Tundra, Standard Year 404 After Founding

  James stood alone in the elevator, watching the lit up line along the top of the door, that marked his progress back down to the parking garage. Two days. He had given himself two days before he would head back out. He knew that Clara was right. What they had done on Saraya’s moon would come to light, soon. Time, was of the essence. There wasn’t enough time to spend with Alanna, and what little time he had left, he would need to spend on this. James wasn’t prone to moments of rage but icy fury settled on his shoulders. Channeled correctly, rage could be a strength. Anything less, was weakness. He stepped out of the elevator and headed for his car.

  “Mother.” He said a moment later, calling her from the car. “I’m on my way home now. Are you there?”

  “I’ll be there.” Samantha Hawk answered without hesitation. “We’ll talk then.” She hung up. There was nothing more she was willing to say over a potentially unsecured line.

  It was evening, but still early. His father would not be home yet. James knew that as well as his mother did. Putting on a burst of speed and weaving around a slower vehicle, he headed for the next exit. His parents didn’t live far.

  A few minutes later, he scanned his wrist comm and submitted to the retinal scan needed to get into the garage, under the watchful but familiar eyes of the secret service agents that guarded his father’s entire building. The second security checkpoint on the way to the elevators was bypassed as easily. They all knew him by sight. He was about to head into the elevator when he heard his mother’s voice.

  “James!” She called out. “I’m on my way up as well.” She ran up to him without hesitation. Ignoring the stares some of the newer secret service agents threw her way, she threw her arms around her son. “It’s good to see you.” She said, hugging him fiercely. “And congratulations.”

  Just for a heartbeat, James softened, putting his arms around his mother. “It’s good to see you too, mom.” He said. “We need to talk.” He added, lowering his voice.

  They rode up in silence. The elevator was private, but it wasn’t subject to the same regular scans for listening devices as the interior of his parent’s apartment. They waited. Samantha led the way, walking out into a garden that would have brought Alanna to tears. The space was three stories high. Fruit trees and vines flowed towards a massive, three story window looking out over the city below. A large, circular pond lay in the middle, pumped from the Tundran sea below, and teeming with life. The twilight of Tundra’s setting sun bathed the scene. Samantha skirted the pond, smiling slightly as a black chicken waddled past them, and walked on towards the set of glass doors that led to her office. She shut the door, running a quick scan for listening devices before gesturing for James to take a seat. “What did your father do?” She asked.

  James smiled slightly, as her words took the slightest edge off his rage. “He went after Alanna. I should have seen it coming.” He added, accepting the blame.

  “You would have.” His mother sighed. “Had you known he noticed. But how could you know? I didn’t see it, either. Unusual, for him to be more observant. But then…” She smiled very slightly, “he does hold a slight advantage.” She had seen Alanna Summers, but her husband was more likely to see what James saw. Such a subjective thing, visible to both men only because they were so very much alike. “He came after her, and she survived.” Samantha continued. “She won.”

  “Mother, you astound even me.” James shook his head, unable to stop himself from laughing.

  “It was obvious after the promotion.” Samantha explained with a shrug. “He would not have done it unless she earned it. But time is short. What have you come to ask?”

  “Your support.”

  “For what?”

  “For the marriage.” James replied without hesitation.

  “So, you are serious.”

  “I am. I’ve never been more serious.”

  “And it’s not just about…”

  “The strategic benefits have not escaped me. But this is about Alanna.”

  “And you’re sure?”

  “I am.”

  “Is she the mission objective?” His mother asked, smiling slightly.

  “She is.” James responded without hesitation, relieved. His mother understood.

  “Very well.” Samantha Hawk nodded, accepting it. “You have my support. On one condition.”

  “No.” James shook his head, standing up. “No conditions. No limitations. Support me, or get out of my way.”

  “James.” His mother stood up to face him, holding out her hands. “Hear me out. I know you. And I know you didn’t ask. Please. You need to ask. She must be given a choice. Do you understand? I say this for both your sakes. I raised you to ask.”

  They stood facing each other across her small office, the tension between them sharp enough to be a nearly visible force. “No.” James repeated. “Are you in, or do I need to find another way?”

  They stood for another long moment, before Samantha raised her hands in surrender. “I won’t go to war with you, James. If you need me to stand between your father and Alanna, I will. I already have. It is done. She has our family’s support. She always will. You know that. I hope you do the right thing. Not as a condition or a limitation. But because it’s the right thing to do, for both of you.” She stepped forward, hugging him one last time. “Good luck.” She said, as they both heard the muted sound of the elevator doors opening back up. Jim Hawk, was on his way home.

  “Father.” James nodded a moment later, watching his father walk towards them through the garden.

  Jim Hawk looked at his son momentarily, before his eyes slid towards his wife. Two sets of cool gray eyes looked back at him. “Ah.” He said shortly. “James, let’s talk.”

  His father’s office was on the other side of the garden, where he would not bother his wife. They walked under the three story window in silence when Jim Hawk paused, looking out at the city below. “One year.” He said abruptly.

  James raised an eyebrow, not entirely clear on his father’s point.

  “One year engagement. Wait one year, and you will have my full support.”

  James considered. It was an unexpected offer, and a generous one. “Will your full support begin now?” He asked. “And your protection?”

  “Yes. If you agree to a one year engagement, yes.”

  “Your personal protection.” James said, not backing down. “The kind of protection you extend to mother. I don’t mean assigning her a secret service detail. If something goes wrong, if she goes missing or gets hurt while I’m gone, she will have your personal protection.” That offer of protection, within his grasp, was worth swallowing his pride. Alanna’s safety was more important than his rage.

  “You’ve spoken with your mother?” Jim Hawk asked, his voice neutral. Both men knew the implications. “And?”

  “You know the answer. You always did. She thinks you gave Alanna the promotion because she survived. Against you.”

  Jim Hawk smiled slightly “If we pitted Sam against the Tundran Secret Service, who do you think would win?” He mused. “Sam versus Robert?”

  “Your personal protection.” James repeated, ice in every word. He was in no mood to speak of anything but business. “And her asylum and security clearance, approved by you personally. Tonight.”

  Jim Hawk paused. “Security clearance?” He asked. “Whatever for?”

  “This is the deal. Take it or leave it.”

  Jim Hawk paused for one long moment, looking out at the city below. “And you ask me to do this without a brain scan, on nothing but your word?”

  “You saw her medical file. You know what you’re asking of me by requesting the year.”

  “Ah.” Jim Hawk considered. His son’s information was better than he expected. Unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. “Very well, I accept.” He held out his hand, letting the handshake seal their bargain, before continuing. “You didn’t report in.” He observed, his voice deceptively mild.

  “An unavoidable family emergency.” James responded, his calm gaze meeting his father’s. “I sent in a written report. You’ll find it’s quite detailed.”

  “I read it.”

  “And?”

  Jim Hawk looked out over the city in silence. In the distance, lights flickered on and off as people returned home from work, went out to eat and spend time with friends, lived their lives. “It was well done.” He said.

  James nodded, and waited. His father never gave praise without a reason. More was coming.

  “The civilian wing of the station…” Jim Hawk began.

  “It was too crowded.” James repeated, perfectly consistent with what he had written into his report.

  “Of course.” His father nodded. “And Saraya?” He asked his son carefully. “Saraya is quite crowded, I would imagine.”

  “From what I saw, most targets are surrounded by miles of empty jungle.”

  “So, you do not foresee the same… difficulties, arising?” Jim Hawk asked.

  “I do not.” James replied, meeting his father’s eyes.

  “Good.” Jim Hawk nodded, surprised to find he did not quite experience the relief he expected. “Good.” He repeated. “And you realize of course, you will need more radical alterations to change your appearance this time around? The risk is too great. Your face …”

  “I know. And we will do the same for Henry and Clara.”

  “Of course.” His father acknowledged. It wasn’t like him to second guess his people. Especially not James, who rarely needed it. His words masked a bigger problem. Jim Hawk… was worried. “James.” He paused. “Son, I’m not questioning your commitment.” He held up his hand, forestalling interruption. “I’m not questioning you.” He repeated. “I’m questioning… whether you’re the right person for this mission.”

  “Tom asked for me.”

  “Tom can go to hell.” His father said sharply. “It doesn’t need to be you.”

  “Is this about Alanna?” James asked, studying his father.

  “This has fuck all to do with Alanna Summers.” His father snapped, taking James completely by surprise. “I don’t think this is the right mission for you. I don’t think it’s the right mission for my son. I don’t want you to go. Since we have all decided to throw responsibility out the window and be selfish and weak, I’ve decided to join the party.”

  “You think I’m being selfish and weak?” James asked.

  “I know you are.”

  James nodded. It wasn’t like his father to keep his views to himself. It would all come out, sooner or later. Usually sooner. “Mother said it well.” He said with a slight smile. “Alanna is the mission objective. Tundra… is secondary. I will protect my own. From Saraya, and if necessary, from you.”

  “Protect your own.” His father repeated, frowning slightly. “I’ve never heard that from you. It’s her, isn’t it? Her words. The orphan who betrayed her people. She’s already gotten into your head. It’s not just that she is Sarayan, James. She’s bad for you. She will make you hesitate, make you weak.”

  “Alanna is no one’s weakness.” James said quietly.

  “Then choose her. Choose her and stay, until you both get sick of each other. I assure you, if she knew the choice you are being asked to make, she would counsel the same.”

  “If anyone else goes to Saraya, they will fail. Won’t they, father? Except perhaps mother, but we both know you will lock her up in the deepest, darkest cell in the most secure of prisons before she so much as breathes of the possibility. There is no one else.”

  “You just said…”

  “She is the mission objective. I can’t keep her safe unless we win the war.” James said. It was quite simple, really.

  “So you’ve made your choice.”

  “I have.”

  “I truly despise her.”

  “I know.”

  “My personal protection. The same as I would extend to your mother.”

  “Yes.”

  “You have my word.”

  James nodded, turning his back to the window. “I want to say goodbye to mother before I head out.”

  “She stepped out.” His father replied, his dark eyes meeting his son’s steely gray eyed gaze.

  The realization dawned nearly instantaneously. Without another word, James ran for the elevator.

  ---

  Samantha Hawk sent one last brief glance towards her son’s retreating back as he walked off with his father, the two men looking so very much alike as they walked towards the three story window and the city beyond. It was a very brief glance. She ran towards the kitchen, grabbing the two boxes of fudge she had made for her son’s next mission, and headed at a dead run towards the elevator. By the time she got out, her vehicle was waiting, the secret service agent sliding into the passenger seat just in time. Samantha Hawk liked to drive. There were three vehicles altogether, the one she drove, one in front and one behind, the sirens on as they headed out at break neck speed. Her son’s building wasn’t far. It only took a few minutes before she was walking towards the elevator of her son’s building. The secret service agent would take care of the parking. She had the access codes to the elevator, but James had not given her the keys. She rang the bell, and waited. Samantha Hawk tapped her foot, trying to mask her impatience. Time was short, and sooner or later, her son would figure out what they had done. A long, drawn out minute later, Tony Sicaro opened the door, gun in hand.

  “Sam.” He said in surprise, which turned nearly immediately into suspicion. “What can I do for you?”

  “What are you doing here?” Samantha Hawk asked.

  “Babysitting.” Tony replied.

  “I want to speak to Alanna Summers. Are you going to shoot me to prevent that from happening?”

  “Ah.” Tony stood in the doorway with uncharacteristic uncertainty. “Will I have to?”

  “Yes.” Samantha Hawk replied, pushing him aside as she headed in.

  “You’re just talking, right?” Tony called out after her.

  “Of course I am. If I were doing anything else, I would have shot you by now.” She swept on through the hallway and into the kitchen, observing Clara slumped down in her seat and obviously inebriated, before her eyes focused in on the infamous Alanna Summers, and the barrel of a gun that was trained directly on her.

  “Good evening.” Samantha Hawk said calmly, ignoring the gun. “Do I smell dinner?”

  “It’s going to burn.” Alanna said, with some regret. Dinner smelled good, and she was deathly hungry. “You’re the professional killer, right?” She added, trying not to get thrown off by those eerily familiar gray eyes looking back at her. His eyes.

  “And you are the master sniper.” Samantha Hawk responded, with a slight smile. “But more on that later. We can’t let dinner go to waste.” Setting her purse down on the floor near the dining table and skirting around Clara, Samantha walked into the kitchen, taking the chicken and pasta out of the oven.

  “Damn.” Tony breathed in the smell. “That smells good.” It had been days and days since he’d had real food.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Get the plates out.” Samantha said, placing a serving spoon into the baking dish and a heat pad down to protect the table. “And get me a glass of wine.”

  “But I…” Tony looked down at his gun, nonplussed.

  “The master sniper has a gun trained on me and it’s a very small kitchen, Tony.” Samantha Hawk observed. “I do believe she can handle it. Get the plates.”

  “Take the bread out too.” Alanna said, the gun unwavering in her hand.

  A moment later they were all sitting around the table. Alanna looked down at the food in front of her and tried hard to ignore how much her mouth was watering. She was so damn hungry. With a shake of her head, she focused on holding the gun.

  “Let’s take a walk in the garden.” Samantha Hawk offered, picking up her glass of wine. “I would like to speak with you in private, Alanna. You are welcome to bring the gun if it makes you feel better.”

  Alanna looked to Tony, and what she saw was not reassuring. She had never seen Tony visibly nervous… until now.

  Unexpectedly, it was Clara who spoke up. “No.” She said. “You talk to her here with us, or not at all.”

  “We’re babysitting.” Tony repeated.

  There was a slight pause, as Samantha Hawk shot a not entirely friendly look in Clara’s direction.

  The look of terror on Clara’s face was not reassuring. “We’re staying.” Clara repeated. It wasn’t clear to anyone, how much of her courage was fueled by alcohol, but Clara was not budging.

  “And that is your final decision?” Samantha Hawk asked, a note of warning in her voice as she turned to Tony.

  “We’re staying.” Tony said, his voice more steady. Tony Sicaro, had made his choice.

  “Very well.” Samantha Hawk acknowledged. Time, was short. She turned back to Alanna, her gaze lingering momentarily on the ruby red liquid in Alanna’s glass. Her pause was but a fraction of a moment, and then she continued. “Alanna, listen carefully to what I am about to say and please, please take me at my word. I have come here to offer you a choice. I have not come here to make the choice for you, or to push you to choose one option over the other. This is, truly and sincerely, a choice. Do you understand?”

  “I understand.” Alanna said. She did not put down the gun. Alanna liked guns, especially when there were scary people in her vicinity. And Samantha Hawk, was scary as fuck.

  “Please reach into the front pocket of my purse and pull out the ID and cash card.” Samantha Hawk said.

  “I’m happy to take the ID and the cash, but you know, gun.” Alanna shrugged, her eyes never leaving Samantha Hawk’s face. The woman had a gun somewhere, and she would be fast.

  Samantha Hawk smiled slightly. “This choice comes with conditions.”

  “What could it possibly be?” Alanna said sarcastically. “The mystery is killing me.”

  “Alanna, please.” Samantha Hawk sighed, placing her hands on the table as she leaned forwards, ignoring the gun barrel Alanna kept firmly trained on her. “I know you want to see the cliché. This is not that. I am not here to force this on you. I am here to offer you a choice. Your citizenship, money, and my personal protection. If you want them.”

  “How much money?” Alanna asked bluntly.

  “Five million Tundran credits.”

  Tony let out a low whistle.

  “Tony.” Samantha Hawk turned to him. “Tell her I’m not lying.”

  Tony sat silently, still as a rock.

  “She’s not lying.” Clara spoke up. “Tony knows that, Alanna. He’s keeping his mouth shut out of loyalty to James. And Sam is right. You do deserve a choice.”

  “He’s never been serious about anyone, not once.” Samantha Hawk held out her hands. “I’m not my husband. I don’t hate you, Alanna Summers. I don’t need for my son to be the president. I want him to be happy. But for that to happen, you must choose. And choose well. Because James won’t let go.”

  “She’s not lying about the money, or her protection.” Clara repeated. “Samantha Hawk will keep her word.”

  Out of curiosity, Alanna turned back to Tony. He looked back at her, face perfectly blank. No further feedback was forthcoming. “And if I choose James?” Alanna asked, her eyes drifting back to Samantha Hawk.

  Samantha looked back at her but just for a moment, her gaze shifted away from Alanna, towards the glass of liquid by Alanna’s right hand. “Then welcome to the family.” She said.

  “It’s juice.” Alanna said, sourly. “Stop staring at it.”

  “Sicaro.” Samantha Hawk said, very softly.

  “Did your husband not mention that?” Tony asked innocently.

  “My husband and I, have much to discuss.” Samantha Hawk replied, her voice silky soft. “But it changes nothing. Alanna, the choice is still yours. I am here to support you in whatever decision you make.”

  “I choose James.” Alanna said.

  “Welcome to the fam…” Samantha Hawk moved forward, intending to wrap her arms around her future daughter in law.

  Tony and Clara responded in perfect unison, Tony grabbing Alanna’s wrist and forcing her to let go of the gun while Clara grabbed Samantha Hawk, pulling her back.

  “She doesn’t like to be touched.” Tony explained, a bead of sweat running off his forehead. He desperately needed a vacation from this vacation. A long battle deep in Sarayan territory sounded nice and relaxing.

  “How did you know it was juice?” Clara asked as everyone settled back into their seats.

  “Slightly different color.” Alanna said, looking down at her glass.

  “It’s nearly the same color!”

  “Nearly, but not quite.” Samantha Hawk smiled, seemingly unperturbed by the kerfuffle. “Clara, get the two boxes out of my purse.”

  “Are there explosives in them?” Alanna asked, rubbing her wrist.

  “Now why would I need that?” Samantha Hawk asked, with a slight smile.

  “An excellent question.” Alanna agreed. “I’m guessing she can outdraw all of us and I no longer have a gun. You’re both terrible babysitters.”

  “Sicaro.” Samantha Hawk said, somewhat sharply, studying Alanna more closely.

  “Yeah, Sam?”

  “Why does my future daughter in law have bruises on her neck?”

  Alanna blinked.

  Tony rubbed the back of his neck. “Couldn’t say, Sam.” He said, avoiding her gaze.

  Samantha Hawk’s eyes narrowed, turning to Clara, who visibly shrank back into her chair.

  “Clara.” She said softly.

  “I was drunk!”

  “Was?”

  Very carefully and without saying a word, Clara took two boxes out of Samantha Hawk’s purse and placed them on the kitchen table.

  “Hey Sam.” Tony said suddenly.

  “Yes?” Samantha Hawk asked, turning back to him.

  “You ever feel bad about any of those people you killed?” Tony asked her.

  Samantha Hawk cocked her head, as if she found the question puzzling. “Not once. Not even for the briefest moment.” And then she turned back to Clara. “Clara.” She repeated.

  “Yes, ma’am?” Clara replied, with trepidation.

  “Do you feel bad about killing people?” Samantha Hawk asked, her voice almost gentle.

  “Um. Sometimes.” Clara responded, knowing even before the words left her mouth, that she would regret it.

  “Of course. I understand. But let me give you a piece of advice, Clara. The next time you feel bad, the next time you hesitate, close your eyes and imagine sitting here, in my son’s kitchen, knowing that your hesitation is the reason he’s dead.”

  The sound of the elevator arriving interrupted the long, drawn out silence around the table.

  “I’ll get the bread.” Alanna said, getting up from the table.

  “It’s time for me to go.” Samantha Hawk got up from the table, as calm and unrushed as she had been when she walked in. “Good night, children.” She nodded to Clara and Alanna. “Tony.”

  From his comfortable slouch deep into one of the armchairs in front of the kitchen fireplace, Tony gave Samantha Hawk a lazy salute as she turned and walked out.

  “You won.” Samantha said, walking up to meet her son. “Congratulations.”

  James frowned. “Did I?”

  “Yes James, you did. You may not realize it yet, but you did. I love you.” And then she walked up and embraced him. “I know you need time. I’ll go. Just, please know that I love you.”

  James hesitated for the briefest second before hugging her back. “I love you too.” He said it with some trepidation, but he said it.

  A moment later, James walked into his kitchen. They were sitting together at the dining table, Clara, Tony, and Alanna. His best friends. His family. He walked over to Alanna, leaning down to embrace her and holding on for one long moment. “Are you all right?” He asked, framing her face with his hands.

  “I’m good.” She said, and then she gave him a smile that reached all the way to her bright green eyes, and hugged him back. “I’m perfect.”

  “What did I win?” James asked, somewhat cautiously. “My mother mentioned I won something, on her way out.”

  “Just me, I’m afraid.” Alanna said with a slight grin. “But there’s dinner. And I made the bread you wanted. It might not be quite right but…” She pushed one of the plates in his direction, cutting off a slice of the bread.

  “The chicken is good.” Tony said, pulling his own plate more closely towards himself and getting back to the serious business of eating. “The bread has some weird green crap in it. I’m not touching it. No offense, Alanna.”

  “It’s rosemary.” Alanna pointed out.

  “Uhuh.” Tony slanted a dubious look towards the bread before getting back to the chicken.

  “You cooked.” James shook his head, laughing. “And I like the bread.”

  “He only says that because he has to.” Tony said helpfully. “No one in their right mind wants anything green in their bread.”

  “My mom made this.” James said, digging into the food. “Didn’t she ever make it for you?”

  “Never.” Clara shook her head. “Never did she ever, James.”

  “Didn’t want to corrupt us with her evil Sarayan ways.” Tony agreed.

  “What did she say?” James asked, his eyes turning serious as he studied Alanna.

  “She asked me to leave. But politely. At least, I think it was polite. It was a hell of a lot more polite than major Miller’s proposal.”

  Clara frowned. “That’s not what she did.” She said.

  “That’s not what she did.” Tony agreed, looking up momentarily from his food.

  “That’s exactly what she did.” Alanna said with a shrug, taking a slice of bread and adding butter.

  “No.” Clara shook her head. “She gave you a choice. It’s not the same.”

  “Yes, she gave me the option of leaving. How is that not the same?”

  “She didn’t tell you which option to choose.” Tony turned to James. “She didn’t.” He repeated. “Sam came to give Alanna a choice.” He turned to Alanna. “She never told you what choice to make. Sam meant what she said. It was a choice.”

  James paused mid bite. “And you chose?” He asked, studying Alanna closely.

  Alanna shrugged. “The choice was already made. I said I would marry you and if you want to get married, we will. Don’t worry James, you can’t bully me into a marriage I don’t want. I was never that weak.”

  “I never thought you were weak.” James said quietly, his eyes on her.

  “Not your type?” Alanna asked, green eyes sparkling.

  “Five mill.” Tony said, interrupting the uncomfortably intimate moment.

  “What?” James asked, turning to him in some annoyance. Very soon now, it would be time for his friends to leave.

  “That’s how much your mom thought you were worth. Five mill. Figured you’d want to know.”

  “She offered you five million to leave?” James asked, eyes narrowing dangerously.

  “She offered her the option to take five mill and leave.” Clara corrected.

  Alanna gasped in surprise as James reached out, bodily picking her up out of her chair and pulling her into his lap, his hands locked tightly around her waist. “I wouldn’t have let you go.” He whispered into her ear, pulling her closer.

  “Ok.” Alanna agreed, staring down at the table.

  “Do you have bruises on your neck?” James asked softly, his fingers tracing the line of her throat.

  “I…” Alanna opened her mouth, unsure of how to finish that thought, and then, unsure she could finish any thought at all.

  “Why does she have bruises on her neck?” James asked, his voice dangerously low as he turned to Tony.

  “Wasn’t me.” Tony said, focusing on his food.

  “Mother wouldn’t…” James frowned, looking over at Clara in confusion.

  “Sherlock Holmes you are not.” Clara said with a sigh.

  “I read those books.” Alanna murmured, trying to think beyond the hand James was running along her thigh.

  “Clara, did you do this?” James asked, his other hand wrapping very gently around Alanna’s neck.

  “In my defense, she really had it coming.”

  Tony paused mid bite.

  “Tony.” James said, his voice an echo of Samantha Hawk’s soft tone.

  Tony sighed. “Clara hit on Alanna.” He explained.

  “You did what?” James asked, sharp ice coating his words as he turned to Clara.

  “She pulled a knife on me.” Clara responded defensively.

  “That’s my girl.” James whispered into Alanna’s ear, making her shiver.

  “You’re taking her side?” Clara said, outraged. “She pulled a knife! All I did was…” Clara paused. “All I did was… why are you looking at me that way? You’ve never cared about sharing before.”

  “I care now.” James said.

  “Clara apologized.” Tony said. “And she shouldn’t have done it. You shouldn’t have done it.” He repeated, turning to Clara.

  “Who the hell are you to talk! Didn’t you…”

  “I never touched her!”

  “He didn’t.” James said.

  It was one of the few things he could have said that made Alanna sit up and take notice. “How…” She began, uncertain whether she wanted to finish.

  “I talked to Phil.” James answered her unasked question. “The last guard standing shot Tony the minute he hit you hard enough to cause serious damage. I’m sorry you got hurt. It shouldn’t have happened. But no one hurt you after you passed out. And Clara” James turned towards her, grabbed her plate, and pulled it away. “Clara should not have touched you.”

  “Are you serious?” Clara gasped in outrage. “I’m starving.”

  “You can have ration bars.”

  “I’ll get you dinner.” Tony offered, polishing off his plate. “It’s time for us to go. We’re terrible babysitters.”

  “Well now you made it weird.” Clara shook her head, getting up from the table. “James.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry. For all of it. Your mom talked to me. And she said what I needed to hear. All I needed to hear.” She held out her hand. “I’m all in.”

  “Clara…”

  “Don’t do this to me. If you go in alone and don’t return, I can’t live with it either. Don’t do that to me.”

  “All right.” James agreed, gently lifting Alanna from his lap and putting her back in her chair. “Let me walk you out.”

  They walked towards the elevator together. Alanna held back, staring into the low fire burning in the kitchen fireplace.

  Tony paused briefly on his way out, looking back at James. “Are we good?” He asked, holding out his hand.

  “We’re good.” James said, accepting his hand, and then pulling him into a full embrace. “Thank you.”

  “Do you need me?” Tony asked quietly. “This next mission…”

  “No.” James shook his head decisively, nodding to Clara. “I have the team I need.”

  ---

  Samantha Hawk walked out at a far more sedate pace, taking her time to return home. She watched the other vehicles zooming past in the icy tunnel. Of course, she understood that while her intent was to offer Alanna a choice, her husband’s hope was that Alanna would take the option she was given and leave. While she didn’t agree with her husband, she did understand his perspective. But she very sincerely doubted that Tony and Alanna both knew of the pregnancy, and her husband did not. Whatever medical test was performed to ascertain the pregnancy, Tanya Arden would know the result, and pass those results on to Jim Hawk. Jim Hawk knew. He knew, and chose to withhold that information from her. Samantha Hawk was unable to have children. Her son’s very existence was an inexplicable miracle. And her husband, better than anyone, knew how she felt about the prospect of grandchildren. Samantha Hawk wanted grandchildren. Wanted them as she wanted nothing else in life. To have withheld even the possibility of it… She closed her eyes for a long moment, taking a few deep, even breaths before she walked out of the car into their private parking garage.

  “Ah, Robert.” Samantha Hawk nodded politely, watching the dour faced head of the Tundran Secret Service walk ahead of her towards the elevator. “Going up to see my husband?”

  “I am, yes.” Robert nodded politely, holding the elevator door and waiting for her to enter.

  “Good. Perhaps you can talk some sense into him. I would so hate for us to meet again, in the course of an active investigation.”

  Robert raised an eyebrow. “I would hate that as well, Sam.” He agreed.

  “Make sure it’s a productive conversation, will you?”

  “I will endeavor to do so.”

  “Good.” She stepped back towards the rear wall of the elevator, letting Robert precede her out and leaving him no choice but to turn his back on her. Samantha smiled slightly when he did so without hesitation. She had never known him to take much care with his own safety and well being. An odd man, whose motivations she had never quite understood. Quietly, Samantha Hawk followed.

  “Good to see you.” Jim had come out to meet Robert, holding out his hand. “How did…” He turned to his wife and paused, seeing the look on her face.

  “We’ll speak later.” Samantha Hawk said quietly, nodding to both men before heading on into the apartment.

  They watched her leave.

  “I have no choice but to regretfully inform you of another threat on your life.” Robert said, still watching Sam walk away.

  “A weekly occurrence, barely worth mentioning.” Jim Hawk replied with a tight smile.

  “This one felt more imminent than that.”

  “Sometimes these things cannot be avoided.” Jim Hawk sighed, sitting on the bench that formed the raised borders of the circular pond in the middle of their garden, he looked down into the water, observing a translucent, tentacled creature pulse its way across the water. “Why have you come?”

  “You asked me to tell you if we heard of any developments in the investigation of the murders that took place on Saraya’s moon.”

  “And?” Jim Hawk looked up, trying to mask the hope he felt. If the Sarayans identified his son, Clara and Henry, if they showed the barest modicum of competence, he would forbid James from going. And he would be well within his rights to do so. Appearances could only be masked to a degree. Certain similarities would remain. If they were identified, the risk would be too great.

  Robert hesitated. “There is nothing… concrete. At this time. The investigation is, of course, ongoing.”

  “I asked James not to go.” Jim Hawk said bluntly, getting to the point.

  “And?”

  “And he declined.”

  “That surprises me.” Robert replied frankly. “Why would he risk so much now? He has every reason to take extra care.”

  “We are a different generation, you and I.” Jim Hawk shook his head. “We understand reality. James wants to have it all. He wants to secure a future for his wife and their children. A future without war, where Tundra rules supreme over the solar system.”

  “I would have thought you would find that a worthy goal.”

  “It is a foolish and unrealistic goal. And it may well get him killed.” Jim Hawk said bluntly.

  Robert hesitated. “There are always rumors.” He offered, somewhat carefully. “Perhaps if we placed added emphasis on those rumors…”

  “No.” Jim Hawk shook his head. “Look how well it went when I withheld information from Sam.”

  “What…”

  “Oh, the prospective pregnancy, I’m quite sure. God only knows how she found out. She is the only person I know who is more observant than you.”

  “I agree.” Robert acknowledged.

  “Just keep watching. If there is so much as a hint that the Sarayans suspect my son, we will pull them all out.”

  Robert nodded, sitting down by the pond next to his friend. “And Alanna Summers?” He asked.

  Jim Hawk released a deep sigh, filled with regret. “Get me the security detail roster.”

  “Why?” Robert asked, a note of suspicion creeping into his voice.

  The look on Jim Hawk’s face did not lighten. “I promised James.” He said grimly. “I promised James to provide her with the same protection I extend to my wife. Keep that in mind when you select your people.”

  “May I ask what you received in return?”

  “A yearlong engagement.”

  Robert nodded, thoughtfully. “And do you think he will change his mind?”

  “To be frank, I think it unlikely. But at the moment, it’s the best opportunity I have to delay this disaster. I will not pass it up. And who knows, the girl may yet change her mind.”

  “Would James let her?”

  “If she wanted out badly enough, perhaps.”

  “Why do you hate her so much, Jim? Is it truly just that she is Sarayan? In time, she will be Tundran. You know people who have walked that path. We work with them every day.”

  Jim Hawk looked over at his friend curiously. “Do you not see it, Robert? Do you not see what she is?”

  “Not really, no.”

  “Alanna Summers is the weakest link that breaks society. She came from nothing. No power, no influence. And look what she has managed to do to her own people. She blurred the lines of nationalism and loyalty and made it look like the right thing to do. A few weeks ago, Alanna Summers was Sarayan. Today, she is the best thing to ever happen to Tundra. Operation Black Dragon is happening, because of her. Our ultimate victory is within our grasp, because of her. She is a dangerous friend to have. And look what she has done to us already. The influence she’s had on Dev, on Sicaro, on my son. She makes us question all that we are. Over the long term, is she an ally we can afford to keep?”

  “The weakest link that breaks society.” Robert repeated, thoughtfully, looking down into the water. “That is not how I would have phrased it.”

  “How would you phrase it?” Jim Hawk asked, looking over at Robert.

  Robert Nagar smiled slightly. “She is the weakest link that breaks the chain, which human society inevitably creates, to hang itself.”

  “You think Sarayan society is on a path to destruction?” Jim Hawk asked.

  “It is not what I think, Jim. It’s what is.”

  “And here?” Jim Hawk swept his arm out past both of them, towards the three story window beyond. “Our society works. We are united by common goals, common beliefs. Our people believe so fiercely, they will sacrifice themselves to protect their fellow Tundrands, to defend our way of life. Our society is thriving. This weakness, this disease, tell me Robert, do we need it here?”

  “Yes.” Robert said, looking up to meet Jim Hawk’s angry gaze. “Yes, you need it here. Alanna Summers is the weakest link, that keeps you from making the chain.”

  Jim Hawk frowned, as his friend’s words finally reached him. “You like her.” He said, his voice uncomprehending.

  “I don’t know her, Jim.” Robert said, with annoyance. Now, more than ever, he wished he had the results of the DNA scan he was awaiting so eagerly. If Grant took any longer, he would have to go do the damn job himself. “But from what I’ve seen, yes. I do rather like her.”

  Unexpectedly, Jim Hawk laughed. “Robert, you are the head of the Tundran Secret Service. These libertine views are coming from the least expected of sources.”

  “I, of all people, know just how dangerous unlimited government power can become. Why fight for independence if you will become that which you fought against? We are going to win, Jim. It’s time to think about the society we’re going to build, once victory is ours. Alanna Summers may not be the right choice for today. But for the future? When you’re trying to rebuild peace with Saraya and keep Tundran society from becoming that which we hate most? James is young. He looks to the future more than we do. It’s not always a weakness.”

  “Hmm.” Jim Hawk murmured, looking out at the city beyond them. “How uncharacteristically hopeful and optimistic of you, Robert.”

  “That would be uncharacteristic.” Robert agreed.

  “A resounding victory, followed by peace across the solar system.” Jim Hawk mused. “That would be something. But you don’t want peace and harmony, do you, Robert? What was it you once said? Peace is a dangerous enemy.”

  “It weakens us all.”

  “Yes.”

  Robert Nagar shrugged. “Human nature being what it is, I wouldn’t worry about it. Aim for peace, Jim. That way you just might manage not to destroy yourselves.”