God's Dogs Book 2

Life is a luminous pause between two mysteries (birth and death) that are one.

Carl Jung

C-Sharp was monitoring staff’s activity at the embassy. The staff knew of the monitoring as well as to look out for anything suspicious. They agreed to the monitoring, seeing it as in their best interests anyway.

There were two dozen on staff and a marine platoon for security, which was a small delegation, but most of the domestic tasks were hired out to locals. C-Sharp monitored them through the hall and room cameras. Staff was monitored through their implants. And right now it was boring as it was 0300 local time.

She wasn’t born with the name C-Sharp. Her given name was Betelgeuse Lin. It was a tough name to grow up with, and she settled on the nickname of ‘B’ when she could. Even so, if anyone wanted to make fun of her, her full name was sufficient for that purpose.

She was a quiet and studious child, and her parents, who worked a month-on, month-off rotation in space, encouraged her studious efforts. She was also an only child, and every other month, when her parents were gone, she struggled to adapt to the group home for such children.

All of this made it difficult for her to develop a sense of identity. The identity confusion, in her teens, pushed her to find identity outside herself. That led to a series of disastrous relationships, since her low self-worth found its social level with others of similar low self-worth.

Her parents continued to encourage their bright, athletic daughter, but they were shocked when she came home to tell them she was accepted to Coyote Boot Camp.

In Boot Camp, her name created the same problem it always did. But this was Coyote Boot Camp, and the other girls in her barracks stepped up. One of the girls, a musician, told her that on the piano keyboard B was also C flat. Since that was only a half-note change, and Betelgeuse was a full note above others (in their opinion), she should be called C-Sharp. The other girls focused on that as an opportunity for the emotionally battered girl to rebrand herself. Betelgeuse Lin, with all her problems, dropped away like a spent cocoon, and C-Sharp emerged. Her identity confusion began to clear as the other girls, with the immediate acceptance of the instructors and then the boys, adapted to the name change.

After she graduated Boot Camp, in the first year of Coyote training, there was a course on emotional intelligence. Through that course she learned how to heal the damage to her self-worth and recognized her ‘identity’ was a function of her potential.

She may have volunteered for Coyote training out of desperation, but she continued it out of a sense of purpose.

Of course, catching the midnight shift at the embassy was not as glamorous as storming a Cass clan headquarters. She chuckled at that, but then alerted to someone creeping into the storage room in the basement.

Then the camera there went out.

“Gautama,” she sent over her implant comm. “Room B-14. There’s an intruder, probably engaged in nefarious activity. I’m en-route.”

She ran for the stairs and dropped down the two levels to the basement. The embassy layout was the building proper at the top of a hill. The back of it was on an incline so that the basement levels allowed easy access. She figured that’s how the guy got in, but what was he doing?

A silent alarm went off, carried through the Penglai implants, which directed them to execute the response plan for an intruder. One of the marines on duty would take her place in the security office. Another was to take the main entrance. A third was on his way to the basement, as was Gautama. The other two Coyotes would sweep the outside perimeter.

“The door’s ajar,” C-Sharp reported. “Going stealth.”

She trigged the stealth feature of her light armor and pulled her handgun. Slipping through the door, she returned it to its original location. Sliding along the front wall, she scanned the room using various filters.

Her A.I. told her, [He’s at the personnel lockers. I can pick up his breathing.]

[So he’s planting something.]

[That would be a fair assumption.]

“Gautama,” she switched to the tac-net. “Looks like he’s planting something in somebody’s locker. Do you want to grab him or follow him back to his lair?”

“Let him go. We’ll follow him.”

“Okay.”

The intruder finished his business and snuck out of the room. C-Sharp noted to the others on tac-net, “He’s a Durani. I thought those guys were all about law and order.”

Then she approached the locker area and quickly identified which one he broke into by the residual heat signature.

“Yo, marine,” she called out on tac-net.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Get down here and witness me breaking into this locker.”

“On my way.”

In the back of the locker, a package was stuffed under some clothes. C-Sharp pulled it out.

“This doesn’t look like it belongs,” she observed.

The marine agreed, “No it doesn’t. All that’s in here is a change of clothes and personal hygiene gear.”

“Note the name and we’ll question him in the morning. Secure this package somewhere and don’t break the chain of evidence.”

“Will do, ma’am.”

Gautama reported over the tac-net, “We put a tracker on his shuttle. He’s headed off-planet. The Inanna will follow him to see where he goes.”

“Okay,” C-Sharp responded. “I’m going back to monitoring. The marines have the package in custody.”

The shuttle made for the space station and docked in the secure warehouse area. It had the codes to do so, which told them it was some kind of conspiracy.

In Anaya’s warehouse, there were two marine guards to watch over the young devil rays in their large aquariums. A buzzer announced someone at the service entrance.

“Yeah,” one of the marines answered through the intercom.

“Delivery.”

The marine looked to his partner. “Check with base. I don’t think we have a delivery scheduled.”

After a few moments on his comm, the marine said, “Coyote Gautama said to let him in and then arrest him.”

They opened the door and a Durani entered with a container on a grav-sled. “If you would sign here –”

One marine stunned the Durani, while the other shut the door. The devil rays were now excited, and their communication lights lit up. Over the speakers, they told the marines, "That is a bad man."

In the morning, the person whose locker was used for the drop was interviewed. He confirmed he only stored a change of clothes and hygiene products there.

Then the constables showed up. The staff member’s bank account showed a recent large deposit, and an anonymous tip said he was dealing drugs.

The marines on the space station turned their prisoner over to the local police, along with the container full of drugs. The marines at the embassy turned over the planted package also full of drugs, as well as C-Sharp’s helmet camera footage. Under interrogation, the Durani gave up his employer.

The Satya docked at the space station as this was happening. The team disembarked and met Anaya in the warehouse.

Anaya greeted them as they entered, and the children flashed with an excited light display. It translated as ‘thank you’ in a variety of ways.

“I think they like you,” Anaya smiled.

“We are likable,” Moss replied, and continued, “What’s going on with the frame job we heard about as we were coming in?”

“The constable’s office is pursuing it. I don’t think the group that supports the Cass is going to like the outcome.”

“Well, that’s good news.”

Quinn asked, “Are we still scheduled to take the children home?”

“As soon as the freighter from Penglai shows up and we get them all transferred there,” Anaya said. “It’s scheduled to be here tomorrow, which should give you time to stock up the Satya. You’ll be our escort.”

Pax wanted to know, “What about the rest of them? Will the other teams drop them off at their home world once they retrieve them?”

“That’s the plan,” Anaya smiled.

“Okay,” Quinn said. “What’s the plan for tonight?”

“You’ll stay here,” Anaya answered, “in case there’s another attack. The marines left you cots and bedding.”

River asked, “Can we hang out and talk to the children?”

Anaya smiled again. “I’m sure, once we get the one you brought settled, there will be lots for them to talk about. You’ll be welcome in that conversation.”

“Cool,” Moss said, enthused as well at the prospect of talking to these exotic beings.

The following day, they loaded the People onto the freighter and set sail for the Peoples’ home world.