Lt. Adams answered “there is no way to be certain about the new crop but I would bet all our other officers are loyal. The best we can do is make sure we have three or four officers that we pick grouped together on any assignments. I will guarantee that you couldn’t find even two disloyal officers picked at random in the OSI.”
“Good. Please see to it Lieutenants. I will attend the Council session tomorrow morning along with Lt. Cope to make sure there are no problems in getting the session postponed. After that we will plan how to take the rebel village with tentatively set for day after tomorrow morning.”
“You think my girls will be all right till then,” Amanda asked?
“They will take good care of the girls least they need them to negotiate their freedom at some time,” Liam said.
“Good,” said Amanda.
*****
Early the next morning Agent Smithe was seated in the Council Chambers wondering where Lt. Cope was as the time for the Session to
begin approached. Finally, just as Council Chairman Smathers entered the Chamber, Lt Cope walked in and sat down by Liam in the seat Liam had saved for him. The Chamber was crowded, mostly with what appeared to be caravan traders.
“I couldn’t get in to see the Chairman this morning,” Lt. Cope told Liam, “but I got your request in to him about thirty minutes ago. Hopefully he has had time to read it or we will have to bring the issue up during discussion.”
“Point out to me this Jacob Erickson who is Chairman of the Traders association, please, “Liam asked.
“That is him in the first row, second from the end. Captain Santos apparently grew up with Jacob and says there is no way he could be involved in this conspiracy.”
“We will see. From my view point he has a lot to gain if the Traders Association gets control of the river trade. We will see.
Councilman Smathers called the session to order.
“This is a special session regarding the numerous attacks on the caravans, the last of which completely wiped out over fifty men, women, and teenagers, apparently sparing the younger children. Jacob Erickson, Chairman of the Traders Association has requested that the tribe most likely responsible be moved to a western section of the equatorial jungle in order to keep them from any more interference with the caravans. That proposal is the subject of this session.”
Liam began to think that indeed the Council Chairman had not read his order, not request, and was going to go ahead with the session. Liam hate to exert his authority any more than necessary but he would if he had too.
“Is Agent Liam Smithe present,” Smathers asked, picking up a paper that looked like the order Liam had prepared the night before?
Liam stood. “I am Federation Agent Liam Smithe,” he said.
“I have a request here from you to postpone this session for one week while you complete some sort of investigation. Is that correct?
“Yes Sir, it is,” Liam said not making an issue at the moment of his order being termed a request.
“Would you like to tell me the nature of your investigation that would impact the issue the Council has been convened to discuss?” Smathers asked.
“No Sir, I cannot do that. My investigation is confidential until complete, which, I hope, will be within the week.”
“Confidential from the Government?” Smathers said in an obviously irritated voice.
“It is confidential even from the Federation Council until it is complete. You may, as any federation citizen may, complain in writing to the Federation Council. But for now my investigation remains as is,” Liam said, irritated himself. Every Federation citizen should know their rights and responsibilities, particularly anyone in position of government.
“Suppose we ignore this request and continue our session as planned. Do you get to write the Federation Council and complain too,” Smathers asked contemptuously? I don’t think there are any Federation troops on planet to enforce your request.”
Before Liam could respond, one of the Council members seated next to the Chairman whispered lengthy into his ear.
Liam wisely held his comment as the Chairman’s face gradually turned red, but when the Chairman spoke again it was in a much more conciliatory voice.
“The Council will, of course, obey all Federation law, and that includes your request,” the Chairman said, banging down his gavel. “This Council will be continued until one week from today,” he said loudly, and then stood and walked out of the Council Chambers.
The buzz from the audience grew as the other Councilmen left the room. Jacob Erickson rose and headed towards Liam, obviously with the intent to find out about his caravans. Liam could have hurried out, avoiding the confrontation, but didn’t think that wise.
“Could I speak with you for a moment, Agent Smithe?” Ericson asked as he walked up to Liam.
“Certainly,” answered Liam, “and you are…” as if he didn’t know.
“I am Jacob Erickson, Chairman of the Traders Association. Are you going to provide protection to my caravans from those savages while you dink around investigating something?” Erickson seemed upset, which would have been normal, but Liam, with all of his experience, caught something that was off.
“I suggest that if you are worried about your caravans, and you have every right to be, you ground them for a week until this is settled.”
“We have towns and villages that need what our caravans supply. We have already put our caravans in a defensive mode for the last three days but we can’t keep this up much longer. If we had a squad of officers with each caravan that would probably be enough to scare off these raids.”
“You know the OSI can’t do that. It would take every officer in the OSI to assign six officers to each caravan. And I am not as sure as you that six officers would be sufficient. Not if there were a hundred or two of the tribesmen attacking a caravan.”
“Then let us carry some serious weapons,” Erickson retorted, “that would at least give our people a chance when they are attacked.”
“Where, exactly, would you get these serious weapons,” Liam asked, all alert now.
“Oh, well… I thought maybe the OSI would release some of the weapons they have been stockpiling for years.”
“How do you know about what weapons the OSI may or may not have, Jacob?”
“You know…it’s sort of common knowledge. People complaining that their weapons have been confiscated. Well, if you won’t, I better try and get those caravans closest to the Pawassa Tribe to stay in the towns for a few more days. I sure hope you get this solved quickly.”
Erickson made a somewhat hasty retreat out of the Council Chambers. Liam and Lt. Cope watched as he left.
“Still think Erickson has no part in the conspiracy?” Liam asked Lt. Cope.
“I don’t know. He was acting kind a funny there, but I really don’t know him very well. It is true that you ask most anyone on the streets of Atlanta City and they will tell you the OSI is stuffed with all kinds of weaponry.”
“That is probably true,” Liam thought, remembering the huge vault of weapons he had seen at OSI headquarters. He made a mental note to have ninety percent of them melted down or otherwise destroyed. That would be an awful tempting target for a group determined to gaining control of the planet. Or any planet for that matter. The Federation kept a loose hand on its planetary members and territories, preferring planets to control their own populations. Only danger to the Federation as a whole would provoke action and Liam didn’t know what kind as except for Border Patrol ships, Judicial Teams and Federation Agents, the Federation would have trouble putting down any widespread disturbances anyway. Liam had often surmised that there was more to the Federation than even Agents knew about. During the years Liam had worked for the Federation he had never heard of, much less seen a retired Agent. Once in a long while it was rumored that an Agent had died or been killed, but no more. There were areas of the Federation that even Federation Agents were advised to not ask questions.
&nbs
p; *****
Vera was working on columns of figures when one of her runners burst into the makeshift office carrying Vera’s comm unit. She hated the thing, didn’t trust it, and refused to have it in her office but kept some one listening to it as a necessity.
“Comm unit for you Vera,” she said, holding the instrument out to her.
When Vera saw who was making the call, she perked right up. “Good morning, Jacob, has the Council passed our suggestion already,” Vera asked?
“No,” Jacob bit off. “That son-of-a-bitch Federation Agent made the Council postpone action for a week until, he said, he would have all the problems solved.”
“Can he do that Jacob? I thought the Council was the top authority here.”
“Those damn Federation Agents can do about what they want. How is the Council going to over-rule him when he has thousands of officers at his command? He could probably completely replace the Council if he felt like it.”
“What are we going to do,” Vera asked, shaking a little?
“The only chance we have right now is to kill off the devil. With the Agent dead I think the Council is in a mood to go along with our plan just to spite the Federation. And who is going to report it to them, not a dead Agent!”
“I suppose you want me to do this little job,” Vera asked rhetorically, knowing that was exactly what Jacob was asking of her. “I will send a team out but don’t think you are going to be any less guilty of his death than I am and whomever is able to kill this agent.”
“Sure… I know we are all in this together. If that Agent ever catches up to us we all will be shipped off to a prison planet. Just let me know as soon as he is dead and I will get on to the Council Chairman. This has drug on far too, long.”
Jacob closed the comm even as Vera was tossing it to her runner. “Put this away again but keep someone available to hear it if someone comms. Also send Rolly in or have someone find him.” Rolly was male, but she had to admit he was probably the sharpest of her lieutenants when it came to planning an action. She would give him everything she had in the way of information on this Federation Agent and tell him to plan for several teams to go on this mission. This Agent may or may not be easy to take down, but right now was no time to take chances. This whole project could go down the tubes in the next few days unless they killed him. With a sigh Vera turned back to deciding who to promote into the top job on the new trade route. Decisions, decisions.
*****
Professor Janice Blake was even more scared to death than before. She hadn’t been threatened directly, but was told sternly that she and her other team members were to stay in their hut and not to wander about. When she asked about the bales of dried LL plant that had been harvested, they told her to shut up about it. And now one of the villagers, one Janice knew from her first trip, told her when he brought their daily meal that a Federation Agent was on-planet searching for who knew what.
Janet knew Vera would have no hesitation in killing her and the team, what was left of it, if necessary to save Vera’s backside. Janice was very familiar with Federation Agents through the teachings at the University of San Paulo, on Terra. Apparently her position as one of the plotters was gone and it was going to be every woman and man for her/himself. She turned to the other two members of her team, Professor Beverly James and Assistant Professor Mikhail Van were both dozing on their cots. Wasn’t much else to do except sit and look out at the jungle all day. Janice went to wake them. They all needed to plan and right now. If they could get back to the City perhaps, they could hide until off-planet travel was loosened again. She didn’t really believe that, in her own mind, but they had to try something.
*****
George and Ethan had little trouble finding clothing for the twins. Women (and sometimes men) dried their washing on lines strung all over the village. Even if it was raining now, it would stop soon. Some of the tribe living on upper levels often did their washing down where water was plentiful, A lot of it was then placed on lines and high trees near elevated buildings in an attempt to catch the breeze that could always be found up away from the ground. The boys grabbed a piece of clothing here, another there, quickly they had gathered enough to cloth Kirstin and Tamara. But it was too late in the day. The light was fast fading as it does in all equatorial lands and the rain had stopped and when the girls went to the toilet their guard remain very close at hand. No chance. It was not until the girls were back in their hut that Ethan realized they could have slipped into the girl’s hut while they and their guard were gone. Damn bad luck. They had found an empty hut that had no cots but several blankets tossed in one corner. Tired and hungry, Ethan and George curled up together with blankets pulled around themselves.
*****
Returning to OSI headquarters, Liam found the lieutenants hard at work trying to format a plan to attack the rebel village. Leaving them to their work, Liam headed back to Amanda’s, whom he had successfully persuaded to stay home this morning, to see how she was feeling. As it happened, Amanda was already up, although she did admit to sleeping in later than she had ever done in her life, pacing the floor, obviously worried about her daughters. Liam was able to get her to sit down with a promise to take her to OSI headquarters as soon as they had some lunch. Also delayed by a little, or a lot, of time spent in Amanda’s bedroom. It was the middle of the afternoon before Liam and Amanda returned to Headquarters. There were close to the five hundred officers that Lt. Adams had predicted working out in groups in the extra-large field next to Headquarters that was used by schools and private groups for soccer and other outdoor games. Another field nearby, not so nice, had been pressed into service as a parking lot. A very large parking lot as most of the officers had arrived in their official patrol aircars. Several employees had been drafted to act as traffic officers as a few officers were still trickling in from far-flung locations on the continent. Only a few of the top officers were able to park in the secured lot next to the headquarters building. Captain Santos still had her assigned spot so that was where Liam headed too.
The Lieutenants had drafted a rough plan for Liam’s approval and Liam, unfamiliar with the jungle area for the most part, simply approved their work. Only the Lieutenants, Agent Smithe and Captain Santos knew the exact time of 3:00 am, and the assignments, although most of the officers knew some action was in the works. At midnight the sergeants and above would be given their orders to pass along to each officer. Hopefully this information wouldn’t leak to the rebel tribe before the attack. But never any guarantees. Captain Santos had identified the location of the village as close as possible. There would be no attempt initially to surround the village but rather the seventy-five or so patrol aircars would set down in the village as close to the same time as possible. They would attempt to subdue as many of the villagers as possible while the other forty patrol aircars would form a loose circle a kilometer from the village to try and intercept as many of the escaping villagers as possible. All of the Sergeants and above would be armed both with stunners and hand lasers. Half of all of the officers in the surround would also carry hand lasers as the villagers trying to escape most likely would be the leaders and more determined not to be taken. Every patrol aircar would leave in pre-determined order. Orders had been given that any aircar leaving after the attack plan had been distributed, and before three o’clock, was to be shot down and the occupants put under arrest.
“Agent Smithe insisted that all of the Lieutenants finish and go get some sleep. Lt. Cope would be staying at headquarters, partially as he hadn’t fully recovered yet from his accident. Everyone else was to return just before 12:00, when the armory would be opened and the deadly weapons handed out. Liam had been worried about what kind of weapons the rebels held but knew there was nothing he could do about it. Finally, he got Amanda to agree to go home and get some sleep on threat of leaving her behind the next morning. The sun still had several hours before setting, but there seem to almost be a chill in the air. Amanda thought it was her imaginatio
n but Liam wasn’t so sure.
“I have been in somewhat similar situations,” Liam said, “and I have never been truly convinced that what we see and feel is totally within our own minds. It is crazy, I know, and I can’t explain it, but I do know it happens and it can sometimes help or hurt.”
Amanda shivered. “I don’t know but I feel really funny and the light from the sun looks difference on everything.”
“There is not much we can do about it right now and we both need to get some rest before the action starts,” Liam said.
They had been standing on the front steps but began walking hand in hand towards Liam’s aircar. Captain Santos’ parking slot was only twenty meters away, but as they walked slowly toward Liam’s aircar two officers, one a woman and one a man who had apparently been talking to each other at the carpark gate, started walking towards the couple. Liam didn’t say anything but he was uneasy. He switched sides with Amanda, putting himself between Amanda and the two approaching officers. He also angled their walk away from where his aircar was sitting. Both officers continued on their original path, heading towards the side entrance of the building. Liam relaxed somewhat, realizing he was very tense and looking forward to getting a bit more sleep before the action next morning. When the officers were at their closest point to Liam and Amanda, both started drawing their weapons. Liam had put his hand into his coat and now shot through his coat pocket with his laser at the woman officer even as he knew he wasn’t going to get the other officer with a second shot before the officer shot one of them, but Amanda, from behind Liam, shot the second officer with her stunner. Liam ran to the man shot by Amanda and placed handcuffs on him even though he was stunned. When Liam rolled the man over, however, his tongue was protruding and his face was turning blue. Liam yelled for medics as he tried to get the man’s heart started again, but it was no use. By the time a medic arrived it was evident that the man was dead.
Edge World Page 30