Red Angel: Book II: Raiders (Red Angel Series 2) Read online

  "Hi, Kris, Anna," Gannon said hesitantly. He was still an outsider and rightly concerned about calling commanders by their first names. "I checked out Master Puzzles for you. The office in Truth Star did publish the puzzle you sent us and the solution was, The stallion named Mercury was a midnight black. Does that help?"

  "Thanks, Rich. I'm not sure."

  Kris shrugged and looked to me. "It certainly would have been better if it had gone to an individual or merchant."

  "We did some more checking when we discovered that a similar message from Holy Star went to Master Puzzles on Fire Rock," Adrian said. "They have three offices: one on Fire Rock, one on Sutan, and one on Truth Star. Each office covers a district of five planets. They publish a monthly magazine with fifty puzzles. The Checky Fools have been instrumental in their success. They started submitting monthly puzzles several years ago and pay a hundred credits each to the first five people who submit the correct answer on each planet. That has boosted Master Puzzles’ sales by several hundred percent."

  "That would be expensive, since I imagine they have to submit a puzzle every month whether it has content or not. That's more than seven thousand credits a month." Kris gave a short whistle.

  "Also makes it hard to decode, since you never know which has content and which doesn’t. So the people buying the magazine are conditioned to look only for the short message they know is embedded on the page. That would also permit them to communicate regularly if ..." I mused, admiring the genius behind the system. "I wonder if they send each other separate puzzle messages."

  "That would be clever and look like business men exchanging ideas—or fellow puzzle enthusiasts." Adrian's voice rose with excitement. "If they did and we could find those messages, we would have a major breakthrough."

  "First we need to break the code." Kris laughed.

  Just then Stauffer appeared.

  "Welcome back. You two had us worried. Judging by the reports I've received, it's a miracle you weren't wounded or killed." He was silent as he looked Kris and I over as if to verify we weren't injured. "Admiral Rawls wants to see us in her conference room—now." His eyebrows rose and he grinned.

  When we arrived, Rawls was already seated and drinking a cup of coffee.

  "Help yourself to something to drink and a snack if you want. We may be here a while. Lieutenant Gannon, you might want to reconsider spending time with this team. They have a tendency to upset some very dangerous people, which explains their impressive collection of Purple Hearts." She shook her head slightly and I could feel her frustration. "You've been out of touch for five days and everyone wants an update, so update me." She relaxed back in her chair with her cup.

  Adrian nodded to Kris.

  "On Eastar we ..." Kris went on between interruptions to explain Atwood’s confession, what we found, McCure's arrest, the attack, and what Gannon had found about Master Puzzles. "Anna thinks the Controllers may be communicating among themselves via puzzles."

  "I can understand why the raiders want you retired. You people are scary. I'm going to get you each assigned personal security and UAS authorization to carry a weapon anywhere. What next?"

  "We haven't had time to discuss our findings among ourselves yet, but I think we’re going to want to check the message traffic between planets where we know Controllers were operating. We think there are three." Adrian looked to Kris and me.

  We each nodded.

  "Which might mean there are three enemy cruisers in UAS space. Oh, Admiral Webb is going to be furious—when he calms down." Rawls snorted. "I'll hold the Vulcan, Lapis, and Cabiri for whenever you’re ready. Stay seated." She rose and left the room.

  "I'll let you determine your own work schedule, but try and get some rest and relaxation. The space gods know you deserve it." Stauffer turned to Pannell, who was sitting off to the side. "Major Pannell?"

  "I've talked with Admiral Rawls. She's going to get me a permanent squad of marines to provide twenty-four-seven security for each member of the team."

  Kris laughed, which drew attention to her and her cheeks blushed. "That's not going to help my search for a husband ... on the other hand, it'll keep me alive, along with the hope that I'll eventually find one."

  We left the room smiling. Back in our area, we went directly to our conference room.

  Adrian was first to speak. "If it's possible to be too good, I think we have, for better or worse, achieved that distinction. The admiralty's expecting us to catch them and their cruisers forthwith, and the raiders have us on their most wanted list. And that could make us attractive to some of our less honorable get-rich-quick cruiser mates." Adrian looked around the table, settling on Gannon. I noticed Pannell nod almost imperceptibly. "Rich, I agree with Admiral Rawls. You may want to reconsider your assignment with us."

  "I chose the NIA to catch bad guys. I admit I didn't expect to be on anyone's hit list, but I like what you’re doing and think it's worth the risk, so I'll stay as long as you want me."

  "Good. I suggest we meet every other day at ten hundred hours for a quick update. Rich, I'll help you get acquainted with our equipment if you aren't already and get you settled."

  "I suggest we meet at some firing range instead of the conference room," Kris said, surprising me. "I love having marines shadowing me, but Anna has convinced me we should be ready to help if necessary."

  Pannell nodded. "Normally, I discourage navy personnel from trying to help us, only because you’re not trained and could hinder more than you would help. But if you’re willing to practice regularly with the marines, I welcome the backup."

  "Kris wants to meet at a firing range, so we will." Adrian tried to look serious but had to laugh when we did.

  "One for all ... " I began, and everyone finished with, "and all for one."

  "I'll arrange for something and let you know where," Adrian said as we began to leave.

  Pannell joined me with two marines tailing. "Where are we off to?" he asked.

  "My skimmer. I've room for you three, if you want. I'm going home."

  "If you don't mind, I would like to accompany you, as I believe you're the one at the most risk, because of Red. I'll have to arrange for transportation and prepare schedules for my team, but I can do that from your house."

  "I don't mind, and I know Mother won't either. In fact, I'll wager she would like to meet you." The conversation on the way home was mostly about my skimmer and living accommodations.

  * * *

  Alexa was not only home, but met us at the door. "Welcome home, my daughter." She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry Major, a mother needs the reassurance a hug gives that her daughter is alive—especially after hearing there was another attempt on her life."

  "Mother, this is Major Pannell. He's providing the team's security for the foreseeable future. Major Pannell, my mother Magistrate Bellona, who is a retired naval captain." I used her captain rank rather than her retired commodore rank, as I knew she was more proud of having captained a cruiser.

  "Alexa, please. Come in, Major. I'm sure you've lots of questions." She looked to the two marines, but Pannell shook his head.

  "Take a walk around and acquaint yourself with the grounds, Corporal." He turned back to Alexa. "Paul, please. Not so many questions as rules for your daughter." He smiled at my open mouthed stare.

  Alexa showed Pannell our panic room and gave him a tour of the house. The rules came down to ensuring I understood I was to go nowhere without two guards in tow and to keep them informed of any travel plans.

  "Paul, you’ve made this mother feel a lot better. Anna is not only at greater risk because of Red, but she takes too many chances. As a mother, I would like to lock her away safe, but as an ex-captain, I know that would destroy her. Knowing she's added security is a tremendous relief."

  "You're right, Anna is an exciting person to be around." To my embarrassment, he went on to explain the attack at NTI.

  "I like him," Alexa said when he had left to see to organizing his ne
w team. "He's not afraid to give credit to others even when it doesn't reflect well on him. That's a man I can trust. And after Stone Ring he has as many Purple Hearts as you do." She laughed, linked arms with me, and marched me upstairs to get ready for dinner.

  * * *

  After dinner I didn't feel like being alone, so I curled up at one end of the couch while Alexa sat at the other. I didn't want to talk, just have Alexa in sight—for her sake as much as mine. I felt like I had caused her a lot of strain lately. I knew I was right when I felt her contentment.

  After opening my tablet, I checked for messages and found none, so one by one I clicked on the various puzzle messages from Stone Ring, Holy Star, and Eastar. For the next two hours I tried to determine how they were the same or different, and I concluded they were different yet similar—each a double spaced page full of what looked like random words, letters, and numbers. Even Red lost interest after about an hour.

  When I put down my tablet in frustration, Alexa spoke.

  "Red seems bored." She shook her head. "Now you have me convinced his actions aren't arbitrary. Why would he lay on your head when you're reading and why does he leave that spot when you're frustrated?"

  "Or when he's frustrated because I can't figure out something he already has." We both started laughing.

  "I'm glad you're home," she whispered.

  "So am I. There's no place I would rather be."

  * * *

  The next several weeks were glorious—or horribly frustrating, depending on the time of day.

  Dinner with Alexa and the hours afterward were wonderful. During meals we caught up on the day’s activities, and in the evening Alexa talked about her early days on various cruisers. I got a rare insight into my mother's early life from junior lieutenant to captain and got to hear firsthand about the life of a combat officer on a war cruiser. I felt warm and safe.

  But in my home office, each day trying to break the raiders’ code was maddening. By the time the team met at the firing range for our first conference meeting, we had each deciphered the prize winning messages:

  From Eastar: The stallion named Mercury was midnight black.

  From Stone Ring: The rain in the hills caused mudslides.

  From Holy Star: Jack had a dog who barked at everyone.

  That had been our only success. By our fourth meeting, we were all frustrated.

  "Well, if you’re right, Anna, then I understand why the raiders aren't worried about someone stumbling on their larger message. The four of us haven't managed to find even one random word in that mess of characters," Adrian said after no one had anything to report.

  "I would like something to compare the puzzles that we—I—suspect contain a second message to the ones that are unlikely to contain a message. If we had a couple of back issues of the past several months’ puzzle magazines, it might help," I said, as frustrated as everyone else but positive the puzzle messages had a second and maybe third message embedded in the seemingly random characters.

  "Anna, I know you're sure the puzzles are the keys, and I don't doubt you, but what if we split up and some of us look at the messages we marked as potentially suspicious? Just in case the puzzles don’t contain hidden messages or there’s other communication going on that contains the key to the puzzle messages?" Adrian looked around the table at each of us.

  "I think that’s a reasonable strategy," Kris said, nodding.

  I couldn't help a flash of betrayal and felt like screaming, I'm right, and it took a minute to dampen the anger, the hurt. "I would like to continue on the puzzle messages," I said, almost in tears.

  "Anna, Adrian's right. We need to explore every possible lead. You and I will stay on the puzzle messages while the men check out the others," Kris said.

  I almost cried with relief. "Sorry." I felt like a little girl who had been sulking. Adrian was right. I could be wrong and wasting the team's time.

  "Anna, it doesn't matter whether you're right or wrong. You want to continue on the puzzle messages, so the team will continue working the puzzle messages. But we can't ignore other possible leads," Adrian said. "I'll request the last six months’ back issues of Master Puzzles publications. I'm confident that if another coded message exists in the puzzle, you and Kris will find it. Just don't gloat too much when you do."

  As I prepared to leave, Rich came over to where I was sitting. "Anna, Adrian asked if you would help me with one of the deciphering programs. It keeps generating a set of numbers and symbols for each of the three puzzle messages, but they make no sense."

  "Sure, why don't you show me the software you're running, what you input, and the output."

  I followed him upstairs to where the NIA machines were kept and watched as he selected the deciphering software and input each of the puzzle messages. Each time, the program ran for more than ten minutes and produced what looked like garbage: sixteen to nineteen numbers and symbols that resembled what early comic strip writers used to designate curse words. Specifically, from Eastar: 9*151(3#44$20)5*1h, from Stone Ring: 6*24/5(23)34/4*3z, and from Holy Star: 11*215%1&32#39%5*8w.

  "As far as I can see, Rich, you did everything right, but the result does appear to be random garbage. Let me think about it. Maybe I can figure out what we’re doing wrong. It would be nice if the program would have told us what it thought it found." I laughed.

  * * *

  Our next conference meeting was at the range again. Kris was making good progress.

  Adrian gave Kris and I each a chip with Master Puzzle's back issues for the past nine months. "I hope this helps. I'm willing to admit the raiders are smarter than me if there is a hidden message in those puzzles." He shook his head in obvious frustration. "Oh, did you work out what Rich did wrong?"

  "Nothing, as far as I can determine. Maybe that old saying applies: garbage in, garbage out." I shrugged. Or maybe that machine's software is like Red, I mused—knows the answer but can't or won't communicate with humans. I laughed. "Or maybe we're too stupid to see the answer."

  On the way home, I couldn't help but feel there was something strange about the fact the software spat out a string of numbers and symbols for each puzzle. While trying to figure it out, I almost caused an accident by drifting into another flight lane. After that, I forced myself to concentrate on flying and even canceled the music I had playing. I had enough people trying to kill me without my help.

  "Sorry," I said to the two marines, who had followed me in another skimmer. "I let work distract me. It won't happen again."

  "We thought maybe you had fallen asleep," the marine sergeant said, smiling. "We were in the process of calling you when you pulled back into your lane."

  Alexa hadn't arrived home yet, so I went directly to my office and brought up the three strings of numbers and symbols the X25 decipher program had generated. The X series of decipher programs had been developed to examine random appearing text, which the puzzle messages certainly qualified. Only the X25 program had generated anything, but why? I sat there pondering the problem until I heard Alexa entering the house.

  I had a quick wash, changed into a dress, and went downstairs, ready for dinner. When you fly, fly, and when you eat, eat, I chided myself, not wanting to spoil my time with Alexa by being distracted. Life was too short, and there were people out there trying to shorten it even more.

  "Hello, Mother," I said and gave her a hug before sitting down.

  "You look tired," Alexa said. "Hard day?"

  "The raiders are proving very innovative. They’ve let us find a box that contains a secret message, but we can't figure out how to open the box."

  "Sort of like catching someone you know committed a criminal act but being unable to prove it." Alexa said as if remembering a specific case.

  "Yes, and the longer it takes, the more lives will be lost and impacted."

  "And that's what pressures you to rush," Alexa said, and I could feel her sympathy. "I understand. It's the same in war, the tendency to rush to engage the enemy, but that
can be a mistake. Look at Captain Sharat. She almost got five-hundred crewmembers killed in her rush to engage the smugglers."

  "You're right, Mother. If it hadn’t been for Captains MacLin, Thayer, and Hardgrave's intervention, the smugglers organization might never have been stopped." And Kris and I would be dead, I mused—and felt a flash of fear from Alexa as she had a similar thought. We both stood and embraced. "I'll be careful, Mother."

  * * *

  I spent the next several hours in the living room with Alexa, listening to music and talking about Lieutenant Gannon and Major Pannell. When Alexa retired, I decided to do the same, but those X25 strings drew me like a siren to my office, where I sat staring at them for a long time.

  On a whim, I loaded the nine back issues of the Checky Fools' puzzles into the X25 program. The result was the same—except those resulting strings contained no asterisks. But the three messages from puzzles I suspected as valid did contain asterisks—and precisely in the same positions.

  "Got it!" I shouted, and then put my hand over my mouth, hoping I hadn't woken Alexa.

  But I had. A minute later she entered my office smiling.

  "Sorry, Mother."

  "Seeing that smile is worth it," she said, walking over to the desk.

  I removed some of the garbage and held up the result. "Very clever. Now I'm off to bed."

  She gave me a kiss on the forehead and left.

  I immediately sent the team a message.

  To: Lieutenant Commander Shrader, Lieutenant Commander Sinclair, Lieutenant Gannon

  Can we meet at the office tomorrow? Gannon has proof the puzzles do contain hidden messages.

  From: Lieutenant Commander Paulus

  I hit send. "Space doss!" I mumbled and banged my head on the desk several times after looking at the clock. It was after two in the morning. Feeling terrible, I went to bed.

  When I awoke, my tablet had a message from Adrian.

  To: Lieutenant Commander Paulus