Jethro: First to Fight by Chris Hechtl Page B

give us anything
else until he speaks directly with his sister.”
    The governor scowled. “So he's useless
to us now.”
    “It would appear so,” Nelson replied,
nodding.
    Enrique heard that and winced. The way they
spoke of Nancy told him whatever had happened to the girl it had been final.
Quit? No, more likely terminated in the most literal meaning of the word. He
closed his eyes for a brief moment. “I know I'm not going to want to know the
answer, but for the record, what did happen to the young woman? Exactly?”
    “None of your concern. She is no longer
here,” the governor ground out.
    “Not here. Great. And when her family,
her sibling start asking more pointed questions? When they oh, I don't know,
hire an investigator or request an investigation into her disappearance? She
hasn't turned up in a month, she rather disappeared suddenly. You see where I'm
going with this? When someone like Knox news gets a hold of this, it could be a
career ender.”
    “Not my problem. She quit, end of story.
Once she quit she wasn't my responsibility,” the governor replied with a shrug.
Enrique studied him. He could tell the man was lying through his teeth. There
was just a hint there, a smug sense in the man's eyes. But now that people were
asking questions, something else. The governor steepled his fingers together
and ignored the inquiring look of the Lieutenant governor.
    “So, all the reports are true. Irons
managed to beat Felicia's carefully laid traps and did the impossible, survived.
And he's shipped off for parts unknown.”
    Nelson bobbed a nod. “Yes sir. Last
known location was Triang boarding the large bulk freighter Kiev 221 headed to
Antigua.”
    The governor was sorely tempted to
dispatch Miss Persephone and her team after Irons. But they had no way of
knowing where he went from Antigua! He could have stayed on the ship, he could
have gotten off, he could have boarded another. Hell! He could have found
another ship in Triang before Kiev 221 jumped! It was so frustrating, not knowing.
And with each passing day the variables multiplied.
    He was under tremendous pressure from
the industrialists to get Irons back. The various colony leaders as well, even
Vesta. A day doesn't go by when his office wasn't beset with a call in by a
lobbyist, and when Destiny had returned he had been barraged with calls.
    “We need to do something, I'm under a
lot of pressure from supporters to get the navy to heel. We need the navy's
resources, need them badly.”
    “Sir, they are one of the few bright
marks in the economy. If we get into a tangled mess with them, or mess that
up...” Nelson warned.
    “Then we'd better not then!” Walker
growled. “Long, we need to do this in such a way to get people on our side for
a change. I've got an idea on how to go about that, but we're going to need
some help.”
    “Tell me what you need,” Long said,
nodding reluctantly. He wasn't sure how far he was willing to stretch his neck
out again though.
    “Okay, we're going to need that shuttle,
the one on Vesta. The one you know about.”
    “The military one?” Long asked. “What do
you want with that thing? It's a death trap! I'm surprised the navy didn't come
by and pick it up?”
    “They can't, people have been using it.
It's salvage. They found it adrift and abandoned. When I heard about that, I
got this new idea. I've turned it over a few times, I think we can pull it off
Gerald. If we get all the pieces moving at the right time, and in the right
direction.”
    “Okay...” Long replied cautiously.
    “And the best thing?” Walker said,
smiling a feral smile. “Pulling this one over on Logan should make him come
begging to us for support. He'll be playing in our arena then,” he chuckled.
     

Chapter 4
     
    Ensign Valenko recovered slowly after another
round of skin grafts and fur regeneration. The skin itched constantly. He was
been threatened by the doctors that they will sedate him or put his hand paws
in casts if he