Dana Cartwright Mission 1: Stiletto (10 page)

Only when we’re linked by touch. If you were Alphan, we could. Or if we mated… However, being Enturian…

Dana stiffened. She was at the window bar table at Patriarchs. Kieran’s statement so startled her she nearly spilled her gin and tonic.
 

How do you know I’m Enturian? Very few people know.

Doctor Garcia said he ran a scan — something about his brother being half-Enturian and half-Galaxean.

That is a total breach of ethics. Doing a scan without my permission and, worse, revealing the results to a third party!
 

She scowled, absolutely furious with
Navitor
’s Chief Surgeon.

Well, I’m not exactly a disinterested third party.

All the more reason…

Dana fumed.

I don’t understand why you’re angry.

All my adoption records are sealed, Kieran. I have no idea why. And some nosy doctor did a scan and announced it to an SSID agent. Why would he do that?

Dana?

Kieran tried but could no longer telepathically connect, due to her anger.

“DOC?”

Her guardian looked up from his massive mahogany desk and the two-pound medical text open before him. The whole office reeked of musty books — they lined the shelves, floor to ceiling. He collected a variety of subjects, but mostly focused on human history and medicine.

“Doctor,” he responded stiffly, turning his left ear toward her — the good one with the hearing aid.

“May I come in?” She remembered to ask. Even as a child, one required permission to enter his inner sanctum.

“Certainly.” He pointed her to an overstuffed chair and watched her settle in. “You have a problem,” he deduced.

Sometimes she wondered if he was telepathic. “I do. Doctor Garcia.”

Doctor David Cartwright’s stare could undo many a man. Dana was no exception, but this time, she held her chin high.

“
Navitor
’s Chief Surgeon? That Garcia?”

She nodded.

“And the problem? You performed a surgery you are not qualified for?”

“No, nothing like that. The surgery went well. The patient is already responding to physical therapy — already walking.”

DOC wasn’t impressed but allowed her to continue.

“No, the problem is a personal one. Doctor Garcia, without my permission, did a scan of my DNA and revealed the results to a third party.”

DOC bolted to his feet. “He what!”

She nodded into his agitation.

“That is a total violation of Star Service regulations and professional ethics! What? Is he mad? Did he scan my DNA, too? That’s outrageous!”

As DOC always did, he took control of the conversation. And then he turned to the video screen, which he detested, at his left, and ordered the computer, “Get me Admiral Cartwright at Star Service Command.”

Dana swallowed hard. Barrett Cartwright was not related to DOC, but they were very good friends.

DOC motioned her out of the room and Dana retreated to the hallway of the mansion. She thought about eavesdropping on the call, but decided it was unprofessional.

Instead, she visited her old bedroom upstairs, at the end of the hallway. The big bay windows faced Mary’s Lake and the snowcapped Rocky Mountains of Estes Park. With the curtains pulled back, she stared and enjoyed the picturesque scene, but it still didn’t feel like home. It never had, though she’d lived here — off and on — for twenty-two years except for college and medical school.

The room contained none of her personal belongings. The few she kept were at her apartment in Capitol City. Other than the view, she claimed nothing.

“Thinking about moving back in? Father’s been quite lonely in this big old house.”

Gregory Cartwright haunted the doorway; her adoptive brother was old enough to be her father. Oddly enough, he bore very little resemblance to DOC; but if you looked at a picture of his mother, you could see the eyes were identical… brilliant blue eyes.

“Doctor Greg…”

“Doctor Dana…” He laughed and his rotund belly shook heartily. “Good to see you.”

“How’s Jocelyn?”

“Very well, thank you for asking. Traveling at the moment to some conference on Rigel. I’ll be joining her soon. Father disapproves, of course.” Greg dared a step into the room. He never ever came in when she was younger because this was his mother’s favorite room.

“Of course,” Dana smiled, but it faded. She had little in common with her adoptive brother. He chose cardiology and had a massively successful private practice. His elegant wife practiced obstetrics from the same building.

“Been in to see the old man?”

Dana nodded. “Yes, and stirred up the pot. He’s chatting with the Admiral now.”

Greg chuckled, “Oh, to be a fly on the wall.”

She shook her head. “Not on this one. DOC and I assisted a Star Service Chief Surgeon yesterday. The man surreptitiously took a scan of my DNA.”

“Ooh! And you found out?” Greg frowned. “Nasty. Was he looking for an organ donor or something?”

“Said his brother — his adopted brother — has mismatched eyes like mine,” Dana revealed.

“So? He was curious?”

“Curiosity killed the cat. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”

“It is…a very old adage. Not sure where it originated.” Greg grinned, “I’ll wager that Chief Surgeon will come to regret it.”

Dana nodded in agreement. Then she asked, “Greg? Why are my records sealed? What could possibly be in them?”

“A skeleton,” he made a funny face.

Dana didn’t find it at all amusing. “What’s the worst? Some ambassador had an affair with a fellow ambassador? Or a Star Service officer became romantically involved with a member of the Galaxean royal family? Surely, since Ambassador Seth mated with an Earth woman long ago that took the stigma from such a thing?”

“I don’t know, Dana, dear. I was in med school when you magically appeared. And no one ever bothered to tell me the particulars.”

She knew Greg was being truthful. They’d had this discussion before.

“Hark!” Greg teased. “I think I hear a Star Service Chief Surgeon falling out an airlock.”

They turned to see DOC in the hallway. The levity quickly faded.

“An Inspector Regis will be in contact,” Doctor David Cartwright announced.

“I know him. He’s investigating the Ambassador’s shuttle crash, as well.” Dana added, “He’s an ass.”

“Please limit your language while in this house.”

“An ass is perfectly common usage. Any of several hoofed perissodactylous mammals of the genus EQUUS.” Dana quoted the collegiate dictionary. “I’ve checked. PERISSODACTYLOUS.” She spelled it. “Having a photographic memory can be such a bore.”

DOC turned away, miffed.

“Father?” Greg called. “Why are Dana’s records such a galactic secret?”

“Birth records are sealed to protect the adoptee for many reasons,” DOC answered.

“Protect from what?”

DOC scowled. “Ask your wife about such things. Her specialty is obstetrics.”

“Yes, O-B, but not adoption,” Greg countered.

DOC Cartwright continued down the hallway without responding.

“I tried,” Greg grimaced before turning back to her. “May have put my foot into something.”

Dana shrugged.

“Say? Do you have tickets yet to the Meeting of the Masters? I just happen to have two for the closing ceremony and can’t attend. Should be quite the event, if you like to hobnob with Star Service royalty.”

“Royalty?” She scoffed.

“Well, certainly, with Republic dignitaries and…”

Dana shrugged. “I don’t have tickets. Thank you for offering.” She nodded readily. “I’ve been hearing chatter about it.”

Greg grinned. “I’ll have them delivered to your office at MCE.”

Dana?
 

Kieran tried and tried but could not establish a telepathic connection; the link was broken. He stared at the ceiling tiles, feeling very alone and sensing that something was very wrong. He couldn’t put it into words.

“Doctor Garcia?” He called and waited. No one had been in for hours. “Doctor?” When he still received no answer, he lowered the bed and slid over the side. Using the other diagnostic beds and a wall to steady himself, he made his way to the lavatory, finally having a degree of control over bodily functions. He tossed the diaper, wrinkling his nose; just the idea of wearing one offended him.

The mirror reflected a hopeful grin.
Maybe it won’t take two hundred years…

He used the wall for support and turned the corner, saw no one, and noted that Garcia’s desk viewer was dark.

Kieran frowned. Dana called it medical malpractice to leave him alone. So where was Garcia? Not even an android nurse or...

He sank down into the doctor’s desk-chair and tapped the view-screen to revive it from energy-saver mode.

“What?”
 

The data on the screen was the personnel file on Doctor Dana Cartwright, showing her home address, work history, education — everything. Well, almost…no birth records... They were marked ‘sealed by GCE’ something Kieran found rather fascinating. The Galactic Colonies of Enturize, one of the newest star systems to join the Republic, only made such requests for the offspring of dignitaries in their Star Service with their Master Captain’s approval.

“Fascinating!” Kieran read as much as he could, nodding appreciatively. “Dana would make an incredible SSID officer.”

He then logged into
Navitor
’s computer net with his SSID credentials and called Colonel Sierra. “I think Dana Cartwright is in danger. I found her personnel file open on Doctor Garcia’s computer. All her personal data has been compromised. We need to pick up Garcia for questioning.”

Sierra appeared to consult a second computer
 
screen off to his left. “Yes, I see. There are many recent hits. I hope there’s time.”
 
He tapped the voice-badge on his uniform jacket.

The viewer before Kieran went blank for an instant, then back to the Starship
Navitor
logo. With his SSID security clearances, he was able to override the locks and access Garcia’s personnel file.
 

Kieran whistled. “Busted!” he mumbled, while reading Admiral Barrett Cartwright’s demotion and indictment order. Garcia was remanded to Station One, confined to a cell in the brig pending a full court-martial.

“What’d I miss? Damn!” Then it dawned upon Kieran Jai. Admiral Cartwright - DOC Cartwright - Dana Cartwright…
 

“Damn!” The entry by the Admiral had a date and time stamp of not more than half an hour ago. Kieran logged out of the computer and cleared the history so no one accessing the viewer could accidentally recover Dana’s records. He then went to find a MAT station.

“Have to get to HQ!”

The Estes Park public MAT pod station had a wait — a long wait. “Tourists!” Dana grumbled. She used her voice-badge to call in to the Medical Center East controller. “Computer? Doctor Cartwright here, can you MAT me back to Patriarchs? The public system is bogged down.” Being a doctor had its perks. The computer system quickly complied with the request.

The pub overflowed with bodies. She took the only vacant stool at the bar and ordered another of Taylor’s specialties.
 

He gave her a grin. “Welcome back.”

Dana nodded. Over the din, she asked, “What’s with the crowds?”

“Oh, the Meeting of the Masters. They’ll clear out shortly, since we’re not showing it on the big-screen. Opening ceremonies just ended and now the matches are starting.”

“I never realized it was such a big deal.” Dana gladly sipped the drink Taylor set before her. It went down gently and soothed away much of the agitation she was feeling.

Taylor brought her up to speed on the event. “Only happens every ten years. Kind of like the Galactic Olympics for Martial Arts. First time Earth is hosting at Capitol City and not at the San Diego academy. Tons of dignitaries here. Hundreds of ambassadors and…”

As Taylor predicted, the pub emptied as the chronograph clicked closer to the top of the hour.

“No wonder the public MAT stations are on overload.”

Without warning, a man materialized at Dana’s elbow. She let out a startled gasp. “Colonel Sierra! You scared me.”

“Doctor! Good!”

Dana groaned. “Good?”

“There’s been a security breach,” the Galaxean told her.

“Another one?”

It was his turn to frown — well, as close to a frown as Galaxeans come to frowning.
 

“Apparently. There were five hits on your personnel file.”

“Why am I not surprised? Let’s see: Admiral Cartwright, Doctor Garcia, Inspector Regis, you and…Who else? Kieran?”

He shook his head. “We’re working on it.”

“So, you’re here to warn me?” She needed another drink.

“No, Ma’am. I’m here because Colonel Jai believes you are in danger.”

Dana looked around at the few remaining patrons, looked to Taylor behind the bar and then back at Colonel Sierra, squinting with her brown eye. “Care to explain?”

“Your apartment has been ransacked. I went there first.”

She downed the last of her drink. “Thanks, Taylor. Put it on my tab,” she called, backing Colonel Sierra away a step after stepping on his toes. “Let’s go.”

He did the honors, requesting a transfer, using his voice-badge and clout.

Dana inspected everything as she righted wall paintings and stacked a few mementos. “What were they looking for?” She wondered surveying the mess, while using a cleaning cloth to mop up spilled coffee and salt all over the kitchen counter tops. Then she ventured up to the loft bedroom, quickly moving to hang up a few civilian clothing pieces in the closet, which had been strewn about the floor. “What a mess! Nothing appears to be missing, however.”

“Perhaps it was just a warning,” Sierra remained at her side, after verifying no one remained within.

“Lots of fingerprints,” Dana pointed to the padlet beside her bed. “I’m always careful to wipe the screen down after I use it. These are fresh.”

“Mind if I take this?” Sierra carefully lifted the tablet computer for inspection then offered, “May I suggest you spend a few days elsewhere -- somewhere secure but unfamiliar.”