''I say squash ‘em all,'' Jack said, eyeing Penny with a grin.
''That'll mean I'll be forever filling out my daily reports.'' The woman sighed.
''Who says you'll have any time to fill out any reports?'' Kris said with a grin she knew was growing more wicked by the second. ''The Ambassador put you at my disposal. I intend to keep you at my beck and call twenty-four/seven. You can fill out your reports when this is done. With luck, by then, you'll have forgotten most of it, and no one will give a rip anyway.''
Penny did not succeed in suppressing a groan. ''They warned me that you were most insensitive to what higher-ups required of you… and anyone around you.''
''Hey, you were on a vacation with Tommy. Think of this as just an extension of it.''
''And if you believe that,'' Jack growled, ''I've got a small planet to sell you.''
''What is the situation with Tommy?'' Kris asked Penny.
''Don't you think we ought to settle what to do with our listening friends?'' Abby asked.
Right. They did have unfinished business before they could get down to business. ''What's your suggestion, Abby?'' Kris tried to make her smile a confident one as she posed a major test for her maid/whatever.
''I'd leave two live, but choose two different types. That way, at least two sets of players would still be in the game. The others would be playing catch-up.''
Kris tossed the question to Jack with an upraised eyebrow.
''Not bad field craft. I'll go squash them. Mind if I leave the two live ones in the living room?''
''Please!'' Kris agreed.
''Why not leave one of the bugs in Jack's room?'' Abby said. ''That way they could listen to him snoring all night.''
''I don't snore,'' Jack grumbled, but he was already on his way out. Kris drummed her hands on the side of the bath, glanced at the other two women seated beside her, and waited. When Jack got back, he put a new gizmo on the sink. Abby pulled a similar one from her pocket and placed it on the back of the commode.
''Should I take that to mean we've got an active scrambler system going?'' Both nodded. ''Then let's get down to why we're here. What do you know of Tommy Lien?'' she asked Penny.
''What do you know about Turantic?'' was the Lieutenant's comeback.
Kris knew more about Turantic than she had a week ago, but little beyond the bare personnel file on Penny Pasley; time to test her. ''What do you think I should know?''
''Turantic suddenly is very unfriendly territory for Wardhaven.'' Penny smiled with too much teeth. ''Before I got yanked home, I was stationed here in the naval procurement section of the Business Exchange Group. Turantic didn't see a need for much Navy, but they wanted more than Earth did. In return for us buying parts and supplies from Turantic, they'd pay for a Wardhaven ship every two or three years. When their youngsters joined the Navy, they were assigned to the Wardhaven Guard. It worked well. Our ships regularly visited Turantic colonies. They saved on the overhead of a fleet.''
''When did all that change?'' Kris asked.
''It started about three years back, but its gotten really bad in the last six months.''
''About the time devolution became the political password all over the Rim,'' Jack said.
''If it's the future''—Abby shrugged—''any smart person gets on the bandwagon. It's either that or get run over by it.''
''Spoken like a true survivor,'' Jack growled, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet, towering over them.
''I'm alive. Not all my former employers are so lucky,'' Abby said, primly rearranging her skirt where she sat on the edge of the bathtub.
''What's the present situation?'' Kris said, ending the banter that was becoming normal for her agent and maid.
''Officially, nothing's changed. The present government is keeping to the same policies.''
''But,'' Kris added.
''Several factions seem to be suddenly finding themselves in agreement,'' Penny said slowly. ''You're one of those Longknifes.''
''That's what I'm told… regularly and reoccurringly. Let me guess. Big money seems to be the mover for this new faction.''
The Lieutenant nodded. ''Money behind the shipping firms, banking, heavy and medium industry, all the stuff that would make money if a load of new colonies suddenly got on Abby's devolution bandwagon… and started running over anyone who got in their way. They own media as well. News has been kind of strong for expansion. Latest hit vids are about the early pioneers and the joy of taming a virgin land. Fun and chance to make it big.''
''So the people have been lapping it up.''
''The youngsters, the marginalized, the people who don't quite fit in… and usually don't vote.''
''When's the next election?'' Jack asked.
''They haven't had an election in nearly five years. The ruling party will have to call one in the next two months.''
Kris whistled. ''That soon.''
''Lets you know why we Wardhaven types are walking on eggs.''
Kris shook her head; she was getting that old, familiar feeling back. The one she got when she was halfway across a minefield and the second half looked twice as long. ''You still haven't told me what you know about Tommy.''
''You want the full-length version, or the summary?''
''Let's start with the summary.''
''Nothing. Don't know a damn thing I didn't know when I was ordered back here pronto to chase after Tom.''
''There's a longer version?'' Jack asked.
''Yeah. In that one I tell you all we did to come up blank,'' the Navy Lieutenant said, looking up at the agent.
''You know he attempted a phone call from this station,'' Kris said. ''You have to have something around that. If nothing else, he must have shown up on security cameras.''
''One would think so,'' Penny agreed blandly.
''But,'' Kris was tired of having to pull explanations out of this woman. Maybe a crowbar around the tonsils would help.
''You may have noticed all the heavy construction on the station. It has doubled and redoubled in the last nine months. Seems the day Tommy went through, the entire security system was down for expansion.''
''That is not believable,'' Kris growled.
''I didn't buy it either.'' Penny sighed. ''Billions worth of business goes through this station every day. They'd lose their shirt if every camera was down for a day… but they took them down. I talked to half the security screeners. Every one is either a pathological liar or they really were out on the floor doing eyeball security that day. They swear the central security station was off-line and filled with tech types for twenty-four hours straight.''
Jack stepped away from the tub and paced for a moment. Before Kris could ask him what had gotten him so riled, he whirled on Penny. ''You're telling me we're dealing with someone who could close down security on a station this size? Kris, you've got to get on the next ship out of here.''
Abby shook her head and answered instead. ''It might not be that bad. He or she need only know the day security will be down enough ahead of time to plan Tommy's transit accordingly.''
''I don't think Kris should be around either option,'' Jack snapped, turning to Kris. He looked ready to hog-tie her and stuff her into one of her auto trunks for shipment home.
Kris casually got up, moved to the other side of the tub, ready to run if necessary, and went on. ''What else can you tell me about the search for Tommy?''
''I have some connections with dirtside police. My old man was a cop, and I speak their language. Some local cops have been moonlighting for us the last couple of days, showing pictures to taxi drivers, folks who hang around the elevator. No luck.
''I thought the housing shortage around here might help. Occupancy is above ninety-five percent. We ran down every hotel room that changed hands in the last week. Nothing. Then we tried every apartment rental. Again nothing.''
''The folks we're dealing with don't lack money,'' Kris noted.
''So I heard. I also checked out houses, time shares, and condo sales. No dice.''