Shell Game, page 12
part #15 of The Last Hunter Series
The galley was big enough to hold them and maybe half a dozen more people, but it was unoccupied. Ed shooed his children and crew away and stepped over to the coffee maker. “I brewed up a fresh pot so we would have something to drink while we talked. I hope coffee is acceptable.”
Romanoff chuckled. “On a Navy ship, it’s mandatory. Thank you.”
Once coffee had been poured for everyone and sugar and creamer put out for those who liked it, the six of them sat. Romanoff launched right into their purpose for being there. “DuPont is under the heel of an alien invasion, and we’re here to deal with that, but the rather unique way the system is laid out makes it difficult. If I bring my battleships in to fight the alien ships here, that’ll make us very vulnerable to being swarmed and destroyed. That’s the reason we used a ship with stealth capability to sneak in. Since your son knew the layout here, we felt it appropriate to come and talk to you and try to get a sense of what the aliens are doing.”
Ed pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair. “I know those were the Locusts because I saw some documentaries when I was a kid. Also, it’s been all over the news programs, so I have to confess that I’m shocked that they haven’t destroyed everything in sight. They’re supposed to be destructive to everything in space, yet they seem to be taking a hands-off approach. That’s the only way to put it. They’ve destroyed anything that put up resistance but left the civilian infrastructure intact. So far as I’ve heard, they haven’t even bothered trying to communicate with us, other than some very basic instructions in picture format to steer clear of certain areas that they intend to occupy.”
Derek leaned forward a little. “Which areas? One of the reasons we’re here is to potentially steal the systems that allow them to control the Locusts remotely. You see, this isn’t the only group of Locusts we’re concerned about. They’re headed for Earth and in large enough numbers that fighting them head-to-head would be dangerous. This is our attempt to short-circuit their attack plans and defend the Confederation. Knowing where their leadership is holed up would be very useful.”
“To start with, they have Locusts moving through the asteroid belt,” the man said. “They use various asteroids as sun shields to protect them from the stellar output, and so do their ships. The news programs indicate there are roughly a dozen areas that they’ve taken control of, but if you’re looking for the leadership, I think I can tell you where they’re hiding.”
Romanoff raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What makes it stand out?”
“The number of ships. Prospectors like me talk with other ships around the system, and we’ve got our own grapevine of rumors and gossip. There’s one particular gathering point where these alien ships are present in larger numbers. No one’s gotten close enough to them to see what they’re doing, but quantity has a quality all its own or so I’m told. The number of Locusts in that area is higher as well. If someone gets too nosy, they get buzzed. I’d imagine if they don’t take the hint, they’ll get killed.”
“That does sound interesting. I don’t suppose any of your grapevine companions sent images.”
“Nothing close up, but some long-range ones that show fuzzy details. Like I said, the other areas they’ve declared off-limits aren’t as paranoid. We have seen some images in better detail because someone got close enough, but I’m not sure what knowing what they look like would do for you. Does their leadership have a specific kind of ship?”
“Their flagships are bigger,” the admiral said. “Also, I suspect that they have an allied race accompanying them in small numbers, and if those ships are there, then that’s another point in favor of that being their command vessels. My friends and I will get one try at getting those control codes, and I need to make sure we’re hitting the right place.”
“Makes sense. Still, now that I can give you information on that particular location, I’d imagine you and your hidden vessel could probably get close enough to figure that out on your own. Honestly, I’m not sure why you needed me for that.”
“May I?” Derek asked.
The admiral inclined his head.
Derek turned his attention to the prospector. “The key thing we need to know is what the enemy has been doing before we arrived. We’ll figure out where they’re hiding their command ships, but it would be helpful to know what they’ve sent to Earth. I’m willing to bet that they showed up in much greater numbers than they currently have here, and even getting an educated guess at how many were here previously would be helpful. If you don’t have that information, I’m willing to bet you know someone who does, whether that’s one of your prospector friends or someone working for the system government. We aren’t officially here, and we need someone to make those inquiries for us.”
The man seemed to think about that for a moment, and then he nodded. “Sure. I can make some calls and see what I can find out. I’m not sure how helpful it’ll be because I’m not certain the government ever spread any information about how many of the alien ships there were. Let’s just say that our new overlords aren’t very communicative or responsive to inquiries. Most of us would prefer not to have to deal with them, and that’s one of the reasons I built this little place for us to hole up in.”
“It seems like a nice little hideaway,” Romanoff agreed. “I don’t have any idea what you’ve got inside, but for a small number of people, this can keep you out of harm’s way. After the coup, what did the new leadership do that has everybody so concerned about their behavior?”
The man’s wife, Patricia, answered. “They took the oligarchs that were in charge and dumped them out a handy airlock without suits. Needless to say, that tends to chill any future questions about their occupation. I don’t know how they got control, but they’ve got enough goons to make sure that nobody does anything they don’t like. There were stories going around of people disappearing and lots of news programming being shut off or muzzled so they couldn’t say anything without government approval. That’s not the kind of place I’d like to live, but with the whole Confederation apparently being taken over by these crazy people, we decided it was best to settle in and keep our heads down.”
“That’s smart,” Derek said. “We call them the Poseidon Group, but I wouldn’t let that particular name get around because no one here should know it. They have been working for a very long time to take over the Confederation, and I’m not shocked in the slightest to hear that they had the forces on hand to make things happen. We’ve got other people working to try and figure out the best way to deal with them—or at least cause them some trouble—but there’s no way that we’ll be here long enough to change things back to anything close to the way they were before.”
“Can’t say I’m shocked,” Ed said. “In any case, I suppose this Poseidon Group’s got other things they need to be concerned about right now. Let them worry about what the aliens might do to them, and maybe they’ll stop messing with the citizens. Is it just the four of you, or do you have anyone else who would like to step out of the cutter and stretch their legs?”
“That’s all we brought with us,” Romanoff said. “We’ve got other people on a ship nearby, but they don’t need to make the trip over. It’s spacious enough.”
“Then I think we should finish our coffee and head over to our base. Patricia can make us something to eat, and we can discuss the situation after I send out a request for information to my friends. I’d imagine we’ll have something within a couple of hours, and when that happens, if you need something more specific, I can see what I can do.”
“We appreciate this very much,” Romanoff said with a smile. “Time is of the essence, but I don’t want you to do anything to put yourself, your family, or your friends in danger. It’s a delicate balance, but your safety is important. Don’t do anything risky.”
The other man stood and grinned. “I’m a prospector. Everything I do is risky. The keys to a long life in my line of work are good risk management and taking appropriate safety precautions. Mitigating risk is what we do, and you can rest assured that I’m not going to stick my neck out to get the information you want. We’ll find the right way to do this, Jack. Trust me on that.”
“Good.”
Derek stood with everyone else and followed the rest of them out. He wished they didn’t have to deal with getting the control codes at all, but they wouldn’t be able to stop the invasion without them. This was a two-part operation where they needed to get the codes and then deny them to the Tardans. If they could do that, they’d win this war. If they couldn’t, things would go to hell in a handbasket.
He hoped it wouldn’t come to that because people like the McDonalds would suffer. One of the reasons he’d joined the Confederation Navy in the first place was to stand between regular people like this and dangers like the Locusts. He’d much rather put his own life on the line than have someone risk theirs for him, but if they intended to get the information they needed, they would have to take some chances. He’d just hope that they turned out in their favor.
16
Patrick sipped his tea, appreciating the complex flavor. He’d chosen an upscale restaurant for them to sit and talk about their next steps and had high hopes that the quality of the food would exceed even his exacting standards. Just because one was having a working lunch didn’t mean that one shouldn’t enjoy oneself.
He peered over the lip of his cup at Lisa. She didn’t seem to appreciate the tea as much as he did, but he supposed that was to be expected. Far be it from him to condemn her for being a Philistine when she undoubtedly thought certain characteristics of his were boorish. No two people ever agreed about every single thing, and it was important to remember that the differences needed to be celebrated more than the similarities.
He’d ordered the seared fish and had selected the spicier variant. It had taken a bit of questioning to determine that was a possibility since it wasn’t shown on the menu. That was one thing he’d discovered over many years living inside the Confederation. There were certain things that were available only if one knew the right questions to ask and approached the appropriate person.
Lisa had gone for fried fish, and there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, he’d had fried catfish on Earth that had been absolutely divine. Any dish could be a wonder if appropriately prepared and if the diner had an open mind and an adventurous palate.
They still had a few minutes before their meal arrived, and even though there were people seated around them, the sound of their conversation fell into the background noise, and he had little fear that they were being monitored. After all, even though the Poseidon Group would have secret police watching for troublemakers, an upscale restaurant during the lunch rush typically wasn’t the place one had a clandestine meeting to discuss treasonous activities. Those kinds of things usually took place away from prying eyes and curious ears.
That didn’t mean that they wouldn’t take precautions, but they could discuss the situation in general terms and still come to an agreement. He had his tablet—the one he’d borrowed from her earlier—linked to hers through a low-power connection using an encrypted channel that was based on kingdom technology. Even if they detected the transmissions—which was extremely unlikely—they wouldn’t know what was being shared. After all, even business associates often used high-level encryption, and the Poseidon Group hadn’t been in control for long enough to completely stamp out that kind of behavior.
The files he’d managed to pull out of the computer system that Lisa had identified were interesting but definitely not the complete picture of the person he intended for them to target. Alphonso Garibaldi was a high-level associate to the system governor, Madeleine Albertson. He was also her lover unless he was missing his guess.
The man’s calendar had numerous instances where he went to consult with her and bring her instructions back to the associate running this particular segment of the system, and he often stayed overnight at her personal residence. Based on his past experience, sleepovers weren’t something that people in high political offices were fond of unless they were friends with benefits.
He was willing to be proven wrong, but he didn’t think he was. In fact, he was willing to bet serious money on it. If that proved to be true, the kind of information he might be able to get from the man was significant. Unfortunately, extracting it would probably put him in an awkward place with Lisa.
The two of them didn’t have an official relationship. In fact, they were also friends with benefits, though he wasn’t certain she saw him as a friend. For his part, he saw her as a potential protégéee and romantic partner. That would seriously complicate his life as the two of them did not share the same views on his profession. That could be problematic, but he wasn’t going to rule out coming to a compromise just yet.
“What are you thinking about over there?” she asked. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
He smiled at her. “I’ve been thinking about a number of things. First of all, the work that we need to do this evening. Second, our relationship. Admittedly, there’s some overlap between those two, and I’ve been considering where boundaries need to be established. Not boundaries that I set, mind you. You are the one who will undoubtedly tell me where you draw a line that I’d best not cross, though I’ll do my best to negotiate the best deal I can.”
She set down her teacup and crossed her arms. “Why do you say that? Maybe there’s something I’d like to do that you would find objectionable. On the professional front, maybe I have plans to create the grandest criminal network imaginable. Maybe you’d find that a problem. On the personal front, maybe I don’t intend to have a personal relationship with you at all. Perhaps I see our intimacy as something that I don’t need to complicate my life with. Surely, you have an opinion, and you intend to negotiate for an outcome you desire. Let’s not think small, Patrick. This conversation will be very important, and we both will have to compromise.”
He set his tea down and raised an eyebrow. “Is that what we were involved in? A negotiation? You make it almost sound like this is some kind of business merger. Or a marriage of convenience to bring two powerful entities together. It is not a marriage in the most literal sense, of course. Though I’m sure, that’s on the table as well. I’ve seen examples of all of that over the years, and I have to confess that it is fascinating how individuals with strong desires have to dance around the intricacies of personal relationships.”
“A marriage of convenience? That’s an interesting turn of phrase. It sounds cold, and I’m not sure if that’s what I’m looking for. If there’s going to be intimacy, then it’s going to be more than just a convenience. Whatever we decide will undoubtedly include a trial period where we figure out what’s working and what needs to be modified further. Or we decide it’s not working at all and needs to be terminated.”
He smiled a little wider. “I feel confident that nothing that happens between us will require termination.”
She rolled her eyes. “Leave it to me to use a word that can be twisted around by an assassin. You know what I meant.”
He chuckled. “I did indeed, but sometimes I can’t help myself. Wordplay is always an intriguing game, especially when it’s not your native language. Frankly, though, I hope we can avoid puns. I think they are base and of low humor.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” she said with a furrowed brow. “I happen to like puns.”
Seeing the waiter approach their table, he didn’t reply. Instead, he allowed the man to set their plates out in front of them and then proffer the bottle of wine he’d ordered. He examined the label and nodded his satisfaction. He’d had wine from this particular vintner before, and even though he hadn’t sampled this particular year, he had every expectation that it would be quite good. If it wasn’t, there would be hell to pay.
Once two glasses had been poured for them and the waiter had left the bottle on the table and departed, Patrick turned his attention back to Lisa. “Joking aside, what we are talking about is something quite serious. I don’t want to make any errors or miscommunicate my intentions. Which part should we discuss first? Our personal relationship or our professional one?”
“First, I think we should devote our attention to our meal,” she said as she leaned over her plate. “This smells delicious, and I don’t want it to get cold.”
“Now, there is a sentiment I can get fully behind.”
Patrick cut off some of the fish and took it into his mouth, where he slowly chewed it. The texture was firm, and the meat was solid. The spices were just as interesting as he’d expected them to be, and they complemented the meat perfectly. This was an exceptionally well-prepared entrée.
He followed that bite up with a sip of his wine and it did indeed go very well with the fish. He let it clear his palate and then took another sip and found that the vino was definitely up to the standards he’d expected. Finally, he sampled the fried onions and potatoes that he’d ordered as a side dish and was unsurprised that they were quite good. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Perfection.
In the time that it had taken him to sample each portion of his dish and savor the complex flavors and textures, Lisa had dug into her meal and eaten about a third of it. He shook his head at the barbarity. She couldn’t be appreciating the taste of what she was eating. She might as well be dining on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
She saw his expression and raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full. It’s not polite.” He reached over with his fork, snipped off part of her fried fish, and stole it. She glared at him but didn’t stab him with her fork, for which he was grateful.
