Rogue(39)

“Yes, ma’am, and we’d like to limit it to one.”

“Should I order the ports closed?” she asked, reaching for a phone.

“Please don’t. Anything that indicates anything out of the ordinary will make it worse.”

“Very well,” she agreed. “I hope something can be done for the families of eighteen Tactical Response personnel.”

“I’m sure something can, ma’am, and it most certainly should be, but that’s something the ambassador will take care of, after orders from the Marshal. Unfortunately, I have to resolve this first.”

“So what do you need from me?”

“Ma’am, you are most gracious under the circumstances. I need as little attention on me as possible, and to be able to move freely.”

“Will a Royal Warrant and appropriate ID assist in that? And access to any reports from investigations?”

“Very much.”

“I’ll have them issued at once. I want you to understand, though, that this is because I owe you my life, I believe you are honest, and most importantly, it seems the fastest way to resolve this. I advise you not to make things worse by abusing the privilege I’m about to grant you.” Her expression was not challenging, but it was not friendly.

“Ma’am, that’s exactly how I take it, and I am very thankful. My goal is to resolve this quickly.”

“This will be text and scannable,” she said. “I advise discretion in showing it. The media will ask questions. I’ll have to publicly deny anything. I dislike that.” She frowned slightly.

I knew that. She knew that. I really had her worried. She’d seen us work up close, and now knew what could happen one on one, as well as the activities during the War. She wanted him and me out of her system as fast as possible.

Then the phone chimed. She clicked it on. “Yes?”

Someone said, “Your Majesty, Mister Rothman has just been killed by a rocket fired through his window.”

She closed her eyes, sighed and turned back.

“That is most unfortunate. Please express Our condolences to his family. We are discussing responses right now, but we cannot furnish details.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She looked back at me.

“So, should I close the ports now?” She leaned on her hand and stared through her fingers. Very unroyal. I deduced that meant I rated fairly highly on her list.

“Ma’am, he could easily lie low here for months. Or, he’ll just falsify identity and walk through.”

“We have a DNA trace.”

“There are ways to fake that, even in a star port. He hasn’t so far because it’s been useful to him.”

“You’re sure? We both used it to locate him.”

“He wanted to be found. If I find him, the worst is that I die. If you find him . . .”

“Yes, though I’d rather end this sooner, even at some loss.” She sat up and sighed.

“He’ll be leaving. I’ll get him shortly.”

“See that you do. This code,” she passed over a laminated card, “will contact my immediate staff, should you need support.”

The audience was clearly over. I took a polite gulp of the tea, placed the delicate cup carefully down, stood, bowed, and said, “Thank you for Your gracious help, Your Majesty. I’ll finish this as quickly as I can, and only call if I need to.”

“Good day to you, Ken,” she said, stood and offered her hand briefly.

As I left, I realized she was one of a bare handful who knew my real last name and rating.

At least the House Guards were a little more open on the return.

“Where are we to take you, sir?” one of them asked.

Ten minutes later I was at a train station three squares from the hotel, and ten minutes after that I was back in the room. I had all my possessions in hand, including the “stolen” gun. Interesting.

At some point, I’d have to tell Her Majesty what contemptible scum existed in Her prison system. For now, I had more pressing matters.





CHAPTER 9





I debriefed Silver, and not in the way I’d like to debrief her of those very nice briefs she wore when not wearing a thong. Yes, frustration was getting to me again.

“He’s either heading offplanet now, or will find a hole somewhere. The latter is cheaper and more efficient. Don’t move if you don’t have to. The former is safer with me following him.”

“It also gives him a chance to travel and spend money,” she offered. “Also to acquire more gear. There’s a finite amount and type of resources in any given system.”

“Good thought,” I agreed. I didn’t know if he was the recreational type. I’d never known if he was, and he had changed. He probably hadn’t been then, seeing as he’d been fighting the system to try to reenlist when I recruited him for the unit.