Solar Warden: Book Two--Requiem by Peter Fuller

Author:Peter Fuller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2021-04-21T12:00:52+00:00

“The major was drugged, as you suspected,” the CMO said. “A very potent, fast acting paralytic. It’s different from most date-rape drugs in that it’s designed to render the victim completely paralyzed, yet fully conscious. The reason why is anybody’s guess. She would have been incapacitated for hours.”

Scarecrow and Rear Admiral Reynolds stood beside Cooper’s bed as the doctor explained her condition.

“How is she now, doctor?” Scarecrow asked.

“She’s resting, as you can see. I’ve purged the drug from her system, but an after effect of the treatment is fatigue. She’s asleep now, and will probably remain so until tomorrow morning. But another side effect of the treatment is not particularly pleasant. She’s going to have a raging hangover when she does wake up.”

“No hair of the dog?”

The doctor smiled at Scarecrow’s query. “Not for this particular situation, no.”

“Sounds like the treatment’s worse than the drug.”

The doctor patted Scarecrow on the shoulder and left the two Solar Warden officers alone in the room with Cooper.

“This is getting out of hand!” Scarecrow shot a frustrated glare at Reynolds. “We need to find out who this perpetrator is, and fast. She’s obviously become a target. This can’t go on, Sir.”

“I’m right there with you,” Reynolds said as he stared at Cooper, pensive.

“What did Frank tell you after I left?”

“Not much, except …”

“What?”

“It’s strange. He said he brought Sandy her coffee while she was at the salad bar, but he never saw her take a drink. We’ll have to ask her whether she actually did when she wakes up.”

“Can’t you test the coffee to see if it contained the drug?”

“No. The coffee was spilt in the incident, and while I was talking to Frank another mess specialist came over and cleaned everything up before I could stop him, so we can’t even test the cup for DNA.

“What’s more unusual, Frank did say when Sandy started to feel the effects of the drug, a Marine lieutenant came over to offer assistance. Frank didn’t recognize him. He said the lieutenant didn’t have a name tag on his combat utility blouse. He also told me the Marine insisted on taking the major to sick bay himself. He said he was almost too insistent.”

“Why is that strange?”

“Because Frank knows all 300 officers on this ship. For him to say he doesn’t recognize one, tells me that this Marine is not part of the Nautilus crew.”

“You mean we have a stowaway?”

“It’s a good possibility.”

“Where was the major’s security detail? Weren’t they supposed to be watching her?”

“She refused to allow them into the wardroom. She made them wait out in the passageway.”

“When she chooses to be stubborn, she doesn’t go halfway, that’s for sure.” Scarecrow turned from gazing at his fiancé’s sleeping form to look at Reynolds. “What are we going to do about this, Admiral?”

“The first thing we have do is find out who Frank’s phantom Marine is,” he replied. “And determine whether he’s an actual officer or an imposter. I have Frank working with security, going over the

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