Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 22 (d)

Doctor Kripisov pushed everyone back who was trying to get too close to Gunter Volks. He was weak but seemed to think that he should get up and return to work. Through all the bonhomie, the doctor took readings and recorded them as she did.

"Everyone please back up," Kripisov said. "While he may be conscious, Chief Volks is still my patient."

Everyone took a step back except Captain Cutler. "I'm glad you're awake, Gunter. We thought we lost you."

Volks smiled an exhausted and tight smile. "Never experienced such pain in my life. That man – he just looked at me and a few seconds more and it would have been over."

"But how did you know?" asked Cutler with persistence. "You shot and killed a man. How did you know this man was responsible for the attack affecting the ship?"

Volk's blinked. "I don't know how I knew, Captain. I just knew."

It was uncertain if this satisfied Cutler but he looked over to Cole and gestured. "It would seem the Marshal agrees and the rest of the investigative team agrees with you."

Volks turned to Cole, his face pained. "How bad was it?"

Cole understood what he meant by the question. "It was bad but it all ended when the suspect went down."

Volks sagged back into the bed. "Good, good."

Dr. Kripisov put a stop to any more questioning. "That will be enough. The Chief still needs attention. Everyone clear out."

No one argued with the doctor. She was in charge and everyone filed out of the ER area. Kripisov drew the electronic curtain so she could examine her patient. Entering the Med Centre at the same time the group left was Deputy Security Chief Champion. He strode over to Captain Cutler.

"Is the Chief awake?" Champion asked.

"Yes, but unless you want Dr. Kripisov to chase you out, let her do her job," said Cutler. "Show the Marshal what you have."

Champion looked momentarily indecisive but placed a padd in Cole's hand who quickly scanned it. The first image he saw was of the blonde girl they had just seen from the utility room. The marshal turned showed the padd to the captain.

"We just identified this very girl," Cutler said. "When did this come in?"

"No more than a few minutes, sir," said Champion. "It was flagged right away and I came straight here."

"Pretty convenient," said Cole to everyone assembled. "We can't afford to ignore what's in this dossier but we can't take it for gospel either."

Peering over Cole's shoulder was Miguel. "What does it say?" he asked.

Cole read for the datapadd. "It says the girl's name is Orion Ruskovich, 12 years old. She had some sort of guardianship relationship with Aubrey Chase Chen. The dossier indicates she has some sort of alien DNA in her that that gives her psi powers. It also says her parents died suspiciouslyleaving her an orphan and that she may be unstable and highly dangerous. "

"Alien DNA?" questioned Miguel all wide-eyed.

"The dossier includes just enough to get our attention," said Richard Tilston-Horn from the back. All turned to look at him. "This is professional tradecraft to get us to chase down this girl. To what end, I don't know."

"We do have other leads but, as I said, we do have to find this girl," said Cole. "Champion, does this girl exist in the passenger manifest?"

"Checked that while en route here," said Champion. She is not listed as a passenger. "We don't have CICI working so can't do a good facial recognition check to see if she is under another name. Still, even without, security staff can check visually against female girls under 18 just as easily."

"Good, have your people go over the manifest," Cole told Champion. "We'll also have a picture of another individual, a man, taken inside Aubrey Chase Chen's cabin to identify."

Cole handed Champion the datapadd with a picture of muscled tattooed man on the screen.

"And If we identify and locate either person?" Champion asked.

"Let's make sure we have a full tactical team and all of us together," said Cole, anticipating the next question. "We've already seen a lot of death and damage done. Suffice to say but we've seen how dangerous things can get."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Boz stepped forward, his eyes lighting up. "Many of you have been awake since the start of this crisis. May I suggest that some of you get some sleep. It will be a few hours before I can set a system on the second server to analyze data. It won't be CICI but it will do."

"Boz is correct as he so often is," said Captain Cutler. "I'm relieving the bridge crew. Commander Chung has been holding the fort all this time. I'll stay only till the third watch. It helps that we're entering ship night cycle. Champion: relay to all departments to start rotating their staff out to rest."

Champion snapped to and answered: "Aye, sir." He departed out the door.

Cutler looked at Cole. "I'm off to the bridge and then some rack time. I suggest you get some too. Once Boz gets the computer up and running, we're likely to be going full tilt."

"Aye, captain," Cole acknowledged as Cutler headed out the same door Champion went.

The only ones remaining in the medical center were the Marshal, Miguel, Horn and Boz.

"I will go to set up the system to analyze the crime data," said Boz. "I can notify you all as soon as it is done."

"When do you think it will be ?" Cole asked.

"Assuming everything comes together as planned, I estimate just under five hours," answered Box.

"Good, then shall we all get together then?" Cole asked, his question directed to all.

He heard murmurs of assent. They were all running on empty.

"Till later?" Miguel repeated.

"Till later," stated Horn.

In the corridor, they soon were headed in four separate directions. Cole's eyes felt like sandpaper and his body ached. He couldn't remember when he'd last slept but he was fading fast. He was almost at his cabin door when he heard the voice. It was soft at first, insistent and then as clear as day he heard a girl's voice.

"Marshal, come find me."