Time Salvager (Time Salvager #1)(54)
Young nodded. “You’ll get a division of monitors as well and your choice of tactics and personnel. Make sure they know how to keep their f*cking mouths shut. I want this done quietly. Do you understand?”
“Your will, Director.” Levin bowed. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity—”
“Save it and fix the f*cking problem, you stiff bastard,” Young struggled to stand. “Come with me. There’s more. We have more interested parties in this whole mess.”
Using a cane, Young hobbled around his desk. When Levin offered a hand, the director shot him a glare that would have killed a lesser man. Levin let the old man be; Young was still a fiery and prideful man. They didn’t have far to walk since Young led him to the room next to his office.
They walked into a large room with a long rectangular table. Outside of one wall made entirely from glass, the colored winds battered against the once-clear surface with black specks. The other three walls were barren, except for a small cabinet on the back right. Two people sitting close together at the far end of the table were conversing in low tones, only standing to address them when Young got close.
The first one: male, pale, corporate suit, was someone Levin had seen once or twice on the base. He looked like an off-worlder, though not from Mars or Luna. By the shade of his skin and body type, Levin ventured the man had originated from one of the Gas Giant colonies. The other: female, sleek, dark blue combat uniform—Levin recognized the insignia on her arm as from the Valta Mining Security Forces.
He sensed a dangerous edge in her; she was someone he’d have to watch out for. The woman’s hair was cut short to just above her ear, a custom among the military within the Gas colonies. Her face, while not unpleasant, was marred by a perpetual scowl and a cold cruel stare that had not changed since when he first laid eyes on her.
What made him particularly wary of this woman were her eyes; she was sizing him up as much as he was her. Like two predators, they acknowledged each other with a slight tilt of the head. They both recognized the dangers of the other. She wore no bands around her arms. Since corporate technology was different from ChronoCom’s and in most ways, far more advanced, he couldn’t be sure of her capabilities.
“Auditor Levin,” the man glanced at him and said. “The director says you will be leading the search for the perpetrator of this unfortunate incident.”
“Levin.” Young gestured. “This is Sourn, our Valta liaison with the agency.”
“And this is Securitate Kuo,” Sourn gestured to the woman next to him, “from our special operations.”
Levin nodded. “How may I assist?” This was the first time he’d ever seen anyone from the elite branch of Valta’s private army. The corp must have something important they wanted on Earth for Kuo to be here.
“We were distressed to hear about the mishap with your chronman on the recent Valta-sponsored assignment,” Sourn said. “It seems the work Valta has recently commissioned with ChronoCom was rife with issues.”
“I’m not aware of other incidents, Liaison,” Levin said.
“That’s beside the point,” Young cut in. “A Time Law breach is incident enough.”
Levin made note of that. The director was hiding something. There was much more to this situation than Young made it out to be. It was irrelevant, though. It wasn’t up to an auditor to question the leadership of ChronoCom.
“We’d like to assign Securitate Kuo to your mission, strictly as an observer and in an advisory role, of course,” Sourn said.
Levin frowned. Why would a gas-mining company care about his mission to retrieve a fugitive chronman? “Excuse me, Liaison. For what purpose?”
“Just covering our liability, I assure you,” Sourn added.
“The fugitive chronman is dangerous,” Levin said. “I cannot assure the securitate’s safety.”
Kuo’s smile was not very friendly. “That should be the least of your worries, Chronman.”
“It’s ‘Auditor,’ thank you.” Levin returned the smile.
“Very well then,” Young said. “See to it that Valta has access to whatever they need.” He kept his gaze on Levin. “ChronoCom’s relationship with Valta is a priority. See that it is kept close and strong.”
“Of course, Director.” Something in his gut was uneasy with this arrangement.
“The first thing I believe we should attempt,” Kuo began, looking directly at Young and Sourn, “is to see if his handler can get in touch with him.”
“Doubtful,” Young said. “The fugitive assaulted his handler and gave him a concussion, after all. I doubt he would respond to his handler now.”
“Perhaps,” she said. “However, Valta is prepared to make him a generous offer that might flush him out.”
“You’re going to bribe him? Reward him for breaking the Time Laws?” Levin sputtered. “We cannot allow this to go unpunished.”
Kuo gave him a dismissive smile. “While the corporation respects the Time Laws, there are more important matters at hand. The fugitive might have something we want…”
TWENTY
ON THE RUN
Elise woke up exhausted from a restless sleep. She remembered the craziest things, stuff she hadn’t dreamt about since she had smoked excessive amounts of marijuana in grad school. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to her surroundings. It was dark, but there were these goofy shadows dancing on the walls. She inhaled and nearly threw up, her gag reflex kicking in. It smelled like garbage here, wherever here was. And now that she thought about it, the left side of her body was freezing, and the right side felt like she had been roasting over a spit.