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“He claims he has nothing left for you either.” Kila conceded grudgingly. “I have no reason to believe otherwise.”
Lidon had the sudden insight Kila wished he could find a valid reason to fight. Was it because Lidon had known Piras first and they’d almost clanned?
Whatever Kila held against him, valid or not, Lidon would have welcomed the opportunity to test himself against the man. Win or lose, fighting Kila would have been a brutally delightful contest. Lidon’s warrior nature shouted for the opportunity. Since Nobeks often fought for the sheer fun of it, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Except it would upset Piras. Probably everyone else as well, but Piras would certainly see their rivalry as having to do with him. On Kila’s end, it would be true, and who knew what bad feelings between him and Piras would erupt in the wake of such a contest?
Once again, the startling need to protect his ex-would-be Dramok was fiercer than the call of the beast. Piras had found the clanmate best suited for him. Lidon had to do what was in his power to keep their relationship intact.
“Piras is your clanmate and job now, Kila. I guarded him on orders. He was my assignment, no more.”
Kila stepped close, his hectic smile transforming to a snarl. “I’ll let this one time go. But mark my words: I won’t accept you as his bodyguard again. If you’re ordered to do so in the future, refuse it, or I’ll make you wish you had.”
Kila left the balcony. Lidon allowed himself the smallest of sighs. Such a shame. They could have had an incredible fight, resulting in scars worth boasting about for decades.
* * * *
Earth II
Kuran monitored Michael Adams watching one of the campaign rally’s would-be attackers as the perp was escorted by a guard from the security division’s interrogation room. Adams’ expression was as stoic as any Nobek trained to hide his true feelings until the door shut and he was left alone.
Only then did Kuran’s replacement scowl. “Asshole,” he muttered as he stood, low enough so Kuran understood he hadn’t wanted to be heard speaking in an unprofessional manner. The audio from the room’s monitor, piped in to the observation space where the Nobek watched on close-circuit vid, brought Adams’ voice in loud and clear.
Seconds later, Adams entered the observation room. “Same tap dance from the whole gang. The governor and her followers are leading Earth in the wrong direction, the explosives were meant to just scare her from running for another term because God will take care of her whoring ways, they cooked this plot up themselves, etcetera, etcetera.”
“You caught them before they could do any harm,” Kuran said.
“Yeah, and we’ll take them out of circulation for a while, at least on a weapons charge, which they’ve said they’ll plead guilty for. They’ll fight the conspiracy charge, so it’ll go to trial. Either way, we have our planet’s first prison inmates. What a stellar accomplishment for Earth and humankind.” Adams stood, hands on his hips, his gaze trained on the gray-carpeted floor. He looked utterly disgusted.
“You did well, Chief Adams. Everything was by the book, no mistakes. More importantly, no injuries or deaths.”
“By the book.” Adams rolled his eyes up to regard Kuran. “Have you ever just wanted to give bastards like those a good slap-around?”
If you only knew what I’ve done to such people.“Something’s bothering you beyond the attack.”
“I don’t think they acted on their own. If you ask me, someone brought them together and gave them their marching orders. The story of them initially meeting at a Galactic Council conference, staying in touch when they went home to Mercy, New Bethlehem, and Haven…it’s bullshit, Chief Kuran.”
“I agree. Unfortunately, the group is sticking to their story, and the relevant details support their claim. Since you can’t prove they’re lying, it’ll be up to the prosecutor to investigate and hopefully dig up the evidence she needs to put them away for a long time. You’ll find that’s the biggest headache about this job…letting it go when you know there’s more to the story.”
“Do you have suggestions on how I can do better? Rally security, interrogation, the rest?”
Kuran shook his head. “I couldn’t have run this show better. You’ve got this job down to a tee, including the urge to slap assholes.”
They shared a chuckle and shook hands on it. Kuran wasn’t surprised to realize he no longer held any reservations about his replacement. Michael Adams would do well as Earth’s chief of on-planet security.
* * * *
“Adams believes as we do…those who smuggled explosives to the rally were brought in by a separate party,” Kuran told Selt later when they met in the outgoing chief’s office. He’d sent two phased spies to accompany Stacy as she greeted her arriving mother and sister at the spaceport.
“Bryant brought in a better grade of insurgents this round. They don’t seem half as inept as the first pair,” Selt fumed.
“We need to keep our list of suspects open. The lieutenant governor is at the top of the list, but your report tells me we should consider Speaker Mitchell as well.”
“They may be working together.” Selt folded his arms over his chest. “Mitchell needs to be taken down sooner than later, simply due to his threats to Matara Nelson. Have you considered my request for us to continue shadowing her around the clock?”
“I have, and I’m clearing it.” Kuran studied Selt. His second was of the same mindset Kuran had found himself a few days after meeting Stacy. “Only because she’s been an excellent source for information on those we want to keep a close eye on. Don’t allow your growing fascination for the reporter blind you to duty.”
Selt stilled, no doubt brought up short for his underlying motives having been discovered. He jerked a nod following a second’s pause. “The urge to protect an intelligent and beautiful woman won’t overcome my good sense. Thank you for not pulling me off the assignment, sir.”
