Phoenix in Flames

by Jaleta Clegg

  Linnea waited for them near the gate out of the Patrol compound. She looked flustered, her eyes shining with excitement. She waved to them as soon as she saw the door to the building open. She stood out in the open, visible to anyone who cared to look.

  "I hate working with amateurs," Paltronis grumbled as they ran quickly across the open area to the gate.

  She grabbed Linnea and pulled her into the shadows. Linnea started to protest. Paltronis clamped her hand over Linnea's mouth.

  "Quiet," she breathed. "Stay here."

  She slipped away from Linnea. She checked the gate. It was locked.

  "That's what I was trying to tell you," Linnea whispered behind her. She glared at Paltronis. "If you give me a minute, I've got the codes."

  Paltronis stepped out of the way. It wouldn't do any good to be angry with Linnea. It wouldn't do any good to wish for a fully trained team. It wouldn't do any good to wish for full backing from the Patrol. None of it was going to happen.

  Linnea punched in the code and the gate slid silently open.

  "It will set off an alarm somewhere on the base," Sikura said.

  "Move," Paltronis said to Linnea. She knew Herrison and Manson would follow her. Sikura had Linnea's arm. He hustled her out of the gate.

  Paltronis waited until the others passed her. She pushed the controls for the gate. It slid obediently shut. It might delay any pursuit. The Patrol compound was quiet and still in the night. Maybe they would be lucky and escape without anyone realizing it until it was far too late.

  And maybe Dace would be safe and the Empire would put itself back together. She turned away from the gate and followed the others into the sleeping port city.

  It only took a few minutes to walk to the commercial side of the port. Ships waited in the night, most of them dark and quiet. A few loaded cargo, highlighted by bright lights and surrounded by activity. The refueling cranes lumbered across the field towards a ship on the far side. The field was less than a quarter full. She guessed there were less than thirty ships, far less than there should have been even for a forgotten fuel stop like Fedrithus. It wasn't her problem, not yet.

  Sikura waited near a transport. It was automated, loaded with crates and shipping containers. The engine rumbled to life as she joined him.

  "Get on," he said.

  "Why?" she asked, balking. The others were already climbing on, ducking into hiding in the center of the load.

  "It's going to the ship," Sikura said patiently. "And your weapons make you more than a little noticeable."

  The transport began to move away. It was time for her to decide if she trusted Sikura or not. So far he hadn't given her any reason not to. But she didn't really know him. She hated putting her life into someone else's hands, even when she did trust them. She was jumping blindly. And she didn't know if she had any other choice. She swung herself onto the transport and crouched between two stacks of crates.

  Manson crouched in front of her. She caught the flash of his teeth in the dark as he grinned. She wished she could be as optimistic about things.

  The transport crawled across the field. She tried to stay low, out of sight. It helped that no one bothered to even look. The transport ground to a stop next to a ship. It was a medium size freighter. The paint on the side was scratched and worn. The ship looked rundown, showing signs of hard usage. Most of the ships in port looked the same.

  The stack of crates next to her shifted abruptly. A cargo lift pulled the crates off the transport. She slid off behind the stack. The crew of the ship pretended not to see her or the others as they entered the ship.

  The captain waited for them. He had his arms folded, glaring. Sikura stood next to him, looking more than a little defensive.

  "You said three at the most," the captain said. "And none of them would be any trouble. These three alone look mean enough to blow half the planet up. Without waiting for an excuse."

  "Thank you," Herrison said brightly.

  The captain shifted his glare to Herrison, thinking he was the bigger threat.

  "You still owe me a favor, Dreik," Sikura said. "And it is just the five of us, no more."

  Dreik, the captain, shook his head. "I want paid for this, Sikura. And not with promises. I need cash." He flicked a signal at one of his crew.

  Paltronis wouldn't have noticed except Beryn had spent several weeks teaching her the signals. They were subtle, difficult to read unless you knew what to look for. They were also extremely useful. You could carry on an entire conversation without anyone else knowing. Only Gypsies knew the code. It was one of their carefully guarded secrets.

  She watched the captain while he continued to argue with Sikura. He was passing orders to his crew, most of them involving her and the brute squad.

  "You're a Gypsy ship," she said, breaking into Sikura's excuses about not being able to pay Dreik.

  Dreik froze, staring at her. She heard the rest of the crew moving quietly into position behind her. She deliberately used the signal asking him for clan affiliation.

  He flicked a finger at one of his crew. The outer door shut. It was dead silent in the ship.

  "That would earn you a death sentence anywhere in this quadrant," Dreik said quietly. "It isn't healthy to admit any connection to the Gypsies. This ship is owned by Danbar Imports."

  "And if I dug hard enough and long enough, I'd find a Gypsy clan behind Danbar," Paltronis answered.

  "You'd be dead long before you got that far," Dreik said.

  "How certain are you of that?"

  Dreik relaxed. "I wasn't aware of a Patrol connection in this sector. What clan?"

  "I asked first," Paltronis countered.

  "Raven clan," Dreik admitted. "The crew belongs to at least seven different clans. We have to keep it quiet."

  "Why?"

  "Because the syndicates have taken over most of the governments in the quadrant. They declared war on the Gypsies, branding us traitors to the Empire. They've confiscated ships and executed the crews."

  "And you're still here undercover. Very brave of you, Captain Dreik."

  He shrugged. "You never answered me. What clan?"

  "Shellfinder," she said with a smile. She waited for the reaction she knew was coming.

  Dreik went pale. She heard his crew whispering behind her. Dreik looked pointedly at her uniform. He shook his head.

  "I don't believe you." It was hard and flat, uncompromising.

  "Liftoff confirmed in an hour," Dreik's pilot announced behind him. She gave Paltronis a searching glance over Dreik's shoulder. "It would be suspicious if we delayed."

  "If you're worried about money, I can solve that," Paltronis offered. "Give me access to the datanet."

  "How are you going to do that without giving us away?" Sikura asked.

  "Lowell's paranoia," she answered. "He left accounts all over the Empire, none directly connected to him or the Patrol. How much, captain?"

  "How far do you want me to take you?"

  "Tireo," Paltronis answered before Sikura or the others could.

  Dreik shook his head. "I've got a cargo for Los Riatta. From there, we take a shipment to Heisenberg and then to Hawkmoor. Our route takes us back into the quadrant. That's as close as I get to Tireo." He folded his arms over his chest. "Is this Shellfinder business?"

  She shrugged. "I don't know."

  "We're looking for her friend," Sikura put in. "She went missing on Tireo."

  "Then why bring the Gypsies into this at all?" Dreik asked, his voice hard.

  "She went missing from the Phoenix Rising," Paltronis answered.

  "They would dare?"

  "Apparently so," Paltronis answered. "We knew Dace had enemies."

  "Dace? Not Jasyn Pai?"

  It was Paltronis' turn to look confused. "Why would anyone go after her?"

  "Because she's the head of the Gypsy Council, which you should know if you're really part of her clan." He twitched two fingers at the crewmen behind her.

  "You really
don't want to do that," Paltronis warned him. She waited until the crew backed off. "Can we discuss this after we're safely away from here?"

  "Give us the weapons," Dreik said. "We'll keep them for you."

  Paltronis nodded. She handed over her load of rifles and power packs. Herrison and Manson hesitated only a moment before doing the same.

  "Very smart," Dreik said as his crew took the weapons into the cargo bay.

  "Give me a handcomp if you want money," Paltronis said. "Last time I looked, there was over six thousand credits in Mabel Smith's account. No one will notice if she takes most of it out tonight."

  Dreik nodded at his crew. "You aren't really part of Shellfinder clan."

  "I will be if I ever catch up with Beryn again."

  "Beryn Norris is mixed up in this?"

  "And the rest of the crew of the Phoenix," Paltronis said.

  "And why is the Patrol interested?"

  "They aren't," Paltronis said. "As soon as Fenniwik figures out we aren't coming back, none of us are going to be Patrol anymore."

  "Is Grant Lowell involved in this?" Dreik asked.

  Paltronis shook her head. "Unfortunately not this time," she said as a crewman handed her a handcomp.

  "So this is personal, not Patrol?"

  "What are you really asking?"

  "What happened?"

  "That's what I'm going to find out. Someone had the nerve to kidnap Dace on Tireo. Lowell's hands are tied. Despite what Sikura may have told you, I haven't heard from him since before I was posted here."

  She keyed in the information and passed the handcomp to Dreik. He glanced at the financial transfer on the screen and raised one eyebrow. He hit the accept button, authorizing the payment.

  "I can't take you to Tireo, not even for that much money," he said. "I have to stick with my route. You can catch another ship at Hawkmoor, though. Most of our information is passed on there. At least one Gypsy ship is always in port."

  "Thank you," Paltronis said and found she really meant it.

  "I'm confused," Linnea said.

  "I am, too," Sikura confessed.

  They were all looking at her for an explanation. "Later," she said.

  "Show them into the end cabin," Dreik ordered the crewman standing behind her. "Liftoff in less than an hour." He turned away, dismissing them for now.

  Paltronis sighed and hoped the rest of the chase would prove as easy. She doubted it. Dace was involved. Nothing was going to be simple or easy.

  Chapter 31

  "I can't go there, Lowell. I've explained it at least fifty times already. We try to land there and we won't survive." Everett Greene, captain of the Windrigger, folded his arms and leaned on the doorframe.

  "You don't understand, Everett," Lowell said as persuasively as he could. "I've got at least two hundred thousand credits in cash. We can go in disguise."

  "It won't work. They know you and I'm fairly sure they know me. We can't crash the arms bazaar, even posing as buyers. They'll kill us." He shifted to one side, balancing his weight on one hip. "Besides, we can't make it to Hestus in time. It would take us at least two more weeks of flying. And according to your paper, the sale has already happened."

  Lowell sighed in defeat. "So what do you suggest we do?"

  "We find out who bought her and attack them," Everett said. "The Gypsies would fight for her."

  "The Gypsies are running undercover," Lowell said. "If I hadn't recognized your ship name, I would never have known you were Gypsy. None of the ships in any of the ports we've landed at will admit any claim to being Gypsy."

  "You're underestimating us again," Everett said.

  "Mrow?" It was a demanding noise. The cat making it was huge, a massive ball of gray fur and muscle. He jumped into Lowell's lap and began to purr. Lowell grunted at the weight but he didn't object. He'd learned the hard way that Mustafa's wishes were to be regarded as orders. If Mustafa wanted your lap, you let him have it.

  "Even your cat bosses me around," Lowell muttered. "When did I lose control?"

  "Probably about the time Dace got involved."

  "Now tell me something useful. Tell me what we can do that will do someone good."

  "I've been checking. I've got two more scheduled stops. I've sent the messages that will get us transferred to a different route."

  "And what good will that do?"

  "Patience, Lowell. I'm getting to it. Within two weeks, we land on Hawkmoor."

  Lowell frowned. "It sounds vaguely familiar."

  "I'm surprised. Hardly anyone knows about Hawkmoor. Population is less than a million."

  "Tourist economy," Lowell said. "They have an entire continent devoted to immersive alternate reality tours, if I remember the brochure correctly."

  "Close enough," Everett said. "They've converted one continent into a pseudo medieval society. Groups of tourists are sent on quests. The rest of the planet supports them. They have manufacturing and agricultural businesses that keep the planet self sufficient. Most trade involves people and luxury goods."

  "And why are we going there?"

  "Because they've stayed independent."

  "Of everyone except the Gypsies."

  Everett shook his head. "We don't control anything except a few shipping offices. But they don't try to kill us and steal our ships like most of the governments in that entire quadrant. Gypsies are the number one enemy now, if you haven't heard."

  Lowell winced. "I hadn't realized it was that bad."

  "I still don't understand how you could be High Commander, with access to all of the Patrol's information and not know about the situation."

  "Because the Patrol is as corrupt as everything else," Lowell said. "And if they catch up with me, I'll probably be shot on sight. They don't take kindly to high ranking officers deserting. Especially not ones with access to their personal files. At least I used to have access."

  "And we'll be arrested for helping you," Everett said. "I was tired of the Empire anyway."

  "What are you suggesting?"

  "The Federation, Lowell. Why haven't you gone to them for help?"

  "Lack of transportation. And they'd probably shoot me on sight, too."

  "I think you're underestimating them."

  "It doesn't matter. It would take too long to fly out there and convince them to help. If I even knew where to start asking. Have you had any luck tracing the Phoenix?"

  Everett shook his head. "They've been swapping out beacons, like most of the ships in the Empire. It's one way to keep from getting caught. And when everyone is doing it, no one gets punished for it. We can ask at Hawkmoor."

  "You sound very sure of yourself."

  "And you're doubting yourself too much, Grant. What happened to Paltronis?"

  "She was transferred away from me. I never did track her down. She'd be good to have here."

  "I'll see if I can find her. Would she give up everything for you?"

  "According to Patrol rumors, she already has. We were supposedly having a torrid love affair."

  Everett laughed.

  "That hurts, Everett. Maybe she really is in love with me and I was too blind to see it."

  "She's your friend, Grant. That's worth more than anything. Especially from someone like her."

  "You don't need to tell me that." He sighed. "If only I'd done things differently."

  "You can waste your life saying that, or you can change what happens next. Time travel is not possible. That's been proven many times."

  "It wouldn't really change much. If I went back in time, I wouldn't know what I do now and I'd probably make the same mistakes over again."

  "You're going to give me a headache talking that way."

  "Now you're underestimating yourself, Everett. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for. A lot smarter."

  Lowell gingerly scratched Mustafa under his furry chin. Mustafa rumbled with pleasure. He flexed his claws on Lowell's leg. Lowell winced.

  "If you could have whoever you wanted
for this, who would you choose?" Everett shifted his position, scratching his back on the doorframe.

  Lowell looked up, studying him. "Are you asking if I believe in your competence?"

  Everett didn't answer. He waited.

  "You are more competent than many of my people ever were. You proved that when you set up the smuggling ring that is keeping the Empire alive."

  Everett grinned. "That was easy."

  "And getting Dace out in one piece is not going to be easy, not this time. I just hope there is still someone out there who will get me the information I need."

  "I sent my own set of inquiries. We should be able to locate the people you want."

  "They can't hide from Gypsies?"

  "Never." This time Everett's smile had teeth.

  "Tayvis can. He's hidden himself so well, the Patrol can't find him. He made the top of the list, right under my name. They think he's working for the Federation."

  "You don't think so?"

  "If he were, they'd never have let Dace get captured. He would have made certain of it." Lowell sighed again. Mustafa grumbled, demanding his chin be scratched. "He would have made certain of a lot of things. Or maybe I'm just wishing."

  "Someone will track him down. Eventually."

  Lowell scratched the cat's chin. The cabin was silent except for the cat's purring.

  Everett unfolded his arms and straightened. "You know, Grant, there's only one real problem I can see with the situation."

  "Only one?"

  "How are you going to survive meeting Jasyn?"

  "I didn't set Dace up, not this time."

  "I just hope she believes you when you tell her that."

  Mustafa rumbled in his throat. Lowell winced as the cat's claws dug in.

  "I may not live long enough to find Jasyn. Your cat might kill me first."

  "Just scratch him between the eyes. He loves that."

  "I don't want to lose my fingers."

  Chapter 32

  I curled up on the floor. I couldn't live this nightmare. I stayed in a ball and pretended it wasn't happening. It didn't work.

  The cold man's name was Philemon Smalls. He sat in the cabin on a bunk playing with a handcomp the whole time we were in hyperspace. I didn't even try to keep track of time. He made sure I ate. He had the thug force feed me if I refused. Phil made sure I had water as well. He treated me like an exotic pet. As long as I ate and drank enough to stay healthy, he ignored me. The chain fastened to my leg was long enough to let me use the bathroom. There was nothing in there I could hurt myself with. I checked. I think I would have slit my wrists and been happy about it, if I had found anything to do it with. I didn't want to be a slave. Not again.