Jethro 3: No Place Like Home (69 page)

“It serves its purposes,” the elder said, coming back with a tray. Her hands trembled slightly, but she followed protocol and knelt with the tray. The Asian woman smiled politely as her hostess poured the tea in a precise move. The ancient flowered tea cup was exquisite. She admired it for some time as her hostess rearranged herself across from her.

“These joints do get stiff after a time,” the lioness said chuffing. “Do make certain to keep exercising. It will keep you from becoming decrepit over time like me,” she said.

“Time is unkind to many,” the woman said nodding as she cradled her cup. She felt the warmth in her hands, like a friend. “You seem better. You have your vision back,” she said. “I had heard.”

“Yes, they fixed it some years ago for me. It has done wonders for me, allowing me to see how this station and her people have changed so much in such a short time,” she said, flicking her ears.

“Yes, many changes,” the woman said softly. “Time does move on,” she murmured, taking a sip. The elder smiled and sipped at her tea as well.

They spend some time admiring the tea set as protocol required, making small talk before the woman noted how much time had passed. Some things shouldn't be rushed, but unfortunately she was on the clock. “Do you know why I am here?” she asked finally, setting the cup aside.

“Not if you don't tell me,” the elderly Neolioness said, amused. The human admired how easily the elder had deflected her question.

“I'm here to kill you, elder,” the Asian woman said with a slight bow. “My apologies to be so impertinent.”

The lioness stilled for a second, and then set her cup of tea down carefully. “I see. Can an old woman ask why?”

“Because you are in the way. And you have to die.”

“I see. The assassin's guild I presume?” The lioness asked, completely poised and serene.

“Yes.”

“And you of course won't identify who ordered my death.”

The Asian woman shook her head. “I'm sorry, no.”

“So,” the lioness sighed. “Get it over with. In some ways it will be a blessing,” she murmured.

“One thing. We need the samples of your grandson Jethro before we kill him too.”

Golden eyes stared into the human for a long time. The woman thought at first that the lioness would try a futile attack, but instead the old woman just shook her head softly, as if scolding her. “Die disappointed then,” the matriarch said as she closed her eyes. She had lived a good life. She serenely waited for the wheel to turn full circle.

“I don't plan on dying at all,” the woman said. “Not like you. I'll make it quick,” she said flicking a dart at the lioness. The dart hit her target in the throat. Her throat convulsed in instinctive reaction to the insult and the poison. Her right hand paw reached for it but then fell. After a moment her breathing stopped and her body stilled.

“Good night, grandmother. Sweet dreams in the afterlife,” the woman said, getting up. She went over and pulled the dart out, then stroked the soft fur on the lioness's head. She pinched an ear, and then checked for signs of life. When she didn't find any she nodded and then left quietly.

Chapter 30

“This so sucks,” Jethro said, rolling his shoulders. He was getting tired of hauling the suit around with him all over the system. Going back and forth with it was a pain. Since the Annex was so close to Anvil, he decided to leave it in the armory there with Ox.

“He'll take good care of it,” Jethro said, reassuring Bast. Bast looked doubtful. “You'll keep an eye on him to make sure right?” he asked. She nodded. “Good girl,” he said. She seemed pleased by the praise.

“You know, it wouldn't hurt you to text me or talk to me. Or Ox. He'd love to talk with you. I bet you two would get along pretty well. He's into suits you know,” Jethro teased.

Bast just looked at him, seemingly bored. After a few minutes she yawned and then went to a doze. The panther snorted as he climbed through the hatch to the morning shuttle to Anvil. “Sure, sleep on it why don't you,” he mock grumbled.

Jethro had been recalled to the Annex for more paperwork, a face-to-face with Valenko and then to see if he could spring some more gear out of Spitterman.

Valenko, however, was tied up in meetings, and Spitterman was off station at one of the logistics stations clustered in the area. Something about an IG inspection. That left Jethro with the paper pushers and then nothing.

He checked, there was a request for another follow-up interview from the therapist Ensign Chelsi. He wished she'd get a life, interfering with his was getting old. He told her he'd pop in if he could. She texted him back with an appointment.

Jethro shook his head. He'd planned on doing a quick check in with the matriarch but she wasn't answering his calls. She too was probably in a meeting or something. He grumbled a bit to himself about how others were allowed to get on with their lives, but here he was, pulled away to hurry up and wait for nothing.

“If you're going to Anvil, put on the uniform and drop by the recruiting office and the college. Show the flag and uniform, strut a bit. Give them all a good look at what someone can do with their life,” Valenko texted him.

“Lucky me,” Jethro sighed. He felt Bast wake and then pull up a map of the station. He knew where the recruiting stations were. Well, two, the one in the college and the other in the station's main concourse. The two in the mall had apparently closed recently.

That made sense in a way, and not because of some quota competition. The station had about thirty thousand people on it, and they really didn't need four recruiting offices for such a small stable population. The demographics were plain, other than showing the flag most of the recruiting posts were make-work.

Valenko's work no doubt, Jethro thought. He marched through the dock, put up with customs and then headed to the first office.

When he arrived no one was there. But a woman pointed him to the arcade in the mall. Jethro went hunting there. He found the human Marine playing a shooter game with some teenage humans. The Marine was cleaning their clocks, impressing the hell out of them. Jethro was about to object but then overheard the Marine go on about how his training had taught him how to shoot like that. He caught sight of Jethro and winked. Jethro snorted and moved on.

The guy was good, he thought, using the arcade to demonstrate his skills and make a positive impression on the teens, all near recruiting age. They themselves might not sign on, but they might influence others to do so. He made a note of it and passed it on to the bear.

When he checked on the college office he found the usual recruiting posters and holograms, but again, no one home. He frowned, lashing his tail. After a moment he pinged the Sergeant who was supposed to be on post.

“Sorry, Gunny, I'm um, in a meeting,” the Sergeant said.

“Meeting right,” Jethro said. He oriented on the signal. “Location?”

“Um, sir, I can um, meet you in...not now honey,” he cleared his throat.

“It is 0110 hours. You were supposed to report for duty at 0900 hours. I expect you to be here on time, Sergeant, at your post,” Jethro said. “So, want to try again?”

“Sorry gunny, distracted. Family. No excuse,” the Sergeant said miserably.

Jethro frowned but then nodded. “Fine. We'll talk about this later. Where is your partner?”

“She's...in class, sir.”

Jethro nodded. “Good for her. I'll check anyway. Location?”

“Business lecture hall today, sir,” the Sergeant replied.

“Fine. Get your pants on, tell the little lady good bye, and get your ass back to your post. I'll be checking up shortly,” Jethro growled. He signed off and then went looking for the Corporal.

He found the mousey brunette in the business hall as he'd been told. She was sitting in the back row he realized, in her khaki day uniform, listening attentively about accounting. Jethro snorted and moved on. He nodded politely to awed students and staff, but kept going on his way.

“Prowling the campus, Gunny?” Matilda asked as he came out into the main concourse.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, coming to attention. She snorted. She was out of uniform, so he didn't salute. “Captain Valenko asked me to check up on the recruits,” he said.

“I see. And you noticed one is in class and the other is...elsewhere?” she asked politely. He nodded. “I know too. I've cut them some slack since they make up for it in the evenings when the kids are mostly out of class and raising hell. They help keep a lid on things from time to time.”

“I see, ma'am.”

“But you still aren't happy?”

“I'm flexible, ma'am, to a point,” Jethro said.

“I know,” she said, shaking her head. She ran a hand through her silvering hair. She had an aged maturity and beauty about her. Being an officer might have something to do with it or admin. “I thought you were in charge of the academy, ma'am?”

“Like you I get around. If no one's said anything, I'd like to thank you for getting that cluster fuck of a Marine base turned around,” she said.

He nodded, stepping aside for a pair of giggling teens. They clutched at their tablets, talking about a boy as they passed. Matilda rolled her eyes. “My granddaughter is in this mess somewhere if you can believe it,” she growled.

“Ouch,” Jethro said.

“It's bad enough when you have kids. When you also chase your grandchild,” she shook her head. “I don't envy those who have large broods,” she said. “Enough to make your hair fall out,” she muttered.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I'll take your word for it for now,” he said.

She eyed him again. “It sucks that you can't do anything about the family situation. I've read the reports; you're a good cub. I know your gram; she's quite proud of you,” she said.

“Have you seen her today, ma'am?” he asked. She shook her head. He sighed.

“She's probably out and about. Don't worry about her. She's a trooper,” Matilda said. “I'll tell her you asked about her if you don't get a chance to catch up with her. I know it means the world to her to see you cubs, but she also knows that you have your lives and are busy with them.”

“There are a lot of us ma'am. I'd think she'd be overwhelmed,” Jethro said. “Well, when we were here,” he added darkly.

“True.” She frowned. “Well, I've got to be going. You take care of yourself, Gunny.”

“And you too, ma'am. Good luck with your granddaughter,” he said.

“She's a handful,” Matilda sighed moving off with a wave.

Jethro watched her go and then checked his schedule. He had just enough time to make it to the interview with the therapist before he had lunch and then had his chat with the Sergeant.

He made it to a scheduled therapy session, which turned out to be bull; Ensign Chelsi mumbled a lot and seemed uncomfortable. They went through the motions, and when the time was up she seemed more relieved that he could go than he. That was odd; she normally liked to hang onto him, pick his brain more.

Jethro stretched when he left her office. Bast snorted and pulled an e-mail up for him. “Yo, heard you're on the station. Lunch? I'm in the deck seventeen maintenance shop, link attached. Meet me there, and I'll show you a lunch cart nearby that's the bomb,” he read. He looked at the header. It was from Hrriss, but the link was odd. He snorted. Perhaps the Leo had changed positions finally and gotten a new e-mail address.

Jethro followed Bast's directions through the station, taking a lift and then dropping into the bowels away from the populated areas. There were people around, but all seemed busy. All were also human. Come to think of it, why did Hrriss want to meet him in the maintenance shop? Why not at the cart itself, Jethro thought, slowing his stride.

He frowned, lashing his tail. Bast cocked her head at him on the HUD, clearly echoing his curiosity. “Well, let's ask him,” he said, pushing himself through the doors and into the maintenance shop.

The room was average, about twenty meters wide and forty long. It had metal tables in the center, equipment and tools lined the walls. There were piles of metal in the corners. Cables snaked on the floor and hung in coils from the ceiling.

Jethro recognized a few robotic devices, a couple robotic arms were attached to the ceiling. There was a defunct droid of some sort near the largest door under a tarp.

The room was half lit, just in the center. There were three entrances, one small for people to pass through and another wider one for machinery. A third door had a window, but this one was a hatch directly into the void. Apparently, the shop was on the hull and old. It didn't even have its own airlock, which was odd. It was definitely a machine shop though, Jethro had seen enough in his time. But apparently one on break, not a soul was around. He liked the quiet, but something made the fur on the back of his neck prick up.

“What the hell is this?” Jethro growled as Hrriss came in from the other door. He didn't like it; his instincts were screaming something was wrong. Bast began to react, ears flat, eyes snapping. The panther turned to confront the lion, claws half bared, ears flat.

“Hey man, you called me remember! I didn't e-mail you. Say, did you change your address or something?” Hrriss asked, hands up. “What?” He asked, noting Jethro's body posture. “What the hell man?” he growled. “Lighten up!”