Dead World 3, page 22
He pressed a button on his desk to open the door.
“Commander.” Tucker rushed inside. “I’ve found something.” His clothing was rumpled and his brown hair poked out from all sides. Despite his disheveled appearance, excitement added lift to his gait.
Robert held a finger to his lips, immediately silencing the tech. He pointed to the door, which hadn’t closed yet. Tucker nodded in understanding and waited. The door slid closed with a hiss.
“You were saying,” Robert said.
“You’re never going to believe it,” Tucker said. “We found something on the navcom, but it doesn’t make sense.”
“Play it for me,” Robert said.
Tucker did as he was asked. Roark Montgomery’s voice came out of the small speaker.
You’d have been dead...now... Kane hadn’t fallen for you ...up. He had orders to kill you.
What you’re doing is illegal... (Gina’s voice) If the tactical... (static) ... discovered …, you... (hiss) ... arrested.
But... (pop) ... aren’t going to find... (static)... I’ll report your escape. . . like I reported. . . Hunter’s.
Roark’s threat was as clear as if the politician was standing in the room with them. Robert Santiago trembled, not from fear for himself, but for what his granddaughter had gone through. She must’ve been terrified sitting in the back of that shuttle.
The recording stopped abruptly.
“What happened to Rita?” he snapped.
Tucker’s face flushed. “Sorry. That’s all we could recover. The crystals were crushed.”
It wasn’t a lot, but coupled with the shuttle they’d towed in thanks to Catherine Meyers’ GPS coordinates it would be enough. “I want a copy of that before you leave this room,” Robert said.
“I anticipated as much.” Tucker took out a miniature digi-recorder from his pocket. “It’s already on there. What would you like me to do with the original?”
“Seal it in the vault as evidence, then repair the navcom. I want Rita up and running a.s.a.p.”
Tucker shook his head. “It’s in so many pieces I’m not sure that’s going to be possible.”
Robert smiled at him. “You’ve already proven to me that you can do the impossible.”
Tucker grinned. “I’ll do my best.” He walked toward the door. “Sir?”
“Yes?”
“Was that Roark Montgomery on the recording?” he asked.
He debated whether to answer truthfully. “Yes, it was.”
“But he’s running for office on a reform and unity platform,” Tucker said, unable to comprehend why the man would do such a thing.
“Tucker, I trust you’ll keep what you found in the strictest of confidence,” Robert said. He didn’t want the information leaking before he was ready to act. “This is an active case.”
“Yes, sir.” He looked stricken.
Robert had seen that look before. The last time had been on his own face, when someone he’d looked up to had fallen from grace. A man didn’t get over that kind of thing, but he did learn from it. “Once you’ve placed the evidence into the vault, take the rest of the day off. You’ve earned it.”
Tucker’s expression brightened again. “Thank you, sir.”
“Dismissed.” He had him. Finally he had the proof needed to have the charges against Gina dismissed. Robert Santiago couldn’t wait to see what Roark had to say for himself now.
Lieutenant Bannon Richards ran into Tucker coming out of Commander Robert Santiago’s office. The man was distracted and didn’t notice he’d stepped into his path. The tech guy ran straight into him as Bannon had planned.
“Heads up, Private Tucker,” Bannon said. “A commanding officer is present.”
The man’s eyes widened and he stiffened to attention. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s because you weren’t paying attention. Where were you headed in such a hurry?” Bannon asked. He needed to know why the tech had been visiting the commander. The thought that the reason could be innocent was quickly dismissed when Tucker’s expression grew wary.
Tucker took longer than he should’ve to answer. “Nowhere, sir. Just back to the lab.” His gaze dropped, leaving little doubt that he’d lied.
Bannon nudged him, moving into Tucker’s personal space. “What were you doing in the commander’s office?” he asked, his tone demanding the truth.
“N-nothing. He’d wanted updates on some repairs I’ve been working on,” Tucker said.
Bannon’s eyes narrowed. What was the commander up to? He never asked about regular maintenance. “Repairs on what?” he asked, not expecting an answer.
“A junked navcom,” the man said. His gaze darted down the deserted hallway. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d better get back to work.” Tucker swallowed hard and sweat broke out along his temples.
Bannon reluctantly moved aside to allow him to pass. Tucker had gone five steps when Bannon called out, “Did you succeed?”
He stopped and slowly looked over his shoulder. “Yes, I did.” Tucker rushed off without another glance.
Bannon didn’t know what was going on, but he figured the navcom must be pretty important if Robert Santiago was requesting the tech department to report directly to him. He thought about the talking navcom unit Red used to wear and realized he should’ve asked the tech guy more questions.
Roark had told him to keep an eye on things. Mainly to let him know if he’d seen any sign of Gina Santiago. He hadn’t. But something told him that Roark would want to know about this.
He walked away from the commander’s office and pressed a button on his navcom. Bannon didn’t want to be overheard. It took a few seconds to receive confirmation that the private connection had indeed been made. A moment later, Roark’s voice boomed out of the tiny speaker.
“Sir, this is Lieutenant Bannon Richards. I hate to interrupt lunch, but I may have something.”
“Has Gina Santiago tried to contact her grandfather?” Roark asked.
He shook his head, forgetting Roark couldn’t see him. “Not that I’m aware of,” Bannon said.
There was silence. “Then why are you contacting me so close to the election?” he asked. “I told you the only time you should call is if you spotted Gina or Morgan.”
Bannon was beginning to think he’d made a mistake. He’d been so damned determined to earn a position at Roark’s side that he’d acted hastily. If he weren’t so concerned about angering Roark further, he’d disconnect now. Instead, he brought his lips closer to the mic.
“I just ran into a tech guy who was leaving the commander’s office.”
“So?” Roark said. “That’s fairly common as I recall.”
“Yes, sir. Normally it is.” Bannon stopped speaking for a moment when a private walked by. When the man was gone, he continued, “He said the commander had him working on a busted navcom. Seemed kind of odd, since the commander doesn’t care about broken equipment beyond viewing repair request reports.”
Roark was silent again. “Did this tech tell you where he got the navcom?”
Bannon experienced a flush of embarrassment. He hadn’t bothered to ask, but he wasn’t about to inform Roark of his incompetence. “No, sir.”
A buzz sounded on the line.
“What was that, sir?” Bannon feared someone had intercepted their communiqué.
Roark didn’t immediately respond.
“Sir?” Bannon repeated. Maybe he hadn’t heard him. The buzz grew more insistent.
“It appears that your commander is trying to get in touch with me. I better see what he wants. Keep your eyes and ears open, Lieutenant. Good work.”
Roark cut the transmission and straightened his tie. The vidscreen glowed, then buzzed again. He pressed a button on his desk and Robert Santiago’s weathered face appeared on the screen.
“Commander, I was just on my way out to grab lunch,” he lied. “Are you calling to congratulate me?”
“Hardly,” Robert said. “The election isn’t until tomorrow.”
“A formality and you know it. So what can I do for you?” Roark gave him a bored expression. It was no coincidence that the commander contacted him now. He must have found something really important.
Stay calm. No need to panic. Find out what he wants.
Robert’s dark eyes sizzled with barely leashed fury. “It seems a navcom has been recovered from your old shuttle,” he said.
“My shuttle?” Roark’s heart pounded. What kind of game was Robert Santiago playing?
“Yes, you know the one you said Morgan Hunter bombed in order to help Gina escape.”
Roark forced a smile. “Ah, that shuttle. A total loss. I haven’t thought about it since the incident. How did you find it by the way?”
Robert waved the question away. “It’s not important. What is important is the navcom that was recovered.”
“Why is that?” Roark tugged at his tie.
Surely there had to be more than a navcom if he was contacting him. Roark had thought his man had taken care of everything when he’d hauled the shuttle farther out into the desert and blasted a hole in its side. Obviously he’d forgotten to search the inside thoroughly. Or maybe he’d thought the laser cannon blast would take care of any lingering evidence.
He’d been a fool and Roark planned to make sure he never had the opportunity to repeat his stupidity—after he dealt with the commander.
“Did it reveal your granddaughter’s whereabouts?”
The commander didn’t rise to the bait. “The navcom recorded the most interesting thing,” Robert said. “At least I found it interesting. I’m sure a tribunal will, too.”
Roark was beginning to sweat. The man was bluffing. “I doubt there’d be much left on a destroyed piece of equipment,” he said. His brain worked overtime as he tried to recall the conversation he’d with Gina Santiago.
The commander grinned and Roark’s skin tightened to the point of discomfort.
“We’ve recovered enough,” Robert said. “Certainly enough to raise a few questions about your version of what transpired.”
“Is that so?” Roark asked. “Navcom recordings can be faked.”
“True, but I believe under further examination this one will be easily authenticated.”
Roark tugged at his collar. “Mind elaborating?”
“Not over the vidscreen.” Robert sat back calmly, placing his hands on his abdomen.
“Then I suppose all that’s left to do is for us to meet, so I can hear this mysterious recording for myself,” Roark said.
He had to find out what the commander knew. The election was too close for his character to be called into question now. If Robert Santiago somehow managed to find something to implicate him, Roark would simply have to have Bannon destroy it and the man protecting it.
“Tell me where and when and I’ll be there,” Robert said.
“Today, at my office.” Roark glanced at his watch, wondering if he’d have time to get things into place. He thought about his prison below the building. It wasn’t as if it would need to be cleaned. “Let’s say we meet at two. I’ll type you in for a couple of hours. That should give us more than enough time to cover the important points.”
“See you then,” Robert said.
“Look forward to it.” Roark disconnected.
He had a lot to do before the commander arrived. He wished his assistant, Michael Travers was around. He didn’t want to get his hands dirty. Unfortunately, Roark had little choice.
If Robert Santiago wanted to play games, he’d let him. One thing he would guarantee was that this would be a visit the commander of IPTT wouldn’t soon forget.
Chapter 27
Jonah knocked and stepped into the room. “There’s a man outside asking to see you,” he said.
Morgan jumped, dropping the screwdriver he’d been using onto the floor. It clattered and rolled under his chair. He hadn’t realized he’d dozed off. He scrubbed a hand over his face and yawned.
“Did he give you a name?”
No one but Demery and the Sand Moles should know where to find them. He pictured the hole Gina had left in Gray’s chest and the shock on the Sand Moles’ faces. He didn’t want to bring trouble to Jonah’s door, if he could avoid it.
“He’s wearing a white protective suit and says his name is Demery,” Jonah said.
Despite telling Gina otherwise, Morgan hadn’t expected to see Demery again. The Sand Devils were the type of people who didn’t forgive mistakes. That was why he’d been so determined to get her out of there. Had Demery managed to escape, too, or were the Sand Devils waiting nearby?
“Is he alone?” Morgan asked.
“Looks to be. I put the guards in the towers on high alert. If anyone is sneaking around out there, they’ll spot them long before they get here. You expecting company?”
“No one I want to see.” Morgan debated how much he should share with Jonah. They’d been through a lot. Made some hard decisions. Morgan had no doubt that he’d understand, but would Jonah want to anger the other groups when he had to live here? “Have you told Gina?”
“No.” Jonah shook his head. “She’s playing in the garden. I didn’t want to interrupt her. Besides, he was asking for you. Didn’t mention the girl.”
The hair on Morgan’s neck rose and his muscles tightened as his wolf brushed his flesh. “Did he say what he wanted?”
“Said something about needing your help.” Jonah scratched his head. “Not sure what he meant by that. Do you know?”
Morgan ignored the question. “How does he look?” he asked instead.
“Can’t tell.” Jonah rubbed his whiskers. “Can only see his face in that suit he’s wearing. Looks okay, I guess.”
That was a good sign, wasn’t it? The Sand Devils wouldn’t have allowed Demery to leave with his suit if they’d wanted him dead. But that didn’t explain Melea’s absence.
“You sure Razor and the others didn’t see anyone else with him?” Morgan asked.
“Not unless they’re invisible. My men have him covered. Mind telling me what’s going on? I’m beginning to get that twinge in my side that tells me trouble’s coming.”
“It’s a long and complicated story,” Morgan said. “If I knew there was going to be a problem, I’d warn you.”
“Appreciate it.” Jonah leaned against the doorframe. “Is this fella really a friend of yours?”
“Not exactly, but we were traveling together until we ran into the Sand Devils. Parted company unexpectedly after that,” Morgan said.
Jonah let out a long whistle. “Never did care for that bunch. They have a camp about ten miles south of here. They leave us alone, but it’s not by choice. We give them incentive to stay away.” He patted the weapon strapped to his leg.
“Do they know about Eden?” Morgan asked.
Jonah eyed him suspiciously. “No, and I’d like it to stay that way.”
Morgan’s chair screeched as he scooted back to stand. “Then I’d better get out there and see what he wants. If Gina comes looking for me, tell her I’ll be right back.” He paused. “But do me a favor.”
Jonah waited.
“Don’t tell her where I’ve gone or who I’ve gone to meet,” Morgan said.
He wanted to find out what was going on before he brought Gina into the mix. If it turned out he had to kill Demery, Morgan didn’t want Gina to have to witness the vamp’s death.
“Thought you said you weren’t expecting trouble.” Jonah’s face pinched with worry.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” Morgan met his gaze fleetingly, then looked away.
A moment of silence stretched between them.
“Did you get that thing working?” Jonah nodded at the mass of wires and circuits that passed for a transmitter.
Morgan was relieved by the change of subject. “Don’t know. I have a signal, but I’m not sure if I’m able to broadcast. Haven’t received a reply yet.” He rolled his neck to relieve the stiffness. “If this takes longer than I anticipate, please give this to Gina and tell her to keep trying to contact the Eye of God. He’ll know what to do with it.” Morgan handed Kane’s recording to Jonah. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Make sure that you do. I’m not going to be the one to break bad news to your woman. She’s liable to take my head clean off.” Jonah grinned and walked out of the room.
Morgan rode the lift up to the opening of the missile chamber, listening to the steady hum of the hydraulics. His nerves were taut. He’d gone over their encounter with the Sand Devils multiple times in his mind.
He’d had no choice but to leave Demery and escape. Morgan hoped the vamp understood why. He would’ve done the same given the chance, or so he told himself as he stepped into the blistering heat.
The sun was high in the sky, causing the temps to soar. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, scenting the air for traps. When he was sure he wouldn’t be ambushed, Morgan exited the dome.
Demery stood on the other side of the moat with the guns in the towers trained on him. His hands were in the air. When Morgan got closer, he saw that Demery’s hands were trembling, but it wasn’t from fear.
Morgan waved to Razor and the other guards, then signaled Demery to lower his arms. They came down in a rush. The protective suit he wore was no longer white. Dirt and sand tarnished it, leaving only fleeting glimpses of the color it used to be. It looked as if he’d been rolled down a hill and then stuffed into a sand dune.
“Didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Morgan approached cautiously. Demery may be in a protective suit, but he was still a vampire.
“I’m not surprised, since you left me to twist in the sun, mon,” Demery said. His words were hoarse, but they still held a bite.
“I looked for you before we left. Checked everywhere I could think of. You weren’t in any of the vehicles.”
He swayed and winced, clutching his side. “You mustn’t have looked too hard, because I was there,” he said. Demery’s gaze flickered to the guards.
Morgan reached out to steady him. “I’m telling you, I looked everywhere.”
“Don’t touch me.” Demery shoved his hand away.
