"Matt. That's enough."
What the hell? Jonathan spun around. Standing in the doorway was his father, Brandon. Wearing a dark blue pullover jacket and matching coveralls, he looked more like a miner than an executive.
"Dad!" In two long strides, Jon was gathered into his father's embrace. "Cat told me you'd been killed in the explosion!"
Brandon pulled back, his powerful hands gripping his son's shoulders. "They found me in one of the caverns a couple of days ago."
"But why didn't Cat tell me?" Jonathan asked. As usual, his father's chin was covered with short stubble, but a long, thin scar on the left side of his face was red and blistered.
"She had her reasons. And this is the Guardian who's been protecting you?" He extended his hand in greeting. "Thank you for protecting my son."
"Dad, this is Nadira. She was investigating the robbery."
"How did you get here so quickly?" Nadira asked, as she shook Brandon's hand.
"The freight shuttle from Demeter is faster," Brandon said. "Son, when you called Catherine earlier, we were on our way here. She couldn't tell you the truth."
"Cat is here too? Where is she?" Jonathan asked.
"Upstairs with Ilana. They had some business."
"If you had settled it sooner, we wouldn't be in this shit." Matt sneered.
Brandon gave him a look of disgust. "You've made your share of mistakes. And that's why we're here."
"Jonathan, I have to talk to Ilana," Nadira said. "There's something wrong. I can feel it."
"I'll come with you," he replied.
"No. I'll be all right. I'm prepared for her this time."
Jonathan waited until he heard her going up the stairs, then turned back to his father. "When I called Cat, she knew Nadira was with me. She wouldn't tell me how, but it makes sense now. Matt told her. Dad, what are you all involved in?"
"Well, let's see…I've violated about four or five Novacorp directives…and if security finds me here with the…" Brandon shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "It'll be enough to condemn me to hard labor in the mines."
"You're not the only one who'll be going," Matt grumbled.
Jonathan felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. "Tell me what's going on."
Brandon sighed. "All right. I'll explain it to you."
*****
Nadira found Ilana in one of the upstairs bedrooms. All the furnishings were gold, down to the tables and chairs. The room practically glowed in the light of the setting sun, the red-gold rays flooding through the two oversized windows. Over the bed hung a huge mirror fitted into a thick, wooden frame.
Lying on the bed, Ilana seemed dwarfed by her ornate surroundings. Her dark hair pulled back from her face. With no trace of makeup, she looked washed out and much younger than Nadira remembered. Threads stuck out where her shirt was ripped at the shoulder. Ilana gripped the handle of a small, black case sitting on the bed next to her.
"Who are you?" A short, trim woman jumped up from her chair next to the door, her blonde hair cropped close to her scalp. Her green, company-issued jacket had the half-moon Novacorp logo and "Security Chief Mantee" stamped on the front.
"My name is Nadira. I'm a Guardian."
"Show me your hands," she ordered.
Nadira complied. "You're the one who brought the payment, aren't you?"
"It's right here." Ilana patted the case.
Giving the woman a look that was sharp enough to cut through stone, Mantee whipped out her stunner. "You're lucky I don't use this. If I'd known you were at the mine, I would've."
"I want to speak to Ilana alone."
She pocketed her stunner, her blue eyes like frost. "Why? What are you two up to?"
"It's not your concern," Nadira snapped.
The Chief's eyes narrowed, her hand still in her pocket. Her energy flared, hitting Nadira's awareness like hot sparks off a drill. Casting a glance at the woman reclining on the bed, Mantee walked past Nadira, making sure to leave enough space to avoid touching her.
Ilana's forced laugh echoed through the oversized room. "Well, at least I'm not the only one she hates."
*****
"Jonathan, I'm sorry for putting you through this." He motioned for them to sit on one of the couches in front of Matt's imposing, stone desk. "You have every right to be angry."
"What about Mother and the girls?"
"Your mother knows all about it." As he pressed his fingers against his temple, Jon concentrated on the tongues of flame tats encircling his father's wrist. Mining was his life, but he'd been ready to throw it all away for what?
Cat ran into the room. "That Guardian is upstairs with llana. Who knows what they're planning."
"Go to hell, Cat," Jonathan snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Give me a reason to blast your ass." She whipped out the stunner and waved it in his face. "I should've done it before you left Astarte."
Brandon held up his hand. "Can the two of you please stop bickering?"
"Dad, there's not much time. I'm being tracked by another Guardian. You've got to tell me what's going on."
"Are you serious?" Cat asked. "Why didn't you tell us when you first walked in?"
"There's an alert out for me. I tried to tell you, but you were so pissed about Ilana you weren't listening. We saw the aircar a couple of kilometers back. It won't be long before they track me here."
Brandon looked over at Matt, who was staring straight ahead, oblivious to the activity around him. "Catherine, go find that security guard. Tell her to call out the rest of them so they can patrol the grounds."
"And then what? We're talking about company security here. They'll blow this place apart if they have to," she protested.
"I know that. Just do it!"
21 Control
"What do you want? Revenge for what I did to you?" Ilana rasped. "I've used up my energy. Do it and get it over with."
"Show me your hand."
A grimace passed over Ilana's features. "I'm not a Guardian, but I still have this." Keeping her right hand on the case, she showed Nadira her left palm.
"Guardians don't use their powers against each other." Nadira sat on the edge of the bed. "Who trained you?"
"No one."
"Don't lie to me." Ilana energy was waning, but she still had enough to keep Nadira from reading her. It was like trying to see though a granite wall. There was no way around it or through it.
"I'm from the West. My abilities didn't develop until ten years ago, when I was 18." Ilana settled back against the headboard. "My family wanted me to use my power for their profit. When I refused, they threw me out. I had no where else to go, so I went to Nova City."
"To find the Guardians?"
"No. I never wanted this power. I wanted to hide it. In the city, I thought no one would be able to tell. But I was wrong." Sighing, she wiped her eyes. "When I got there I had no credits. No place to stay and no family. Finally, I got work at a meet up club."
"A meet up--what were you doing there?"
The clubs were filled with workers hired to entertain wealthy executives and businesspeople. Some worked there by choice and others out of necessity.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Ilana asked. "I was nonahli. So, I did what I had to do."
Nonahli. Without family or shelter. An outcast.
It was a word Nadira hadn't heard in many years.
"I was involved in…an altercation. One of the execs tried to force me to do something and I refused. He ended up in a medi-evac and I was thrown into detention." She wiped away a tear with the back of her hand. "They discovered I had abilities and contacted Zina. She got me out and told me I'd be trained as a Guardian."
"Zina? But your powers are strong, Ilana. She would've been bound to have you brought before the Elders. It's required."
"Required." Ilana laughed. "You are very naïve. Do you think the Guardians never put self interest first?"
"We have a duty." It was what she was
brought up on, from her first days of training.
"When Zina found out I wasn't a Sentry, she had no interest in training me. She already has you. With two Sentries, she'd have leverage over the Elders. Instead she had me track Matt Bento. She suspected he was stealing from the company. My job was to get proof. But, as it turns out I found out much more than that." She patted the case.
"She's the one who gave you the company ID," Nadira said.
"She didn't mind breaking a few rules to do it. But she wanted to catch Matt herself. Novacorp would reward her and the Guardians would have to give her a place with the Elders," Ilana said.
"Did you report back to Zina?"
"When I found out what Matt and Keel were doing, it gave me control over the wealthiest man in Nova City and the CEO of the richest mine in the system. Why share that with Zina? But Keel wouldn't give me what I wanted, so I had to show him I was serious."
"How did you leave Hathor. No one with abilities can leave."
"Do you still believe that old story?"
"Answer my question," Nadira said. She wanted the truth. And yet, she didn't want it.
"Isn't it time you stopped believing everything the company tells you?" Ilana shook her head.
"You're lying." Swallowing, she tried to ignore the pounding in her chest. Stay calm. Don't react.
"You know it's not a lie, Nadira. Admit it," Ilana said, a faint smile on her lips. "It's what you've been told to keep you from leaving the planet. Haven't you ever wondered if it was really true?"
Yes, she had wondered. But she'd forced it from her thoughts. If it was true, she and her mother could've escaped. Shaking, she fought to contain the feelings exploding inside her. An image of her mother formed in her mind. She was crying as Nadira was pulled away.
"I don't want to hear anymore!" She jumped up and blasted the mirror over the bed. It flew across the room and smashed against the wall. Her chest heaving, Nadira fell to her knees. They could've left Hathor together and been safe.
"Now you know how it feels," Ilana said, her voice just above a whisper. "To be powerful and powerless."
"Nadira! What's going on up there?" Jonathan called out.
She pulled herself back up and wiped the tears from her face. When she got to the doorway, Jonathan was halfway up the stairs, his face flushed.
"It's all right." She folded her arms across her chest, as she tried to stop her body from shaking. "Nothing's wrong."
He didn't move. "Come downstairs with me."
"Not yet. I'll be down in a few minutes."
"Are you crying? What did she do?"
"Jon, please."
He turned, as if in slow motion and headed back downstairs.
She had to pull herself together. Now. There was work to do and she couldn't let her emotions get in the way. Dropping her arms to her sides, she walked back into the bedroom.
"What did you mean you had to show Brandon Keel you were serious?" Nadira asked.
"You recovered quickly," Ilana smirked. "But you have to in your position as the all-powerful Sentry."
"You robbed the mine for someone. Was it Keel? Is your payment in that case?"
"That's why she took you from your mother, isn't it?" Ilana asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"Zina told me about it. When she discovered how strong your powers were, she destroyed your entire family to get to you." Ilana lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Oh, that's right, Zina was your mother's cousin. That's why Guardians renounce their families once they're trained. No feelings about anything but duty. I feel sorry for you."
Gritting her teeth, Nadira held back a wave of revulsion that threatened to engulf her. She wasn't going to be baited into reacting again. "Zina's on her way here."
"Good. As soon as my energy is fully restored, I'm leaving Hathor. I was going to contact Zina and tell her everything once I was far away from this planet. But this will be better. I'll be here to see Keel and the others dragged off to detention in restraints."
Nadira lunged across the bed, grabbing Ilana by her shirt and yanking her up. "You're not going anywhere!"
"The company will put them all in the mines. What do you care?" Ilana grabbed Nadira's wrists. "You think Jonathan cares about you? Do you know how the company execs use us?"
"Why did he pay you?" Nadira wrenched herself out of Ilana's grasp.
"Just like your mother, there are many people who'd rather leave Hathor than turn their children over to the Guardians. Keel helps get them off world on the shuttle to Demeter. From there, they can go wherever they want." Ilana sat up on the bed, her voice gathering strength." Matt's in it too. So is that bitch, Mantee."
"How much does Keel get from the families?"
"Nothing. Can you believe it?" Ilana leaned back and closed her eyes. "He paid me with crystal from the mine so I wouldn't expose them. If the company finds out, they'll seize all his assets and throw him in the mines for life."
The crystal and Ilana's testimony would be proof of Brandon's involvement. CEO or not, he'd be punished. But how could Zina cover her own duplicity with Ilana? She was in violation herself.
"You said you have the power. Then why would you help Zina? Instead of training you to be a Guardian, she used you for her own gain," Nadira said.
"Everyone uses everyone else, don't they? Novacorp runs this world, Nadira. We belong to them. And when Jonathan tires of you, you'll find that out."
22 Shattered
"What's going on up there?" Brandon asked as Jon came back into the office. "Ilana's not to be trusted."
"Nadira can handle it," Jonathan said.
"When we got here she'd drained her power. She and Matt had a fight."
Matt was still sitting on the couch, but now he had a drink in one hand and a half-empty decanter in the other. Maybe he was better off.
His father had admitted to taking crystal to pay Ilana, and he'd explained about helping people leave Hathor. Other than that, all he'd done was apologize for putting him in danger. But yet, he still wasn't telling Jon the one thing he wanted to know. Why?
"Son, the shuttle for Demeter will be leaving in about a half hour. We have to get to the station."
"Dad, I told you, I'm not leaving Nadira here. Her mentor will throw her into detention for helping me. You and Cat go on."
"I'm not leaving without you. That's why I came here," Brandon said.
"You still haven't told me your reasons for going against company rules. I mean, I know forcing people to be Guardians is wrong, but what's that got to do with you?" Seeing where it had gotten them, it didn't make sense. Why would he take such a risk?
"Jonathan?" Nadira walked in. "You've all got to get out of here. before Zina comes."
"No," Jonathan said. "I'm not going without you."
Nadira addressed Brandon. "The Hathor Novacorp Guardian Agreement states that anyone who tampers with citizens under the protection of the Guardians or who have been identified as candidates for training, will be detained. It doesn't have to be proven. Being suspected of such activity is enough. Do you understand?"
"What are you talking about? Are you detaining him?" Jon stepped between her and his father.
"No, Jonathan. But when Zina gets here, that's what will happen. Ilana is going to tell her everything."
"Son, that's why Cat falsified the report about the remains. She wanted you to stop looking for me and come home. When the Guardians found out you brought Ilana here, they started asking questions."
"How could you trust her?"
"I didn't. But she was good at getting Matt's confidence. He told her things he shouldn't have. Years ago, he wouldn't have made that kind of mistake."
"Brandon, their meeting wasn't accidental. Ilana works for Zina," Nadira said.
Jonathan felt like his heart had dropped to his feet. Ilana had the payment and the proof. It wouldn't even matter if they left now. As soon as Zina found out, the company would send security after them.
"Then she
's been reporting back all along," Brandon said.
"No, she hasn't. Not yet."
"Dad, why did you do it? Was it worth it?"
"Yes, damn it! It was worth it." He sat down, his shoulders slumped. "Years ago I was an independent miner here. Catherine and I met up in the West. We did mining, excavating, whatever we could get."
"That's why you don't have an ID chip, isn't it?" Nadira asked.
He pulled back his sleeve to show her the tongues of flame tat that circled his wrist. "I prefer these. Novacorp didn't force the issue. My mine is a top producer." Brandon rolled his sleeve back down. "I met Jon's mother, Estrella when I was 23 and she was 17. Her family was in business selling mining equipment. That's how we got to know them."
"Wait a minute," Jon interrupted. "I thought you two met on Astarte."
"We never told you the entire story. After about a year Estrella started developing abilities. Out there, we thought she'd be safe from detection. Guardians usually stuck to the North when they were hunting. But, her powers got stronger and…well…one day two Guardians showed up. They said someone contacted the District Manager's office about her. It could've been anyone who worked with her family or maybe one of her relatives. I don't know."
"It happens," Nadira said. "Neighbors, friends or family will report it."
"Guardians help protect Novacorp's assets, which makes them very valuable. And Estrella's abilities were strong. She would get visions and was able to touch objects and see who had owned them. I didn't understand it very well. It was tough for her to experience these things and not know how to deal with it."
"What happened?" Nadira asked.
"After her abilities developed, we discovered she was pregnant. If they took her away, I'd never see her again. And we didn't know what they'd do about the pregnancy. She didn't want to be taken by the Guardians and she couldn't get clearance from the company to leave the planet. So, Catherine and I hid her on an equipment shuttle bound for Demeter. From there, we travelled to Astarte."
Hathor Legacy: Outcast Page 14