Chapter 17

Kat's reception on her arrival at the Callabrian spaceport was a sight warmer than her arrival on Calysto had been. Helios was waiting at the gate with a big, hand-lettered sign reading "Themis Agnoset" on top, and "Ready to party?" below. The wording was surrounded by what were obviously supposed to be balloons and party favors, perhaps fireworks, and the whole thing looked like it was a grade school child's art project.

Kat had to laugh at the big grin on his face and Helios stood there, waving the sign over his head. He was accompanied by a pair of younger men, both dressed casually, and they all cheered when she walked out of the gate.

"Helios! You sure know how to make a lady feel welcome, if only to an asylum." Kat joked as she greeted the senior Agent.

"Hide in plain sight, that's my motto. It worked for, wait, what did you call him? Bowtie? Be so obvious that no one would ever think you have anything to hide." Helios replied.

Helios had an entire suite for himself at one of the better hotels in town, and half the floor was reserved for his CCD team. He installed Kat in one bedroom of the suite and then they sat down in the dining area to talk.

"I am scheduled to meet with a man named Delios Barsa from Anson, the day after tomorrow. The meeting is about the contract renewal for a maintenance contract on a waste treatment facility. My plan is to push hard, and make him kick the issue upstairs to his boss, who is the man I really want to meet."

"The word I am getting through my 'other' contacts is that his boss has been looking for someone to acquire parts for a missile guidance system, specifically, the guidance upgrades on the Exton IV missiles. Those missiles are the latest Union design, only installed on the ships built for the Navy in the last five years."

"The upgrade for the missile guidance is so new that it has only been approved for existing missile installations within the last six months. The Union Navy has not even completed the first round of refits for the older ships so that they can use the full capabilities of the original design, much less the upgrade which would require that the ships tracking and navigation suites be replaced, yet he is looking for parts?"

"Wait..." Kat interrupted. "I got just a scanty brief before I shipped out. We had some other drama happening so I probably didn't get the whole package. How did you find out that this man, the boss of the guy who handles contracts for things like waste treatment plants, is looking for missile parts? It seems pretty far-fetched."

Helios nodded at Kat, and then held up a hand, ticking off points as he talked.

"First, we have a mega-corp, Anson, who is a major investor, but behind the scenes and through a dozen intermediaries, in the mining company that tried to have you killed. Second, that same mining company was the registered owner of a retired Naval ship that was used to kidnap an Agent. Third, Anson, again through intermediaries and shell corporations, purchases a half-dozen other retired military-grade ships and they conveniently go missing."

"Fourth, you already know that I have spent the last eighteen months building up a reputation as a man with no scruples, someone who will do just about anything to line my own pockets and who had the ability, through my company contacts, to move products disguised as innocuous parts and supplies. My smuggling side line puts me into contact with folks who act as middle-men. They let me know what opportunities are available in the systems I travel to."

"I was told that someone was willing to pay a very lucrative fee to anyone who could get their hands on these chips. I was able to identify the person who wanted the chips, but I have no reason to legitimately contact him without raising suspicion. I do, however, have a reason to contact one of his underlings, which brings me to my last, but not least, point."

The contract renewal date for the waste treatment facility that CCD build for Anson ten years ago, is coming up in about six months. I used the excuse that I was already in the system to set up a meeting with Barsa to discuss the renewal. I am hoping that if I push hard enough, Barsa will kick the issue upstairs and it will give me an introduction to the big man."

"But how are you going to broach the issue with Barsa's boss? Won't it look suspicious if you are negotiating the contract and suddenly pop up with 'Hey, I hear you are looking for illegal missile parts!' I can just imagine that going well." Kat asked, trying to sort this all out.

"True." Helios agreed, but he didn't look at all daunted. "Or, it would be, if I was not already putting the work out through my contacts that I have a friend in the Union Naval supply chain who can get minor things like, say, engine parts or navigation designs. The negotiations with Barsa will take a couple of days. If my plan works, hid boss would have already heard about my shady side business and when, if, I meet him face to face, he will be the one to bring it up."

"Helios, I know you are the expert here, but it sounds, well ... flimsy." Kat said, looking embarrassed.

"Hell, you think I don't know that?" Helios grinned at her. "It is one chance in a million, but I can't just blow it off and hope that something else comes up. I am just going to have to hope that the goddess of luck looks favorably on me. This is the first big break to come my way since I started working this gig. I have uncovered a couple of moles, some thieves and even some crooked politicians, but nothing that the InterSys guys didn't already have a line on. Granted, my info has helped them make cases against these folks, but it is all relatively small-time."

Helios, changing the subject, asked her about the drama on Calysto. Kat filled him in on the story, leaving out the tale of her late-night drive to visit Poseidon and her discussion afterwards with Margo. She told him about the InterSys team, Paron's creepy stalking; about the attack in the elevator and Paron's murder.