The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(46)

“The SWD stole food?” Commandant Pierce arched her eyebrows.

“Yes and no. All the transfers were made using the president’s authorization and the food was relocated to the shelter in the basement of the president’s residence.”

“What are you saying?”

“Well, the SWD forged the president’s authorization and stole vast stores of food and planted it in the president’s own home using the city’s delivery system. They set him up.” Lindsey organized the screens for the commandant to study. “It wasn’t easy to trace, but I found the origin computer where the forgeries were created and traced the route through the system. Someone did try to scrub the info, but there were still data packets lodged in various nodes along the path.”

“I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Well, they wiped the computer where they did the forgery. But like a train moving through the city, the orders had stops at various stations along the way to its destination. That’s how I was able to trace backward. The code used to secure the message left little data stamps at each junction.”

“Like a train tripping proximity sensors?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“So they’re trying to make the president look like a thief.”

“They’re trying to set him up to look like he’s hoarding food and preparing to cut off the rest of the city and only save himself and others in power. Admiral Kirkpatrick has a speech written that discusses his discovery of the president’s ‘theft’ and his own plan to send SWD squads into the dead world to retrieve food stores.” Lindsey’s hands shook slightly and it wasn’t just from the shock of her discovery. She needed food after forgetting to eat all day. Picking up her bar, she took another bite.

“So Admiral Kirkpatrick will look like a hero of the people and President Cabot the villain.”

Lindsey forced herself to swallow the dry lump. “But that’s not the real reason for the squads moving out into the dead world. It’s an excuse.” Pulling up another document, she pointed at several lines. “They’re going after Maria and Dwayne.”

“The pulses.”

“Exactly. They’re trying to locate them using the pulse. This document is from Dr. Curran to a Mrs. Petersen.”

“Mrs. Petersen?”

“Commandant, there is an entire section in the SWD where every person is called Petersen. It’s to protect the core group working together to take control of The Bastion.”

“So the Mr. Petersen we were dealing with isn’t the only one?”

“No. And I looked into the documentation being prepared by the Judiciary Authority. The Mr. Petersen they’re preparing to charge is not the one we encountered.” Lindsey touched the screen and the bland face of man with dark skin and hair popped up. “This is the man who has been in talks with the Judiciary Authority and performing as an assistant to Admiral Kirkpatrick.”

“That’s not him. That’s not the same man.”

“The Mr. Petersen we dealt with doesn’t show up on any security footage from any meetings. He was excised from the vids.”

Commandant Pierce frowned as she read the information on the screen. “So you think the one we were dealing with is still in charge?”

“Definitely. Legatus Martel didn’t have a history in the SWD databases until a week ago. Then she simply appeared and was included in the files sent to President Cabot when he made the move to appoint a new leader of the SWD. I looked at those files. They were skewed to make him select Martel.”

“Where did Martel come from?”

“Well, I had to go outside the SWD to find her. She’s a real person and I found her civilian records. She studied with Dr. Curran at the university, and then she just vanished. I suspect she joined the SWD and became a Petersen. The reason I recognized her name is because Dr. Curran sent her a communique during the Inferi Boon project. It was of a personal matter, so I didn’t pay attention to it. They were arranging to have dinner at the Luminous Restaurant. The one that actually has real meat! Anyway, Dr Curran said the reservation was under the name Martel.”

Commandant Pierce was silent for a very long moment. “SWD has always operated apart from the Constabulary.”

“Because of Admiral Kirkpatrick’s influence.”

“Which has provided them the opportunity to create this elaborate network of lies.”

“They have a very specific agenda.”

“They want Maria and Dwayne.”

“And created a cover story for a fleet of tiltrotors leaving the city.”

“And when they retrieve them?”

Lindsey tugged nervously at her hair. “They’re to be secreted into the labs.”

“Of course.”

“Also, Dr. Curran got samples off the Abscrags. She’s experimenting again.”

Shaking her head, Commandant Pierce looked older than when she’d entered the room. “Of course.”

“This is enough to take to the president, right?”

“Absolutely. I’ll deal with it immediately.”

Lindsey quickly compiled all the information onto a data drive and handed it to the commandant.

“You look about how I feel,” the other woman said with a wry smile.