“Do we have the android then?” Riker asked.

  “No,” Maddox said. “I want them worried. I want them panicked.”

  “What if she—?”

  “Sir,” Keith said.

  “I see it,” Maddox said, who spotted the blinking red light. He tapped the comm control again.

  This time, Admiral Cook appeared on the small screen. He looked much more tired than last time Maddox had seen him.

  “Captain,” the Lord High Admiral said. “Is it true that you are not bringing down the android as ordered?”

  “Sir,” Maddox said. “If you would allow me to play a hunch…”

  “No, Captain,” Cook said. “You must return to your ship and get the android. I gave the Prime Minister my word. You will not make a liar out of me.”

  “Then I’m sorry about this, sir,” Maddox said.

  “What were you thinking?”

  “I have them worried.”

  Cook stared at him and finally dragged a hand over his face. “Don’t you understand—?”

  “Sir,” Maddox said, interrupting. “I’ve discovered new information. I don’t believe we should use this line to discuss it, though. The information is startling and sheds new light on what happened.”

  Admiral Cook blinked several times and sighed audibly. He appeared to be under heavy strain. “I cannot understand… I don’t know why… Captain, you have put me in a terrible spot.”

  “Let me explain to the Prime Minister in person, sir.”

  “He might have you arrested.”

  “Sir…” Maddox didn’t know how to impart willpower or spine into a man. Couldn’t the Lord High Admiral see that he held all the advantages? The Prime Minister had trusted an android. What—

  Maddox must have shown astonishment.

  “What is it now?” Cook said.

  “I, ah, I, ah—” Maddox squeezed his eyes closed, kept them closed and throttled his emotions. When he opened his eyes, he had become every inch the icy Intelligence operative. What had the Sanders android done to Cook during the time the two had been alone? No one had tested Cook to see if the android had—well—inserted anything into the Lord High Admiral. Maybe by the time Maddox had shown up, the android was giving the admiral his instructions.

  “I’m following my intuition, sir,” Maddox said.

  “Are you mad?” Cook asked. “Turn your shuttle around and return to Victory. Get the android and bring it to Stockholm.”

  Maddox cleared his throat as he turned to Keith. The captain gave his pilot a significant glance even as he pushed his hand forward as if shoving a throttle stick forward, doing this while keeping his hand out of the Lord High Admiral’s visual range.

  “Captain?” Cook shouted.

  Maddox turned to the tiny screen even as the shuttle began shaking again.

  Cook said, “You will—”

  “Sir,” Maddox said. “There’s a malfunction in the shuttle engine. We’re going down. We’re going down hard.”

  Cook stared at Maddox in disbelief.

  “You’re cutting out, sir,” Maddox said, who then pressed the switch, breaking the comm connection.

  “That’s the Lord High Admiral,” a pale Riker said, who knew his captain’s ways all too well.

  “I’m aware of that, Sergeant,” Maddox said crisply. “Get us to Stockholm,” he told Keith. “Get there as fast as you can.”

  “Yes, sir,” Keith said with enthusiasm. “Hang on, mates. This is going to be fun.”

  -14-

  The red comm light continued to blink, but Maddox ignored it as the shuttle blazed down from orbital space.

  Keith put on an exhibition of combat flying. As he did, Maddox kept a keen eye on the board in case any targeting sensors latched onto them. Finally, the red comm light stopped blinking.

  By this point, they were closing in toward Stockholm Spaceport. Keith began shedding speed, throttling back to normal flight.

  “Call the control tower, Sergeant,” Maddox said.

  Riker did as ordered.

  Soon, Keith lowered the shuttle to a designated spot on the tarmac and shut off the engines.

  Maddox clicked off his seatbelt and glanced out a side window.

  “I don’t hear any sirens,” Riker said.

  “Because no police vehicles are coming,” Maddox said. “We may be moving faster than they can think through the repercussions of their actions.”

  “Do you mean the Lord High Admiral or the Prime Minister?” Riker asked.

  “Neither,” Maddox said. “I mean Meyers.”

  By that time, Keith opened the hatch and pressed a bulkhead switch that lowered a set of stairs to the tarmac.

  Maddox headed for the hatch and stopped suddenly upon reaching it. “You’re staying here,” he told Keith. “Be ready for a hasty liftoff.”

  Keith raised his eyebrows but said nothing, only nodded.

  “Are you carrying hidden weapons?” Maddox asked the sergeant.

  “Are you expecting to be arrested?” Riker asked.

  “I’m trying to anticipate my opponent,” Maddox replied. “We’ve ripped off the mask, as it were. Meyers might not know what to do next.”

  “You suspect her instead of the Prime Minister?”

  Maddox considered the question, finally saying, “Yes. Now, let’s go before Meyers does send someone to arrest me.”

  ***

  Maddox spoke convincingly enough to receive a car from the spaceport authorities. Riker drove through Stockholm as they headed for the Prime Minister’s Executive Palace.

  “Should I let them know we’re coming?” Riker asked.

  “They know by now,” Maddox said, “but if they don’t, let’s surprise them.”

  Traffic was light and soon Riker slowed as they approached a vast iron-barred gated area. Behind the gates rose a huge palace. Space marines in special dress uniform guarded the main approach on the road.

  Riker drove up to the guard post, letting his window roll down.

  In back, Maddox stiffened, ready to draw his gun.

  Riker exchanged a few words with the marine on sentry duty.

  “Captain Maddox?” the marine asked.

  Riker affirmed with a nod.

  “You’re on the manifest,” the marine said. “Go ahead and—” The marine gave Riker parking instructions.

  Soon, Riker started driving again, following the instructions as the car moved through beautiful scenery with towering trees, lush bushes, grand fountains and statues. He followed until they reached an open parking area, with several other cars in various white-marked locations.

  They got out. Maddox went to one of the cars, inspecting it.

  “Armored,” he told Riker.

  “Does it seem strange the guard told us to park here?” the sergeant asked.

  Maddox nodded. It did seem strange, especially as they still had their sidearms. A premonition warned the captain. He almost turned around for the car, wanting to head back to the spaceport and get back up to Victory. Then, he wondered if he should call Galyan and have the AI holoimage scout ahead for him.

  This was the Executive Palace. Wouldn’t the place have the latest security upgrades? If security spotted Galyan… Maddox shook his head, abandoning the idea.

  “Trouble, sir?” asked Riker.

  “No, Sergeant. Let’s go.”

  ***

  The two Star Watch operatives moved through the palace grounds without incident, following a path. They came to a side entrance, receiving two passes from a waiting marine. She did not ask for their weapons but gave them directions so they could reach a waiting Doctor Meyers inside the North Section.

  Maddox and Riker marched through carpeted halls with expensive paintings on the walls and priceless statues in alcoves. There were no marines anywhere. In fact, the palace seemed deserted.

  “This is off,” Riker said.

  Maddox had reached the same conclusion some time ago. Why would the palace lack its full complement of space marine guards and other personnel? It made no sense.

  “Is Meyers trapping us, sir?”

  Maddox halted abruptly. Riker stepped past him and then stopped, turning to the captain. The sergeant said nothing, merely waited.

  Maddox tried to put himself in Meyers and then Hampton’s place. What could either of them gain by emptying the Executive Palace? Why had the gate guards let them keep their weapons? No one had attempted to search them. Maybe he was asking the wrong question. What could hidden aliens gain by letting him in like this? What could the hidden aliens gain by emptying the palace?

  The more Maddox studied the questions, the more his instincts told him to leave.

  A lone marine turned a corner, heading toward them. The man was in a dress uniform and carried a rifle against his right shoulder.

  “Step behind me, Sergeant,” Maddox said quietly. “Get ready to draw and stun, but don’t let the marine see you’re ready.”

  “Yes, sir,” Riker said, as he stepped behind Maddox.

  The captain waited as the marine marched to them. It seemed the man was going to march right past without saying a word.

  “Lieutenant,” Maddox said, noting the space marine’s rank.

  The space marine halted. He was a thickset young man with a brush cut. There was something off with his eyes. They weren’t glazed, but they weren’t as alert as Maddox felt they should be.

  “Where is everyone?” Maddox asked.

  For a moment, it seemed as if the marine wouldn’t answer. Then his bearing changed. So did the quality of his gaze.

  “There was a group photo shoot, sir,” the marine said. “It’s an annual occurrence.” The man checked a chronometer. “They should be headed back already.”

  “Are all the guards in place where they should be?”

  The marine tilted his head. “Why do you ask, sir?”

  “Lieutenant, we’re here to see Doctor Meyers. But we’ve gotten lost. Is it possible you can take us to her?”

  The question seemed to confuse the marine. Slowly, he shook his head. “I have to make my rounds, sir.”

  “Can you call someone?”

  “Yes…” the marine said just as slowly.

  “Oh, wait,” Maddox said. “I remember the route now. Thank you, Lieutenant. You’ve been most helpful.”

  That seemed to relax the marine. He nodded, straightened some and continued his march.

  Both Maddox and Riker watched him, until finally the marine disappeared around a corner.

  “What now, sir?” Riker asked.

  Maddox did not answer right away.

  “That was odd, right?” asked Riker.

  Maddox nodded.

  “It’s odd hardly anyone is here,” the sergeant added. “This is the Executive Palace. It should be crawling with people. Meyers set us up, sir.”

  “Set us up how, though?” Maddox asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Neither do I,” Maddox said. “I also believe it imperative that we find out. So, we will keep our appointment.”

  “That’s walking right into it, sir.”

  “Yes,” Maddox said. “Now, keep alert, Sergeant, and be ready to draw and fire at my command, but not until I give my command.”

  Riker nodded.

  Maddox went into high alert mode, all his senses straining and his mind awhirl as he began to walk through the lonely carpeted halls of the Executive Palace.

  -15-

  During his undercover Intelligence forays, Maddox often posed as a gambler. He was particularly good at poker in all its forms. As he moved down the palace halls, he considered the odds that Meyers was setting him up in some nefarious way.

  The lack of marine guards and other personnel—even various cabinet people—was too strange. Meyers hated him. She likely worked for hidden aliens. This was a setup. The more he considered it, the more that seemed correct.

  His initial idea had been to walk into the trap, knowing it was a trap, and thereby trapping Meyers. But if she had taken such elaborate steps, if she had such power as to even dismiss the guards—then it was doubtful he could turn the tables on her.

  Poker often demanded making a decision based on incomplete information and odds. One attempted to gain the highest odds he could and then played his hand accordingly, folding if the odds were wrong.

  Maddox wanted to spring the trap. He wanted to bring this to a head if he could. Admiral Cook was acting in a suboptimal manner. He—Maddox—had taken too many daring, possibly outlandish courses, disobeying direct orders in the process. If he ran now, his disobediences would catch up with him. Yet, if he kept going because he’d hazarded too much to reach this position, he possibly risked more than he cared to lay on the line.

  “Galyan,” Maddox said, softly. “I know you’re listening to me. I want you to come down in stealth mode. I have a mission for you.”

  Yes, the Executive Palace might have the newest upgrades. Yet, it might not. It was also possible that nothing in Human Space matched all the high tech installed in Victory. It was a matter of odds. Maddox was going forward because he couldn’t afford to go back. Thus, he would now accept the possibly of Galyan’s holoimage triggering security measures, as the odds of that danger had now become tolerable given his present course.

  “Galyan—”

  The little Adok holoimage appeared before Maddox and Riker.

  “Here, sir,” Galyan said in a slightly robotic voice. “I was wondering when you were going to call me. I have observed—”

  “Not now, Galyan,” Maddox said. “We’re under a time crunch.”

  “Ah.”

  “Listen closely,” Maddox said. “I’m going to give you the directions to the North Section Arbor—”

  “Excuse me, sir,” Galyan said, interrupting. “I already have a schematic of the Executive Palace. Just tell me where you want me to go, and I will go there and observe. I presume you wish me to go in ghost mode.”

  Maddox stared at the holoimage, nodding a moment later.

  Galyan vanished. He reappeared several seconds later.

  “The North Section Arbor is empty, sir.”

  “No guards?”

  “Empty, sir,” Galyan said, sounding puzzled by the last question.

  “Yes,” Maddox said, surprised no guards were there. “Go into the North Section Arbor Meeting Room. The Prime Minister should be waiting for me there.”

  “Interesting,” Galyan said, vanishing again. He appeared even sooner this time.

  “No one?” asked Maddox.

  “Captain,” Galyan said. “The Prime Minister is lying on the floor, missing half his head. Brains and gore are splattered on the rug.”

  Riker cursed aloud.

  Maddox stared at Galyan, with his mind awhirl. With a dry tongue, the captain asked, “You’re one hundred percent certain it was the Prime Minister?”

  “Just a moment,” Galyan said, disappearing again. Two second later, he was back. “It is Prime Minister Hampton, sir. His features and other diagnostic components match my records for him.”

  “We’re supposed to have killed him,” Riker said. “That’s why Meyers let us keep our weapons.”

  “Of course,” Maddox said. “That’s obvious.”

  “We have to get out of here,” Riker said.

  “No,” Maddox said. “We have to find the killer.”

  “We do?” asked Riker, appalled.

  “Was there a gun on the floor?” Maddox asked Galyan.

  “Negative,” the AI said.

  “It wasn’t suicide then,” Maddox said.

  “Meyers?” Riker asked.

  “Right,” Maddox said. “Galyan, I want you to begin a thorough search throughout the palace. Locate Doctor Meyers and immediately tell me where she is.”

  “You will remain here?” Galyan asked.

  “No…” Maddox said, frowning, concentrating. “We’re heading for our car. Do you know where it’s parked?”

  “Yes,” Galyan said, “as I’ve been monitoring your progress the entire time.”

  “I thought you might be,” Maddox said. “Now start. We have to locate Meyers.”

  Galyan vanished.

  “Let’s hoof it, Sergeant. We don’t want to get caught in the web.”

  “Aren’t we already?”

  “I don’t think so. They shot Hampton too soon because they didn’t know about Galyan. Now move, old man,” Maddox said, shoving Riker from behind. “Don’t make me carry you.”

  The two Star Watch operatives began running, heading back the way they had come.

  -16-

  Riker was gasping as the two of them burst out of the Executive Palace from the same side entrance they’d used before to enter. The wheezing coming from his mouth was pathetic to hear.

  “You must stay in better shape, Sergeant,” Maddox chided him.

  “Halt,” said a marine—the one who had given them passes earlier. She clicked the flap to her holster and began drawing a sidearm.

  Maddox reached her, chopping her wrist, making the drawn gun clatter onto the sidewalk.

  “Where’s Doctor Meyers?” Maddox demanded.

  The marine rubbed her bruised wrist as she scowled at him.

  Maddox noted the bud in her right ear and a tiny microphone pinned to her collar. Without further preamble, he dug out the bud and took the microphone from her lapel.

  “Hey,” she said. “You can’t do that.”

  Maddox put the bud in his left ear. There was nothing. Then it hissed. “Be on the watch for two Star Watch officers,” a man said. “We believe they may have assaulted the Prime Minister.”

  “Give that back,” the marine said. She knelt on the sidewalk to get the gun.

  Riker beat her to it, picking it up first.

  The man on the comm began giving instructions, telling about two security teams converging on the side entrance to the palace.

  Maddox closed his eyes, and he smiled, digging out the earbud. He tossed it and the microphone onto the grass. Then he drew his dart gun and shot the marine.

  “Why?” she asked, before slumping unconscious.

  Maddox grabbed her and set her down gently.

  “She’s going to remember you did that,” Riker said.