Chasing Constellations (The UGS Constellation Series) (14 page)

Chapter 22

              Chase watched as Elisa slipped from the bed and moved to the bathroom. Her body tempting his very control as he watched it move beneath the robe as it had done since he first laid eyes on her. With a push of his hand, he adjusted his groin and reluctantly left the bed. So many times he had envisioned the woman beneath him and each time was far less than the reality had been. If his friend hadn’t broken through their frenzy he would have been a bonded male the next time he saw Tracker, but in a way he was grateful for it as he wanted the time to be special and not rushed. Having the threat looming over his Anare was not how he wanted to remember this occasion.

             
With those thoughts Chase hauled himself off of the comfortable sleeping platform and made his way to where his friend awaited him in the other room.

             
“You have the worst timing my friend. You could have waited a few more turns before making your announcement.” He sounded petulant and knew it, but well he was dealing with very sore anatomy and didn’t feel like being overly nice.

             
Chase wanted nothing more than to smack his friend, but he just couldn’t as he was in too good a mood, it seemed his little Elisa was all for bonding with him and once they had this matter settled and were alone he was going to make sure no one stopped things.

             
“I did not wish to bother you Commander, but there is much to do yet.”
Chase sighed again as Tracker spoke to him through his cortex recorder and nodded. Tracker was bent over at the waist as he sat on the couch and Chase knew once more that his friend and first officer was yet again fiddling with some electronic device or another.

             
He moved to sit beside him and peer over his shoulder curiously.
“What have you found out about her friend? Will you have trouble finding this Sandy Constance person?”
For another it would appear odd, and surely it would be difficult for Elisa to adjust, but most of his ship relied on this form of communication and Chase thought nothing of it as he asked his questions of Tracker.

             
“She will not be hard to find. It is a small area that she could have vanished from and the Detective assures me that he will send me a copy of their report to aid me. I will not stop until I bring her here Chase, on this you can vow.”
Chase had no doubts when he heard the conviction in his friend's mental voice, not that he would doubt him anyway as Tracker was one of their best trackers.

             
He watched as Tracker finally lifted the small black and silver box in his hands. It wasn’t all that large, maybe four inches long by two inches wide and barely half an inch thick.
“What does that do? Have you built, another holographic playmate, my friend?”

             
Chase watched as Tracker pressed a button in the bottom right corner and a small screen came to life showing a grid and long green line.
“It is something we took from their future when we had to arrest that last criminal. They called it a G P S. Apparently you can punch in the coordinates and it will show you various ways to get there without having to leave the stratosphere. I took one and modified it for our purposes.”

             
“Yet again you impress me, my friend. Just make sure no one obtains it, I do not think this time is ready for the advances something like that would bring to them.”
Chase nodded his head toward the box before continuing,
“What have you set up with the detective and where are the recording devices sending the feed to?”

             
As Tracker explained the plans they both heard the water turn on in the bathroom, the sound distracting Chase for a moment as he imagined Elisa stepping into the shower bare.

He reached over and cuffed his friend in the arm when he noticed the other had stopped talking and watched him with a smirk on his face. “I cannot wait to tease you as you have teased me when you find your Anare. It will be sweet justice to watch as you are tormented with thoughts of taking her over and over again.”

              “Bah, we both know that will never come to be my friend as there is no woman that will ever agree to deal with me for the rest of our lives.” Tracker said with a rueful smile.

             
“I would not say such things Tracker, you know what the humans say… do not tempt fate so. Now she will be just as temperamental and stubborn as you.”

             
“May hap, but first I would rather make sure
yours
is as safe as we can make her from Mestrock.”

             
Chase nodded as his thoughts turned introspective. He could tell that Tracker was both happy for him as well as jealous of the connection he had with Elisa already. He thought perhaps some forced shore leave would do his friend some good. The Lord and Lady knew he hadn’t taken any in far too long.

Chapter 23

              After they had showered and changed into fresh clothing they stopped to grab something to eat before making their way to the police station where David waited for them.

             
Tracker had already left hours ago to track down Sandy and rescue her from the kidnapper. Elisa wished she could go with him so she could assure herself that her friend was indeed safe now but she knew that wouldn’t be possible. They had to set the trap here for Chase’s brother and the only way to do that was to bait it with something that would be far too tempting to avoid. His brother’s Anare, someone that would ultimately end Chase’s life if something should happen to Elisa.

             
“Chase, Elisa, it’s good to see you both. We need to step inside before we do this. I’m afraid I have some bad news.” David stood on the steps leading into the building, blocking the way of many individuals as they tried to enter and exit the building as well as the reporters already starting to set up.

He turned on a heel and led them into the building, holding the doors before guiding them back into the very room that he had first talked to Elisa about the murders.
             

As he walked Cha
se noticed that for once he looked like he had taken great care of his appearance. His suit this time was well pressed and one he obviously took great care of. The light pastel blue shirt helped to offset the dark blue jacket and pant set, while the striped tie brought the ensemble together.

             
“What’s wrong David? What news? Was someone else attacked?” Elisa peppered the poor detective with one rapid question after another, but all she earned was a shake of David’s head as he moved to sit in a chair.

“If it’s about this press release I already told you I want to go through with it, I’m not going to back out now.” Elisa reached out and touched David on the upper arm as she tried to convince him to go through with the plan. When she didn’t get a respon
se right away, she turned to Chase before they both took a seat at the long table.

             
“I do not like putting my Elisa in such a position either David, but it is as she says. She will be guarded even though it will not be obvious. Between myself and our men, we can all rest assured that she will be much safer than if we were to send her elsewhere. At least here she will have help as soon as she needs it.” Elisa smiled up at Chase as he draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. His possessiveness would normally annoy her, but in this case she knew he wasn’t just trying to stake a claim just to inflate his ego.

             
“Yes, well, that doesn’t mean I have to like it. However, that’s what I brought you here to discuss. Cap doesn’t like the idea and as it’s not standard procedure he doesn’t want to risk this being used by a defendant when it goes to court. So we’re going to do this a bit differently. I took the liberty of having a sketch artist take the photo of Chase and his brother and make a composite drawing and this will be added with basic facts into what is called a press packet. Cap… I mean Captain Campbell will speak to the press first and then I will step up to give a bit more information and tell them about the packet. Afterwards, I’ll field their questions before returning to the station.

“
Elisa you can stay here in the department or have Chase take you home. Personally, I would rather not have you here just in case.” As David spoke, he seemed to deflate before Elisa’s eyes. She watched him with concern for his health.

             
“Are you ok David? You seem… well you seem like you don’t have any energy or drive like you did when I first met you.” Elisa reached out a hand and started to place it on his arm but pulled back before touching him. She was sure he wouldn’t want to show such a display where anyone could see them.

             
“I should be asking you that Elisa. You’re the one that took a beating. I’m fine. Just a little tired and I plan on taking a nice long vacation once we solve this case.” His weak smile did nothing to convince her.

             
Elisa nodded and looked down at the table top. She still had a hard time when she thought of the pain, so much so that she tried to push it out of her mind as much as possible. While she had healed thanks to Yannick from most of her injuries, they had left enough that her body still looked like a child had covered her in finger paints.

             
Her nerves fluttered those butterflies in her stomach for a different reason than when she was alone with Chase and it was clear to any that saw the way she pinched the pastel floral dress and worried at the fabric. Chase's large hand reached out and grabbed hers before she could punch a hole through it. When she looked up at his pride filled smile she tried to return it, but hers was a bit wobbly.

             
“You look beautiful Elisa but I have to agree with David, I do not like the thought of you putting yourself out on display in such a manner. I believe we would be better going back to your abode and setting up the rest the security detail. That way you can try to get some more rest.” Chase tightened his hold on her hand briefly before letting it go again.

             
“Thank you, Chase. While I don’t want to go in front of so many people, I could stay here as a fellow reporter. No one will know except for us and your brother.”

             
The Detective watched the play between the two with a smile on his face, it wasn’t often in his line of work that there was a happy ending and that these two seemed to be falling in love only made his job all the more satisfying. Now all they had to do was to catch a killer and bring justice to everyone.

“We’re all set outside. I just wanted to catch you both before we did this. The news crews started arriving as soon as the captain let it leak that we were doing a conference. When you go to leave just tell them you were here on a domestic violence case that has nothing to do with the murders. I’ll have one of
the uniforms escort you and Chase out. If they ask for anything else just tell them that you have no comment as it doesn’t involve you.”

*~*~*

              To say that he was impressed with his Anare was to put it mildly. Chase was in love with her fortitude and inner strength. He knew it took a lot for her to put herself out there as bait to try and help capture someone that has already killed several times.

             
She was a lovely creature with her black heels and dark floral print dress. Although it did nothing to cool the boiling of his blood when he looked at the way the halter top of the dress hugged her slim body. The way the lines flowed with the billowy skirt that fluttered around her bare knees caused him to adjust the tight fit of his blue jeans.

How Trac
ker could find the confining material comfortable was beyond him, but he would do what it took to blend in.

The fact that she barely reached his shoulder didn’t help matters either. He’d always been attracted to those that weren’t as tall as he was. And her bravery made him all the harder as well. He had to face it, he was hooked on her and couldn’t wait for this matter to be settled so he could spend the rest of his life with her and not be looking over his shoulder constantly, waiting for the next attack that might never come.

When David had suggested he take her away from this press conference he felt a surge of relief he couldn’t begin to describe. With a nod to the detective, he slipped his arm off of Elisa’s shoulder and moved to shake the man’s hand after standing. “Thank you David. Good luck with the release, I will take my Anare back to her abode. I have set some of my security officers around the area just in case.”

To say that the man appeared to be just as relieved as he was
would be putting it mildly. Chase could see it written all over David’s body and heard it in his words.

“Thank you, Chase.
Elisa I want you to go home and rest as much as you can. Once I get done here I will head over to your house and check on you two.” With that said David stood and shook Chase’s hand before he left the room.

Chas
e touched the communicator embedded in his index finger and listened to the update from his chief of security. He would need to inform them of the change as he took Elisa home.

“We are prepared for all possible outcomes Commander. What are your orders?”
The Crival’s words were hard and even more serious than Tracker’s usually were.

For such a short female, shorter even than Elisa, one would think she wouldn't make such a good security officer much les
s the chief of security, but Chase would rather have no one at his back if he couldn’t have Chouvak or Tracker.

Chas
e barely won the fight not to grin as he thought of Chouvak. The people of earth would have pegged her as an amazon if she weren’t a foot shorter than Elisa’s five foot four height. They were a fierce warrior breed that started training their young at a tender age and would never allow them to leave the home nest unless they proved themselves worthy.

“There has been a change of plans. Alert your crew that I am taking Elisa back to her domicile. I searched the perimeter of where they will have the conference and found nothing.
Have your officers mingle with the rest of those that are gathering and keep an eye out for Mestrock or anyone suspicious. If they find anyone that they think is likely, since we do not know what this other person looks like, have them stick to them closely and try to capture an image of that person on their cortex recorder.”
Chase was just as nervous as Elisa but for different reasons.

He knew just how hard it was to protect someone when there was a large crowd gathered
and now that he didn’t have to worry about it, he tried to come up with ways to distract her later on.

He could very well see Chouvak snapping her left hand, palm opened and flattened against her chest, at her next comment of,
“It will be done Commander. She will not be harmed on my watch.”

“See that she doesn’t, Chouvak.”
With those parting words Chase shut down the open link and moved to escort his woman from the building. As they left many of the people instantly started crowding around them, but a glare from Chase had them parting like some strange tide.

His sharp eyes didn’t miss a beat as he let their icy depths swirl over the crowd in a constantly moving pattern and never once letting them stop for more than a few moments as one person or another caught his attention. It was a commotion of bodies of all shapes and sizes that jostled to get the best angle.

Cha
se noticed that they were all surging towards the stands with strange square objects set up at the top of the stairs. Instead of trying to fight their way through it Chase took a sharp left and cut through the grass. Due to the press of bodies they made their slow way to the area where Elisa had parked their personal transport which she called a car.

Small teams of swarming humans assaulted his senses. Each of the reporter teams consisted of two or three individuals clustered together and chattering to create enough of a din that at first he didn’t hear it, that soft whine of something powering up. That high pitched screech that apparently was too high for these gathered masses to take note of.
“Do you hear that? Security teams be on alert… something doesn’t feel right and I hear something powering up, but there are too many people in the way! Scatter and locate!”

Chas
e watched as David, and another man, he figured was the captain since he was the only other one that was supposed to be there, approached the podium from the side. Half way to the parking lot he stopped as looked as the two men on the impromptu stage before looking down at Elisa. The bright sunlight cast her battered face in a collage of blacks, blues, and purples

David stepped to the microphones and waited for the din of low conversations to gradually
die before he cleared his throat. “As many of you know we’ve been working hard at capturing the person calling himself ‘Zodiac’. Several of you have had letters written that you placed in the paper at our behest.

“Let me refresh what we do know in case some of you haven’t followed.” Chase watched as David paused to let the laughter of the crowd die down. “We know that the suspect does not have an MO, or motive of operation, there is no rhyme or reason to his attacks. Just as there is no one set method for each of the killings. We do know that he is armed and highly dangerous and ask that you make it exceptionally clear that should anyone see him to please
not
approach him but to call the police. There have been both male and female victims and as such we cannot say what exactly ties them all together or why they were assaulted and ultimately lost their lives.

“
Now what you don’t know is that there has indeed been another assault. I say that because the victim is still alive. She was able to meet with our sketch artist after giving a statement and being placed into protective custody. As such there is a press packet full of information regarding the case. In it you will find a copy of the composite drawing, the physical description, and other information.” Chase approved that David kept it brief but to the point and gave the impression that he was used to dealing with the voracious crowd.