Justice (6 page)

Nova’s stomach
clenched. Five thousand credits for solving a simple murder case
was easy money, and if no one was going to contest her for it… She
had to stop herself from jumping with joy in the middle of the
corridor.

“
You don’t think some of them will have a problem?”

“
They might,” Jack said, shrugging. “But I doubt they’ll do
anything about it. You have quite the rep. I think they’d be too
scared.”

Nova rolled
her eyes as Bruce shouldered out to join them in the hallway, his
big footsteps smacking the metal flooring.

“
There’s no evidence that the President has been kidnapped,”
Bruce said as soon as the door closed behind him. “And even if
there was, he was out of his mind to suggest that Hunters should
take over an investigation. There is no way that a couple of
rag-tag Hunters could do a better job than my trained security
personnel.”

His nostrils
flared at the end of each sentence and he spat the word ‘Hunters’
as if it pained him just to say the word. He rested a hand on the
pistol at his waist.

“
Nova is twice the fighter you could dream of,” Jack said,
also laying a hand on his gun. “She could kick your arse without
even trying.”

Nova stepped
forward before Jack could say anything further. “Gentlemen, I’m
sure we can come to some sort of arrangement. You’re right, at this
stage there’s no evidence of a kidnapping. But I still need you to
put the word out to your people. For now, I’m in charge.”

Bruce’s
nostrils flared as he glared down at her.

“
Geron’s decision, not mine,” Nova said, holding up her
hands.

She snatched
Jack’s arm and led him away.

20 Minutes
after Power-Out…

“
So I’m supposed to answer to Hunters now?” the security guard
said, standing up from his chair in front of a bank of monitors.
His name badge said Vinnie.

“
At least for now,” Nova said.

“
Bruce said there’s not even any evidence he’s been
kidnapped.”

Nova’s hands
clenched into fists but she kept a calm smile pinned to her face.
“Bruce isn’t in charge any more. Now, whatever’s happened to Geron,
isn’t it best that we work together to try to find him?”

Vinnie nodded,
glancing at Jack, before stepping back to allow them a view of the
screens. Images from various regions of the complex danced across
the monitors. People gathered in small clumps talking amongst
themselves and whispering. There didn’t seem to be any panic. Word
of the President’s disappearance either hadn’t got out yet or
people weren’t too worried about it.

“
Our primary objective needs to be to keep everybody calm, but
also to find the President. I recommend we put everyone on lock
down, ask them to return to their rooms and then we’ll start a
systematic search. Have any ships left since the power
outage?”

“
No, I shut down transport before the lights came back on,”
Jack said. “And I’ve since put a block up on communications. Only
cleared connections will work.”

“
Good, so he has to be here somewhere.”

“
We need to go over the security feeds. Whatever happened,
there has to be video evidence.”

“
I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Vinnie said, looking down
at his feet. “All the feeds are ruined.”

“
What the hell do you mean, ruined?”

“
I mean that someone must have tampered with them. There’s
absolutely no footage from when the lights went out, to when they
came back on again. Even the back-up files have been
wiped.”

“
Shit,” Nova said, leaning against the desk. “This is looking
more like a kidnapping by the second. Why didn’t you report
it?”

“
I told Bruce, I assumed he passed it on.”

“
From now on, you tell me directly.”

Vinnie nodded,
rubbing his temple.

Nova sighed
and gritted her teeth. “Vinnie, can you please make the
announcement. Make it calm so they have nothing to worry about,
although I’m sure we’ll have a few panic attacks.”

He sat back
into his chair and reached for the intercom.

“
Meanwhile I’ll get our people doing a sweep. We’ll start with
the communal areas and if there’s still no sign we’ll start going
through people’s rooms.”

Nova hustled
Jack out of the room.

“
I see what you did there,” Jack said once the door closed
behind them. Nova winked at him and pulled him down the
corridor.

“
Just get your people into pairs and start searching. You and
I will take the delta wing.”

“
I’m on it, boss,” Jack said. He pulled up his own
communicator while he and Nova made their way through the complex
to the large hall where Geron had given his speech. It seemed like
days ago but it was less than an hour since the lights went
out.

“
Attention. Attention. All non-security personnel are to
return to their rooms. There are some residual power issues; this
is for your own safety. All non-security personnel must return to
their rooms immediately,” Vinnie’s voice came over the speakers and
repeated the message three times.

Nova nodded;
it was perfect. There would be limited panic and it would get
people out of the way. There were still a few groups of people in
the conference room but they dragged their feet away and towards
their own quarters when they saw Nova and Jack enter.

Nova waited
until they were out before nodding to Jack. They each took a side
of the room and did a detailed sweep. Nova looked under every seat
and behind every curtain. She even looked under the stage but all
she found was some old rope and a pair of women’s underwear.

She and Jack
reached the other end of the room at about the same time.

“
Not a single sign,” said Jack.

“
Me neither.”

“
Room two then,” Jack said, gesturing for Nova to lead the
way.

They moved
from room to room, carefully examining every place a person could
hide, or a body could be hidden. The metal complex was eerily quiet
without people. Their footsteps echoed up and down the corridors
and their whispered voices bounced back to them. The last room in
their section was the bar.

“
At least when we’re finished we can grab a drink,” said
Jack.

“
Only if we find Geron already there having one,” said
Nova.

They walked
into the bar only to find there were indeed people there. A small
group gathered around the bar, helping themselves to drinks from
behind the counter. They laughed and toasted each other as they
gulped down a fortune’s worth of expensive liquor. Nova recognised
one of them.

“
Dustin,” she said.

The youth
looked up from his drink and stared at Nova.

“
Hello, Hunter. Have you come for a drink?” he said, lifting
his glass to his grinning mouth.

“
In case you gentlemen didn’t hear, all non-security personnel
must go to their quarters and stay there,” she said.

“
Ah yes, well, seeing as my dad owns all of this,” Dustin
waved his drink around to indicate the complex. “Then all of it is
my quarters, including this well-stocked bar.”

“
Given the situation I would think you’d be more concerned,”
Nova said through gritted teeth. Dustin’s companions grinned at her
and whispered to each other.

“
Oh you mean my father’s ‘disappearance’. Look lady, I’ll bet
you a thousand credits this is a publicity stunt,” Dustin said,
turning away from Nova to whisper something with his
companions.

“
Right,” Nova said. She reached through the group and grabbed
hold of Dustin’s ear. She pulled it hard and twisted a little,
dragging him through his crowd of friends so that he stood in front
of her, his face screwed up in pain.

“
Don’t you dare ‘lady’ me. I’ve asked you nicely, so now I’m
going to ask you not nicely.”

Nova twisted
his ear further and shoved him in the direction of the door. He
stumbled, catching himself on the far wall. He whirled around and
glared at Nova.

“
You have no idea what you’ve just done, Hunter. I’ll make
sure you never work again. You’ll be thrown into the deepest bits
of Allum for this.”

“
I really doubt it,” Nova said. “Now get back to your room or
I will have some of my people lock you away. And I assure you, that
the way they’ll lock up a rich kid like yourself will make Allum
look like Haven.”

Dustin looked
ready to pounce on Nova. He opened his mouth to say more, but
before he could speak, Nova turned away from him towards his
companions. “As for the rest of you; I would suggest you go
straight to your own quarters right now. If I find any one of you
still out and about, I’ll have you chained to the outside of my
ship.”

The group
glanced at one another, the grins now gone from their faces. They
glanced at Nova’s gun and put their drinks on the bar. Nova stepped
backwards and they all got up from their seats, hurrying for the
door. They brushed past Dustin in their rush to leave, not saying a
word to their former comrade.

“
Last chance,” Nova said when Dustin was the last one still in
the room.

He glanced
between her and the door, moving from one foot to the other as he
weighed up his options. In the end he stalked out the door, glaring
at Nova as he went.

“
You strike fear into the hearts of men,” Jack
said.

“
Hardly men,” Nova said with a smile. “Boys,
maybe.”

“
I’ll give you that,” said Jack. “My people have all reported.
There’s no sign of him in their sections.”

Nova frowned.
“We’ll give this room the once over and then we’re going to have to
start going through people’s quarters. Imagine the outcry that’s
going to cause!”

Nova and Jack
moved about the bar. Empty glasses and small plates of food
scattered across the tables and a chair was overturned. Aside from
the general disarray of an uncleaned bar, there were no clues as to
Geron’s whereabouts.

“
I guess that settles it,” Nova said.

“
Commander? I’ve got a problem in shipping; requesting back
up,” a young voice crackled out of Jack’s communicator.

“
Who was that?” Nova asked.

“
Jimmy, the newbie I pointed out to you yesterday.” Jack
turned to his communicator. “Nova and I are on the way. What’s the
problem, Jimmy?”

“
I’ve got some people here wanting to leave. I don’t think
I’ll be able to stop them for long.”

“
Stand firm, Jimmy. We’ll be there pronto.”

Jack and Nova
ran out of the bar and through the complex. Without the crowds of
people they made quick time to the shipping bay. People gathered
near the ships, two Hunters blocking their way. Jimmy stood with
his gun drawn, even from a distance Nova could see he was
shaking.

As they got
closer she recognised the people. They were the dignitaries from
the Inner Galaxies.

“
What’s going on?” she asked when they got level with the
group. She placed herself between the dignitaries and Jimmy, also
blocking their path to the ships.

“
We’re leaving this damned planet, and this disgusting little
Hunter is trying to stop us,” Zorka said, looking down her
nose.

“
And he’s right to,” Nova said. “There is a situation and
until it’s resolved there will be no travel to or from
Drigoon.”

“
That might be alright for people like you,” Zorka said,
taking a step forward. “But some of us have important places to
be.”

“
I assure you there are other places I would rather be too,”
Nova said. “But, as I said, there will be
no
travel from Drigoon until the
issues are resolved.”

“
Look, you little rat.” Goffredo stepped forward. “We’re more
powerful and more important than your tiny little mind can
comprehend. Step aside or in the name of the Confederacy I will
have to kill you.”

Large men,
personal security, stood behind Zorka and Goffredo. They had their
hands on their guns, ready in case things got ugly.

“
I’d like to see you try,” said Nova. “In the meantime there
is an intergalactic incident brewing and I will not have it spill
over because of some pompous dignitaries.”

“
What-” Goffredo spluttered, his eyes nearly popping out of
his head.

“
I think you heard me just fine. Arrest them,” Nova
said.

Unseen by the
dignitaries and their hired goons, the backup Hunters had arrived.
They stepped up behind the security men and made quick work of
stunning them. The large bodies crumpled to the floor and Zorka and
Goffredo were left defenceless.

“
How dare you!” Zorka said. “I will see you thrown into a
black hole for this.”

“
That’s the second time I’ve been told that today. Is it
something to do with my face?” Nova said, turning to Jack with mock
concern.

“
Yes, it’s terrifying,” said Jack.

“
My friends here will escort you back to your quarters. If I
were you, I wouldn’t even think about leaving them again. I’ll
spare you the dignity of chains this time, but next time I won’t be
so forgiving,” Nova said.