“Daggert claims to know nothing about it, and he doesn’t really think that Trajan would operate quite that way. And would be more careful to verify antecedents first, if he did.”
“Mm. Or maybe he did, and it’s just at a high enough level security that we can’t see the connections.”
“Well, that’s possible, of course,” Carter said, raking a hand through his hair. “Dammit! That’s one reason I hate all this espionage shit. There’s layers upon layers upon layers of deception, classification, and more. It’s like peeling an onion, trying to get to the bottom of who did what to whom. But, um, listen... you didn’t hear that, okay?”
“Didn’t hear nothin’. And I agree, anyhow. Hey, speaking of such things, did Abe Niebecker get to someplace safe?”
“He has, yes,” Carter said. “He came to Sintar on the same ship you took, and spent that first night at my place. He seems to be a really nice guy underneath all the intelligence shit he got saddled with.”
“That was my impression, too. Medical caregivers of any sort are often like that, in my experience. I don’t think his superiors in Annalia really thought that through, when they assigned him as consul. Where is he now?”
“Someplace secret. And he doesn’t go by Niebecker these days, just so you know.”
“Witness protection?”
“More or less, yes. I don’t even know where he is... and I’m good with that. He stays safer that way. I have it to understand that the Imperial Guard is still in touch with him, and he’s trying to help the war planning as best he can, with what he knows. Of course some things are above his clearance, but he’s trying. He has the knowledge base and the smarts to help extrapolate, too.”
“Good. Do you know if he’s... happy?”
“Daggert said it comes and goes; I gather he’s still grieving his nation-that-used-to-be. Annalia still exists, of course, just not the way he remembers it. Whenever he can get past that grief, he seems happy to help, and he likes where he’s been placed, according to Daggert.”
“Good. The Empire did right by him.”
“We tried. It’s up to him to settle in and move on, of course.”
“Yup. But I think he will.”
“Oh, and Daggert said they got him some counseling and stuff for his battle-related PTSD. And it seems to be helping. He’s generally happier after a counseling session, his undercover bodyguards say.”
“That’s great!”
“Yes, it is. Also he sent a message for you. The delivery path was a bit convoluted – it went from his Guard liaison to the liason’s C.O., to Daggert, to me, and now to you. But he said to tell you hi, and to thank you once more. He’s being cared for in a way he never was, when he was in Annalia. He knew there was a difference between the two polities, but he had no idea how big the divide was.”
“Aw. Can you send a message back?”
“Sure. It’ll go the whole convoluted route in reverse, but it’ll get to him.”
“Okay. Tell him he’s very welcome, and that it was my honor to help him out and to have... well, I guess I didn’t really work with him, exactly. But to get to know him, to have his trust enough that he saved my neck, too. So we’re even, I think. I’m home and safe, with my family, and I wouldn’t have been, if not for him.”
“Got it, and I’ll pass it on. Changing the subject, I just wanted you to know that Maia and I have worked things where your and Cal’s parental leave is open-ended. We want you both back, of course, but not until Cally and the baby are medically up to it. And after all the shit that went down, you need to be there until she is.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks, Lee. That’s good. We appreciate it.”
“No problem. We’ve talked about it, Maia and me, and we kinda think your being gone might have been a big factor in Cally’s whole medical sitch. Maia suspects she was having some panic attacks and whatnot, and that contributed. Never mind that she really wasn’t eating right, at least while she was at work.”
“Damn. Yeah, I can see that.”
“You hear that I instituted a new regulation, spinning off that sitch?”
“Yeah. Something about not sending off an officer in a family way to do a remote or undercover mission?”
“Yup. We all learned our lesson on that one – me, Maia, Quan, and Daggert. On that note... how’s Cally and the kids?”
“Doing good,” Ashton averred, “but the docs are advising her not to have any more children. Having had the issue during this pregnancy, she’s more likely to have it again with another pregnancy. They’re afraid she wouldn’t survive it next time, and the fetus might not, either, depending on when in the pregnancy it kicks in. And it probably would kick in a lot earlier. So we have our two kiddies, and we’re okay with that. Leya is growing like a weed, and Paul fairly dotes on his baby sister, who is a happy, chatty, bouncy baby. In about two more years, it’s gonna be a madhouse, though. Leya will be in the terrible twos, and Paul will only be six, so he’ll be into everything, too...”
“You’re gonna have fun,” Carter grinned.
“Yeah, probably,” Ashton agreed, returning the grin. “So I guess all’s well that ends well.”
“For now, at least,” Carter sighed, grin disappearing. “We’ll just have to see what war brings.”
A couple of weeks later, very early in the morning and well before dawn, a figure clad head-to-toe in black – even the face was covered – slipped onto the roof of an apartment building on West Center Street. It had a small backpack slung over one shoulder.
The figure moved to
