by T. G. Ayer
Dresden shook his head.
Nerishka complied and saw that Lyra deployed a nano filament sending it through the container’s access port and, analyzing its composition while she continued to talk.
Lyra send a wave of concern. Lyra took a breath.
Nerishka’s eyes widened as she stared at Dresden’s shocked expression.
Dresden whistled, while Nerishka drew in a long breath while asking,
* * * * *
“You have got to be shitting me,” Kelem grumbled, throwing his squeeze ball from hand to hand. The thing looked like it was about to fall apart. Nerishka eyed it warily.
Dresden grunted. “Yeah, that’s what we have right now, illegal research on Yazata that they’re covering up. The shard Nishka found is the connection.”
The team took a few moments to stare at the sealed capsule that currently held the mildly radioactive shard. Beside the container sat a bowl of baked goods.
Nerishka reached over and grabbed a custard pastry from the selection and sank into her seat.
“You can eat at a time like this?” asked Judith, an eyebrow raised.
Nerishka nodded, then replied around a mouthful of custardy, flaky goodness. “Food is what makes hanging out in safe houses worth it. Especially dessert.”
Kelem snorted but it was clear Nerishka had lightened the mood. He reached for the coffee and served the team up while they partook of the pastries, giving the shard a wide berth.
“It’s not going to jump up and kiss you, you know,” Nerishka said, smirking as she glanced at Kelem. “It doesn’t have the iridium in it, just some traces of other stuff.”
He let out a disgusted sound. “I know what radiation can do to you. We saw what happened to the people at that settlement. Not sure why you even have that thing here,” he groused, picking at a berry in his cupcake.
Dresden dragged his chair back and got to his feet, swiping crumbs from his mouth. “It’s to remind us why we are about to do the crazy thing.”
“What crazy thing is that?” asked Judith, folding her arms.
“We’re going to Yazata.”
Silence hung in the room for a few moments. Then Kelem coughed. The cough turned into a choking sound and Dresden leaned over and hit the taller man hard on the back, giving him three solid thumps, which resulted in Kelem half folded over, his face almost hitting the table.
“Hey, don’t kill the guy now.” Judith slapped Dresden on the shoulder and everyone laughed.
Then she took a deep breath and sat back, glancing over at Dresden to see if he would want to tell his crew the plan. He shook his head and jerked a chin at the team.
OK, then.
Nerishka proceeded to explain the connection between the shard, the isotopes and the asteroid, leaving out any mention of jump gates—a technology that, until today, she hadn’t thought a single soul in the Inner Stars even knew about.
“So, we have a chunk of something from Yazata sitting on our counter there. That’s what they were trying to clean up, so that’s our next destination. Something hinky is happening on that rock.”
“And of course, we’re the ones to find out what it is?” Kelem rolled his eyes.
Lyra chuckled.
Lyra’s voice dripped with sarcasm, and Nerishka rolled her eyes while reaching for another pastry.
UNDERSTANDING
STELLAR DATE: 10.17.8948 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Teshub, departing Xerxes local space
REGION: Ayra System (Independent)
Nerishka looked around at the crew who were lounging in the viewing room at the front of the ship. Dresden had hired the Teshub, a light freighter complete with experienced pilot—named Raz—and enough weapons to blow the asteroid to rubble, should the need arise.
Dresden’s words, not hers.
She took a moment to ponder his relaxed relationship with Raz—who Lyra had confirmed was from Genevia where he’d been a pilot in their recent war with the Nietzscheans. Despite the blond pilot’s engaging smile, the man had proved to be reserved, had barely said much since they’d left Nimrud Station, and tended to move around the ship silent as a panther, despite his bulk. There was definitely more to Raz than he was willing to share.
Nerishka was in the rear observation deck, watching the view of Xerxes as they departed Nimrud station. Something told Nerishka that dodging nukes in the jungles below had just been the beginning. Nothing good awaited them on Yazata.
Thankfully, she’d been fortunate enough to have avoided any additional assassination attempts by green-skinned women. She’d decided she was going to add the Ayra System to her list of places to never visit again.
The AI remained silent and Nerishka understood why.
Nerishka studied the crew and smiled. Seeing the way this small crew worked with Dresden, she almost envied him.
Almost.
Nerishka got to her feet and walked closer to the window.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” asked Judith as she came to stand at the window.
Nerishka smiled and nodded. “Have to admit it looks a damned sight better from here.”
“Very true.” Judith heaved a sigh, then shifted to lean against the window and study Nerishka’s face. “When will you tell us what’s really going on?” the redhead asked softly.
Nerishka stiffened. “What do you mean?” A million thoughts flew through her mind. Had Judith overheard her talking to Dresden. Had she
tapped their comms?
Judith smirked. “You and Dresden.” She glanced over her shoulder at the man in question. “Always a loner. Not one for commitment. Never looks at a woman twice. So bad he’s been propositioned one too many times by guys who thought he wasn’t into girls ‘cos he’s not a player. And now, you walk into his life and he’s been cracking a smile more than his once a month allotment.”
Nerishka snorted. “He can’t be that bad.”
“Only a tiny bit of an exaggeration there, but it’s fitting. You guys need to sort things out. He’s got enough going on and he can’t afford the distraction. Especially from someone who looks like you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nerishka shifted to face the redhead.
Judith gave a rueful smile. “Something tells me I’ve said too much.”
Nerishka’s eyes narrowed. “No turning back now.”
The redhead sighed and shrugged. “He should have told you. We’re all super protective over him right now. It’s the reason we put you through that test.” Judith shifted and turned to stare out at the view of Xerxes as it grew smaller and smaller. “A few months back, we were on Champlain Station out near Ontario in Septhia. Someone tried to assassinate Dresden.”
“Shit.” Nerishka swore as Judith’s revelation sunk in. “What happened?”
“Maybe you should ask him. It’s just when we heard you were requesting assistance, it became a little weird with how his recent assassin looked identical to you.”
“What?” Nerishka’s eyes bugged.
Judith smirked and nodded slowly. “Yeah. Imagine our shock to see you walk through the door. Again.”
Nerishka huffed and shook her head. “He should have told me.”
“Would you have told someone who needed your help that your life was under constant threat? You’d have likely passed on the opportunity.”
“Or I would have said yes in order to see if this is a ruse and I’m just trying to find a more inventive way to kill you.”
“Yeah. That too.”
Judith fell silent and for a few seconds they both stared out the window. Until Nerishka tapped the sill and said, “I have to go do a thing.”
Judith chuckled. “He’s in the galley.”
CONFESSIONS
STELLAR DATE: 10.17.8948 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Teshub, departing Xerxes local space
REGION: Ayra System (Independent)
Nerishka leaned against the doorframe and studied Dresden as he bent over a sandwich, picking out the greens.
“You still haven’t learned to eat your veggies.”
“Lettuce does not qualify as a vegetable. It’s a weed,” he muttered, tossing a limp lettuce leaf aside.
“It’s still good for you.”
Dresden made a face. “Pretty sure I’m good without that goodness. Survived this long without lettuce so I must be OK.”
Nerishka strolled inside and leaned against the counter beside him. “So…when were you going to tell me that someone tried to kill you?”
Dresden paused and straightened to stare at Nerishka. “Who told?”
Nerishka shrugged. “I have my sources. You know I’d never give up an asset.”
Dresden rolled his eyes and grabbed his sandwich. “It’s no big deal. A couple of people tried to kill me. What’s the problem? Not like I’m a database admin or something. Kinda do dabble in dangerous stuff.”
“We’re not exactly known quantities. It’s not often that we have assassins target us—when it’s not related to a mission, that is,” Nerishka said thinking about the Olive Sisters.
Dresden smiled. “Well, I’ve been out here in the wind for a while. I probably have some enemies that know where to find me.” He took a bite of his sandwich, his actions nonchalant, but Nerishka knew better.
“What the hell, Dresden? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s you.”
“That’s a little cryptic.” Nerishka decided to feign ignorance and not out Judith.
“No. I meant the killer. She was you.”
“Dresden. I don’t have time for this bull—Oh.” Nerishka stopped speaking and stared at his face, “No, I understand. Is that why you ambushed me when I came to the apartment?”
He met her gaze mid-chew. “Yeah. I needed to make sure it was you. And when you pulled the whole truth toxin thing that’s when I knew it was.”
“She looked like me, huh?”
“Spitting image.”
Nerishka let out a soft growl. “Sheesh, how unfair is that? You get sexy hot Nishka-assassins and all I get are creepy green-skinned women.”
Dresden swallowed hard, set his sandwich onto his plate and straightened to look at Nerishka’s face. She stiffened, aware now that she’d spoke the words out loud.
“You’ve been attacked, too?” he asked, his tone unreadable.
There was no backing down now. “Yes. On Anahita. Three times. Although once I think I actually walked in on them.” Nerishka paused. “Shit. This all means that Karsin really wasn’t killed because of the file he had.”
Dresden lifted a finger and made a reversed rolling motion. “Back up a bit and start from the beginning.”
Letting out a sigh, Nerishka said, “So I was meeting a mark when someone attacked me in the san. I managed to eliminate that threat but when I went to check on Karsin—my contact in Ayra—I found him dead. He’d kicked it days ago. I encountered an assassin there. She may have returned to look for something, or to wait for me. Not sure.”
“Killed her too, did you?”
Nerishka nodded and gave a grim smile. “Third time, I got lucky. Before I boarded the ship to Nimrud Station, assassin number three attacked me in the san.”
“You have a thing about sans, do you?”
She snorted. “These assassins seem to have some kind of pattern. Probably a good way to get your target alone. I’ve done a few san-kills myself. So stop with the judgy business.”
“So, what happened with green-assassin 3.0?”
“Oh, that’s Olive. Her I knocked out and brought onto the ship to Xerxes with me.”
“You what?” Dresden looked like he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or scold. He settled for a look that implied he’d given up. “So did she have anything to say? Like who the hell she and her team are? And maybe why they are after Hand agents? And ex ones too?”
“Unfortunately, not. She went kablooey.”
“Huh?”
Nerishka nodded, expression deadpan. She raised her hands and made and exploding gesture with her fingers and accompanied it with the sound effects as well. “Ka-boom.”
He glared at her. “Explain. I’m imagining something like that would result in a room painted in bits and pieces of the person who kablooeyed.”
“Sure did. She tried to kill herself with her nano but Lyra stopped that. But she had a second failsafe. Seems there was some kind of report-in system. If they missed getting confirmation that they were uncompromised, then they literally explode. They had these little black beads inserted beneath their skin, camouflaged by tattoos. I’m thinking they were initiated when poor Olive didn’t report in on time. There wasn’t really enough left for a detailed analysis though.”
Dresden was grinning. “I’m curious as to how you managed to explain your attempts at redecoration to the Belshazzar’s management.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t. Lyra created a diversion and I made a dash for it.”
He was shaking his head and chuckling. “You always had the most interesting missions.”
“Can I help it if crazy people do crazy things around me?”
Dresden snorted. “So what do we do about our endangered lives. Think someone has a price on our heads?”
“Like a bounty or something?” Nerishka asked, then shook her head. “No. It didn’t seem that way. From what she said, the mission was all about killing me. I’m pretty sure they were the ones who killed Karsin though, so I’m assuming he was the
first target and I was second in line. They knew a lot about me too. She knew about my poisons. And she seemed…driven. As if she’d rather die than fail at killing me.”
“Yeah. That’s more or less what I got from my Nishka-doppelganger.”
“Ugh. I don’t even want to imagine what that had been like. Did you think I was trying to kill you?” Nerishka stared at Dresden’s face, the impact of what he must have felt to know she was trying to end his life.
He stiffened, his eyes darkening for a moment. “To be honest, yes. I was a little confused. Upset. You didn’t give—I mean she didn’t give me an explanation. Just pitched up and tried to kill me. All that time fighting her off, I honestly believed it was you. But after a while it became noticeable. Something in her voice, the way you quirk one eyebrow, the way you squint when you are concentrating. Little things made me realize it wasn’t you. Besides, I was a bit distracted trying to evade the big sharp knives she had spinning around and around. She did manage to take a few centimeters off the sides, so she saved me a trip to the barber.”
Dresden ran a hand along his head and smirked, but Nerishka could tell he’d been more than just a little unsettled by his encounter with killer-Nerishka.
“And?” she prompted.
“I’ll be honest, I worried that the Hand had decided my retirement in the Inner Stars was too risky and they’d sent you to clean me up. It was a little hard when I worried I’d killed you.”
Nerishka pursed her lips. “You killed her. Didn’t get a chance to ask her anything?”
Dresden threw her a glare then glanced at his sandwich in distaste. “I just said that I thought I’d killed you.”
“I heard you.”
“Do you have any idea what that felt like?”
Nerishka tilted her head and studied Dresden’s face. “No. I don’t think I would know. I am pretty certain it would have been difficult.”
“It was horrific.” He growled the words out. “I didn’t know what to do. I stood there staring at you—her—staring at the blood. I was pretty much a mess. When I got back to the crew they were confused but I didn’t explain what it was that I’d thought I’d done. I spent three months worrying that maybe I’d killed you. Wondering why you’d wanted me dead. Wondering what I did.”