Read Online A Stellar Affair by Laurel Richards - Free Book Online

Basner Slade, is the obvious candidate. He’s the most typically Tetch, and they would view him as especially expendable because of his age. However, Thales is in the military, and they might have found it easier to use one of their own. Obviously, Ardra is the shrewdest and the one with the hidden past. I’m not even sure she is who she thinks she is.
    “It could be that all three of them know a piece of the message, or perhaps we’re looking at three different messages. We have no idea what the Tetch planned for them once they arrived on Algoron. They might have been shipped to different points across the galaxy from there.”
    “All right,” Nash agreed. “What do you want me to do?”
    “Keep digging,” Jack told him. “Despite Private Thales’s presence, none of this strikes me as an official operation. If these people are really carrying what we think they are, there had to have been some major credits transferred. I want to know who was involved in the deal. Who was selling, and who on Algoron was buying? There has to be a trail.”
    “If there is, I’ll follow it. Anything else?”
    “Yes,” Jack said. “I want to know exactly who Ardra Kelly is. I’ll learn what I can on my end, but any details you can give me will help.”
    Nash nodded and left to get to work.
    The door had barely closed behind him before Gabriella Bastian, one of the security officers, arrived. She entered with Ardra, who he was happy to see no longer had her hands bound.
    “Go on,” Gabriella told her. “You’ll be fine. He doesn’t bite.”
    Ardra sat on the sofa and waited, though it was clear she wanted to be anywhere in the universe but here.
    “Thanks, Gabriella,” Jack said. “We’ll be all right.”
    The guard nodded and walked out.
    He sat in the chair opposite Ardra and noticed how pale and tense she looked. Although she hadn’t exactly been relaxed with him before, she had never reacted this strongly. Could she have remembered their last session? She had shocked him when she had become conscious in the middle of an altered memory, but he thought he had finally soothed her and made her forget. Touching her thoughts now, he realized he had been mistaken.
    Jack gave her a light mental push—not a thought, but a feeling of peacefulness. He wanted her to feel safe. “I’m sorry if I upset you the other day. I never meant to scare you. This could be a very easy, relaxed process if you’d cooperate. I think I can really help you.”
    “Help me?” she scoffed.
    “Help you uncover the truth about who you are,” he said. Please, Ardra. Don’t be afraid of me.
    Jack only thought the last part in his head, but she narrowed her eyes. “You know my real name.”
    “Yes, Ardra.” He tried not to appear too surprised, but he was beginning to have some suspicions about her.
    She sank deeper into the couch. “How did you know?”
    He realized she was trying to figure out how much he had gotten out of her mind. “I understand your concern. If it makes you feel better, one of our research guys dug up your record. That’s how I learned your real name. Not from in here.” He pointed at his temple.
    Contrary to what he’d hoped, she breathed even more shallowly. “What do you want?”
    “Ardra.” He curled as much telepathic influence as he could into the name. “I already told you what I want. I want to find out what you know. There may be a very important number in your head.”
    “Number?”
    “Yes, a coordinate. All you have to do is relax and let me see if you’re carrying it. Then you’ll be free, and you can go wherever you want.”
    She mouthed the word free but didn’t move.
    “Come on. Stop fighting me.” He deepened his voice. “I can see you’re tired.”
    Slipping into her consciousness, he seized control and put her under before she could resist.
    Later that evening, Jack headed over to Walter’s house to give him an update. He found the superintendent sitting in his living room with