The Red Admiral Read online

  "Thank you, Commander Taber. I'd like to start at the NIA office, but I need to arrange a meeting with the police commissioner while I'm on Fire Rock. I'd appreciate it if you could help Lieutenant Banner arrange a meeting as soon as possible," I said. Taber had his staff on notice, and after I briefed him on my investigation of the missing women, he called a general meeting of all personnel. It lasted all day and into the early evening. I learned about the station and the people, and they had an opportunity to learn about Red and their new admiral. The meeting with the Police Commissioner was set for the next day.

  * * *

  "I thought Commander Taber said some navy VIP wanted to speak with me about missing persons," Commissioner Higgins said from behind an oversized glass-topped desk, where he sat smoking a cigar. The smell was pungent, and the room was filled with a smoky haze. He sneered while I prepared for what was sure to follow. "You look more like an ensign."

  "Sir, I'm with the Navy Intelligence Agency—"

  "That don't cut no shit with me. Missing persons is a civilian matter and no business of the navy. It involves real detective work and not sneaking around spying on people. Case files are for the police and not for civilians…or wet-nosed ensigns to poke around in."

  "Sir, I don't want to review your missing persons case files, just to determine whether Fire Rock has a specific class of women being targeted—"

  "First, girly, my detectives have thoroughly investigated every missing person's case. They would know if specific women were being targeted. Since they don't, we don't have whatever problem you think the other systems have. Secondly, you aren't qualified to be a detective, and lastly, civilians aren't authorized access to police case files. While you all think you're smarter than us, you're not."

  "Sir, I've worked with the police commissioners on Eastar, Stone Ring, Sudan, Amend, and Oxax. On each system we identified missing women who met a specific profile. I'm trying to see if it's a UAS problem and not a local—"

  "The problem doesn’t exist on Fire Rock, or I would know about it." He stopped to take another puff of his cigar and blew out a cloud of smoke with a satisfying grin. "Tell you what, girly. I don't much like the navy. As far as I'm concerned, they are a bunch of overpaid bus drivers. We'd be better off cutting their budget and giving it to the local police agencies who are actually fighting crime." He gave me a satisfying screw you look. "I'm sure if the UAS committee thought there was a problem, they would appoint one of the systems' police commissioners to investigate. And if the navy were really interested, they wouldn't send some female ensign. You're just seeking fame and glory by trying to make a mountain out of an anthill." He waved for me to leave.

  "I take it you would have no problem cooperating with a person who had UAS authority?" I asked, deciding option one—interest—wasn't working, which meant option two—force—was now on the table.

  He gave me a hard look, then laughed. "When you get UAS approval to mess in police matters, I'll resign." His voice rang with amusement. He was still laughing when I reached his office door, opened it, and waved Colonel Pannell in. He stepped in and closed the door.

  "You bitch. You think some marine is going to intimidate me?" Higgins shouted as he rose from behind his desk with his hand resting on the butt of a multifunctional handgun. His face turned red in twisted rage. I turned and walked back toward Higgins, placing myself between him and Pannell to get his attention and to stop any further knee-jerk reaction.

  "No, the colonel is here to witness your retirement," I said, holding up my P1A authorization.

  Higgins stood wide-eyed, looking at the P1A card, then stumbled backward. "Why didn't you say so?" he asked in a lowered voice.

  "I didn't need to with the other police commissioners. They were interested in knowing whether they had a similar problem as Eastar and concerned that someone might be targeting specific women. Their egos weren't threatened by listening to a suggestion from the NIA," I said, and before he could recover his voice, I continued. "I'm ordering you under P1A authority to direct your lead missing persons detective to cooperate with me in reviewing your last five years of missing persons cases." I locked eyes with him. "And it's not girly. It's UAS Special Agent Paulus, or Admiral Paulus, or ma'am."

  Thirteen hours later, Detective Linus, with help from several others in his department, Banner, and I had identified five missing women who met the profile we had developed.

  "Looks like it started only last year here on Fire Rock," Linus said as we finished reviewing the last case file. "You don't think these women are still on Fire Rock?" he asked.

  "No. None of the twenty-eight women we've identified prior to Fire Rock have been located," I said.

  "Dead?"

  "I don't think so. The narrow criteria would suggest they were selected for a specific reason."

  "Selected for what reason?"

  "That, Detective Linus, is the crucial question."

  * * *

  "Admiral Paulus, there is a message addressed to you from Admiral Lulltrel," the Comm Officer said when I answered the door to my office on board the Taranis. "It didn't say urgent, but I thought any message from a vice admiral was wise to treat as such. It looks like it got scrambled in transmission so I assumed it's in code, which is another good reason to treat it as urgent."

  "Thanks, Commander. A message from your boss is always urgent even when it's not." I grinned. "Send it to my tablet." When he did, I ran Crazy Numbers and smiled at the terse message:

  To: Rear Admiral Paulus

  Director, NIA Stations

  The UAS Committee has decided it's Webb's responsibility since he brought it to their attention. Webb has decided it's an NIA project, since the messenger of the bad news works for me. And rather than shoot the bearer of bad news, I've decided to let her resolve the problem. Give it a project name and keep me informed.

  From: Vice Admiral Lulltrel

  Director, NIA

  I laughed, as it was what I had expected and consistent with what I thought my responsibilities. "Banner, send the following message to Admiral Lulltrel," I said while smiling. "Magic act."

  "Magic act?" Stamm asked while Banner stood frowning in thought.

  "Yes, like where the magician makes his pretty assistant disappear without a trace. And it now our job to make her reappear."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Star System: Oasis – A Reminder

  The trip to Oasis took three and a half days. I wondered at the possible significance of both Oxax and Fire Rock each having a missing woman that met the profile four years ago. So far none of the southern systems I had visited had any activity older than three years. Interesting, but too early to draw any conclusions.

  "Ma'am, what are you expecting in Oasis?" Banner asked the next morning at breakfast in my private dining room.

  "Nothing, David. My early years were very difficult—my parents' death, the Coaca Virus, a venomous krait that both isolated me and made me the objective of thieves and others with the virus. To survive, I found thinking about the future was…stressful and something I couldn't control. Consequently, I decided to try to get the most out of each day and not to worry about tomorrow. That has served me well and is now part of who I am. So, to answer your question, I have no expectations about Oasis, the results of my survey of the systems, or of dinner with the captain this evening," I said, having a flashback of life in my foster homes and the attempts to steal Red. "The trick, David, is not to set your expectations on the outcome of an event. When bad things happen, it's disappointing and even painful. But if you strongly wanted one outcome over another, it can make the result even worse when it happens. For example, you're eligible for promotion and expect it to happen on the next round. If you aren't promoted, you will be very upset, whereas if you had no expectations of when you would be promoted, you would have no reason to be upset."

  "Does that mean you don't plan ahead?"

  "What's that old military saying? 'Plans seldom survive contact with the enemy.
' I think it should be 'Plans seldom survive contact with reality.'" I saw Pannell nod unconsciously as well as Stamm. "You can make tentative plans. Just don't fall in love with them."

  "An interesting philosophy, ma'am," Banner said and was silent for the rest of the meal.

  * * *

  No one met us at the shuttle landing pad. Since the NIA office was on the outskirts of Oasis and had a landing pad, Pannell had arranged for two military shuttles. The ride only took ten minutes. When we cleared security, a commander was waiting. He didn't salute, as it wasn't required in the lobby. "Admiral Paulus, I'm Commander Sauer, your Oasis NIA Station Chief," he said in a normal voice. His face was a passive mask.

  "It's nice to meet you, Commander Sauer. I'm looking forward to a tour of your domain. Oasis is one of the stations I've never had a chance to visit," I said as I followed Sauer to the elevators.

  "There is little reason for the Director of NIA Stations to visit the individual stations, is there?" His voice never changed from a normal conversational tone, but the inference was clear—you're young and inexperienced.

  "I like to meet the people actually doing the heavy lifting and let them know the NIA appreciates their efforts," I said, ignoring his insinuation. If he had a problem with me, it was his problem and I didn't want it.

  "You want to meet each person?" He had trouble maintaining his cool neutral voice.

  "A staff meeting with everyone present will do. I like to be able to put a name to a face."

  "I hadn't thought anyone of your rank would want to meet everyone," he said again in that normal tone that was meant to be incredulous without sounding belittling. Quite good, I thought.

  "While you are getting your people together, I'd like a one-on-one with you and for you to have someone arrange a meeting with the Police Commissioner," I said, again ignoring his attempt to intimidate me.

  "Why the Police Commissioner? He doesn't report to the NIA." This time he had trouble maintaining his superiority tone.

  "Actually, Commander Sauer, my primary reason for visiting the individual systems is to talk with the Police Commissioners. Visiting the NIA stations and meeting everyone is a bonus for me. I will be glad to brief you when you quit jumping to conclusions and prepare yourself to listen," I said with a genuine smile. Sauer's face lost his smug expression. We entered his office in silence, and Pannell shut the door behind us.

  "Although the police and NIA have very distinct areas of responsibility, they are not mutually exclusive. There are times when cooperation serves both the individual system and the UAS. The marines-for-hire was one such example. My current inquiry is another." I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat in one of his padded chairs before continuing. "The reason I'm visiting Oasis began with the disappearance of General Guzman's daughter…" I went on to explain how the police commissioner's cooperation on Eastar had led to my current investigation.

  "I apologize, Admiral Paulus, for being…distracted and making assumptions. A very stupid thing for a NIA commander who should know better. Excuse me for a minute, ma'am." To my surprise, he picked up his tablet, made a call, and a minute later looked up at me. "Will this afternoon be convenient to meet with Commissioner Gilchrist?" he asked. I nodded, surprised at his abrupt turnaround. He looked back down at his tablet and typed for a minute before looking up. "I called for a meeting of all NIA personnel for eight tomorrow morning." He smiled. I smiled back, pleased by his response to my admonishment. After a leisurely lunch at a local restaurant, we left for the police headquarters.

  * * *

  "Good afternoon, Commander Sauer." Gilchrist turned to look at me and then Pannell, who was in uniform. I had again changed into a dark blue pantsuit. "Navy admirals appear to be getting younger and much better-looking." He held out a hand, then froze as Red peeked out from my jacket and wound around my neck. I took his hand before he could step back.

  "Thank you for seeing me, Commissioner Gilchrist, and for the compliment—and yes, I'm as young as I look. The doctors tell me my krait's poison slows my development. I've tried a gray wig but I'm afraid it doesn't work," I said, hoping he had a sense of humor.

  He did and laughed. "Do the civilian clothes help?" he smiled but looked interested.

  "No, but I don't feel so conspicuous. Actually, I'm not in uniform because I didn't want to imply my visit was NIA business. It began with the disappearance of General Guzman's daughter…" To Gilchrist's credit, he didn't interrupt once. When I had finished, he called two of his detectives and we retired to his conference room. It was the early hours of the morning when we finished.

  "Well, Anna, what do you make of these results?" Gilchrist asked as we finished the last set of files. We had identified eight women: one case five years before, two four years before, two more each in the third and second years, and one this year.

  "It may indicate that Oasis was one of the first systems to be targeted and suggests this group has been active for at least five years. I also think I've identified sufficient missing women to conclude it's a UAS problem, which is going to require the police and NIA cooperation to combat," I said, watching Gilchrist and Sauer. They looked at each other and nodded. "I'll provide you with a complete list of all the missing women we've identified to date and ask that you keep Commander Sauer apprised if you identify any more. That way I can ensure everyone has an up-to-date list."

  * * *

  The expanded staff meeting lasted all day, and we had a station dinner that evening. Sauer was an enthusiastic participant but left me to direct the meeting. He accompanied me back to the Taranis and we sat talking in my office over a second dessert and coffee.

  "To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to your visit, ma'am. Station chiefs tend to get like cruiser captains and begin to feel independent and a law unto ourselves. But we are a team and it's good to be reminded of that every once in a while. I think this missing person project, Magic Act, will do a lot to reinforce that. And a closer relationship with the police is a positive result. I hope we see you often."

  * * *

  "Banner, send the following message to each of the NIA stations I've visited to date and to each of the ones I subsequently visit after I explain project Magic Act. Send it using Crazy Numbers."

  Magic Act will require each NIA station to maintain a close working relationship with the police to identify missing women who meet the profile. Any women thus identified will be forwarded to Commander Damon, Eastar Station Chief, who will maintain the master database and disseminate the updates to all the NIA station. Include pictures and all the information the police collect. The updated database should be shared with the local police to ensure they have the latest data.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Star Systems: Westar

  Commander Shrader stood waiting as I exited the shuttle. He braced to attention and saluted. When I returned his salute, he gave me an ear-to-ear smile.

  "Congratulations, Admiral Paulus on your well-deserved promotion. I was hoping you would come. I'm dying for Andrea, my fiancée, to meet you. I've certainly talked about you and Chris enough," he said, then gave me a hard stare. "Are you here for a specific reason? I doubt it's solely to visit each of your NIA offices."

  "You're right. I want to talk to the Westar police commissioner," I said but waited until we had entered his vehicle to continue. "I think we have a missing persons problem that extends across the UAS…" I went on to explain what I had found to date.

  "I miss the old days with you and Chris…and Wilbur, but I'm content running the NIA station here at Westar and the stability it provides me...now that I'm getting married and planning to start a family." He gave a wry grin.

  "Chris feels the same way," I said. I understood. They could reasonably expect to live well past one hundred, whereas I couldn't since Red couldn't. Consequently, my risk was far less than theirs. If I died chasing criminals, I might shorten my life by only ten to twenty years, whereas their lives would be shortened by seventy or eighty years. And soon they wou
ld have families.

  "How does it feel to be an admiral?" Adrian asked, changing the subject.

  "Boring," I said, which caused Adrian to choke and then laugh. He continued laughing off and on all the way to the NIA building.

  * * *

  Adrian called an expanded staff meeting, which included all of the NIA personnel, and I received a comprehensive review of NIA operations at the Westar station. It gave me an opportunity to meet everyone and to express my views about focus and not assuming facts not in evidence. I used the Owlet project, marines-for-hire, as an example of the danger of assuming things without having the facts to support it. Afterward, Banner, with Adrian's help, got an appointment with the chief of police for the next morning.

  After the meeting, Adrian took me to dinner at the Masson, a high-price restaurant featuring French cuisine. The tables were draped with white tablecloths; the armchairs had padded backs, seats, and arms; and the waiters dressed in formal suits. Adrian's fiancée arrived only minutes after we had been seated.

  "Andrea, this is Anna, the Director of NIA Stations. Anna, this is Andrea, my fiancée."

  Andrea gave me a wicked smile. "Adrian talks about you so much I feel I know you. I would give you a welcoming hug, Anna, but the little red head on your shoulder may not like it. Although I hear that…Red tolerates Commander Sinclair."

  "He seems to know or sense when people are my friends and tolerates them touching me," I said. Andrea was close to five centimeters taller than me and had a nice, full figure. She was also smart, charming, and amusing, and seemed to enjoy life. I liked her.