Hathor Legacy: Burn (22 page)

28
Seven Days

"You betrayed my mother?" Nadira asked. "You?" Either Elder Azure was being overly dramatic or she was telling a brutal truth.

"Minona and Stefan were concerned after Dakar took an interest in your abilities. They were worried that he'd want to take you from them. I trained her. I could've helped her. I should've done something." Azure said. "After your father's ship was lost in deep space, she was alone. She needed my support and I failed her."

At the other end of the table, Maji pushed her chair back and stood up. "Azure, why are you wearing a suit? Where are you g
oing?"

The Elder held up her hand to silence her. "Nadira, when that happened twenty years ago I saw things differently. But now…I'm going back to Dakar's to ask him to step down as Elder."

"It's not a good idea to go by yourself," Maji said. "I don't care if he's ill. He's still dangerous."

"I'll be back later," Azure replied.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Nadira jumped up and ran after her.

She didn't answer as she touched the fingerpad and waited for the door to open.

"Azure!" Maji got to the door just as it opened. "I don't want you to go alone."

The older woman didn't acknowledge her. Instead, she headed out the door and down the walkway.

"Is she walking? Dakar's is on the other side of the park." Nadira stepped back out of the doorway as a cool draft reminded her how light her sleeping gown was.

"There's a transport stand on the boulevard." Maji stood back as the door closed. "Maybe the walk will give her time to rethink what's she's doing."

"Do you think he'll do anything to hurt her?"

Maji leaned against the door, her eyes downcast. "I don't know what he might do." She straightened up and headed over to the vid screen. "I'll call Lange. Maybe he can find the other Elders and meet her over there."

"Turn on the com and call Elder Lange," Maji ordered.

The screen activated, displaying a blue background with the company logo. But it was immediately replaced by a scene som
ewhere in the city. It was a building surrounded by security personnel, and smoke pouring out of the flat roof. At the bottom of the screen, flashing in red were the words, "Security Alert: Warehouse Fire Destruction - 5 Dead."

*****

Instead of being allowed to inspect the burnt out warehouse, Nadira stood at the curb, watching the fire engineers and security officers going about their work. She'd rushed over as fast as she could get here, leaving Maji and Varyn back at the house.

But this warehouse wasn't owned by Ron's company, it was on the construction site for the new retail project that Jonathan was overseeing. Or at least he had been before he'd been deported.

So far, security had confirmed seven people had perished in the fire, including two workers. They'd all died from asphyxiation, after being locked into a part of the building where the safety protocols had been disabled.

To her surprise, not only had Brant been on the scene when she arrived, but so were Lani Zakry and Karin Luke.

"Have you heard from Jonathan?" Lani asked. "I know he was picked up and released. But I heard that he was deported back to Astarte."

Telling Lani the details about that wasn't an option. "He'll be returning soon. It's just temporary."

"Well, please have him contact me. That damned com grid is out on maintenance again. You'd think it'd work better seeing how much time they spend maintaining it." She wrapped her leather jacket around her. "I want to know why those people were in there. It doesn't make sense. It was an empty storage area."

"Then Jonathan will be returning?" Karin asked. She had been standing off to the side, watching the activity.

"Yes. Very soon," Nadira replied.

"I may have some information for you about…that thing we talked about. Can we talk again?"

"Yes, Karin. I just have to talk with Sentry Leader Brant."

"I have to be going," Lani said. "Please have Jon contact me as soon as he gets back. We have to get this straightened out before the construction can continue." She headed across the street where her transport was parked.

Brant finished his conversation with one of the security officers and joined her.  "I think things are escalating out of our control, Nadira," he said. "According to the security three of the people who died were Deshtu, the other two were Guardians--or rather, trainees."

"What? How can they be sure?"

"They determined the trainees because of the lines in their hands. Their identities were confirmed from the GAO records."

She felt like someone had stomped on her chest and she coul
dn't breathe. "How could trainees be forced into that warehouse. Their abilities would've been stronger."

"Not all Guardians have your powers, Nadira. We have a deeper problem. This isn't just about the Service Houses anymore, or intimidating the Deshtu."

"But what is it about? Why take five people and lock them in a building and set fire to it?" Nadira asked.

"They wished to send a message. Lani Zakry told me that Mr. Keel is connected to this construction project."

"He's going to oversee the retail space."

"This is no coincidence. By doing this, they are showing that our authority is nothing. They'll strike at anyone at any time."

"What would Jonathan's project have to do with it?" Nadira asked.

"Maybe it has to do with you," Brant said.

"Are you working with security? Have they found anything so far?"

"No. I spoke to Captain Dias. She's taking over the investig
ation, if you can call it that. She believes that all the people involved in the warehouse ambush died in the fire. So right now, they're not even looking into the trafficking. Novacorp looks to us to track the criminals. But unfortunately that's not working either. Dakar refuses to assign anyone else to help."

"Maybe he's not helping because he's involved. Have you ever wondered about that?" she asked.

Brant's two bushy eyebrows shot up. "Thoughts like that are dangerous, Nadira. But I have an idea. I've decided to go to the Cold Towns myself to meet with DM Lezcov. She hasn't responded to my calls and I can't get access to Dakar's records. I don't want to leave without having you take over the Sentry Leader position."

If this had been another time and place, she would've protested. But not now. "How soon can that happen?"

"Immediately. All I have to do is inform the GAO. Then at least someone will be here who has authority to deal with security and the executives."

"And Dakar?" she asked.

"He's more distant each day. If we delay, we may find Novacorp troops on the streets and our people will be vulnerable. We have to do what we can without him."

"Brant, I think I've been influencing you." It was shocking enough to hear Brant defying authority. What was next?

He gave her a tight-lipped smile. "That's amusing, because I was about to say the same thing about you."

*****

Getting an aircar on short notice turned out to be impossible, so Jon settled for a ground transport to his parents' home.

After the vehicle let him out in front, he walked around to look at the gardens at the side of the house. He stopped short when he saw his mother trimming a thick flowering bush that came to her waist. A large square basket sat on the ground next to her.

"Mother," he called as he approached.

"Jonathan!" She dropped her clippers and rushed over to e
mbrace him. "I thought you were going to let us know when you were coming."

Squeezing her, he planted a kiss on the side of her face. "This trip was unexpected."

He stepped back to get a better look at her. As usual, she was wearing a casual pullover shirt and pants. Her dark brown hair was pulled back off her face and fell to her shoulders. No doubt she was spending a lot of time in outdoors, seeing how her forehead and nose were slightly red.

Of her three children, he resembled her the most, especially when it came to height. With flat shoes she was even taller than Nadira.

"Brisa and Verda are in the city. Busy as usual. But they'll be home later," Estrella said. "I thought Nadira would be able to come with you. Why are you wearing those coveralls?"

He leaned over to sniff one of the flowers. It smelled sweet, but the stickiness on the petals clung to his fingers. "I'll tell you about it later. It's a long story."

"Something's wrong." Estrella bent down to pick up her clippers. "Jonathan, what happened?

Jonathan could detect his mother's apprehension. Funny how he had more awareness of things like that now.

"Let's go inside and we'll talk." He wiped the sweat off his face. This was his first time out of the comfortable climate-controlled temperatures in Nova City. Being out here in the sun he felt like he'd stepped into a blast furnace.

"Let's go in." Estrella patted his arm. "You can get cleaned up and have something to eat."

"Sounds good." He grabbed his bag and followed her into the house.

*****

Brant hadn't wasted time transferring authority over to her. Less than two hours after leaving the scene of the latest fire, she was sitting in a conference room in the Administration Building, preparing to meet with Dakar's younger sister, Jen Montaigne.

Nadira stood by the clear glass windows that ran from the ma
rbled floor to the glass ceiling. The frosted glass wasn't clear enough for her to see the blue sky, but bright sunlight poured through, filling the room and reflecting off the silver metal furniture. It felt like being in a cloud way above the city, removed from the frantic activity on the street below.

Jen stood across the room, studying a holographic represent
ation of the solar system that hung just above her head. Hathor was represented in red, Astarte in blue, and the mining moon, Demeter in silvery white. Hathor's twin moons, Isis and Osiris were small white orbs, dwarfed in comparison to the planet next to them.

For some reason, the other three planets in the system weren't represented. Probably because they were under the control of Novacorp's rival, the company that had been forced off of Hathor during the Corporate Wars.

"When will that communications grid be repaired?" Jen was talking to an engineer located on a space station between Hathor and Astarte. "The disruption is affecting business."

"Yes, I know, Ms. Montaigne. We're working as fast as we can."

"Keep me updated." Jen waved her hand across the hologram and it disappeared. "End call."

She examined Nadira, looking her up and down like she was appraising an object. "So, you've officially taken the Sentry Leader position from Brant?  You do seem a bit young for the task."

"In the Novacorp directory it says you started out as a company manager when you were my age."

"Actually I was in my thirties. It would've been sooner, but my father had other plans for me that didn't work out." She smoothed her jacket, running her hand over the woven silver and gold threads along the hem. "It's taken me ten years to get to the Nova City Board of Directors. And I'll still have to wait another two before Chairperson Santos' term is up and I have his position."

Jen pulled out one of the shiny, silver chairs and sat down at the table. She motioned to the seat next to her. "Would you like a refreshment?"

"No, thanks," Nadira replied as she sat down.

"This last fire has pushed relations between Guardians and the company to the breaking point. The arsonists must be stopped now, or the company will step in."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Ms. Montaigne."

She leaned back in the chair and swiveled to face Nadira. "You may address me as Jen."

"Jen, I know who might be behind the fires and the trafficking. But I have to be sure the company will not protect him. As it is, the security officers barely trust me or any Guardian. Especially after what happened to Lt. Lin's team."

"Lt. Lin?"

"The warehouse fire where the security officers were killed. I was there." She shuddered as the memory of it flashed in her mind.

"My brother told me," Jen said. "That was the last time I had a chance to speak with him."

"But I thought Elder Dakar was ill when that happened."

Jen rested her elbows on the conference table, her hands steepled in front of her. Her gestures reminded Nadira of Elder Dakar, just as her features did. "I talked to him that evening. He was upset when he heard you were trapped there. It reminded him of…of the deaths of our mother and sister."

"Was he ill when you spoke to him?"

"He didn't sound like it, though he was very upset. No doubt it's why he's been withdrawn since then." Jen swiveled her chair around and stood up. "You know who's behind this? Who is it?"

Karin Luke had decided to help, under the condition that the Guardians would turn her brother over to security, and not punish him themselves. Nadira had promised, though she wondered if it was a promise she could keep. "Before I tell you, I want to know that he won't be protected by the company."