But my work here was done, and it was time to go. Madrea was now ruled by a council of six comprising equal parts Madrean and Bashalde. To my delight, Durtran was chosen as council leader. Their first act had been to lift the ban, which allowed negotiations to begin for the sunstones. As a result, Madrea’s future looked bright.
The chatter of the crowd faded as I paused halfway down the ramp Lillith had extended and scanned the faces looking up at me. Of course, I’d dressed for the occasion. I was wearing my sedate royal-blue jumpsuit with the hot-pink boots and holster for my blaster, so maybe I’d stunned them into silence with my brilliance. Overhead, Peri swooped and dived in excitement, circling the throng as though sending them her own good-bye.
It was amazing how many of the people waiting were familiar to me. There were Cammi and Treya standing with Marcus, while Leddy glowered at them. Next to them were Bim and Lowden. Jancen stood with Durtran and the other council members to one side.
But the one face I wanted most to see wasn’t there. Peri picked up on my disappointment and settled to my shoulder, cooing softly from her perch as I looked over the sea of faces again.
Reynard wasn’t there. He’d stayed with me on board Lillith for the entire two months except for the time he’d spent handling Politaus’s funeral. Luckily, he was fascinated by the ship and it took his mind off the loss of his friend and king, but this morning he’d left before I woke and I hadn’t seen him since.
Maybe he just couldn’t bear saying good-bye, I thought, my heart breaking a little more at the idea of never seeing him again.
Pasting a smile on my face, I continued down the ramp and went to Marcus, giving him a quick hug. “Are you sure you want to stay here? Dr. Daniels would be happy to have you back.”
“I’m sure. This is my home now.” He glanced at Cammi when he said it. “But I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
“Have you heard any more about the girls’ condition?” he asked.
Lillith had ferried both Banca and Gaia to the Federation ship, and they’d been immediately rushed to Centaurius. Dr. Shilly had been sending me updates ever since they’d arrived.
“The psi inhibitors seem to be working on Banca, although she still doesn’t talk or do much of anything. Dr. Shilly doesn’t think she’ll ever be normal. She may not be completely human. They’re still running tests. But I couldn’t get a lock on her DNA even though she was well within my range several times, so it doesn’t bode well for a good outcome.”
A spurt of gilt went through me at the thought of the other girl, even though part of me knew there was nothing else I could have done. “Gaia stays unconscious for the most part, although when she’s awake she doesn’t remember who she is or what’s happened to her. Dr. Shilly isn’t sure she ever will. At least she’s out of danger now. He’s trying to find a way to get the psynaviats back into the crystal, but so far they don’t seem inclined to return.”
I turned to Treya. “If you ever decided to give up dancing, you could make a fortune on Centaurius doing makeup for the ladies.”
“Yes?” She looked thoughtful. “Maybe someday I’ll give it a try.”
“Cammi.” I looked at the woman and then leaned closer. “Take care of Marcus for me.”
“I will, you can count on it.”
“Leddy,” I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to miss your cooking most of all.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” she whispered, “but I put a fifty-pound bag of coffee beans in your ship.”
“You’re an angel of mercy,” I whispered back. “Thank you.”
From there, I was passed around and hugged by more people than I could count. Even Bim took a turn, and then blushed bright red. Lowden and Jancen both informed me that since I was now an honorary Bashalde, I had to return for gatherings occasionally so my adopted family could make sure I was healthy and happy.
When I reached Durtran he bowed. “Agent Adams, we owe you more than we can ever repay. If there’s anything I can do, please ask.”
I paused, nearly hiccupping on the emotion choking me. “Tell Reynard I said good-bye,” I said. “Tell him I’ll always love him.”
Surprise flitted across his face. “The commander? But I thought—”
“Please,” I interrupted. No way could I get this out more than once. “Just tell him.”
“Of course.” He bowed again and then turned. “Commander!”
“Here!” The voice came from the rear of the crowd and was followed by clanging and the sound of pounding feet. Reynard burst through the mob, his arms loaded with swords, books, and a bulky bag that obviously contained clothing.
Durtran grinned at him. “Commander, Agent Adams wanted me to tell you that she’ll always love you.”
Reynard laughed. “Of course she will. We’re promised.”
I gaped at him, shocked down to my toes. “What are you doing?”
“You didn’t expect me to move halfway across the universe without my things, did you?”
“You’re going with me?”
“Well, of course I am.” He frowned at me. “When Politaus died, my vow was fulfilled. There’s nothing to hold me here now, and every reason to go.” His voice softened. “Wherever you go, I’ll follow, Echo Adams. You’re my life.”
“Oh, Reynard. I love you so much.” He dropped his load as I launched myself into his arms, sending Peri squawking and scolding into the air. Around us, cheers erupted, but I was too busy to listen.
Nearly everything I’d ever wanted was now mine. There was only one thing left to accomplish and it would have to wait until I got back to Centaurius.
Finally, I released him and helped him retrieve his things. Together we carried them up the ramp, stopping at the top to wave good-bye. As soon as we were inside, Lillith shut the air lock doors and lifted off.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming with me?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “I thought it was understood.” Lifting my hand he gently touched the ring. “After all, we’re promised.”
“Yes,” I said softly. “We certainly are.”
EPILOGUE
The halls of the Bureau of Alien Affairs seemed strangely silent as I stopped in front of a real wooden door with a discreet gold plaque on it.
Nervously, I smoothed the lines of the bright red vegan silk suit I wore, while Peri muttered darkly on my shoulder. “If you’re worried, you should have stayed with Reynard,” I told her. “I’m perfectly capable of handling this myself without your protection.”
Her thoughts were full of doubts as I lifted a hand and knocked.
“Come in,” Dr. Daniels called.
He stood as I entered the room, his blue eyes twinkling. “Ah, Agent Adams. I’ve been expecting you.”
“You have?” Surprised, I paused in the middle of the room.
“Please, sit.” He moved to a sideboard and took a bottle of Sirius ’45 from a wine bucket. “I believe this is your favorite, and we have cause for celebration.”
“We do?” I parked my butt in an overstuffed chair and eyed him suspiciously as he poured two glasses.
“Yes. The people who made up Losif Strand’s alliance were found guilty on all charges this morning. They’ll spend the rest of their lives on Inferno, along with the men who originally signed onto the Federation ship to steal the Sumantti.”
I nodded, distracted for a moment. “That is good news. I’m glad it’s over.”
“As am I. How is the commander settling in?” he asked, handing over one of the glasses and taking the chair next to mine.
“He’s ecstatic. We can’t even go for a walk because every time he sees a new gadget, we have to stop so he can figure out how it works. When he’s not here at headquarters doing his job, he’s logged into the computers, studying. I think he’s leaning toward an engineering degree.”
“Well, he’ll have a job with us as long as he wants it, no matter what field he specializes in. You were abs
olutely right about his abilities. There’s not a martial arts instructor in the bureau who can beat him, plus he’s like having a human lie detector around. We’ve never had such a well-behaved junior class before.” He smiled. “But you aren’t here to talk about the commander, are you?”
“No, I’m not.” I rolled the glass between my hands while Peri shifted uncomfortably on my shoulder. “It’s about my job.”
He nodded. “Yes, this talk was a bit delayed by your mission. We both know you weren’t created to be a field agent, even though things turned out fine this time. Any suggestions on what we should do with you?”
“As a matter of fact”—I took a deep breath and plunged off the precipice—“I want your job.”
He threw his head back and gave a deep belly laugh. “You never disappoint, Agent Adams. Unfortunately for you, I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon. On the other hand, there’s a lot for you to do here at Alien Affairs, so I’m sure we can keep you busy at something. Maybe a job as my assistant?”
“Really?” Stunned, I could only stare at him.
“Really. Not only are you organized to a fault, you’re supremely educated on Federation politics. And of one thing I’m sure. With you around, life will never be dull. Welcome aboard, Agent Adams. You start tomorrow.”
I drained my glass, and then let out a whoop of joy as Peri did blissful loops around the room. Life was good. Yes, it was very, very good.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to give a rousing thanks to my editor, Emily Krump. She always knows how to make my stories better than I can make them on my own. Don’t know what I’d do without her.
Thanks also to my agent, Laura Bradford, who is wise and supportive beyond reason, even when I’m in a bad mood because of life situations I can’t control.
When I need an answer fast, Wikipedia is my site of choice, so thanks to them for being such a great resource.
And I could spend hours (and have) on the Hubblesite.org, just looking at the fantastic images. They are truly amazing.
By Katherine Allred
Alien Affairs
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Credits
Cover art by Don Sipley
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CLOSE CONTACT. Copyright © 2010 by Kathy Allred. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
First Eos paperback printing: June 2010
EPub Edition © May 2010 ISBN: 978-0-06-199539-2
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Katherine Allred, Close Contact
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