Valerie had been in the pilot’s seat for some time. The lieutenant seemed unusually quiet today.
Even as Maddox thought that, Valerie stood abruptly, moving to navigation. Her fingers played over the console there. Soon, she began to tap harder than Maddox had ever observed before, even during battle. The lieutenant didn’t look up to see if he noticed. Instead, she concentrated on what she did.
Finally, it dawned on Maddox that Valerie was attempting to signal him covertly. He got up and wandered to her location.
“You’re hard at work,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” Valerie said. She pressed her palm against the panel. On the small screen to the side appeared a star system. While remaining on the panel, her index finger pointed at a reading on top of the screen: Xerxes 14C.
Maddox noted it before walking away. Valerie must have understood his unspoken message yesterday at the meeting. This was her sending him a veiled message in return.
As he returned to his command chair, Valerie continued to tap the panel until once more she stood abruptly, moving back to the pilot’s chair.
Ten minutes later, she said, “I could use a cup of java.”
“That’s a good idea,” Maddox said. “I’ll join you.”
They left the bridge and walked down several corridors to the cafeteria. Neither of them said a word. In the cafeteria, Valerie went to the coffee machine. She fiddled with it for a time.
Finally, sensing what she wanted, Maddox asked, “Is something wrong with the coffeemaker?”
The lieutenant nodded without looking up.
Leisurely, he pushed back his chair, rose and moved beside her. This close, it was obvious that nothing was wrong with the machine.
“What if you do this?” Maddox asked, touching the coffeemaker.
“Oh,” Valerie said. She manipulated the machine and it began to grind loudly in a most unusual way.
“Did you see the Xerxes 14C System?” Valerie asked. She said it just loud enough so Maddox could hear her over the noise.
“I did,” Maddox whispered.
“I think that’s where Victory is headed,” Valerie said.
“And?” Maddox asked.
Keeping her head down, with her hands on the coffeemaker, Valerie asked, “Have you ever heard of the Bermuda Triangle on Earth?”
“It’s in the area of the Sargasso Sea,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, urgently. “But do you know the old legends?”
“Something about lost ships and strange occurrences,” Maddox said with a frown.
“That’s right,” Valerie said. “The Xerxes System has a similar reputation but for greater reason. Spaceships have disappeared after going into the system. Thirty years ago, the Boron Company set up a mining colony on the metal-heavy moon of the third planet. The colony vanished, leaving no traces of the buildings or landing zones. Few military routes go through the Laumer-Points in the Xerxes System. I don’t think any space-liners ever use those jump gates anymore.”
“Meta once told me her Cestus hauler used those Laumer-Points,” Maddox said. “Or should I say the Cestus hauler went through it in order to let off Kane’s scout.”
“That isn’t what Meta said, sir.”
“But I clearly remember…” Maddox’s words faded away. “You’re right. Meta’s hauler let her out and Kane used the scout, entering a small Laumer-Point that led into the system.”
“Damn coffeemaker!” Valerie said, giving the machine a whack with the flat of her hand. Valerie bent lower, pretending to fiddle with the machine. Out of the side of her mouth, the lieutenant said, “All I’m saying, sir, is that we’re headed to an extremely dangerous star system. I wonder if the professor realizes just how hazardous.”
“I’d imagine he would,” Maddox said. “Now, we do too.”
“We have to be careful, sir. The star system holds the Nexus, and it held this planet-killer. What else does it contain that makes it so deadly? Something that destroys ships and mining colonies.”
“You’ve made your point,” Maddox said. “We’ll have to go in on combat alert.” The captain became thoughtful. “How many light-years is the Xerxes System from Earth?”
“Eighty-three in eleven jumps using the Laumer-Points,” Valerie said.
“I see.” Maddox silently noted that Valerie had been thorough with her research.
“Whatever needs doing, you can count on me to try, sir.”
Maddox smiled. “I know that, Lieutenant. Is there anything else?”
Her features tightened. For some reason, that troubled Maddox.
“You know the last slarn hunter?” Valerie asked.
“Cesar Villars?” Maddox whispered.
Valerie nodded. “He’s watching Meta awfully closely. I noticed it during the morning cycle in the cafeteria when he didn’t think anyone was looking. I didn’t like the way he stared at her, Captain. He has bad intentions toward Meta.”
The words were like a spike into Maddox’s chest. He should have already seen this complication coming. The slarn hunters must have been friends, and Meta had killed Sten Gorgon.
The captain reached out, flipping two switches. “There,” he said. “The machine is fixed.”
Valerie stared at him.
“After waiting this long for my cup,” Maddox said, with tightness in his throat, “I find I’m no longer thirsty. I think I’ll have a lie down instead.”
“Yes, sir,” Valerie said.
“I expect you to return to the bridge,” he said. “Hail me if you spot anything of interest.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
Without another word, Maddox headed for the exit. If the slarn hunter had done anything to Meta—the captain increased his pace. He had to stop Villars from hurting his woman.
-9-
Maddox hurried down a corridor. How close had Gorgon been to Villars? Maybe as important, how did the slarn hunters of Wolf Prime feel about vengeance?
Maddox pulled out his comm-unit. “Meta?” he said.
There was no response. Maddox increased his pace.
How much control did Ludendorff have over his group? It would seem the professor trusted his people. Evidence of that was that Ludendorff had given Gorgon precise details to relay to Per Lomax. Maybe the slarn hunter had even handed the New Man the precious key. That implied great trust. Would that mean the professor would give his people greater leeway than otherwise?
“Meta,” the captain said into his comm-unit. “Come in, please. It’s important.”
The device remained silent.
If Meta wasn’t answering, he would track her down. To his relief, the unit showed that she was in her room.
Pocketing the device, Maddox slowed his pace. It occurred to him that just because Meta’s comm-unit was in her quarters, it didn’t necessitate that Meta was there with it.
Maddox broke into a sprint. Apart from the New Men, he didn’t know anyone who could keep up with him when he ran at full speed. The captain fairly flew down the corridors. Would Ludendorff realize that Villars might want revenge for Gorgon’s death? If the slarn hunter had hurt Meta—
Maddox shook his head. Creating future fantasies didn’t help him in the moment. Cool concentration always helped him best in these matters. Yet, Maddox found that he lacked coolness this time. Heat built in his chest. He could feel it swell with throbbing force.
Maddox sprinted around a corner and barely saw a nearly invisible line stretched the width of the corridor. He recognized it as monofilament wire. If his ankles pushed against that line at this speed, the wire would neatly slice off his feet.
He couldn’t halt in time, but Maddox had catlike reflexes. He leaped, although in an awkward manner. The toe of his left boot touched the monofilament wire. It sliced off some of the leather. Then, he landed hard on his left shoulder. Fortunately, Maddox rolled, bleeding away what would have been an otherwise slamming blow.