She Bleeds for Us: The Galactic Consortium 3

Chapter 43

When Devaki got a curtsey message from military intelligence, she assumed it was officer Jardin again. He messaged her almost weekly with some rumor about the black market.

He was a fool, zie had decided and zie took some comfort in that fact. He hoped to shake hir up, get hir to give away something that would, in turn, give him probable cause to go to Information.

But zie was too much of a professional for that. And his probing questions and statements told her a great deal about the state of his investigation. Which was currently far from her operation.

Zie looked around the room and then out in the hallway. Zie had to be careful who was in hearing distance because whatever Officer Jardin was, hir own superior officer, Dhanusha was no fool. If Dhanusha thought there was any reason for Jardin to have such a strong interest in Devaki's work, her whole operation would be unraveled quickly.

But Dhanusha was nowhere nearby and there was nothing suspicious showing near her. Then again today was laundry day in the kurgara barracks, and Devaki had drawn the short straw, ordering the replacement bedding and personal items the other kurgara needed. Surprisingly, none of the people zie was helping desperately needed new pillows.

Zie settled into hir chair and answered the call. Zie was surprised when zie did not recognize the man in front of hir. "Can I help you?" He was dark-skinned and was wearing a uniform that wasn't Consortium, though he had contacted hir through a consortium channel.

"I hope so," he said. "I'm... Best not say more than I need. On assignment. Had a strange encounter. A young boy with consortium tech. Where no consortium tech should be. No, not consortium,  Kurgara. I recognize the make on that shield. Besides who else would use a kid for a mission like this."

Fear spiked through Devaki. It killed hir to be on base, safe, while others took great risks. If something happened to Gabriel...

I'll go myself and rescue him. Damn what they do with me after.

"And what have you done with this boy?"

"I haven't quite decided," the man said. "I let him go for now. Says he's getting humanitarian supplies only. If this is some sort of Kurgara mission, we should really be coordinating it through command."

And the first mention of this mission to Jardin would land Devaki in the hot seat. "My moral duty doesn't end at a border," zie said.

He stared at hir a minute and then sighed. "So not official then. I'm going to meet him coming back through the border. Look in that bag. What am I going to find?"

"As he said, humanitarian aid," zie said. "And when you look, what then?"

He stared at her hard for a minute and then looked away. "Did I leave my morality at the border? I should have. But By the Mother, these people are so poor."

"They'll win their freedom," Devaki said. "If they don't starve first."

"I understand. But a boy? You couldn't find anyone else?"

"The powerful always overlook the small. Another could not have made the trip."

"Your boy almost didn't make it."

"About that? What now?"

"I'm looking in that bag. And then deciding," the man snapped. Then his expression softened. "I won't hurt him, you know that. I'll see him safe home. But if this is to continue, I must have some assurances."

Devaki smiled. "Of course, just let me know what you need."

"I have to go," the man said. "I will be in contact again."

When he signed off, Devaki found hirself shaking and sweating like zie had run a race. She fought to master hir breathing.