Engaging the Enemy Read Online Free PDF Page A

telltale lit on her work board. With one eye on the screen showing the President, Gracie switched that channel to full recording and answered the call. “Found something,” a male voice said. Gracie ran the scan through her voice files and her mouth quirked. Master Sergeant MacRobert, Slotter Key Spaceforce Academy. Should she use his name and startle him?
    â€œIdentify, please,” she said.
    â€œSpaceforce Academy,” he said. “I think you know who I am and I’d rather not have my name used. I hear you’re looking into the late unpleasantness. In detail.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThat Miznarii kid who got your youngster in trouble—”
    She repressed a gasp. “Yes?”
    â€œHe had contact from someone who claimed to be a Vatta. Ever hear of someone named Osman?”
    â€œOsman Vatta, yes.” She remembered Osman all too well. She’d tried to convince the Vatta higher-ups at the time to have him killed, but she was fresh out of the asylum and that had led to threats of having her recommitted. If Osman was involved, that explained a lot. Osman had known about the bunkers under corporate headquarters, for instance.
    â€œHe is a Vatta?” The voice—MacRobert, no doubt about it—sounded uncertain.
    â€œUnfortunately, yes. A most unpleasant piece of work, and long since kicked out, but a Vatta. So Osman paid the student to get Ky in trouble?”
    â€œWhat he said was that Osman was sympathetic to the Miznarii feelings about biomodification, and suggested that Ky, as a Vatta, would be more likely to help him get contact with a cleric so that he could tell his story.”
    â€œWhat is he, stupid? The boy, I mean.”
    â€œHe’s not the brightest cadet we’ve ever had, but not actually stupid. Inexperienced. Quite genuinely religious, the fervent kind. Osman also told him that Ky wouldn’t get in trouble because she was a Vatta.”
    â€œSo it wasn’t malicious on the boy’s part?”
    â€œNot against Ky, at least. He was shocked when she disappeared. He claimed she was the only person at the Academy who befriended him and was nice to him.”
    â€œHow’d you find this out?”
    â€œHe…er…didn’t graduate.” MacRobert’s voice was grim now. “No matter what was said, Ky was a popular cadet, and no one else was willing to put the time into this fellow she’d been tutoring. He was pretty much shunned. He…er…committed suicide.”
    â€œAfter telling you all this?”
    â€œNo, after writing it all down, as a religious duty. Luckily I got hold of it before a Miznarii chaplain did. I…er…edited it a bit, but I made a copy. Thought you might want it.”
    â€œWhat I want is some idea of why you’re doing this,” Grace said. “I suspect you’re committing several breaches of regulations—”
    â€œSpaceforce didn’t do its job,” MacRobert said. “Somebody got to somebody, and I want to know who and how. I think you’re likelier to find out.”
    â€œWe should meet,” Grace said.
    â€œNo.”
    She had expected that and had her answer ready. “We need to talk longer and more openly than we can over any com line, no matter how secure. Either you trust me or you don’t.”
    A long pause; then: “Why should I trust you?”
    â€œFor the same reason I should trust you,” Grace said. “We need each other; it would serve neither of us to harm the other. You care about Spaceforce—”
    â€œAnd Slotter Key,” he said quickly.
    â€œFine. And so do I. Vatta and Slotter Key both.”
    â€œYou’re on a no-contact list,” MacRobert said.
    â€œSo are you: Vatta was told not to contact anyone at Spaceforce Academy.” Grace said. “Your point is? We need to meet. Do you ever get leave?”
    â€œIn seventeen days,” he said. “Graduation’s