"Williamson,.Michael.Z.-.Freehold" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williamson Michael Z)

missing property. Her personal gear was all accounted for, but
literal transport loads of gear had gone "missing" on Mtali. She was
a stickler for procedure, so she had accounted for the fact that
everything she issued had gotten where it was supposed to. The
first sergeant had relayed to her secondhand that some clown was
claiming that her attention to detail proved she was involved. "He's
just digging. Relax," she'd been told.

She still felt nervous. Trucks, generators, weapons and tools didn't
just walk off by themselves. Most required lift gear to move. A
rapidly maturing and increasingly cynical part of her surmised that
they were being sold by someone in system. Well, if they checked
her bank accounts, they were all as she reported. She just wished
they'd hurry up and do so and get done with it.

Her musing was interrupted when her phone rang. Not a military
line at her carrel, but her personal phone. She dug it out of her
purse, wondering who was calling.

"Pacelli," she answered.

"Hi, dear. Don't mention my name," the caller said. It was Tom
Anderson, an old lover who was an MP. "We are getting all kinds of
activity. Arrests are expected for Robinson, Bruder, Jacobs,
Pacelli and several others. If those people are lucky, they are off
base right now. They'll be in for a nasty surprise when they return."

"Why? What's up?" she asked, shocked beyond reason.

"Apparently, the government has found the parties responsible for
the equipment that went missing during the Mtali mission. All those
people are part of the conspiracy."

"I'm not part of any conspiracy," she protested in a whisper. "All I
did was document what went walkies. That was at the general's
request."

He continued as if he hadn't heard her protest. "What's important is
that they are looking for those people. The way things look, they'd
be lucky if they were missing, permanently. You know how the
Department of Special Investigations can overreact. I just hope
they don't come through the gate; I don't need any excitement right
now. Anyway, the reason I called: you left some things at my place
last night," he said, although she hadn't been there in weeks. "I put
them in the car. Gotta run, we are about to start a gate exercise.
Love you." Click.

Kendra hung up the phone, hesitated a half-second, then stood,
grabbing a folder. She tried to be casual as she walked down the
hall. A quick nervous glance didn't show any suited goons coming