Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 25 (d)

Goroshenko was dozing on the couch in Strasser and Nguyen's cabin when his comm softly started chiming. He slept through it and it was Nguyen dressed in just a sports shirt of the Saigon Dragons.

"Petr," Nguyen called out. "Your comm."

Goroshenko woke up, smacked his lips and tried to focus his eyes and only stared at Nguyen's bare legs. He looked up to her face.She pursed her lips at him and tilted her head to the table. The chiming continued till he at last recognized what she was motioning to. He picked up the comm and frowned.

"Security has placed a bug in my cabin," said Goroshenko.

"What?" cried out Nguyen in alarm. "They'll be here next?"

Goroshenko didn't answer but quickly scanned a datapadd that was atop a table beside him. Strasser entered the room behind Nguyen and he didn't even glance up to notice she was wearing filmy negligee.

"There's no sign of a bug in this cabin," said Goroshenko. He looked up and blanked when he saw Strasser in her nightwear but quickly focused. "No alerts appear to be issued."

"Then why they bug?" questioned Strasser. "Security will know you're here."

Nguyen looked scared. Goroshenko looked dismissively at Strasser."

No, no – the security videos were down when I came here. No one knows I'm here."

"Nevertheless, there's surveillance in your cabin,"said Strasser.

Goroshenko tapped his fingers in thought trying to think of what might have led to him being put under surveillance.

"Could they have been following up on Singh?" asked Nguyen.

"That was my thought but we destroyed the security footage, burned up Singh's cabin," said Goroshenko. "If it was through Singh,it would have led to Adjani and Adisa not to mention Gaulle. Singh gave us all passive security monitoring systems to ensure we'd have a heads up if we were discovered. No one else is being monitored."

"Then how else did you up attracting attention?"demanded Strasser. "Where have you been that none of the rest of us have gone?"

Goroshenko's eyes widened. "Those sneaky mothers!" he exclaimed. "They put something in Chen's cabin. That has to be the answer!"

Nguyen looked shocked. "Why would they do that?"

"Because they have a mystery on their hands," said Goroshenko. "They didn't know how someone could get in and out of that room. They have a smart one running the investigation. Ship security would not have come up with this on their own."

Strasser considered this. "That marshal we keep hearing about?"

Goroshenko nodded. "I think so. He's a clever one."

"What will you do?" Nyguyen asked.

"Retreat to the reserve cabin that we have," stated Goroshenko.

"Is it safe there?" Strasser questioned. "Won't a steward be aware it has been empty but now has someone in it?"

"They won't because someone has been in that cabin,"said Goroshenko. "I boarded twice using a different passport and using a disguise. One that anyone of us could use in a pinch."

"No one told us," said Strasser, cross.

"That's because you have always travelled away from the rest of us," said Goroshenko. "It was always thought you would have no need of it."

"What was the disguise?" asked Nguyen, very curious.

"A Koranthan monk," said Goroshenko with a smirk.

Koranthans were a new branch of Commonwealth religion that travelled in robes that covered all their features from head to toe. They never spoke and while their passports featured a picture, there was a sameness to the shaved head and expressionless face. Once checked in, there was rarely a check again by crew or security. The monks stayed in their cabins and only came out rarely. It was a very down low disguise to have but so out of character for Goroshenko that both Strasser and Nguyen giggled when they heard it.

"At least you have a place to hide," said Strasser.

"There's one other but I'm not desperate to use it yet," said Goroshenko. "Using the disguise might prove handy to moving around and finding out what is going on out there."

"We still have no idea what's going on out," said Nguyen.

"That has to change," stated Strasser. "It is time we acted for ourselves."

They all nodded in agreement.