My office was — well, almost embarrassing. There was a bronze plaque on the outer door that simply read BASE COMMANDER, but once past that it was something that had me in near shock.

I’d seen large offices before, but this one made some houses I’d been in seem small and cramped. The outer office, yes my own was behind this one — somewhere, was painted in subdued but still vibrant earth tones, had couches, chairs, tables, and telephones scattered all through it, live plants, and a receptionist behind a sleek, modern desk with a built in computer terminal.

There were other desks arranged behind the first one, evidently for staff I hadn’t gotten around to approving, or who were just off for the day and one even larger one just in front of a set of double doors that I somehow knew led to the inner office.

The receptionist, blonde and sleek as her desk greeted me with a smile. “Welcome home Commander, how was your trip?”

“Thanks.” I answered still looking around and feeling as if I’d goofed and entered forbidden territory instead of just walked into my own office. “The trip was about what you’d expect, long, boring, and good to be done with.”

“They usually are when it’s business.” The young woman smiled and crinkled her violet eyes in a way that had MY blood racing so I could imagine what it did to the guys she greeted that way. “I’m Captain Lacy Hume, and I’m actually your Chief of Staff. I was just making sure all the desks for staff were set up right.”

“If you say they are,” I shrugged and smiled back, “I think I’ll take your word for it just now, Lacy.”

“That’s good to know.” She laughed and waved to the double doors. “Well, come on and I’ll show you the inner sanctum if you’re done gawking out here.”

Gawking. Was I doing that? Oh you’d better believe I was.

“Oh I’m not near done gawking.” I grinned but nodded. “Let’s go see the place where I’ll be acting like I know what I’m doing here, then.”

“From what I’ve heard, Ma’am.” Lacy gave me a serious look. “You already know what you’re doing and have very firmly shown that to more than a few people here in a way that leaves no doubt of your abilities to handle — umm -- situations.”

I wasn’t going to argue that one at all. So I nodded and waved for her to lead me into the office that I would really be working out of.

My own desk was polished oak and large enough to be a self respecting dining room table. But it had to be that big with all the monitors and communication gear on and inside it. There were more couches, coffee tables, and end tables along with comfortable looking chairs spaced comfortably around the place for informal meetings, I gathered.

Lacy pointed out amenities for me. “This door leads to a bathroom and wardrobe, with a small bedroom to the side. She opened it and I saw the tub/shower enclosure then nodded for her to continue. “Wet bar here. With a small refrigerator, ice maker, and sink.”

She gave me an odd look as I checked the bar and I looked up with a wry grin. “Lacy, don’t worry, if it’s alcoholic I won’t touch it. I know better than that, believe me. I would prefer a selection of juices, carbonated soft drinks, and teas in this thing if that’s possible.”

“I’ll have it stocked for you by morning, Ma’am.” She responded with a sunny smile for me. “Do you drink coffee?”

“Rarely.” I answered while giving the coffee maker and service a look. “One cup in the morning and that’s usually enough to have me bouncing off walls till lunch time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind then.” She answered.

“Good enough.” I sighed and waved her to a chair. “Okay, Lacy, let’s have a little talk here so we can get this over with and move on to the important things.”

She sat down and gave me an expectant, if slightly nervous look while I seated myself in a chair set at an angle beside the one she had chosen.

“I’m not real big on the formalities, as you noticed already.” I started. “And I know I look like I’m way too young to be in this office, let alone calling it mine. But I am here, and my job is to see that this base is up to snuff for the people who will be coming to live here later. I’ll do that job and try to keep from underfoot regarding the day to day operation out front. To be honest, I’m not comfortable with all this ostentation and probably never will be. But I’ll deal with it, if you’ll work with me here and we’ll get through all the awkward stuff so we can get to the jobs both of us have to do. Deal?”

“Deal.” She answered with a quick nod. “I can see that Colonel Harris was right about you, Ma’am. You are one of the good ones and I’ll take good care of you while you’re here. You can count on it.”

“Would you rather I called you Captain Hume? I can do that if it makes you more comfortable.”

“Just call me whatever you’re comfortable with doing, Ma’am.” She grinned. “As long as we get the job done labels don’t matter all that much, do they?”

“No, I guess they don’t, Lacy.” I grinned back. I was thinking that I was going to like my Chief of Staff from first impressions. “Well, I suppose you have things to still get done and I know I do, so if there isn’t anything else just now I suggest we get to it.”

“Very good, Ma’am.” She answered then added. “I’ve arranged for you get a full tour of the facility tomorrow at 0700 if that is convenient?”

“It works, thank you.” I told her with an internal sigh. I’d be getting along on a lot less sleep than I was used to doing while here, I could see that. “Also, if Captain Shaugnessy should decide to grace us with his presence while you’re still on duty, call me immediately, please.”

“Of course, Ma’am.”

As she left me to my own devices I muttered to myself. “This is going to take some getting used to.”

Then I proceeded to play with all the neat goodies on my desk. Just to see how they all worked, you understand. So sue me. Once a geek, always a geek.

At least I didn’t spin around in the office chair behind my desk.

But I was tempted.

My office, it turns out, was so palatial because it had been set up for a high ranking officer. A very high ranking officer. Like up in the rarified area that was on first name terms with the president kind of thing. The red phone within easy reach of my chair — once I’d adjusted it for myself -- gave almost ominous glimmerings of things to come and was trying hard to tell me I was up there as well. I did my best to ignore those thoughts. I did have a direct line to the president’s office, and the number in my secure cell, but first names? Come on. I knew who he was, sure, but I wouldn’t even be old enough to vote for another couple of years.

Well, first things first. I keyed the intercom, after a few fumbles that would have been comic if I hadn’t been so nervous. “Lacy?”

“Yes, Ma’am?” Her voice flowed like fine silk out of the speaker and I had to remind myself that I was girl now.

“Issue an order to stop the pickups of new emergences by any troops but the ones I brought in with me, please. If I need to sign anything bring it in and I’ll do that, but the order needs to get out ASAP.”

“The order has been sent out, Ma’am.” She responded within seconds. “I had it prepared, mostly, just had to change the wording a bit to fit what you wanted.”

“Thanks.” I was impressed. Again. “If anyone takes exception to it, just send them to me and I’ll handle it.”

“Very good, Ma’am. Will there be anything else?”

“Yes, locate Corporal Leonard Donahue and get him up here, please.”

“On it, Ma’am.”

Satisfied with those two things I started going through security files, specifically looking for anything regarding the emerged teens who had already been brought in to this facility.

After a few minutes of searching I found what I wanted. But they were heavily encrypted. I knew my way around a computer, but this was beyond me.

I took my cell and hit my speed dial.

“Keys.” Came the answer after one ring.

“Kris, Luce here. I need a computer guru I know and can trust out here, like yesterday.”

“Found something interesting already have you?” She asked.

“Seven files regarding pickups.” I said with a frown she couldn’t see. “Not counting the one that was brought in today. They’re heavily encrypted and I need to see what’s in them without asking the in place security people here or anyone else on the staff. I think seven people have just been disappeared from this place but I need to see those files to really find out. This feels wrong to me, really wrong.”

“I’ll send Lulu along with Claire and Sam.” She told me without a pause to even think. “You need them tonight?”

“Yeah, I think I do.” I said quietly.

“I’ll have them there in a few hours, Luce.”

“Good, thanks.”

“Keep us posted on things.”

“You can count on that, Kris.”

“Okay, got some people to piss off here, thanks to you, but they’ll be there as soon as I can hustle them aboard a jet and get them flown out to you.”

“Good enough.” I answered. “I’ll handle the pouting and stuff when they get here.”

“Okay, later.”

Once the connection closed, I sat back for a few seconds and stared at the screen of my computer. I idly checked links from these files and found one. It was well hidden, but went to a laptop registered to — guess who? My still absent Chief of Security.

“Ma’am.” My reveries were interrupted when Lacy called from the outer office. “Cpl. Donahue is here.”

“Send him on back, Lacy.” I answered.

The door opened and Leon entered wearing a bemused grin. “Niiice digs, Sarge.”

“What can I say?” I said with a shrug. “The office was designed for some high mucky muck general or admiral, not for a simple staff sergeant.”

“Should I salute you or not?” He asked.

“Not.” I growled then sighed. Non coms and below didn’t salute each other. It would have wasted way too much time for one thing. “I’m still enlisted after all.”

“But you are base commander, Sarge.” He pointed out.

“Oh, crap.” I shook my head. “In private, or among our own troops, no way. Out in the general public I suppose you should, just to get everyone around here used to me being the boss.”

“Works for me.” He grinned.

“We have a problem already, Leon.” I told him then gave him some very specific instructions to pass along to my platoon regarding a certain Chief of Security. “Just get him here when he shows up, Leon. Be polite, but get him here.”

“You got it, Sarge.”

“How are the troops settling in?”

“Oh like usual. Soldiers tend to make themselves at home wherever we land, Sarge.” He told me with a shrug. “No problems so far.”

“Good to hear.” I grinned. “Start scheduling individual interviews for me with them, Leon. You can coordinate that with my Chief of Staff outside.”

“Boss, sometimes you’re scary and sometimes you’re SCARY.” Leon chuckled. “You said that like having some Captain doing your grunt work is normal for you.”

“Well, it is right now.” I winked. “I promise I won’t let it spoil me. Too much.”

He turned to leave and I had another thought, kicking myself that it hadn’t occurred to me earlier. “Leon, post a guard, only our people, on the new girl in containment. No one goes in or takes her anywhere without my approval, and even then I want at least one of you guys with them at all times.”

“Will do, Sarge.” He nodded. “Thinking someone might try to pull a snatch on her?”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” I nodded then waved him away. “Get with it, Leon. I’ll be right here if you need me.”

Seven hours later I was still going through files, and still worrying at the elusive missing teens. Hospital and containment records showed that they had been here. One only for a few hours, the others for varying lengths of time all the way up to several weeks. Then they were transferred out to some undisclosed destination. End of trail.

Until Lulu arrived to crack the encryptions on those private files.

No one had seen Shaugnessy yet either.

“Ma’am?” Lacy’s voice came over the intercom. “I have some people out here to see you, one says to tell you that Lulu has arrived.”

“Thanks, send them in.” I answered then winced when I looked at the time. “Go get some sleep, Lacy. It’s been a long day.”

“All right Ma’am.” She responded then asked. “Would you like for me to have the mess hall send something up for you and your friends. You haven’t eaten all day.”

“That would be great, thanks.” I told her. “Good night, Lacy.”

“Good night, Ma’am.”

“Well lookie here!” A low melodious voice like melted chocolate interrupted my relief as Lulu, trailed by Claire and Sam entered my office. “Little Ms. Base Commander hard at work in her little ol’ office!”

“Hi, Lulu.” I let out a sigh. She was very good at getting into computers, information systems of any kind, and networks. She also tended to be obnoxious as all get out. “Welcome to Colorado.”

“Ya’ll better have a reeaallly nasty problem here, girlfriend.” Lulu was now a mix of African American and white, with the look of one of those Caribbean lovelies you see on posters advertising vacations. Complete with the dreadlocks in her thick blonde hair. At least she didn’t tie beads into it. “Because mama here had a pigeon all set up for de pluckin in Total War tonight.”

“If he was any good, as pigeons go, I told her while trying not to grit my teeth. “He’ll be waiting for when you have time to pluck him. And please, please drop the ‘gritty black girl, Jamaican thing for now. I’m tired and irritated enough as it is.”

“Whatever you say, boss.” Lulu shrugged but appeared a bit miffed. “I gotta keep up the image, you know.”

“Okay, just — not in here — tonight. Please?” I asked while closing my eyes to fight down a nascent headache.

Lulu had been whiter than new snow before her emergence and transition. She went from a skinny, short little computer nerd to being a flat out gorgeous, six foot tall, willowy amazon with coffee and cream skin (flawless, too. Sometimes I really hated her just for that, especially when I had to use the acne cream) with long blonde hair done in aforementioned dreadlocks who was STILL a computer nerd. But no computer system, password or encryption had stopped her for more than ten seconds since she transitioned. They were calling her an infokinetic for lack of a better term for what she could do.

“Rough day, huh?” She asked with some sympathy showing on her face.

“In a word, yes.” I grimaced and waved at my computer monitor. “Look the system over, feel it out, search the files I’ve marked and tell me what you think is going on with them.”

She did that for a few seconds, then for another few seconds, then looked up with a quiet whistle from between her teeth. “Ohh, mon, dese files dey be strong encrypted.”

“English, Lulu, English.”

“It was English.” She grinned then told me. “Someone went to a lot of trouble to hide this particular folder, then covered it with at least six different encryptions — all passworded up the wazoo, and set to delete the whole shooting match if one step is wrong. I don’t suppose you have the computer this all was set up from do you?”

“Not yet.” I told her. “It and its owner are currently AWOL. But I have people looking for both of them.”

“Nuttin’ evah easy, Mon.” She muttered then winced at the glare I gave her. “Sorry.”

“Do what you can, Lulu.” I told her wearily. Looking at an exhausted appearing Claire and Sam I waved to the adjoining door. “Cots set up in there, use ‘em and we’ll get you set up with billets — rooms tomorrow.”

“You go rest some too, hon.” Lulu set a hand gently into my back and gave a slight push towards where the other two had gone. “This is going to take awhile and having you glaring, pacing, and -- glaring isn’t going to help my concentration at all.”

“Yeah.” I nodded taking another look at the time. “Thanks for getting out here so fast.”

“We all do what we do.” Lulu answered with a shrug. “Get some sleep, I’ll wake you when I get through this stuff.”

I almost stumbled into the adjoining, and now crowded little bedroom as she started muttering. “Sweet system, Really sweet. Now you nasty little critters don’t go running to hide on mama, I want to pet you, whisper sweet nothings at you, then rip you out of there and lock you up so I can play with you later…”

Did I say that Lulu can really be annoying at times? But she is the best there is at what she does.

“Well, boss I can tell you one ting fer sure heah.” Lulu shook me awake and I let out a little groan. Whether it was at the accent or being awakened after only an hour of sleep I’ll let you figure out.

“What’s that?

“De person who own dis computer you so hot for not de one, honey.”

“Lulu. I’m very short on sleep here, my temper isn’t in the best of condition at the moment, and I’m trying really hard not to start strangling you right now. Say that again so I can understand it please?”

“Whoever this computer you’re looking for belongs to didn’t set this stuff up.” She answered with a little pout at my lack of appreciation for her attempt at cultural awareness. “Somebody back doored the system to fiddle with the orders that are hidden in those files. I haven’t cracked all the encryptions yet, have to be really careful with those or everything will go blooey on us, and I’m tracking from the back door set up. But again it’s slow going because there isn’t supposed to be any data going that direction right now. I have to hide my probes inside the current instead of as an extra little packet of data.”

“You’re sure the guy that one belongs to isn’t guilty?” I questioned just to make sure.

“I compared passwords, encryptions and all that, the owner uses the standard mil-spec encryptions and his passwords aren’t at all like the ones I’m messing with in these files. If he is guilty, he’s a lot better than I am, and I don’t think anyone alive is that, but you never know. Anyway, I’d lay really long odds that it isn’t the same person. The foot prints are too different.”

“Great.” I grumbled. Back to out of the box and forget square one. But that still leaves the question of just where the Hell my Chief of Security is and why he wasn’t present for the formal change of command bullshit.”

“You’re welcome, by the way.” Lulu put in with an arch of one elegant eyebrow.

“Yeah, thanks hon.” I nodded and gave her a smile. “You’re doing good, better than good. Sorry, I just haven’t had a lot of rest since — day before yesterday, I think.”

“So make some calls, give some orders, then sleep some more.” She told me then glanced to the coffee nook knowing how that brew affected me. “Or have some coffee.”

“Let — me - think…” I sighed while staring at the coffee maker. “Tired and stupid, or Hyped up bouncing off walls and still stupid. Nap time, I think.”

“Good choice, boss.” Lulu agreed.

“Right after I call a few people.” I tiredly agreed.

0530 came way too soon for yours truly, but I had other responsibilities besides tracking down a wayward Security Chief even if that was currently priority one. Giving an envious look to still blissfully sleeping Claire and Sam I quietly went into the bathroom to shower, get dressed in a clean uniform — dress blues again dammit, and generally make myself presentable. After the past couple of days that was a real chore let me tell you.

Makeup and I still had a more or less passing acquaintance, but I finally managed to get a look that wasn’t contemporary zombie or slut in an army suit. At least my hair did itself. This time into a neat bun that stayed off my neck and given the amount of hair I had that was a small miracle in itself.

“Morning, boss.” Lulu greeted me with altogether too much cheer when I finally emerged into the office. I nodded before rummaging through the refrigerator for something I could drink without getting an overload of caffeine. Settling on Coke, I popped the top of the can and took several slow sips before moving over to see what my computer guru had found.

“Morning, Lulu. Anything new?”

“Two passwords and two encryptions left to crack.” She told me and it was easy to tell she was really enjoying herself. “Plus I got a lot of really fine code from the ones I’ve already cracked. Someone is very, very good, boss. And really sneaky paranoid. I just about lost the whole shooting match a while ago when I tripped over a well hidden snake in the grass kind of ICE.”

“Ice?” I questioned.

“I. C. E. it’s all caps.” She responded. “Intruder Countermeasure Encoding. It’s something designed to protect systems or special files and can really get nasty at times.”

“Yeah, I know what it is, Lulu.” I sighed. “I was a computer geek too, you know. Anything else?”

“Still working my way down the trail from that back door, goes all over the place, the person has used no less than fifteen nodes to muddy the track. Another hour or two and I should be able to at least localize where the code originated.” She answered with an apologetic shrug. “I’m telling you, boss, I’ve never seen someone this good before unless I looked at my stuff. This is a challenge.”

“I’ll have the mess hall send you some sandwiches.” I told her as I moved towards the door for the outer office.

“No need.” Lulu waved to a couple of well ravaged trays on a nearby table. “Your Chief of Staff sent the food and I made use of it.”

“I see that.” With a shake of my head I opened the door. “Just clean the crumbs off my desk when you’re done, okay?”

She didn’t answer, having dived back into the job she had come to do.

It was 6:15 AM, or 0615 in military time, and there were already people working in the outer office. Lacy was at her desk and stood to attention while loudly calling. “Ten Hut!”

I gave everyone a blank look for a second then recalled the protocols I was supposed to be observing and waved them down. “As you were, people.”

“Any word on Captain Shaugnessy?” I asked Lacy as I reached her desk.

“Not yet, Ma’am.” The young woman looked so crisp and svelte I was almost jealous, okay I was jealous, but mostly because she was wide awake and I was still getting my ‘wide awake and ready for another wonderful day’ thing going. “We have parties out searching for him now, and have been tracing his movements from just before he went off base. His office says he’d found something ‘interesting’ and went to investigate it.”

“Hmm, that sounds ominous given his lack of communication.” My headache was trying to come back and I told it to go away or I’d sic Laramie on it. That didn’t work, so I settled for ignoring it till it got bored and hopefully would go bother someone else. “Any other updates for me right now?”

“Dr. Somerville wants to see you immediately.” Lacy informed me and I recalled the well dressed woman in the white lab coat at the aborted Change of Command thing, and that she was the Chief Medical officer of the site. “And Major Shu requests a meeting when it’s convenient.”

“Try to fit Shu in this afternoon sometime.” I answered. “I’m going to go eat something then will be down in Medical to see what Dr. Somerville wants.”

“Very good, Ma’am.” Lacy nodded and signaled two security types. “Your escort is ready, and don’t forget the scheduled tour at 0700.”

“Right.” I answered thinking that breakfast had been a nice idea. “Have the Mess Hall send something I can chew on the move down to Medical for me, and I’ll start there then.”

“Very good, Ma’am.” Lacy answered and was already picking up her phone.

I gathered up my escort, a pair of really intimidating looking guys in ACUs (Army Combat Uniforms) and left my office with what felt suspiciously like an internal sigh of relief.

I stopped at the containment cell holding our new emerged first and was gratified to see one of the soldiers who had come in with me on watch at the entrance. He noticed my approach and snapped to attention while giving a crisp salute.

“At ease, Savinsky.” I told him and took a look through the armor glass window at the still unconscious kid. “What’s with the salute? I’m your sergeant not… Oh, yeah. Right. I sighed and tapped my name tag which now proudly proclaimed that I was Base Commander. “Appearances.”

“Exactly Ma’am.” But he gave me a wink and grin. “And a fine Base Commander you’ve been already, if I may say so. We’re all proud of you, Ma’am.”

“Thanks.” I answered. “That’s just because I haven’t been here long enough to screw something up, though.”

He didn’t believe that from his expression but didn’t say anything in response.

“Has she regained consciousness yet?” I questioned.

“Once.” An unfamiliar, feminine voice answered and I turned to see the doctor I’d sort of met in passing the day before standing off to the side. “The poor girl had internal injuries on top the mess that shows. It’s a good thing your healer got to her when she did.”

“Dr. Somerville, I gather.” I nodded at her and tried on a smile. I could see that she wasn’t happy with something. She briefly returned it, then glowered.

“Anna Somerville, Chief of Staff for the Hospital.” She nodded. “We really need to talk, Ma’am. Privately.”

“I suppose your office is closer than mine, so lead the way, Dr.” I answered.

“These children that have brought in here,” She started without preamble once we’d seated ourselves in her office, “were brutalized well beyond simple subdual techniques.”

“I noticed.” With a scowl, I recalled the condition ‘Gerald’ had been in when she arrived. “Orders have been given that should keep that from happening again, I can tell you that much already. If it does happen again, someone is going to spend time in here, then a lot more behind bars if the circumstances don’t justify what they did.”

“I believe you.” She nodded then gave me a speculative look.

“I know I’m awful young looking to be in the position I have here.” I shrugged. “Hell, I’m too young to be anywhere but high school to be honest. I know that, but I’m also one of the few people around who understand the dynamics of what happens when some poor kid emerges and transitions while being in a position to do something to mitigate the suffering. So I do it. Someone has to.”

“I noticed.” She actually chuckled at repeating a line I’d just used. “It’s a good thing, Shu is a good man, but out of his depth when dealing with people like…”

“Me?” I grinned to take away the embarrassment she was obviously feeling about that near gaffe. “I found that out, but he freely admits the fact and I think is happy to be going back to being an engineer. I don’t think he was all that comfortable being in overall command of this place.”

“You’re no high school girl.” Somerville gave me a close look and shook her head. “If I didn’t know better I’d think you’d been an adult before you changed.”

“I’ve had to learn a lot of hard lessons in the past few months, Doctor.” I let out a sigh. “Sometimes growing up sneaks up on a person. In my case, it stormed the gates and took the castle without much opposition before I even knew it was there. I had to grow up fast or I wouldn’t have survived some of things I’ve already had to do.”

With a sympathetic nod, she gave me a sad little smile. “I’ve read your jacket, Ma’am. At least the parts that aren’t classified above my clearance level. Impressive if I may tell you that without being insulting.”

“Like I said, I do what I have to do.” I shrugged. “I’m not going to say it’s been easy and I don’t see things getting any easier in the foreseeable future either. Like anything else, some people are capable of doing what’s needed and those get tapped to do it. I’m just one of those people is all.”

“I saw some of that yesterday.” She nodded. “And am beginning to see more right now. You up to the job?”

“I’d better be.” I told her while giving her a level look. “Because there isn’t anyone else to do it just now.”

“I like your attitude, Ma’am.” She told me. “I think working with you is going to be mostly a pleasure.”

“I get the feeling there’s more than just a welcome and sizing up going on here, Doctor.” I leaned back in my chair and waited for her response.

“The guards you’ve set outside that girl’s — cell.”

“It is a cell, Doctor.” I told her. “But it’s as much for her protection as anyone else’s, same with the guards at the door. She’s not a prisoner but could be very dangerous until she fully wakes and gets a handle on what’s happened to her. “I’ve spent my share of time in one, so has my immediate superior officer. You don’t have any idea just how happy I’ll be when we can get her out of there.”

“She really needs someone in there with her at all times.” Somerville flatly told me. “And the guards you’ve posted aren’t allowing that.”

“My fault there.” I nodded. “I gave very specific orders that no one was to be allowed in there or to take her out without my personal okay. I still think that’s the safest course of action just now. I apologize for the inconvenience and will arrange for someone to be allowed to sit with her if you like, but one of my people will be with them all the time. I can’t tell you how potentially dangerous that girl is to someone not knowledgeable about what she is and the things she could do if she panics.”

“I can work with that, Ma’am. But she is also my patient and I don’t like the restrictions on access to her right now.”

“I know, I know.” I waved that aside for a moment. “I’ll give orders to allow you in for any length of time you feel is needed, but one of my people will be in there with you. Or any other person you send in — again with my approval. I’m sorry, but this one isn’t just going to vanish into the night if I can help it. Or hurt someone by accident.”

“I have a roster worked up for you to look at in that case.” She handed me a sheaf of printouts. “I would trust the people on that list with MY life and all of them are outraged by the way these children have been treated then spirited away without so much as a hint about where they’re being sent.”

“Yeah, that last is something I’m looking into now. Very closely.”

“Good.” Was the only answer she had to that one.

“Xiang.” I answered my phone as I was leaving the Med Center.

“We found Shaugnessy, Sarge.” Leon informed me then added. “It’s not good.”

“How ‘not good’ is it?”

“He’s dead, Sarge.”

Oh crap.