Clan and Conviction (Clan Beginnings)

by Tracy St. John

  * * * *

  Ten days after setting tracking nanites on Delir dealer Nobek Latwik, the precinct was ready to strike. Gelan looked over the large force gathered in Undercover Ops’ command center.

  It was an impressive group. It consisted of himself and Wynhod, Nost and a small group of his men, four enforcer squads, and the same number of sniper squads. Dr. Krijero from Criminal Psychology was there too, lurking in a back corner and looking intimidated by the armored and weapons-heavy men gathered.

  At the front of the large room where the knots of men gathered, vids stretched in a line showing the rundown of today’s plan, a map schematic of Latwik’s trails and routes, a picture of the brutish and scarred Latwik himself, and breakdowns on security systems around their target areas.

  Nost stood beneath the vids, giving them all a quick synopsis of the situation, pointing out areas of interest on the map. “The man we’ve been following the past few days changes his patterns each day, but he’s not random about it. Day One, we tracked him to this restaurant, where we believe he met two other men to exchange the funds from sales. Hours later, he showed up at this food distribution center to drop off storage bins. He then went to a warehouse that exports goods off-planet and picked up more bins.”

  An enforcer called out, “Was he picking up Delir, sir?”

  Nost nodded. “That’s what we believe. For the next three days, he went to other places. We’re operating under the belief he did the same exact thing, just at different locations.”

  Wynhod scowled with reluctant admiration. “Smart. No wonder enforcement has never gotten a bead on them.”

  A nearby undercover ops officer nodded. “This is a big operation. Really big.”

  Gelan glanced at Krijero, hiding in his corner. He thought about the Imdiko’s assertion that there was more to the case than a gang of thugs selling drugs. Damned if it didn’t look like exactly that. He frowned.

  Nost continued his briefing. “This member of the Delir gang has screwed up. Our subject repeated the pattern, going to those specific places the next four days in the same order. Yesterday, he retraced his original route, which means today he will transfer funds at the liquor dispensary, drop off his bins at this abandoned mine, and pick up his next supply at the private storage facility. The storage facility is where we’ll take him down. Investigator Gelan?”

  Gelan stepped forward with Wynhod at his side. He turned to the group of men. “Our first priority is to get Nobek Latwik alive. These guys suicide immediately when they know they’re going down.”

  “Damn, what a waste,” someone snorted. “Dead drug dealer.”

  Gelan grinned and nodded his agreement. “Latwik is slime, but he can’t tell me who the leaders of the gang are if he’s dead. Snipers, you have the tranquilizer darts we supplied you with. Take him down and put him in stasis as fast as possible. That is all you have to do.” He turned to his partner. “Enforcer Wynhod, your turn.”

  Wynhod looked over the enforcer squads, his gaze sharp. “Enforcers, you will be taking down all the other locations Latwik has visited for drop offs and pickups. Go in fast and place everyone you find in custody. The exception is the storage area, where we’ll let the snipers do their job catching Latwik first. Once he’s been secured, we’ll go in. There has been no evidence of others around when Latwik makes his pickups from that location, but assume the worst. There may be gang members who will not only shoot at you, but they could try to kill Latwik before we can question him.”

  Raised eyebrows greeted that bit of information. It was Krijero who had come up with that interesting potential twist. Wynhod had taken the psych’s concerns seriously.

  The Nobek continued. “All locations, bring everyone you find here and isolate them from each other so they can’t talk. Dr. Krijero, I believe you had a word of warning for my men?”

  As heads turned to look at the Imdiko in the corner, Gelan saw him shrink for an instant, as if trying to hide from being the center of attention. Krijero straightened again however, and even shook some of the hair out of his eyes.

  He told everyone, “Just be aware that there’s a very good reason no headway has been made in this case. The Delir gang gives nothing up, and they fight like they have nothing to lose. They’ll not only suicide, they’ll take as many as you with them as possible. Be ready.”

  Wynhod kept watching Krijero as he spoke to the enforcers. “You heard the man. We’re talking desperate men who won’t feel a thing when it comes to killing you.”

  Krijero nodded and leaned back into his corner. He offered Wynhod a grateful smile.

  Nost looked to those under his command. “My men, as soon as the enforcers clear those buildings, you’ll go in and confiscate every computer and file you can find. I don’t care how insignificant anything looks; get it all. If there’s evidence, we’ve got to have it.

  Gelan looked over every officer. “All right. If he holds to his usual pattern, Latwik will start his rounds in about an hour. Everyone’s geared up and ready. Let’s get these bastards.”

  There were affirmative shouts from the predominantly Nobek group, a collection of snarls and howls that made it sound like wild animals filled the room. They assembled in their various teams and headed out.

  Gelan and Wynhod brought up the rear of the exodus. Their destination was the storage unit complex where, if the ancestors were kind, Latwik would be taken.

  Just as the Dramok was about to walk out the door, a quiet voice spoke. “Good luck, Investigator Gelan.”

  Gelan saw that Krijero stood nearby. He grinned at the Imdiko. “Thanks. We’ll see you soon.”

  He trotted at Wynhod’s side, heading for the shuttle bay.

  Chapter 8

  The storage warehouse where Gelan hoped to capture Nobek Latwik was located on the lowest level of the industrial Tus Mountain Complex. No housing existed within this particular mountain; most of it was dedicated to manufacturing. Storage and warehousing took up the lowest levels, the actual work in those places mostly automated. One didn’t see a notable number of workers until Level Four. That level and the two above it were leased to a metalworks company. At the top perched Benor Pharmaceuticals, part of the giant corporation Benor Industries. It held almost half the mountain as its production headquarters.

  The lowest level of the complex featured a stretch of landing pad in the center of the covered warehouse bays. The group of law enforcement officers surrounding the area had landed in bays farther up the mountain. Stealthy enforcers and snipers slipped to their assigned places through utility and maintenance shafts. Even in this barely populated area, they’d taken care to keep from being seen by any civilians or potential spies.

  While the floor of the level was smoothed over for easy landing and walking, much of the rest of the area had been left as the raw rock of the mountain. That gave Gelan’s attack force plenty of hiding places from which to watch the warehouse area undetected. Gelan’s own spot was behind an outcropping of stone, which shielded both himself and Wynhod from view.

  Nost’s quiet voice sounded in Gelan’s earpiece. “I’ve got body heat signatures in key places where they could be keeping an eye on Latwik’s pickup. We’ve definitely got company. Putting on tactical.”

  Gelan and Wynhod already had their helmets’ visors down. Information scrolled down in front of Gelan’s left eye. It showed nearly a dozen men in strategic areas around the specific warehouse that Latwik had been seen frequenting. They were not law enforcement.

  Gelan whispered, “It looks like our brain trust was dead on about the gang being just as ready to kill Latwik as anyone who targets him.” He made a quick decision. “Take them out, Wynhod. Latwik is the one we want alive.”

  The Nobek’s pulse rifle was already out and sighted on his first target. “Acknowledged. Enforcement squad, shoot to kill all targets except Latwik. Repeat, the order on the unidentified men surrounding the warehouse is shoot to kill as soon as primary object is down. I am sending you your specific
targets now.”

  On the heels of that came another voice that Gelan didn’t know the owner of. “We have the primary target sighted. He is entering the area now.”

  It was one of Nost’s men, giving the signal Latwik was on his way. Gelan tensed in anticipation and heard the growing hum of an approaching shuttle.

  Wynhod said, “Stand by, all enforcers.”

  Nost: “The moment primary target comes out with the candy, sniper takes him.”

  Then the sniper commander: “Acknowledged. In the event first sniper misses, second sniper shoots. All other snipers, stand by to back up enforcers.”

  The shuttle drifted down almost lazily to the landing pad. Gelan and Wynhod watched as Latwik left it. He snagged a nearby hover cart among the half dozen waiting by the warehouse’s opening and went inside. Long seconds ticked by, then even longer minutes.

  Gelan watched the warehouse entrance, his muscles singing with tension. At last, Latwik appeared, his hover cart laden with storage bins. He headed towards his shuttle.

  The sniper commander gave the order. “Drop him.”

  The drugged dart made no sound as the sniper shot. Gelan didn’t know the sniper had fired until Latwik staggered. He went to one knee and then keeled over, flat on his face.

  Several men, the ones Nost had warned them about, came out of hiding. Their percussion blasters were out, sighting on the downed Nobek dealer.

  Wynhod and the other enforcers scattered around the warehouse rose up as one. They fired with both plasma rifles and blasters, taking out the men targeting Latwik in one deafening volley of firepower.

  No sooner had the last man fallen when Wynhod ordered, “Enforcer squads, into the scene!”

  He raced out from behind the hiding place he shared with Gelan. The other enforcers were also rushing towards the warehouse, moving in dark blurs. Wynhod and a squad commander took up protective positions over the downed Latwik while the rest of the enforcers checked the dead and searched the area for other potential hostiles. There were intermittent calls of “Clear!” as sections were found empty of troublemakers.

  After about five minutes of that, Wynhod got confirmation that the entire area had been secured. He said, “Send your team in, Supervisor Nost. Investigator Gelan, you are clear to enter the scene.”

  Gelan jogged out from behind the outcropping. Members of undercover ops were also coming out as Wynhod cuffed the unconscious Latwik’s wrists and ankles. He pointed to the back of Latwik’s neck, which he’d swept long strands of hair from. Plain to see was the scarred image of a knife, rendered much better than the one of the man who’d tried to kill Hurs. Gelan traded triumphant grins with his partner as he trotted past.

  He met up with Nost, already opening up one of the 25 bins the drug dealer had been floating to his shuttle. The two Dramoks’ eyes met as the contents were displayed: Delir in all its forms of greenish-gray powder, spray, and hypo-ready emerald-colored serum. Just the one bin contained the most Delir Gelan had ever seen in one place. A quick inventory showed that all the bins were similarly packed.

  “Shit,” Gelan breathed. He never imagined he’d find this much of the drug when they caught Latwik. What he looked at represented more money than he could hope to make in his lifetime.

  Nost’s quiet tone betrayed his own stunned reaction despite the understatement of his words. “Big score, Investigator. You’ll probably get a commendation for this.”

  Gelan dragged his gaze from the Delir to Latwik, being floated towards a prisoner transport shuttle that had landed moments ago. “As incredible as this is, Latwik is an even bigger prize. We’ve finally got a live one.” He grinned at the other officers who’d taken a moment to be amazed by the record confiscation. “Fantastic work, everyone. That couldn’t have gone more perfectly.”

  There were still the other locations to hear from, but this was the one that really mattered. They had a member of the Delir gang in custody and the biggest haul of the devastating drug found anywhere. Gelan couldn’t restrain the broad grin eating up his face. It was damned good to finally win one.

  * * * *

  While Wynhod got Latwik ready for a round of questioning, Gelan went to the Criminal Psychology Department. Krijero frowned at something on his computer vid as the Dramok neared. Jomik sat at his desk and warily watched the investigator’s approach. Gelan ignored him.

  Krijero didn’t react at all when Gelan stood right next to him, so Gelan happily clapped the Imdiko on his shoulder with the announcement, “We got him.”

  Krijero jumped, startled. His flailing arm knocked a handheld off his desk. Gelan swooped low and caught it before it could hit the floor.

  The psych gave him a wide-eyed stare before recovering enough to say, “Oh. Hi! Thanks,” he added, taking his handheld from Gelan. “You caught Latwik? That’s great!” Krijero peered around with a concerned expression. “Where’s your partner? No one got hurt this time, right?”

  Gelan patted the Imdiko’s shoulder. “Only the bad guys. The entire operation went off without a hitch. The preliminary report should be in your system now.”

  Krijero brightened. “Great.” He pulled up another vid, the one that had the results of Latwik’s capture. “There it is. Thanks, I needed a little light reading.”

  Gelan grinned at the joke. He located another chair and sat next to Krijero’s desk as the Imdiko glanced over the details of the mission. He got a surge of satisfaction when Krijero’s jaw dropped at the inventory. “Bad guy caught with plenty of evidence.”

  “By the ancestors,” the psych breathed. “That’s a lot of Delir.”

  “Most ever confiscated in one go,” Gelan confirmed. “Before you get into that analysis, I need a favor.”

  “Sure. Anything to help.”

  Gelan held back a smirk. He had a feeling Krijero was going to regret automatically agreeing without first knowing what the Dramok had in mind. “I want you to sit down with Latwik first before we start interrogation. Get a feel for him, what makes him tick. It will help me approach him better when I have my turn with him.”

  Krijero blinked and swallowed. Just as Gelan thought, the Imdiko was not happy with the request. His voice came out a little high-pitched. “You mean, you want me to actually talk to the guy?”

  Gelan gave him his most charming smile. “You’ll be completely safe. We’ll put him in a suspension field, where he can’t move at all. Plus a couple of armed enforcers will be there.”

  The investigator could practically see the gears turning in Krijero’s head. The psych was trying to find a way out of honoring his agreement to do anything for the case.

  His tone weak, the Imdiko said, “You know, I’m not like a one-on-one counselor. I analyze behavior patterns by looking at the cycle of activity and a perp’s interaction with other officers who question him.”

  “I realize that.” Gelan decided to stroke the man’s seemingly non-existent ego. “Krijero, you’re smart. You were absolutely right in how these guys are all or nothing. There were people waiting to kill Latwik rather than let us take him.”

  That made the psych thoughtful despite his obvious distress. “Maybe they didn’t trust him to kill himself like all the others. That could mean he’s more likely to tell us stuff if we figure out where his biggest loyalty lies.”

  “I’ve got to get him to talk, and you’re my best chance to do that without torture or drugs.”

  “I’m no interrogator.” Krijero reddened, and his gaze dropped to his desktop. “I know you’ve noticed how bad I am at expressing myself with others. I’m awkward as hell in conversation.”

  Gelan leaned close to him. “That’s what I’m counting on. Latwik would be on his guard with an actual interrogator. He won’t know what to make of you. You’ll knock him off balance.”

  Krijero snorted. He refused to look at Gelan.

  The Dramok didn’t let up. “I don’t expect you to get anything out of him. I just want you to talk to him, get an assessment, figure out how I can best
approach him.” He added, in the most intensely sincere tone he could muster, “I can’t begin to tell you how much I would appreciate you doing this for the case.”

  Krijero squirmed in his chair. One purple eye peeked up at Gelan through the cowlick that hid half his face. Sounding dreadfully uncertain, he said, “Well … I guess I could try…”

  Before the Imdiko could find another argument to stave Gelan off, the investigator stood. Though it would no doubt piss off the man’s clanmates if they found out, he dared to touch Krijero, tugging the other man to his feet. “Great! He’s already in Interrogation and coming out of sedation.”

  Obviously reluctant, Krijero slowly straightened. This was the closest Gelan had ever stood to the other man. Damn Krijero was tall, nearly Wynhod’s height. He had at least three inches on Gelan. The Dramok was abruptly aware of Krijero’s long, lithe frame, standing close enough to put his arm around. The short sleeves of the psych’s shirt showed arms nicely corded with lean muscle. Gelan couldn’t help but run his gaze over the whole package. He enjoyed what he saw, especially the tight ass encased in wrinkled but well-cut trousers. The Dramok’s cocks twitched.

  Gelan wasn’t surprised he found the guy so attractive at this moment. After all, he’d already noted the appealing face under all that messy hair. More than anything, the high of catching a Delir gang member alive long enough to question him had the investigator feeling pretty damned good all over.

  He realized he’d been rather grabby with Krijero since coming in the office, a no-no for a Dramok to do with a clanned Imdiko. Especially a Dramok on the verge of arousal. His excitement made him rude. When Krijero hesitated however, it was all Gelan could do to keep his hands to himself and not physically urge the other man forward.

  “Thanks so much for doing this, Krijero,” he said instead. “We need to get a move on, so you can hopefully catch Latwik before he pulls his head together.”

  “Okay.” Finally, the psych began to walk towards the door that would take them into the corridor. His feet were dragged with excruciating slowness, but Gelan comforted himself with the knowledge that at least Krijero was moving.