“True, but a decent forensic hacker can prove a fake like that without even breaking a sweat.”
“Yeah, assuming the brass brings one in, rather than just assuming the accuser is lying.”
“But . . .”
“Kavel had a lot of friends,” Dona told her, almost gently. “And I didn’t have any at all.”
“So you’re telling me he got away with it,” the doctor snapped hotly. “He’s still out there, abusing other children?”
A faint, cold smile lit Dona’s face. “No. Headquarters didn’t take action against him, but the Xerans did.”
The doctor stared at her, eyes widening. “The . . . Xerans did?”
“It was a war. People get killed in wars.”
“So I’m told.”
“He’d left the base one night, headed to a meeting with the parents of a young girl. I’m told he was planning to make her his intern.”
“Intern.” Now Pjam looked almost as expressionless as Dona.
“Yes. A Xeran patrol ambushed him on the way, and he was killed. From what I gather, it was a very unpleasant death.”
Pjam studied her. “Which you had nothing to do with.”
“No, and I can prove it.” Dona’s smile was faint and cold enough to induce frostbite. “Did prove it, at the inquest one of his five-star buddies called. At the time Kavel died, I was a hundred kilometers away, having dinner with a fellow officer. And she’d have had no reason to lie.” Her lips curled very, very slightly. “After all, she’d been his intern.”
Alerio wondered how she’d done it. He was a little surprised to realize he was glad she’d found a way to kill her abuser.
Dona hated being a victim.
The chief pulled the cork out of the bottle of ale. It was almost four in the morning. He promised his conscience he’d only drink one glass before he’d make another attempt to sleep.
He didn’t expect to have much luck. Not after what he’d learned about Dona.
“Chief? Chief Dyami? My sensors tell me you’re awake in there . . .”
Alerio answered the com. “Frieka? Why aren’t you in your bunk? Still pub-crawling with Pendragon?”
“Unfortunately, none of the pubs have Frieka’s precious Vardonese ale,” the stallion put in. “And I’m dying for a sample. It can’t possibly be as good as the fleabag says.”
Alerio laughed. “Hell, why not? I could use some company right now.”
Pendragon was a little too big for Alerio’s quarters, so the three of them decided to head outside to the chief’s favorite picnic spot. The Warlord spread a blanket on the flank of the moonlit mountain, then poured bowls of ale for his four-legged friends. Toasting each other, they drank.
“This is good stuff,” the horse said, lipping ale with an expression of deep concentration.
“Told you.” Frieka looked at Alerio. “Okay, Chief, what’s up with you? And don’t say nothing, because I know damn well there’s something. Is it Dona?”
Pendragon raised his head. “That’s the female Enforcer with the purple eyes, right?”
“That’s the one.” Frieka settled down on the blanket. “She and the chief have been trying to ignore each other for the last couple of years.”
“Now there’s an utter waste of time.” With a gusting snort, the stallion dropped his head again and drank. “I’ll never understand humans. They have to make everything so damned . . .”
“. . . Complicated!” Frieka finished, shooting Alerio a triumphant look. “Ha! He agrees with me.”
“Now there’s a surprise.”
“So what’s bothering you about Dona?” Frieka asked.
Alerio hesitated. “I can’t really talk about it without violating her privacy more than I have already.”
Frieka gave him an assessing look. “Finally hacked Pjam’s file, did you?”
Alerio stared at him. “Are you saying you already have?”
The wolf flicked an ear in a lupine version of a shrug. “Two or three months ago. I knew there was something ugly in that file, and I was right.”
Alerio opened his mouth to chew out the lupine Enforcer, only to snap his mouth closed in frustration. “There’s not one bloody thing I can say about your violating her trust that isn’t just as true of me.”
“Well, I haven’t violated anybody’s trust, and my curiosity is killing me.” Pendragon pricked his ears. “What happened?”
“Dona had a very complicated and ugly childhood.” Frieka thumped his bushy tail on the blanket. “By the way, if Temporal Enforcement ever offers you the services of a psychiatrist named Javen Pjam, turn them down. She’s an idiot.”
“Know her,” the horse said shortly. “And you’re right, she is an idiot. Apparently nobody ever told her mental health professionals are not supposed to pass judgment on their patients’ lives.”
Alerio blinked, wondering what aspect of Pendragon’s life had drawn the doctor’s commentary.
“So.” Frieka turned to study him again. “Now that you’ve learned all Dona’s ugly secrets, what do you intend to do?”
The horse gazed at Alerio, ears pricked, before lowering his head to his ale. “He’s going to dump her.”
“I’m not going to dump her,” Alerio snapped. “I’m concerned about her, and I don’t want to make things any worse.”
“You’re right, Pen,” Frieka said thoughtfully. “He is going to dump her.”
“Dammit, Frieka, every single relationship that woman has ever been in—including the one with her parents—was pure poison. What if I fuck it up? I’m a Warlord, dammit. We kill people. We don’t nurture them.”
“Best nurturer I ever met was Baran Arvid,” Frieka observed, referring to Riane’s father. “But you’re damned near as good at it. Judging from what I’ve seen, you take good care of your people.”
“That’s different,” Alerio growled. “I’m not sleeping with them.”
“I’d hope not,” Pendragon said. “Frieka’s been trying to get me to ask for a transfer, and I’m not interested in being sexually harassed.”
“You’re not my type.”
“You have no idea how relieved I am to hear it.”
Alerio glowered at him. “Just what we need—another smart-ass talking animal.”
“Which is better than a dumb-ass talking human.”
“Isn’t he quick?” Frieka gave the stallion an admiring look. “I love the way that kind of shit just rolls out of his vocalizer.”
Alerio grunted.
“Seriously, Chief,” Pen said. “Obviously I don’t know exactly what problems your female has, but I don’t see how a breakup with you would make it any better.” He flicked his tail across his haunches. “You strike me as the sort of commander who wants to actively improve the lives of those under his command. Especially an agent you . . . feel something for.”
And that’s putting it mildly, Alerio thought.
The next day, Alerio ordered his implant to compensate for his sleepless night and too many glasses of ale while he prepared his gift for Dona.
Maybe it would make up for his sins.
Surveying the results in the golden light of the morning sun, he decided he’d accomplished his goal. “If I’m really lucky, it will at least put her in a good mood.” He grimaced. “Maybe she’ll even let me live after I tell her I hacked that damned file.”
A mental order activated a camouflage field, hiding his work. It wasn’t really likely that a temporal native would stumble on it, but he didn’t want to take chances. The field was a bit of added insurance.