The Red Admiral Page 6

  Martz, on the other hand, had attended the Navy Academy and graduated in the top one percent of her class before being assigned Bridge duty. She had rotated through all the positions and was made captain well ahead of her peers. She was in her late forties and had been a captain for over ten years. She had never been married, saying it wouldn't be fair on any children.

  "It's interesting," Martz said as we sat with our after-dinner drinks. "You're the most talked-about officer in the navy…no, make that the military, yet you are the least known. Most of the tales come from people who never met you but heard it from someone who also never knew you." She laughed.

  "My parents died of the Coaca Virus. I caught it too…" I went on to explain about Red finding me and my early years. I also talked about the hijacking and marines-for-hire cases since they were recent and of special interest to everyone present.

  "That explains the problem. NIA doesn't publicize its cases or its people's involvement; therefore, people have to speculate based on hearsay. The hijackers are a good example. The vids had plenty about the navy's involvement but nothing about NIA. They made it sound like we magically found and destroyed them."

  * * *

  The next day Martz invited me to her staff meeting, introduced me, and made it clear I was welcome on the Bridge. Colonel Russo also invited me to a meeting of his senior people and made it sound like I was General Guzman's friend and was welcome in the marine area.

  "I'm not sure what your duties are on this trip, but I thought it was better than you sitting with nothing to do on Eastar," I said as I met with Banner and Stamm the next day over breakfast in my private dining room.

  "Run interference, errands, and anything else you need done, ma'am," Stamm said, smiling. "Sailing with an admiral is a treat. A heavy cruiser and a suite of rooms."

  "As this is a working trip, I think you'll find things for us to do," Banner said as he sat a cup of coffee down in front of me.

  "Our first stop is Stone Ring. Commander Sinclair is the NIA chief and a person I consider my adopted older sister. We were teammates on the Smugglers and Raiders projects. At each station I'm going to need an appointment with the police commissioner." I went on to explain I hoped they would cooperate without having to use my P1A authority. "That part of my visit isn't to go further than the NIA chiefs."

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Star System: Stone Ring – Adopted Sister

  When I departed the Taranis, Chris was waiting with a warm smile. As I approached her expecting a hug, she straightened to attention and raised her hand in a salute which she held, waiting. I was so shocked, I didn't immediately return her salute. When I did, she completed the salute, raced toward me, and grabbed me in a hug, which I melted into. I loved Chris like a blood sister.

  She held me at arm's length. "My little sister an admiral. It's ironic. I remember saying I thought Adrian would make admiral and drag you and me to commodore, and here it's my little sister who made admiral." She hugged me again, ignoring Red, who lay on my shoulder. "It's great to see you and Red. I recognize Paul, but who are the others?"

  "Lieutenant Banner, my aide-de-camp, and Master Chief Stamm, my mentor," I said, nodding to each. "Men, this is my best friend and adopted big sister who looked after a very naive juvenile's first several years in the navy."

  "Ma'am, you did a great job," Stamm said, giving Chris a salute.

  "Ma'am, I'm here to learn from her," Banner said, also giving Chris a salute.

  "I can tell you her secret." Chris smiled at me. "She doesn't care about rank. She would be much happier as a Lieutenant Commander, but the NIA needs her as an admiral." She linked her arm in mine. "Come, let's go to the NIA office and you can tell me the real reason you're here."

  * * *

  "You think it's a UAS issue, not just an Eastar problem?" Chris asked after I had explained Susan Guzman's disappearance and the results of our investigation. "And you'd like to talk to the Stone Ring police commissioner."

  "I don't have enough information at the moment to know, but it might be. The profile makes it feel like someone was recruiting women, except they go missing without a trace. In any case, it's a good excuse to visit my big sister and to see if I can resolve the issue one way or the other."

  Chris arranged for a meeting with the police commissioner for the next day, then gave me a tour of the Stone Ring operation ending with a meeting of her entire staff. Each person gave me a short biography and then briefed me on what they were currently working on. I, in turn, talked about Red and recounted a few instances when Chris had been Red's nanny. It was a fun day. That night I got to meet Chris's fiancé.

  "Well, I finally found the father of my future children," Chris said when a tall man with curly, sandy-colored hair covering his ears and a round, pleasant face entered later that evening. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, a few pounds overweight, but fit. "Anna, meet Nick," Chris said as Nick stuck out his hand.

  "I'm delighted to meet you, Anna. Chris talks about you and her experiences all the time. Sounded like exciting times."

  "Nice to meet you, Nick. The history version is exciting, but it ignores the adrenaline-pumping, heart-pounding panic during the events," I said.

  "Anna's talking about my heart, not hers. She's a deadly shot and cool under fire," Chris said, giving me a hug. "We haven't set a date yet, but you're my bridesmaid, so be careful."

  "Oh, your promotion party was terrific. When Chris found out you were promoted to admiral, she threw a party for you. It included our friends and the NIA office staff. We videotaped it for you, since you couldn't be there," Nick said and gave me a warm smile. We spent the next several hours watching the tape, and the two gave me a running commentary on who was who.

  After Nick left, we talked well into the night, and afterward she insisted I share her bed.

  "We'll fight the nightmares together, Anna," she said, pulling me into her room. I didn't argue. I could manage the days, but the nights were difficult. Pills helped me to sleep but didn't stop the nightmares.

  * * *

  "Commander Sinclair told me you were an admiral," Commissioner Fisher said, looking at me with a critical glare. I had dressed in civilian clothes since it wasn't officially a naval issue.

  "I didn't want to confuse my visit as having anything to do with the defense department. Missing persons is rightly a civil matter for the police."

  "Then why are you here?" His face contained a hint of anger and his voice was just short of a growl.

  "My involvement started because a marine's daughter went missing…" I went through the events slowly and in detail. "Police Commissioner Kinard agreed that what we discovered on Eastar appears to be a case of organized kidnapping. What I'm trying to determine is whether it's strictly an Eastar problem or prevalent on other UAS systems."

  "What's the difference? It's still a local police matter." He leaned forward, preparing to defend his domain's authority.

  "Yes and no—"

  His fist slammed down on his desk, causing a stack of folders to tip, and several slid off the desk and scattered across the floor. His flare of anger seemed to make him even madder, and he stood with his fists on the desk leaning toward me.

  "Yes, it's your responsibility to investigate the issue of the missing women on Stone Ring. I'm not asking to investigate those cases. Like on Eastar, I'm sure your people have thoroughly investigated each one. I'm asking to see whether it's possible some of your missing persons are women who meet specific criteria we identified on Eastar and could potentially be part of an organized criminal group acting across the UAS. If that is true, you have no authority to pursue the issue. But I would think you would be interested in knowing whether you have a similar problem or one that is much broader in scope," I said, ignoring him standing with his fists on his desk and glaring down at me.

  "Who the hell do you think you are poking your nose into police business? I don't give a shit if you are an admiral or not. You have no authority here." His face was fl
ushed red.

  "I gather that means your image is more important than your responsibility to protect the citizens of Stone Ring," I said as Red made his grand entrance and wrapped around my neck with his head facing the chief. Fisher stood frowning at me for a long time. Then he sat.

  "You’re the NIA agent who was responsible for catching those rogue marines. Don't remember anyone mentioning your name, but I do remember them mentioning a red-headed snake," Fisher said. "What do you want?"

  "Just to examine your missing persons over the last five years. I'm looking for women who went missing without a trace and fit a specific profile." I went on to describe the common factors.

  "How many do you expect to find?" Fisher asked, looking deep in thought. "Those aren't normally the ones that go missing."

  "I hope I find none, which would mean it is a problem unique to Eastar. Otherwise, none four to five years ago, maybe one or two three years ago, two or three last year, and maybe one or two this year."

  Fisher tapped on his tablet. "Marie, tell Detective Tyler I want to see him." He gave me a long, considering look. "Sorry, NIA worked well with us on the marine problem. I just get so tired of civilians thinking we don't know what we are doing and feel they have the right to review our case files." He stopped when there was a knock at the door. "Come."

  A short, overweight man who looked to be in his fifties, with thinning hair and a sagging face, entered. "Yes, sir. Marie said you wanted to see me."

  "Gerry, this is…Anna Paulus. I want you to help her review our missing persons cases for the past five years. She's looking to identify missing women who meet specific criteria." He looked to me.

  "Yes, sir. I'll report back to you with what we find and my conclusions," I said to assure him I had no secret agenda.

  * * *

  For two full days, Gerry, Chris, and I went through the one hundred sixty-three missing persons case files. We identified four cases: one three years ago, two last year, and one this year. At the end of the second day, I reported our findings to the commissioner.

  "That's interesting. I wouldn't have thought we would have had more than one isolated case fitting those specific conditions." Fisher paused to look at the four case files. "What conclusion have you come to?"

  "Like on Eastar, your detectives conducted a thorough investigation of each case. But it appears that whatever is happening is not isolated to Eastar, and I doubt to Stone Ring either. Whether it's attributable to organized crime or not is yet to be determined. But in any case, I will keep you informed as to what I find."

  I left on good terms with Commissioner Fisher and was pleased I didn't have to use my P1A authority.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Star System: Sudan - Games

  We arrived on Sudan two days later and were met by a young lieutenant who escorted us to the NIA offices.

  "Ma'am, Commander Steward ask me to take you to the conference room and get you anything you wanted to drink. When the lieutenant opened the door, the room was full. Banner stepped in and shouted Attention. Chairs shot backward as people shot up and braced to attention. Scanning the room, I noticed that Commander Steward wasn't present.

  "Maybe Commander Steward is in Rejuv," Stamm said loud enough to be heard by everyone. The quiet in the room resembled a morgue.

  The young lieutenant broke the silence. "Admiral, the commander said he had some urgent business to attend to," he said in a rush. His voice sounded nervous and two octaves higher than normal.

  "Your name, lieutenant?" I asked while I considered the situation. Commander Steward was one of my station commanders that I thought was playing games with me or was just incompetent. The problem was what I should do about his breach of manners. I couldn't have him up on charges, because he would have some excuse why he had to be late. It was a clever tactic, because everyone would know his intent was a deliberate insult. And he probably would enjoy me reprimanding him in public, thinking he could make me look childish—he would make my age, size, and gender work to his advantage with subtle inferences that conveniently didn't constitute insubordination or unbecoming conduct.

  "Hines, ma'am." His voice squeaked. I couldn't blame him. He was the messenger and the most likely to catch all the grief due his commander.

  "Lieutenant Hines, you can tell Commander Steward his attendance isn't required. He's excused from this meeting to conclude his urgent business. I'll meet with him tomorrow morning at eight hundred hours in his office." I paused to look around the room. "Oh, Lieutenant, tell Commander Steward those are not suggestions. Those are orders." After Hines dashed out of the room, I looked around at everyone still braced to attention, their eyes staring straight ahead. "I apologize. At ease and sit. Who is the senior officer present?"

  "I am ma'am," a sturdy middle-aged woman said as she rose. She had a matronly figure, ear-length auburn hair, and a round face that looked nervous but eager. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Alston."

  "Thanks to the commander's urgent business, you have become the Sudan NIA Station Chief for the day. I'd like to know everything there is to know about the Sudan NIA Station—its people, projects, challenges, and real or potential problems. No fluff, please." I waved for her to take the vacant seat at the head of the table while I took hers.

  It was an interesting six hours and didn't break up until eight in the evening, largely because I asked lots of questions. Afterward, I treated everyone to a dinner at a local restaurant where I discussed Red and the marines-for-hire project, which had involved each of the systems.

  "Lieutenant Banner, work with Commander Alston to get me an appointment with whoever is in charge of the Sudan police. Keep the reason vague but related to Eastar and Stone Ring."

  * * *

  "I don't appreciate being treated like a lieutenant, Paulus," Steward said as I entered his office. Pannell entered with me.

  "That's Admiral Paulus or ma'am, Commander Steward. The question is whether you are stupid or incompetent, because even a dim-witted lieutenant knows enough not to pick a fight with an admiral. It's a fight you can't win even if you're right," I said as I sat in one of the two chairs in front of his desk. "I don't care whether you like me or not. Neither case would affect my evaluation of you. All I care about is how well you carry out your assigned position."

  "I've always gotten excellent reviews from Commander Wright. And although I was the most qualified for the Eastar NIA station chief position, you picked Damon, who is my junior in rank and has less time in service. It demonstrates your prejudice against men and you ignored time-in-grade, probably because you never earned your promotions the way the rest of us did," he said in an angry rush. That caused Pannell to move away from the wall he had been leaning against. I shook my head at him.

  "Even if that were true, I'm an admiral and you're a commander." I paused, pursing my lips in thought. "I'll tell you what I'll do, Commander. Explain to Colonel Pannell your urgent business yesterday and if he feels that justified you canceling a meeting with an admiral who also happens to be your boss, I'll make a public apology to your staff. If not, we should discuss your retirement plans."

  * * *

  "Ma'am, you have an appointment with the Sudan Police Commissioner this afternoon at thirteen hundred hours," Alston said when I left Steward's office.

  "Thank you, Commander. I'm appointing you acting Sudan NIA Station Chief. Commander Steward has decided to retire, and I've reluctantly accepted his retirement request," I said, not interested in belittling the man. We'll meet tomorrow to discuss what I'd like you to do while I consider a replacement."

  "Yes, ma'am." Alston saluted and left, her steps bouncing a little as she walked.

  "Ma'am, thank you for taking me along. This is the reason I wanted to be an aide-de-camp to you. Watching you work is amazing. I thought Steward had set you up perfectly and you turned the tables on him," Banner said, excited.

  "Our priorities were different. His priority was his image while mine was work. My goal was to understand the operati
on of the Sudan NIA station. I didn't need Steward at the meeting to do that. His people are the best indicator of how well the site is functioning, not Steward. In fact, the meeting went much better without him there posturing."

  "You made a good choice, Lieutenant. This is the best assignment I've had in the navy. Admiral Paulus is young and petite but five steps ahead of everyone. Can you just picture it? The Commander getting ready to enter the meeting late, letting everyone know he's in charge, not the young girl impersonating an admiral, then being told he's not needed and where and when to be ready for his interview. That had to be worse than the Hindenburg disaster." Stamm let out a small chuckle.

  * * *

  "Commander Alston led me to believe you were an admiral," LaPlante said, frowning at me from behind his sturdy oak desk. He looked in excellent condition for his seventy-plus years. His brown hair, thick although receding a bit at the temples. He looked soft but had no extra weight, and his face was smooth and relatively free of the normal signs of aging. Part of his confusion, besides my age, was that I had dressed in a blue pantsuit rather than a navy uniform.

  "This isn't navy business and I didn't want to imply it was." I held up a hand to preclude him from asking the obvious question. "It started with a missing daughter of a marine officer…" I went on to explain what we found on Eastar and Stone Ring.

  "Interesting. You aren't interested in reviewing our case files but in determining whether Sudan has similar missing women." He paused to take a sip of his coffee while looking off into space. "Quite frankly, I'm interested too. If we do, it's likely kidnapping, a UAS problem, and the women are no longer on the planet where they went missing," he said, as if thinking aloud. I thought he was right on all counts. He was very cooperative, and a day and a half later we had identified four women who met the profile: one three years before, two last year, and one only a few weeks before.