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CHAPTER SEVEN

The alarm had been of the quietest variety. In fact, only a scant few had any idea that the empty cell where their captive human had been held was vacant not by the directive of the elite overseers, but rather a monumental fuck up by their own guard staff.

The two who had been in charge at the time of her disappearance as well as the pair on duty when the fake body under the covers ruse she’d used in her escape was discovered were nowhere to be found.

Nor would they be. Whether merely sent to a distant and miserable posting or something more permanent no one would know, just that they had been “reassigned” immediately and that was all there was to it.

No one questioned Chancellor Vinchi, after all.

The rest of the staff of guards and service personnel simply saw an empty cell where it had formerly been occupied.

It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing had happened.

Prisoners moved around all the time, after all.

This one was just likely already sent ahead to serve her indenture at one of the chancellor’s properties.

After all, who would even begin to suspect something else ?

Frakkus, the enraged chancellor’s right-hand was who, and the man was boiling over with second-hand fury.

His master was upset; therefore so was he.

But he was a skilled and devious man, a master schemer and plotter of all manner of things, legal and not.

To thrive as the chancellor’s go-to aide he would have to be.

And now those skills would be put to the test at his master’s behest.

A story was concocted, workshopped with his closest assistants, then put into action.

To the select few who had to know, the story was there had been a violent abduction of the property of the chancellor, and he wanted her back.

Naturally, it had to be kept quiet as it was an embarrassing incident and one the chancellor would set right.

This made it appear as if the chancellor had been the victim of nefarious acts rather than a few incompetent staff who chose to enjoy the game rather than stay on post doing their jobs.

One reflected poorly on his staff, and therefore himself by extension, while the other gave him an out.

One that would be understandable if word of his hunting parties should leak out.

“We’re sending hunting teams?” a grizzled veteran of the chancellor’s personal guard asked.

Frakkus had known the man and worked closely with him for years.

A trusted and competent man. He didn’t enjoy lying to him, but while this one man might be able to keep the true cause a secret, the others he had no such confidence in.

Lips were loose, and secrets inadvertently leaked from time to time despite the best of intentions.

The only option was total operational security, and that started at the top.

“Yes, we are,” he replied to the man with a nod. “The chancellor is upset, and understandably so. An act of aggression has been perpetrated against his house; the stealing of his property. And we are sending rapid-response hunter teams out to put this issue to rest at once. ”

“I understand,” the guard replied. “But with the games in full swing, our house, along with the other elites, have most of their top people deployed on duty as?—”

“Just do it,” Frakkus said, perhaps a little more forcefully than he would have liked. But he and the guard had a long understanding, and the reason for his tone was obvious. Frakkus didn’t need it for him, but he had to put on a bit of a show for the others.

“Of course, Frakkus. I’ll round them up at once.”

“And bring in the chancellor’s best trackers. You know the ones of whom I speak.”

“You want outsiders brought in?”

“Want it? Heavens no. But this is the chancellor’s reputation on the line, and we are not taking any chances.

Bring in the best of the best. They are under his indenture and serve at his will.

While he normally keeps them aside for other uses, adding them to the mix will help you refine your search faster.

Time is of the essence. The chancellor has taken this affront very personally. ”

“I see. I’ll make sure word is sent. But do you want me to summon all of them?”

Frakkus knew why he was asking, just as he’d already wondered if it was really worth calling in the chancellor’s favorite slave.

He was a talented tracker, hunter, and competitor.

Had he not been acquired during a failed attempt in a prior games several years past the man would be in high demand across the galaxy.

Luckily, he was bound by the chancellor’s indenture and had no choice but to serve it out here, working for the man he did not like but had to obey.

“Yes, even him . This is too important not to deploy our very best resources.

The guard sighed but nodded his understanding. “I’ll see to it at once. ”

“Good. You will task them with tracking every single ship and transport that has departed in the last day. We do not know exactly when she was taken from us, so it will require a wider net to be cast. Someone very skilled tampered with the security system and we have no precise details. But since the games have begun and our guests have reserved spaceport landing sites well in advance for the duration, only short-range craft will have left as a result. They cannot have flown too far. Focus your attention on those craft and any internal security footage they may possess. Once we learn where they went the ground specialists will move in. Clear?”

“Crystal. It will be relayed to the teams at once.”

“I trust you to handle this quickly and efficiently.”

“Have I ever failed?”

“No. And I would not have you break that streak. Now, send out the hunter teams and find them. And when you have secured the chancellor’s property eliminate whoever it was that took her.”

“You don’t want us to capture them?”

“No. With the games underway there is too much risk of embarrassment for the chancellor if the man should be able to spew hurtful lies. We must protect our employers from all manner of injury, including their reputations. None will tell of this incident.”

“Understood.”

“Then good hunting.”

The small group of elite guards hurried out to put their task into motion with the ice-cold efficiency Frakkus had always expected of them.

They were good. Very good. The escapee would be recovered in no time.

In fact, with the resources at their disposal, he was confident she would be back in custody by nightfall.

After all, his people were the best, and they had detailed logs of every last ship, transport, and conveyance coming in and out of the city. How far could she possibly get?