The Gorison Traveler Incident (Veslor Mates #1) Read online

  “He has witnesses,” one of the security officers stated loudly. “You’re drunk and in no condition to give orders, sir. You tried to assault the current acting head of security. I stand by his assessment. You’re a mess.”

  More security officers mouthed their agreement, backing Mitch.

  Mitch jerked his head. “Let’s escort him back inside his quarters.”

  “You don’t have permission to go in there! No!”

  Commander Alderson looked extremely panicked all the sudden. And Vivian wasn’t the only one who noticed. Mitch had one of his men grab hold of the commander then moved in front of him. “You’d rather I secure you in the brig, sir?”

  “Yes! Might as well make sure your court-martial gets you at least twenty fucking years!” Commander Alderson spat.

  Mitch turned his head, glancing at Vivian. “Order Abby to open his doors. She can override the locks, correct?”

  “On it,” Abby responded.

  “I forbid you to do that!” Commander Alderson shouted. “Stay out of my quarters!”

  “She’s doing it,” Vivian informed Mitch.

  The doors slid open in front of them and Mitch stormed inside, two other security members going with him. The doors closed behind them, and Commander Alderson continued to shout and curse and make threats at everyone in the corridor, promising he’d end their careers, ensuring they’d never work on a fleet ship again.

  Minutes passed.

  “I wonder what he’s hiding. That’s how he’s acting, isn’t it? Or is it just me?”

  “It’s not just you, Abby,” Vivian whispered.

  The door opened and Mitch stepped out, looking enraged. He glanced around until he spotted whoever he was looking for. “Thomas, take your med kit and get your ass in there now. There are two injured women.” He kept his body in front of the sensor on the door to keep it open. Then he shot a purely pissed-off glare at Commander Alderson.

  “That’s why you cleared out the control rooms, isn’t it? They’re the only crew able to record and make copies of footage if they wanted to blackmail you for cheating on your wife.” He glanced around at his security. “The bastard smuggled on two sex workers from the Branston station. He was keeping them in a nearby room and escorting them to his quarters when he was off-duty. Then the lockdown happened,” Mitch glared again at Commander Alderson, “and he clearly took out his frustrations on them. He beat the shit out of both women.”

  “What the hell?” Yole, one of the female security officers, stepped forward.

  “It’s not what it looks like!” Commander Alderson sputtered. “They’re into that shit. It was just a little rough sex. I’m ordering everyone to forget this happened!”

  “Fuck you, sir,” Mitch hissed. “We’re clearing your quarters, and then you’ll be confined there.”

  “He should go to the brig,” someone muttered behind Vivian.

  Mitch shook his head. “He’s a commander. He’ll be confined to quarters until a higher authority takes over. You all know procedures. We’re going to follow them, despite how distasteful that is. I’d love to lock his ass in a cell after what I just saw and heard from those women.”

  “You make me sick,” Yole hissed at Commander Alderson.

  Vivian was glad she was no longer the only target for the outspoken security officer when she was displeased.

  Two women were led out of the commander’s quarters, and Vivian was stunned by their condition. One sported a split lip and a black eye. Her clothing was torn, revealing scratch marks on her left breast and what appeared to be a bite mark. The second woman was in even worse shape. She had similar injuries, and Thomas was helping her walk, as if something was wrong with one of her legs.

  Mitch unlocked the cuffs on Alderson once security had cleared his quarters, and then shoved him inside. “Seal it,” he ordered.

  “You’re going to regret this!” Commander Alderson roared. “All of you! I’ll see you destroyed!”

  The doors closed to the quarters—and everyone glanced at each other in silence.

  Mitch sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “What a fucking mess.”

  “You really think he ordered the operators from the control stations to stand down?”

  That was someone Vivian didn’t know, probably new to the security team, maybe from the Branston station.

  Mitch nodded and dropped his hand. “Yes. Or he could have fucked with their schedules to make them think someone else was covering their posts. It’s the only way I can think of that he pulled it off. The operators can record copies of security footage and store it off the main computers. He probably worried he’d be blackmailed, and there would be no denying any allegations against him if they had visual proof of who was going into his quarters, and how long they stayed, when he wasn’t on duty.”

  More curses sounded around Vivian.

  Mitch glanced at her. “I have to put you in the brig, Vivian. I’m sorry. It’s protocol. You’re a civilian who breached secure areas, and this is going to warrant a full-scale investigation. I wish I could just confine you to your quarters, too. You’d be more comfortable there, but…rules are rules.”

  She had expected it. “I understand.”

  He hesitated. “I’m also going to have to arrest your friend.”

  “Tell him that’s not happening. I have full clearance on all fleet ships and can prove it. Tell him to contact Admiral William Fellows, if he’s in doubt. Hell, any of the top brass of United Earth, for that matter. My parents own D Corp.”

  After a moment of stunned silence at that revelation, Vivian repeated what Abby told him.

  Mitch sighed again. “Understood. I need your earpiece now.” He glanced around. “Tick, escort her to the brig, and make damn sure she’s as comfortable as possible. You stay with her.”

  A female security officer stepped forward. “Yes, sir.”

  Vivian hesitated. “Thanks for everything, Abby. I’m going to pass you over now.”

  “I’m going to be reaching out to my contacts when the rescue teams come. You’re not going down for any of this. I swear,” her new friend promised.

  “I appreciate that.” She pulled the earpiece out and handed it to Mitch.

  He accepted it and put it in his own ear. “You did a hell of a job, Vivian Goss. I’m going to put that in my report. We’ll try to kick you free of any shit that comes your way.”

  She blinked back tears, touched by his words. “From your lips to the investigator’s ears.”

  “This way,” Tick ordered, gently gripping her upper arm.

  At least she wasn’t being handcuffed. The woman led her back to the lift. They had to wait for it, and Mitch asked Abby to open a route for the women to the brig, on the lowest level of the Gorison Traveler.

  “I’m Meg Tick,” the woman whispered. “I agree with Reese. Um, Mitch. You did a hell of a job.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad it’s all out of my hands now.”

  Tick snorted a laugh. “No shit, right? I can’t imagine having to make some of the calls you did during this clusterfuck.”

  The lift opened and they got inside. Vivian already missed having Abby’s voice in her ear. She glanced up at the camera and gave it a sad smile, and when the lift stopped, both of them got out.

  She was going to the brig. At least she knew they were kept clean, thanks to the tours she’d taken with Big M. Any cell she was put in would contain a single bunk, a thin mattress, one blanket, a sink, and a toilet.

  “Commander Alderson is going down for this bullshit. He was so drunk. It’s about damn time.”

  Vivian turned her head and studied her companion. “He’s a total dick.”

  Tick snorted. “That bastard hit on me a few times, implying I could get a promotion if I blew him. As if the tiny pay increase would be worth that trauma. Speaking of tiny, every guy who acts as bad as he does owns a micro penis, in my experience.”

  Vivian figured Tick was trying to cheer her up. It didn’t work, tho