Red Angel: Book II: Raiders (Red Angel Series 2) (3 page)

Finally, Stauffer spoke. "Admiral Rawls wants to expand the team. She's suggested adding the primary NIA agent from each of the planets hit by the raiders. Although one of those agents outranks you, she has agreed to whoever you select among you being in charge of directing activities." He made eye contact with each of us to emphasize the point. "I know you well enough to know this team is … different. Consequently, I'm concerned Admiral Rawls or I could interfere with your unique style in our attempt to help you. Therefore, I've convinced Rawls to let you decide on how you want to proceed." He gave a wry smile. "Well, to suggest how you would like to proceed."

"Thank you, sir," Adrian said after receiving nods from Kris and me. "Give us a few days to review the material you've collected, and we'll get back to you with our proposal."

Stauffer stood and handed each of us a folder. "In these folders are copies of the incident reports from the police and our field NIA agents. When you’re ready, I would like to discuss your recommendation with you before I give them to Admiral Rawls." He rose and left.

"I suggest we each read the material separately and consider the approach you would take if you were in charge. Let's meet back in our conference room two days from now. I know the Admirals are under pressure to close down the raiders, but I suspect that’s going to take longer than it will for Kris to find a husband and have those kids … the ones Wilbur always joked about. I miss him and his sense of humor." Adrian's voice sounded sad, and I could feel his deep sense of loss.

I arrived home around noon and after a quick snack retired to my office, a converted spare bedroom. I kept it Spartan, as I did everything in my life. I had never felt the need for knickknacks or non-essentials. The drapes were a plain light brown made of synthetic material, as was the beige rug. The walls were a creamy white. I had purchased a standard table computer, a small bookcase, and my only real luxuries—a reconditioned redwood desk and a comfortable padded chair.

In my bookcase were several language books from the Free People's Union, FPU, and the People’s Republic of Stars, PRS. Languages were a hobby I had pursued over the past two years. By now I could speak and read both of these languages moderately well.

To me, it was the most luxurious office in the entire galaxy and my own private sanctuary. I spent the afternoon reading the reports from each system, with Red lying on my head and appearing interested.

The first robbery had occurred on Stone Ring. There, the raiders had stolen a batch of advanced computer chips designed for the UAS's high-end computers, used primarily in research labs. The chips were estimated to be worth more than four hundred million credits in the PRS and FPU.

The second robbery occurred on Holy Star, where the raiders stole precious gemstones with an estimated market value of more than four and a half million credits.

The third robbery occurred on Eastar, where the raiders looted paintings and other artifacts from the Eastar Art Gallery worth more than four hundred million.

In each case, the raid was well planned and executed. The raiders left no witnesses and destroyed all the facilities' surveillance equipment. The raid on the capital of the UAS had elicited outrage, which was what had caused the government to get involved. They had demanded naval protection when they discovered there had been raids on Stone Ring and Holy Star and that the three thefts had a similar method of operation and had all been executed with military-like precision. The raiders were well organized and well informed: they knew the facility's security, what they were after, the best time to strike, and had an effective exit strategy off the planet.

As I sat there pondering the raids, I heard the front door close as Alexa came home, so I closed the folder and shut down my tablet in preparation for my evening meal with Alexa.

"You appear to have better working hours than bankers," Alexa quipped when I entered the dining room.

Scowling with mock indignation, I sniffed. "I object, Magistrate Bellona. I'm home early because it was an exhausting day. I went into the office at ten, had a chat with an admiral, and left before I became too tired to fly home."

"That was a tiring day for an NIA agent." She laughed. "So what did Rawls want?"

"There have been high-profile robberies on three different planets. When they hit Eastar a few weeks ago, it caused the UAS central government to get involved. Their investigation has concluded we've foreign raiders operating in UAS space and that it's the responsibility of Admiral Webb—"

"Who's pressuring Lultrel, who's pressuring Rawls, and so on," Alexa finished. "So the NIA's golden team now has its next big assignment. How do you feel about it?"

"Red's excited," I said, and then went on to explain what Stauffer had said. "The assignment sounds interesting, but I'm not sure about expanding the team."

"I can understand. Adrian, Kris, and you are very close, like family. And you never know how a new member will impact the team's dynamics. That's why Stauffer's concerned—will new members help or hinder your effectiveness? An interesting question, and the decision could determine whether you succeed or fail."

Adrian and Kris were already in the conference room when I arrived at work. I made my
moo-coffee
before joining them.

"Hi, Anna," Kris said as I entered the room. "Adrian and I were discussing the potential problems ... and advantages of adding new members. Any thoughts?"

"I would make a poor judge. I'm naturally scared of new environments and people, because I never know how they’ll react to me. I'm usually the youngest, and then there is Red, so their reactions tend to be more ..."

"Emotional," Kris said. "That’s understandable. You don't fit the mold, and that makes people uncomfortable. At first even I was concerned about your youth and didn't like the idea of a venomous snake." Kris snorted. "Sorry, Red."

Watching me, Adrian said, "And the fact that we’re in a military organization makes rank an issue. Admiral Rawls may appoint a lieutenant commander to be in charge, but that won’t sit well with a commander or even another lieutenant commander with an earlier date of rank. We aren't concerned about our feelings or our image, just that conflicts could interfere with us catching the bad guys. And we can't replace Wilbur, nor should we try."

I knew my teammates were concerned about my feelings, and I was touched. "Why don't we do what I always do?"

"What's that?" Adrian asked.

A small smile touched Kris's lips as if she could read my mind.

"Take each day as it comes," I said. It was a defense mechanism I had developed early in my life. "Trying to predict or control the future can be very stressful."

Adrian and Kris stared at me for a long time. Eventually, Adrian nodded. "Right. Anna wants to take each day as it comes, so we will."

"And I would like to visit each planet where a raid occurred," Kris said.

"And Kris wants to see the places were it happened, so we will." Adrian smiled. "I'll go tell Stauffer." With that, he left in the direction of the elevators to Stauffer's third floor office.

"Don't you just love our designated leader?" Kris smiled as she watched Adrian marching down the hallway.

I nodded. Alexa was right when she said the team was like a family.

Adrian returned sometime later. "Stauffer's okay with us visiting the various robbery sites and us waiting to make a decision; however, he wants to clear it with Admiral Rawls. Since the assignment came from Admiral Webb to Admiral Lultrel, she needs to be kept in the loop. He doesn't want her blindsided by Webb or Lultrel. Until then, all we can do is review the information in our folders and stay available.

"Any new developments in the raider case?" Alexa asked as we sat lounging on the couch. I cherished the time spent with Alexa. She was like having a mother, sister, and close friend rolled into one package.

"Kris wants to go see the sites the raiders hit, so Adrian asked Stauffer, who wanted to talk to Rawls."

"That's understandable. Rawls will want to check with Lultrel, who will probably want to check with Webb. This project came out of the parliament, so everyone will want to be up-to-date at all times and to be part of the decision-making process. Webb and Lultrel are good leaders, so I think they'll give you a lot of leeway to do what you want. My advice would be to go out of your way to ensure they're kept well informed. That will keep the admirals happy, and happy admirals are more likely to stay out of your hair. And if you keep in touch, you'll keep your mother happy."

"Happy mother, happy life," I quipped. In truth, there was nothing more important in my life than Alexa. If she hadn't adopted me, I would’ve been locked away in some government research institution. I gave her a hug—and to both her and my surprise, Red brushed her cheek with his tongue.
Maybe the Red God Cult wasn't as crazy as we thought
.

Two days later, I reported to Admiral Rawls’s office along with Adrian and Kris.

Stauffer was already there when we arrived. "Sit. I've talked with Admirals Lultrel and Webb. They like the idea of a larger team, but for now, you're the NIA's golden trio, so they're content to let you decide how to handle the investigation." She took a sip of her coffee as she appeared to evaluate each of us. "Admiral Webb has gone so far as to get you P1A authority again, and he's making a cruiser available to take you wherever you want."

I smiled to myself. Mother had been right.

Stauffer had asked us to stick around, as Rawls thought she would know in a couple of hours which cruiser would be made available and when we should be ready. Sure enough, she entered the office just after normal hours. "The Vulcan has been designated your chariot to roam UAS space. And it's still commanded by your old friend Captain MacLin. He's expecting you two days from today before noon."

Kris and I had particularly good feelings about MacLin. The Vulcan had been one of the three ships that had rescued the Tityus from being destroyed by the smugglers and had made our subsequent trips to Eastar, Oxax, and Oasis enjoyable.

When I told Alexa when we were leaving on our trip, she decided to take the next day off, as we wouldn't see each other for an extended period. The next day we spent shopping, eating out, and taking a surprise trip to a local firing range.

"I hope you never again have to draw you weapon, but it' will make your mother feel better if I know you can hit whatever you shoot at."

"Then we'll stay until you’re satisfied. After Oasis, it'll make Kris feel better, too. If you hadn’t insisted I qualify every year at the academy, I might have missed the lieutenant's arm with the gun and hit her."
And he would have
killed Red
, I left unsaid.

"Afterward we can indulge ourselves in some fine dining at a good restaurant."

It was a wonderful day. I was excited about the upcoming trip and more time on a navy cruiser. Even so, saying goodbye to Alexa was painful. I would miss our evenings together.

When I arrived at the Vulcan the next day, I was directed to the captain's office, where Adrian and Kris were waiting.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander Paulus. I would wager half my crew has whiplash from the second and third looks trying to reconcile your looks with your rank." MacLin laughed and then took a sip of his coffee. "I understand you again have P1A authority, and I'm your chauffeur for as long as you need me. Are you at liberty to tell me what you NIA-bloodhounds are chasing?"

"For now, the three of us are the NIA team assigned to find the raiders who have been operating in the UAS. They have hit sites on Stone Ring, Holy Star, and Eastar. We're going to start our investigation by visiting each of the robbery sites."

"I had heard rumors about a large robbery at Eastar but not the other two—and no hint they were raiders. You three are certainly exciting people to be around. I should probably assign you security before the raiders find out you're on their trail." Although a statement, it was more a question—do you want me to assign security?

Adrian looked at Kris, who looked doubtful, and then at me.

MacLin had a valid point. Unless the raiders were completely out of touch with events within the UAS—and they didn't appear to be, based on their raids—they would have read about the NIA team that broke the smuggler's ring. The questions then were 1) How long before they knew we had been assigned to find them, and 2) Would they consider us a threat to their operation.

"I think we’re safe on board the Vulcan. Planet-side, it will depend on their organization and its information network. If it’s as good as it looks, it’s possible the Vulcan may be as vulnerable as we are." In reality, I felt more concerned about those around me than myself.

"That's an interesting observation, Paulus. Since you’re chasing raiders, let's take reasonable precautions. You carry your weapons at all times. I'll assign each of you a single guard for now, and I'll instruct the crew to be on the alert for any suspicious activities."

"Thank you, Captain." Adrian looked relieved. "If not now, I think security will be necessary at some point. Our reputation is likely to make the raiders nervous in which case they might decide to eliminate us rather than chance us discovering them. Based on their previous thefts, they don't mind killing, and their operation has already netted well over a billion credits."

"Is your first stop still Stone Ring?" MacLin rose. When Adrian nodded, he continued. "Well then, I've a ship to get ready to depart. You're welcome on the Bridge anytime to use the communication station. You can also use my conference room if you want. I estimate the trip will take four days."

As MacLin departed for the Bridge, Kris and I followed Adrian to the captain's conference room, which could hold ten people easily and was not only spacious when compared to our quarters, but also far more comfortable.

"For someone who hates space submarines, I seem to be spending a lot of time on them." Kris snorted as she sank into one of the beige padded chairs.

"Is there anything we should be doing during the trip?" Adrian sat down, stretching out his legs. "Someone has to be communicating with the raiders; otherwise, how do they find out where to go and the details about the place they're going to rob? The past raids have been far too organized to be random targets of opportunity."

"I agree," Kris said. "Either via the WavCom or in person. And in person would mean by spacecraft."

"Both." I sat opposite them, curling my legs under me. "You can't send a WavCom message to a foreign ship. So you send it to someone who knows where and when the raider's ship is available and has the ability to go talk to them."