*** 1st Task Force Commanders Office ***
Rangi had not bothered to request a meeting with Shane. She
knew, even as she made her hurried way towards his office,
that it was taking a risk for he could be in a meeting or
engaged in some work that couldn't be interrupted but she
wanted to see him and speak to him face to face so took the
chance.
Pakosii was seated at his desk when she eventually
was allowed to enter the outer office but got to his feet
with an expression of mild surprise on his face for he had
not expected to see her.
"I'm sorry if it's not convenient." Rangi said without
waiting for a polite greeting "...but I have to talk to the
Admiral at once. It's very important."
She glanced quickly to one side where two armed guards
stared impassively at the far wall, both watching her
without a trace of doing so. She looked back at Pakosii. "Is
he free?" she asked.
"He's busy at the moment, I fear" Pakosii said, but seeing
the expression on the mother of Admiral's son, he added:
"But I ask him none-the-less, please take a seat Commander".
"Thank you."
With barely concealed impatience, Rangi stepped towards the
little row of four chairs set against the wall and sat down
on the first one. She glanced at the guards standing either
side of the door and caught one looking at her.
It didn't take Pakosii long to look up from his console
and beam a smile on Rangi. "Commander Summers, you can see
the Admiral now, please proceed"
Rangi needed no second bidding and with a nod of thanks
towards Pakosii she made straight for the door to Shane's
office which was opened for her by a guard when she was two
steps away.
He sealed it shut once she had passed inside.
Shane stood up from his chair and walked towards Rangi as
she entered the room. He knew that she would not request his
immediate attention wouldn't it be serious. The fact that
she did not use comm. system to contact him suggested that
it isn't duty related.
"Hello Rangi, how can I help you?" he asked with concern in
his voice.
She walked to meet him and looked up into his face. "There's
been an intruder in our quarters." she said. "She was trying
to kill us...all of us. Shane, she came so near to
succeeding."
"WHAT?!" Shane cried in astonishment.
"I'm sorry." she said "It was such a shock and then thinking
about it well...." She sat down as he had asked and began at
the beginning.
"I was in the kitchen making something for tonight when I
heard the door open. It was the housekeeper. I didn't think
anything of it because its her day to come but she was
surprised to see me there I think."
She gave a small shrug
and met Shane's worried eyes although he didn't interrupt
her.
"She said she would just change the bedding...she had
all the linen in a pack with her...then suddenly she sort
of...stumbled and fell. I didn't know if she'd tripped or
something but then a man materialized holding a knife to her
throat."
"WHAT?!" Shane asked again. "Materialized? What kind of man?
A murderer?" he hissed with anger.
Rangi shook her head. "No, he's a bodyguard for Ambassador
Alecto. The woman had tried the same thing in her quarters.
The sheets are coated in Batrachotoxin. It's absorbed
through the skin and will stop nerve impulses. "
She paused
and then, her eyes filling with tears added
" We could have put Martin to bed and..and he would have
died within
minutes."
Shane slammed with his find on the desk. He did not mind the
bloody scratch on his knuckles, most probably not even
noticed it.
"Is he all right?" he asked, "Are YOU all right?"
"Yes." Rangi replied, which was not the whole truth, for
having spoken
of the incident, she began to feel more shaken now then when
it had happened.
"What happened to the woman and sheets?" was another of
Shane's question. His face was becoming dangerously white,
his temper just about exploding.
Rangi laid her hand on Shanes arm. " She's in custody..in
the Brig. A security team arrived and took control of
everything. The sheets are there too, safely
sealed.Ryunosuke, thats the body guard, went with them to
make a statement."
She looked at Shanes expression of concern and barely
contained anger.
He tapped his badge and barked: +TAPS+ Security! +TAPS+
+TAPS+ Security here +TAPS+
+TAPS+ This is Admiral Guzman. I want all Task Force living
area scanned and searched for poisons and every other
dangerous substances. Fleet level area is from now on
Security alert. Everyone entering the area not belonging to
security will be scanned and cleared. I mean everyone, from
the last waste disposal technician, up to an Admiral!
Understood? +
The response came just a moment later. +TAPS+ Yes, sir
+TAPS+ Just within a few seconds, a single flashing light on
one of the wall consoles in Shane's quarters announced a
security alarm being activated.
She stepped to him and seeing some colour returning to his
face, stepped into the circle of his arm.
"What shall we do, Rangi?" Shane asked suddenly tired.
"You've done everything you can." she replied "...they will
see that and give up."
Even as she said it the words sounded hollow to her ears.
She leaned her head against Shanes chest.
"Its just that
they came right into our home...into the beds. It's just the
shock." she added sounding more definate and looked up to
him. " Do you think we can put a call through to the
preschool? They would have let us know if there was a
problem....but I'd like to be sure."
Shane nodded: "Of course we can". He tapped a few buttons on
his desk console.
Rangi stood beside him and waited as the link to the
preschool was made.
The screens display changed again, this time to reveal the
face of Sonia Woods, Martins teacher. Behind her was a wall
decorated with brighly coloured letters and numbers. Sounds
of children playing could be heard.
"Good morning, Mrs. Woods. I am sorry to interrupt you, but
can we please see what Martin is doing at the moment?" he
asked.
" Good morning Sir," she said politely, probably wondering
why the Admiral would want to monitor his son but she would
not ask why.
" Martin has enjoyed a happy morning. We've been talking
about rain and sunshine today and how they make things
grow.At the moment we are having playtime but we're about to
end the session and have our snacks and storytime. Later we
plan a vist to the Arboretum. "
She smiled then looked away.
" If you want to see him..." she said and began scanning the
room. She frowned
"Now...where is he?" she asked then
smiled and turned back " On the trampoline" she said, leaned
forward and pressed an unseen button.
Once again there was a change on the screen and this time
Martin was in view, bouncing up and down with two little
friends on a low trampoline. They were laughing and falling
over now and then which only added to their fun.
Both of them sighed in relief. Martin was fine and there was
no danger lurking around him … for the moment. But Shane
was not willing to try his luck again and therefore he said:
"Mrs. Woods, there has been a security accident just a while
ago. For a temporal time period, I'd like to station
security guards at the pre-school facility. It's for safety
of all children … including Martin."
The teachers polite smile vanished. " Guards?...at the
school?
Admiral...with respectI really don't..." but her reply was
interrupted.
Shane shook his head: "I am sorry, Mrs. Woods. I really hate
to step on your toes, but we must ensure security of the
children. I don't want to offer the enemy a target like
the pre-school unguarded. A security team will arrive within
5 minutes. None will enter your facility, they will stay
outside, but everyone entering or leaving will be cleared"
Mrs Woods looked far from happy and replied somewhat
stiffly. " As you wish ofcourse Admiral."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Woods" Shane said and
closed the channel. He looked at Rangi and said: "Damn a
world where children need bodyguards. I was a fool thinking
that Martin will be safe here …"
"We'll make it safe for him." Rangi said and squeezed Shanes
hands.
" I think I'll go down there...explain a little more why
this is necessary. It could be that some of the other
parents wont take kindly to it."
Shane nodded and Rangi stretched up on tiptoes to share a
gentle kiss.
Once back into the outer office, she thanked Pakosii and
went out into the corridor.
She had walked towards the turbolift, thinking what she
would say to Mrs Woods but as she neared the doors, a tall
and strongly built man stepped forward.
"Commander Summers?" he asked
"Yes." Rangi replied, coming to a halt.
" Ma'am, I'm Lieutenant Holland...you're body guard."
They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds then
Rangi spoke:
"I'm going to the school." she said and he reached back to
the turbo lift and opened the doors for her.
*** End Log ***
RAdm. Shane Guzman
CO, 1st TF, SSF Command
CO, SB 234: UNITY
&
Cmdr Rangi Summers
Med Adv 1st TF
CMO
SB Unity
Mrs Woods / Lt Holland
(npcs) Rangi