Cold Revenge
Page 42
"It’s hard," she said finally, as we crawled past a large freighter hanging from scaffolding. The engine for it was bigger than my whole ship. "The first big mission that blows up on you."
"I wasn’t on a mission and it’s not the first time."
"The first time you have to shoot someone is the hardest."
"It wasn’t the first time."
She cocked her head, studying me. "I’m glad I don’t work undercover, like you."
"I don’t work undercover."
"Say it and convince me it’s true."
"Is something bothering you? You’ve said barely anything to me for the last two weeks and now you're full of advice."
"I talked to Tayvis last night," she said, looking out the window at the ships on the repair field. "Don’t you dare hurt him, Dace."
She kept her face turned away. I heard the pain in her voice.
"I’m sorry, Paltronis, for whatever it was I did to you." My own answer was sharper than I intended. Tayvis was here and I was the last to know. That hurt.
"You didn’t do it, I did it to myself. He never looked twice at me."
The groundcar crawled to a stop. I saw the curve of the Phoenix, dwarfed by the larger ships and cranes around her. The door slid open, letting in the smell of engine lubricants. I touched Paltronis on the knee.
"Thank you for coming for me on Xqtl."
She made no move to show she heard me. She continued to stare out the window. I got out.
I wore my green suit and carried a small bag over one shoulder. Ghost was in her carrier in my other hand. It should have felt good, to be walking home again. I stopped, watching the activity around the ship while the groundcar accelerated away behind me. It was my ship, but did I belong here anymore? I felt strange, not the person who had last sat behind the controls of the Phoenix. I hesitated. I could go back to Lowell. He’d welcome me with open arms.
I waited too long. Jasyn saw me and ran towards me, her dark hair blowing free. She caught me in a hug, swinging me around. She was laughing and looked as beautiful as always.
"Dace, I’m so glad you’re back. We’ve missed you."
She linked her arm through mine, pulling me towards the ship. The last shreds of hesitation evaporated. I was home. I was where I belonged.
The cranes lowered new engines into the back of the ship. Clark was there, his green shipsuit standing out among the gray of the repair workers. He waved at me and went back to watching the engines settle into the ship.
Jasyn dragged me up the ramp and into the ship. "You can help with the engines later. Clark’s been watching every move they make."
The lounge of the ship was cluttered with cables and new equipment that hadn’t been installed yet. The cushioned bench was gone, replaced by shelves. I put Ghost’s carrier down and let her out. She immediately started sniffing the bare floor. I wasn’t worried about her, she still knew where her home was. She slipped into my cabin. I knew I’d find her asleep on my bunk later.
"I’ve got new flooring on order," Jasyn said. "Blue and green speckles. Maybe I should have gotten purple to match your hair. I thought you said it would wash out."
"That’s what I was told." I ran a hand over my hair. It wasn’t spiky anymore, but it was still purple.
"Are you going to keep it that color?"
"Maybe I’ll go green next time, or yellow, or electric blue. Did you kill Jerimon or is he still part of the crew?"
Her smile faded. "He's on the crew listing as a pilot. Are you all right with it? He's still my brother, though if he ever double-crosses us again, I'll let the Family deal out justice. He should have told us. Said something instead of playing along."
"They would have killed him. He had to keep Harris convinced he was on their side. He did what he could to keep you safe."
"And you, Dace? Are you going to be able to stand him on the ship?"
I shrugged. "If he gets in my way again, I may break his legs after I give him a matching pair of black eyes."
"Only if I don't get to him first."
Ginni came out of the engine room carrying an armful of wires and assorted parts. She saw me and smiled. There was still sadness in her face.
"Which one of these is the compositor cable?" she asked as she went into the cockpit.
I dropped my bag into one of the chairs, those and the table hadn’t changed.
"It’s the symposite controller cable," I said, guessing what she meant. I followed her into the cockpit.
Jerimon was on his back under the engine control board. He saw me and grinned past his wrench.
"The blue one, Ginni," I said.
Ginni put them all on the chair and tried to sort out the tangle. I watched her, remembering my promise to help her.
"I need that other driver, Ginni," Jerimon said.
"Here," she said, shoving the tangle of wires at me.
I took it and started untying knots.
"How’s your leg?" I asked Jerimon.
"Getting better," he said. "How are you?"
"Getting better," I answered. "I didn’t know you knew engineering."
"I’m learning. We weren’t sure when Lowell was going to let you go. Or if he was." He tightened whatever he was working on and slid out from under the control board. He sat, dangling the driver from his hand. "Jasyn was ready to storm that cruiser when she heard Lowell had taken you there. It took him an hour to get her calmed down enough to listen."
"I wasn’t civilized enough to leave." I picked the cable free and handed it to him.
"I heard what you did. I almost felt sorry for the Inner Five." He carefully didn’t mention the others I’d shot, the whole assassination team of Sidyama and Blackthorne’s toughs. I wasn’t easy with the memory myself.
He twisted the cable in his hand. He looked up at me, uncertain. His blue eyes were as deep as ever, he was as handsome as ever. The attraction wasn’t there anymore for me, though.
"Are we still friends?" he asked.
"Why?"
"Because I need a job."
"I thought you worked for Lowell."
"I only signed on for one job, Dace, and I can’t say how sorry I am I took it." He looked at the cable in his hand. "You want to put this in? I can’t seem to get the wires seated right."
"It helps to use the right tool. Lowell says none of the syndicates will even dare touch me now. So I guess you’re forgiven."
"You’ll let me stay?" He smiled his devastatingly handsome smile.
"On two conditions. One, you drop the nonsense about me being your soulmate. And two, you stay out of my seat. Move over." I took the cable.
He moved out of the way. He was still grinning. I picked up the right driver and slid under the control board.
I was happy. It felt good to be working on my ship. Jerimon and Ginni kept giving me parts to put back in. I lost track of time.
I reached up for the panel I’d just put on the copilots seat. Clark was holding it out of reach.
"Jasyn says either come now or go hungry. You want this?" He held the panel out.
"Is it that late?" I asked, crawling out. He gave me a hand to my feet.
"You sure you don’t want to finish installing these?" He put the panel with the other dozen that I hadn’t gotten to yet.
"They’ll wait until tomorrow."
"You’ve changed, Dace," Clark said quietly.
"So have you, Clark."
"Don’t do that again, please."
"Which? I’m not planning on doing any of it again. Ever."
"We wondered when you went off with Lowell."
"I needed time alone. He gave me that. I had some debts to pay back. I made an even bigger impression on Doggo and his friends. Lowell paid for it. Lowell paid for a lot of things."
We went out into the lounge. The others were around the table. Jasyn laughed at something Jerimon said. He held his fork in the air. Ginni watched Jerimon, looking like she belonged. I still had one more debt to pay.
"Ha
ve the chair, Dace," Clark said. "We’ve got more on order. And a bigger table."
"I like this one," I said.
"We’re looking for more crew," Jasyn said as I sat. "Tomorrow, I’m going to interview some engineers. We need one and another navigator. Do you want to come?"
"Maybe," I said. Clark handed me a plate. I filled it from the pot on the table. "This smells wonderful." It tasted wonderful, too, spiced just right.
"Those new coils will need adjusted tomorrow," Clark said. He leaned against the galley to eat. "They got the main drive seated today so we’re making good progress. Another week and we should be good to go."
"Where?" Jerimon asked.
"We still have most of the spec cargo," Clark said. "We could follow our original plan to pick up jewelry."
"There are cargoes here," Jerimon said. "Computer chips, machine parts."
"What’s our status with the Guild?" I asked.
The room was very quiet.
"They blacklisted us," Jasyn said. "We’re working on straightening it out."
"Lowell is having Querran take care of the charges in the Cygnus Sector. He’s also paying the fines." I smiled at Jasyn. "He’s on a very big guilt trip. I squeezed him for everything I could." I shifted my gaze to Ginni. "He promised a scholarship for you, Ginni, and his personal sponsorship to any branch of the Academy you want."
Her eyes went even bigger. She dropped her fork onto her plate. "You mean it?" She hardly dared to breathe.
"If you want it, Ginni, it’s yours. You can stay here if you want. Either way, this is your home. Go to the Academy and we’ll keep a bunk for you."
Ginni jumped up and hugged me. "Thank you."
"I wish Habim were here," I said. "He’d be happy for you."
"He was happy here," she said and hugged me again.
"I’m so sorry, Ginni." It was the best I could do for her.
"I want to go to Verrus," she announced as she sat back down. "It’s the best for navigators."
"I’ll let Lowell know," I said.
"You’re staying here, aren’t you?" she said, her smile gone as quickly as it had come.
"I’m not leaving, ever again," I promised.
Ghost meowed imperatively by my feet.
"I can’t desert my cat," I said. "She knows she’s finally home." Ghost jumped into my lap and sniffed my food. She sneezed and jumped back down.
"The first person who doesn’t like Jasyn’s cooking," Jerimon quipped. We laughed. It felt good. I felt good for the first time in a long time.
We left the discussion of where to go for another time. We had a week to figure something out. Tomorrow, I’d go with Jasyn into the port offices. She would interview prospective crew while I tried to convince the Guild of my innocence.
I sat on the boarding ramp later, watching the sun set. The lights in the repair docks were still burning. The sound of cranes lifting machinery carried faintly on a metallic breeze. Ghost played near my foot, pouncing on a bit of wire I twitched for her.
A groundcar rolled up near our berth. I wasn’t paying much attention. The others were inside, I heard their laughter as they played cards. I declined playing, I still felt as if my skin didn’t quite fit. I watched idly as a man got out of the groundcar. It purred off into the night. He came towards me, his face catching the light. I stood slowly. What was I going to say to Tayvis? I could feel my face burning, remembering the last time I’d seen him. I’d thrown myself at him, willing to do anything, willing to give him anything. And he’d walked away from me.
"Dace," he greeted me, stopping at the bottom of the ramp. He watched me uncertainly, not quite sure what my reaction would be.
"Tayvis," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. It didn’t work. I wanted to feel his arms around me, I wanted to know he still loved me. But there was a deep gulf between us that I wasn’t sure how to bridge.
He searched my face. The distance between us grew greater with every passing second of silence. He was going to walk away from me, I knew it. Ghost pounced on my foot, distracting me. I looked down.
"Stupid cat," I said, trying not to let my pain show in my voice.
"Smarter than you think," Tayvis said. He was standing right in front of me, I’d forgotten how quietly he could move.
I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. His arms came around me, holding me just as tightly. He set me back gently after much too short a time.
"I see you’re feeling better," he said.
"I lost myself, Tayvis," I said, trying to explain. He stopped me, touching a finger to my lips.
"Don’t, Dace. If you hadn’t lost it like that, I would have worried about you. I see Lowell took good care of you." He looked down. Ghost was attacking his foot. "And the cat."
"She’s happy to be home."
"And what about you, Dace?"
"It’s my home, too, Tayvis. Yes, I’m happy to be back." I looked away from him, towards the remnants of sunset still streaking the sky maroon and gold. This was where he told me that he had thought about things and decided it was never going to work between us. I’d read enough of Clark’s romance novels to guess that was what was coming. He was Patrol, that was his family. Just like the Phoenix and her crew were my family. It would never work between us.
"I thought about your questions, Dace. I’m willing to try, if you are." He took my hand. "Promise me you’ll give me a chance."
"More than that, Tayvis," I whispered.
He smiled. And the last knot of my pain slithered free.
Chapter 54
"Your report, sir." The secretary slid a folder across the desk and left the room.
Lowell picked it up, curious which problem was small enough to give him so few sheets. He opened it, leafing through the pages.
The top one was marked simply, Dace. He glanced over it. He’d processed the request to sponsor Ginni to the Academy at Verrus. A few words and she was admitted, with a fund to keep her well supplied with whatever she needed. They were expecting her within a month. The sheet was a note from Dace. Short, to the point, he wasn’t surprised.
Thank you. I don’t actually work for you, do I?
He laughed and put the paper aside.
The second sheet was from an agent buried deep in one of the crime syndicates. Targon was completely obliterated. Blackthorne had fractured into several dozen small groups that were squabbling over territory. The raid on Xqtl had effectively removed any leadership Blackthorne might have had. The last paragraph caught his eye.
Dace was the topic of an urgent meeting between the leaders of the five syndicates that bordered Blackthorne and Targon territory. They were warned. She was not to be touched. Reprisals would be immediate and very thorough. None of them wanted to end up like Blackthorne, and especially not like Targon. She was safe. That had been the whole point of the mission. Even if it had gone wrong, it had accomplished his goal so completely that Dace was essentially untouchable by the syndicates. He’d have to make sure her reputation with them grew. A few well placed rumors should do it.
The last page gave him pause. It was a copy of a book purchase. Why would Tayvis be buying a training manual for cargo handling?
The answer left him smiling.
Author Note:
I hope you enjoyed this fifth installment of Dace's misadventures. I certainly have.
For more information on the series and to buy exclusive logo merchandise, please visit http://www.altairanempire.com
For more fun stories, please visit my website: http://www.jaletac.com
And look for the further adventures of Dace to arrive shortly with book 6: Jericho Falling.
Sneak Peek at Jericho Falling, The Fall of the Altairan Empire Book 6:
Chapter 1
“Commander Tayvis, please, sit.” High Commander Nuella waved at a chair.
Tayvis sat, back ramrod straight.
“I’ll come right to my point. What contact have you had with your commanding officer, Grant Lowell?”
“And that doesn’t make you suspicious?” Nuella leaned forward, clasping his hands and resting them on his desk. “Look, I know you don’t like me, Tayvis. You don’t work for me or my branch of the Patrol. You’re here because you follow orders. Usually. Yes, I have read the reports about you. I like to know who I’m working with.”
Tayvis glanced at Nuella’s silver uniform, contrast to his own black one. “If this is a matter for the Enforcers, Commander Maharta is in her office. She’s the one authorized by Lowell to handle requests until he returns.”
Nuella waved his hand, dismissing the suggestion. “His absence is the problem, Commander. Do you know where Lowell is? Or what he’s doing?”
Tayvis shook his head. “High Commander Lowell doesn’t have to confide in me. I’m one of his agents, not his keeper.”
“Don’t lecture me about propriety. And don’t hide behind it. You’re a sector commander, not an ensign. Yes, you’re young for the rank, but promoting you was one of the few decisions Lowell has made that I agree with. You’re good, Tayvis. Very good. Which is why I’ve come to you.”
“What do you want, Commander Nuella?”
“Straight to the point. I like that. Lowell’s planning treason.”
Tayvis shook his head, a denial on his lips.
Nuella stopped him, leaning forward to stab the desk with one finger as emphasis. “He’s gone rogue, Tayvis. He’s cracked, mentally. He dodged his last two psych evals. The one before that showed a growing paranoia and an increasingly agitated mental state. Tell me he hasn’t been affected by his work. Tell me he’s still rock solid. Make me believe it.”
Tayvis looked away from Nuella’s measuring stare.
Nuella nodded. “You’ve seen his erratic behavior. You know I’m telling the truth. That fiasco on Xqtl unbalanced him.”