Free Archives of the Frontier Universe: An Assassin's Assignment by Christopher Villanueva Page A

they’ll know I was successful in obtaining it. I’ll have to give it to them damaged . . . or wiped.” She threw the drawer closed. “Damn it! Is there no store of ‘useful’ components in here—” Then she spotted a more conspicuous cabinet and hurried over to it.
    “So, what’s your plan? Why the hunt for another memory device?”
    Rose gave a sassy laugh. “You can’t say you’re not curious, Captain? Fontaine wants intel on Dailunavein. I for one am going to find out why, being so close to the answer as I am. Also, Boss R will surely appreciate being in the loop. We could use this information to impede on the Norvanull performance there.” She opened and closed two more drawers, growing ever more anxious. But the third finally bore what she sought. Inside, sat a gray, slender memory chip, similar to what was given to the Eiltheen representative earlier.
    “Well, you better hurry. Even intel on just Dailunavein could take . . . maybe hours to transfer.”
    “Got it already,” she insisted. “Connecting now.” Using her glass slate, Rose interfaced with both devices and then began scanning the Eiltheen spike for intel on Dailunavein. An entry was found, and then several more, and then hundreds. But suddenly, she was thwarted by a security layer. “What?!” she snapped. “What the hell is this?”
    “What is it?!” rushed Meyer. “What did you find?”
    Rose pressed her lips together in anger. “A security interface!” she growled, wanting to slam the device against a wall. “One that is insurmountable! They betrayed us!”
    “Are you sure? Check its protocols.”
    “I have!” she replied sharply. “It will only accept a very specific interface encrypted in a very specific code! They must’ve done this to ensure we’d give them what they wanted.”
    Meyer grumbled. “Well, what do we do? Actually, perhaps they planned on giving us the code at the meeting . . . meaning it could’ve been on them.”
    Trying her best to retrain her vast disappointment, Rose closed her eyes and leaned on the cabinet. She took a revitalizing breath. “I have to track down the others reps. anyways. They must have the code. I’ll get it from them then silence them.” She then opened her eyes, her mind running across a possible shortcut. “Captain. Speaking of the other three, they left in the company of some of our men, did they not? Track their ship. It’ll give me a good place to start.”
    “I . . .” he hesitated. “I can give you their last known destination coordinates; however, it will probably not help your search. Our own men will have left them as soon as they touched down to return to another of our facilities. The representatives will most certainly return to their own duties. If they were smart, they probably didn’t share the exact location with our men.”
    Rose thought for a moment, and then gaining inspiration, stowed her slate and both memory devices. She turned, making for the door. “Even better,” she announced. “If they’re returning to their hotels, which is likely, I should be able to obtain their exact locations. All I need is access to the Court’s own systems.” She pulled the doors shut behind her and began following the halls to the opposite end of the building, away from the ruckus outside.
    “I see,” began Meyer, sounding inspired as well. “I didn’t think of that. So, off to the nearest high security installation then?”
    “The very highest . . . in a way,” she replied. “I’m heading for the Court Grand Hall. Contrary to what I’d implement, the Court keeps most of its central structure open to the public . . . and on low security.” She turned another corner, hurrying through the silent hall. Only the rhythmic clatter of her heals echoed in the dark, besides her and Meyer’s conversation. “So long as no one managed to snap a photo of me, I should be able to move about quite freely.” She took another turn, now searching for a staircase. Instead,