Espero (The Silver Ships Book 6)
Page 33
“Certainly, Chief,” Franz allowed.
“Why are we searching up here for the girls?” Julien asked.
“Um, Mr. —”
“No mister. Just Julien.”
“Wow … Julien. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Julien,” Yakiro gushed, extending his hand.
Julien shook the man’s hand, and then said, “My question, Ser?”
“Oh, yes, well, we lost them,” Yakiro said in consternation.
Julien chuckled and Franz burst out laughing.
“I don’t understand the joke,” Yakiro said, unsure whether to be angry at the laughter or pleased that the Harakens weren’t upset over the news.
“Who knew we were coming here to rescue your butts twice, Chief … once from Toyo and once from yourself, since you can’t hang on to three young women,” Franz said, trying to control his laughter as the chief’s face reddened.
“Perhaps, we should begin the search, Chief Yakiro,” Julien said, holding out his hand in the direction of the green lift.
Yakiro was about to reply when he froze, having witnessed the face paint and feathers wink off Julien to be replaced by a small hat. “Wow,” he whispered.
Yakiro saw a force of Harakens running up behind Julien and the commander. So he turned and led the group back to where the barricade was mostly dismantled. When Kadmir’s people joined Yakiro and the Harakens, the security chief laid out the search patterns he wanted his people to lead the Harakens through. He was turning to introduce Commander Franz Cohen and Julien, when the SADE froze in an utterly still manner. Then just as quickly, Julien resumed a human appearance and started walking.
Julien’s comms power capability exceeded a Haraken’s implant by 2.7 fold. It meant the SADE could send farther than a human implant could respond. Unfortunately, it meant a ping from him would fail to be returned, if the human was out of implant range.
In this case, Julien’s comm mapping had detected the absorption of his powerful signal by a small but dense area, such as would be created by three young women close together. The absorption point, or hole, Julien detected was extremely faint. In fact, if he turned his head, the app would fail to map the tiny area.
Following the mapped point became an imperative, and the Harakens cleared Kadmir’s people from Julien’s path as he followed the curve of the concourse to close on the source. Several times, Julien took side corridors to walk into a bar, restaurant, or showroom, only to have his way to the source point blocked, which required him to backtrack.
“What’s he doing?” Yakiro whispered to Franz after a while.
“Julien’s honing in on the girls,” Franz replied quietly.
“How?” Yakiro asked, and Franz touched his temple in reply. “Oh,” Yakiro replied, all the more intrigued by Julien.
Following the SADE, the Harakens nearly circumnavigated the dome back to the concourse as it led to the landing bay, even though, by design, the perimeter corridor didn’t complete a full circle. All patrons had only one path to the bay, forcing them to pass by all of Kadmir’s offerings to come and go from the main dome to the landing bay.
Abruptly Julien turned and walked through the wide open doors of a large restaurant where hundreds of people sat around tables and were guarded by Kadmir’s security forces.
Franz watched three yellow environment-suited figures on the restaurant’s far side jump up, squealing. The girls threaded their way through the tables, running as fast as they could in the New Terran safety gear. They threw themselves at Julien, who thankfully as a SADE could take the impact of three young women. The girls proceeded to hug every Haraken after that.
Yakiro touched his ear comm and called Kadmir.
“Kadmir here. What do you have, Chief?”
“The Harakens … make that their SADE, Julien, located the girls, Sir. They were seated with our patrons in the Lunar Restaurant, and we never knew it. The women were hiding in plain sight. They were wearing environment suits.”
“What do you want to guess that it was those three women who started everyone donning the suits, and then they exited with them?”
“Sounds about right, Sir.”
“Are they all right, Chief?”
“They’re fine … busy hugging every Haraken in sight.”
“Good work, Chief. One huge disaster averted. Escort them to the green lift and ask them to wait there. I’m bringing the president up.”
* * *
Christie, Amelia, and Eloise shucked their suits and hung on the arms of Julien and Franz, as they followed Chief Yakiro through the concourse.
“If you will indulge me, we will wait at the green lift,” Yakiro said.
“Why?” Christie asked.
“I understand your brother is coming up from the lower domes with Mr. Kadmir,” Yakiro replied.
“Oh,” Christie said, quietly. She threw concerned looks at her two companions.
Amelia sent back.
Amelia and Eloise were still laughing quietly when the green lift car announced its arrival at the main concourse level and the doors slid open.
Alex was the first to step out, and Christie threw herself into her brother’s arms. She dangled above the floor, her arms tightly around Alex’s neck.
Christie replied.
Eventually, Alex let Christie down, and he eyed Amelia, who ducked her head in embarrassment. But when Alex opened his arms to her, she ran into them, her slender frame held tenderly in Alex’s powerful arms.
When Alex set Amelia down, he saw tears coursing down Eloise’s face.
Eloise sent. Fear, relief, and anguish roiled through her thoughts.
Around Alex and the girls, the Harakens were shedding tears of joy. Even a few of Kadmir’s people were misty-eyed at the emotional reunion.
* * *
Christie, Amelia, and Eloise were anxious to share their recordings of the Espero club, their journey aboard the freighter, and the encounters with the various individuals handling their kidnapping, but Alex halted all discussions.
“This mess has gotten much bigger than illegal drugs and kidnapping,” Alex explained, once they had removed themselves from the vicinity of Kadmir’s security people. “As Harakens, we have severely overstepped the boundaries of New Terran law. Right now, we need to be prioritizing damage control.”
“Commander Cohen, Cordelia, escort our three wayward young women back to your traveler. Take several troopers with you and remain aboard with the hatch closed until I have further directions for you.”
Christie started to object, but one look from her brother silenced her.
Cordelia sent.
Christie gave her brother a quick kiss on the cheek, and both Amelia and Eloise touched Alex’s arm in passing as the three women hurried off to the traveler.
; “Okay, second big item checked off … the girls are safe,” Tatia remarked.
“And the first, Admiral?” Julien asked, thinking he had missed something.
“The kidnapper has paid the ultimate price for endangering our children,” Alex replied.
“Ah, Ser Toyo is dead. I didn’t realize that was a priority,” Julien replied.
“A priority? No, but it was on my to-do list if the opportunity came up,” Tatia said, her chin jutting forward, ready to take on Julien’s moral challenge.
“More important things to consider, you two, and, for the record, I’m not displeased that Toyo met his end at Tatia’s hands. It was an important lesson for the man to have learned, even if briefly … not to mess with Haraken women … young or not so young,” Alex said, grinning at Tatia.
Julien kept his thoughts to himself. He understood the desire for revenge, but the pursuit of justice appeared to lead humans down dangerous paths. Yet, he had witnessed the shortcomings of New Terran laws and its legal system, which had often failed to provide the people with justice. He did not mourn Toyo’s passing, but wondered if there was a better way to redirect those humans who seemed intent on errant behavior.
“I think we have to consider consolidating our assets … the ones we want to protect,” Tatia said. “We have two ships, and Drake and Jaya are already aboard the Tanaka. And Terese is ready aboard the Rêveur, with the engineering suite set up as a lab.”
“I’ve already given orders to Reiko to tell Miranda to protect the two key biochemists, the lab equipment, and any documentation,” Alex said. “It would be best to have Miranda take her people and everything she recovers to the Rêveur.”
“And what will President Drake’s reaction be when none of the evidence he’s asked us to secure shows up onboard the Tanaka?” Julien asked.
“Extremely angry for one thing,” Alex said. “We must remember that Will Drake is not Maria Gonzalez. He has a different concept of what he thinks are the duties of the president.”
“Then we have to give Drake an alternative reason to engage these domes, and I know just the tactic to take,” Tatia said, grinning.
“Okay,” Alex said. “First, Julien, reach Franz and request he fill his traveler with the same people he brought. Transport his passengers to the Rêveur, drop Cordelia, Mickey, the girls, and the crew he picked up there, and return his ship to the Tanaka. Copy Cordova and Reiko on that message.”
“Done,” Julien replied.
“Second, Julien, a message to Miranda. Transport the lab equipment, the two lead biochemists, and ten of her original crew that she took with her, including Svetlana and Deirdre, but not Willem, to the Rêveur. She’s to expedite her exit before the authorities arrive and remain on the liner. Copy Cordova and Reiko on that message.”
“Again, done, Ser.”
“Third, a message to Reiko. Keep watch on Cressida where we expect TSF forces to originate and warn Miranda in advance of their arrival. If she has to challenge the TSF travelers for ID to buy Miranda time to launch and clear Jolares space, she should do so, but gently.”
“Ready,” Julien replied.
“Last message is for Ellie. She’s to standby, maintain security in the Jolares’ domes until relieved by what I hope will be TSF forces and offer whatever cooperation to them she can. But, and this important, she’s to extricate herself as soon as possible with our remaining people and return to the Tanaka. Copy Reiko.”
“Messages sent and acknowledged, Mr. President.”
“Okay, Admiral, I hope your idea works. Julien, connect me to the Tanaka and President Drake.”
“Shall I have him woken, Ser Industrious One?” Julien asked.
“What?” Alex queried in surprise.
Tatia laughed. “It looks like we’ve run into the early morning hours. I thought it was just my bout with Toyo that had tired me. Vermin cleanup is hard work.”
* * *
“Did you collect your young women from Kadmir?” Drake asked. He was standing on the Tanaka’s bridge with Reiko, Eric, and Jaya. Everyone was woken from their sleep, but only Reiko appeared properly dressed.
“Wonderful to hear, Mr. President, but I’m sensing other issues. Are the girls okay?” Drake asked.
“I assume you stayed out of the fray until Kadmir’s people handled the situation. The Udrides domes comprise Kadmir’s establishment under his company’s mining charter. By New Terran law, Kadmir has the authority to deal with any issues on his property as he sees fit, and it’s important that you respected that.”
Tatia placed her hand on Alex’s arm, and he nodded his assent.
“Cooling … as in dead, Admiral?” Jaya asked.
Drake and Jaya looked at each other in consternation. “Admiral, you’re describing wholesale murder,” Drake replied.
“So these are the exigent circumstances you’re citing, Admiral, which you felt demanded your encroachment on New Terran sovereign space and required you enter into this conflict?”
Tatia knew where Drake was headed. He needed to hear a plausible defense of the Harakens’ actions that he could use when he dealt with the Assembly or the courts.
“Was the main dome’s integrity defeated?” Jaya asked.
Drake was shaking his head, wondering how such a level of violence was possible among his people.
“I’ve ordered a launch of TSF troopers from Cressida for Jolares, where the drug lab was discovered. I will order a second launch of troopers for Udrides,” Drake said. “That should just about exhaust the base’s resources.”
“Are there any estimates of the dead?” Jaya asked.
The word patrons scared Drake. It underlined the unfolding of a political nightmare. Patrons could mean local miners splurging their savings, but it could also mean wealthy New
Terrans, which could mean families. Please, no dead children, Drake thought.
“What’s the status of Toyo and his people? Have they all been … neutralized?’ Jaya asked He was struggling to choose words that circumvented describing in blunt terms the wholesale slaughter of people.
Julien quipped to Alex and Tatia.
“And the status of your people, Alex?” Drake asked.
“Thank you for going to the aid of our civilians, President Racine,” Drake sent. “I don’t have to tell you what these horrendous circumstances mean to our government and our people. In addition to the tragic loss of life, it will create a political mess. In the near future, I will require your utmost cooperation to manage this crisis through the Assembly and the courts, if necessary.”
Alex closed the comm, and Drake issued emergency instructions, intending to bring order to the disaster that had befallen Ganymede’s moons.
On Udrides, not more than a half-hour after the comm with Drake, Alex and Tatia received a private comm from Julien sent to him from Lumley aboard the Rêveur, which was stationed overhead. TSF troopers were en route from Cressida to Jolares. The chronometer was counting down for Miranda to clear the domes with the assets the Harakens wanted to preserve before the TSF arrived.
* * *
“Captain Shimada, I require a comm with General Dolan Oppert, the head of TSF. His headquarters are situated in Prima. My staff can locate him instantly,” Drake said.
Without a SADE aboard, it took several comm connections before the general was finally located. He was on a celebratory camping trip with close friends and had been there ever since the busts of the fourteen illegal drug-manufacturing locations. Oppert was ensuring that his powerful friends, who had accompanied him, knew he had engineered the highly successful crackdown on the criminals.