Crave - 19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

It'd been hours since Jenson had gone into surgery, and Merrick still hadn’t received any news. Both of their fathers had arrived a few hours before, and were currently sitting in a nearby office with him. Merrick had filled them in on everything that had transpired, including his suspicions about the Alecteran delegates. The Anglian ship had also brought two of his security team, Kalen Sota and Landin Maltoran, who accompanied his father as his security detail. Both Kalen and Landin were excellent investigators, so Merrick was grateful they were there.

Councillor Shey was clearly upset about his son’s injuries, but refused to speculate about who could have brought the flauros to the planet until they had more information from the Council’s investigators. Although they had no conclusive proof, Merrick believed someone from the Alecteran government knew who was behind this seemingly obvious plot. The planet had been under close scrutiny since negotiations with the Anglians had begun, and had been monitored constantly since the attempted sabotage of the landing site several weeks earlier.

The Alectreran leader had agreed to send copies of planetary scans to the Anglians. Those scans were currently being reviewed, but it was a slow process. Councillor Shey had high hopes that something could be found which would point to a culprit. Although he maintained a calm demeanor, as befitted his position, Merrick was certain the man was seething over what had happened to his son.

A sound at the door drew Merrick from his thoughts. It was the doctor. All three men stood at once, each looking both hopeful and concerned at his arrival. “He’s out of surgery now.” The male sounded exhausted.

“How is he?” Merrick asked, anxiously.

“Stable. There was extensive damage to several internal organs. They needed to be regenerated while we repaired the damage to his legs. The tear in his right lung has also been taken care of. The triage he received on site, and the speed with which we were able to operate, were what gave him a fighting chance.” The vampire nodded his approval to Merrick.

“When can I see him?” Jenson’s father asked. The slight tremor in his voice told Merrick how much of a struggle it was for the man to hold himself together.

“They’re moving Envoy Shey to the observation area now. I’ll have someone inform you when he’s been settled,” the doctor replied. “We’re keeping him heavily sedated until we’re sure the damage to his liver and spleen have been repaired, so just one visitor at a time, please.”

Although Merrick needed to see with his own eyes that Jenson was okay, he encouraged J’s father to visit his son first. While they waited, one of the ship’s officers advised them that the Alectaran contingent would be arriving in less than an hour. The anger Merrick had held at bay since the attack, surged through him again. He wanted blood for what happened to Jenson. Logically, he knew violence wouldn’t get him any closer to discovering who was responsible, but it didn’t stop him from imagining having each of those males dangling over the forest by their ankles until they gave him the answers he needed.

Audra had sent word that hunters were currently tracking the two remaining flauros. One of them had been injured, so she was told its trail was easy to follow. After the attack, the Anglian council finally decided to call an end to the terraforming mission. Merrick found it ironic Jenson had advised the council only the week before that the mission should be delayed, at least until after the hunters were able to remove the flauros threat. Although his father had argued Jenson’s point, council could not be swayed, at least not until the attack on their envoy. The scientists were to be consulted to determine if drones could retrieve the samples they required, and whether any further testing could be performed during their next trip, which would be scheduled depending on the outcome of the flauros investigation. Merrick was relieved, but right now his primary concern was Jenson. With Merrick and Jenson away, Audra would be staying on the base to oversee their eventual return to the ship.

Councillor Shey was at the door of the observation room when they heard that the Alecterans demanded the meeting take place in a neutral clearing several kilometers to the south. Their excuse was they didn’t wish to land so close to the vampires’ ship. Merrick was furious. He didn’t want anyone travelling by land while the flauros were still a threat, and none of their shuttles were small enough to land in the area. Each ship’s head of security agreed with Merrick’s position.

After some tense negotiations, the Alecterans finally agreed to meet on board Audra’s ship, as long as their guards were permitted to accompany them. Merrick was nervous about having his or J’s father anywhere near armed Alecterans, but it was their best option to ensure everyone’s safety. Audra’s security chief assured him that extra precautions would be taken. Merrick was comforted, in that he would he would be attending the meeting, both as his father’s head of security and as a representative of the terraforming team.

Councillor Shey stayed with his son for only a few minutes before coming out again. Merrick suspected the older man knew how anxious Merrick was to see Jenson with his own eyes. He sat in a chair someone had placed by the bed, and grabbed Jenson’s hand. The vampire looked so fragile, covered in bandages and sensors. Fragile was not a word Merrick associated with his friend. J was always so strong. A respirator continued to regulate his breathing while his vital signs were constantly monitored. The steady beeping of the machines was comforting after worrying for so long that he might never see Jenson alive again. Merrick had no idea how long he sat holding the other man’s hand before the nurse brought a message that the Alectarans had arrived and he was expected in the conference room. With a tired sigh Merrick gave Jenson a kiss on the forehead and promised to return as soon as possible.

The mood was tense when he walked into the meeting room. The Alecterans were expected to arrive at any moment. Since Audra was still at the base, her second officer, Lieutenant Haran, was given the task of greeting the shuttle. Merrick quickly reviewed the security protocols with the other officers, and moved to his father’s side only moments before the door slid open.

The Alecterans appeared to be just as aloof as they were when Merrick first met them. They looked around the room in distaste before the male who appeared to be their leader, sat in a chair across from Councillor Shey. The rest of his party stood silently behind him, forming a semi-circle.

“Councillor Shey,” the male said, inclining his head slightly in greeting. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Counseur Mentach, thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” the vampire replied. “It’s unfortunate it couldn’t be under better circumstances.”

The other male tensed slightly, and Merrick noticed a few of his party turning their eyes away. “Yes,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. “We were advised of Envoy Shey’s unfortunate accident.”

“An accident?” Merrick snarled, slamming his hands on the table. “He was attacked.” The Counseur flinched back, but a few of his guards took a step closer to the table. In his periphery, he noticed his own security team becoming restless as they prepared for a possible altercation. Merrick felt a hand on his arm, and looked down to see Councillor Shey looking up at him. The man seemed to be silently pleading with him not to cause trouble.

Merrick ground his teeth and stepped back from the table, deciding to trust J's father… for now. It was, after all, his son who had been injured. After Merrick, there was no one else in the universe more motivated to get answers about who was responsible for the flauros attacks.

“My apologies, Councillor Shey,” he said, making an effort to calm himself.

After a few more pleasantries, Jenson’s father asked Merrick to brief the visitors about the recent incidents with the flauros. The leader claimed he had no knowledge of how the creatures could have arrived on the planet. Merrick's gut told him that the man was telling the truth, but he wasn't so sure about the others. Merrick watched the group carefully, and made a mental note of which males he wanted his team to investigate.

"In the spirit of cooperation, Maser Counseur Luda has agreed to allow a representative of your choosing to visit Alectera to participate in our investigation." The male smiled as if he were bestowing a great gift.

"Sir, if I may speak?" Merrick addressed Councillor Shey since he was the most senior council member in the room.

"Of course, Commander."

"I request permission to lead the investigation, but I would also like to bring a few members of my team with me." Merrick saw a few of the males across the table sneer in his direction.

"There was no authorization for more than one," one of the Alecterans grumbled. Counseur Rossud, if Merrick remembered correctly.

"If I'm permitted to bring a few trusted members of my security team, I'll be able to conduct my investigation more efficiently." Merrick kept his tone calm and reasonable. "The sooner my investigation is completed, the sooner we can put all of this unpleasantness behind us." Merrick smiled politely at the group, and had to bite back a chuckle when he saw the look of surprised awe on his father’s face. What? he thought. I can be diplomatic.

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Councillor Shey said with a smile in Merrick’s direction. “The Anglian Council has the utmost faith in Commander Weir’s ability to find the answers we’re looking for.”

Merrick made a point to make eye contact with every male standing across the table from him. In his head he was already planning the investigation. Landin was a whiz with computer systems, and he wanted his young officer to have access to the Alecteran database. Kalen was one of the best interrogators he’d ever seen. If someone could get answers out of a suspect, it would be his second in command. Between the three of them, Merrick had no doubt they would get to the bottom of the attacks.

“I will have to clear this request with the Maser. I should have an answer for you in a few Anglian hours,” the leader said, standing. “Councillor Shey, I wish Envoy Shey a quick recovery.” With those parting words, the contingent left the room, escorted by the ship’s security.

Councillor Shey turned to Merrick with a smile. “Thank you for offering to conduct the investigation, Merrick. There’s no one else I’d trust more with this task.”

“Of course, sir,” Merrick said, giving the man a grim smile. “I won’t stop until I know who’s responsible for what happened here.”

“Merrick.” His father looked up at him with a frown on his face. “This could be very dangerous. Whoever is responsible for bringing those creatures here isn’t going to be happy about your presence, and I doubt they’re working alone.”

“I know.” Merrick gave his father what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Investigation and interrogation of hostile species was part of our training in the academy. We’ll be careful.”

After leaving the meeting room, Merrick led Landin and Kalen to one of the offices where they could communicate with the technicians reviewing the planetary scans. Merrick requested a copy of the scans be forwarded to him, as well any findings from the review. Landin appeared to be excited about the mission, barely able to sit still in his chair. Sometimes Merrick forgot how young the officer actually was.

“Relax, Landin.” Kalen chuckled. “You’re going to bounce out of your chair if you’re not careful.”

“Sorry, sir.” Landin blushed, and seemed to make a conscious effort to sit still. “I studied the Alecteran’s communication and computer systems in the academy. They’re not much different than the systems on Earth. Except for some issues with the local dialect, I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble with their database.”

“Good.” Merrick nodded. “Kalen, I have a list of males I want you to investigate. Some were here during our welcome to the planet. I think we should pay particular attention to Counseur Rossud.”

“You got it,” Kalen said, taking notes on his comm pad. “I’ll also need a list of everyone who would have had access to the planetary scans. It should have been a protected program so access would have been monitored.”

“That will be my job.” Merrick stood, pacing in the small space to stretch his legs. It had been a long night and it was already almost midday. He was exhausted. “If I’m right about Alecteran customs, I’ll be given an audience with their Counseury when we arrive. I’ll request authorization to access their personnel files. I also want access to their communications database. Someone would have had to send an off-planet message to the ship that brought the flauros here.”

Merrick was looking over the reports from the Anglian investigators a few hours later when the communicator in the office chimed. He’d sent Landin and Kalen to get off to continue their preparations after assuring his second in command he would take time to rest soon.

“This is Weir,” he said, leaning back in his chair, stifling a yawn.

“Commander,” a pleasant female voice answered. “I was told to let you know Envoy Shey is awake.”

“Thank you.” Merrick stood quickly, the reports forgotten. J was awake. Thank God. He hurried out of the office and through the quiet corridors to the medical bay. J’s father was already there when Merrick came through the door. Jenson still looked a little pale, but much better than he did after surgery. It took Merrick a second to realize Jenson was glaring at him.

“What’s this I hear about you going to Alectera?” The vampire’s voice was rough, probably from the effects of the intubation tube, but his irritation came through loud and clear. “It’s too dangerous, Merrick.”

Councillor Shey gave him an apologetic look as Merrick walked up the vampire’s bedside. “I’m glad you’re finally awake.” He gave Jenson’s hand a squeeze. “You had us worried.”

Jenson huffed out a breath. “Don’t change the subject,” he grumbled.

“I have to go,” Merrick said with a sigh. “We need answers and my team can get them if we go to the planet and oversee the investigation.”

“YOU don’t have to go.” Jenson’s voice sounded hoarser, the more he spoke.

“It’s my team.” Merrick tried not to become irritated. He knew Jenson was only worried about him, but he refused to back down on this. Jenson thinking he would send someone else in his place rankled. “I’m their commander. I won’t send them anywhere I wouldn’t go myself. You would do no less.”

Jenson mumbled inarticulately. He knew the vampire would never admit he was right. He turned to say hello to Councillor Shey, but found himself alone with Jenson. When had the older vampire left the room?

“It seems your father decided to get out of the line of fire.” Merrick chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Jenson gave him a slight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “J, you know I have to do this. I’m the most qualified person here to lead the investigation.”

Jenson closed his eyes briefly and squeezed Merrick’s hand. “I know,” he said softly. “Just be careful. I don’t want you to take any unnecessary risks.” Merrick could see the vampire’s energy waning the longer they spoke. He was pretty tired himself. As if reading his mind Jenson slowly lifted a hand to Merrick’s cheek. “When was the last time you slept?”

An involuntary yawn escaped him at the mention of sleep. “It’s been a while,” he admitted with a tired smile.

“Go.” Jenson gestured towards the door. “Get some rest. Come and see me before you leave. I can give you some advice about dealing with the Alecteran hierarchy.”

“Ok.” Merrick leaned down and pressed his lips to Jenson’s. He felt Jenson’s mouth move with his in a slow and gentle kiss. It was more comforting than sexual. Merrick knew how lucky they were. Things could have been so much worse. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Jenson’s. He needed sleep, but he didn’t want to leave.

“Go,” Jenson whispered, his voice nearly gone now. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Merrick looked into the brilliant blue eyes of the man below him. The man he’d almost lost. The man Merrick had loved since he was 4 years old. He was so close he could feel Jenson’s breath against his lips.

“I love you, J,” he whispered, before turning and walking out the door.

p>Thank you to my wonderful editor, Gary, who works so hard to get chapters back to me quickly.   Thank you to all of you who read and support the story.  And an extra thank you to DrPaladin for the excellent idea for the revenge daydream

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