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“The og’dals I killed.”
Var’Len laughed. “You think too highly of your skills. I couldn’t chance you’d fail to eliminate them so I killed them. You only took the blame.”
She’d been convinced she’d killed them in cold blood.
“I came to this wretched planet to dispose of a few associates who’ve been careless in their acquisitions.”
All at once, the pieces clicked into place. “You’ve been slipping through the defense shield and kidnapping women!”
He slowly clapped both sets of hands, patronizing her. “You’re brighter than most of the females we take. Yes, we’ve been returning to Earth for inventory. When the Coalition left Earth, it choked our supply line.”
“How have you been getting in?”
He smirked. “I won’t give away all my secrets, even to my faithful little soldier.”
She hated how he spoke down to her, but she had to rein in her anger and keep him talking. “Why kill the people who work for you?”
“I’m being paid incredibly well by a consortium of interested parties to ensure the owners of select ships are dealt with before Galactic Intelligence catches them. These owners have been lax in their operations and that endangers all of us. Bu’Tay, Pe’Dez, and others needed to be dealt with, to protect our identities, our clients, and the locations of our routes and markets.”
“How many og’dals are involved?”
“That, you don’t need to know.” He motioned the other og’dal closer. “This is Tur’Hez. He’s been on Earth for nearly two years, coordinating the kidnappings and export of several dozen women, including you. Once we discovered your position in Earth Intelligence and placed the neurosphere in your head, Tur’Hez served as your handler, giving you orders.”
In a gloved hand, Var’Len raised her gun and pointed the weapon at Tur’Hez.
“No!” Maggie shouted, too late as Var’Len fired.
The bullet struck Tur’Hez between his eyes. The og’dal fell straight back, the strange worm tube still in his hand and a shocked expression on his face.
Maggie’s hand went to her side, reaching for the gun that wasn’t there. Her brain raced through all the scenarios for escape. Each ended with her death. Her eyes returned to Var’Len, waiting for an opening.
“Ah, what a shame,” Var’Len said as he callously motioned toward the body. “It appears you’ve killed another og’dal slaver. This time on the roof or your apartment building.”
“GI7 will figure it out.”
Cold dark eyes met hers. “There’s no room for errors in my field. Now they’ll have proof that you killed him and assume you killed the others. You’ll either cooperate with me, or you’ll be arrested for murder and treason.”
“Why kill your partner?”
“Dear human, you don’t understand og’dal businessmen. I liked Tur’Hez, but he allowed your people to remove the neurosphere from your brain.” Var’Len picked up the worm tube and held it up high to peer inside. “I’ll have to finish his task for him. Now, human, let me tell you about your assignment...”
* * *
ZIRKOV
“The male is dead,”Konnitch reported as he left the apartment across from Maggie’s. “Broken neck and no evidence who did it. DAA, Brotherhood, a random robbery gone bad. Could have been anyone.”
Zirkov hated what he was going to ask, but he had to know. “Could Maggie—”
“Doubtful. It takes a lot of power to snap the neck of a male that large. And he’s taller than her. Though she’s a trained marshal, so it’s possible.”
“It’s not Maggie. Forget I asked.”
“You had to. Any marshal would. The DAA will as well. Before you commed me to meet you here, I skimmed the latest evidence they have on her. Besides the footage of her meeting the murdered og’dals, her ID was used to access information on cases not assigned to her. Cases where men of the Brotherhood escaped capture due to leaked information. She looks guilty.”
“We have the neurosphere.”
“Not any longer. There’s no trace of it in the DAA files or their lab. The device, the doctor’s reports, the evidence log sheet… all of it, gone. That’s why I was late meeting you.”
