John nodded. “It looked to melike you were enjoying yourself a bit too much.”
“Honestly?”
“Please.” His eyes met hers.
“I was,” she confessed quietly.
There was a moment’s silence. John took a long drink. McReidy watched him and the bottle. He wasn’tmoving. She’d have to get her own glass if she wanted to join him.
“The doc says the only ones notaffected were the ones with your flu,” she continued.
“The way my head’s been stuffedup, nothing could get in.”
“Do we know what it was?”
“A creature with the power tomanipulate the human mind.” Not completely accurate but he didn’t feel likeexplaining and that had been the end result. “Apparently it was only a child.”
“I’d hate to meet its parents!”
John laughed quietly and agreed.
“Soghra confuses me,” shecontinued. “He’s not the least bit interested in what’s going on, yetsometimes he goes out of his way to help us.”
“He will only do something whenit is in his own best interest to do so. Ruscatans only think of themselves asbeing important. They tolerate other races for the benefits they can get outof it. He –” John cut himself off before saying too much. McReidy knewnothing of Soghra’s history and he intended to keep it that way. “Has hisreasons for being here.”
She didn’t push him further. Good. He didn’t have all the answers. Only what Soghra intended him to knowat this stage.
She rose from her seat and lefthim in peace. Even better.
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Chapter twenty
John was woken early next morningby a call from Fleet Command. He threw himself out of bed, dragging on ajacket and pants and raking his fingers through his hair as he stumbled to theloungeroom and his desk. The hurried warning from Humphries that it wasAdmiral Powers himself and that he did not seem in a particularly good mood setalarms ringing in John’s head. It was not going to be a pleasant chat.
“Good morning, sir.” John tried desperatelyto stifle a yawn.
“I see you’ve been at it again,”Powers snapped.
“Sir?” John asked innocently. Hehad no idea what the admiral was referring to. More to the point, he didn’tknow which incidents Powers was actually aware of.
“Don’t play cute with me,”Powers’ face creased in restrained fury.
He was in the mood to tearsomeone apart. Humphries had been kind in his observation.
“You know exactly what I’mtalking about. You disobeyed orders and led an enemy fleet straight to Antigua and Shimodo. Then you refused to loan Shimodo enough crewmen to enable her to getback to port safely.”
John’s mouth fell open, but hehad no words.
“Are you going to deny it?”
“Of course I deny it. For allthe good it’ll do me.” John couldn’t think straight. That was not whathappened.
Powers wasn’t giving him a chanceto think. “You shouldn’t have been anywhere near that sector. My ordersspecifically said…”
John knew what his orders said. By now, he was not listening. Melchior – it had to be him. It looked like hewas determined to get Kowalski at any cost.
“Are you listening to me?” Powersroared.
“Yes, sir,” John answered indefeat. He was not about to argue with the admiral. An argument he knew hewould lose. How could he expect to be believed over the word of a superiorofficer?
“I hear you’ve improved yourdefences. Your shields can withstand an Andromedan cruiser.”
“Yes, sir.” It was something heshould have been proud of. At the moment, that was the last thing he felt.
“Then you will proceed to thefollowing destinations, pick up their ambassadors and return home immediatelythe quickest and safest way you know how. There will be no stops, delays orhold ups of any sort. Am I making myself clear to you?”
“Perfectly.”
“The official paperwork will becoming through shortly with all the details. And a full list of instructionsso there are no misunderstandings.”
The call ended.
John’s head fell heavily againstthe back of his chair. It was over. His career was finished. He didn’t needthe words to tell him that. He had crossed Powers once too often. Only thistime it was not his fault. He had done nothing wrong – and he would do itagain if he had to.
He didn’t feel like workingtoday. It was too depressing. He looked at his watch. Even if he had enoughtime to go back to sleep, he knew that was impossible. He sighed heavily anddragged himself from the chair. A steaming shower only made him feel betterfor the few minutes he was actually under the water.
It was his earlier than usual arrivalon the bridge that set the crew alert. It was still technically night shiftfor well over another hour. What began as depression soon melted into angerand he constantly snapped at the slightest disturbance.
At the end of shift, Humphriesleft a message on his console that warned of the commander’s mood. Giacomoread it as he took the helm, then quickly transferred it to the otherconsoles. No one was willing to look up in acknowledgement. The bridge wassuddenly a quiet place. Too quiet for John’s liking.
“All right, what’s up?” Johngrowled.
Still silence.
“Giacomo.” He pounced on the oneperson who couldn’t refuse to answer or lie to him.
Giacomo looked up helplessly andbit his bottom lip. He swallowed hard before answering. “We… um… know about…your message this morning,” he confessed quietly.
“Do you also know what it said?” John’s face was set, his eyes hard, demanding an answer.
“Lay off Giacomo.” McReidyturned to face John.
He couldn’t intimidate her. Shewas beginning to know him too well.
“Just because Powers got stuckinto you, don’t think you’ve got the right to take it out on us.”
He hated it when she was right.
“You.” The word came throughclenched teeth. “My office. Now!”
She obeyed. A sense of calmentered the office with her.
He was pacing. One hand at theback of his neck, the other on his hip, his forceful exhalations as telling asthe words he suppressed. He’d been still long enough, sitting in his chair onthe bridge and letting his anger rise as he stewed over the situation.
“What did he say?” McReidy askedin the soundproof safety of the office.
John stopped pacing and turnedhis head to look at her. Her eyes were soft, her stance relaxed – though hefelt it was a forced relaxation. And
