Fragile Hope

Chapter 2

2

Pressing her lips together, Anna felt her eyebrows rise. “So, we're going to Antaur,” she said. “Because the people who have considered us bitter enemies for over a century suddenly want to talk peace”

She wore a simple pair of beige pants and a white top with a round neck, her hair done up in a bun with sticks through it. And she sat in what had to be the most uncomfortable chair, right in front of Larani's desk.

On her right, Jack was hunched over with an elbow on his knee, fingertips covering his mouth. “They must be spooked,” he mumbled. “You think maybe the Ragnosians are violating their borders too?”

“It's a reasonable guess,” Larani replied.

The head of the Justice Keepers stood with her back to the pair of them, staring out her office window at a gray afternoon that was miraculously free of rain. The days were getting colder. That thick ceiling of clouds seemed to choke the sunlight before it could provide any warmth. “The Prime Council believes that the two of you will be a symbol of the cooperation between our two worlds. Though I'm inclined to think that more seasoned officers would be better suited to this assignment, I can't argue with her logic.”

“Will we be participating in the talks?”

“I think it's best to leave that to actual diplomats.”

Tilting her head back, Anna squinted as she considered the implications. “So, we're there just to be symbols,” she said. “Show up, look pretty, smile for the guests and don't spill anything on the furniture.”

Sighing, Larani turned away from the window.

She practically fell into her big, cushioned chair, grunting on impact and wheeling it closer to the desk. “Operative Lenai,” she began in patient tones. “I realize that this is not the sort of assignment you would prefer. You like to be the centre of attention.”

“I resent that,” Anna protested.

When she glanced to her right, she found her boyfriend watching her with a raised eyebrow that spoke volumes. Well…Okay. Maybe she did steal every scene. She couldn't help it! She just had a lot of thoughts and wanted to voice them. But she could be mousy if she had to. If she had to.

Anna sank into her chair with arms folded, exhaling roughly. “Okay,” she muttered. “I take your point. I'll behave myself.”

“Excellent,” Larani said. “Now, on to other issues.”

The glass door swung open, and Anna saw Harry's silhouette striding into the room behind her. He moved at a brisk pace, grumbling under his breath. “You have a problem,” he said. “A big one.”

Larani was out of her chair in an instant, standing with her hands clasped behind herself. She frowned, then nodded once to Harry. “Mr. Carlson,” she said. “I'm glad you stopped by. You'll be going to Antaur with these two for the peace talks.”

Harry's jaw dropped, and he blinked at her. “But I'm not a diplomat.” He shook his head so fast he must have made himself dizzy. “Why in God's name would you send me to Antaur?”

“You were a liaison between us and Earth's law-enforcement agencies.”

“Yes, but-”

“Your presence will be a symbol of cooperation.” In the last year and a half, Anna had come to recognize Larani's many stares. This one said that refusing to back down on this point was a good way to find yourself doing a lot of boring paperwork. Not that she had any real authority over Harry, but with Larani, that didn't seem to matter. The woman had a talent for making other people buckle down and do whatever it was she thought they ought to be doing.

“I have daughters,” Harry protested. “I can't just go gallivanting around the galaxy.”

“And if you wish to ensure their safety,” Larani cut in, “then you will do everything in your power to make these talks succeed.”

Jack was swiveling around in his chair, grinning on the point of outright laughter. “Oh, come on, Harry,” he said. “It'll be fun! We'll ride on a big spaceship, do some sightseeing and listen to the Antaurans lecture us on our genetic inferiority.”

“Lectures that you will endure without comment, Agent Hunter.” Larani's tone was dangerous. She gave them both a lot of leeway – Anna still felt ashamed of the way that she had snarled at the other woman when Jack was a prisoner of the Ragnosians – but this was one of those times when she wanted them on their best behaviour.

It wasn't hard to see why. The fate of the galaxy could depend on this.

Harry puckered his lips and blew out a breath. “Well, then,” he said, approaching the desk. “Since that's settled, let's move on to a new topic. You had better do something about your fascist problem.”

“You mean Dusep?” Anna inquired.

“No, I mean the college kids who attacked me in broad daylight yesterday,” Harry growled. “They're getting bolder.”

Anna was out of her chair in an instant, walking over to Harry and laying a hand on his arm. “Are you all right?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Harry's voice was gruff. “But if we've reached the point where these kids are openly attacking immigrants…”

Larani was bent over with her hands braced upon the surface of the desk, her head hanging. “It means the situation is deteriorating,” she said. “Dusep's rhetoric, no doubt. A pity. Were you not otherwise engaged, Anna, I would have assigned this investigation to your team.”

“You think this is task force business?” Anna wasn't sure she agreed. It was hard to see how Slade and his pals could be the driving force behind this incident. True, Isara had provided weapons to the Sons of Savard, but the Sons had been planning a coordinated attack on the city's infrastructure. Anna had come to suspect that the attack had served its purpose, stoking fear in the hearts of Leyrian citizens, making them more sympathetic to harsher security measures and authoritarian policies.

Transforming a bunch of college kids into bigoted little wankers would hardly have the same effect. Not everything was the result of some conspiracy, and there were plenty of mundane explanations for how some dumb kids got radicalized.

Turning away from Harry, Anna brushed a lock of hair off her cheek and marched back to her chair. “I don't know, Larani,” she said. “I'm having a hard time seeing Slade's fingerprints on this.”

“I wouldn't put anything past that man.”

“Fair enough, but I still don't think it was him.”

Jack was slouching with his arms crossed, frowning as he nodded his agreement. “I don't either,” he said. “These kids aren't terrorists. This is a job for local cops, not Justice Keepers.”

With agonizing slowness, Larani eased herself back into the chair and gripped the armrests. She almost seemed to deflate. “Perhaps you're right,” she said. “But it's clear to me that we need to be more proactive in rooting out this scourge.”

“Well,” Jack said, “That 'plan' I've been working on is ready.”

Anna's head whipped around. What plan was that? Whatever he was up to, he was keeping it pretty damn close to the chest. It kind of bothered her that he'd been working on some kind of anti-fascist initiative without even telling her. Not that he didn't have a right to keep some things to himself, but…

“And what do you have for us, Agent Hunter?”

The smile on Jack's face was downright devilish. “42 Labec Avenue,” he replied. “Tonight at 13:00. Be there, and you'll see.”

Jack saw a big, red boxing glove coming at him.

He leaned back, frowning as it passed over his nose, then snapped himself upright. Before he could so much as blink, the other glove was coming his way.

Jack ducked.

He threw a quick jab into Novol's stomach, causing the man to grunt as he backed up. Normally, he didn't retaliate – Novol had this silly game where he kept insisting that he could hit Jack eventually – but he wanted a break. That one punch drove his opponent all the way to the edge of the ring.

Sweat drenching his face, Jack shut his eyes. “Good.” He rubbed his forehead with the back of a gloved fist. “So, you've been here for about a month now. How do you like Leyria?”

Novol was leaning against the ropes with his arms spread wide, head lolling as he tried to catch his breath. “It's amazing,” he wheezed. “It would be perfect if I could just find a way to hit you.”

Grinning with a bit of forced laughter, Jack looked down at the floor. He shook his head. “I keep telling you that I have enhanced reflexes,” he said. “Why is it so important for you to land a punch?”

“Military training,” Novol answered. “They used to drill it into us. Think, analyze, find a weakness and exploit it.”

Jack removed his gloves. Should it bother him that Novol was thinking of him in those terms? As a puzzle to be solved? A challenge to overcome? After all this time, he was starting to hope that Novol had come to see him as a friend.

Summer was equally saddened by the man's response. Jack could tell that she was coming to like Novol.

He dropped to one knee at the edge of the ring, picked up a towel and dried off his face. “I get it,” he said. “But you have managed to hit me on more than one occasion. So, maybe you could stop stressing about it?”

Novol's mouth twisted, but he nodded slowly in response. “You're right,” he said, getting off the ropes with a grunt. “I guess it just bugs me to think that…Well, it feels like you have an unfair advantage.”

“I do.”

Jack decided that it was time to change the subject. Knowing that his abilities irked the other man left him feeling a little uneasy. Not because he didn't trust Novol. The guy had been nothing but helpful from the moment he set foot on this planet; Novol seemed to think that since he had already betrayed his own people, he may as well commit to the Leyrian cause. Except Leyria didn't really have a cause.

Novol's discomfort with the Justice Keepers' enhanced physical abilities made Jack feel uneasy because it said something about the way Novol saw himself. About the way he had been trained to measure his own worth against others rather than recognizing his own intrinsic value. “Are you settling in okay?” Jack asked. “Is there anything we can do to help with that?”

Turning his face up to the ceiling, Novol frowned as he thought it over. “You've all done so much for me already,” he mumbled. “I keep wondering when the bill is going to come due.”

“No bill.”

“So you keep saying.”

Jack felt a smile blossom as he remembered some of his first experiences with the Leyrians, in the early days of his training as a Justice Keeper. He remembered going to the food dispensers on Station Twelve and feeling a little uncomfortable when they didn't demand some kind of payment. Almost like he was stealing. “It was the same for a lot of Earthers who came here.”

The sound of heels clicking on floor tiles told him that their little sparring session was over, and he didn't have to look to know who it was. Hell, he didn't even need spatial awareness for that.

Keli Armana strode toward the ring in a long-sleeved white dress, her face grim as she studied them. “Agent Hunter,” she said. “If you're done with him, Novol and I should begin his language lesson.”

Forcing a smile, Jack nodded to the woman. “You can take him if you want.” He got up, spun to face her and gripped the top rope in both hands as he leaned over it. “But I thought maybe he could use a day off.”

Keli stared up at him with lips pursed, as still as a statue. “We have a set schedule,” she said at last. “In another few weeks, he will no longer need my aid. I suggest that you plan your social outings then.”

Jack saluted.

Keli glowered at him.

Accepting his fate, Novol stood up and climbed over the ropes. He jumped down to the floor outside the ring and strode across the room with a smile. “That's all right, Jack,” he said. “Ms. Armana has been a wonderful teacher.”

“Come along,” Keli said.

When they were gone, Jack was alone in the gymnasium, lost in his own thoughts. Memories of Ben still flashed through his mind. Pain and guilt as well. He hadn't lied to Anna last night – her words did make him feel better – but there was still a part of him that couldn't help but blame himself. It was the Jack Hunter way.

The soft sound of footsteps drew him out of his reverie, and he looked to find Rajel Aydrius marching toward the ring in gray sweatpants and a matching tank-top. The man wasn't wearing his sunglasses, which was unusual. “Agent Hunter,” he said.

“Rajel…”

With a surge of Bent Gravity, Rajel jumped and sailed effortlessly over the ropes, landing inside the ring. “Are the rumours true?” he asked. “Are we sending a delegation to a peace summit on Antaur?”

Jack turned his back on the other man, pacing to the opposite side of the ring. He paused there, wiping damp hair off his brow. “Word travels fast, I see,” he said. “It's true. We'll be leaving in a few days.”

“You'll be going with this delegation?”

Jack felt his eyebrows climbing. “I will indeed.” He spun around to face the other man. “And I'm sensing some apprehension. Is there a reason you don't want me stomping around your hometown?”

Rajel came forward with his head down, sighing softly. “I can't help but wonder if it's a good idea.” Of all the answers he could have offered, that was not one Jack would have expected. Who didn't think peace was a good idea? “Why would the Leyrians even attend these talks?”

“Just a thought,” Jack said. “But I'm guessing the sharp decline in fatalities will be a major selling point.”

“At what cost?”

“There's a cost?” Jack spluttered. “You're gonna have to help me out with this one, Rajel. I'm having a hard time seeing the half-empty.”

To his surprise, Rajel brought his fists up in a fighting stance and began bouncing on the balls of his feet. “All right,” he said. “You want to understand what the problem is? Spar with me.”

“I don't think so,” Jack said. “I've had enough sparring for one day.”

“I wasn't giving you an option.”

“Rajel-”

That was all he could get out before the other man closed the distance between them in one quick sprint. Rajel jumped, twirled in midair, kicked out behind himself and slammed a boot into Jack's chest.

The pain drowned out Jack's awareness of almost everything else. He was barely cognizant of falling against the ropes and using them to spring back to his feet. His body was already healing, but Rajel was coming at him again.

Jack threw himself forward, somersaulting across the gym-mat, moving past Rajel before the man could attack him. He came up in a crouch, then quickly stood and put a little more distance between them.

When he turned around, Rajel was striding toward him with the kind of unrelenting focus you might expect from a ziarogat. What the hell was going on here? “I don't want to fight you,” Jack protested. “Stop!”

Rajel kicked at his belly.

Jack bent forward, slapping both hands down on the other man's leg. His opponent spun for an arcing hook-kick.

By instinct, Jack snapped upright and leaned back just in time to see the sole of a black boot pass within inches of his nose. Rajel came around to face him, drew back his arm and threw a hard punch.

Twisting his body, Jack turned his shoulder toward the other man and caught Rajel's wrist. He kicked the back of Rajel's knee.

That knocked the guy down onto his back, but Rajel was quick. He rolled aside and got up on his knees. A moment later, he was rising to stand at full height. “You will never make peace with my people.”

Rajel jumped and kicked high.

Ducking low, Jack felt the man's foot pass over his head. He waited for the thump of Rajel landing right in front of him, then popped up and exploited the brief second that he had gained.

Jack punched the man's face with one fist then the other, a pair of blows that landed with a vicious snap, snap. The impact made Rajel waver, spreading his arms wide to keep his balance.

Jack spun and back-kicked, driving a foot into the other man's chest. Propelled by that powerful hit, Rajel went sprawling backwards until he slammed into the ropes, then dropped to his knees.

Wiping his mouth with the back of one hand, Jack squeezed his eyes shut. “What's the matter with you?” he panted. “You trying to challenge Anna for the title of most hot-headed Keeper in the building?”

Rajel was on his feet again, bent double and shaking his head. “I'm trying to make a point,” he rasped. “My people would never believe that a man like me could challenge a man like you.”

“So?”

When Rajel straightened, his face was flushed and there was sweat glistening on his brow. “So,” he replied, “how can your people – people who claim to believe in equality – even consider an alliance with people like that?”

“I'm not Leyri-”

In a heartbeat, Rajel was charging across the ring like an enraged bull. Anxiety hit Jack hard. This was quickly transforming from a simple training exercise to outright conflict, and he wanted no part of it. Not that he had a choice in the matter. In seconds, Rajel was leading with a fierce left-hook.

Jack ducked, evading the hit. He threw a pair of jabs into Rajel's stomach, then rose to upper-cut his foe across the chin. That made Rajel's head snap back. The guy stumbled but quickly recovered.

He fell backward, slamming his hands down on the gym mat, bringing both feet up to strike the underside of Jack's chin. Darkness clouded Jack's vision, and he nearly lost his balance.

He saw Rajel as a blurry figure that flipped upright and came forward to press his attack. The man jumped and kicked hard, pounding Jack's chest with a big, black boot. A flash of pain made it hard to think. Jack felt the ropes flex when he hit them.

Rajel was still coming, almost as though he had forgotten that they weren't really enemies. The guy was pissed – that much was obvious – but Jack had absolutely no idea what he had done to earn this treatment.

Rajel threw a mean right cross.

Bending his knees, Jack reached up with his right hand to seize the man's wrist. He lifted Rajel's fist above his head and did a little twirl under it, coming up to trap the other man in an arm-lock. He flung Rajel into the ropes.

The guy bounced off.

Jack punched the side of his head.

Rajel fell over, landing stretched out on the gym mat, groaning from the pain and the dizziness he must have felt. “Damn it…” He rolled onto his belly. “Okay, points for that hit.”

“You're gonna wanna stay down,” Jack spat.

Of course, the other man ignored him. Rajel rolled onto his back, curled his legs up against his chest and sprang off the floor. He landed with a grunt and then launched into another attack.

Grinding his teeth audibly, Jack scrunched up his face and trembled. “All right,” he said. “You want a fight? Fine!”

He offered a back-hand strike.

Lightning quick, Rajel turned his body. He clamped one hand onto Jack's wrist and the other onto Jack's elbow. Trapped as he was, it was easy for Rajel to twist Jack's arm and force him down onto his knees.

Pain shot through Jack's body, but he didn't try to get free. He could sense that the other man was not trying to press his advantage, and he was hoping that this would all be over soon. “Is there any doubt in your mind,” Rajel began, “any doubt at all that I can do this just as well as you can?”

Red-faced, Jack looked up to squint at him. “I never said you couldn't,” he growled. “If this was all just to prove-”

Snarling like a hungry wolf, Rajel shook his head. “No, you didn't,” he agreed. “But my people did. Over and over and over, they told me that I was worth less than a sighted man. And you think it stops with a physical disability?”

He released Jack and turned away, pacing across the ring and grabbing the top rope with both hands. “They have tests of genetic purity,” he went on. “Tests to measure one's proximity to the bloodlines that developed telepathic abilities.”

“So I've heard.”

“And you want an alliance with these people.”

Closing his eyes, Jack felt a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead. “I don't know, Rajel.” He got back up on his feet with some difficulty. “What do you suggest? You think we should just let the fighting continue?”

Rajel leaned forward until it looked like he might tumble over the rope. “Of course not,” he answered. “But if we ally ourselves with them, we legitimize what they do. And they might demand that Leyria adopt their practices.”

It was a good point. Jack hadn't given much thought to what the Antaurans might require as the price of peace. He had just assumed that it would be an agreement to stop shooting each other. “I'm sorry,” he said. “You're right.”

“Not entirely,” Rajel mumbled. “This treaty does have to happen. It's just…”

Exhausted, Jack shuffled over to join the other man and leaned against the ropes beside him. “Maybe you should go talk to Larani,” he suggested. “Ask to be a part of the delegation. I think these talks might benefit from your input.”

“Maybe.”

He left Rajel to think on that.