Captivate (Alien Cadets Book 2) Page 23

  He often let Claire's pet out of the cage when Akemi was bringing him up to date. Since the first time his partner had brought the little animal into their office, they'd had a tacit agreement that whoever had time off would feed the little guy and give him some time to climb around. As often as not, after a brief and energetic fling around their desks, he'd settle into Basher's lap to be petted, purring softly like a very contented lemur/kitten.

  Claire's serving dinner now. She's getting bolder with the guests, Akemi told him tonight.

  Still no movement out of the café. I don't expect it, after that last incident.

  “What incident?”

  Akemi showed him a fast cut version of the previous few days, slowing down when Claire heard the Merith in the kitchen and hid under the bar.

  Basher waved his hand. “This won’t help me find them, unless those Merith came into view. Just skip ahead.” He didn’t want to grossly invade Claire’s privacy unless he had to.

  That thought went out of his head when he caught a glimpse of Sage taking Claire’s glasses off as Akemi skipped ahead. It looked like Sage was lying next to Claire in bed.

  “Hang on,” he told Akemi. “What was going on there?”

  Claire had a nightmare and Sage stayed with her while she fell back asleep.

  His face must have shown exactly what he thought of that.

  Nothing happened. Claire was dreaming of Faal and he was there. She probably just needed human contact.

  “Except that ISN’T human contact.” Basher forced himself to wave Akemi on again. “Never mind. Keep going.”

  It infuriated him to see Claire grow closer to the Rik. And this... it wasn’t even that Sage was Rik, though that was bad enough. Claire shouldn’t have any man in her bed while she was recovering from everything she’d been through. Basher had three sisters and he would beat the crap out of someone who took advantage of them while they were this vulnerable.

  The rest of the video consisted mainly of Claire facing down the big, black Rik, the one called Athlete. Basher had to admit that he seemed to be a good teacher. Basher couldn't see Claire, as his view was only forward from her glasses, but based on Athlete's instructions, and the slow, steady increase in the confidence of Claire's movements, he was doing a good job.

  Basher was grudgingly appreciative of his efforts. Now that Faal knew Claire was in Lower Selta, Basher felt an agonizing sense of dread. There was no doubt that Faal was looking for her, and based on his previous illegal activities - he probably did have very good contacts in Lower Selta. Would they know of an exclusive, invitation-only restaurant featuring humans? Maybe, maybe not. Lower Selta held roughly two million aliens - surely that was enough for Claire to remain anonymous for a few more weeks.

  He just had to find them. If he could find them first, it could all end well. He could get the other Rik safely back in custody, and help Claire get somewhere that Faal could never reach her. After less than five interactions with Faal, Basher had decided that whatever Claire had done to get away from him was worth it. The Merith was arrogant, cruel, and clearly accustomed to absolute control of everyone around him.

  If Faal did somehow find Claire, Basher was glad she might have a chance at defending herself.

  You look tired.

  "Hmm? Oh, probably because I am." Basher smiled wearily at Akemi. "Be glad you don't have to sit in on all this tedious investigation." After the discovery of the dead Rik his job became the steady slog of backtracking accounts and expenditures to try and trace their activities and connections. And too many of those trails dead ended on the Rik planet.

  Um. Excuse me. All of my visual inputs are there. I'm more there than you are.

  Basher laughed. "I hadn't thought of that. You’re getting the same data from Sam and Nat's glasses, plus my computer... I take it back - sucks to be you."

  Yeah. It does.

  Basher frowned slightly. It wasn't like Akemi to feel sorry for herself. He'd spent a fair amount of time talking to her the last few weeks, and she was usually remarkably upbeat for someone who didn't entirely exist. He didn’t feel comfortable asking about the dream he’d accidentally witnessed, and she usually didn’t refer to her own situation.

  Never mind me. I'm tired too. :-)

  Watch this kick here ... Ouch, right?

  They watched Claire's foot try to smack Athlete's gloved hand and then the video suddenly tumble to the side as she lost her balance and fell over. He could hear Claire's laughter about it, and he might have laughed too, had he not also had to watch Sage giving her a hand up. His hand slid up to her shoulder and squeezed lightly.

  “You’re doing fine. I told you.”

  Claire laughed again. "I’d be better if you stopped watching us practice, you're making me nervous.”

  Basher grimaced. Claire had no idea how many people were watching. He gestured curtly for Akemi to stop the video. He knew Akemi could see him through the camera in his screen.

  “We’ve got more important things to do this morning,” Basher explained, trying to curb his bad mood. “Did you have time to requisition the data we talked about last night?”

  “Yeah, of course.” She pulled up the raw files.

  While they waited for the “coroner’s report,” as Basher decided to think of it, he’d asked Akemi to see if she could search the Seltan databases prior to the attack to see if or when the Rik had begun spending money here. He’d also asked her to check ship docking logs for the port to see if their IDs showed up.

  Basher slowly scanned the data. “You want to summarize for me?” he asked Akemi. He wouldn’t have asked her that a week ago, but the more he interacted with her the more impressed he was with her capabilities. At this point he would trust her summary as much as his own, and it would save him several hours of reading tiny text badly translated to English by his Spo computer.

  “Good news: they were here before the attack and it’s pretty conclusive they came directly from their own planet. We have ship ID’s for four of them, and the others could have come under ‘misc. crew.’ Bad news: I just got back the coroner’s report, and we’re getting into deep political waters now.”

  Basher began to look it over while Akemi summarized.

  “Looks like the Crosspoint confirmed trace amounts of explosive residue in some of the deeper tissues. If we continue to pursue the investigation and requisition records from the Rik planet, we are all but accusing them of the attack. They could make that claim, anyway. I sure don’t have the authority to do that, and I don’t think you do either. If we go much further, this will threaten the validity of the Human/Rik treaty.”

  Basher whistled. He’d known that was where the investigation was headed, but he hadn’t expected it to escalate this quickly. Sam was not going to be happy. He still seemed to think the Rik treaty was worth preserving, and even that the Rik were innocent, which it was becoming increasingly clear wasn’t true.

  When Basher laid the case out to Sam that afternoon, he wasn’t surprised at Sam’s frustration.

  “Look, I believed from the beginning that the Rik were probably guilty,” Basher admitted. “But you’ve seen the same evidence I have. Do you honestly think I should offer a different report to the Coalition Committee?”

  He and Sam were alone in his office. Basher’s partner was checking out another Rik sighting, and Nat was catching up on sleep in her room.

  “The evidence is too clear,” Sam argued. “The Rik are smarter than that. If they went to the trouble to secretly sabotage the space station, they would cover their tracks better than this.”

  “Like they covered their tracks when they tried to invade Earth?” Basher countered. “They’re not geniuses, Sam. They make mistakes and breed traitors and overreach their capabilities. Tell me how this contradicts any of that.”

  “I suppose that’s possible…” Sam sighed sharply. “In any case, I understand that you need to file the report as is. They’ll probably send one of the committee to handle the negotiation
s with the Rik. Probably Senator Fontley, with my luck.”

  Basher wondered again how much Sam resented that he had no authority in the new government. He’d had quite the fall from his previous status.

  Sam smiled unexpectedly, as if he guessed Basher’s thoughts. “No, acquit me. I may be an arrogant teenager, but I truly don’t want to be in charge of the world. I had a little taste of that and apparently I didn’t do a very good job.”

  Basher made an equivocal noise and Sam actually laughed. “It’s okay. I already know how much you dislike my treaty with the Rik, you’ve never hidden it. I appreciate that you’ve given me the benefit of the doubt anyway.”

  Basher grinned. “Then I’ll admit that you’re not nearly as arrogant a teenager as I was at your age.”

  “Don’t be too sure about that!” Sam laughed. “Senator Fontley will be only too happy to tell you what a conceited little upstart I am.”

  CHAPTER 30

  “He sure is taking his time," Sam said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “It’s been more than twenty minutes.”

  He and Nat and Basher waited in an alcove off the central shipping cavern, waiting for Senator Fontley to come down the elevator from his ship. Many ship berths had private lobbies and waiting areas, but the Human Coalition Committee didn’t have that kind of money to throw around. Senator Fontley had arrived in a small Spo ship with only his pilot.

  Sam had confirmed the time they would be there to escort him to the embassy, but the senator hadn’t made an appearance yet.

  “He probably enjoys making us wait,” Sam added.

  “Maybe he’s just reluctant to get off,” Nat said.

  They’d heard through other channels that the senator had expressed grave concerns about this trip and undoubtedly would have shoved it off onto someone else if he could have done so while avoiding political suicide. He was one of the most popular committee members on Earth… but if he appeared too afraid of aliens to represent humanity out in the galaxy, he would rapidly lose that popularity.

  Finally the elevator descended and Fontley stepped out.

  His face looked as camera-ready as Sam remembered, as if he’d just stepped away from his job as a news anchor.

  He looked around quickly, and Sam wondered if he was looking for Shara, whom he despised. Sam and Nat had tactfully sent her away for a time, for just that reason. Basher hadn’t been sorry to see her go either. She was safely on a trip to visit the cadet facilities on the Spo planet and Sam envied her.

  He tried unsuccessfully to inject welcome into his voice. “Senator Fontley, welcome to Selta.” He held out his hand and Fontley shook it perfunctorily. He was affable during his introduction to Basher and greeted Nat more warmly than he had treated her before, but his manner toward Sam was as cool as ever.

  “Can I speak to Sam for a moment alone?” he asked. “Just give us a few moments.”

  After Basher and Nat awkwardly retreated from the alcove, Fontley turned to him. “I would like to get a few things clear before we get to the embassy.”

  “Of course.” Sam was pretty sure he knew what was coming.

  “Now that I am here, I am the ranking representative of humanity. I expect you to behave with all respect and compliance during my stay.”

  Sam’s jaw clenched. “That’s fair enough.”

  “I am serious, young man. You have attained your position of authority through the merest chance, and I will not tolerate any disobedience. If I am not much mistaken, the treaty you so rashly thrust us into is on the brink of dissolution. If you attempt to undermine my decisions upon this point, I will have you sent to the penal colony on the moon until Earth is more stable.”

  Sam raised his eyebrows. “I hardly think you will unilaterally be allowed to send me to prison, but,” he raised his hand as Fontley began to speak, “I understand what you’re saying. I will not attempt to undermine you during the remainder of the investigation and negotiations.”

  ***

  Akemi could hear the words, and she could see Senator Fontley’s strained neck and bulging eyes from Sam’s point of view. Sam was taller than the senator, and Akemi was sure the smaller man resented the heck out of that, in addition to the other reasons he’d taken Sam in violent dislike.

  Akemi thought Sam had answered him with great restraint so far, but the senator clearly disagreed. He went off about his authority over Sam.

  Sam’s temperature (which Akemi recorded through the glasses) was rising. “I won’t try to undermine you,” Sam said again, “but I do know a lot more about the Merith and the Spo than you do. You might think about that.”

  Senator Fontley jabbed Sam’s chest with a finger. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’d better not correct me,” another jab, “question me,” jab, “or disagree with me in front of them.”

  From Nat's glasses Akemi saw Sam slap the senator’s hand away and step closer, leaning over the man.

  “You’re an idiot. I’m offering to help you, and a smart man accepts good help.”

  Nat sighed. “Why is he always baiting Sam?”

  Fontley and Sam’s conflict was going to be a problem. Sam had taken a lot of rudeness from this guy, and Akemi had seen Sam’s control slowly erode.

  And... Akemi could see this more clearly than Nat, who was in love with him, and Shara, who was too self-absorbed and too Rik to notice what was happening... but Sam had treated him rather arrogantly when they first met.

  Sure, Sam had done something impressive, handling the trial, getting the traitor Downy to confess, and masterminding the Rik deal off the top of his head. The problem was, he had been a little too aware of it. The galaxy had been buzzing about the trial ever since it ended. She’d monitored a lot of the reports (it was SO handy to learn languages through computer) and they were calling Sam things like, "political genius," and "child prodigy," and "species forerunner." Akemi wasn’t sure exactly what the linguistic context of that last one was, but the tone was clear, and Sam had seen enough of the reports to have his head turned.

  Now, of course, he was seeing most of what he’d accomplished undone, and definitely his ego had taken a beating. Akemi didn’t blame Sam for getting a little off-balance at this renewed attack.

  He stalked away from the senator and gave a forced smile to Nat and Basher. “The senator just wanted to have a small policy discussion. Ready to go?”

  ***

  Sam rode in the back seat of the ground-car with Nat, and Senator Fontley rode in the passenger seat next to Basher.

  Sam knew he shouldn’t let Fontley get to him. Acting aggressive only made Sam seem more like a boy and not a man, but… wow, Fontley irked him. If he would only recognize that Sam could help him, Sam would gladly take second chair to him. But the man didn’t want Sam as his second. He didn’t want Sam as his most humble aid. He probably didn’t want Sam to get his coffee.

  No, scratch that, he probably would let Sam get his coffee, and then spit in it and drop it on his feet.

  “When will the Rik director arrive?” Fontley asked abruptly. “Will she be housed at the same facility as us, and how many are in her delegation?”

  Sam rested his forehead against the window.

  “Don’t hurt the glasses,” Akemi reminded him. I have few enough inputs as it is.

  Akemi was getting bossy these days. Sam clenched his teeth once, the signal that meant he’d got her message. Incidentally, it also let him express his occasional frustration with her presence at the same time. He’d picked the signal well.

  He also sat up, because she was right, and he wasn’t a sulky kid.

  “The Rik will not be staying at the Spo embassy,” Basher explained. “We’re housed there as the Spo are our late sponsors and we don’t have our own embassy yet, but the Rik have no such arrangement. I imagine the Rik director will come directly from her ship.”

  “Good, good,” Fontley said. “The talks’ll be on our turf, so to speak, and we’ll be there first. I’d like a full tour of the facility
as soon as possible. And I’d like to examine the negotiation room and possibly make changes there.”

  “The tour is already planned. And I’m sure you’ll find the negotiation room satisfactory.”

  “Well. I’d like to be sure –” Fontley started belligerently.

  Sam interrupted. “I haven’t happened to see the room yet, but I’m sure the Spo negotiation room will be everything we could wish, from a territorial perspective… particularly if it’s designed similarly to the judicial rooms on Spo?”

  Basher nodded. “Are you familiar with them? With the Spo philosophy on negotiation?”

  “Only a little,” Sam said, truthfully. “They model ‘rooms of decision’ after the desert in summer, when all things… uh, “slow and run together?” Do I have that right?”

  “As far as I know. My partner explained it once. The room is supposed to show ‘an implicit recognition that the forces of entropy will more surely defeat us all than mere conflict..’ Anyway, they put a death glass, a sacrificial knife, and the skull of a trouncer in there. Pretty macabre, if you ask me.”

  They pulled to a stop and Basher got out of the car, automatically opening Nat’s door for her. For a moment Sam and Fontley were alone.

  Fontley took a deep breath. “In the future, you will apprise me of this type of information – like the negotiation room - privately. Or you’ll regret it.” He opened the door and stepped out smoothly, to the Spo waiting in front of the building. Sam noted that Fontley did remember to smile with a lot of teeth, as Sam had recommended to him once, when he first had dealings with the Spo. Or maybe that was how he’d always smiled.

  ***

  Senator Fontley was afraid.

  He had tried to avoid taking this assignment to Selta, but his fellow committee members had insisted and there had been no way to decline without losing serious credibility.

  He was afraid, but not for the reasons they thought.

  If all went as planned, he would have a meeting with the Rik director herself in only a few days. The thought filled him with absolute dread.