a pair of plain-clothed personnel when his car dropped him off at the gate of the military side of the space port. He showed his credentials, still annoyed that they wouldn't accept his implants and then entered.

  Before he rounded the bend, he looked over his shoulder to see the two men, one a Veraxin, present their own credentials to the security officials. They were passed through without a cursory search and then stayed on his tail.

  He noted them in the shuttle waiting room. They each took up a position near a door. But they weren't on board the shuttle once boarding commenced. Apparently, someone thought he could look after himself once he was on board he thought.

  At in-processing in Command 1, he was met by a familiar female lieutenant. First Lieutenant Tali Fazim was out of uniform, but he didn't mind. She was dressed in a fetching yellow sun dress that was backless and low cut. It also had a very high hem; if she wasn't careful, she'd give someone an eyeful he thought remotely. Probably her intent, he knew she was something of a flirt around the office. She caught sight of him and immediately her face lit in a warm sunny smile. He nodded to her. “Just came up from liberty, sir?”

  “Just delivered some mail and packages that I promised,” he replied with a shrug. “Out yourself, Lieutenant?” he asked. He was privately certain someone had tipped her off and she'd been laying in wait for him.

  “Yes, sir. I'm going to catch dinner and a movie. Unfortunately, my date canceled at the last minute. I don't suppose …”

  “I'm afraid I can't help you, Lieutenant, I've got to get cleaned up. Travel fatigue,” he said with a smile. “Have a good evening,” he said with a nod. “See you in the morning,” he said by way of parting as she opened her mouth to object. He didn't see her stamp her foot in vexation. He retreated before she could find a pretext to follow and attempt to entice him further.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Tali stomped her foot once her target had left. To be stood up like that … she scowled, then schooled her face into more appropriate lines. It was best not to let others see how such rejection had vexed her. She didn't want the scuttlebutt to get around, nor any awkward questions to be raised.

  She'd just have to try something else later. After all, she was a professional; she always got her man.

  Always.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  “So, how did it go?” L'r'kk asked as Sven opened his door and entered his office.

  “About as expected,” Sven replied, clearly amused by the ambush. He wasn't surprised that his boss would be waiting for him. He had a mental side bet when he'd get called in. He'd lost it though; the Veraxin had staked out Sven's office and had been waiting for him.

  “Give me the short version. How bad is it?”

  “Bad,” the blue-haired human said as he went over to the corner of his room and took off his heavy coat and scarf. “It's pretty much like we thought. It's all on Childress. Irons didn't order any of it. And the commodore is pissed,” he said.

  “Okay,” L'r'kk said. “I suppose I'm glad I didn't get a chance to go; he might not have told you as much if I'd shown up.”

  “You would have stood out like a sore thumb. I think the commodore has been advised repeatedly and probably browbeat from the description of his current assignment versus what he was supposed to be doing, to keep his head down and mouth shut.”

  “Well, he got the first part right. We won't expose him as a source. He's too useful,” L'r'kk said thoughtfully.

  “Good. I'm glad. Ingrid played her part to get him to relax and be at ease. I think the commodore needed to vent. Ingrid and I talked about it later that evening. He's a good man. Damn good man caught up in an untenable situation. We're all caught up in it,” Sven said with a shake of his head.

  “Any idea on what his end game is?”

  “If by his you mean the commodore, no. He didn't say. Childress … no idea. The threat of a coup can't be ruled out at this point.”

  “Lovely. The president is going to flip over that one,” the Veraxin said, signaling first-level discomfort.

  “I know.”

  “About all we can do right now is cut off his money. In fact, some senators have steered the military budget into committees. Lars of course is playing both sides,” the Veraxin mused.

  “Him,” Sven snorted.

  “We're already getting hit by lobbyists backed by Childress saying we're being stingy and soft on the military. Which is funny.”

  “So …”

  “So, we can't come out and directly confront him or the problem. Exposing his little plot to the public is also out, it could spark unrest and riots, which would give him the reason to step in and take control.”

  “So, we wait and play games,” Sven said carefully.

  “Exactly. He has the budget for this fiscal year. We'll tie the next one up for awhile and draw it out as long as we can. See where it goes and what sort of horse trading we can get out of it,” Sven replied.

  “What happened to not wanting to piss off the guy with the guns, sir?” Sven asked.

  “Apparently, it's a game that was played against the commodore as well, correct?” the Veraxin asked. His human deputy nodded. “Very well. Did you get a copy of Admiral Irons' messages to us?”

  “He didn't have it on him,” Sven said as he stepped over to his desk and leaned against it. He crossed his arms. “I recorded the entire thing if you want to see it.”

  “I do, but I'm wary of letting that recording out into the open. It's too incendiary for him and us. Did you take notes?” L'r'kk asked. Sven nodded. “Go over them and the recording and then destroy the recording and any copies. We don't want this biting him in the ass.”

  “What about keeping it as insurance? Blackmail him in the future?” Sven suggested.

  “It is possible I suppose, but I don't want ONI getting their hands on it. Something tells me we're going to need all the allies in uniform that we can get,” the Veraxin said as he departed the office.

  Chapter 29

  Horatio checked on his little side project he'd started. Designing a support ship with Mercury using the parts he knew Bek could create and the minimum parts that Caroline had brought in, plus his own input seemed simple enough in theory. A warship would have been a more enticing thing, but he'd settled on something simple in order to build off success. The project had started out as a lark, a whimsical escape vessel for him initially. But then a few people took note of the design and expressed interest.

  He ran it past a couple of the ship architects and then ran their suggestions past Mercury. Both the design and the program garnered interest, despite his pariah position.

  Some of the officers started to talk to him on the sly, expressing keen interest. He realized many were tired of just going over the same designs; a few genuinely wanted to build starships or at least new ships. They wanted to make a name for themselves, to make a splash, if only to jump their careers once they got into civilian service when their careers in the military ended.

  He'd take whatever interest he could. He saw it as something of a guerrilla war. A way to get interest, to train the Bekian personnel, and to get them focused on the outer problems around them, not their own self-interest and selfish needs.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Li
eutenant Si frowned as she got the latest report from her friend in the logistics office. It wasn't good, but things were slowly improving. Despite their situation and the scattered nature of everyone, she did her best to keep tabs on the team as much as possible, which brought up her current dilemma. She had heard through her contacts that there was trouble brewing in Commodore Logan's command. The scuttlebutt said that a woman had just joined his command, an officer. One that many whispered about but none dared talk about openly.

  She was so intent on her mission she didn't realize or seem to care that other people had realized that she was stalking the commodore. From the sound of it, she was a junior officer which was a no-no. A honey trap, she knew, something she'd heard about. It was a career killer.

  Unfortunately, she was not sure what to do about it, if she could do anything at all that was. She got a look at the young woman and recognized the blond as someone she'd heard of, a hatchet woman. She tried to pass on a warning to the commodore, but she was thwarted by his schedule. She had no real reason to just walk into his office too.

  She was tempted to send him an e-mail or text message through their implants, but she realized the WiFi was being monitored. Only a direct message would be safe.

  Finally, she tracked down Lieutenant Olson and arranged a run-in on his way into the office. “Lieutenant, long time no see,” she said with a smile as he came around.

  “Ma'am! Good to see you,” he said in reply. “It has been a couple weeks.”

  “How have you been settling in?” she asked.

  He rolled his eyes. “Not bad, ma'am. Not what we were expecting at all though,” he said with a rueful sigh.

  “I know,” she said. She opened a text file, attached her warning to it, and then shot it directly at him.

  The widening of his eyes was all the confirmation she needed. She smiled. “You're hanging in there, right?” she asked.

  He nodded slowly. “Trying to ma'am. We're trying to fit in the best we can,” he said, eyes rapidly scanning the terse warning note. She could see his expression cloud and then he nodded. “Thanks,” he said softly.