Ice and Peace (11 page)

“Eagle Two reporting in,” a voice said in the distance.

She knew it to be one of the fighters on patrol. The Blanchard was a flying fortress that could easily be overtaken by an enemy craft with a little cunning and time. The fighters were on patrol to make sure that didn’t happen.

“Yuggosa approaching planet.”

“Scopes read, you are all clear,” the controller said in the room behind her.

“Roger that.”

“They should be dropping the fire team now,” the tac officer informed.

Glancing at the vertical map that tracked the movement of the ship, Caitlin observed the small dot that was their transport as it swung around and arced back up in a high orbit around the planet. Her anxiety rose.

“Maintain radio silence,” the tac said.

“Copy that,” the pilot replied.

“Status.” Keegan’s deep-timbred voice sounded behind her.

Standing at attention along with the tac, she kept her eyes forward and fought off the urge to stare at the man who was her husband and commanding officer.

“As you were,” he ordered.

“Sir, they are on planet,” the tac said, tapping her earpiece. “Long and medium range scans have cleared it.”

“Very well.”

“Sir, Commander Gadison would like permission to enter the CIC,” someone said in the distance.

“Granted.” He moved around to get a better look at the map.

His taut expression and harsh glare made him appear tense. She wondered if the burden of command was getting to him. She missed him, but knowing he was here with her made it a little easier.

A handsome man approximately Medoro’s age strolled toward her husband and stopped. Standing next to him, he casually placed his hands in his pockets. She caught sight of his gaze, catching the glint of recognition. Did she know him? She couldn’t recall ever meeting him before.

Looking away quickly, he returned his attention to Keegan. “Status?”

“So far nothing,” Keegan responded.

“You’ve got to have antifreeze in your veins in order to survive there.”

Her husband glanced at him but did not answer.

“Sky, this is Purple Bulldog,” the leader of the recon team said. “No survivors, but there is evidence of a struggle. And some kind of substance is on the walls. It is pink and smeared everywhere.”

Terrible winds howled in the background, nearly drowning out his deep bass voice.

“Acknowledged,” the tac officer replied. “Over.”

The com crackled again. “Eye in the Sky, this is Tainted Storm. We found a survivor. Over.” Caitlin recognized Jesswan’s voice. “A human female, unconscious.”

“Acknowledged, Storm.” The tac officer paused.

“Colonel, this could be the break we were looking for.” Gadison moved to stand next to Keegan. “Maybe she could tell us what happened. We should bring her on board.”

What? That’s crazy
. Caitlin glanced at her husband. Surely, he would not go along with such a ridiculous idea.

Keegan crossed his arms, contemplation masking his handsome features. She knew that look.

“Sir, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

All eyes turned to her.

“And why is that, Chief?” Gadison asked.

“It could be a trap.”

“How so? She’s unconscious.”

She studied his insignia. It was Intel.

“Sir, with all due respect, it doesn’t make sense. If you’re going to attack a base, why leave any survivors if you don’t have to?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they screwed up.”

“Sir, I doubt—”

“That’s enough, Chief.” Keegan gave her a warning glance.

Catching the signal, she fell silent.

“Tainted Storm awaiting orders,” Jesswan stated over the com.

“There’s nothing going on down there. Bring ’em back home, including the victim. Alert medical. I’ll inform Hollis,” Keegan said brusquely to the tac then exited the room.

Seeing no point in staying any longer, she left, anxious to debrief her team.

***

Caitlin stood in the cryo briefing room. Despite the planet’s icy temperature, the team was sweaty from exertion.

“So tell me, what was the condition of the site?”

The group glanced at each other.

Jesswan scratched his head. “It was a mess down there. Like a bomb went off in there. There were no personnel. Equipment was minimal, if it worked at all.”

“Other than the woman, did you find any trace of the others?”

“The planet’s a big place, but inside the facility…no.”

Caitlin straightened her posture. An entire research facility destroyed? All of the scientists gone with no traces of them to be found. What was so important for it to be destroyed the way it had?

“So, Chief, you’ll think we’ll get another crack at ’em?” Jesswan asked.

“We’ll have to wait and see. One thing’s for sure, they won’t have a contingent of cryos on board without using them. It’s just a matter of time.” She studied her team. They’d done great on their first mission, and she couldn’t have asked for better. “All right, team, good work. Get some chow. You’re dismissed.”

Chapter Thirteen

It had been a full twenty-four hours since they’d found the survivor, and she was finally awake. Speeding as fast as they could toward Wacia, Keegan was glad to be away from the ravaged scientific facility. Though he had not visited the surface, he could sense the death and destruction hanging around it.

Located inside a vacant quadrant, the defunct station gave him the chills when he thought about its isolation. Alone, wounded, and in danger, the young lady was lucky Gadison insisted he check for survivors or who knew what would have happened to her.

That could have been Cate
. A wave of fear washed over him, halting him in full stride. Tightness in his chest stifled his ability to breathe. He glanced at a clock on the wall, avoiding the gazes of the people passing by.

Pull it together. She is safe and nothing is going to happen to her. You’re in charge now and you don’t have to send her on an assignment. She can just sit here for the duration of the cruise and be pissed off at you. But at least she’s alive
.

Comforted by the thought, he continued on to the main infirmary. He slowed his steps as he approached the young lady on the exam table, flanked by Gadison and Bishop.

“Miss, what’s your name?” In spite of being badly bruised, she appeared no worse for wear. Strange, considering she was the only survivor of a base attack.

Her eyes fluttered open. She clutched the sheet covering her shivering, pale body.

“My name is Doctor Roesner. Jenny Roesner. I am an assistant researcher on the Cryogenic Warfare Project. I work with Doctor Rimmer. Where am I?”

“You are on board the USS Blanchard. Our team found you unconscious. Can you tell us what happened down there?”

She rubbed her forehead and swallowed. “Umm. I can’t remember. I just recall talking to Dr. Rimmer and then there was an explosion.”

“Can you recall anything after that? Like how you got to the transport station?” Gadison asked.

She licked her lips. “No. I’m sorry I don’t.” Her voice cracked and she directed her gaze to the ceiling behind him. “How did I get here? What about my friends? Where are they?”

“Doc?” Keegan asked. He detected a strange scent. Like burnt motor oil. It was the same odor he’d smelled on Cate’s uniform. Cryotherazine. Considering no cryos had been treated recently, he wondered why the scent was so strong. She was a scientist at a cryo research facility and worked around the stuff all time. It was the only reason why she seemed to be doused in it.

Bishop shook his head. “You were unconscious. Unfortunately, your friends didn’t make it.”

“No!” she cried, tears welling up within her eyes.

“Her inability to remember, is this normal?” Keegan asked. He glanced at her briefly as she sobbed. He understood her grief but detached himself from it. He needed to stay focused on finding out what happened and perhaps protect the ship from the same kind of attack.

“Intermittent amnesia is common with this kind of trauma.”

“Will she be all right?” His resolved softened.

“All her vitals are normal. With a little rest, she should be fine. My dear, there is no need to worry. You’re safe here,” Bishop added, handing her a tissue. “We’ll get you settled, and you’ll feel at home in no time.”

Having seen enough, Keegan started toward the door. “Doctor Roesner, thank you for your cooperation. The guard outside will escort you to your quarters. You’ll find a change of clothes there.”

“Thank you.”

Keegan eyed Gadison. He motioned for the man to follow him.

“What do you think?” Gadison asked once out of earshot.

Caitlin was right; none of it added up. Something about Doctor Roesner bothered him, but then the woman had amnesia.

“It amazes me. She comes out with barely a scratch, and to top it all off, she doesn’t remember a thing?”

“You heard what the doc said, she’s got amnesia.”

“I have a feeling she knows more than she’s letting on. Keep an eye on her and inform the doctor privately that it’s time to wake Doctor Rimmer.”

“That’s a good idea. Maybe she can shed some light on the matter.”

“Let’s hope so.”

***

Hundreds of Sailors moved the fighter craft around the flight deck below in a tightly choreographed ballet. Their different-colored jerseys identified their jobs; red for ordnance men, purple for fuelers, yellow for plane captains, and so on. Caitlin smiled, noting all their communication was done via hand signals because of the high level of noise.

The ready room shuddered as each elevator lifted a fighter to the launch bay above. Only the monitor in the front corner of the room gave evidence of their departure. She continued to stare at the people below, noting their animated expressions. Some smiled, some scrunched their faces, while others wore a steel-like determination, powered by the pride they had for serving a country and a world they loved. Caitlin wished she had that. Instead, she felt like an indentured servant.

She shifted her position against the frame, tracing the large window. Her boots sank into the plush carpeting. The desire to kick off her shoes and walk around barefoot was overwhelming, but she contained herself and waited quietly for the others to arrive.

The more she watched, the angrier she became when she considered her future. There was no doubt in her mind she would be stuck on board a ship for the rest of her life—free labor for a military starving for recruits. Yes, she had heard the rumors. Too much war and too few people. Though there were colonists from other planets signing on, they were not enough to keep up the high rate of attrition the Verneans inflicted. She returned her attention to the ready room. She strolled to the front and sat down. Questions turned in her mind. What was so special about the Potanus facility? They did cryo research, but why attack it?

Caitlin rubbed her forehead. She’d hoped being in charge would make things easier. But she was just as baffled as the team she led, and the one person she could turn to was not available. Her sounding board and light, Medoro always provided insight into the situation. He provided a strong shoulder. This time, he made it quite clear he could not be there for her. Even he had his limits.

This damn job!
Irked, she jumped to her feet.

Her classified training and missions kept this side of her life away from him and it angered him. And now his job was doing it to her. A slow and deep pit of anguish opened inside of her. Would she be able to manage without him?

Chapter Fourteen

It hadn’t taken much time or charm to get the information she needed from the young nurse. Jenny stared down at her limp body. Golden brown hair fell gently over the dead nurse’s shoulders, accentuating her soft features. Stooping down, she leaned forward and caressed her cheek. It was still warm. If she had been one of her kind, she might have passed for someone with beauty, Jenny noted, pulling the body into a corner.

The forecastle was dark and devoid of people, which made it a perfect spot for her to glean the particulars of an usual shipment that had been delivered to the ship. The young nurse had told her everything, including information about the arrival of the cryo soldiers on board.

The arrival of cryo warriors was of little interest to her. The person she had been waiting for, Dr. Rimmer, was carefully nestled away inside the main infirmary. A slight grin eased its way onto her lips. It was time to inform the fleet of her whereabouts so they could meet her as planned. Jenny scratched her itchy, dry skin and drew a slight bit of pinkish blood on her arm. Examining her skin, she saw it was starting to peel. The exertion had overheated her, and she needed to cool down.

She had only two options available to her. Find a way to hide inside one of the cryo quarters or get her hands on more Cryotherazine. Either one would help her situation until she could figure out a way to get her hands on Dr. Rimmer. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial of the light blue liquid along with a syringe. She plunged the needle into the vial and withdrew the plunger, filling the needle completely. Without hesitation, she jabbed it into her thigh, grunting somewhat from the pain. She emptied the needle then tossed it and the vial aside.

She was ready for the next part of her mission. To glean the ship’s position so as to inform the fleet.

***

Sitting in the mid-deck of the observation room, Keegan sketched on his favorite drawing pad. He shifted uncomfortably as his morning meal sat heavily in his stomach, making him feel sluggish. The room, which was normally crowded, was empty and afforded a bit of solitude.

Keegan savored these times. It gave him an opportunity to be the man he knew himself to be—quiet, creative, and contemplative. The charcoal pencil glided smoothly across the paper. Majestic mountains came into shape as he etched them from memory onto the rough page. He allowed himself to relax. Each stroke and sweep of the charcoal brought him a little closer to home.