Red Angel (20 page)

"I know what we are facing. In case you forgot,
we've fought them and won. And that time they had the advantage because I didn't
know how their ship was armed. Today, I know the types of missiles they are
using, reload time, speed, and number of tubes." Her voice was louder than
normal, so that the entire Bridge could hear. Red had slid into my hair. As his
head touched my forehead, a great calm settled over me.

"And how do you know what you are facing? They
certainly know what weapons a UAS cruiser carries and that you destroyed their
ship. So I'd say they know more than you," I said, my voice normal. I no
longer cared what she did to me, but I was determined to have my say. Too many
innocent lives depended on it.

"And you believe the smugglers are better than
the Alliance Navy?" she shouted as she neared me.

"We aren't discussing the crew of the Tityus; we
are discussing a captain who's putting glory over the safety of her ship."

"You're young and terrified of dying, I
understand. But the crew of the Tityus is experienced and brave. They are not
afraid of Freebee renegades in merchant ships. I'm charging you with conduct
unbecoming an officer." She was back in control, and she had stopped
shouting. She clicked her CPC on. "Colonel Mclean, send a couple of
marines. I'm placing Lieutenant Paulus under arrest. While she talked, I
pressed
send
. When it acknowledged, I
deleted the copy.

"I'm charging you with reckless disregard for the
safety of the Tityus and its crew." I stood, reached in and pulled out my
laser, and handed it to her—handle first. Then reached up and grabbed Red
and pulled him out of my hair. I kissed him gently. "Sorry Red." And
placed him in my chair. "I'm going to the medical unit and have Doctor
Guzman place me under quarantine, since within forty-eight hours I'll be
contagious—since you're so sure we'll be alive at that time. Oh, the
laser is to shoot the krait before he bites anyone. I can't live with the lives
of that many people on my conscience," I said, and began walking toward
the door. Just then, two marines walked in. "I'm better off in the medical
unit. The Coaca Virus is very contagious." I stared back at Sharat, whose
eyes were going from me to Red and back again.

"Let her go," she finally said.
"Lieutenant Sinclair, she's y—"

To my astonishment, Kris went down on one knee in
front of my chair and slowly reached out her arm. Red slid around her arm and settled.

"She's your responsibility, Sinclair,"
Sharat shouted, then waved to the marines. "Accompany them to the medical
unit and post a guard to see she doesn't leave."

"For the record, I agree with NIA Agent Paulus. I
think that message is an attempt to put the Tityus into a trap," Kris said
as she walked toward the door. I exited with Kris, and the two marines followed
at a distance. I almost laughed. The marines would charge into enemy fire but
were hesitant to go near the krait. When we reached the medical unit, Doctor
Guzman stood waiting, obviously having been warned.

"Anna, you're acting like a little girl."

"I am a little girl." Tears clouded my
vision. "Kris, if you survive, tell Alexa I'm sorry. I just couldn't live
knowing I didn't have the words to convince Sharat to use caution. Is it her,
or are all captains glory hungry?"

 
"Anna,
I too think you are acting like a young girl. One who refuses to accept some
adults aren't always wise or can let their emotions override good judgment,
even when hundreds of lives hang in the balance. We adults have come to accept
it." She looked around the unit. "Well, Doctor Guzman, where are you
going to put us?"

"Just give her that damn snake!"

"She doesn't want it, and Red seems content where
he is," She laughed, but I could feel how nervous she was. I loved her and
wished with all my heart that she really was my sister.

"I know snakes aren't supposed to have minds and
rational thoughts, but I'd swear Red won’t save her unless Paulus changes her
mind. So I'll keep him for now. And I'm not as worried about dying of the Coaca
Virus as I am of missiles. I'm afraid that Agent Paulus attacked the captain's
ego, so although what she said was true, she won't back down now."

Guzman led us to a private room, had an extra bed
moved in, and posted a guard at the door.

"Kris, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you
involved. I was desperate to get her to call for help or ... I don't know what.
I've made a mess of it."

"Okay, I'm dying to know. What message did you
sent and to whom, while the captain was busy calling security?"

"I sent out an urgent call for any Alliance
cruisers within twenty-four hours of the pickup coordinates. I indicated the
Tityus was being sent into a trap." I shrugged.

Kris laughed for several minutes and when she tried to
say something, she started laughing again.

 
"It's
been a pleasure knowing you, Anna." Kris lay back and appeared to fall
asleep. I hoped Red stayed on her sleeve, because Kris didn't like snakes, and his
crawling round would be a living nightmare for her. Finally, I fell asleep.

* * *

We were served our meals in the room, and fortunately
the room had a small shower and toilet.

"I can't imagine how you lived all those years
with Red attached to you. And he stayed while you showered."

"He likes the water and soap."

"If you think I'm taking a shower with him,
you're crazy."

"Grab him close to the neck and place him on the
bed. If he hasn't bitten you by now, I think you're safe," I said, hoping
I was right. Sure enough, when she grabbed him, he unwound and let her put him
on the bed. She was in the shower a long time. But when she sat down, Red slid
onto her lap and wound himself around her lower leg.

"I begin to understand why you think
Red—"

The Tityus shook and my glass tipped over.

"I think the captain found the smugglers," I
said, and Kris nodded. For a moment, I wished I was on the Bridge so I'd know
what was happening. Then I realized I was better off not being able to see the
damage monitor. Every missile that got through meant people died. It was bad
enough hearing the commotion in the medical unit as the injured were being
carried in. That was the trouble with the Bridge, it was detached from the
reality of what was happening.

The pounding went on for what seemed like days, although
it had only been several hours. I counted twenty-six hits, each one like a
knife in my heart. And although not all of them breached the hull, I knew many must
have, based on our last encounter. There seemed to be an intense barrage, then
long periods of nothing before it began again.

We were in a long period of quiet. I wondered if the
attackers would board at some point. Clearly we weren't winning. I figured the
ship must be close to a wreck and lucky to still be moving. But then the
bombardment started again. It lasted for only several minutes, and then I heard
the engines shut down.

"According to all the accounts I've heard, we can
expect a boarding crew shortly." Kris started laughing again and again. I
thought she had lost it. A boarding crew meant killing and rape. "The
smugglers may have won the battle and lost the war." She started laughing
again. "If you are contagious, you could destroy their whole
organization."

I joined her laughing fit. I wasn't contagious yet,
but my temperature was beginning to rise. If they didn't kill me right away,
the price for raping me could be very costly. Nothing happened for the next
couple of hours, except for an occasional explosion somewhere in the ship. The
Tityus was dying along with its crew.

"You see why I don't like water or space
submarines," Kris said, breaking the silence. "Can't see what's
happening and can't leave even if no one tries to stop you."

"You do have a point. Not much difference being
under water in the middle of an ocean or in a vacuum in endless space."
This was a senseless discussion, but it helped smooth the nerves and pass the
time until ... whatever our fate. "Wish I hadn't given my laser to Sharat."

"But if you were shot you couldn't spread the
virus."

"Turns out, the Coaca Virus is contagious for two
days after the individual dies, so—" The door opened slowly and a
woman stood there in a biohazard suit.

"Are you Lieutenant Paulus?" she asked,
looking from Kris to me.

"That's me." I raised my hand.

"Is the Coaca Virus active?"

"I'm beginning to run a fever, but I don't
believe the virus is active enough to be contagious, unless you become exposed
to my bodily fluids."

"Who are you?" Kris stood to face the woman,
her hand on her laser.

"I'm Doctor Wyman, from the UAS Vulcan. Doctor
Guzman says you can keep the virus under control with the poison from a
red-headed krait, but you are refusing to let the krait inject you ... Can you
explain what is going on? I admit to being confused. And hurry, this suit isn't
comfortable."

"Here, Red says he's lonely." Kris raised
her leg and put it on the bed. The doctor's eyes, even through the glass of her
helmet, grew wide in shock, and she took a step backward. In truth, I had missed
Red and I guess I’d been acting ... foolish. I was prepared to be judged and
punished for my actions, so I reached out and Red slid onto my arm, up to my
neck, and proceeded to sink his fangs into my throat. I heard the Doctor gasp.
The relief was immediate, and after a minute, Red disappeared into my uniform.

"You can take off that suit now if you wish. I'm
not currently contagious. Red, that's my red-headed krait, just injected me
with the poison that keeps it in check. Sit and I'll explain."

"Doctor, we need to leave this ship. There is no
telling how long it's going to hold together," a marine sergeant standing
in the doorway said.

"All right Sergeant, although I admit I'd risk it
to hear this story." She rose and exited the door. Kris and I followed
along, with four marines tailing. I assumed that meant I was still under
arrest. The hallway showed places were the metal had buckled from the force of
hits on the Tityus. They escorted us to one bay which had shuttles being filled
with survivors. Our shuttle wasn't full, but we departed as soon as the last
marine entered and closed the door. We were on a shuttle used primarily for
planet-side transportation by senior personnel, and it had small windows. I
couldn't believe the Tityus was still functional
—
or at least not completely opened to space. There
didn't look like there was any area untouched, and many areas clearly had been breached.

In silence, we were taken to the medical unit and
placed in a closed room. The doctor waved the marines out, stripped out of her
suit, and sat on the bed opposite me along with Kris.

"Red was a good boy, but I'm relieved he left me
for you," Kris said before the doctor could speak.

"Okay Lieutenant Paulus, explain." Her voice
was soft, and her face had a pleasant smile.

"Anna, please. When I was four, the medics found
me..." I went on to explain what the doctors had concluded during their
six months of examining Red and me.

"That's amazing, Anna. I can understand why you
gave it a name and why you feel he has some kind of connection with you. He
didn't bite Lieutenant Sinclair and seemed content to stay with her so long as
you were in ... his sight. I'm afraid you are under arrest and restricted to
this room until there's an inquiry. Lieutenant Sinclair, as far as I know you
are free to leave and will be assigned a room."

"I like this room, so if no one objects, I'll
stay with Anna. I'm as guilty as she is. They just haven't charged me
yet."

Wyman laughed. "Are all NIA agents as crazy as
you two?"

"I hope so," Kris said, looking at me and
winking. When Wyman left, I had conflicting emotions. I wanted Kris's company,
but I didn't want her to get in trouble over something I had done.

"Kris, you should leave. I caused all the
trouble. There is no reason for you to be court martialed."

"Yes, there is. I agreed with all of your actions
except maybe I would have chosen a couple of different words when sparring with
Sharat." She laughed. "But I agreed with the sentiment."

Just then, the marine on guard opened the door and a
tall stocky middle-aged man entered. He filled the doorway, and the room seemed
to shrink with his presence. Bushy eyebrows did nothing to hide bright
intelligent eyes, and an amused smile showed below his bug-nose.

"Lieutenant Paulus," he said, looking from
Kris to me. I nodded. "I'm Captain Maclin, commanding the Vulcan, and I'm
pleased to inform you that the charges against you have been dropped. I've
arranged for more suitable quarters for you and Lieutenant Sinclair and would
like you both to have dinner with me and the other two captains you invited to the
party." His smile grew larger.

"Thank you, Captain Maclin," I looked to
Kris, who nodded. "We'd like that, sir."

"Good, see you at nineteen hundred hours. Petty
Officer Milborne will show you to your quarters and get you anything you
need." He turned and left, and a petty officer appeared in his place.

"Lieutenants, do you need any help with
anything?"

"No, Petty Officer, we seemed to have left our
luggage on the Tityus," Kris said as she stood. "Lead on."

He led us to a two-man room, which didn’t surprise me
as the ship must be crowded even if they were equally distributed among the
three ships. The good news was that it had its own bath facilities. Milborne
managed to get us toiletries to wash and freshen ourselves.

The petty officer returned ten minutes before nineteen
hundred hours and escorted us to the captain's dining room. When we arrived,
the three captains were already present.

"My guests of honor have arrived," Maclin
said as the door closed behind us. "Captains, may I introduce Lieutenants
Sinclair and Paulus. You might recognize Paulus as the sender of the request
for help. Ladies, Captain Hargrove commands the Cabiri, and Captain Thayer
commands the Lapis."

Hargrove was a tall thin man with black hair and a
mustache on a long narrow face and eyes that were clearly evaluating us. Cabiri
was a pretty middle-aged woman who reminded me so much of Alexa that my heart
ached—I missed her so much.

We were served drinks. Kris took a white wine, and I
selected the half coffee, half milk concoction I'd come to like.

"You risked a lot arguing with captain Sharat and
sending that urgent message asking for help for the Tityus," Thayer said,
cutting straight to the point.

"I didn't consider it a risk at the time. All I
could think about were the five-hundred crew members who were going to die if
it was a trap, which appeared probable based on the information we had
gathered. And I guess I'd do it again in similar circumstances," I said,
realizing the truth of the statement.

"Lieutenants don't question captains’
decisions," Hargrove said, watching me intently. Red chose that moment to
suddenly exit my blouse and wind around my neck.

"Only if getting promoted is more important than
the lives at risk," I said, feeling like I was being propelled toward
another confrontation. Maclin roared with laughter and slapped the table.

"Paulus, you can sail with me anytime." He
looked to the two captains, who nodded agreement. "Tell us about your
red-headed friend who has taken an interest in us."

"My favorite topic. I was four and dying of the
Coaca Virus when Red found me ..." I spent most of the dinner talking
about Red and answering questions.

"I noticed that before you replied to me, Red
appeared. Coincidence?" Captain Thayer asked staring at Red, who was wound
around my neck with his head on my shoulder.

"Maybe it's my overactive imagination or because
Red has become a close friend over the years, but his presence does relax me
and clear my head, and as you might have noticed, he does seem to appear when I
need him." I reached up and touched Red. Silence followed as they digested
what I had said. Kris finally broke the quiet.

"As Paulus and I were in the medical unit and
missed the action, would someone mind telling us what happened?

"Captain Thayer and I were on Shadows Rest to
conduct training exercises with Captain Hargrove. My XO was on duty when he
received your message. He wasn't sure what to do, as he had never seen anything
like it before, so he wisely chose to push it up the chain of command, even
though it meant disturbing his captain's well-deserved leave. I happened to be
dining with Captain Thayer and others when the priority call came. About the
same time, Captain Thayer got a priority call from her XO. We debated it for a
few minutes, but it was too intriguing to ignore. I declared all shore leave
cancelled, had my XO validate the message, and returned to the Vulcan. Within
eight hours, I had most of my crew back on board and we departed for your
location," Maclin said, and took a drink of his Westar Lager, which he had
claimed was an old Earth recipe that Westar had improved upon.

"I left about an hour behind the Vulcan. A couple
of my critical positions were slow to return," Thayer said, and her lip
curled. "That will never happen again. Anyway, when I arrived, the Vulcan
was engaging two of the smuggler ships. I doubted they were a match for Mac, so
I pursued the smugglers dogging the Tityus. The Tityus looked barely
operational."

"I had just left the Wave when your urgent
message came in. I wondered if this was part of the training exercise but
decided that didn't make sense. I verified its authenticity and proceeded to
the coordinates in the message. When I arrived, the fight was in full progress.
I joined Mac, as he was outnumbered," Hargrove said.

"And we won." Maclin raised his glass, as
did Thayer and Hardgrove.

"Again," all three chimed together.

"How did you know it was a trap?" Maclin
asked, looking from me to Kris.

"Thanks to Agent Paulus discovering the method
the smugglers were using to drop off contraband, we were able to identify the
UAS merchants that were part of the smuggler operation. That led us to
discovering their method of communicating pickup and drop-off locations and
times. They communicate via encrypted messages to the crew. That in turn led to
the formation of the current task force and the subsequent destruction of the armed
FPU merchant during their rendezvous with the merchant ship, Spinner."

Kris stopped to look around the table for questions.
When no one said anything, she continued.

"Then we received an encrypted message that
looked suspicious. The encryption was amateurish, the location too fortuitous,
and when we checked, it was impossible for the merchant ship, Dreamer, to make
the pickup in the time stated in the message," Kris explained to nodding
heads.

"So when Agent Paulus couldn't convince Captain
Sharat to wait, she sent the urgent request for help without the captain's
knowledge," Hardgrove said, glaring at me. "That was a huge gamble
and unauthorized and not without legal consequences."

"One of those decisions that can cost you your
career even if it was the right thing to do," Thayer said, thoughtfully.

I didn't care. I couldn't have lived with myself if I
hadn't done it. While I had their attention and Maclin and Thayer were on my
side, I thought it a good time to see if they would allow a search of their
communications system.

"My career is important because I love what I do
and the people I work with, but not as important as preventing the unnecessary deaths
of innocent people. So, at the further risk of my career," I reached up
and touched Red and looked to Kris, who grinned and nodded. "We would
appreciate you allowing us to examine your message logs."

"Why?" Hardgrove asked. To my relief, Kris
answered.

"On the Tityus, we had a petty officer who sent a
suspicious looking message to Westar. It strongly resembled the messages sent
to the merchants supporting the smugglers. It appeared to be information for
drugs. We subsequently discovered that the smugglers have a very sophisticated
information network that tracks Alliance ships."

"You can start with me. I don't think I have a
problem, but if I do, I'd like to know," Thayer said. "I'd hate to
think we have crew involved, but the crew is a cross section of the Alliance's
population, so we have to expect a few bad apples."

"The Cabiri next. That would certainly explain
how drugs get on cruisers and why we have had so much trouble finding the
smuggler ships," Hardgrove said.

Maclin laughed. "Directing us to those smugglers was
like rubbing Aladdin's lamp. Now you get several free wishes. Take me last. I
believe I will be escorting you from here on out. And on a serious side note,
thank you. I've had your
urgent message
framed and hung in my office, to remind me you spooks are on our same team. And
of course that message is going to be the talk of the navy for years to come
—
and the Vulcan,
Lapis, and Cabiri were the ships that answered it."

* * *

"That was fun," Kris said as we rode the
shuttle to the Lapis. "I almost choked on my dessert when you asked to
examine their message logs. Not that it wasn't a good idea."

"It's scary. Those captains are drawn to battle
like a moth to fire, as was Sharat." I didn't know them well enough to
know how they would have reacted to the Shadows Rest incident but wondered how
many would've reacted like Sharat.