The pull to return to theUmbra was strong and I almost gave in to it. Eventually, though, I sighed and walked in to the hostel. Blyn and Eryka were sitting on a sofa, cuddled up and looking rather affectionate with one another. But I remember what Mazzy had told me. This wasn't some chance encounter between two would-be lovers. These two worked together.
It was all set up. Again – reinforcing my notion that I couldn't trust anybody.
“There you are!” Blyn exclaimed as he jumped down from the couch and waddled over to me. Eryka remained where she was, sitting on the couch and eyeing me curiously. “Did you have fun with your new friend?” he asked, winking as he spoke.
“Uh yeah,” I said. “Lots of fun. It was unforgettable, in fact.”
“Good, good,” he said, “But now that we've had our fun, it's time to talk about work. Let's step into the meeting room, shall we?”
He led the way, and Eryka followed. I looked back at her. “Do you think she should be joining us?”
“Of course,” he said. “She's my wife, after all. She can be trusted.”
“Wife? But you just – ” Oh yeah, right.
“We tend move rather quickly in my culture,” he said with a sly smile, taking Eryka's hand as we entered the conference room.
“A little too quickly,” I said as I sat down at the table, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms in front of me. “Do you think it would be possible to speak to our friend and make sure this is alright with him?”
“Of course it's alright,” Blyn said.
“I'm not comfortable talking about this arrangement with an outsider present,” I said smoothly. “Wife or not, I need authorization from our boss first. It's not her life that's on the line here, Blyn. It's mine. And as such, I am entitled to certain considerations.”
“Of course, of course,” Blyn said, grumbling as he pulled out his communicator.
He punched in a series of buttons and then held it up to me. A moment later, there was Boygan's face filling the screen once more.
“Gemma, Blyn is to be trusted without hesitation,” Boygan said. “No matter what. Don't question his loyalty, his command, or who he brings into this mission. He is my right hand, so whatever he says – just go with it.”
That was it. Another recording. Blyn put the phone away, smirking at me as he did so. There was something off and something creepy about only having recordings to go on. I wanted to speak to Boygan personally – yet Blyn wasn't inclined to let me do so. Which sent up more than a few red flags in my mind. But what could I do? I was stuck with no manner of recourse whatsoever.
Oh sure, I could protest. Threaten to cancel the contract. But what would that get me? Maybe a bullet in the brain myself? These people, after all, were perfectly fine assassinating a popular political candidate. What would they do to a nobody like me?
“Listen, when I agreed to this, I agreed to do this alone,” I said. “Adding an extra person – you, Blyn, in case you wondered – was problem enough. But now adding another person I don't know or trust? I think I need to speak to Boygan myself.”
“Alright then, speak,” Blyn said, holding his hands up.
“What do you – ” But then I heard the door open behind me.
Turning, I saw Boygan himself standing there, a stern, unapproving look on his face. He looked disappointed in me – with the same sort of expression on his face my dad used to give me when I'd disappointed him.
“Is there a problem, Gemma?” he asked, staring down at me in a way that made me feel uneasy.
Without even realizing it, instinct kicked in and I stood up suddenly with my hand on my blade. My quick movement made Blyn rush toward me, a look of absolute murder on his slimy green face.
But Boygan stopped him in his tracks. “Sit down, Blyn. I just frightened the girl, that's all,” he said calmly. “And even if she was going to attack me, what could you do about it?”
Blyn grumbled to himself, staring daggers at me, but re-took his seat beside Eryka. Boygan looked over at the woman and nodded, a grim smile touching his lips.
“Nice to see you again,” he said.
“Wait, you know her too?” I asked. “Why am I the only one who doesn't know what the hell is actually going on?”
“Because, Gemma, we have to keep altering things,” he said. “Because the other side is that damn good. They expertly anticipate our moves, our plans, and take steps to counteract them. Which means, we're in a constant state of flux. We have to be mobile and flexible. And I see, we're going to have to change things up again.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You're little rendezvous with the enemy,” he said. “I'm sure they asked you to spy on me, yes?”
“How did you – ”
“And were you going to tell me, hmm?” Boygan asked, arching an eyebrow.
“I was going to,” I started, “had you given me a chance to actually talk.”
He stared at me for a long time before nodding as if weighing my guilt or innocence. I could see by the look in his eye that it was a coin flip. I could tell that part of him wanted to believe me – and the other part remained skeptical and cautious.
“I believe you,” he finally said. “But even if I didn't believe you, everything would still go down as discussed. Only, with a few minor – changes. So let's get down to business, shall we?”
I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth, so badly wanting to tell him the deal was off and I wasn't going to do his dirty work for him. I was ready to walk out of that room and away from all of this. Nothing made sense – he was changing things as we went along and I wasn't comfortable working with him for that reason. I wanted to know exactly what I was walking into and not have some nasty surprise sprung on me at the last minute. A nasty surprise that could result in my incarceration or even my death.
I was risking everything – he was risking nothing. And I wanted out. But the money he'd already paid me – it was spent and there was no way I was getting that back. Who knew what he'd do when I told him that I wouldn't be able to give the first payment back if I walked away right then and there. I had a feeling though, that it wouldn't go real well for me.
“So you met with the Kysos fanatics? The true believers?” Mr. Boygan said with a smirk. “How'd that go? What did you think of them?”
I shrugged, but didn't answer. I simply stared holes through him, trying to figure a way out of this mess without ending up dead.
“Cat got your tongue, Gemma?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You didn't actually believe the garbage they were spewing, did you?”
“I honestly don't know what to believe,” I said.
“Those humans are so brainwashed,” he said, shaking his head as if he pitied them. “When you hear them talk, hear the passion in their voices – it's almost convincing. I wouldn't doubt you might fall for their propaganda too. I mean, you are human, after all.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I spat.
Mr. Boygan remained quiet – he just flashed the creepiest smile at me for the longest time as the two of us stared each other down.
Finally, when he spoke again, he said, “Nothing, Gemma,” he said. “I apologize. I didn't mean anything by it.”
“You think lesser of we humans, don't you?” I snapped.
“It's not that I think lesser of you as a species,” he said smoothly. “Because honestly, the only ones I've ever met blindly follow a man who would lead them to their own destruction. Not to mention, the destruction of everyone – and everything – they've ever known. So I apologize if I have a poor perception of humankind. I just haven't met any that impressed me much. Besides you, of course, Gemma.”
“And what makes me so different in your estimation, huh?”
“Easy,” he said. “You're not blind to the world around you. You actually think for yourself instead of merely swallowing down and believing what you're told. And that's precisely why I know I can trust you.”
My mind swirled. If only
I knew what to believe. I no longer believed what Mr. Boygan was telling me. I didn't trust him in the least. But did I believe Chris and Mazzy? I couldn't be sure. Neither side of the divide were all that appealing at the moment, and I really just wanted to walk away. Except, I couldn't do that. I was in too deep and there was no getting out of it.
“So let's talk about the changes I've made to our plans,” Mr. Boygan said, eyeing me carefully. “And I trust you won't give our secrets away. Will you, Gemma? I can still trust you, can't I?”
I didn't answer him. I had no answer for him. He winked at me and then pulled a file filled with papers – his new plans – out of his briefcase, carefully laying them out on the table in front of us.
“The first change is a big one,” he said. “We do this tonight.”
“Tonight?” I gasped.
The fact that he wanted to change it so drastically – that I was going to have to do it tonight – meant that I would have to make a decision about whether to go through with it or not. And I'd have to make that decision very, very quickly.
“Yes, tonight,” he said. “Because we can't wait any longer. They're expecting us to attack before the speech, but we need to hit long before they suspect anything has changed on our end. And we're going to need you to help us sell this story, Gemma. You're going to tell them you're working with them. That you're spying on me. And then you're going to give them this.”
He handed over some folded up documents. I leafed through the pages, not sure what it was I was actually looking at.
“What's this?” I asked.
“It's a fake plan,” he said with an evil grin. “That way, everyone will be so focused on that, no one will suspect that we're actually coming for Kysos in the middle of the night.”
It was a solid plan. It sounded pretty perfect, honestly – so long as everything went according to that plan. That was, unless I told Mazzy what was really going on. But would I? I stared back at Boygan, hoping he couldn't read the doubt on my face.
“I'm trusting you, Gemma,” he said. “I trust in your desire to get back home. As well as your desire to protect your precious Earth. Don't disappoint me.”
He got to his feet and left the room, leaving me alone with Blyn and Eryka. They stared at me, smug smiles upon their faces. I really, really didn't like the direction this was going.
Chapter Twelve
I knew where I could find Mazzy – she'd given me an address to an apartment she was staying at. A place I was supposed to use to check in with her. I had to admit, I liked Mazzy. I liked her a lot. If things were different and I was in the market to date someone, I might even consider going out for a drink with her. Get to know her better.
But things weren't different. My life was what it was, and I wasn't in the market to be dating anyone. The least of which was her – someone I wasn't sure I could trust.
When I knocked on the door, she opened it just a smidge and stared out at me through the crack. As soon as she saw that it was me, a faint smile touched the corners of her mouth. But it was gone as soon as it had appeared.
“Gemma,” she said. “Come in. Hurry,”
She quickly opened the door and pulled me inside, shutting and locking it behind me.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice filled with worry.
“You told me to come to you with any new information, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “But you already have new information? We only parted ways a little while ago – ”
“I do,” I said with a sigh. “Let's just say, my boss got wind of our little rendezvous and changed the plans on us. Everything's changed, Mazzy.”
“Sit down,” she said, motioning to the couch and taking a seat next to me. “So he knows we know about you? About him and his plans for Kysos?”
“Yes,” I said.
And suddenly, my mind was spinning again. Everything seemed convoluted as hell. Not only did Mazzy know about the plans, but Mr. Boygan knew about Mazzy knowing. How was this even possible? Unless someone was playing both sides. But who?
I looked at Mazzy and I had to wonder – could I trust her? Could I really trust her? What if I told her Boygan's newest plan and she ran back to inform him that I'd given up the information? The real information? That would earn me a bullet in the head quicker than saying I wasn't going to pay him the first half of his money back.
If I was wrong about Mazzy, it was going to cost me my life. No question about it.
“I'm sorry, where are my manners? Would you like something to drink?” she asked. Some tea, by chance?”
“Sure,” I said, following her through her small, but nice apartment.
She reminded me of any late twenty-something living in a major city back on Earth. She struck me as the idealistic visionary type, just getting their start in politics. I actually had no idea how old Mazzy was, it was difficult to gauge that with different species. She looked young, but I got the sense that she was wise beyond her years. She served me a glass of hot tea and motioned for me to sit down across from her at the kitchen table.
I picked up the tea cup and inhaled the aroma of the brew – and had to admit, it smelled divine. I blew on it to cool the liquid and then took a small sip. It tasted every bit as good as it smelled.
“It's delicious,” I said.
“So, go on, Gemma,” she prompted. “What do we need to know?”
My mouth suddenly grew dry. I no longer knew what to say. Never before had I been put in a situation like this. One where both sides had people spying on each other. Some, I'd been caught in the middle and had no idea what was really going on.
This was exactly why I usually worked alone. Why I preferred to work alone. Things were less complicated that way. And I never had to worry about somebody's loyalty or whether I could trust them or not.
“Tell me, Gemma,” she said, “what's the new plan?”
The fake plans were burning a hole in my pocket. I also had the real ones and they were burning a hole just as big. I could give her either set and she wouldn't know the difference. Only I would. Which set I gave her all depended on whether or not my instincts told me I could trust her. Or not.
“Tonight,” I finally said. “We're going for him tonight instead of waiting until right before the speech.”
“But how?” she asked. “His home is a fortress. He's virtually untouchable.”
I reached into my pocket and took out a set of the plans, hesitating a moment before handing them over to her.
“We have it all mapped out already. Some of his guards work for my employer apparently,” I said. “They can help get us inside. And once we're in, it's pretty textbook.”
“Interesting,” Mazzy said, looking over the plans, seeming to absorb every single detail.
My head was spinning and I felt a little nauseous. Was I doing the right thing? Could I really trust her? Was this going to blow up in my face and get me killed? There were so many questions and so few answers.
“I have to say, I never would have imagined this setup,” she said. “But now that I'm looking at it, it's genius. Elegant, in a way.”
I kept a watchful eye on her, searching for any sign that I shouldn't trust her. Looking for the slightest hint that she was going to betray me. Mazzy looked back up at me and smiled, folding up the plans and maps and slipping them into her own pocket.
She looked at me again, but this time, there was something in her eyes – something strange. Something I couldn't place. It was something dark and veiled.
“So Gemma, listen,” she said, her voice low. “I just wanted to say that I am sorry for everything. I truly am. I needed you to know that.”
“Sorry? For what?” I asked.
Her smile was wry and a look of guilt and shame crossed her face as a strange feeling descended over me. All of the sudden, I felt lightheaded, like I might pass out. My vision blurred at the edges and the room seemed to start closing in on me. I shook my head, trying to clear it, but the feeling persisted. I felt t
hick. Slow. Like my head had been stuffed full of cotton and cobwebs.
When I looked down at the tea cup, and then over at Mazzy, the pieces fell into place and it all became clear. I would have been outraged and screaming in anger, but my energy was being sapped. And as the darkness pressed at the edges of my vision, all I wanted to do was lay down and go to sleep.
“You've drugged me,” I said, my voice sounding thick in my own ears.
“Yes, I'm afraid I had to,” she said. “At least until the threat is over. I truly apologize, Gemma, but believe me when I say that it's for your own good – ”
“My own good?” I slurred. “Who in the hell are you to make that decision for me?”
I tried to stand up and reach for my weapon, but when I got to my feet, I found my legs were too weak to support me. I crumpled to the floor in a heap, the darkness pressing even closer around me, feeling so very tired. There was a part of my mind that told me a little nap would do me some good. That it would feel amazing. It argued to just let go. Close my eyes and give into the sweet embrace of sleep. I deserved it. I'd earned it.
But the other part of my mind, the part of me that was in charge of ensuring my survival argued. It told me that I had to get out of there. It told me that it was more than clear I'd made the wrong decision in trusting Mazzy. That I'd put my faith in her and it had blown up in my face – that she'd betrayed me. It screamed at me, telling me that I needed to get out of there.
But how? How was I going to get out of there when my legs were useless – and my mind was quickly becoming as useless as the rest of my body? My brain was shutting down and if I didn't do something to stop it, I was going to be asleep on Mazzy's kitchen floor in no time.
I needed help. But how was I going to get that help? How was I going to contact anybody and let them know what was happening?
Xavix has stayed behind at the hostel – mainly because Mr. Boygan required me to come alone. And although it would have pained me beyond belief, I couldn't even ask for his help now. It was all on me. I crawled over to Mazzy on my hands and knees, but she managed to stay one step ahead of me, moving around to keep me from getting to her.
Cromian Conspiracy (Celestial Empires Book 1) Page 6