The other man pulled the comm set from the tapper's hands. “I'm going to get further advice. And we can call Gaudier ourselves now.” He tapped the comm set against his palm, then walked out the room.
The tapper walked after him, then turned to face her at the doorway, pointed a finger at her. “Don't plan on living much longer.” He closed the door harder than necessary, and she heard it lock.
She pursed her lips in satisfaction as she stood up, walked over to a particularly ornate mural, studied it for a moment and pressed in a bird flying over a mountain.
The door whispered open on a quiet sigh, and she stepped in and shut it behind her, then leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, caught her breath for a minute.
She couldn't say her father never did anything for her ever again.
Chapter 15
Leo was her next problem.
She needed to get to him, let him know she was safe, and Tapper and Flunky had her comm.
She was standing in a long, narrow passageway which stretched out to the right and the left.
She tried to remember where her father's office had been in relation to the hoverway.
The Under Deck was the last hover stop before the hovers reached the Deck, the massive open landing pad for the space craft that came to deliver or carry off the goods the Cores bought and sold.
There was no way she could slip onto a hover and get back down without being seen. But with luck, her father had built a hidden staircase or lift that could take her down.
Leo was probably still in his office, huddled with Finkle, working out a plan.
She didn't expect him to come for her, but she knew he would be upset about her abduction. Angry. He would try to think of some way around it, or some retaliation.
She didn't want him doing anything foolish.
The corridor widened a little, and she stopped dead as the passage wall changed from solid metal to the one-way transparent material her father had used to build windows into various offices and passages from his secret corridors.
There was Tapper and his friend, Flunky, standing around a desk, talking seriously to someone on a screen.
She couldn't hear them, but she could see everything--the one way material extended from floor to ceiling along the full length of the office wall.
There was a dial to one side, and she turned it cautiously. The conversation was suddenly audible.
“They're wrong about her being anything to Gaudier. She's not.” The bigger man set both hands on the desk. “She doesn't think he'll come for her, and seriously, why would he?”
“It'll weigh on him, and his other staff, if she turns up dead. That's why we left the other bodies outside his warehouse. If you don't think he'll come, then kill her and leave her body near the entrance to Felicitos, in a place where everyone will see it. In the main road, or something.” The man who spoke sounded articulate and resigned. A Cores exec. “It may not be what we hoped to get out of it, but it's something.”
“I'll do it right now.” Tapper turned toward the door.
The bigger man, Flunky, looked up at him, and Sofie thought she caught a glimpse of disgust in his gaze before he turned back to the screen.
“At least give Gaudier a chance to come up.” The Cores exec sounded annoyed. “Don't kill her before she stops being useful.”
That should be the Cores motto. Keep them alive until they stop being useful.
She couldn't leave Garmen, she realized with spike of anger.
It had been her goal since Rach had died, to leave this terrible place and never look back, but she couldn't brush the dust of it off, even if she was able to.
Not when she knew how they thought. How they would keep behaving.
The children jumping and skipping along to school deserved a lot better than this.
Tapper had paused at the door when the Cores exec told him to wait, and he stalked back, threw himself into one of the office chairs.
“I'll call Gaudier. See what he's going to do.” The man leaning over the screen fiddled with her comm set.
“Let me know if you get your hands on Gaudier. Otherwise, put it in a report.” The Cores exec cut out.
Flunky lifted his gaze to Tapper. “Let's see what Gaudier has to say.”
She waited while they made contact. Leo wasn't coming, but their conversation might give her a clue where to find him.
The comm set connected.
“I can't come get her if you don't tell me where to go,” Leo said.
She saw the surprise on Flunky's face.
It was nothing compared to hers. She forced her mouth closed.
“The Under Deck. Take a hover to the highest level of the Upper Reaches and then take the lift.”
“You're not even trying to hide that this is a Cores deal.” Leo's voice was cynical.
“You would know anything else was a lie.”
“True enough. What are the codes?”
No one had access to the Under Deck without punching a one-time code into the lift. Well, except her. But she hadn't been up here since her father died. It had never been worth the risk of getting caught.
Why the hell was Leo coming up?
Her brain couldn't comprehend it. It made no sense.
You would come for him.
She made a face at the thought. It was true, but somehow she didn't think it was the same for him.
He had obligations.
She was beholden to no one but herself.
She'd made sure of that a year ago.
She didn't know whether her father had built a hidden lift on this floor, or gone with stairs. Either way, she had a feeling from the intensity of Leo's tone that she wouldn't have time to find her way down to let him know she was safe before he came up.
Which meant she'd have to save him up here.
She listened as they gave Leo the codes, then watched them get up and walk out the room. She followed them, back down the passage to her father's old office.
The passage wall that was part of the office didn't offer a floor to ceiling view like it did at Flunky's office, because her father hadn't needed to spy on himself, but there was a small window to one side. He would have had to make sure the room was empty before he popped back out of the wall after he'd done his snooping.
She got there before Tapper and Flunky, and so she had the satisfaction of seeing their faces when they swaggered in and found her gone.
Tapper ran around the couch, to check she wasn't hiding there, then he looked over at Flunky and shook his head.
“Where the hell could she have gone?”
“You locked up, right?” Flunky narrowed his eyes.
“Yes, I locked up.”
“You were pretty steamed, and I heard you slam the door behind you. Didn't hear you lock up.”
“I did.” Tapper clenched his fists.
“Well, she's not here, so you couldn't have.” Flunky spoke through gritted teeth.
“She has to be on this floor. She can't leave without a code.” Tapper's shoulders relaxed a little as he remembered that.
“Then go look for her. I'll wait for Gaudier by the lifts.”
Flunky turned and walked out the door, and Tapper stood for a moment, breathing heavily, before he followed his colleague out.
She had better not bump into Tapper again, Sofie thought. If she did, he would not hold back.
She followed the passageway to the left again, past the office where she'd watched them earlier and then the length of two more offices before she got to the foyer. The hidden passageway was narrow here, but like Flunky's office, the view was floor to ceiling.
Her father had thought it would be useful to spy on the Cores execs here and in that office, so perhaps when he'd been alive and the way station was still just a shell, this had been where the execs had gathered to talk.
She could just see the hoverway a little to the left of the lift doors. A massive transport hover rose ponderously up toward the Deck while she
waited, slowing to a stop as it waited for permission to rise through the floor onto the open landing pad.
Five minutes later, just as the transport hover disappeared upward, the lift doors pivoted, and Leo stepped out.
He must have started moving the moment they'd made her call him.
She looked behind him, wondering if Finkle was there, wondering what the plan could be.
He must have one. He wouldn't come for her with no escape route.
Flunky didn't quite know what to do now he had Leo.
She found the sound dial, but there wasn't much conversation. Flunky pointed a laz at Leo, and called over his shoulder for someone to hurry up. A moment later Tapper appeared, his face tight with anger.
He patted Leo down, found nothing, and stepped back.
Flunky jerked his head, and Leo gave a nod, began walking down the corridor.
Now she had to hope they took him to her father's office, which had handy access. If not, she'd make a plan.
She walked slowly, got to Flunky's office, waited nervously for a moment, and then moved on to her father's office.
And relaxed.
They were predictable.
The door was opening, and she saw Leo step into the room. “I won't answer any questions until I see Sofie.”
“We have other ways to make you talk.” Tapper hovered just by the door.
Leo shrugged. It was an insolent 'bring it on'.
The two Cores guards exchanged a look.
Then Flunky stepped into the room and pointed his laz at Leo.
No, no, no, no!
Sofie looked for the lever to open up the wall, but just as she located it, Tapper came back in, carrying a chair with restraints.
Leo stood still, but she could see the tension in his back.
“Move,” Flunky ordered, and as soon as he was in the chair, Tapper strapped him in.
Sofie stood, frozen. If she ran in now, she'd do nothing but put herself into the Cores hands, and give them more leverage over Leo.
So she would have to come at them a different way.
Shit, shit, shit.
She ran down the passage to the right, trying to keep calm and stay focused. She didn't even know what she was looking for, specifically. Just something, anything that would help distract Tapper and Flunky.
She passed another floor to ceiling one-way wall into what looked like a conference room. It was empty, but she imagined it would be worth being a silent observer when it wasn't.
She reached a stairway that led upward only, and hesitated. It would go up to the Deck. That would be risky and it would take time.
Time she didn't have.
She ran on, keeping her gaze on the floor patterns to find clues to where else the secret passage opened out.
She found an exit point at the same place she found a box up against the wall.
The lid was loose and she pushed it aside to find general construction tools.
Whoever had built these passages--and she was beginning to think her father had done this floor single-handed--they had left their tools behind.
She pulled out a laser lance, checked the battery level was sufficient, and then peered out of the one-way window into the open passageway beyond.
She wished her father had had the forethought to create a floor plan, but he'd had it all in his head, and probably had never intended anyone else to use this.
She pulled the lever, stepped out, and ran down to the first intersection.
As soon as she reached it, she could hear the hovers coming up the hoverway to her right, and turned that way.
When she passed an open door, and carefully peered in, she recognized it as Flunky's office.
She turned, realizing she'd passed the door to where Leo was being beaten.
She ran back and knocked briskly on it.
Then she stepped to one side and switched on the lance.
“What?” Tapper flung the door open, a scowl on his face, and she tilted the lance straight at his body.
He screamed, falling back with arms raised, and she waited a moment to let her gaze lock with Flunky's. Then she turned and ran, sprinting down the passageway, turning at the intersection and then fumbling for the button to let her into the secret corridor.
As soon as she was through, she ran back toward her father's office, the lance still clutched in her hand.
She was just in time to see Flunky helping Tapper out the room and closing the door behind him.
Leo bowed his head as soon as they were gone, his hands in tight fists along the arms of the restraining chair.
His lip was bloody and his eye was swollen.
She waited for him to make some contact with Finkle, but he did nothing.
Could he have just come for her? Without a plan? Without backup?
She had to take a deep breath.
Then she touched the lever and the secret door swung outward.
“Hey, lover-boy,” she whispered. “It's nicer on this side of the wall.”
Sofie had been in this room. Leo had smelled a faint trace of her scent the moment he'd stepped into it.
Finkle was sure she was either in league with the Cores on this, or she was already dead.
He didn't want to face either possibility, so he sat in his chair, trying to breathe her in.
The bodies of Sunar and Petro kept edging out any other picture in his head. He could not stomach the idea of Sofie ending up like that.
There was a faint squeak to his left, and then he heard her whisper.
He whipped his head around, saw the wall was now at a strange angle, and then he met the bright, wicked gaze of Sofie Erdo, beckoning him with a crooked finger.
Relief was the biggest emotion that roared through him. Surprise had to take a back seat.
He wriggled his hands in their restraints and she ran in, hit the release catches, and then pulled him out of the chair and behind the wall. She leaned across him to close it.
It left her pressed up against him.
He lifted his arms, winced as his abused muscles protested, and pulled her closer. “I thought you were dead.” It was embarrassing that his voice was so unsteady.
“I didn't think you'd hand yourself over to them.”
“Really? After you said 'Revenge me well'?” he asked, incredulous.
She tipped up her chin, smiled into his frown. “Well, I wanted you to get the message not to try to save me. I thought you could read the subtext.” She went up on tiptoe and kissed his cut lip gently. “I have to say, throwing caution to the wind to rescue me is a very sexy look. Even if it was also really stupid.”
Behind them, he heard the sound of the door to the office banging open.
She walked backward, although she didn't try to get out of his hold, and he walked with her, found himself looking through a window made of one-way material. It must be top grade, because he hadn't noticed any hint of it on the other side.
Resen and Mart, the two Cores bodyguards who had been beating him up, slammed into the room. Mart had a new shirt on, and he was moving cautiously.
Sofie had obviously not done a lot of damage, but it must still hurt.
“Fuck.” Mart looked around wildly. “That was why she barely aimed at me, it was a distraction. You locked the door this time. I'm not taking the heat on this.”
“She obviously waited until we left and got him out.” Resen pointed a finger. “So it's still on you.”
Mart took a step closer to his colleague and Leo thought he was actually going to take a swing.
“This is a big floor,” Resen didn't seem to notice Mart's struggle with himself. “She obviously hung around waiting for him to come get her, distracted us to get him out, and now they could be anywhere.”
“They still can't get down without a code.” Mart took a step back, although his face was still twisted with rage.
“Well, I'd rather not report that we lost them both, so that means we can't ask for assistance. We'll have to make sure w
e watch the platform, because taking a hover is the only way down without a code.”
Mart sneered. “Well, let's hope they aren't jumping on one right now.”
Resen's eyes went wide, and he made for the door.
“Wait.” Mart rubbed his mouth. “What are we going to do if we don't find them?”
“Tell them Gaudier didn't fall for the bait, and that we killed the girl.”
Mart stood still for a moment, then gave a nod. “We'll probably find them, but yeah. That will work.”
“I won't forget you fucked up here,” Resen said to him, eyes hard. “And I really won't forget if we have to lie.”
“I don't forget either, asshole.” Mart took a threatening step forward, but Resen was already gone. Mart stood for a beat, rubbing his chest where the laser lance had hit him, and then walked out as well, leaving the door open.
“Well, that certainly didn't sound friendly.” Leo looked down at her.
She smiled, wriggled deliciously in his hold as if to underscore how close they were, and in the gloomy light he saw the snap of laughter in her eyes. “Not like us.”
They were safe. They had privacy. He'd like to know Sofie Erdo's secrets, but that wasn't important right now.
“No, not at all like us.” Leo grinned, bent his head, and took her mouth.
Chapter 16
Leo had kissed her before.
This time was just as good, but there was something a little desperate about it. And she worried that it was hurting him.
He pulled back and then rested his forehead on hers. “I really thought you might be dead.”
Her arms were around his waist, but she lifted a hand and rubbed his back, soothing him.
“What is this place?” He kept his hold on her, almost unconsciously brushing a kiss to the top her head as he looked around.
“Ronald Fadal, the architect and structural engineer who designed Felicitos, was Halatian.” She stepped out of his arms. “Halatians like stuff like this. Secret rooms, hidden passageways.”
“How did you find it, though? Through the resistance?”
“Ronald Fadal was my father.”
Breakaway Page 9