Page 16 of Zirkov

“Your office is in the other direction.”

That stopped her. She looked up the stairwell, bewildered.

“What’s wrong with you, Magdalena?”

“Nothing. You confused me, that’s all. I’m on my way to another federal building, one you can’t enter, so stop following me.”

“Enough,” he roared, bringing her to a halt on the landing between the third and fourth floors.

She squared her shoulders and waited for him to catch up to her. “It’s Marshal to you, Warrior, and I don’t work for you, so lay off the orders. You’re the alien here, not me. I have every right to be on Earth, and I could have your authorization revoked in a minute.”

He loved the fire in her eyes, but he hated the venom behind her words. Maggie had never been vindictive toward anyone, even when he’d left her off ops as she’d accused. Perhaps he should explain that primal need to protect her.

That would entail explaining what happened back in Izoran.

Zirkov drew a calming breath and forced his horns back, demanding patience of himself. Deep down, he knew her odd behavior had to do with that dead og’dal… and the mole in GI7. But he couldn’t interrogate her. This was Maggie, the female who always smiled at him. The female who went out of her way to help his marshals acclimate to Earth and smoothed over issues that arose between GI7 and Earth Intelligence.

He’d already accused her of being the mole. Without proof. No wonder she was irritated with him.

“I never meant to offend you.”

“Why would you lie about my sister? Why would you try to make me think she doesn’t exist, like I’m crazy or something?”

He’d revealed that truth yesterday, in an alley, after a fight with the Brotherhood when her adrenaline would have been high. He should have waited for a time when she’d be open to listening to him. She’d left without speaking to him, making him question himself and his information.

After she’d left, he’d returned to the DAA building and triple-checked her personnel file. He couldn’t find any mention of a sibling, relative, or friend named Tallulah. Only the family pet. It was possible there’d been a data entry error at some point. He wouldn’t know for sure until he found time to travel to her hometown and investigate the matter personally. Until then, he needed her on his side, so he could find a way to extract her from the trouble she was in… before the DAA discovered GI7 had a mole and it appeared to be Maggie.

“Marshal Walsh,” he addressed her with a softer tone. “I may have been given incorrect information about your family.”

“Damn right.”

“It rests with me to verify the facts before making accusations. For that, I apologize.”

Her face eased. “Apology accepted. Mind if I go, now?”

“We still need to talk. Yesterday, I told you GI7 has a mole.”

“You still believe I’m this leak, Commander Kesk? Where’s your proof?”

“Your recent behavior has been erratic.”

“Why is it every time a woman does something a man doesn’t like she’s deemed emotional, confused, or erratic?”

“I’ve never accused you of any such thing before this week.”

“You also never asked what’s going on in my life that could account for my being a little distracted lately. Instead, you accused me of being a mole. A traitor, Commander! Do you know what that type of accusation could do to my reputation?” she whispered while scanning the stairwell in both directions.

He never asked about her life, intentionally. Digging into her files had always been safer than being in the same room with her, breathing in her rich scent. This was not the time to lose his objectivity, not with her at risk. How the drekk could he save her if she was leaking information?

“I’m quite familiar with the danger of accusing an agent of criminal behavior. Which is why I’ve handled this case with discretion.”

“Why me, and why now? You found a dead og’dal, and Earth Intelligence agents found the other. Then I show up to check on your new marshal to see how he’s acclimating to Earth. I don’t see the connection. The ship the military found in Angeles National Park likely carried several og’dals. Given the dead bodies piling up, I’d guess one of them is double-crossing the others. As for what happened with Stenikov, I often check on new marshals when they arrive. If anyone’s behavior is suspicious, it’s yours. First, you place an inexperienced marshal with a witness—”

“Stenikov has years of experience.”

“Not on Earth. He’s only been here a week. Barely speaks English. And then you deny the witness the most basic of rights to return to her family. Exactly how did you find that dead og’dal in the middle of a warehouse in an abandoned section of the port?”

His horns shot straight up. “How did you know it’s an abandoned area? That wasn’t in my report.”

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