Read Online Rules of Conflict by Kristine Smith - Free Book Online Page B

bed by Christmas.”
    “You think so?” Shroud set his cup down on the sofaside table. He
stood, reached inside his jacket, and removed a folded documents slipcase from
his inner pocket. “I received this by special messenger two months ago, about
the time the first of those pro-Evan stories appeared in the news.” He unfolded
the slipcase and removed a single sheet of parchment. “That is, I received the
original, which is safely locked away. This is a copy.”
    Evan’s heart skipped as his stomach went into free fall. It took
all the willpower he could muster to keep from pulling away as Shroud held out
the blue-trimmed white page for his perusal.
    “It’s an old Consulate comlog, a list of all the outgoing
communications made by executive staff on the day Jani’s transport exploded in
midair.” When Evan made no move to take the document, Shroud placed it across
his knees. “You gave the order to have the bomb placed on board. The time,
location, and comport code all identify you as the person who called the
Service fuel depot outside Rauta Shèràa just before the transport that was
assigned to pick up Jani and the other members of the Twelfth Rover Corps
departed for Knevçet Shèràa.”
    Evan took a sip of his drink, more to moisten his dry mouth than
for the alcohol. “That isn’t enough evidence to convict.”
    “It’s a start.” Shroud returned to his seat. “It may even be
enough to persuade Li Cao to turn you over to Commonwealth Intelligence for a
dose of Sera.”
    “Truth drug?” Evan managed a harsh laugh. “Even if her Prime
Ministry was at stake, Li would never set that precedent. Not if she thought
there was the slightest chance it could come back to haunt the Families.”
    “If the colonies keep threatening to cancel Service base leases
and limit port privileges for Commonwealth shipping, she’ll set it.” Shroud
tasted his coffee and sighed contentedly. “If Nema keeps dangling access rights
to idomeni GateWays in front of her nose like the weighty carrot it is, she’ll
inject you herself.”
    “Nema’s a figurehead. The Oligarch will never allow him the
authority to make deals like those.”
    “On the contrary, his influence grows every day. Cèel may despise
him, but he knows the old bastard understands us better than any other
Vynshàrau in his government. He needs him.”
    Evan took another swallow of bourbon. The colonies could be
slapped down with a few good embargoes, but the unpredictable Nema added a new
dimension to the term wild card . “I can’t speak for the idomeni,” he
said in an effort to rally, “but I know for a fact the colonies have no
authority to cancel those leases.”
    “Well, they’re using the argument that if their signatures were
necessary to validate the agreements, there must be some power behind them.
Would you want to be the Prime Minister who tells them, no, we just let you
sign off so you’d think you mattered?” Shroud plucked a cookie from the sweets
tray. “You’re in a nasty position, Evan. Li needs a head to stick on a pike to
show the colonies she’s acting in good faith, and yours is the most expendable.
You’re the last van Reuter. No desperate relatives to scurry about assembling a
defense, no wide-eyed offspring to parade before the holocams—” He stalled in
mid-chew, his face reddening.
    Evan watched the man’s growing embarrassment with grim
satisfaction. “You were saying, John?”
    “My apologies. Some things are off-limits, even during the final
rounds.”
    “Go to hell, you bleached bastard.”
    Shroud dropped the remains of the cookie on his saucer. “You’re
alone. I’m offering you a chance to keep your head.”
    “At the risk of losing yours? Withholding evidence in a murder
investigation is a capital crime.”
    “You’re the murderer being investigated. I doubt you’ll be filing
a complaint.” Shroud shook his snowy head. “No, what is in your best
interest is to develop amnesia when Service