Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 19 (a)

All across the ship alarms were going off while a calm computer voice repeated messages. "Please remain in your cabin or in designated ship security areas. Keep calm and await further instructions."

Even with the ship's pressure doors sealed, there wasn't a person on the ship that didn't know something was terribly wrong. To varying degrees of discomfort human and non-humans alike were experiencing a ringing inside their heads.

Gaulle stood unaffected as he looked on the ground at the clearly suffering Adjani, Adisa and Goroshenko. The three were clutching at their heads as if to block the noise. However, aside from the klaxons, there was no sound at all aside from the three men whimpering.

One of Gaulle's abilities was that he could not be affected by psi attacks, incursions or any other telepathic mind probe. He knew immediately the psi blast was Singh. He was in turns infuriated and afraid. Any hope of remaining under the radar seemed hopeless at this point. More scary was not knowing what was going on that compelled such as a desperate and reckless measure.

Three or four sustained minutes of ringing began to feel much longer. Gaulle went to the computer and checked for more data but all it indicated was the same repeated messages. He was looking for a way out but all indications were that passenger sections were cordoned off by pressure doors.

Just as suddenly as Singh's psi blast began, it stopped. Adjani and Adisa got their feet still very much shaken and even groggy. Goroshenko was on his hands and knees muttering.

"Holy, mother of hell. What was that?" Goroshenko asked.

"Singh," said Gaulle.

Adisa was shocked. "He can do that?"

"Would he do that?" questioned Adjani. The disbelief on his face was equal to his brothers. "He is so disciplined."

"He is also now dead," said Gaulle. His shoulder slumped as he said it. He'd often treated Singh like glorified servant but he valued his steady and reliable advice and was one of the few people that he actually trusted with assignments. He wasn't a friend but then Gaulle didn't have nor wanted any.

Goroshenko was on his feet and incredulous. "How? She did this? You know for certain?"

"I don't know he died, just that he's dead," answered Gaulle. "The psi blast was used was used only one other time by Singh. It helped him escape danger."

Adisa's fists balled up. "But no escape this time. She killed him."

Gaulle frowned. "I don't know she did. I sense... something else was involved."

"If Singh is dead, it won't take them very long to find us," said Goroshenko.

This time Goroshenko's instinct for preservation was bang on and Gaulle knew that they had very little time to act.

"We will deal with that quickly," said Gaulle. "It will be messy but the ship lockdown will give us the cover we need to erase our connection to Singh."

Adjani stepped forward. "What do you need?"

"Contact the last of us," said Gaulle. "We need someone who can set things on fire."