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Bryant’s expression had smoothed. “Perhaps I do. However, I hope to win the election on the strength of my campaign and message. Thanks to Stacy’s liberal policies and her relationship to a Kalquorian clan, it shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Very commendable of you. I do ask you avoid becoming too arrogant to accept help should public acceptance swing in her direction. There’s no shame in stacking the deck in your favor…for the good of the easily swayed and ill-informed public, of course. It will aid our cause.”
“Of course. Getting Governor Nichols out of the way is merely the first step in righting many wrongs.” Bryant chuckled, and Mitchell joined him.
Kuran imagined his hands around their throats, cutting their humor off. Get Stacy out of the way? It smacked of a threat.
He’d see Bryant dead before he’d let him hurt his Matara.
Chapter Seven
Selt watched as Blythe opened a supposedly inaccessible file. He recorded the code she’d typed in. Where she’d gotten the two pass numbers she used he had yet to discover, but she was delving into old, supposedly unattainable Earth records. Getting those files had stymied the spy division’s attempts for years.
Much of her research concentrated on Earth’s current leadership and those campaigning to join their ranks in the upcoming elections. Despite her contentious meeting with Speaker Cal Mitchell a few days prior, it was clear Blythe had no loyalty to a particular side. She was working all angles on everyone, across a spectrum of humans who ranged from advocating for absolute freedom from prosecution for most crimes, to the repressive Earthtiques who wanted to regulate morality.
She was searching the backgrounds of Stacy Nichols and her assumed opponent for the governorship, Ken Bryant, who had yet to declare. She dictated notes as she scanned the files for any tantalizing nuggets, as well as reminders to follow up on potentially scandalous behavior of other candidates for various offices when she discovered hints of misconduct.
In keeping tabs on Blythe Nelson, Selt had discovered secrets he’d rather have not known. He supposed everyone had their moments of poor judgment they’d prefer no one else learn. His insides squirmed when he thought of being caught stealing sweets from a shop as an adolescent boy and having to concede to the whipping the shopkeeper’s Nobek had given him. Neither law enforcement nor his training camp counselor had been told of the shameful act and punishment. Only he and two other men knew of it. Undoubtedly few would care if they learned of a child’s thievery at this late date. Nonetheless, Selt died a little inside at the idea of his clanmates or parents discovering his petty crime and what it had earned him.
There would be Earthers who cared more than was warranted that Stacy Nichols had been involved in two affairs with Kalquorians prior to her current relationship with Clan Rihep. Sexual freedom was a new concept to most humans. Old habits of viewing women who indulged in casual affairs as sinful whores continued to be the knee-jerk reaction, even among more openminded thinkers. Blythe’s intention to question Stacy about those early affairs could damage the governor’s campaign.
Selt thought Bryant’s marriage to a minor on the original Earth was far worse, but it hadn’t made it on Blythe’s list of queries. She’d noted it in a document listing Bryant’s potential scandals, but like Speaker Mitchell, she showed no inclination to force him to face his misdeeds.
Maybe it was because he was a man. More likely, it was because she was doing Bryant’s bidding and keeping the evil she knew of for later blackmail…or protection.
Blythe’s work demanded she have a protector. It was the one thing Selt was certain of in this crazy kaleidoscope of political intrigue. Blythe was uncovering the worst inclinations of her targets…long-buried secrets someone might think worth killing to keep quiet.
“I’m overly fascinated by you, woman. Overly worried about what will happen when you cross the wrong asshole.” He scowled at the unaware female who scrolled and scrolled to dig up the next detail she could add to her endless lists of others’ wrongdoings. “A better spy would tell Kuran to replace him.”
The thought of a different man watching Blythe’s every move bothered Selt. Because they were supposed to only observe, another spy might fail to step in if Blythe was caught by someone determined to hide his past at all costs.
Selt noticed his hands had curled into fists. He couldn’t leave her unprotected, no matter his orders. He was too invested.
Yet another secret he had to keep to himself.
* * * *
Kalquor
Degorsk smiled encouragingly at a wan Ilid. “You continue to save us, Dramok,” he praised, omitting the young man’s rank in favor of his breed designation. Being called ensign reminded Ilid of the harrowing events on the spyship. He was counting the days to when he’d no longer be a member of the fleet.
Ilid was running. Not physically, but his being was invested in escaping the past that refused to let him go. It wasn’t the best sign, in Degorsk’s experience, though perfectly understandable.
“Can we get this over with?” Ilid asked. “I don’t know why you need to show me any of it in the first place.”
“It’s important for you to understand the ongoing contribution you’re making to help us defend the empire, should the Darks come.” Degorsk waved to Dr. Namro, a brain research specialist, so he’d weigh in before Ilid insisted on leaving.
Namro offered his own consoling smile. “I’ll make this as quick as possible, Dramok. Given your ability to see what no one else seems to, at least no one we’ve been able to study, it’s no surprise to find certain anomalies in the occipital lobe of your brain. This is where you process vision.” He pointed to the rear of the scanned mass on the vid readout hovering next to him. “We found enhanced activity there, as well as in the colliculi of the midbrain, which processes visual signals received from the eyes prior to relaying them to the occipital lobe.”
Ilid’s gaze was dull as he stared at the readout. “What’s it mean?”
“We’re unsure, since you’re our sole test subject at this point. Did you pick up on the Dark entities because of the extra activity in your occipital or colliculi or both? Since we have to base our theories on the conversation you reported hearing, the research team is leaning toward it being the extra sensitivity in the pair. This simultaneous hyperreaction is present in a mere three percent of Kalquorians, whereas enhanced activity in a single lobe affects anywhere from ten to twenty-five percent of the population. The dual hyperreaction’s presence is slightly higher in Earthers whose brains have been studied, around five percent.”
“It means we have a sizable number of people who could potentially detect Darks if they come to Kalquor or Earth,” Degorsk said. “We can hold them off from harming us in such a case.”
“How?” Ilid’s voice cracked, misery flooding his expression. “They slip past containment defenses as if they aren’t there. They aren’t affected by blasters. How the hell can you stop such creatures, no matter how many see them?”
His fingers raked his hair. He yanked at his scalp. Degorsk grabbed his wrists and forced him to stop.
