The warriors knife, p.31
The Warrior's Knife, page 31
“I thought your partner was gallivanting across the galaxy.”
“He is. I wasn’t lying when I said he was on a quest of his own. Which is just as well since he doesn’t have the skills to corrupt AI systems while the man who played Hobart does.”
“And you had help from a third operative who played Talyn arriving on Valerys.”
When she nodded agreeably, I continued.
“The Talyn playing Willa Trogo, meaning you, then joined her doppelgänger and swapped identities. The third agent ensured we would trace your alter ego to the surface before she vanished. Meanwhile, Talyn, newly arrived in the Cimmeria system, couldn’t be held responsible for the sabotage done with the help of Trogo’s credentials.”
“Nicely deduced, Chief Superintendent.”
“I assume you prepared an undetectable remote access node while you were still Trogo, to allow yourself and your accomplice a backdoor into various systems. And when the Shrehari arrived, you and Hobart set the assassination in motion. Surveillance sensors recorded Hobart going aboard Harpy an hour before Shovak’s death. That gave him an alibi, and no one in her right mind would believe someone of your size and strength able to kill a large, powerful Shrehari male with his own warrior’s knife.”
Her lips twitched with a faint smile. “Precisely.”
“Hobart must have slipped out of the docks via a hidden maintenance tunnel, then used his knowledge of Shrehari to enter Shovak’s quarters after the sensors stopped recording, and immobilized him with a needler. He knew the Shrehari wouldn’t allow us to examine the body and find puncture wounds, thanks to their taboos. Then he killed Shovak with his own blade, to throw everyone off the scent. You and Hobart must have crossed paths in the stairwell where he told you he’d done the deed so station security could find you standing over the body, but in no ways be taken as a serious suspect.”
Talyn gave me a minute shake of the head. “Not quite, Chief Superintendent. While the man who played Montague Hobart is one of ours, he’s not a designated assassin. I am. I gave Shovak the killing stroke.”
Her tone was so business-like, so matter of fact, that I felt a frisson run down my spine. I knew the Fleet had its dirty tricks people, but the woman sitting in front of me was something else altogether.
A soft chuckle filled the silence that followed her admission of guilt. “Don’t worry. I’m not sizing you up as my next victim. We only kill when necessary and eliminating Shovak was essential. He was a top-level Tai Zolh officer with an extensive list of assassinations to his credit. Thopok is more of the same. The Kho’sahra will miss Shovak, but the rest of the galaxy won’t. I’m speaking the naked truth, so you understand the gravity of our covert cold war, and why it was necessary to manipulate the PCB into supporting our scheme.”
“Montague Hobart did a fine job steering me toward the conclusions you wanted. What if I hadn’t looked for a Shrehari interpreter?”
She made a dismissive hand gesture. “He’d have found another way to approach you and make himself useful.”
“I guess he’s the one who triggered the lift sabotage, so we would find evidence of Sécurité Spéciale involvement, leading us to look more closely at the ComCorp delegation.”
“That too. Monty had full access to the remote node I prepared and is almost as good at compromising AIs as I am. It’s something Naval Intelligence teaches those of us with the right aptitude. You were never in real danger, but we had to plant the idea Shovak’s death was more than just a simple murder.”
Surprisingly, Talyn’s revelations didn’t trigger another outburst of resentment on my part. I felt nothing more than resignation at being forced to accept my role in the Navy’s latest black op.
Though Arno and I would know our reputation for incorruptibility had been tarnished, no one else would see the blemish on our shining armor. And now that Talyn had confronted me with the facts, it was hard to dispute the necessity of her actions.
Besides, we’ve been known to let more than one corrupt cop or politico slip into anonymous retirement in the past, because a prosecution would not have served the interests of the legal system, justice be damned.
“And his contacting Gerri was another push in the right direction.”
“Yes. We knew you’d eventually zero in on Hobart, Trogo, and Kazan, and use Major Pullar’s surveillance system to gather video evidence of our activities. So Monty and I seeded the record with enough clues to orient you and your inspector.”
“You’re that good at predicting someone else’s moves? I find it hard to believe.”
I didn’t bother hiding my incredulity. Something about her unassailable self-confidence was tiresome.
“Within general parameters, yes. We studied your record beforehand, Chief Superintendent, to get a sense of your methods and way of thinking. Then we planned several contingencies, enough to cover most possibilities and still steer your investigation in the direction we wanted. However, and this isn’t idle flattery by any means, we didn’t expect you to figure things out quite so quickly, hence Monty’s abrupt departure. And before you ask, he’s not hiding aboard Harpy. Have Major Pullar scan her for life signs if you like.”
“I know he’s not here, or anywhere else on Aquilonia. But please pass on my deepest appreciation for his help when you see him again.”
“Oh?” She tilted her head to one side in question. “Why?”
“You can ask Monty, or whatever his real name is when you see him.”
“I will pass it on. And with that, I’ve told you everything I can about the operation. It’s important you understand not only what but why.” A soft chime echoed through the small starship’s bridge. “Harpy’s AI is telling me we’re ready to lift.”
“Your AI doesn’t speak?”
Talyn groaned with resigned amusement. “It does, but it’s forbidden to do so in my presence. A while back, my regular partner and I used this ship on a mission. Before our departure, he had the engineers who refurbished her set the AI to speak in my voice, then locked out any attempt at changing it.”
“Really? A black ops spook with a juvenile sense of humor?”
“He’s one in a billion, Chief Superintendent. His idea of fun can be rather unsophisticated, but I wouldn’t change him for anything.”
I caught a hint of wistfulness in her voice and wondered how someone able to murder a sentient being in such cold blood and with so much premeditation could also show normal human emotions. But since I would find no easy answers to that question, I climbed to my feet.
“Since you don’t intend to kidnap or otherwise silence me, I’ll leave you to vanish while I wrap up the last few loose ends of your spy games, Commander.”
“Believe me, Chief Superintendent, the Navy appreciates your part in this. A letter of commendation will probably land on DCC Hammett’s desk in the next few weeks, signed by the Chief of Naval Intelligence.”
“For the good it’ll do my bruised conscience. But please take this message back to your superiors. Never manipulate the PCB into doing your dirty work again. The next time we will blow the lid off your operation, no matter what it is.”
“Fiat justitia, et pereat mundus? Let justice be done, though the world perish? A noble, if self-destructive sentiment. I don’t doubt you might feel the impulse to do so, but I’m also sure you won’t. You’ve seen too much of the darkness that lurks even in the most hallowed places to believe justice can ever be an absolute.”
Though I didn’t want to admit it, even to myself, she was right. Big words and noble sentiments meant little when reality bit you in the ass with a vengeance. I swallowed an exasperated retort.
“Listen, Commander, if the Navy wants our help — ask. We can keep our mouths shut. Heck, we can even suggest better ways of doing things. My folks and I might not be intelligence agents, but we’re damned good cops, something you lot aren’t. If we’re to be on the same side when this covert cold war heats up, then we should act like it. You should act like it.”
“Duly noted. I will pass your message verbatim to my commanding officer, and for the record, I agree with you. If my regular sidekick had been part of this mission, I’m sure he would have disregarded orders and talked to you on the sly. He’s not what you would call a conventional operative, wedded to the unwritten rules of intelligence operations. He’s more of a practical man who clings to a notion of honor that seems almost anachronistic in this age of deceit.”
“Then perhaps you should learn from him.”
She surprised me with a delighted laugh. “People who don’t enjoy my partner’s style have accused me of becoming too much like him, so I guess it’s a work in progress. Once again, thank you, Chief Superintendent. I expect our paths will cross again someday. And when that happens, I promise I will do my utmost to make sure we won’t use the Constabulary as a patsy but bring you in as a full-fledged partner.”
— Fifty-Two —
I watched Harpy lift from behind a thick porthole at the base of the docking arm, not so much to make sure Talyn actually left Aquilonia, but as a way to procrastinate.
Tying up loose ends was a job I usually left to my juniors, but this time, I couldn’t avoid doing most of it. After Talyn’s departure, I invited myself into Dangerous Don’s office and let him know Lisbeth and he were now on our roster of people to watch.
Then, I gave Thopok a copy of my case report. Yes, my orders were to hand it to the Shrehari transport’s commanding officer. But I figured it would help widen the breach between the Tai Zolh and Gerri’s lot, as the Fleet intended, if I let Thopok see my conclusions before he left.
And apparently, it did. After meeting the Shrehari captain at the station end of a controlled-access docking arm, I waited for Thopok and company to pass through with Shovak’s remains. They came escorted by Gerri, who gave me a glare so venomous it would have felled a king cobra.
“I can’t begin to understand what you think you achieved,” she muttered between clenched teeth as we watched the imperial officers walk away. “But there will be consequences for your part in disrupting the negotiation of a profitable trade arrangement. Blaming a man who conveniently vanished for Shovak’s death instead of charging the obvious suspect in your custody gave humanity a black mark. These sentients have a highly developed sense of honor, and you’ve offended it by perpetrating the next best thing to a cover-up. Mark my words, you will pay.”
“Possibly,” I replied, pleased I could keep my tone light and without the slightest hint of concern. “But many sentients in the Protectorate will keep their freedom a little longer. That also counts for something.”
I ignored the involuntary gasp that escaped her lips.
“Yes,” I said, “I’m aware of what you were up to, Gerri. And since Montague Hobart, the suspect who so conveniently vanished, also has ties to ComCorp and the Sécurité Spéciale, I daresay we might both face tough questions. At least I’ll be able to answer them with a clean conscience. You, on the other hand, seem to have lost what little scruples you possessed when you resigned from the Constabulary. Making a deal with Louis Sorne to have his henchmen rape and murder me? Really, Gerri? That’s low even for you.”
“You can’t prove it, and any accusations you make will be treated as libelous. But understand this, Caelin — it isn’t over. Not even close. You don’t understand who you’re fucking with.”
“Considering what occurred here in the last week, I’d say neither do you. And as for proof? It will come in due course. The moment Sorne lands, he’ll find himself in police custody, and then the dickering starts. I doubt he’ll protect you if he can negotiate a deal. He’s not the sort who sees loyalty as a virtue.”
Gerri smirked at me. “Sorne won’t spend more than thirty minutes in jail, honey. He has connections you can only dream of.”
“We’ll see. Don’t make any vacation plans, in case I show up with a warrant for your arrest.” Out of sheer devilment, I blew her a kiss. “Until the next time, honey.”
I turned and walked away without a backward glance. Gerri might have been sufficiently angry to shoot me in the back, but not enough to lose her sense of proportion. No matter her many faults, she remained a survivor.
A glance at the time showed our ferry back to Valerys was leaving soon, and after watching the Shrehari ship lift from a nearby porthole, I joined Arno at the Gendarmerie station. He had spent the last hour guarding our luggage and kibitzing with Sergeant Yulich while drinking Pullar’s excellent coffee.
“I was just telling my friend here that we could use a man of his talents in our information analysis section, Chief.”
“Why?” I poured myself a mug. “Has Sergeant Yulich offended a large enough swath of the Gendarmerie to contemplate life as a member of the Firing Squad?”
Yulich’s vigorous headshake was almost comical to behold. “No, sir. I’m happy serving Cimmeria in this manner, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Our loss.” Arno drained his mug. “Major Pullar asked that we drop in on him before leaving. How was Dangerous Don?”
“Shaky. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s suffered the sharp edge of Gerri’s tongue. She certainly unleashed it on me, or at least she tried. I told him to pack and book a cabin on the ferry. By now DCC Maras will have reached out to her contacts in the Cimmerian government with a suggestion they force the Syndicate to replace Aquilonia’s management forthwith.”
“Few people will weep at his departure.”
“It’s a given that the good major won’t.”
“Cleverly deduced,” Pullar said as he emerged from his office. “If your investigation results in D.D. leaving, then you’ll have done us a favor that transcends solving a mere murder.”
“Provided his replacement is cut from a better cloth,” Arno replied, climbing to his feet.
“True. But after this, maybe the Aquilonia Syndicate will take more care in choosing a chief administrator.”
I held out my hand. “Major, it’s been a pleasure. We couldn’t have done it without you and your gendarmes. Your director general will receive a letter of appreciation signed by DCC Maras thanking the Gendarmerie for its assistance.”
Pullar made a dismissive gesture. “Some of us still believe in professional courtesy. Besides, watching you and Inspector Galdi at work has been educational.”
“Then perhaps the letter of appreciation will help you secure a pre-retirement posting to your hometown.”
A shy smile lit up his face. “In which case, I’ll owe you my thanks.”
“And on that note,” Arno said, “it’s time to go; otherwise, the ferry will leave without us.”
We made our goodbyes and reached the docks with only a few minutes to spare. For reasons best left unexplored, the ComCorp delegation had opted to take the next one. That suited me fine. Spending eighteen hours in a tin can with Wildcat Gerri wouldn’t have made the trip more congenial.
Once ensconced in our first class cabins — the last courtesy of a grateful Navy — and with my jammer at full strength, I told Arno the whole sad story. As it turned out, he’d already guessed a lot of it.
“I trust you warned Talyn against trying something like that again, Chief?” He asked when I fell silent.
“In so many words. Not that it’ll make a difference. Our brothers and sisters in Naval Intelligence will do whatever they consider necessary to preserve the Commonwealth.”
“I suppose someone needs the freedom to fight dirty when faced with an even more contemptible enemy.”
“Perhaps, but I’d be happier if they didn’t involve the one organization that can still boast of being the straightest of straight arrows. Once we lose that distinction, we lose the answer to the age-old question of who will watch the watchers. And when that happens, we’ll find ourselves on a slippery slope with nothing but grief at the bottom.”
The idea was depressing, but I had learned to avoid dwelling on matters I couldn’t influence, let alone change. An inability to let go invariably ended with an unhappy and early retirement if it didn’t end with the barrel of a blaster under the chin.
“By the way, Chief, while I was waiting for you, I dug into Aquilonia’s database for a tidbit that both of us missed. A small matter that’s been bugging me since we first came across Talyn’s alter ego.”
“Oh?”
“It’s related to that chap Fleming, whose novels you so enjoy.”
“And what of him? You’ve always disdained that sort of literature.”
“I may have read one or two of his stories, merely to see what the attraction was, you understand. I predict you’re about to hate yourself, Chief. Do you recall the cover name he gave an organization known as Military Intelligence Six in those spy stories?”
He smiled at me expectantly while I rifled through my ever-growing fund of trivia. That smile became a rumbling chuckle when he saw the light go on in my eyes.
“Universal Exports.”
Arno nodded. “Universal Exports, indeed. The company that supposedly employed Willa Trogo before her move to Aquilonia. Talyn’s people must have the same taste in pre-diaspora literature as you do, Chief. And a rather perverse sense of humor. The tricky buggers left us a hint. We just didn’t understand it at the time. I guess Talyn wasn’t lying when she said they studied you in great detail.”
“Why would they plant something that obvious, I wonder? It seems like a rather silly thing to do.”
“Perhaps to help lead us down the garden path, except we didn’t need it to find our own way.”
“Thankfully. It’s gratifying to see we can still detect unaided by our friendly neighborhood spooks. And on that note, did we hear back from Sector HQ?”
“Aye.” He nodded. “Sergeant Bonta has come up with a few viable candidates for Sorne’s other source within the Financial Crimes Division. We can start on them as soon as we land.”
