by Susan Hayes
*
Alyson was the last to leave the exam room. She took a brief moment to compose herself before rejoining the joyful throng that filled the corridor outside. Laughter wasn’t a common sound for a place like this. They would have to go upstairs where they could celebrate properly, but not yet. She stood with the now empty vial of the cure in her hand. Her fingers, which had been so steady when she had injected Cynder only a few minutes ago, were trembling now.
“You okay?” Lance appeared in the doorway, the smile on his face contradicting the look of concern in his eyes.
She opened her mouth to say she was fine, then stopped and gave him a more honest answer. “I think it’s finally sinking in. You know? I was so busy making this happen, I didn’t have time to think about what it meant.”
He walked over and pulled her in for a hug, his arms holding her close as he bowed his head to kiss the crown of her hair. “You changed a lot of lives today. Hell, you’re the reason for a whole new generation of lives.”
“And they’ll all have their mothers’ nanotech. What I’ve done is going to affect the future of the human race.” She finally gave voice to the doubts that had started to whisper in her ear the moment the cure was in her hand. “Do you think I did the right thing?”
Lance didn’t hesitate. “You did. And so did Zale when he offered the medi-bot tech to everyone in our group. That comet broke orbit when Kit and Luke injected Zura with their medi-bots to save her life. The technology was going to spread eventually. Once the corporations lost control over us, their creations, it was inevitable.”
“But I’m the one—”
He completed her sentence before she could. “You’re the only one smart enough, and brave enough, to figure out what was done and then find a way to reverse it. We’re proud of you, sunshine.”
Joy bubbled up, banishing her doubts and lifting her spirits. She lifted her head to smile up at him and found him staring down at her with a look that made her heart soar. “Thank you.”
“All I did was tell you the truth.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “And here’s another truth. I love you.”
“Even now you know who my father is?” she asked, already knowing the answer. Her men didn’t care about things like that.
“Yes, even now I know about your family. I’m pretty sure we should never meet them, though. At least, not until your dad retires from office.”
“Deal.”
“Now that we’ve got that all figured out, shall we join the others? I believe Huey’s got everything set up for a little combination celebration and welcome to the station party for Phaedra.”
“How would Huey know about that?”
“Because we got word the second she arrived. We wanted to surprise you. Now, come on, you’re holding up the festivities!” Blade called from the door.
“I don’t think they heard you out in the waiting room. Next time yell a little louder.” Lance muttered to his brother as he took Alyson’s hand and led her out the door.
They bickered all the way to the elevator, and Alyson loved every moment. She was surrounded by her friends and lovers, all of them laughing and happy. For the first time in months, everyone was hopeful.
Their bubble of happiness burst the moment the doors to her private elevator opened. Sitting dead center in the middle of the floor was another elaborately folded piece of paper.
“Son of a starbeast,” Dirk threw out an arm to stop anyone from getting too close.
“How did he get past the guards?”
“Could he still be here in the med-center?”
There was a flurry of questions, but she couldn’t see who was saying what because Lance and Blade pulled her into the nearest corner and stepped in front of her.
Toro and Jaeger must have tried to do the same thing with Cynder because the next thing Alyson heard clearly was Cyn’s angry refusal. “Not a chance, Dice man. You want to protect someone, stand in front of the cute little pink-haired human. If you try that protective crap on me again, I will kick your ass.”
“Guys, it’s a piece of paper. Don’t you think you might be overreacting?” she asked, setting a hand on the pair of broad backs in front of her and pushing.
“No.” Lance and Blade answered together.
From somewhere to her left, Phaedra snickered. “I like your friends already, Princess. Now, would someone explain why we’re all staring at a piece of orange paper folded to look like a…is that a fox?”
“What the hell is a fox?” Dirk demanded.
“I need to take a look,” Toro said.
There was something about his voice that caught Alyson’s attention. Dirk must have heard it as well because she heard bodies jostling as if someone was moving aside.
“There. If it’s like the last one, there will be a note written on it.”
“Jaeg. You need to see this. Now.” Toro sounded like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Fraxx. It can’t be,” Jaeger said.
“It has to be.”
“What the hell are you two talking about?” Blade demanded.
“We know someone who used to fold paper into shapes like this. Intricate designs like animals and figures.”
“What about pyramids?” Alyson asked, projecting her voice to be heard.
“Yeah. He did those, too. But the fox was special to him. He had figures for all of us. Good luck totems, I guess you could call them.”
“You served with him?” Dirk asked.
“He was our batch brother. Our leader, well, one of ‘em. They were cloned commanders, like Luke and Kit. Vic was the one who picked up the paper folding habit though. We have no idea where he learned it,” Toro said.
“And you think he’s the one leaving these folded messages?” Blade asked, his voice tight. “Someone you trusted and fought beside is threatening Alyson?”
“I don’t know. It looks that way. Vic and Ward were good men. We lost touch with each other after the war. The last we heard, they were headed to the Drift.” Jaeger’s words were heavy with regret. “We should have looked harder for them.”
Tired of not being able to see, Alyson finally pushed and prodded until Lance moved enough to let her pass him, though both he and Blade caught her hands before she went more than a few steps.
“That’s close enough, sunshine.”
“What does the note say? There is a note, right?” she asked.
The silence told her everything she needed to know. They hadn’t touched anything yet. “Someone pick up the damned fox and check the elevator. I want to know what it says, and we should probably continue this conversation upstairs.”
* * * *
Blade didn’t leave Alyson’s side until his brothers finished their sweep of her home and checked the security footage of the elevator to confirm that no one had used it to enter the residential area. The shielded figure showed up, but all he did was leave the note and leave.
By the time everything was confirmed secure, Alyson was pacing the entranceway in frustration. She wanted to know more about the piece of paper, what might be written inside, and everything Toro and Jaeger could tell her about the man they thought might have left it for her.
The brothers were clearly disturbed by the thought that their batch siblings were involved in the threats against Alyson. Blade couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if he were in their shoes.
“So, you think it’s Victor leaving me these notes because of the way they’re folded?”
Toro gave a half shrug. “How many people do you know would leave a message folded into the shape of a fox? Whatever is written on there is for you, but the animal is a message for Jaeger and me.”
Jaeger nodded. “He and his brother had nicknames for us all. I was Hunter because that’s what my name means in some old Earth dialect.” He jerked a thumb at Toro. “He was Bull, for the same reason. They called themselves Fox and Wolf.”
“I want to see what’s written inside.”
Dirk had donne
d a pair of hastily acquired surgical gloves before picking up the figure, ensuring he didn’t disturb any fingerprints or trace evidence left behind. He kept the gloves on as he methodically unfolded the paper. The room went silent and still as everyone watched in anticipation.
There was a message inside, and by the time Dirk finished reading it aloud, Blade was already running through scenarios, working out the best way to keep Alyson alive.
The note was brief.
“Well Done. Now Run. I’ve held him off as long as I can. The Reaper is coming.”
“Who the fraxx is the Reaper?” Phaedra asked.
“An assassin. A very good one. If Vic says run, then you should go. Now,” Jaeger said, looking straight at Alyson.
“I can’t go anywhere. I have work to finish here. Nya’s next to get the cure. The next batch has to be set up…”
“Wrong answer, Doc. You did what you had to do, now it’s time to let someone else take over,” Blade said.
“But—“
“No buts. No arguments. You promised that when the time came, you’d do as we asked. Now is that time.” Dirk pointed toward Alyson’s room. “Go with Blade. Pack one small bag. Be back here in five minutes.”
“I still don’t like it when you boss me around,” she complained but did as he said.
“Noted. Now, move your ass.”
Blade followed her as she said a quick goodbye to everyone and made the short walk to her room. He expected her to try arguing again once they were behind closed doors, but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she went to her closet and pulled out a battered looking carryall.
“I’m not even going to ask if you’re okay. So, how about this question instead. What can I do to help you right now?”
Alyson set the bag on the bed and went straight back to her closet to rifle through her clothes. “You could tell me what you and your brothers are saying to each other right now. I know you’re talking to them via your internal link. What’s the plan? Dirk told me to pack, but I have no idea what I should bring. Where are we going? For how long?”
There was no time for gentle words, so Blade gave her the unvarnished truth. She was strong enough to handle it. “We don’t have a destination, yet. And we’ll be gone as long as it takes to neutralize the Reaper and make sure you’re safe. Dirk’s arranging for transport, and Lance is packing for the three of us.”
She continued pulling clothes out of the closet and tossing them on the bed. Her face was turned away from him, but her back was rigid, and her shoulders were stiff with tension.
“How are Jaeger and Toro taking the news?”
“About as well as could be expected. They’re headed back to the Nova with Cynder and Phaedra, and they’ve made it known they want to be part of any attempt to apprehend their batch brother.”
“I can’t blame them for that.” Alyson finished with her closet and moved on to a chest of drawers, rapidly opening each one and taking out a few things. The stack on the bed was growing quickly, but they were short on time.
“You’re going to need shoes.” He reminded her.
She finally turned to face him, giving him a wry smile. “Right. Thanks.”
“Can I start putting this in the bag for you?” He pointed to the stack of clothing.
“Roll it up and stuff in whatever will fit. I have no idea what I’m going to need, so I’m taking a bit of everything.”
She froze. “I’m going to need my medical bag, too. It’s in my office. I can’t leave it behind.”
“You won’t need—”
“We can’t be sure what I’ll need, and I’d feel naked without it.”
“I’ll tell Dirk to grab it.” He probably should have stopped there, but he couldn’t resist adding. “We can’t have you feeling naked. Not until we get you safely away from here and can make that happen for real.”
They finished packing with thirty seconds to spare. Lance and Dirk were already there, armed and ready to take on the galaxy. His weapons and go bag were already waiting for him, and he geared up while Dirk and Lance showed Alyson how to put on the simple body armor shirt they had liberated from Corp-Sec’s inventory in the event things went sideways. He could hear them giving her a quick rundown on what would happen next. The three of them had worked out a variety of plans days ago, hoping like hell they would never need to initiate any of them.
So much for hope.
Now the goal was to get to Zura’s old ship, the Sun Sprite, and get as far as they could from the cold-blooded killer who had the women they loved in his crosshairs.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Alyson wanted to explain things to Anne before she left, but that plan was shot down the instant she brought it up. While she had been packing Dirk and Lance had put an elaborate plan in motion, one that didn’t allow time for anything as sentimental as saying goodbye to friends, or even telling her employees that she was leaving.
“But the med-center. I need to explain to Anne…”
“Zale is going to talk to her after we’re gone. He’s got the passcodes to the lab and your office and instructions to bring one of the other doctors up to speed. You can give the name to Anne once we’re underway.”
“What about Phaedra and the data she brought?”
“Mack and Dash are handling the data. Phaedra will be safe in the Nova Club, and you need to stop asking questions. Our transport will be here in two minutes. It’s time to go.” Dirk jerked his head toward the elevator. “Once you’re in, you stay there until we tell you to step out. Blade, you take point.”
“Got it.” Blade lifted her bag and set it on her shoulder. “Keep your head down, eyes open, and no matter what, you have to keep up.” He cupped her cheek in one hand and winked at her. “We’ll have you safe, sound, and naked before you know it.”
Lance snorted. “That’s a hell of a pep talk.”
“Not the time,” Dirk snapped.
They crowded into the elevator, and the moment the doors opened on the main level, Blade was out the door, one hand brushing the firearm holstered at his hip. Dirk and Blade grabbed her by the arms, half-lifting her off the floor as they took off after their brother at a dead run.
There wasn’t time for her to answer any of the surprised questions and calls of her staff and patients as they rushed her past the exam rooms, through the waiting room, and out into the space station's main promenade.
There was an armored Corp-Sec transport waiting for them, along with a number of armed Corp-Sec officers who stood shoulder to shoulder to form a secure cordon from the main doors to the vehicle.
“Head down,” Lance reminded her, and then they were moving again.
Once they were all inside, the transport took off immediately with Blade in the driver’s seat. He executed a near-vertical takeoff, taking the vehicle high over the crowded causeway before accelerating so hard she was pushed down into her seat. She expected the tension to ease now they were underway, but that didn’t happen. No one spoke, and everyone was grim-faced and on edge.
“I take it that we’re not in the clear, yet?”
Blade couldn’t turn around to look at her directly, but he managed to glance backward at her for a moment and flashed her a ghost of a smile. “Not yet, no. While there are plenty of ships we could get passage on, the Reaper has to know we’re more likely to use one of Zura’s. Since the Sun Sprite is the only one currently docked, it won’t take him long to figure out where we’re going. He wasn’t waiting for you outside the med center, so the odds are good that if he’s going to make an attempt on your life, he’ll do it when we try to get aboard the Sprite.”
“If he knows that’s where we’re going, why aren’t we taking another ship?”
Lance answered her next question. “Because we can trust Royan and Owen. Royan’s our pilot, and Owen Connor’s a security guard at the Nova. They were prepping to leave on a run anyway, so they’re already onboard and ready to take off as soon as we get there. If we booked passage on another ship, we w
ouldn’t know who to trust. This is safer,” Blade explained.
“None of this makes any sense. Why is the Reaper after me? I thought he worked for the cartels, not the corporations. How would the corporations even be able to hire him?”
Dirk took over the conversation and Lance went back to staring out the window, looking for threats she knew they couldn’t possibly see. Not traveling this fast.
“There’s obviously some connection between this Victor guy and the Reaper. Hopefully, he’ll be able to give us some answers once we find him.”
Alyson knew she was asking a lot of questions, but she needed to understand what was happening. She was trying to diagnose this whole situation, and she didn’t have enough information, yet. “How do we find Victor? And who is looking for him? Corp-Sec? Our friends?”
“Both. Jaeger sent images of Victor and Ward to Corp-Sec. They’re currently scanning the entire station for a facial recognition hit. When there’s a hit, a team will move in, and likely Jaeger and Toro will be with them.”
“What if we didn’t leave? If we never showed up at the Sun Sprite, he would have no idea where I was, right?” Maybe she could talk them into letting her stay on the station. If she was here, she could still help somehow. Anything would be better than running away to leave her friends to face this threat alone.
“We’re getting you off this station, Aly. End of conversation,” Dirk said.
Lance wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. “We can’t protect you here. Vic’s last note made that clear. We need to get you somewhere where we have more control. Now that we know who is after you, we can make a plan and end this.”
“It doesn’t feel right to leave when everyone else is staying here. They’re going to be taking all the chances while I’m flying away.”
The car was silent for a moment and then Lance exhaled slowly and turned toward her. “They won’t be in nearly as much danger once you’re gone. They’ll close the med-center for a few days and secure it as best they can while they produce as much of that cure as possible. The instructions on how to synthesize it will go out soon, and then there will be no stopping the news from spreading. You won your battle, sunshine. If you’re not here, everyone will be safer. You’re the Reaper’s target, and what little information Corp-Sec has on this guy indicates he doesn’t stop until his target is terminated or he’s called off by whoever controls him.”