Search for the Phoenix: Phoenix Series Book 2 (28 page)

“Very well played,” Nelson said.

“I learned from the master,” Eric replied.

“Well, now, let’s invite Captain Jiorgenson down here so we can give him the news,” Nelson said.

* * * *

Niles Jiorgenson stared at General Nelson, a shocked look on his face. “I’m what?”

“I said, you are the acting head of SACOM until First Admiral Saunders returns,” the general said.

“But… why me?” Jiorgenson asked.

“Because General Nelson recommended you… before he died, of course,” Major Anderson said.

Niles looked from Nelson to Anderson and back again. “But…” His voice trailed off as he continued to stare at the general.

“I was killed last night,” Nelson said.

“By Lieutenant Stevens,” Anderson added.

“Eric’s really distraught over the matter,” the general said with a nod in the major’s direction.

“I’m devastated,” Anderson said.

After a long moment’s silence, Niles leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Okay, you two have had your little joke at my expense. Me, acting head of SACOM. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do, so I’ll just go back to my office.”

“Oh, that part is true,” Eric said.

“What part?” Niles asked.

“You are the acting head of SACOM,” the general said as he handed Niles a document.

Niles read it twice. “What the hell is going on?”

* * * *

Niles stood in the conference room across the lobby from Bennett’s old office, which was undergoing cleaning and repairs. Here, on the thirtieth floor, the view was amazing. The administration building was the only tall building on the base, the others being just three stories above ground.

Lieutenant Linda Groves, whom Niles had selected to be his acting adjutant, knocked on the frame of the open door.

Niles turned around. “Come in, Lieutenant.”

“I was told to report to you here, Captain. Thank you for choosing me as your secretary,” the lieutenant said.

“I prefer adjutant, and you’re welcome. It’s only temporary duty, you understand? I’ll be glad to turn this all over to First Admiral Saunders when she returns and get back to the Investigative Branch.”

“If you need me, I’ll be in the first admiral’s outer office, tidying things up. Your office won’t be ready for a few weeks.”

Niles nodded. “Yes, I imagine it will take some time. Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Major Anderson knocked on the frame of the open door.

“Come in, Major,” Niles said.

“Excuse me, sirs,” Lieutenant Groves said as she turned and walked across the lobby.

“Do you have a way to contact Nolan Peters, or Megan Carson?” the major asked.

“I believe so. Why?”

“I need a big favor,” Anderson said.

* * * *

Megan’s data unit chimed. Opening the message, she read it, and then passed it to Nolan. “It’s for you.”

Nolan took the unit and read.

Urgent. We need the SACOM weapons and Xetian wreckage as evidence. Can you deliver?

Niles.

Nolan typed a reply.

The person in possession of the material will want to be paid. Credit chips, not a card.

The unit chimed.

It is stolen SACOM property. I could arrest the person in possession.

Nolan typed.

You could, if you knew where it was. Perhaps you should send Zorbas over to beat it out of me.

Several minutes passed, and Nolan wondered if Niles had given up. “Well, it seems he doesn’t want the stuff after all.” He passed the data unit back to Megan. It chimed. She smiled as she read the message out loud. “Okay, point taken. I can send someone to you in a few hours with credit chips. How much will your dealer require?”

Nolan held his hand out for the unit, but Megan began typing.

I think one million credits would be sufficient.

She passed the unit to Nolan. He read her reply and erupted in laughter. “Only a million? He’ll never go for that!”

“I know. You reminded him what SACOM did to you. I reminded him what SACOM did to all of us,” she said.

“Nice touch,” he said.

The unit chimed.

Amusing. I think I can manage twenty-five thousand without being arrested. I’ve seen General Nelson in action. I wouldn’t want the senate to send him after me.

“He’s offering twenty-five thousand. Should I accept?” Nolan asked.

Megan smiled. “Really? I thought he might offer ten.”

Nolan typed.

I suppose we can settle for twenty-five. Deal accepted. Dawson spaceport, pad 41. I will secure a departure corridor. When will courier be here?

The unit chimed.

Two hours. Message me if you have any difficulties with departure scheduling and I will solve the problem.

“Do you think Boo will be happy?” Megan asked.

Nolan shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a lot of credits. As she pointed out, she doesn’t even know if she can legally have that stuff. She should be glad to get rid of it, if you ask me.”

“Twenty-five thousand credits!” Boo yelled. “Are you kidding me?”

Nolan’s smile vanished. “But, Boo, it’s stolen SACOM property. You could end up in jail if you’re caught with this stuff.”

Boo laughed. “I only paid five for it! How about twenty thousand for me, and five thousand for you for delivery?”

Nolan stared as he replayed the conversation in his mind. “All right. That sounds fair.”

“It’s a deal!” Boo said. “I’ll go and fire up my loader. We’ll get this stuff on your ship, and then we’ll go into the house for lunch. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Nolan.”

* * * *

When lunch was set on the table, Boo sat and looked at Nolan. “I’ll get straight to the point. How would you like to take over running my business for me?”

Nolan stared at her for a moment. Finally, he asked, “Why?”

Boo looked at Megan. “Because twenty years is far too long a time to be married to someone you almost never see.”

Megan reached over and squeezed Nolan’s hand. “You should take her offer,” she said.

“Honestly, I was thinking about retiring,” Nolan said.

“So retire here and run my operation,” Boo said.

“That isn’t exactly how retirement works,” he said with a laugh.

“Pah! Retirement! I get one salvager a week in here, sometimes two. Then there are a few buyers who come around from time to time. You’d practically be retired while running this place.”

Nolan laughed. “I’ll think about it, Boo.”

“He’ll do it!” Megan said.

“I’ll think about it,” Nolan repeated.

Boo smiled. “I’ve written a contract. You can take it with you and read it. Make changes, if you need to, and we can talk about it when you come back.”

“Fair enough,” Nolan said.

* * * *

“Senator Kase, what an honor to have you here with us,” Major Anderson said as the senator entered the ground floor lobby of the administration building.

“Thank you, Major.”

“I hope you had a pleasant journey,” Anderson said.

“It was uneventful. That’s nearly the same thing as pleasant when you’re my age, Major,” the senator said.

“Yes, sir,” Eric said with a forced laugh.

“Now, I really must meet Captain Jiorgenson. I need to conduct my interview and make my decision as to his suitability to continue as acting head of SACOM,” Kase said. “I understand it may be a month or more before Vice Admiral Saunders returns to Caldon.”

“Of course, Senator. If you will come this way, the captain is waiting for you,” Eric said as he turned and headed for the elevators.

Once in the elevator, Anderson pushed the button for sub-level two.

“We’re going down?” Kase asked.

“Yes, sir. The captain has set up his office downstairs temporarily. The penthouse office is still undergoing cleaning and sanitizing. It isn’t easy scrubbing blood and brain tissue off the walls, and the carpets had to be removed.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Messy business, I suppose,” the senator said.

“Yes, sir,” Eric replied.

When the elevator stopped, the pair walked down the corridor until the major stopped at a door. “In here, senator,” he said as he opened the door and stepped in.

The room was bare, white concrete, having been built before the invention of plasticrete. A plain, metal table was bolted to the floor in the center of the room. Four chairs were arranged around it. A large mirror covered most of one wall.

“Major, your conference room is rather austere, to say the least. When my committee takes up your next budget, I’ll see to it that you get funding for some decent furnishings,” the senator said with a smile.

“Thank you, sir. I’m sure we can liven up the place with your help.”

The door opened, and a woman in a dark blue business suit entered. Senator Kase looked at her for a moment, and then the smile vanished from his face as he recognized Tracey Lafferty, lead investigator for the Senate Ethics and Proprieties committee. He looked around the room again, and realization set in. He turned to face Tracey and was about to speak when General Nelson stepped into the room. Senator Kase sank into a chair, the color draining from his face.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Senator,” Nelson said.

Two armed guards entered the room and stood on either side of the door. Nelson smiled at Anderson, and the pair turned and left the room.

As Major Anderson was closing the door, he said, “I guess this means we’re not getting new furniture.”

* * * *

Niles heard the chime as the elevator door opened. A moment later, General Nelson stood in the conference room doorway. “Come in and have a seat, General,” he said.

Lance Nelson stepped in and sat in the first chair to Niles’ left. “I need to brief you on our operation,” he said.

Niles nodded. “It went well, I trust.”

“Oh, very well. He never saw it coming. The senate investigator is questioning him as we speak.”

“He must be a very nervous man, having to take the heat for everything all alone,” Niles said.

“He’ll be in good company,” the general said.

“Well, Bennett is dead, Tompkins is dead, and all the goon squad is dead. Who else was involved?” Niles asked.

“Actually, Bennett and Tompkins are alive. They’re both in cells in the security section. Oh, and most of the goons are in cells, too. Only three were killed,” Nelson said.

“You said they were dead!”

“No, you said they were dead. I chose not to correct you,” the general said.

“Why the hell not?”

“If you will recall, you were not the acting commander of SACOM at the time. You were a captain in the Investigative Branch.”

“Yes, of course. I understand. It was privileged information,” Niles said.

“Now, would you like me to brief you on the details of the conspiracy?” the general asked.

Niles leaned back in this chair and clasped his fingers behind his head. “I think I can wait for the official report. There is one thing I am curious about. Was Bennett working with Segal, Forbes, Lancing, and Wilkins?”

“No, that group acted on its own. Bennett was livid when she found out they had stolen the plutonium.”

“What I can’t figure out is—who was Bennett going to sell the plutonium to? I mean, who could afford it?” Niles asked.

Nelson smiled. “I wondered about that myself. Bennett said she was planning to sell it to SACOM.”

Niles forehead creased as he stared at Nelson.

“I have to admit, it was a brilliant plan,” the general said. “She was going to send a private ship to collect the plutonium, and then she was going to contact herself through an untraceable account offering to sell the plutonium back to SACOM for a quarter of its worth. At that price, she could easily make the case that it would be cheaper and faster to simply pay the money, rather than sending the Second Fleet to try to find it.”

“So, how did Senator Kase fit into all this?” Niles asked.

“She needed someone in the senate who would make sure the money would be delivered rather than demanding that she hunt down the thieves and take the plutonium. It would all have fallen apart if the senate refused to pay,” Nelson said. “So she cut him in for a percentage.”

“How did you get so much information out of Bennett?” Niles asked.

“Once Bennett realized Kase was double-crossing her, she told us everything.”

“And what about Vice Admiral Tompkins?” Niles asked. “You haven’t said anything about his role in all this?”

“It turns out that he had no role at all. He was Bennett’s toady, that’s certain, but she didn’t let him in on the deal. She didn’t need him,” Nelson said.

“Then why did you lock him up?”

The general sighed. “At the time, I didn’t know if he was involved. He was going to look for Zorbas, and I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Well done, General. I’m impressed,” Niles said.

“If you are going to wait for the official report, I’ll return to my duties,” the general said.

“Thank you, General,” Niles said.