Fatal flaws gate ghosts.., p.21
Fatal Flaws (Gate Ghosts Book 13), page 21
“And the judicial order from Lister’s friend?” Carthal inquired.
“I’m headed back to my office. I’ll file before I get some sleep. We’ll prevail,” Gostel replied.
“Before you go,” Carthal said. “I wouldn’t have expected to speak to a prosecutor for a couple of cycles. How did you get assigned and updated so quickly?”
“Palladon Guelmer called me personally, and his admin sent me the arrest vids, which I viewed on the way here,” Gostel replied. “Some powerful government individuals believe in you, Commander.”
The next morning, Guelmer eyed his two tired ministers, who sat across the desk from him.
“Late night?” Guelmer queried.
“A little celebration after the arrests and exposure of the Utilimats,” Fetler explained.
Rather than respond to Guelmer, Soiter mutely indicated the two empty chairs that had been added.
In reply, Guelmer picked up his device and sent a signal.
The palladon’s office had a private entrance. That well-hidden portal slid aside, and Vextra and Shemla stepped through the opening.
Vextra spied Soiter, and she hissed sympathetically. Taking the seat next to Soiter, she whispered, “You look like you need a female to take care of you.”
Fetler focused on Shemla and inquired, “Would you be me?”
Shemla made appreciative noises that Fetler had recalled their exchange. Touching a hand to her chest, she said, “I’m Shemla, Minister Fetler.”
“I realize that this is an unorthodox meeting to hold,” Guelmer began. “However, the four of you were instrumental in opening up the path I wish to follow.”
“Relieving Freiots of the Utilimat agreement,” Vextra offered.
Guelmer regarded the agent. He was unaccustomed to being interrupted.
“Your pardon, Palladon,” Soiter interceded. “If you wish Vextra’s cooperation, you’ll take her in total. She has thoughts and opinions of her own, and she prefers to express them at any time.”
Guelmer continued to regard Vextra. When he realized that she had no intention of apologizing for her interruption, he shrugged his shoulders and remarked, “Yes, Vextra, you’re correct. The ultimate goal is to have a legitimate reason to abrogate the Utilimat-Freiot defense agreement. That will leave us free to form an alliance with the Yerets, support the Monkfreds, and seek support from the conclave.”
“The first step is much easier said than done,” Fetler responded. “What do we have right now?”
The question prompted the palladon and the ministers to turn to Vextra.
“Right now, we have a great deal of suspicious activity, and not much more,” Vextra replied. “Our drone tracked one of the watchers focused on Shemla’s apartment to the meeting place. Unfortunately, the meeting was completed by the time the watchers’ transport arrived. I think they arrived merely to collect Bangrath.”
“There were five Freiots. We presume they’ve been identified,” Shemla said.
For a moment, the three males looked chagrined.
“Not every one of them was an agent,” Shemla offered.
“Bangrath was in the transport, as were three agents who reported to him,” Soiter replied. “The fifth individual is wealthy. His name is Lister, and he owns significant portions of many companies.”
“What does Lister gain by dealing with the Utilimats?” Vextra inquired.
“The companies focus on two industries, procuring and processing ores and shipbuilding,” Soiter explained.
Vextra hissed softly, emphasizing her understanding. “As such, Lister would have a great deal of contact with ministerial offices,” she commented.
“Too much, for my taste,” Guelmer remarked.
“Wouldn’t the media have immediately identified Lister?” Shemla asked. Then the answer occurred to her. “He was wearing a distortion mask, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” Fetler replied. “Security didn’t realize that until Lister was in the van. Then it was too late for the media crew.”
Guelmer’s device signaled, and he responded, “Bring them.”
The office doors slid aside, and two more chairs were carried into the room.
As the admins left, Gostel and Carthal entered the office.
It fell to Guelmer to quickly announce names. Then he indicated the two empty chairs to the new arrivals.
“Commander, start with your update,” Guelmer requested.
“My report is extremely brief, Palladon,” Carthal replied. “The four agents aren’t talking. Not a word. The same for our wealthy guest, Lister.”
“Prosecutor Gostel,” Guelmer invited.
“Thanks to the work of Ministers Soiter and Fetler and their agents, we’ve sufficient evidence to charge Bangrath and his direct reports,” Gostel responded.
“But not Lister?” Guelmer queried.
“The Utilimats were precluded from dropping planetside without clearance,” Gostel explained. “After landing, we’ve no law that restricts Freiot citizens from meeting them.”
Shemla issued a derogatory hiss.
Heads turned her way, and Fetler said, “I second that emotion.”
“I’ve sent a message that I expect the Utilimat commander to meet with me and explain the presence of his three officers on this planet without government permission,” Guelmer said. “But I know what I’ll hear.”
Soiter interjected, “Apologies for his officers’ lax operational procedures, and a promise to send them to the home planet for disciplinary hearings.”
“Something much like that,” Guelmer agreed.
“This doesn’t get us down the path you want, Palladon,” Vextra said.
“No, it doesn’t,” Guelmer admitted. When he found Gostel and Carthal intently regarding him. He extracted promises of secrecy from them. Then he updated them on his long-range plans.
Vextra focused on Gostel. “What type of evidence do you need to prove that Lister and the security agents colluded with the Utilimats to deliver Freiot secrets?”
“We don’t know for certain that was the reason they were meeting,” Gostel protested.
“Assume that was the case,” Guelmer instructed. Then he waved a hand toward Vextra.
“If I had my choice, I’d like a recording, vid preferably, of the agents confessing to the reasons for the meetings,” Gostel replied.
Eyeing Guelmer, Vextra asked, “Who is more important to you — the agents, Lister, or the Utilimats?”
“The Utilimats, first and foremost,” Guelmer replied.
“Commander, you and Prosecutor Gostel should find reasons to release your detainees tomorrow morning,” Vextra said. “If we’re fortunate, we should have those confessions within two to three cycles.”
While the palladon, the commander, and the prosecutor stared at Vextra in disbelief, Soiter remarked, “If Vextra thinks she can do this, that’s our best gambit. I don’t know anyone who is more competent in handling delicate investigations.”
Guelmer regarded Fetler, who added, “We’ve gotten this far because of what Vextra and Shemla brought to us.”
“We take the chance,” Guelmer pronounced. “Our future depends on us untangling Freiot society from Utilimat domination. If we can’t do this with a legal protest, we’ll only have one resort, and I’d rather not contemplate that.”
Carthal and Gostel were excused. After they left, Guelmer triggered his office’s private exit, and Vextra and Shemla took that as their cue. As the pair slipped through the opening, Guelmer eyed Soiter, cocking his head in a silent question.
“Go,” Fetler urged his friend.
Soiter was galvanized, and he hurried after Vextra and Shemla.
When Guelmer and Fetler were left alone, the two Freiots hissed good-naturedly.
“That was the best part of this morning’s meeting,” Guelmer commented, pointing after Soiter’s quick exit, and they laughed some more.
In the corridor to the elevator, Gostel inquired, “How is it that we’re on the outside? Shouldn’t we be part of the plan?”
“You saw the drone surveillance of the transports and the device vid of the meeting, correct?” Carthal queried.
“You know I did,” Gostel replied.
“You’re probably under the impression that Security Command ran that surveillance. We didn’t,” Carthal replied. “In fact, originally, I contacted Minister Soiter and made the mistake of believing that reports issued by Bangrath’s minions were correct and the minister was in error.”
“Big mistake,” Gostel remarked.
“Yes, but I managed to survive my stumble,” Carthal continued. “All that vid information was collected by the female agent introduced as Vextra.”
“Did you know her before this investigation?” Gostel inquired.
“No, but I understand that Soiter has used her frequently and quite successfully,” Carthal replied.
“I’ll allow that she’s extremely competent,” Gostel said. “But I don’t understand why we’re being excluded.”
“I can think of one reason,” Carthal offered. “Vextra isn’t a government or Security Command employee.”
“Which means that she uses unlicensed Freiots and illegal means of obtaining information,” Gostel completed, adding a distasteful hiss.
“You’ll notice that everything that Vextra supplied to us was available publicly,” Carthal pointed out. “We were the individuals who had no idea where or how to locate the colluding suspects.”
Soiter caught up with Vextra and Shemla in the tiny elevator used by a palladon to come and go undetected. The two females were pressed close to him, and his scent glands were inundated. Shemla’s scent was powerful and intoxicating as opposed to Vextra’s, whose soothing scent called to him.
Vextra took pity on Soiter, knowing what he experienced. “We need you to do something for us,” she said to focus his thoughts. When she had his attention, she continued, “Work with Commander Carthal. Collect everything taken from each detainee. Keep their clothes and personal items separate. I’ll send you a location for delivery when you have them. This must be done immediately.”
The elevator door opened to a private underground parking space, and Vextra and Shemla made for their transport.
“I think the minister might need a few minutes to recover,” Shemla offered, with a mischievous hiss.
“I wonder if Soiter ever had two unmated females pressed that close to him,” Vextra mused.
“He definitely seemed to be focusing on your scent,” Shemla pointed out.
Vextra ignored Shemla’s comment as they climbed into the back of transport.
As the trio drove away, Vextra said to Gedrake, “I need a specialist in the latest device comm tech. He or she must be good.”
“I thought you had one?” Gedrake replied.
“I did, but not anymore,” Vextra replied.
“Where are we headed?” Gedrake inquired.
“Your shop,” Vextra replied.
“You know the rules,” Gedrake insisted.
“In the past two cycles, I’ve broken more rules that I can count, including meeting with the palladon. It’s your turn to break a few,” Vextra replied. Her tone said she wouldn’t accept a refusal.
“After this is over, you set me up with a new location,” Gedrake stipulated.
“Done,” Vextra replied. Then she sent Soiter the location of the drop-off.
When the trio arrived at the old storage facility, Gedrake signaled the wide door aside and drove the transport inside.
“We need food,” Vextra directed Gedrake, as they got out of the vehicle.
“I’ll have it delivered by an associate,” Gedrake replied.
The food was long since consumed when Vextra received a coded message from Soiter that he was nearing her location.
Vextra and Shemla stepped outside to collect the detainees’ clothes and personal items from Soiter.
“They’ll be ready soon, if you care to wait,” Vextra said, accepting three of the bags.
“You’re welcome,” Soiter murmured quietly to himself, as Vextra and Shemla disappeared into the dilapidated storehouse.
Gedrake had set up some tables, and the bags were emptied into discreet piles with the name tags next to them.
To Shemla, Gedrake, and the comm tech, who’d just arrived, Vextra said, “Here’s the plan. We plant three trace tags on each set of clothing. We hide them well.”
“And you don’t expect them to inspect their clothing after being detained by Security Command?” Gedrake asked.
“Oh, I do,” Vextra replied. “They’re not what I need.” Then she hefted an agent’s device. “This is what I need.”
“If you expect me to break into a Security Command device to plant a tracker, it won’t happen,” the comm tech stated definitively.
“I’m aware of that,” Vextra replied. “Listen carefully. Finding the trackers on their clothes should lull the suspects into a false sense of security. The agents know that their devices can’t be tampered with in any fashion, but I don’t want to do that either.”
About then, Vextra’s device hummed. When she glanced at it, she said softly, “Just in time.” Then to the comm tech, she said, “I’m about to give you the override code for the agents’ devices. You’re to go into the settings and change default transmission.”
“Yes,” the comm tech exulted. “When they talk to one another, they’ll be sharing their transmissions with someone else.”
“And here’s the device ID for that someone else,” Vextra said.
“The agents will probably stay together,” Shemla pointed out. “They can talk without their devices.”
“I agree,” Vextra replied. “My targets are Lister and Bangrath. Lister will be released first. The agents after a short delay.”
“Smart,” Shemla acknowledged. “Lister won’t wait for them. He’ll head home.”
“And get rid of every item in his personal bag,” Gedrake added, to which Vextra nodded.
The comm tech frowned. Then his face cleared, and he said, “When these targets feel safe, they’ll call each other. That’s the conversation you want.”
“Then we only need to deal with one of the agent’s devices,” the comm tech offered.
“No,” Shemla quickly replied. “Our target agent is a crafty individual. He knows that we want him. He’s likely to borrow a device from one of his direct reports.”
Vextra showed the code to the comtech, and he went to work. Then Shemla, Gedrake, and she planted the tracking devices, ensuring that they’d be difficult to locate.
When all was done, the items were returned to the bags, and Vextra and Shemla carried them to Soiter, who placed them in the back of his transport.
Shemla returned inside, and Vextra said to Soiter, “We’re all set. I’m not positive that my scheme will work. If it does, your device will receive a call. It’s critical that you keep your end muted and record the call. I recommend that you have the commander and the prosecutor with you.”
“When do you think this will happen?” Soiter inquired.
“Within the next cycle or two after the commander releases the agents,” Vextra replied.
“That should make for a cozy trio,” Soiter remarked. “What should we expect to hear?”
“If we’re fortunate, you should get exactly what Gostel wants,” Vextra replied.
When there seemed nothing else to say, Soiter stepped close to Vextra. “I loved your scent in the elevator,” he said.
“I know you did,” Vextra replied, licking her tongue under his chin. He would carry her scent with him for a short while. Then she turned and headed inside.
In the transport, Soiter took some time to breathe Vextra’s scent deeply into his nostril slits, savoring the possibility of having her as his mate. Then the demands of his office called to him. He breathed a sigh of resignation and directed the transport to his office.
Carthal picked up the detainees’ bags from Soiter and returned them to lockup. The next morning, he oversaw the release of Lister, who was tight-lipped as he removed his detainee coveralls and dressed. After acknowledging the release order on Carthal’s device, he walked out of detention without uttering a word.
Following Vextra’s instructions, Carthal gave Lister plenty of time to reach his sumptuous apartment encompassing the uppermost floor of a tall tower. Then he processed the four agents. This group was more than happy to deride Carthal for what they considered to be false arrests.
After reaching his apartment, Lister made sure to send every item he had worn into the reclamation chute. Then he tossed his device to his housekeeper. “That’s for your youngling,” he said. “I’ve a new one.”
After a midday meal, Lister stared at his new device, which he’d programmed with his customary ID. The inconsistencies of the recent events bothered him. He or the agents had been tracked to the meeting with the Utilimats. Then a roadblock had captured all of them. After being detained, he was briefly questioned. Then he was subsequently released. It made no sense, which was something he never liked to feel. He’d made his living by being sure of his business moves.
In a place that no one would associate with security agents, Bangrath ordered his direct reports to search their clothing and personal items for trackers. It took a while, but they believed they’d found all of them.
“Too easy. I don’t like it,” Bangrath remarked. “Check again.”
Still the agents found no more trackers.
Bangrath eyed his device, turning it over and over in his hand. The seals appeared unbroken.
“I think the commander knew we’d find the trackers. He just wanted to scare us and throw us off guard,” an agent offered.
“Possibly,” Bangrath replied. “Get rid of those trackers.”
“These are expensive models. We could use them in the future,” an agent objected.
“And that could be the commander’s plan. We keep them and reprogram them, but they still transmit to him,” Bangrath replied.
Convinced of the insidiousness of what might be the commander’s plan, an agent scooped up the trackers and delivered them to a recycling bin, which would serve to block their transmission.
