Jordan Summers - [Dead World 01] (8 page)

There was only one problem—being commander was never
her dream. Not that Red would ever tell him. It meant too much to her
grandfather. The truth would
break his heart. And that was something that she
refused to
do…even if it meant putting her dreams on hold.

Her expression must have betrayed her thoughts because
he added, "Please tell me exactly what happened. You know how I love a
good story, particularly when it comes from my special girl."

Red shifted under his appraisal. He'd called her
special
again. Normally she relished his endearments,
but not
that one. She didn't want to be special. Not
then
. Not now. Not ever. She wanted to be nor-mal
like everyone
else.

"I'm
not
making anything up or imagining things, if that's
what you're suggesting," she said with
certainty, needing
to convince him. "My gut tells me there's more
to Lisa
Solomon's death than what the evidence states.
"
'

"Why do you think so?" He leaned forward and
rested
his chin on his hands. Red recognized the
open expression. He was giving her the benefit of the
doubt.

"The look of the scene,
maybe. Perhaps, the align
ment of her
body. Her horrified expression." She
paused
to gather her thoughts. "The attack looked per
sonal, and animal
attacks aren't ever personal."

His face soured. "Yes, I've seen the photos.
Quite
gruesome. But we know death is
oftentimes not pretty
or clean."

"I'm used to seeing death." All emotion fled
from Red's tone, until it was flat and lifeless like the void inside of her.
"It doesn't bother me."
Anymore
floated in the air between
them, left unsaid.

"Trying to save your mother and sister
again?" he asked quietly. "Heaven rest their souls." There was
no reproach in his voice, only sadness and resolve.

"Someone should have."
Guilt swamped her. If only
she'd been older, been at home instead of with her
grandfather, then maybe they'd
still
be alive.
Even as
the thought filled her mind, Red knew if she'd been there she
would be dead, too.

Robert Santiago sat back. "You can't save them,
Gina. You never could," he said finally.
"They're dead
and recycled, so please stop trying."

Red's chest squeezed tight. She bit the inside of her
mouth and tasted blood. "I know they're dead." The words choked in
her throat nearly gagging her. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't
think about her family and what might have been. "I know I can't save Mom
and Ann any more than I can save Lisa Solomon, but I can find out what happened
to
her. I can give her family some closure,
even if
I'll never have it myself."

"Is that what this is all about?"

She considered his question carefully. "No, it's
not about me. It's about finding out the truth."

He nodded briefly. "Bannon says he believes Lisa
Solomon was killed by wild animals. He even notes trace
amounts of
canine saliva. Said there were multiple contributors."

"That
may be,
but I don't know many animals be
yond the two-legged variety that would
take the time to
undress their victims." Red shook her head.
"Hell, even
her ears were missing."

"Watch your language, young lady."

"Sorry, Grandpa." Red's face heated, but she
continued. "Something out there frightened Lisa more than
death. The
crime scene is screaming at me to pay
attention." She came to her
feet, resting her fingertips
on the edge of his desk. "I
can't let this go."

"Okay." He held his
hands up in surrender. "Before you
make any rushed decisions, there's one more point
I'd like to bring up."

Red gestured for him to continue.

"Bannon says you suggested
the Others might have done
it."

Crap!
Red
nearly croaked. "It was just a theory—I was
desperate."
she lied. "I couldn't let him dismiss the scene
without further consideration."

He
tsked
. "You know that the Others
don't exist. If they
ever lived—and I'm not saying that they did— they'd
all be dead by
now."

"Just because their
existence hasn't been proven yet
doesn't
mean they don't exist. Some of them had to
breed.
That means their grandkids or great-grandkids could
still be around."

"If I remember the old stories correctly from
childhood, the Others couldn't conceive," he said, his gaze dropping away
from hers.

Red frowned. She'd never heard
that before, but it
didn't matter because
she wasn't the only one who
thought the
Others might still be around. "Even Roark
Montgomery has hinted at the link between the Others
and the unknowns. He believes the Others are assist
ing
the unknowns with illegal boundary crossings. They can't do that, if they don't
exist."

"Another good reason not to
endorse him. The last
thing
we need is a return to our hate-mongering days."
Regret and something else colored his features. For
the first time, her grandfather seemed evasive.
"I'd like
to believe you. You
know I would, but
I'm
afraid I am
going to have to side with Bannon on this case.
You've
presented no facts or DNA
evidence here that would
indicate
murder by a human being. Bannon explained
his theory on the woman's
missing clothes. You've given me impressions and feelings. The law doesn't
recognize those. I can't act on your gut,
Gina." Robert
Santiago stood, his gaze filled with compassion.
"I know you understand."

"Yes. sir," she replied reluctantly. Red
understood all too well. He couldn't have the future commander
entering reports about the Others. She'd lose
what
lit
tle credibility she had.
Unfortunately, that logic didn't
douse the fiery passion for justice
burning in her
stomach or the tightness in
her chest that kept telling
her that she had to do something. The
woman's frightened face flashed before Red's eyes. She could
not turn her back on Lisa Solomon—even if everyone
else did.

"I'll expect your report to concur with Bannon's,"
Robert said, straightening the papers in front of him.

Red stepped back, smoothing a
trembling hand over
her
hair. "I understand that you're only doing your job, but now I have to do
mine." she said, feeling the emotions churn inside of her, threatening to
overwhelm. "I
have
some break time coming to me, do I not?" The
question was a courtesy. She'd never taken
recreational
time off, so she had a lot
accrued.

"You're certainly long overdue for a
vacation." He punched a button on his compunit. "You have six weeks
available. The max you can accumulate."

"Good, three days should do it."

He stilled. "You're not thinking about doing
any-thing impetuous, are you?"

"No, of course not, Grandpa."

"Glad to hear it. For a second you had me
worried." He gave her a nervous smile.

She snorted. "You know me."

"Yes, I do." He laughed. "That's why I
asked."

Red reached out and squeezed his hand in reassurance.
"I think I'm going to check out Nuria—in the Republic of Arizona—to see if
they're having any problems. You know how lax those boundary towns are
about
reporting
incidents."

His laughter faded. "Do you think that's wise? Re
publics don't like the tactical team sticking
their noses into
their
business, especially when they haven't been called."

"I know, but I have to do it for my own peace of
mind."

He
sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Please be careful.
 
Boundary towns aren't exactly welcoming
places and you will have
no
jurisdiction.
If you go
there, you have to go as
Gina Santiago, not Lieutenant
Santiago."

"I understand. I'm only
going to give it a look-see. Strictly hands off. I'll be back before you've
noticed
that I've gone."

"I doubt that."

Red smiled reassuringly, but his
expression re
mained
shrouded in worry. "You know I can take care
of myself. I slayed that dragon,
remember? Besides, I
learned
from the best." She winked and released her
grandfather's hand. "You taught me all there
is to
know about
the criminal element.
I'm
not concerned
about encountering unknowns."
Or  Others,
she added
silently.

"I didn't teach you
everything, special one." She
heard him murmur softly as she headed for the door.
"There are worse things in
this world than unknowns.
I pray you don't find them—and that they don't find
you."

chapter
five

Situated in a low desert valley, surrounded by the
rubble remains
of bare mountains, Red
smelled
the dying town before she caught
sight of any of the buildings. The odor of decay wafted in the air, pol
luting
her nostrils and burning her throat. Located twenty
miles north of what used to be Phoenix, Arizona,
the municipality of Nuria resembled every other small
dusty boundary fence town that was scarce on jobs
and brimming with poverty.

Solar panels twinkled like displaced stars from the
rooftops,
giving the appearance of life, but several of the
buildings
sat empty, closed signs barring their sealed
front doors. Windows had been shattered, leaving
glass
skeletons behind. All the town was missing was
the
sound
of a death rattle. Red was sure that if she
tried
really hard, she'd be able to hear one. There were
no biospheres here like the ones built to enclose and
protect
IPTT and the larger cities from high levels of
radiation exposure. Nuria had been left to fend
for itself
like
all the other boundary towns, which
explained
why the architecture reflected a different time, a
different
age.

Red was amazed they'd managed to survive the
last world war with so many of the original
buildings intact. Not many places could boast of such a feat. It
was as
if the world had forgotten about them.

Although the houses appeared
antiquated with their
whitewashed
window frames and brick walls, Nuria's streets were paved with the latest
synthetic green tarp
scientists
had designed to accommodate the sun's punishing rays and protect the tread on
most civilian hy
drogen vehicles.

Red couldn't really blame them for choosing that
practical option over the more expensive biodome. Nuria might not have many
businesses, but the ones that did exist needed a way for their employees and
customers to reach them.

She hadn't been able to find
much information about
the town before she left. Most of the buildings weren't
recorded in her navcom. so it
made using Rita damn
near useless. Nuria
proper didn't exist on any map.
That was
the trouble with small towns, they popped up
overnight and faded just as quickly. It was a waste of manpower to keep
track of them, so IPTT didn't. And
obviously
neither did the Republic of Arizona, since it
wasn't listed there either beyond its care center.

Despite the oppressive heat and
the sweat trickling
between her breasts,
Red smiled. Her grandfather
would feel at
home in this place that time forgot. She could almost picture him strolling
down the sidewalk, a blissful smile brightening his face as he perused the
architecture.

At some point, the town must
have had a booming
economy, but you
couldn't tell that by looking at it today. The fringe owned it now. It wouldn't
be long before Nuria took its last breath and expired, swallowed by the
ever-present boundary area and encroaching desert sands.