Chapter 63

Carly sat back with her coffee, “What’s the plan for today, Boss?”

“Time to go. Armstrong awaits us. I’ve been here a day longer than I planned as it is,” Zeke stated.

“What about the mess with the arrests?”

Zeke shrugged, “Colonel Howe had a busy night. His cells are full. You’ll be delighted to know Bernard has the cell beside his brother. Ten ships departed, despite Control telling them they weren’t authorised to leave.”

“Rats leaving a sinking ship,” Lindsay commented.

“Yep, shit has been going on here for longer than could be tolerated. We just lit the fuse. Colonel Howe told me that the Brigadier got the Sol Bank and several Earth banks to freeze the assets of everyone they arrested and those who left without authorisation,” Zeke replied.

“Will they be a problem for us?” Carly asked.

“Possibly. I don’t know how well they were provisioned. The various space stations have been told to let them dock only if they surrender. Most will sink back to Earth and find friends or family to harbour them.”

“Captain, Tean and Harry wish to come aboard,” Freya informed them.

Zeke grinned, “Permission granted.”

“Oh, man, what’s that awesome smell?” Harry asked as he came into the galley.

“Too late, she guzzled them all,” Lindsay quipped and then ducked as Carly threw her napkin at him, making him laugh.

“Glad to see you, Harry. I must thank Brigadier Santos for getting you here so quickly.”

“Yeah, about that. I got in last night and found the precinct was a madhouse. Santos said, ‘Get your damn crew together. We are going to need them.’ He then sent me to Aida.”

“Tean and I would like you to come and meet some people. Tell us who you like, and hopefully, we will have a crew. We will have to bond on the job.”

“When?”

“Now. Manny gave us a room down the hall that we could use.”

“Okay, but then I’m leaving,” Zeke told Harry.

“Yeah, we guessed that. That’s why we have been working all night. Thanks for giving Tean access to that program. It helped weed out most of the applicants.”

“Go, we will clean up,” Lindsay said.

Zeke looked at Lindsay and then Carly thoughtfully. “No, it can wait. You two, come with me. Oh, Harry and Tean, meet my executive team, Lindsay Connors and Carly Watson.”

“Whoa, Bro, what’s with the glow?” Tean asked.

Lindsay beamed at his sister, “Zeke was able to complete my set.”

“Thanks for reminding me, Lindsay.” Zeke turned back to Tean and Harry. “If you two have complete sets, it would be better.”

He opened his satchel and handed them each a long, slim cardboard box. In each was a folded-over head chain. Carly and Lindsay helped the other two put them on.

“Better?” Zeke asked.

“Yeah, it feels like a piece of me was put back in place,” Tean replied.

Harry nodded and said, “Me, too. Odd design for the diadem, but I like it. We are your people, not Lee’s. Not that I’d disobey her, but I do like the distinction. We are Sol, and her people are Delta.”

“That’s good. Eventually, I plan to be The Lord Wizard of a sextet of wizards. Lee suggested it, but I liked the idea, as that makes us a bit different, too. Lee said she doubted Sol would need a Queen of its own for some time. Earthlings, in general, are not ready.”

“Works for me,” Harry replied. “Shall we depart?”

“Wait, did you organise refreshments for the hopeful?”

“Shit,” Tean groused and rubbed her forehead. It had been a long night.

“No, that’s good. Tean, you will find a trolley in the pantry. You and Harry load it up with bickies and savouries. You can put bottles of juice, soda and water in the drinks trolley.”

“We three will go in first. Give us ten to fifteen minutes to scan the crowd. Then come in and hand out the refreshments.”

“Sounds like a plan. Here is the data we collected and who we liked,” Tean replied and handed Zeke her flexi pad.

Zeke tapped it to his Pedz, then Lindsay’s and Carly’s. He handed it back to Tean.

“Let’s get this over with,” Zeke said and headed for the doors.

Zeke found thirty people waiting in a training room.

He, Lindsay, and Carly had scanned through the data Tean had on the people as they walked over. They noted those she and Harry liked. The others were also top candidates on paper. The trick was determining if they were compatible and hadn’t lied on their resumes.

Zeke sent Lindsay in first, and half a minute later, Carly. Then he entered after another thirty seconds. First, he noted who was talking to whom, who wasn’t in a group and the expressions on their faces. He also noted what they wore and how they stood, sat, and moved.

He then moved around the groups and individuals, asking innocuous questions, shaking hands, or bumping fists. The three of them spent ten minutes working the crowd. Then Tean and Harry came in and offered refreshments.

Zeke paid particular attention to those who approached them. He positioned himself near a tall, young lady leaning against a wall, with one foot pressed against it, at the height of her other knee.

A third of her black hair was shaved off, on her right side to the back. The rest was cut into multiple lengths, spiked, and striped front to back with thin, fluorescent blue and pink sections. Her black jumpsuit outlined her lithe form, and chunky boots encased the lower half of her long legs.