Jethro: First to Fight by Chris Hechtl Page A

wouldn't have been a hijacking! I'm
the governor!”
    “Which means you have to obey the law
sir. We all do.”
    “I'm the governor! I'm the law!” the
governor shouted, face red as he leaned over his desk to stare the Lieutenant
governor down.
    There was an awkward quiet moment as no
one moved or said anything. Enrique Salvador had been stared at by the port
admiral, a man who had been insane and quite able to kill him with a single
word, this man could probably do it, but he'd have a hell of a mess on his
hands and a lot of explaining to do if he tried. Finally the aide cleared his
throat. “What?!” the governor spat, turning his head like a turret to stare
down the aide.
    “Sir, it's a moot point anyway, it
didn't happen. There is no sense getting upset over it. We need to move on. You
have a busy enough schedule,” the aide said carefully.
    “Right,” Walker finally admitted. The
aide let out a deep exhale as the tantrum was averted. “But I want the next
shipment,” the governor growled.
    “Sir?”
    “You heard me,” the governor said,
stabbing his desk blotter with his index finger. “I want it here. Find a way to
make that happen. The moment another shipment comes in, I want it diverted.
Order them to divert then order them to shut down communications like we did with
Destiny.”
    “Sir...”
    “Do it Nelson. That's an order.”
    “I'll do my best sir,” the aide said
with a sigh.
    “Yes, you usually do. Don't disappoint
me,” the governor growled sitting in his chair once more. “So, more on Irons.
How did he survive?”
    “He's an engineer sir. We've already
heard the story, and Knox news has been running the material their reporter
April O'Neill taped before her incident.”
    “Her. Irons lover.”
    “Yes sir. If there is any incentive to
return other than the yard and the naval presence, she is it.”
    “Keep an eye on her then,” the governor
ordered. “What I want to know, is why the hell did it take so long for our
source to get back to us? Even with the leave, it's been a month!”
    “He's been very cagey sir,” Nelson said
carefully. “We did confirm anyone involved in the unloading of the cargo had
been either sequestered or had been too busy or not one of our people. We were
lucky to have the one source at all.”
    “And I take it he was reluctant to stick
his neck out? In case ONI or NCIS got wind of it?” Enrique asked, sounding
amused. The governor shot him a quelling look.
    “Actually, no sir. He was a source
because of his relationship to...” Nelson stopped short and glanced at his
boss.
    “To...?” the governor asked, raising an
eyebrow.
    Nelson squirmed but then finally gave
up. “To secretary Nancy O'Dell.”
    “O'Dell. I was wondering what happened
to her. I noticed you were breaking in a new model. What's her name Tracy?”
Enrique asked. “What ever happened to Nancy anyway?” he asked.
    “She, um, quit,” Nelson supplied when
the governor didn't say anything.
    “Really. I suppose that might be why her
brother or sister is looking for her. If I remember right there is an Ensign
O'Dell.”
    “There is,” Nelson said before he caught
his boss's hard look. He immediately flinched and then hunched his shoulders,
knowing he'd given their source away.
    “And I bet the young man spoke in what
he thought was gossip to his sister,” Enrique mused. “I'm wondering how you got
him to open up at all.”
    Nelson didn't say anything, he just
looked down. Enrique looked at him and then to the governor. Finally he sighed.
“You better hope nothing untoward did happen to Miss O'Dell. She has a rather
powerful family on the station. Her parents are major investors. Now I
understand why they asked about her the last time I talked with them.”
    “Oh?” Nelson asked, looking up. He
glanced at his boss. His boss had been so self assured that the woman wouldn't
be missed. That she was a nonentity. Now he worried that something would come
up.
    “Um, sir, O'Dell won't