Your Truth is Out There (Find Your Truth Book 1) (34 page)

Theo scoffed. “Hardly. And don’t be so quick to lump the General and me into the overly mature category, either. We have our moments, but we also have our moments when we’re not all that advanced either.”

“The General, you mean your father, right?”

“My father, the General, Sir-Yes-Sir, they’re all interchangeable. It makes no difference.”

“I see,” said Lhvunsa, and she did. She thought of the trials she had with her mother and the way they often fought. It made her sad for Theo, but it also made her feel less distant from Earthlings as a whole. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“About what? My daddy issues? No thanks. I gave you your space, I’ll ask that you do the same.”

“Fair enough,” said Lhvunsa, getting to her feet. “We should probably start looking for the paintings.”

“Would you mind if we didn’t?

“Excuse me?”

“Look, don’t get me wrong, art is my specialty, paintings in particular. In fact, on Earth, I am probably one of the top twenty or so experts on the entire planet. I’ve actually seen some of Henry’s work, the ones that Gsefx held on to. They are … well, they’re beyond words. In just the few minutes I had to examine his paintings, it was clear to me that Henry Backus is one of the greatest artists our planet has ever known and I would love nothing more than to spend hours analyzing his work …”

“But …”

“But, running around this maze of a place, like we actually know what we’re doing, is not what I had in mind. Not to mention the fact that it’s a completely idiotic idea.”

“It was your father’s idea,” said Lhvunsa. “You think he’s an idiot?”

“No, my father is a genius, and I mean that in all seriousness,” said Theo. “But like I said before, he doesn’t always think things through. Besides, he really doesn’t care if we look for the paintings or not, he just didn’t want us along while he chases after Ricnor.”

Lhvunsa was surprised by the accusation and wondered how true it was. It did make a certain amount of sense.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve known the man all my life,” said Theo, “and I can tell when he wants me out of the way. I’m his biggest disappointment, you know.”

“I doubt that very much,” said Lhvunsa.

“It’s true, but I’ve learned to live with … hey … we’re not talking about this, remember?”

“You’re the one who brought it up,” said Lhvunsa, smiling.

Lhvunsa sat back down, this time across from Theo, so she could see his face.

“But, as you wish,” she said, once she got situated, “we won’t talk about it. Let’s talk about my husband instead.”

“Gsefx? Sure, what do you want to know?”

“You were with him at the same time as your father, correct?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because I want to know what you think of him,” said Lhvunsa. “The General was certain that Gsefx can take care of himself, that he is somehow this strong, intelligent hero who is capable of anything. I want to believe that. I want to see my husband again, but I’m not sure I share your father’s confidence.”

“Sure, I get that,” said Theo. “Let me think of the best way to put it. I guess I would agree with the General, in that Gsefx is very capable. He is strong, smart, and he’s able to see and understand the big picture quickly.”

“Why do I feel you’re about to add something that I’m not going to like?” said Lhvunsa.

“Because, as much as I agree with my father about your husband’s abilities, Gsefx doesn’t see it in himself. He thinks he’s just another accountant, just an everyday guy trying to rescue his wife. He thinks everything he’s done has been out of desperation and doesn’t even realize all that he’s accomplishing, much less how he’s doing it. He lacks confidence in himself, at least in the larger sense. And that lack of confidence, a feeling like he’s always winging it, will end up hurting him, and maybe all of us, if he doesn’t start believing in his ability to lead.”

Lhvunsa was silent for a while, as she mulled Theo’s words over in her head. She could see that what he said was true. Gsefx was, in his own way, quite brilliant, but aside from accounting, he’d always been unfocused, bouncing from one hobby to another, never landing on anything that really spoke to him the way architecture had always spoken to her. And the part about his confidence made her heart ache for her husband, because that, above all else, she knew to be true. Even when all of the evidence pointed to his extraordinary talents and strengths, he still questioned his own abilities all too often, and she had no idea what to do about it.

“Lhvunsa, are you still with me?” asked Theo. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” she said. “You are exactly right. I just don’t know how to help him. How to help him find the confidence your father has, preferably without the arrogance.”

“You may not believe this,” said Theo with a smile, “but the General is not nearly as arrogant as you might think. In fact, he’s actually rather humble.”

“You’re right, I don’t believe it.”

“Given what you know about me and my relationship with him, do you think I’d say it if I didn’t believe it to be true?”

“What makes you so sure?”

“It’s an act. General Theodore Eustace Alcorn is a phenomenal actor. It’s how he gets what he wants out of other people, and he’s able to pull it off because he has the one thing Gsefx lacks—confidence.”

“So, as far as you’re concerned, everything’s an act with him. Is that it?”

“No, not everything,” said Theo. “In fact, the people he’s closest to mostly see the genuine thing. Now, he and I have never been all that close, but, like I said earlier, he and my mom are, and since I’m close to my mom, I’ve had enough chances to see them together. I’ve also been able to see him work the people he didn’t know, when he wanted something from them, and he pulls out all kinds of personality traits when the situation calls for it.”

“Has he ever worked you before?” asked Lhvunsa.

“He’s tried, but it’s never really gotten him anywhere,” said Theo. “He wanted me to be a soldier, to follow in his footsteps, so to speak. But you can only hustle someone for what they have, and soldiering just wasn’t in me. In the end, all he did was push us further apart.”

“What brought you back together?” asked Lhvunsa.

“What makes you think we’ve come back together?”

Lhvunsa stumbled for a moment, looking for something to say. When nothing presented itself, she decided silence was best.

“Look, don’t get me wrong, I love my dad, and I have a lot more respect for him than he thinks I do. And for the most part, I really don’t harbor that much resentment for him, especially after what we’ve been through over the past day or so. But, no matter how you slice it, we’re just not that close and I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

“I think I understand,” said Lhvunsa, rising to her feet and thinking of her up-and-down relationship with her mother, hoping she would get a chance to see her again and deciding that if they got out of here in one piece, she would make it a priority to make things right. “We should get going. I’m not sure how far it is to the Grand Chamber, but it’s almost time to meet up with your dad and Qilzar.”

“Agreed,” said Theo, also standing up. “Hey, shouldn’t the police, or whatever you call them, be here by now?”

Lhvunsa stopped. Her dealings with the GCP had been limited to her one experience during the break-in, but they’d certainly been prompt then.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, they should have,” she said. “Something must have gone wrong. We’d best hurry so we can resend the signal.”

Theo led as they picked their way through a maze of corridors and rooms, both large and small. Scattered in various places throughout their path, they came across the bodies of several of Ricnor’s gang, still unconscious. When they finally reached the entrance to the Grand Chamber, they stopped to survey the path ahead of them before charging on through. All appeared to be clear, so they entered the chamber and began working their way across.

When they reached the half-way point, they heard a loud shriek and turned just in time to see what Lhvunsa recognized as a Lildrinial fire a blast from an obliterator.

“Theo! Look out!” she screamed.

There were exactly thirty-seven steps between the lift and the conference room door. In Gsefx’s ten turns at Galacticount, he’d walked them often enough to know precisely how far he had before he committed career suicide, and possibly much worse. As he walked, he fought down the multitude of thoughts running through his mind, all of which led back to his beloved Lhvunsa. When they reached the door, he gave Henry a look he hoped was more reassuring then he felt, and took a deep breath. He reached for the door, but was stopped before he could open it.

“Gsefx? I’m just checking to make sure you’re okay before we go in. You haven’t said a word since we left the lobby.”

“Yes Henry, I’m okay.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “What we’re about to do is going to be very difficult. Fortunately, they haven’t revoked my access yet, so we should be able to get into this room. This is where Pigawitts is. He’s the one we’re after, the one who’s behind Lhvunsa’s kidnapping.”

“Then it’s good we’re here, right?”

“Yes, except that once we’re in the room, they’re likely to call security right away, and Galacticount security is both fast and none too gentle. We’re probably not going to be in the room very long. Are you sure you’re ready for this, Henry?”

“Hey, I’ve been thrown out of nicer places than this,” said Henry holding up his fist toward Gsefx. “Let’s do this.”

Gsefx looked at the fist, confused. “What is that?”

“It’s a fist bump. It’s normally a greeting like a handshake or something, but for you and me, it’s a sign of solidarity; it’s a sign that we are in this thing together, win or lose. We will live to fight another day or we will die trying, but we will do it together, as a team. Make a fist and bump mine, and we’ll go in and find the truth behind all of this.”

Gsefx made a fist, and with a smile on his face, bumped it with Henry’s. Then they both walked into the conference room.

As soon as he stepped inside, Gsefx knew he’d made a terrible mistake. The conversation that had been taking place inside abruptly stopped and three sets of eyes turned on him. Two pairs of those eyes belonged to the most powerful figures at Galacticount, while the third was the namesake of one the company’s oldest and most prestigious clients.

“What is the meaning of this interruption?” said Xtlar, who rose to intercept the intruders. “Gsefx, have you lost your mind? You know better than to interrupt a private meeting. Aren’t you in enough trouble as it is?”

Gsefx almost faltered at Xtlar’s scolding. His mouth went dry and he suddenly forgot why he was here.

What was so important that he needed to interrupt a meeting of this magnitude?

The beginnings of an apology formed in his mind and on his lips, but then Henry cleared his throat and nudged him, which seemed to knock something loose, because suddenly all of the events of the last several rotations flooded back into his mind, followed by the image of Lhvunsa with Ricnor’s spike at her throat. The realization that the client his bosses were meeting with was wholly responsible for Lhvunsa’s imprisonment, and Qilzar’s too, steeled his nerve. The apology that had formed in his mind remained, but now it came with renewed clarity and an entirely different direction behind it.

“I apologize for the intrusion, Et Xtlar, Et Tsedle … Et Pigawitts,” he said as he nodded to each in turn, hesitating slightly before the last. “My team found some discrepancies in the Pigawitts files that could not wait to be presented.”

“Discrepancies?” said Pigawitts as he rose to his feet. “What kind of discrepancies?”

“Stop right there, Gsefx,” said Xtlar. “We have channels for these types of matters, built specifically to avoid alarming our clients unnecessarily … channels of which you are well aware.”

“Yes, Xtlar, I am aware of the proper channels, and as you know, Qilzar, is … ah … on vacation … and therefore unavailable, so I’m bringing this to you and to the client, now. As I said, it’s not something that can wait.”

“Oh, for the love of the Gods, Xtlar,” said Pigawitts, sitting back down, “let him speak. He’s talking about my company and I want to hear what he’s found.”

Xtlar was far from satisfied, but he acquiesced. “Very well,” he said. “Let’s hear it Gsefx, and for your sake I hope it’s worth it.”

“Before you begin, perhaps you should introduce us to your friend,” said another voice, this one belonging to Tsedle, Galacticount’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Yes, sir, of course.” He held his hand up in Henry’s direction. “This is Henry. He’s from a planet called Earth, which is not currently a member of the Galactic Community. He doesn’t understand Galactine Standard, but I speak his native language, so I will translate when necessary.”

“Why is he here?” said Xtlar. “What possible reason could he have for being involved in our business?”

“His purpose will become clear soon enough, sir. Now, if I may?” Gsefx walked forward and laid the file on the conference table. “The discrepancies were buried deep within a myriad of connecting relationships spread across numerous sub-accounts. Once we tracked everything down, what we found was big.”

“And what was it that you found, exactly?” asked Pigawitts. “I’ve always prided myself on running a clean company.”

“What we found, sir, is that your company has, over the past several turns, laundered exorbitant amounts of dirty money, coming in from sources all over the galaxy.”

“That’s outrageous!” said Pigawitts, as he flew across the table at Gsefx. “I don’t believe you. Show me.”

Gsefx had expected some denial, but he was somewhat taken aback by the level of Pigawitts’ outrage—and apparent sincerity.

“Of course,” he said, opening the file and doing his best to maintain his resolve. “I’ll walk you along the same path the money takes through your company; from the time it comes in until it leaves.”

He began explaining the files and the discrepancies. About halfway through, Pigawitts stopped him.