Special Forces 01 (36 page)

He would know. Rys let out a slow breath, struggling against the attractive urge to bang his head against the wall. He didn’t
want
Nova to be rummaging through their bag of old tricks to shift the tide in their favor. He did not
want
to face a possible hostage situation without knowing the details. He did not
want
to be sitting on the sidelines when Nova made their move.

He especially did not want it happening a few days before his initial entrance into the dating arena!

He took in another deep breath to collect his thoughts, and his voice was self-assured when he ordered, “Squeeze everything you can out of that transmission. I’ll talk with Admiral Bloch tonight and see if I can’t get you direct access to the team analyzing this message. Have you observed any signs that Bijordan Intelligence is aware of all the chatter that has accompanied this embedded coding?”

“I’ve seen signs that make me believe that they are aware of at least
some
of it, yes sir,” Gremlin answered with a slight shrug of the shoulders. “I am not sure about how much they are picking up, or if they understand the serious nature of the text.”

“Go on the assumption they don’t have anything, and get all of it. It is better to have too much information than too little, and miss out on something vital.” Rys would rather play it safe, especially with lives of the leaders of two worlds hanging in the balance. “One more question before I talk to the Admiral: does this look imminent, like it might break before Saturday?”

“No, I don’t think so, they’re not anywhere near ready,” Gremlin assured him. “I’d say another two or three weeks at least, before they would be in a position to put their plan into action.”

That would explain the stalling tactics the Novan Ambassador had been implementing in negotiations… Rys shook the thought away. “Well, we caught a break there; at least we get to go on our date, before Nova starts acting up.”

Gremlin nodded in agreement, finally finding a reason to smile for the first time today. “I hate to admit it, but I am just selfish enough to be glad of that, as well. Oh, speaking of dating, I found what you sent me looking for.”

Rys brightened at the prospect of a pleasant diversion, shelving more serious matters until they had better intel. “Does it cover what we need it to?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll email it to you now.”

Rys clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man, Gremlin. I knew if it existed you would track it down. With that in our hip pockets, we reduce the risk of looking like rank rookies.”

“I’m really looking forward to tuning up the idiot that has been plaguing Candace,” Gremlin mentioned in a casual tone, accompanied by a predatory smile that displayed a disturbing number of teeth. “I feel certain with the proper motivation he will see the wisdom in seeking female companionship elsewhere, permanently.”

Rys’s smile mirrored his perfectly. “On that, I heartily concur. Well, keep at it, Gremlin. I don’t need to order you to get at least five hours of sleep a night, do I?”

Gremlin imitated a look of horror, holding his hand to his chest as if he had received a mortal wound. “Ooh, you got me, sir. Alright, I will see to it that I log the correct number of hours of sleep for a growing boy.”

“Thank the Guardians,” Rys muttered as he made his way for the door. The world would be a safer place when Gremlin had enough sleep.

***

Rys caught up with the Admiral that night, sitting at his desk in the study, paying bills by the look of it. He knocked twice on the partially open door before stepping inside. Bloch looked up and waved him in, looking like he was glad to have an excuse for a break. “Arystair. This is unexpected; you hardly ever come to my study. What can I do for you?”

“I think we need to discuss Nova,” Rys answered as he sank into the only available chair.

Jeremy went very still. “The last report that I had from you indicated that you knew where all of the intel was being collected and analyzed.”

“Yes sir, but that’s the least of it.” Rys had to take a breath and forced his tone to be even and calm as he reported, “Gremlin’s picking up messages that outline plans to directly engage Bijordan and take hostages.”

The Admiral winced in response. “Our Intel people haven’t reported anything like that.”

“He’s updating them now.”

“I have seen impressive evidence of his brilliance with computers…has he been able to crack their code?”

“Partially. He thinks they’re employing slang from an older dialect, which is puzzling him. He has no basis for evaluating the context of the phrasing.” Of course, Gremlin found this challenge exciting instead of frustrating. The most devastating enemy for the computer geek was boredom. A tough code was the type of head rush he lived for, the tougher the better.

Bloch shook his head in exasperation. “I should have known. I’ll put my team in touch with him immediately. I’ll give them a call right now.”

As he was dialing, Rys observed, “You really should get Gremlin to conduct a class on the fine art of hacking, cracking, and general snooping at the Academy.” Rys tried to erase the pride from his tone, fearing it might be taken wrong. “He would adore the challenge of teaching and sharing his techniques. The rising generation certainly needs to learn what he knows.”

Bloch gave him a wry smile. “Believe me, the morning of his eighteenth birthday, he will be doing precisely that. In the meantime, any information that the two of you can come up with, and pass along to us, will be greatly appreciated.” The phone connected to his adjutant, and he gave the order for him to contact Gremlin, and provide him with access to any supplies, data, or personnel he requested. When he hung up, the Admiral let out a long breath.

“We will help you in whatever way we can,” Rys offered quietly, “but sir, you’re going to need us for more than just recon and analysis.”

“Arystair, I am
not
calling you boys up to active duty, you have done more than your share already.” Bloch’s jaw set in a stubborn line.

Rys met his eyes steadily. “Sir, you might not have the luxury of that choice. Where Nova is concerned, we are your most valuable asset.”

***

Anne accepted the hand that Rys gallantly extended her, climbing out of the low limousine. His dress military uniform, fresh from the cleaners, looked amazing on him. He could have been present for a photo session to provide new material for recruiting posters. No one would have guessed that he was only seventeen years old. He instantly drew her hand to rest in the crook of his left elbow, deftly escorting her toward the front doors of the enormous ballroom. She smiled at him in approval, taking in the glances of admiration from the women that they passed out the corner of her eye.
He’s obviously gotten some etiquette pointers from someone. His deportment and manners are flawless for a formal event like this. Half of the women here look like they would hand him their phone number, if they weren’t afraid I would take their arm off at the shoulder for trying.

It took a few minutes to get through the doors as everyone seemed to be arriving at about the same time. As soon as they presented their invitation and identifications, and their names were verified on the official guest list, they were passed inside. Rys assisted Anne in removing her wrap, and dispatched it to the waiting attendants handling the coatroom. That much she expected he would know. What she
hadn’t
expected was how he seemed to understand the correct way to interact with the staff, and how to address them. Rys appeared to know all of the ins and outs, including the claim check system, and the proper amount of the expected gratuity. He was almost casual in the way he discretely handed it to them, seamlessly, and without a moment’s hesitation.

When he returned, and smoothly reclaimed possession of her hand again, Anne crooked a finger at him, indicating she wanted him to lower his head for a private aside. When he was close enough she whispered, “Just what is going on? I haven’t had to prompt or help you
once
since you picked me up. I thought this was your first formal date.”

“It is,” he whispered back, beaming confidently at her unintended praise.

“Then why are things running so smoothly? Did you do research or something to prepare for the occasion?”

“Not sure if I’d really call it research….I just read and memorized the manual, cover to cover.”

Anne stared up at his perfectly earnest expression, and felt this overwhelming urge to giggle. “Manual? The Army has a
manual
on how to go out on a date?”

He was entertained by the incredulous look on her face. “Anne, the Army has a manual on
everything
, trust me.”

Anne was trying to wrap her head around that as they swept through the foyer and into the grand ballroom. Standing at the entrance were General Capka and his wife, Elaine, greeting their guests personally. In spite of his years, he looked as sharp as ever, in the traditional dark blue and white livery of the Bijordan Army. His only concession to age was a slight increase in the girth of his dress belt. Elaine was obviously accustomed to attending formal functions with her husband, as her gown was coordinated to compliment his dress uniform perfectly.

Capka noticed Anne and Rys waiting in the reception line and perked up, like a child spotting a favorite relative. “Anne! Don’t you look beautiful tonight, my dear?”

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him, and in that moment was sincerely glad that she had decided to attend the party tonight. “You look very dashing as well, General. Your wife will have to keep a close eye on you! May I introduce my escort?”

“This young man needs no introduction,” the General assured her, in open approval of her choice of companion. He held out his right hand. “Captain Savar, it is good to see you again. Thank you for attending this evening, you presence adds a new dimension to the celebration here tonight.” Rys accepted the handshake, returning it firmly. “And you, sir. I never got a chance to properly thank you for all the assistance you gave us when we first arrived.”

“Bah, it was at best a very modest gesture to ensure your comfort, and ease your transition into an unfamiliar society! We will be forever in debt to you and your forces for your actions against Nova’s Fleet. Sometimes our government tracks more toward the paranoid side of things, reveling in more bureaucratic red tape than they should. I’m glad to see that you’re adjusting to life here on Bijordan.” Capka winked at Anne, with a conspiratorial grin.

Rys kept his face straight, but there was a distinct twinkle in those hazel grey eyes. “Anne has a great deal to do with that, sir, to be sure. She has been an exemplary ambassador for Bijordan.”

“We can see that, Captain,” Elaine Capka commented in open amusement. “Candace, my dear, you look radiant tonight. And your escort would be Lieutenant Gremillion, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Gremlin replied with a nod of his head, clearly amazed at her impressive ability in calling up names and faces when she needed them.

“Well, you two gentlemen are extremely fortunate this evening,” Capka marveled. “I didn’t think old Dorian let
anyone
near his daughters, for any reason.”

“His daughters didn’t allow him any choice in the matter,” Anne’s father added, with a distinct air of wistfulness in his voice, as he joined them. “Dick, Elaine, how are you, it has been ages.”

“Very well,” Mrs. Capka replied warmly, giving him a hug. “I want to sit down and have a nice visit with you and the girls later, we have so much to catch up on. Just let me get everyone in motion first, I hate to keep people waiting.”

“Of course, of course,” Daniel replied. “We’ll see you later then.”

Rys guided Anne into the main level of the ballroom, the others following closely at their heels. He paused just on the edge of the expansive marble floor. “Would you honor me with the first dance, Miss Dorian?” He asked, offering her his hand with a polished courtly bow.

“I’d love to, Captain Savar,” she answered and allowed him to draw her out into the crush of the rapidly filling ballroom.

After all of their exhaustive practice sessions, Anne wasn’t surprised when Rys easily executed a smooth and precise circuit with her around the entire dance floor. She took a moment to let her eyes linger over her date, thoroughly enjoying the view. In that dress uniform, complete with medals and his hair meticulously cut and groomed, he looked like something out of a dream, and downright edible, in fact. “Have I mentioned that you look very handsome this evening, Captain?”

He was startled enough by her open observation to nearly miss a beat in his rendition of a current dance step she had taught him. “Negative, Miss Dorian, but thank you for those kind words. You look simply incredible yourself.”

The compliment was clearly meant at face value. To cover up her own embarrassment she retreated to teasing mode, hoping to keep her face from glowing bright red. “The manual instructed you to tell me that didn’t it?”

“Oh, there’s a large chapter full of compliments,” he assured her, completely deadpanned, with no smile evident on his face. “I made sure to memorize them, so I don’t repeat myself tonight. I will unleash a selection of the best ones on you during the course of the evening, when you least expect it.”

Anne tried not to laugh, but failed miserably, picking up a bad case of hiccups for her trouble. “I have got to locate a copy of this manual, and give it a serious read after I get home. Please tell me you saved a hard copy somewhere.”

“No, I am sorry, I didn’t, but I can download it to your laptop if you really want to read it.”

She nodded vigorously. “Please.” A thought occurred to her, and she glanced around speculatively, spying her sister and Gremlin. “By any chance, did Gremlin read this manual too?”

“Affirmative, who do you think found it for me?” After a brief pause, as Rys stared off into the mezzanine for a moment he added, “Your copy has been delivered, and is waiting for you on your personal computer.”

Oh boy, that was sure a handy little talent. Anne made a mental note to get her sister alone, on some innocent pretext, during the evening and compare notes. A well timed trip to the ladies room would be a perfect cover for that covert conference. She was sure she would be forwarding a copy to Candice as well. Her Dad would have to find his own copy because she wasn’t going to tell him it existed.