Ever After Page 3

“I believe this is yours?” she remarked as she held up the small, silver burnt casing of his bugging device between her right thumb and index finger, leaving her gun hand ready. What was left of the device after being remotely fried—in such a way that it wouldn’t even produce a small puff of smoke or any odor—wasn’t much. But the casing had stayed attached to the underside of the embassy desk. No bugging device could be completely eliminated from a remote local, though she was sure he’d counted on her ignorance in even knowing what the remnants of the little round case were.

  “The device you used was so highly advanced it heavily scrambled our security camera’s recorded images,” she claimed, “but I managed to piece enough of the video together to see who you were and the date. There was no mistaking a megalithic Mythrealian planting something beneath the general’s desk. All I had to do was check the damned guest list for the last time you were in our compound. The date you were there matched what was on the image!” She slowly shook her head. “Did you honestly think nobody would ever run a security scan? Do you think we’re that backward?”

  He lifted his chin and came clean. “I’ll say this for you…your technical skills are beyond good. You managed to reveal my actions so let’s not tarry. Let’s get straight to the point.” He took a deep breath. “Yes…I’ve done exactly as you claim. I bugged your embassy. The act was mine and mine alone. I had no orders to execute this plan.”

  She slowly shook her head. “Why? Why, in the name of God, would you do such a thing?”

  “Because of you!”

  She almost choked. “What? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I thought you might find the remains of that bug. Just not quite so soon or so effectively,” he said as he pointed to the tiny device in her hand. “I remotely destroyed it to keep the technology out of Earth’s hands. Earth might be our ally in every possible way, but we each have our scientific secrets, do we not?” He slowly shook his head as he looked her over. “Whether your skills, amazing as they are, mark me as a criminal or not…at least this bit of burnt hi-tech equipment won’t be yours to pass on to…whomever you’re working for!” he angrily relayed as he stared at the ruined bug still in her hand. Then he continued.

  “If I suffer for having spied, it’s a small price to pay. Especially after what I’ve discovered. Oh, it’ll be bitter information I turn over to my cousin, the future king. He, in turn, will pass it on to my uncle, the current monarch. But it had to be done.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “I’m saying that I don’t care about personal consequences,” he sternly told her. “I wouldn’t have put my reputation or my life on the line without sufficient cause. The reasons for what I did will be revealed. Everyone will know. What happens to me matters little in the face of such betrayal.”

  “You’re crazy! Not only do you mean to instill such distrust among the allies as to make any law enforcement in this sector impossible…you intend to die for an act that was categorically unnecessary. What have I personally done to cause such suspicion?”

  “Your arrival on Mythreal was too convenient, Lieutenant Foley. From what my little spying sojourn revealed, you’ve inserted yourself in a situation far above your pay-grade.” He paused before continuing. “What pirate faction is paying you? How did you get so close to General Albright? Why is he accepting advice from you…an unknown, low-level officer…so easily?”

  “Holy crud…you think…sweet Jesus, Mother of Mary and St. Joseph!”

  “Deny it! Deny you’ve been influencing the general’s decisions in such a way as to make yourself indispensable. What was your eventual game? Setting up an entire squadron of Mythreal’s best enforcers for ambush?”

  “I won’t deny any damned thing,” she countered. “Furthermore…I’ll do something you’d hardly expect from a pirate spy.” She stretched out the hand containing the remains of his destroyed bug and looked him straight in the eyes though she had to tilt her head back to do it. “Take back what’s left of your bug…you arrogant, overgrown elf! I’ll destroy camera footage of the general’s office so nobody knows this ever happened. In fact, I’ll even wipe your name off the guest roster during the last open house.”

  She angrily shook her head. “For the sake of three centuries of cooperation, all the blood lost as allies, and the future we might still save…I’m gonna let this entire incident slide. I’m gonna assume you’re completely unhinged, but only on the condition that you get psychological help. As soon as possible!”

  He silently stared down at her.

  “Take it!” she loudly repeated while simultaneously shoving the burned bugging device toward him.

  “Do you actually think you can silence me with some kind of bribe? That’s what you’ll offer, isn’t it? Even when I’ve made it plain that I don’t care what happens to me—”

  “This isn’t about you, you egotistic twit! It’s about destroying relations between Mythreal and the only ally who’s ever had your back, in every damned situation for the last three-hundred years. Do you know what this is going to do to diplomatic relations if this incident gets out?”

  “Are you not listening woman?” He moved closer. “I’ve found a pirate spy in our midst. Whether she was in Earth’s embassy or a brothel makes no difference. However I obtained it, my information is—”

  “Wrong!” she blurted. “Not that it was supposed to be any of your business, but I’m here to help my godfather…General Trenton Albright. He’s making an announcement having to do with turning over command at the Valentine’s Day ball this weekend,” she railed.

  Dillon’s expression suddenly took on a shocked quality.

  “My godfather’s replacement…General Obadiah Fisk…knows all about me. Fisk also knows all about my godfather’s poor performance over the last twelve months. I’ve been trying to rectify a good man’s mistakes by giving advice…advice meant to look like it’s originating from him.” She angrily lifted her chin and continued in a loud voice. “My godfather allowed me to help because he knows he needs it. When you eavesdropped, you probably heard him refer to me informally. That likely cemented your asinine suspicions of my being someone personally close, which is true. I’m his goddaughter.”

  She snorted in disdain. “This entire spy incident, as you’ve labeled it, is all about saving my beloved godfather from embarrassment. He trusts me. In my own right, I’m not all that bad at strategic planning. That’s why this scheme was working. At least it was until you went all Sherlock Holmes on us.” She shook her head and sneered up at him. “If you don’t believe me…contact General Fisk and verify everything. Unless of course you think he’s a frickin’ spy too!”

  Stunned into utter silence, Dillon simply backed away.

  “Nothing to say now? No arrest warrant for the pirate?” she wrathfully added.

  “Clearly…there’s…been some kind of… monumental…mistake,” he whispered.

  “Ya think!”

  “Godfather?” He shook his head, as if the gesture could clear all confusion. “Creator of old…how could I have so badly misjudged this situation?”

  “Let me get this straight,” she said as the contrition on his face suddenly let her believe Dillon Greenleaf might listen. “The only reason you planted that bug was because the general suddenly started taking serious suggestions from me…a lowly officer and a newcomer?”

  He slowly nodded. “No one on Mythreal has ever heard of you. And…since I’ve so badly blundered…I must admit to having added a 360º camera device in the bug. I saw everything that went on as well as heard it. And…I also hacked your personnel records. Obviously, you know it’s sufficiently empty of data as to be quite unhelpful.”

  “I know what you did! My personal data was one of the next things I checked after making sure our classified files hadn’t been hacked. In regards to what you saw in my file, I located a residual entry code you left behind. It was almost undetectable, but I still found it.”

  “You’re
…that…good?”

  “I am,” she boasted, with a firm nod.

  He briefly put up his hands in contrition. “I saw no other files. I swear this on my life.”

  She glared at him.

  “Lieutenant Foley…you must know the history of espionage on this world and in this entire sector. I’m not trying to make excuses for what I’ve done. Clearly, there are none. But thousands of our best law enforcement personnel…yours and mine…died because one pirate spy, a maid at another embassy, got her hands on confidential security plans. This is documented fact.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I knew what I was doing was wrong. But I felt compelled to see it through. The general’s behavior changed so drastically that I had no idea why he’d come up with his new strategy.”

  Keira was familiar with the espionage case of which he spoke. It’d been labeled as the Kryllian Spy Incident, having been wholly controlled by the Kryllian Embassy once their diplomats learned of the security leak.

  Having seen the expression on Dillon’s face, she actually believed him though she still abhorred his actions. In his defense, for him to have gone so far proved he was ready to be accused of a felony. He passionately believed in what he was doing.

  She swallowed hard and decided to come clean about everything he didn’t know. “H-how much of the last conversation with the general did you hear?” she asked. “What conversation you eventually listened to was about the only thing I couldn’t figure out.”

  “I heard you and Albright speaking of a plan that involved a psychological ploy,” he admitted. “It was a scheme meant to gain the cooperation of those needing medical help—those least likely to get it among the pirate contingent.”

  “If you’d planted that bug the day I first arrived, and had heard everything that’d gone on in the general’s meetings with me, you’d understand I wasn’t angling to set up any enforcers for another mass killing…like the Kryllian case.”

  He took a deep breath, walked back to his shuttle, and leaned against the exterior. Keira followed.

  “I take it that, since you aren’t in custody for commission of a felony, no one else knows about your bug?”

  He nodded. “I was on my way to the king when your flowers and note stopped me…thank all the stars in the universe!”

  “Take this,” she said as she handed the remains of the bug to him. “Nobody needs to know about this. If they find out, all hell will break loose. We can stop any problems here and now, between us.”

  He gazed at her for a long moment.

  She saw such confusion in his eyes that she almost felt sorry for the man.

  He stuffed the remainder of the offensive bug in his uniform pants pocket, dragged both hands across his face in a gesture of weariness, and stared fixedly at the horizon.

  “Are you willing to talk to me?”she softly asked.

  He took his gaze off distant places and looked at her again. “After what I’ve done…I should be on my knees begging forgiveness, never mind simply offering explanations. And now you realize why there’s such a severe penalty for any Mythreal officials spying on our allied embassies and their diplomats. In my position as Security Chief, I’m one of very few people who can gain access to every compound and its staff. I’m trusted, though it seems that trust was misplaced. I understand the damage I could have caused, misusing my power.” He sighed heavily. “I could have so easily and so inappropriately broken this news. Had I made it to the king, we’d now be in a galactic, diplomatic uproar of epic proportions. No one would trust anyone anymore—least of all me. And we’d be back where we were four centuries ago…fighting each other instead of the pirates. It’s taken long enough to get eighty worlds to play nicely with one another. In one day I could have ruined everything.”

  “Beating yourself up over this isn’t going to help. We’ve got it contained.”

  Still in the throes of self-castigation, he continued. “While I can enforce laws as I please among Mythreal citizens, I should have remembered why the non-interference rule with dignitaries and their embassies was made in the first place. I’m a complete and utter fool!”

  “So you do believe that what I’m telling you is the complete truth?”

  “Your story is too easy to verify. You’re not lying. Instinct tells me so,” he bitterly told her.

  “Why didn’t you just come to me in the first place?”

  “Because I was so damned sure I was right and meant to get proof. I was equally sure you’d deny any accusations. I thought you’d destroy evidence if I didn’t proceed as I did. Unfortunately, I have been known for having a rather hard head when it comes to the duties entrusted to me.” He shook his head and momentarily gazed at the ground. “I should have heeded other’s counsel in that regard.”

  She let him stew in self-loathing though she felt sorrier and sorrier for him as the situation cleared. Again, his passions made him act where others might have ignored real security issues. He was willing to give his life for what he believed, which was not out of character for what she’d heard of the man.

  “So. General Fisk will be taking over,” he mused. “Fisk is one of the best fighting officers in Earth’s entire history. The man is a brilliant tactician. Fair, easy to work with…a good listener. At least that’s his reputation.”

  “All you’ve heard about my godfather’s replacement is correct,” she agreed with a firm nod. “All I was doing was…” she paused before continuing. “All I was trying to do was to get my godfather outta here with some dignity. I suggested things he could take credit for but only after running my suggestions by Fisk first. Just like I said. If you’re still in doubt, you can always check my story in some way that wouldn’t incriminate you.”

  “I don’t understand,” Dillon said. “What caused your godfather’s…General Albright’s…indecisiveness? No one’s ever heard of the man being quite so…well…so hesitant.”

  “Since you’ve been honest with me, I’ll reciprocate. But please don’t repeat this to anyone who’s not on the High Council. They’ll be sent classified notices explaining what I’m about to tell you. Okay?”

  “Speak freely, Lieutenant You have my undivided attention and my promise of silence. It is the very least I can do.”

  Chapter Three

  “I’m sure you’ve heard of Cygnus Fever,” she said.

  Dillon suddenly understood almost everything. That sentence exposed the situation for what it really was—making him feel like the nastiest germ that’d ever existed. “Creator’s blood!” he sadly muttered.

  Keira nodded. “The embassy physician only just discovered that my…that General Albright contracted the fever. As you probably know, it hinders normal brain activity. You also know we have inoculations for it but one percent of Earth’s population doesn’t respond to the shots, for some odd reason. Unfortunately—”

  “The general fell into that one percent,” he finished.

  “He didn’t know about it before he came here. Cygnus was his last duty station, as I’m sure you’re aware. But the disease is almost undetectable until symptoms appear. In my godfather’s case, they showed up just as he arrived on Mythreal. He couldn’t seem to put facts in his head and keep them there. He couldn’t make decisions about things that were formerly inconsequential. Knowing something was wrong, he consulted the embassy physician…that’s when vestiges of the fever were discovered. And that’s when he told General Fisk, as the nearest ranking supervisor in this sector of space. Just as standard operating procedure requires.”

  “Yes, as I understand it, the disease impairs cognitive function.”

  “It’s treatable, thank God! The damage can usually be slowed or even halted. But I’m afraid what has already been done is permanent.” She shrugged. “Scientists…well…they don’t know why some people given shots get it when most never will. A lot of our veterans got exposed before doctors knew about that one percent issue.”

  “I’m so sorry about this, Lieutenant I had no idea. Nor did
the general, I’m sure. And that’s the worst part.”

  “He didn’t want every pirate in this sector knowing he couldn’t make or even accept a war plan when things were getting so mixed up in his head. As to why it took so long to get him relieved…it took months for legislators on Earth to haggle over a replacement.” She paced a few steps before standing in front of him again. “If you’ve ever been to Earth you know what our politics are like. Legislators can’t agree on any damned thing with the end result very little ever gets done. They all had their separate, damned ideas and made numerous suggestions as to who should take charge on Mythreal.” She then explained more fully.

  “Earth Force…the law enforcement branch handling the entire affair…wanted a say in matters. The silly haggling went on and on even while doctors kept saying my godfather needed to be relieved as soon as possible. That’s why Fisk was chosen when he should have been sent to the Beta Seven sector. Now, somebody else will have to take Fisk’s place there.”

  “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for your godfather and you,” he softly told her.

  “I honestly think he may be one of the vets whose condition won’t be easily treated.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Because our physician here has had him on the required meds since discovering the disease existed. He’s not improving. In fact, one morning a few days ago, he got up and put on his dress uniform to watch a police cadet review. He…he thought he was back on Earth, at Earth Force Cadet Academy. He hasn’t held that position in twenty years.”

  Dillon shook his head.

  “Then he got lucid again, called me to his quarters, and told me not to let him say or do anything that would embarrass him in front of Allied High Command. He was desperate not to make a wrong decision or to let the pirates know about our collective indecisiveness…due to his being incapacitated.”

  She paused for a moment. “Sometimes he’s incredibly coherent. Then he looks at strategic plans on a computer…plans that’re routinely submitted by allied embassy tacticians…and it all looks like gibberish. On those days, he needs me to explain everything. Can you imagine? A man of his qualifications and experience asking for anyone’s help?” The lieutenant took a deep breath before saying more. “It’s like he’s trying to see through a thick layer of clouds. His mind just won’t function.”