by Jamie Grey
Her hands twitched to comfort him. She wasn’t one to get maternal, but for some reason, this boy got to her. Maybe he reminded her too much of herself at that age. Whatever it was, she had to get him to safety. If only she knew where safety was.
“So you grew up on Banos Prime? Were your parents miners?” she asked, hoping to distract him until she figured out a plan.
“No, they were scientists. The company sent them out there to track the ore levels and mining conditions. They were part of a large team.”
“Weren’t they evacuated off-planet when it was invaded?”
“It was too late. They got me into the last transport off-world. Women and children only. And Mom wouldn’t leave Dad behind. They made sure my Uncle David knew I was coming. I don’t think they knew the attackers intended to destroy the planet, not conquer it.” He sounded so calm, so adult. Like all of this had happened to someone else.
“Tell me about your uncle. What does he do?”
“He’s a scientist, too. Only he invents things. We live on Iniros. He has a lab there.”
Renna froze. She only knew of one scientist who worked on Iniros. Most of the residents of the planet were ministers for the Cooperative Republic of Galaxies or wealthy businessmen who had vacation homes there.
“So what exactly does your uncle invent?” she asked, needing to confirm her suspicions.
“Scientific stuff. Like weapons and ships. I guess he’s important or something.”
By the gods. “Are you saying you’re related to David Aldani? Of Aladea Labs?”
As in, the same people who’d hired her to retrieve the gamma particle destabilizer.
“Do you know him?” Myka asked hopefully.
“Enough!” a voice barked from across the van.
The kid stiffened beside her, and she frowned. “Who are you people?” she asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Now both of you be silent!” His voice was low and sharp, like he hadn’t wanted them talking about Myka’s uncle. Was this all connected somehow? Had Boyd set her up?
Silence fell like a heavy blanket, only broken by the noise of passing vehicles. She still had no idea which direction they were headed, never mind where they might be going. Damn her cheap implant. She should have sprung for the nucleospatial model she’d thought was too expensive.
The car slowed, vibrating over a set of metal electro-tracks in the ground. Renna tilted her head. Transit lines ringed the city center like a bull’s eye, allowing the train-cycle to traverse the entire loop in less than half an hour. They were traveling into the city.
She leaned back against the seat as casually as she could. She had an idea, but it would require perfect timing and balance. Renna let out a slow breath and lowered her shoulders from her ears. The van slowed again, swinging to the right. There was a slight pressure as it started down an incline.
Perfect. She let herself slide forward with the motion, her tight black leggings gliding against the metal bench. Momentum did the rest.
Renna braced herself for a tumble, but she underestimated the soldier across from her. Before she even hit the ground, he’d grabbed her, jerking her back on the bench. She flailed against him, which was easier said than done in the exovises gripping her wrists.
She slipped her arms over his head and pressed her face to his, trying to wiggle out of her blindfold. It slipped down a fraction, enough for her to see in the dim, windowless car. That was all she needed to slip across his lap and kneel on the bench beside him. The angle gave her enough leverage to tighten her arms around his neck. His breath wheezed in her ear as his bucking grew frantic. He pinched and grabbed at her, trying to push her off, but despite the pain, Renna squeezed harder, strangling him until his frantic movements slowed. He finally went limp against her, and Renna pulled her arms free with a shudder. Gods, she hated that. Killing never got any easier.
As the man slid against her to the floor, she tugged her blindfold off with shackled hands.
“What happened? What’s going on?” Myka asked. He’d been perfectly silent during her struggle, but his hands were clenched so tightly together his knuckles had turned white.
“I’m fine. And now we’re going to get the hell out of here.” She ripped the blindfold from his face, and he stared at the man sprawled on the floor of the van.
“How did you do that?”
She shook her head. “No time for that now.” Dim light filtered through the crack of the back door, and she fumbled for the latch. As the van slowed, Renna grabbed her pack off the bench. Somehow it had made it into the van along with them.
“When I give the word, jump. I’ll be right behind you.”
Hope crept into the boy’s expression, and he nodded.
Renna pushed the door wide.
The van rocked to a halt.
“Jump!” she said, landing unsteadily on her feet. Myka followed but stumbled, and she grabbed for him before he could fall. The air in the shadowy space was cool against her flushed face, and smelled of metal. She’d bet her life it was another parking structure.
A man stepped from the shadows. “So nice of you to join us, Miss Carrizal.”
FOUR
She didn’t recognize the older man’s chiseled features or the uniform he wore, but he held himself like someone who’d spent his life in the military. And she knew what military men liked.
“I didn’t know you were expecting me.” Renna used her best seductive voice. If her hair had been loose, she would have given it a toss for good measure.
He raised an eyebrow, unmoved by her display. “We’ve been watching you a very long time, Miss Carrizal. I’m glad to see you’ve retrieved our package for us. I knew the Star Thief would be able to get the job done.”
She froze at the nickname, and blood roared through her ears. That was supposed to be her dirty little secret. Only two other people in the galaxy knew she was the one who’d finished that job.
Before she could question him, half a dozen men dressed in the black ninja suits stepped from the shadows to surround them. A second magnacraft pulled up beside them, and more sword-wielding ninjas got out, taking up places behind her. Her stomach clenched as one of the men stepped forward, sword drawn. She recognized him even with his mask still in place; how could she forget those cold eyes? The same eyes that now raked over her, pausing slightly at the jagged scar on her neck before turning to focus on the older man.
He ignored the new additions and stepped forward to peer around Renna into the van. “I see you got the job done a little too well, my dear.” He frowned at the body of the dead soldier lying on the floor. “A miscalculation on my part.”
What had he expected her to do—sit back and pretend she was on vacation? She glared at him. “Who the hell are you, and what do you want with us?”
“All in due time, my dear. Right now, I’d like to get the little boy cleaned up and fed. I’m sure you’d agree.” The man crooked a perfectly groomed eyebrow at her and then slid his eyes to Myka, who stood half-naked and shivering in the glare of the helo lamps. Dirt streaked his emaciated torso, but he held his chin defiantly.
“I’m not going anywhere without her,” he said, moving closer to Renna.
“Nobody’s going to hurt you here, son. You’re safe now. Your uncle David works for us, and we promised to get you back for him.”
Myka looked up at her with big, dark eyes, and Renna’s heart twisted. For some reason, this kid trusted her. Nobody ever trusted a thief. She couldn’t betray him after everything that had happened.
“Myka’s not going anywhere with you until you tell me what’s going on. What do you know of his uncle?”
“David Aldani works for us a consultant. Technically, it’s his company, Aladea Science Investments, that works for us. But he personally helps us out on occasion.” The man winked as if Renna was supposed to know what he meant.
She tilted her head to study him. “So why didn’t you rescue the boy?”
“Do you thin
k we haven’t tried?” A wry grin twisted his lips. “Veth is the fifth city the poor boy’s been to in the last month. We didn’t think retrieving him would be nearly this difficult.”
Renna squeezed Myka’s hand. She would personally kill the Cordozas if she got out of this alive. “What did they want with him?”
The man shrugged. “Blackmail, we assume. Dr. Aldani is developing some extremely important technology. If an enemy system got hold of it…” He let the words trail off.
Renna already knew what would happen if Aldani’s tech leaked onto the black market. The same kind of tech she currently carried in her pack. She shifted it closer to her body. It had to be a setup. Two birds with one stone and all that shit. She was going to kill Boyd when she saw him.
Renna studied the man’s expensive uniform, the private garage, his own personal ninja army. “So exactly where do I come into this?”
“Wouldn’t you much rather go inside and sit down? Have a nice cup of tea, perhaps? The boy looks positively exhausted.” The man’s smile was full of kindness and solicitude, and Renna almost believed him. Then she realized what he was doing.
“We’re going inside whether we like it or not, huh?” She shook her head, tsking. “I thought you had better manners.”
He spread his arms. “This sort of thing shouldn’t be discussed in the open. Come along, please. Captain Finn, please accompany us.” With a beckoning gesture, he urged Renna and Myka forward into the shadows at the back of the structure.
The leader of the ninjas nodded and pulled off his black hood, running a hand through his dark hair to make it stand on end. His angry gaze met hers, and Renna froze, the world dropping away as she stared at him, her heart banging out a staccato rhythm in her chest. The man’s chiseled jaw. The bright blue of his eyes. The way the uniform clung to his muscles. She’d recognize him anywhere.
Dear gods.
“Hunter?” The word tangled in her throat. It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be here. Alive. With them.
He ignored her and shoved his way toward a heavy metal door guarded by a glowing keypad. She couldn’t tear her eyes from his hard body and the even harder expression he wore. He looked so different. So much…older. Maybe she was wrong. The Hunter she knew had died seven years ago in a raid.
Hadn’t he?
She forced her gaze to the keypad he was using, and her heart sank as she recognized the technology. State-of-the-art biolock from Ohm Industries. It would take her exactly three-and-a-half minutes to hack. She didn’t stand a chance against six sword-wielding ninjas and a well-armed military captain for that long. She swallowed, fighting the sick twist of her stomach.
Could this day get any worse?
Renna squeezed Myka’s hand, making her voice light and cheerful. “Come on. I’m starving, aren’t you?”
Captain Finn held the door open for them, and the older man gestured her inside with a slight bow. Renna ignored the courtesy but followed him down a short hallway. Captain Finn and his ninjas trailed silently behind. Only the rustle of their silk uniforms—and the crawling skin on the back of her neck—hinted at their presence. Whoever he was, Captain Finn’s—Hunter’s—dislike of her was almost a tangible thing.
They approached the end of the hall. With a whoosh of air, a set of frosted glass doors slid open, revealing a command center. Holovid screens and computers filled the room. One wall contained a vid screen with a map of the galaxy. A round table and half a dozen chairs sat in front of it.
The room buzzed with soft voices as workers spoke into their communication units or gave orders to their subordinates. Every one of them was dressed in the same dark gray uniform, with the symbol of a golden wing surrounded by a circle decorating the top left lapel.
Renna had been around long enough to recognize the signs. “What is this place?” she asked. “Does the Hesperian government know you guys are here?”
From the corner of her eye, Renna noticed the ninjas fanning out to take up posts near each door. She could feel their gazes on her. Watching. Assessing. Waiting for her to make one wrong move.
She curled her fingers into quick fists, then forced herself to turn back to the older man.
He smiled apologetically. “Do forgive me, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Major Erik Dallas, head of MYTH on Hesperia.”
Renna hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her leggings and tilted her head. “I’ve never heard of MYTH. And I’ve heard of every secret organization there is. Been recruited by a couple, too. What does it stand for?” Maybe if she could get this guy to talk, she might have some useful information to sell to her clients, along with the qualified gamma particle destabilizer in her pack.
“Military Yield Tactical Horizon.” He shrugged. “Don’t ask me what it means though; the guys at the top came up with it. They needed a name that was impressive enough for a galaxy-wide organization tasked with protecting the Coalition of Territories from terrorists and outside attack.” An unexpected dimple flashed in his weathered cheek.
Renna gritted her teeth. His boyish charm was not going to work on her. The guy had sent his highly trained ninja squad to kidnap her. After he’d used her to steal the destabilizer. It would take more than a friendly smile to get on her good side.
He turned to one of the uniformed technicians at a nearby console. “Lieutenant, please take Myka to get some fresh clothes.”
The boy looked at Renna, his eyes so wide she could see the whites, but she nodded. “It’s all right. They’re not going to hurt you. And I’ll be right here when you get back.”
Reluctantly, Myka let go of her hand and followed the man through a nearby door. She tried to ignore the crawling of her skin and turned back to the major.
“A good name is always the most important thing when you’re terrorizing the galaxy,” she said, letting her gaze drift around the space, careful to not seem too interested in anything. She shifted her weight to the right and watched a series of numbers scroll past on the nearest holovid screen. The data made no sense to her. It seemed to be tracking ship movements in the outer traverse, but along no path she’d ever seen.
Beyond the vid, two more workers bent over a holo-graphic simulation of a planet she didn’t recognize. Renna played with the end of her ponytail. This was the most advanced tech she’d ever seen. The Coalition government was always screaming for money; there was no way in hell they could afford a facility like this. Whatever else MYTH was, they were obviously well funded.
But if they’d had all of this tech, why hadn’t they been able to retrieve the kid themselves? Especially if they’d sent the ninjas after him. She’d seen those guys at work; they could have sliced and diced their way through that warehouse in seconds.
She tucked her hands into her pockets and nodded to the end of the room. “Mind if I take a look?” she asked Dallas.
“Of course.” He waved her on.
The workers paid no attention to her, but Renna’s scalp prickled as the ninjas’ gazes followed her across the room. She squared her shoulders and made her way toward the map on the far wall to trace the curve of the traverse, the Outer Rim planets marking the edge of the Confederated Coalition of Territories. They contained every form of life and every manner of race. Humanity had implemented space travel three hundred years ago, taking their place in the galactic government a mere hundred years later. They’d soon become leaders in defense and military action.
If nothing else, humanity excelled at war.
She chewed her lip as she studied the map. A glowing red line circled three planets grouped around a large star at the fringes of the traverse. Renna tapped her fingernail against her tooth. Something tickled the back of her mind, something about this cluster.
“Miss Carrizal, have you found something of interest?” Major Dallas asked.
She half-turned to look at him. “More than you can imagine.” Her eyes drifted down the captain’s trim figure. The guy was old enough to be her father, but she was willing to do whatever it took
to get out of this mess.
Behind them, Captain Finn stood at ease, his blue eyes trained on her, taking in every subtle movement. Including her checking out the major.
Renna thought she heard him growl.
Dallas smiled, either oblivious to Renna’s flirtation or ignoring it. “Would you like to have that cup of tea?” he asked, gesturing to one of the doors.
Renna followed him into a small, comfortable room. Instead of the office furniture she expected, there were two plush chairs and a low, white table. Someone had already set a tea tray on it with two ceramic cups. How very cozy.
“Please, have a seat, my dear. Captain, you can wait outside.”
“But, sir…” Finn’s lips thinned as he glared at her. The muscles in his jaw pulsed, like he had to grind his teeth together to stop himself from disagreeing with his superior. But the threat in his eyes, the promise of violence etched in every tense line of his body was all too real. And it was all directed at her.
She fought back a shiver. The Hunter she’d known had been different. Less serious. Kinder. He’d been one of the best soldiers-for-hire in their gang, but he’d never been so hardened. This man gave the impression that he’d kill first and ask questions later. What had happened to change him so much?
Dallas held up a hand. “Everything’s fine, Captain. Renna is our guest.”
Finn saluted and marched from the room, though the look he threw over his shoulder made Renna swallow as she sank into one of the chairs. She relaxed into its cushions and crossed her legs, trying to appear unruffled. In reality, her mouth was dry and her palms sweating as she scanned the room, taking in the smallest details—the lack of windows, the carefully neutral furniture, the slight bubble in the ceiling that showed her they were being watched.
She needed to stay on guard. She also needed to stay on this guy’s good side. For now. “Where’s’ Myka?” She pitched her voice to seem unthreatening.
“In the next room. I thought you’d like to keep an eye on him.” Major Dallas picked up a small remote control and pressed a button. The wall on the far side of the room, which had looked as solid as the rest, went translucent.