The Englor Affair Read Online Free PDF Page B

your study?”
    Simon stepped into his trousers and pulled them up in a hurry, nearly hopping toward the door. “Is he an Englor soldier or an IN soldier?” It could be either, but he hoped for the former.
    “He is in an Englor Marine uniform, Colonel.”
    Yes. It was information he’d been waiting on.
    Roc raised a brow. “Benson?”
    He sure hoped so. Tucking in his shirt, Simon fastened his trousers. “Dunston, please make the lieutenant comfortable in my study. I’ll be right down.” Maybe Benson had found more information. Perhaps even some that would paint his mother in a better light, although he highly doubted it.
    “When is the last time you heard from him?”
    Simon grabbed his shoes from the closet and sat on the edge of the chaise to put them and his socks on. “It’s been several months since his last message.” And that message had been way too brief, containing only two letters, IN . Which could mean anything or nothing. Simon was an IN soldier as well as an Englor Marine. Their base was both IN and Englor Marine. The message was not the damning evidence Simon needed. He finished tying his shoes and stood. “You coming?”
    Roc nodded. “You bet. This concerns me too.”
    It did indeed. It concerned all of Englor if Simon’s suspicions were correct.
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    The Englor Affair
    When they entered the study, the gangly blond lieutenant stood and saluted. His hair and uniform were wet from the rain, but Simon recognized him as the messenger assigned to pick up Benson’s messages every week.
    “Colonel Hollister, Major Bennett.” Boyd was fresh out of the IN, starting his first year with the Englor Marines.
    “Lieutenant Boyd.” Simon motioned the younger man toward the fireplace to the right of his desk. “Dunston, leave the room please and secure it, until I call your name again. Boyd, stand in front of the fire and get warm.”
    “Yes, Colonel.” The study door clicked shut.
    Roc took a seat in the chair in front of Simon’s desk, his cravat still untied. “Where is the message, Lieutenant?”
    “There has been no recent news. Our go-between hasn’t heard from Lieutenant Benson in over three months.”
    Damn. Something wasn’t right. And why hadn’t Benson sent any other messages?
    What had happened to Benson? He’d been instructed to check in every two weeks, whether he had information or not. Simon glanced past the lieutenant at Roc.
    Roc met his gaze and frowned, obviously coming to the same conclusion as Simon.
    Damn it. What if they’d been found out? This situation was getting more and more complicated. What if Benson were being held captive…or worse?
    Simon crossed to the bar and poured himself a scotch. First, he needed to send someone to locate Lieutenant Benson. “Lieutenant Boyd, how’d you get here?”
    “I walked, sir.”
    Thunder echoed through the study, followed by a loud crack of lightning. Simon and Boyd both started. Roc mumbled, “Damn,” under his breath and stood. He walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside, peering out. “It’s really storming out there.”
    Simon tossed back the rest of his scotch and set the tumbler on the bar. “Dunston?”
    “Yes, Colonel?”
    “Please have a lift brought around to take Lieutenant Boyd back to the base.”
    Boyd rubbed his hands together in front of the fire. “Thank you, sir.”

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    “Colonel, the lift is on its way,” Dunston announced.
    Simon nodded and crossed to his desk. “When you get back to base, change into a dry uniform, Lieutenant. You’re dismissed.”
    Boyd saluted before leaving the room.
    “Stardust and imploding planets.” Simon dropped into his chair, leaned back and put his hands over his face. “Dunston, secure the room again.” Interlacing his fingers, he put his hands behind his head and stared up at the wood-paneled ceiling.
    “Any idea what Benson meant by IN?”
    “I have no idea.” Did he want Simon