Watching From a Distance Read online

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  Captain Rowley has the final say whenever we take extra precaution planet side, but usually does them on my recommendation. Like right now. I can’t name--let alone pinpoint--what I feel. I only know that the air feels tense. I doubt half the crew notices it; Captain Rowley will say they probably can’t even feel it. But it’s there and it forces most thoughts of Mati out of my mind. Not all. But I need to focus on what I can do--protect Ka’za--more than what I can’t do--protect Mati.

  As such, we have all six of the regular purple guard on duty. They line the path from the White House to the shuttle. As President Lee and Ka’za walk down the path, with Daisy and myself behind them, they leave their station and fall behind us. All in all, a splendid sight for these people.

  All the while, I focus on the emotions. Many people cheer. As that is what most people feel and I still haven’t fully adjusted to these people, I can only barely sense the important strands. A few flashes of discontent. Some of fear. Some so jumbled I can’t make sense of them. But nothing worth calling a code for. These precautions may end up being enough.

  Ka’za steps onto the ramp and waves to the crowd and the cameras. She says often the way to win the leader is to win the public. At this acknowledgement of them, everyone’s positive opinion of her increases, without changing the questioning opinions. Stunningly brilliant, like normal.

  Except at that moment, I feel the tightening of pure fear just before a reaction occurs.

  “Shell!”

  I leap over the railing to the ground as the rest of the purple guard close around Ka’za and the president. Two shots ring out. A dull thud echos behind me as it hit someone’s vest. I jump the rope, holding tightly to the mental fear that sent the would-be assassin to unleash a bullet on our lady. I can just barely sense him through the panicked chaos that erupt around me. Barely, but it’s enough.

  I press my way through the crowd as he tries to flee before me. But he’s trapped by too many bodies. The crowd, though panicked, give me more space than him and I gain. I reach for my stun stick, only for someone to knock it out of my hands.

  Suddenly, he stands in front of me. He pauses, then fires his gun. Six times the bullets hit my chest. I stand there, my vest absorbing the shots. As soon as he empties his clip, he charges me. I block, reflexes faster than thinking, and shove him back. He goes at me again with the desperation of a dead man. Block. Weave. Block. The world melts around me into the background of a cramped back alleys I were I used to fight. I begin to see his pattern and his holes. On his next attack, I catch his arm and flip him to the ground. In the moment it takes him to scramble up, I slam the back of my hands together. My gloves hum with energy. He charges me again. I block then grab his neck, the only bare skin available. For a moment, he stiffens, then crumples to the ground with barely a shudder.

  As I lower him to the ground, the world materializes again. I am no longer a young boy defending his honor or his family but a highly specialized member of a security detail. No longer do I stand in the streets of North Harbor but in a green lawn surrounded by alien people. They stare at me, stunned and a little fearful, not understanding what I just did. To them, it looks like I am quite dangerous. I suppose I can be though.

  I hit my hands together again to turn off the shock ability, then pick up my stun stick. At that moment, both a member of the president’s secret service and Litan, a member of the purple guard, appear.

  “Is she safe?” I ask.

  Litan nods. “And you?”

  “My uniform’s ruined.” I smile faintly. “But I’m fine. Might be a little sore later.”

  “Him?”

  “Shocked. No injuries. Do we hand him over to their secret service or do we take?”

  “For now, we’ll take.” Litan hoists the assassin into a hover cart and motions for me to lead. The crowd parts quickly for me; they fear I will hurt them too.

  At the entrance to the ship, Second-Captain Turner meets me. “Reve, there was only one?”

  I nodded. “So far as I could tell. Where is Captain Rowley?”

  “Captain Rowley was hit--and injured. The lady has gained permission for us to question the assassin.”

  “Does she need me to report to her?”

  “No.” He smiles faintly, like he can see how I feel about her. I can’t imagine he can though. I closely guard most everything personal like that. “The purple guard can handle any inside threat I imagine.”

  I shrug and head for my room. There, I wash the fight from my face and pull on a clean uniform. As I stand in the center of my small cabin, I find myself being drawn to the computer. I know I shouldn’t; I will be needed soon. So I justify it by saying I will send a message to my mom. If she hears about the attack, she will want to know I am safe. Logically I know that she probably won’t hear. Very few nonofficial reports leave our ship and power for computers is intermittent in North Harbor due to the riots, even at the hospital.

  However, in my inbox is exactly why I originally convinced myself to check my mail. An update on Mati.

  Reve,

  Mati took a turn for the worse about an hour ago. Her oxygen levels dropped and they intubated her again. Her heart hasn’t stabilized into a rhythm either. They think she is bleeding internally and say they can’t do anything about it.

  The problem is that they refuse to do anything about it because they doubt that we can pay. Not when I can’t work and North Harbor is in such chaos. Atnah (You remember her? The really nice nurse.) she told me they have a drug that should help her with all the tiny internal bleeds but it is very expensive, and already they’ve done two surgeries. I don’t know what else to say, Reve. I hate that I must ask you so often to help but you also insisted that the boys’ work doesn’t interfere with school. We can’t do anything else.

  The nurse gave me a income sheet to fill out. I’ve attached it. If we seem to have enough money, she can get the drug. Obviously, the payments would need to come mainly out of what you give us already. We can pull ourselves back some; we have before. But since it is legally your money, you need the sign it.

  I love you, Reve.

  -Mom

  She doesn’t send pictures. I almost wish she would, though, it’s probably best I don’t see them. It takes enough strength for me to hold myself together as it is; if I saw pictures of how bad Mati is, I doubt I could focus at all.

  I open the paperwork only to find Mati’s outstanding bill at the front. If only she hadn’t thought it so important to rescue a stray dog! Then she never would have been caught in the middle of a riot. She wouldn’t be in ICU right now, fighting for her life. Currently, she has been in more pain these past two weeks than I have ever been in five years as an A-guard, including training. In frustration, I shove myself away from the table, grab my translator and leave to walk the hallways.

  Normally, I don’t get a break during a mission. Since I need to go planet side with the Lady every time she goes, I also must attend all the briefings she attends. This kind of schedule means few breaks for both myself and her most of the time. Even the fact that I am not actually with her while we have visitors seems awkward. I won’t object. In some ways, I shouldn’t even be on duty at all. Not when just reading updates about Mati tears me up inside. But what can I do? Going home is nearly impossible out here, as is getting a replacement A-guard.

  I hope Ka’za finishes this deal soon. I need the break.

  The ship’s layout is roughly a large circle, with rooms on both sides. It is perfect if someone just wants to walk forever. Since the visitors are on this level, many of the regular crew cleared out just in case. Some people do not like experiancing the stimuli of unshielded individuals and avoid them as much as possible. On a positive side, it allows me to walk quickly.

  As I come around a corner, I see Daisy standing against a wall, idly watching whoever passes. As she catches sight of me, she breaks into a grin. I try to return a smile, though it falls flat, and nod. As I pass her, she sudde
nly grabs my arm. I jump. More from the suddenness than anything else. Her emotions have shifted from curiosity to a tangled mess I can’t read any anymore. I wish I’d adjusted to their emotional pattern; then I can figure out this girl.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” She starts to twist her hair again, just like while we waited earlier. I make a mental note to see if it means anything important. “I saw how well you recognized the assassin and--well--I didn’t think you’d be easily startled.”

  I give her another little smile. That doesn’t even make sense. Her emotions and the emotions of that assassin are totally different. Like--a messy tangle of dark hair compared to the sharp directness of purple eyes. One is confusion; the other is obvious. It is always easier to feel directness in any race.

  Daisy tilts her head to the side. “Do you understand me?”

  I nod.

  “Then why don’t you respond?”

  I shake my head.

  “You can’t?”

  Another nod. Then, just so as not to confuse her, I say, “I can, but I cannot speak English.”

  “Oh.” She sounds sad. She didn’t understand what I said. “How am I suppose to know your name them?”

  An involuntary chuckle escapes me. Does she know the name of those black-suited guards that followed her constantly? I doubt it. I am just like them. My name would be of no consequence to her.

  She twists her hair a little again.