Supremacy's Outlaw: A Space Opera Thriller Series (Insurgency Saga Book 3) by T.E. Bakutis (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📗

“They’re intelligence. It is possible that people from CetInt picked up Rafe and Jan and simply haven’t told the CSD yet.”

“Perhaps,” Fatima said. “Marquis, you know who is currently pursuing Jan’s bounty, don’t you?”

“Madam, please!” Marquis sounded genuinely offended. “I could never divulge such information. I would be breaking a sacred trust bequeathed to me!”

“Right, sure.” Fatima waved his concern away. “So Jan’s bounty remains open, and the CSD continues looking for him in Duskdale. Would CetInt pay out this much overtime for a hoax?”

No one spoke. They were probably thinking it over.

“Jan isn’t that valuable,” Fatima continued as her expression darkened. “But Tarack’s disc is. If CetInt knows about it, they’d have all the reasons to lock Jan up.”

Marquis broke the awkward silence that followed. “Pollen reports nothing past the expanse I’m surveying. She’s heading back. Shall I recall my drone?”

“Not yet,” Fatima said. “Let’s keep eyes on that slab of dirt. If anything pops up from under it, I’d like to know.”

“Understood!” Marquis said, before turning to Emiko. “With your permission, m’lady, I’ll retreat to a higher vantage and surveil the region from all sides.”

Emiko nodded. “I’ve got you for another day, right?”

“That is when our contract concludes!”

“Then yes,” Emiko said. “Surveil away.”

Marquis bowed grandly, then spun with a swirl of cloak and strode off. Given the shrinking crowd, Bharat decided it was time to weigh in on the discussion and see how they reacted.

“May I offer a theory?” Bharat asked.

Fatima offered an appraising glance. “Please.”

“It’s possible that Ceto Intelligence is hiding Jan in hopes he’ll lead them to Tarack’s disc.” Bharat took a moment. “It’s also possible the Truthers have him instead.”

The others all stared at him dubiously, except for Kinsley. Kinsley tapped her chin in thought. “You think they’ve got the backing of Ceto’s government, don’t you?”

“What?” Emiko blinked. “No effing way.”

“Why not?” Bharat asked. “I’ll admit to being an outsider on your planet, but unlike many Advanced, I know enough to recognize that you thrive on being underestimated. Your CSD seems incapable of crushing the Truthers, and that is a ruse the majority of my people would swallow without question.”

“And you don’t,” Fatima said.

“Everything I know of your operations leading up to the armistice, and what I’ve learned and seen on my operations here, suggest you, your government, and your military forces are far more capable than you let on. It seems unlikely your Ceto Security Division would fail so utterly to crush the Truthers.”

“So I’m confused,” Emiko said, with a frown. “Are you giving us a compliment, or telling us we’re assholes?”

Fatima smirked Emiko’s way. “Why not both?”

“Truthers abducted me directly from the Luxury District of Star’s Landing,” Bharat said, “despite the drones surveilling it. And from what you told me about your adventure at the warehouse, after I escaped, they even got their hands on an APC. And Coffman? He told me he was hunting Jan because he believed Jan killed his people. And wrecked the APC they were driving.”

“Ohhhh,” Emiko said.

“Why would Coffman mistake the Truthers in that vehicle for CSD?” Bharat asked. “Unless they actually were CSD? Perhaps Commander Esparza posted them there to backstop his cleanup squad, after we wiped out the Truthers holding me captive.”

Bharat could see the others looking at each other for guidance. He could see the unease in their eyes. The possibility was sinking in, and Bharat saw no reason to let up now.

“The Truthers’ so-called ‘insurrection’ has continued unabated for three years since the armistice, and they continue to acquire weapons and recruits despite your efforts. Given the ten years preceding the armistice, your military officers are extremely well-versed in guerilla warfare. You’d think they’d know how to stop a guerilla war.”

Emiko’s brow furrowed dangerously. “But all the Truthers are Patriots of Ceto, or were, before they splintered off to start murdering Advanced. They know how to lie low.”

“Perhaps,” Bharat agreed. “Yet if your people are as angry about our occupation as they seem to be, and if elements in your government wished to continue to harry us without risking direct retaliation, having a deniable force conduct operations against us while simultaneously denouncing that force as terrorists would be an excellent way to quietly take your vengeance.”

The others, all save Kinsley, looked like they’d had some bad meat. For his part, Bharat was glad Pollen was off scouting the other side of the flat expanse. Otherwise, she’d probably try to strangle him about now.

“It makes sense,” Kinsley said.

“Yes,” Fatima said, with a heavy sigh. “It does.”

“Really?” Emiko asked. “We’re the bad guys?”

Bharat was surprised how easy it was for them to accept. Perhaps they’d always suspected, deep down. Or perhaps they had simply pulled enough scams that they recognized a good one.

“So.” Fatima looped her thumbs through her belt. “What’s under the dirt out there isn’t just Jan. It’s a buried military base filled with Truthers, and its occupants can call upon the CSD for support the moment we trouble them.”

Emiko angrily shook her head. “No, that can’t be right. It can’t be all of them! There’s no way that many people could keep a secret this big.”

“You’re right, of course,” Fatima said. “They could never subvert everyone without being found out. They simply recruit those they deem pliable. The Truthers are able to continually evade the CSD because they have spies in the CSD.”

Bharat looked into the back of the autotruck again ... specifically, at the small silver box Kinsley had constructed shortly before Fatima stole Senator Tarack’s disc from Jaxon Cole. “Shall we verify our suspicions?”

Fatima cocked an eyebrow at him. “Is it that time?”

“I think,” Bharat said, “that if