The Gray Market: A Space Opera Adventure Series (The New Dawn Book 5)

by Valerie J Mikles

  “Is she all right?” Ayize asked, rushing to Amanda and Kit.

  “She’s still conscious,” Amanda said, lifting off of Kit. Kit burst into tears and rolled onto her stomach, sobbing. They were lucky the stunner blast hadn’t knocked her out. Amanda sat next to her, stroking her back, lining up her braids into neat rows as she did.

  “I need to find Martinez,” Ayize said. “If he stirs, shoot him again.”

  Ayize disappeared into the house and Hawk slowly approached Sikorsky, nudging the man with his boot.

  “He had so many guards in Kemah,” Hawk said. “But he came here alone.”

  “Chances are his work force doesn’t know that he teleports,” Amanda said. “He seemed surprised he could do it. He thought it was me. I wish it was me.”

  “If it was, you would have lost more blood than I did,” Hawk said, trying to laugh, but shuddering instead.

  “If it was, Liza would have seen,” Amanda said. “I don’t have power. I’m like an empty vessel. I could make Liza use hers. I got sucked in when Sikorsky used his.”

  “Sucked in, how?” Tray asked, rocking with Hero. The boy had quieted, and Tray checked to see if he’d passed out, but he was just hanging on Tray’s shoulder, a glazed look of exhaustion on his face.

  “When Sikorsky wanted to find Mikayla, he couldn’t manage to send himself there, but somehow he pushed me to her,” Amanda said. She gave Kit’s shoulder one final pat, then crawled over to Hero. “Maybe we can free Hero’s mother from Sikorsky the same way.”

  Hero lifted his head at the mention of his mother. Tray brushed the tears from his son’s cheeks. “Hero has only been able to get to places he knows. He knows his school. He knew where I was. We have no idea where Mikayla is.”

  “Sure we do,” Kit said, hauling herself off the ground and snatching Sikorsky’s Virp off his wrist. She dropped it on the ground and hopped away, watching to make sure the device wasn’t booby-trapped.

  “You think you can hack that?” Tray scoffed.

  Kit bit her lip, more wary of the device than the task. “Crat biometrics are the easiest to fake. There’s a small enough number of you to keep every one on file,” she said, running a hand over the boxy device on her wrist. “It’s the waygees that are hard.”

  “She’d be on his boat,” Hawk said, picking up the Virp and giving it to the girl. Kit gave him a look, and it was only then that Tray realized Kit wasn’t accustomed to multi-lingual conversations. Hawk was speaking Trade, Amanda Lanvarian, and Tray some blend of the two. Hawk and Amanda’s Virps were programmed to translate for them, but Kit didn’t have that.

  “She’s on his boat,” Tray translated.

  Kit took the Virp and set to work. Wiping tears from her eyes between keystrokes, she sat cross-legged next to Tray and Hero, leaning too close for Tray’s comfort. The shakiness and tears were more on par with what he expected from a twelve-year-old who’d been held hostage.

  “Ayize?” Tray vrang, tapping his Feather. “Is it safe inside?”

  “I can’t really secure against teleportation,” Ayize replied. “Martinez has a stunner injury and broken arm. I can remove him from the common area.”

  “That’s all right,” Tray said, shifting forward but unable to get Hero off his lap. “I want the kids to see he’s okay.”

  “Here it is,” Kit said, handing Tray Sikorsky’s Virp. The projection showed the boat was in the Clover river-ways, not the open bay. Tray wondered if they could get to the boat and rescue Mikayla before Sikorsky woke.

  “Mommy,” Hero whispered, taking the projection and closing his eyes. “Mommy, Mommy.”

  “Take my hand,” Amanda said, sitting on the grass facing them. Hero took her hand, shifting from Tray’s lap to hers.

  “No, don’t sit on me. I’m not—no!” Amanda cried, shoving Hero off her leg. Hero giggled and sat on her leg again, thinking it was a joke, but Amanda pushed him again. “Next to me. Do not put me on that boat. We’re going to bring your mom here.”

  “She was on the top level,” Hawk added. “In a box.”

  Hero nodded again and closed his eyes, holding the Virp in one hand, squeezing Amanda’s fingers to dust with the second. Amanda made pained noises, and Tray worried that acting as Hero’s conduit might trigger an episode in her.

  Nothing happened.

  Then Hero dropped the Virp and passed out on Amanda’s lap.

  “Okay,” Tray said, using his crutch to lever himself to his feet. He hadn’t expected this to work. Hero had been trying to connect to his mother since he’d lost her. “Hawk, can you carry him inside?”

  Hawk touched Amanda’s shoulder, then jumped back. Hero had disappeared.

  “What happened?” Tray gasped, his knees going weak.

  “I don’t know,” Amanda said, exchanging a look with Hawk. “I felt cold. The air left. Then snap.”

  “Where is he? Is he okay? Did he make it to the boat?” Tray asked, the pitch of his voice getting higher and higher.

  Hero blinked in again, his stunned mother in tow. Tray’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe that it worked.

  Mikayla stood speechless, her dark skin getting pale, her grip tightening on her child as she counted the number of people and weapons that she saw. When she saw Sikorsky crumpled on the grass, she blinked rapidly.

  “Tray? What’s happening?” she gasped. “What did you do to my son? You changed him.”

  “No,” Tray said, keeping his distance, worried that in her anger she’d never let him see Hero again. “He gets this from your side of the family. Didn’t you know?”

  “I—I—” Her gasps became pants and she started to hyperventilate. Tray dared to hobble close. He rubbed her cheek affectionately, feeling both discomfort and relief at the connection. He wanted to turn back the clock with her so that Hero would have a proper family.

  “Sikorsky said you wanted to stay with him,” Tray began.

  “God no. I don’t want him confined to Sikorsky’s boat,” she exhaled. Her lips pressed together and she shook him off. “I was so focused on protecting Hero from your dad. I didn’t think I’d have to protect him from mine.”

  “What Hero just did—people would kill to have a drop of his blood,” Tray asked. “I’m hoping we shut down the biggest threat. I’m hoping it’s safe for you to come home. I understand if you don’t trust…”

  Tray trailed off and ducked his head, surprised when he felt her lips against his. Tilting his chin, he let her kiss him, but he realized he didn’t love her anymore. This was a stolen moment, and they’d both slipped into the past.

  “Mommy, hold me,” Hero said, tugging her hand and burrowing between them. Mikayla lifted her son and embraced him. It was exactly the reunion Tray had been hoping for, except for the looming threat lying unconscious next to the porch swing. He didn’t know what came next, because a part of him feared Sikorsky was right and he couldn’t protect his family. But he wasn’t giving them up without a fight.

  Tray put an arm around Hawk, then touched the top of Kit’s head. Sikorsky had no idea how big Tray’s family had become.

  42

  Saskia sat on a bench overlooking Clover’s main river channel. The river was clean and clear, taking on the slight pink shade of lights along the side. Sikorsky’s boat had disappeared into Olcott bay, chased off by the Enn. It had been three days since Mikayla’s return and though Tray spoke to the man daily, Sikorsky hadn’t returned to steal Hero. Saskia figured the whole tiff was a test and Tray had more or less passed.

  Coro had her worried. Everything had her on edge. But three days roaming freely around Clover with no hint of an attack told her they’d done something right.

  “Saskia!” Kinzie called. Her sister jogged up the river path, hair in a braid, clothing damp with sweat. By the relaxed smile, it looked like she’d been exercising. She stopped in front of the bench, hands on her knees, panting, then sat down. “What? You can’t even say hi to me?”

  Saskia raised her chin, touching the
bruise on her neck. She mouthed the word ‘hi.’

  “Huh,” Kinzie said, touching the wound. Saskia jumped off the bench, annoyed.

  “Dad said you’d died, but I thought it was figurative,” Kinzie laughed. “Actually, his exact words were ‘I don’t know if I should report Zara dead.’ I guess since Saskia officially died with Oriana.”

  “Zara is dead,” Saskia said, her larynx aching from the speech. With Danny coming out as living, corrections were being made to the public record. Actually, Saskia didn’t think they were corrections so much as hacks. Tray loved testing Kit and seeing what she could do. Together, they could rewrite the history of Quin.

  “Your fans will be so disappointed,” Kinzie joked. “It’s ridiculous, really, all the bodies and no one to blame. They’re going to pin everything on Granny Lois and every one of those criminals is still smoking their pipes, claiming they were under the influence.”

  “I don’t understand,” Saskia said. “There were no arrests?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Saskia,” Kinzie said, sprawling on the bench and gazing out at the water. “You’re not Enn; you’re Guard. Well, you’re not even that anymore. You’re just… some ‘crat’s arm candy.”

  “Do you ever stop before you speak and think ‘this might be hurtful to say aloud’?” Saskia glowered.

  “Dad doesn’t talk to me because he likes me better, Saskia. He talks to me because I’m not you,” Kinzie sneered. “Most of what he says to me is how much he resents you and wishes you were someone else. I had to sit across the table from him my entire childhood and be a sounding board for his hate, and where were you? On Terrana living your dream with Mom.”

  “It wasn’t a dream with her either, Kinzie,” Saskia said, thinking back to the October Massacres that preceded the Terranan Revolution. She’d been shot and no one in her family came for her. She was shuffled along with the rest of the refugees who had no place to go.

  “Maybe we can make it better now,” Saskia said. “He came for me. He came to help.”

  “He’s a detective investigating a crime. You just happened to be at the scene,” Kinzie said. “Did you see him after they took you to the hospital? Have you seen him since? Open your eyes, Saskia. He still hates your guts.”

  “He called me daughter,” Saskia said. She’d barely been conscious at the boat house, but hearing her father say that word had given her the strength to keep fighting. “Why—”

  “I have to get out of Clover. This place reeks,” Kinzie said, hopping from the bench and twisting her body, warming up for a run. “I have no idea how you stand it here, but I hope you’re happy.”

  Saskia’s mind raced with words she might say to keep her sister here longer. She couldn’t mend a fence when she didn’t understand why it was broken. The helplessness felt like a crushing weight and she crossed her arms, steeling herself. She was surprised when Kinzie gave her a one-armed hug.

  “He’s a bitter, old man, Saskia. Not worth impressing. Believe me, I wasted too many years trying,” Kinzie whispered. “Your fans love you—Zara. They’ve been glued to the news praying for your freedom.”

  Saskia didn’t have a chance to hug her back. Kinzie took off at a jog and soon turned off the river path into the city. Saskia took a breath to let go of her anger and confusion, but her head ached. She’d come out to the river for peace, but she didn’t want to stay and find it again.

  Walking back to the fortress, she felt the sting of oxygen deprivation in her muscles. With the bruise on her throat, every deep breath caused a little pain. She thought about her oversized bed at the house and the comfort of getting Tray in it. Tray had taken Mikayla and Hero back to his estate to get them settled.

  Beyond the Matthews gate was a large, beautifully manicured lawn, aged trees, sculpted hedges, and brick paths lined with flowerbeds. In the middle of the lawn was an eye-sore of a swing set and five kids running around playing tag. The boys and girls in the yard were friends, all about Hero’s age, and probably friends from school that he’d been missing the past few months. Tray had restored normalcy to his child’s life, just like he wanted.

  On the porch there were two adults sipping drinks and watching the children, but around the side yard, Tray and Mikayla stood nose-to-nose, talking fervently. Saskia wondered if they were arguing, but then they kissed. Smiling broadly, Mikayla skipped back to the porch to rejoin the other adults and Tray stayed hidden, touching his lips. Saskia could tell by the slump of his shoulders that he didn’t want the kiss, but he would do anything to keep Mikayla happy so that he could have Hero in his life. If this was a pretense he had to keep, then Saskia was in the way.

  Her body getting number by the moment, Saskia tottered to the Zenzele estate. Hawk and Kit sat on the swing dismantling something. When Hawk saw her, he knew something was wrong and he jumped up to embrace her. Her emotions erupted, her shaking arms wrapping around Hawk’s shoulders. Maybe Kinzie was wrong about their father. Maybe she could work things out.

  “Let’s go back to the ship. Let’s get out of here,” Hawk whispered.

  Saskia nodded. She thought about the things in her room here. Zara’s things. ‘Saskia’ had never left Oriana.

  “Kit wants to come, but I don’t think she should. I can’t take a little girl back to Rocan,” Hawk continued.

  Saskia nodded again, using her sleeve to wipe the tears from her face. If the Ketlins were getting away with murder, that probably meant Kit’s stepfather was off the hook, too. The Enn were turning a blind eye again.

  “Wanda is bringing the engines to Oriana now,” Hawk said. “We can go to Rocan and tell them we haven’t given up searching for the medicine yet, but… at least we can help a little. Now that we know the way, it shouldn’t take long. We can get Morrigan the genetic samples she needs and she can do her research here, where it’s safe.”

  “No Cordova?” Saskia checked.

  “How are we going to find it without Sky?” Hawk shrugged, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

  “She went to Terrana, didn’t she?” Saskia asked.

  “Three weeks ago,” Hawk pointed out. “How big is that city, because the Sky I know would never want to be in one place for three weeks. She would have left there by now, and she didn’t come back for me this time. I don’t want to spend my life chasing after her.”

  Saskia nodded, taking a breath. She needed a glass of water to clear her headache, but she could wait until she got to Oriana. At least then, it would feel like she was moving forward.

  “Let’s go. Let fly. Somewhere. Anywhere,” Saskia decided. “Chase can find us a pilot.”

  “Wait for me!” Kit cried, trotting beside them as they headed down the mountain. “So how are you gonna fuel your ship? They’re not letting the water haulers fly. Too inefficient. There’s barely any work? How much fuel does it take to fly in air? Can I see the gravity room?”

  “Saskia!”

  Saskia froze at the sound of Tray’s voice. Her emotions welled and she squeezed Hawk’s hand. “Go on. I’ll catch up at the gate.”

  Hawk hesitated, disappointed at the delay, but Saskia wasn’t going to let him down.

  “Saskia,” Tray panted, walking quickly, a hand pressed to his hip. Life would have to calm down a whole lot more if he was going to rest long enough to recover. Tray kissed her hard, then threw his arms around her neck. “Are you going to be gone long? I need you.”

  Saskia held him, feeling more detached than she’d expected to. Now that she’d made the decision to leave, he was an obstacle, but not a complication.

  “I’m taking Hawk to Rocan,” Saskia said.

  “Today?” Tray asked. “Now? Um. Let me get a bag. I’ll go with you.”

  “What about Hero?” Saskia asked.

  “I don’t know how to be a father, Saskia. I don’t know what I was thinking. Apparently everything I try to do is wrong, and I can’t—I—I can’t—”

  “Try,” Saskia whispered giving him a peck on the lips.

&nbs
p; “I—just give me twelve hours,” Tray begged. “Danny’s going to need to run soon. As much as he wants to take care of Alex and Jennifer, you know him. He needs that ship. But he needs more than five minutes to realize that.”

  “Hawk has been more than patient. He doesn’t have family here. He can’t wait,” Saskia said. “I’m taking him. If you want to help, get us a pilot. Get us a crew. Get us fuel.”

  “I—yeah. Okay,” Tray said, licking his lips, letting his raw emotions show. “I love you, Saskia. I love you.”

  Danny’s hands rested just under the ligature marks on his neck, trembling as he paced the hospital room and prayed.

  “Sit down, Danny. You’re making me antsy,” Alex groused. He sat in a chair next to Jennifer’s bed, his broken leg supported on the seat of his walker. Pillows stuffed around either side of his body helped take the pressure off of his broken ribs, and though he ached, he was determined to stay upright.

  “Can’t help it. I’m pacing for two,” Danny joked. His throat tickled, but he couldn’t clear it without agitating the bruise. Although, he could barely feel anything through the painkillers, and the drugs made him both antsy and dull. He sat down next to Alex, then popped up again. “She should be awake, shouldn’t she? The drugs are out of her system. She should be awake.”

  “You’re making it worse, Danny. Don’t make me hit you,” Alex warned, dropping his head back, pressing his fingers over his eyes.

  Amanda snickered and peeked over the bed at Alex, sharing the laugh. Amanda came with Danny to visit Alex and Jennifer almost every time, but she didn’t engage much.

  There was a knock on the door and Chase peeked in, his cheerful smile faltering the moment he registered the number of people in the room. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize everyone was here,” he said, looking at the floor. He and Danny hadn’t overlapped at all in visitation, and if it weren’t for Alex, Danny wouldn’t have known Chase came at all.