Galactic Marshal II
by
Hilltopper

CHAPTER 3

The guy we were after had gone into a national forest in Kentucky; my old stomping ground. There was no way a 100 marshals could ferret him out if he did not want to come. The only way to find him was for us to go into the forest as if on a camping trip.

We headed toward a little used primitive campground I knew about. It sounded like just the place this guy would hide in. It took us two days to hike to it. George kicked back against a log after our camp was set up.

“John, this is my idea of work.”

I laughed.

“I have to agree. There’s a lake over that way a peace. You want to try fishing?”

George looked horrified and then grinned.

“No thanks, you go ahead. I’ll tend the camp.”

I just shook my head. Grabbing my fishing tackle, I headed toward the lake. It was only about an hours walk. I figured that fish frying was a good way to lure our fugitive out into the open. He was probably living on a limited diet. After a couple of hours fishing, I thought that I saw someone watching from the trees. It could be our man. I had already caught a good string so I went back to camp. George hadn’t moved.

“Still tending the camp, I see.”

“Yep, alls well.”

I threw him the fish.

“Make yourself useful. I’ll get a fire started.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

I glared at him.

“That’s not funny.”

“OK, OK, I’ll start cleaning them.”

I didn’t tell him about seeing someone. The guy could be listening, trying to figure us out. I don’t know what the smell of the frying fish was doing to the stranger, but it sure was making me hungry. We had just started eating it when a man walked into our camp carrying a rifle. I didn’t have to look too hard to know that he was our fugitive. He sniffed the air.

“That fish really smells good. You got extra?”

I smiled up at him.

“Sure, have a seat. You back packing?”

“No, just getting away from things for a while.”

“Don’t blame you.”

He sat down and started eating as well. He didn’t put down his rifle, though. We knew he was a tough cookie so we played it cool.

“Are you two married?”

I jerked my head up.

“What?!”

“Sorry, you two make a good couple is all.”

I thought George was going to explode or pass out.

“When I was married, my wife would never go on camping trips like this.”

He turned to George.

“You are a lucky man.”

George couldn’t take it any longer. He lunged at the man. Seeing this, I grabbed for his rifle. I guess he was too stunned to fight. We subdued him quickly. Rather than being angry, he grinned big.

“I have to hand it to the marshal service, sending in a couple completely fooled me.”

George flared up again.

“We are not a couple. I am not gay.”

The guy looked blankly at George.

“We are both guys!”

“Nope”

“Oh for gods sake, John, drop your pants and show him.”

This conversation was going from bad to worse.

“Uh, I think I will pass on that.”

The guy just smirked. George stood up angrily and walked over to his back pack. He pulled out a sat phone and called in a hovercraft to pick us up. He never looked at me or said a word until we were on the shuttle going back to HQ. Our prisoner had been delivered to the local police. Looking warily at me, he shook his head.

“You’re still female, aren’t you?”

I nodded and shrugged.

“They wouldn’t change me back all the way because of my Fledoran citizenship.”

“Damn, this is messed up. I warned you when that assignment first came up. What are you going to do?”

“What can I do? My wife and son are back there.”

“Damn!”

We said nothing else to each other until we docked. Upon exiting the shuttle, George held out his hand.

“When you sort this thing out, give me a call but don’t expect me to visit you there.”

He was smiling so I guessed he had come to terms with it.

“I will. I think the situation will change in my favor before long. Thanks for being a friend.”

We shook hands. Just then, a messenger appeared.

“Marshal Harper, you need to report in ASAP.” I quickly went to Sam’s office. The door was open so I walked in.

“John, go to dock 12. Fledora has sent a ship for you. Apparently, your son is missing.”

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I rushed home with a squad. We searched the whole area but found nothing. Lynne said that she had only left Raylan in his crib for a few minutes. When she returned, he was gone. She neither saw nor heard anything. I was beside myself. We put out an all points but really had nothing to go on. It was like Raylan had vanished into thin air. I so wanted Jonnie here now but I could not contact her. I had told Sam what had happened and sent a ship to wait for Jonnie. Sam assured me that, as soon as Jonnie checked in, he would send her to us. I went back to my office to wait for some word. I tried to hold it together but could not. Later that afternoon, I received a message that Linda Sanders was on her way to see me. A few minutes later, she walked into the office.

“Sorry, Linda, but things are messed up right now.”

I broke down again and Linda rushed over to me.

“Oh, Linda, little Raylan is gone.”

Linda hugged me tight.

“I think maybe that is what has brought me here.”

I raised my head and looked into her eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“About an hour ago, this message was given to me. It was apparently left on the bar at The Midnight End. No one saw who left it.”

She handed me a glossy sheet of paper. I looked at it in horror.

‘If you want your kid back, come to Prowhiness post haste.’

It was signed ‘The Alliance’.

“What the hell is Prowhiness?”

“I heard Karen talk about it once. It’s a planet outside the Planetopolis that is known to be a black market trader.”

“OK, then who is the Alliance?”

“I can’t help you there.”

“This makes no sense! Why would they want me there?”

“I don’t know. Have you got any leads?”

I shook my head.

“Not a thing. No one saw anything and there is no evidence at all.”

Linda nodded and stood up.

“Then we go to Prowhiness.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?”

“You have no authority in that place and neither does the marshal service. They asked for you! What other choice do you have?”

“Yes, I agree that my only option is to follow their instructions but that still does not answer my question. What do you mean ‘we’?”

“I know a lot of people that may help us and, besides, there is no way I will let you go without me!”

We got permission from the council to take a Fledoran ship but only as far as Broadskye. After that, we were on our own. Linda said that she knew someone that might fly us to Prowhiness. She seemed to be a lot more worldly than I thought. I guess during her time with Karen that she had made a lot of contacts.

When we arrived at Broadskye, Linda contacted the person who she thought would pilot us to Prowhiness. She said that he was a smuggler but was not wanted by the marshal service as far as she knew. He met us in a public market. Even though he knew Linda, I don’t think he really trusted her or, maybe, it was just Karen he did not trust. After entering the market, Linda spotted our pilot.

“Hey, Jeff, it’s been a while.”

He looked on a minute and then behind us.

“Where’s Karen?”

“She’s not with us.”

“That crazy bitch almost killed me once. Why do you need a pilot?”

“My friend’s baby was kidnapped and a note said for us to go to Prowhiness. That’s all we know.”

“Hmm, that actually sounds like something Karen would do.”

“Karen’s dead.”

Jeff shook his head.

“That’s hard to believe. OK, I owe you one. Get your stuff. I only went there once and, to tell you the truth, that was enough. I’ll drop you there but I’m not staying.”

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When I arrived at the Fledoran spaceport, Carol had a hovercraft waiting for me. I was taken directly to Carol’s office in the council building. I really hated this damn mini dress they required. As I walked into her officer, she stood up.

“Oh, Jonnie, I’m so sorry. A note was left.”

She handed it to me.

“Mary and Linda Sanders have already left to go there. We did not know how long it would be before you surfaced.”

“You mean you let them go alone?”

“I couldn’t stop them. All I could do was fly them to Broadskye. The last we heard, a friend of Linda’s was flying them to that planet Prowhiness.”

“Shit! OK, I’m going after them.”

Carol shook her head.

“The council has decided to stand pat and wait to hear from Mary. Right now, this is a personal matter and we have done all we can do.”

“Fine!”

I stomped out and went to Mary’s office. I contacted Sam to see what he could do. I was not hopeful.

“Hi Sam, they have taken my son to a planet called Prowhiness. Mary has gone after him. I need to go there.”

“Prowhiness huh! That planet is way beyond our territory. There is nothing the marshal service can do except have a squad on alert. We can’t go there and neither can you.”

“That is not an option!”

“I’m sorry, John, but we can’t issue you a ship.”

“Yeah, I know but I had to ask anyway. I have to go. It’s my wife and son! I’ll figure out a way even as a private citizen. ”

Sam nodded.

“Good luck. Keep us informed.”

With that, he signed off. Great, now what? I sat down to think. Where could I get a ship here? I was at my whit’s end when a call came in. It was from James Cooper.

“Hi, Coop.”

“I heard what happened. I want to help. You changed my life.”

“Thanks, but I am out of ideas.”

“Come up here. I might have an answer.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice. I rushed over to the shuttle park and rode up to the moon base. After James greeted me, he walked me to the main hanger. Setting there was a magnificent ship!

“What do you think?”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were this far along.”

“Well, it’s kind of a secret. The ships not fully functional but it’s yours if you want it.”

“I didn’t think the council was going to approve of my request.”

“Uh, who said any thing about the council. I said the ship is yours as long as you take me with you.”

I stared at him a few seconds then grinned.

“OK, let’s do it!”