by Susan Hayes
They were almost to the transport when Tianna finally spoke. “You were right. This place is…” She shook her head. “I thought it would be like the other corporate stations I’ve been to.”
“Clean? Well managed? Everyone quietly going about their business?” he asked.
“Well, yeah.” She gestured around them. “This is barely contained chaos. The noise. The congestion. And…” she inhaled deeply, then wrinkled her nose. “What the hell is that smell?”
All Owen could smell were the scents of home. He had to focus for a second to pick out the individual odors. There was no such thing as fresh air on a space station, and the atmospheric scrubbers here were too old to keep up with demand. The air was thick with scents: food from the vendors on the promenade, the ever-present tang of metal, a hint of machinery grease and chemicals, along with the blended scents of the thousands of beings living and breathing in an enclosed space.
Royan answered. “That’s what deferred maintenance smells like. Don’t worry, it’s not like this all over the station.”
“Oh, good.”
Owen didn’t say anything. He knew Royan wasn’t finished making his point.
“Where we’re headed, the air quality is very good. But there are some sectors where it’s worse.”
Tianna’s pressed her lips together. “Hmm. I’m starting to see what you meant about this place, and how it’s being run.”
She looked around again, but her expression was different this time. She was more focused, scanning the area top to bottom, her eyes narrowing every time she spotted another issue. It was the same thing he was doing right now, sweeping the area and looking for potential threats. Not that he found any. The heavy military and Corp-Sec presence had everyone moving along, and they made it to the transport without incident. He still didn’t take a deep breath until Tianna was inside the armored vehicle. He and Royan sat on either side of her and buckled in.
It was the first time he’d been in one of these vehicles. There were only a few of them at the station. Only Corp-Sec and a few of the highest-ranking corporate executives had access to them. Owen could only imagine the chaos the miniature shuttles could cause if too many of them were allowed to operate in the limited airspace that existed above the main thoroughfares that crisscrossed the station. Most beings walked, or took the bullet trains if they were in a hurry to get to their destination.
It was a short hop to their final destination, but as they started their descent, Dash swore and veered away.
“What is it?” Owen demanded, expecting the worst.
“Someone decided protocol trumped security. There’s a whole damned welcoming party down there waiting for us.
“Who told them I was coming?”
Mack turned around in his seat, his expression stormy. “the IAF and Corp-Sec were both told to keep the details of your arrival under wraps. If you didn’t tell them…”
“I’m circling around. We’ll land at the alternative location. This won’t take long.”
“I most certainly didn’t tell anyone.” She frowned and tapped her bracelet. “Tink, did you inform anyone of my arrival?”
“I did not.” The AI was silent for a second, then continued. “I’ve checked my systems. The information did not come from me.”
“Thank you, Tink.”
Well, at least the AI’s new coding seemed to be working. Which meant the leak was done by someone who should have known better. Or someone who doesn’t have Tianna’s best interests in mind.
Mack was looking at her wrist with interest. “You have a portable AI program? Our wife would love to take a look at it some time.”
Royan leaned in. “Mack and Dash are part of our merry band of lunatics and renegades. Lieksa is a very talented robotics tech. Actually, she used to work for Astek, but she recently changed jobs.”
“She works with Dr. Jefferies at the medical center. There are enough cyborgs on the station now that having someone with her expertise on staff is a big help.” Dash didn’t bother to hide the pride in his voice as he talked about his wife.
“I thought cyborgs didn’t need a lot of medical care. Aren’t they self-healing and generally badass at protecting themselves?”
“She thinks we’re badass. I knew I liked her,” Dash exclaimed as he deftly maneuvered them through a narrow gap.
“You’re cyborgs?”
“Did I forget to mention that?” Royan asked.
She laughed and looked up at Owen. “One of these days, we need to talk about your taste in men.”
“Right back atcha.”
“Really? Is this how it’s going to be now?” Royan asked indignantly.
“Wait. Was that confirmation of something?” Dash asked. “That sounded like a confirmation.”
“Definitely.” Mack grinned. “About fraxxing time, too. Dammit, this means we lost the betting pool.”
Royan chortled. “I told you not to bet against me.”
“You knew they were betting on us?” Owen asked.
“Who do you think organized it?” Mack jerked his head toward Royan. “Make sure you get your share of the winnings.”
He shot an irritated look at Royan, who appeared completely unrepentant. “Oh, don’t you worry, I will.”
“As much as I’m enjoying this, I’m afraid our time has come to an end. We’re about to land at the secondary location. You ready?” Dash asked.
“Ready. Royan goes out first, with the bags. Then you, Tianna. Don’t start walking until I’m out of the vehicle. Then we’ll go. You want me to carry you, or would you rather walk into your new domain on your own?”
“On my own. First impressions are too important, and they’re already going to be unhappy I ditched my own welcoming ceremony.”
“An unauthorized ceremony that put you at risk. Damn right you weren’t going,” Owen grumbled.
“I’ll find out who organized it and how they found out I was on my way. However things used to work around here, they’re about to change.”
Owen almost felt sorry for the executives waiting eagerly to fawn over their new boss. They had no idea what was coming, and he had ringside seats to the show. He didn’t know everything about Tianna, but he knew enough to be sure that when this fight was over, she’d be the last one standing. She was a survivor, just like them.
Chapter Thirteen
Despite her reservations about Royan and Owen’s plan, it didn’t take long for the three of them to fall into a routine. Every morning, they’d escort her from her private quarters to her new office. It didn’t take long. Astek’s headquarters was located one level down from the most exclusive residential sector on the station. Her commute was a simple matter of walking to the entranceway of her lavish suite and activating the private mag-lift that took her directly to her office.
They never stuck to the exact same routine, but she knew that at some point during her morning meetings Owen or Royan would slip away. They never left her completely alone, though—one of them would always be nearby, along with the security detail Corp-Sec had assigned her. The timing changed every day, but sometime during the afternoon the two would change places.
They stayed in an anteroom outside her office most of the time, leaving her to work in peace. It was the first time she’d been alone since being rescued, but it didn’t feel as restful as she’d expected. She told herself it was because there was too much to do. The more reading she did, the more questions she had. At least it kept her from thinking too much about her near-miss on the Alacrity, and the ones who hadn’t been so lucky. She’d written letters to the victims’ families, and made sure that they all had generous compensation packages. It wouldn’t bring them back, but it helped ease her survivor’s guilt.
“Tink, how’s it coming with those financial records?”
“The data you requested has been difficult to locate, but I will be able to fulfill your request by the end of the day.”
“Thank you.” Tianna had run into countless delays and p
roblems tracking down what should have been easily accessed information. Reports were misfiled or outright missing, payments were incorrectly labeled, and not one of the executives she’d spoken to since arriving had been able to give her a clear picture of what was going on. Holtzman, the one she was here to replace, had resigned upon hearing she was here to take over. Her father had sent him a message, and he’d leaked information about her arrival to the staff as one last, petty act before leaving the station.
The administrative staff was far more knowledgeable, but they seemed reluctant to volunteer information without prompting, and she didn’t have enough information yet to know what questions to ask. All she knew for certain was that things were not as they should be. Not by light years.
Frustrated by her lack of progress, she pushed back from her desk just as a soft chime announced an incoming message. She didn’t need to check the caller’s identity. He always called her at the same time every day. She straightened in her chair, schooled her features into an emotionless mask, and activated the two-way vid. “Hello, father.”
“Tianna, would you care to explain why I have complaints from three members of your staff already? You’ve only been in charge a few days. What the hell are you doing out there?”
“The job you assigned me.” She kept her face expressionless and her tone impassive. It never helped to react to her father’s criticisms.
“I sent you to oversee the station, not turn it upside down. I have complaints that you haven’t made yourself available to senior executives, that you’ve unsettled the staff with your constant questions, and now I learn that not only have you hired your own security people, but they’ve been given full access to both Astek’s offices and your private quarters.”
Someone was certainly working hard to get her recalled. It was probably nothing more than corporate politics, but since they still didn’t know who was behind the attacks, she couldn’t take anything, or anyone, for granted. “You told me not to trust anyone, but considering that someone tried to kill me, I also need to take precautions. I hired the two men who saved my life. They’re acting as my temporary bodyguards.”
“The freighter pilots? What could they possibly know about security? You could hire the best in the galaxy, why those two?”
“Because I trust them. If they were going to kill me, they had plenty of opportunities already.”
“Logical,” he conceded after a moment’s thought. “It still doesn’t explain why they are staying in your quarters. You’re causing quite the scandal.”
“Someone is trying to kill me. Protecting myself is going to have to take priority over office gossip. As for their access to the building, it’s limited. Whoever told you otherwise was lying in order to cause me problems and likely get me removed before I uncover whatever is going on out here. This place is a mess, father. Shoddy records, missing money, falsified entries. I’ve only scratched the surface so far. Once I have hard facts, I’ll send you a preliminary report.”
He frowned, his steel-gray brows furrowing. “Does anyone else know what you’ve found?”
“Who would I tell? I don’t know who I can trust.”
“Good. Keep this to yourself. If news got out, it would make us vulnerable, and we can’t afford that right now. The attack on you has garnered some public sympathy and our stock is climbing. One word from you could undo all of that.”
“So glad my near death has been of benefit to the company.” She regretted the words the second they left her mouth. She knew better. Emotional responses were never appreciated, but sarcasm was even worse.
Her father uttered a disappointed sigh. “And here, I thought you were finally showing some potential.”
She didn’t respond. Anything she said now would be twisted and used against her.
“Do you have anything else to tell me?”
“No, father.” She paused before asking. “I do have a question, though.”
“Yes?”
She needed to word her next question carefully. “I noticed that you’ve removed everything from my long-term schedule. Training sessions. Tours. Factfinding missions. Does this mean you intend for me to stay at Astek for the foreseeable future?” Is my training finally over?
“The length of your current assignment depends on your performance.”
That wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no, either. She nodded. “I will do my best.”
“Of course you will. I will contact you tomorrow for another update.”
She should let him go, but there was something else she wanted to know. “One more thing. I know the investigation into what happened to the Alacrity will take some time to complete, but I was wondering if, when it was done, I would be able to reclaim my personal items.”
Her father stared at her. “No.”
“Not even my jewelry?”
“The ship and all its contents were examined and sent to the scrap yard days ago. There’s nothing left. I was not aware you were careless enough to leave things behind or I would have made arrangements to retrieve them.”
“Already? But the investigation?” She didn’t bother pointing out that it wasn’t carelessness that made her leave her items behind. He knew why she’d left so quickly. Blaming her for his decision was a test to see how she reacted. Everything with him was always a test.
“The ship was examined. It would appear from the location of the explosives that there were multiple detonations across the ship, but most of the damage was in the crew's mess, the galley, and the flight deck. The theory is that the micro-explosives must have been hidden inside some of the food served to the crew. Given the fact you survived, it’s assumed that not all the explosives made it on board, since there was no trace of them in the wreckage.” It was what she already suspected and he knew it. She’d told him as much, and it was in the report she’d sent him.
“Cherry pie,” she murmured.
“What? What does pie have to do with anything?”
“A shipment of cherry pies never made it aboard because we changed departure time. I have a standing order for that dessert to accompany my afternoon meal.”
“Perhaps.” He didn’t look convinced.
“I assume your investigators have looked into the suppliers and any items weren’t delivered to the ship.”
“Of course. It’s being handled, Tianna. You need to stay focused on the job I sent you there to do.”
“I am. And I must be hitting some pressure points. It would explain why you have so many complaints about me already. I’m taking that as a sign I’m closing in.”
“It’s too soon to know for sure, but for now, you have my permission to continue.”
“Thank you. I intend to.”
“I expect nothing less.”
“I know. You’ve increased your security. Safeguarded yourself as much as possible?”
He frowned again. “Of course. Nothing is going to happen to me, Tianna. I can’t afford it, and neither can Astek.”
He signed off with a curt nod. She waited until the screen went completely black before sagging back into her chair. “Always lovely to chat with you, father.”
“Not exactly your biggest supporter, is he?” Royan asked, appearing in the doorway.
In an instant, her mood brightened. She should be concerned about how easily the two men had slipped past her guard and into her life, but for the moment, she was just glad to see a friendly face. “You heard?”
“The door was open. I was going to let you know that Owen’s on his way back, but then I realized you were busy dealing with… that.” He waved a hand at the empty screen.
“Our relationship is complicated.”
Royan snorted. “Astronavigation is complicated. Jeskyran sex is extremely complicated. Your relationship with your father is something else entirely.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, which she suspected was his goal. “Do I want to know how you got your information on the sexual habits of a species covered in body thorns?”
“You really don’t.” Owen joined them, and the last of her stress faded away. “All okay in here?”
“Yeah. Apart from the fact I think we need to toss your mother and her old man into the Nova’s cage and sell tickets to the fight. We could retire on one night’s take.”
Owen grimaced. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing I want to talk about.” She rose from her chair, started to pace, then stopped as she caught Royan grinning at her.
“I think our queen needs to escape her palace for a while.”
Owen nodded. “I think so, too. You haven’t left this building since we arrived. You’re either here, or in your suite. As nice as your quarters are, you need a change of scenery. Let us show you the real Astek station.”
“That sounds great, but I have too much work to do. I’ve found a lot of questionable entries and—”
“Blah blah blah work blah. Nope. Not going to happen. You need a break from all this.” Royan walked over and offered her his arm. “Your kingdom awaits.”
“My kingdom needs me to do my job.”
“Bzzz. Wrong answer. Care to try again?”
Frustration flared, but one look at Royan’s laughing eyes banished her anger. They were right, she’d buried herself in her work. If she wanted to improve the station for everyone, she really needed to see it for herself. She took his arm. “Okay, okay. I’ll come with you, but this can’t become a habit.”
“No habitual playing hooky. Got it.”
“You’re a brat.”
Royan chuckled, his brown eyes gleaming with desire. “I can be. You going to punish me for it?”
“Behave,” she said, trying to ignore the flush of heat his words triggered.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“We can continue this debate once we’re upstairs.” Owen shooed them both toward the door.
“Upstairs? I thought we were going out?” she asked.
“We are, but you’re going to want to change first.” Owen’s voice lowered to a sexy rumble. “As much as I like the dress you’re wearing, you might want to opt for something a little more casual for where we’re going.”