“Put this in her room,” Skyler said, handing off the duffle to him. “As soon as I’m dry, I’ll come back to check on you.”
Iza felt a light pat on her back. She made a noise to protest, but Karter shook his head.
“Let us take care of you. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay,” he said. She liked how soothing his voice could be.
Cierra must have been informed because Iza could smell the garden scent of her as she walked just ahead of them with a satchel in her hands. Karter placed her hand on the biometric reader that opened her cabin door, and she was led inside where she collapsed on the bed. As soon as Karter let her go, she curled in on herself. Atano sniffed at their ankles the moment they arrived. When Iza didn’t respond to his greeting, he leapt on the bed, snuggling up to her curved back.
“She’s sopping wet. What happened?” Cierra asked, her voice barely above a whisper as if even the sound of talking might break Iza.
“Her aunt was killed. We don’t have all the details yet. Agent Anderson was with her.”
“What? Are we in danger?”
“Knowing Iza, absolutely,” Karter said.
“Fantastic,” Cierra said, though her tone of voice suggested it was anything but. She checked her pupils, holding up a penlight to her eyes, and made a tsk sound between her teeth. “She’s in shock.”
Iza lost track of the time she lay there listening to Karter and Cierra. At some point, Trix and Skyler entered and ushered Karter out. Skyler had changed into dry clothes and was helping get Iza out of her wet ones along with Trix.
Skyler spoke as she worked, “The Enforcers have arrived to help evacuate those who are in the most danger. Hubyria is continuing to experience severe storms and atmospheric changes. I’ve also sent a report to the TSS advising them of our current situation.”
She said ‘our’ as if Reagan’s death somehow affected all of them. Iza didn’t correct her.
—
More time passed, and people came in and out from Iza’s cabin. Eventually, she became more aware of the visitors. Trix was there at her bedside, and Skyler was kicked back in a chair.
“Where are we?” Iza asked. Her throat ached and head was throbbing.
“We are currently in orbit of Sarduvis Penitentiary,” Trix replied.
Iza brought a hand to her head. “What? Why?”
“Captain Desirae Hyttinen has requested to speak with you, but I informed her you were unconscious to alleviate any further questioning. Also, Ava Brandis sent you a personal message.”
That didn’t exactly answer her question, but Iza was still feeling too overwhelmed to ask for clarification. “Thank you,” she croaked instead. Trix was quick to grab her a cup of water. The coolness eased Iza’s dry throat.
“Captain, can I get you something to eat?” Trix offered.
Iza shook her head. She propped herself up in bed.
At some point, they’d changed her into dry clothes and tucked her into bed. The entire departure from Hubyria and what followed was a blur. Her blanket had also been replaced with one of Cierra’s homemade ones.
“Why are you still here?” Iza asked Skyler.
“Cierra left instructions for you to drink all of whatever that is in the cup by the bed.”
Iza eyed the greenish drink with suspicion. She needed the sleep, but she wasn’t sure choking down one of Cierra’s famous plant drinks would be worth it. “Fine.”
Atano leaped on the bed as if sensing she wouldn’t put up a fight and nuzzled her hand.
“Trix is needed on the flight deck with Braedon,” Skyler said. “I know you don’t know me very well, but I’m not about to let you go through something like this on your own.”
Iza wasn’t sure how she felt about Skyler’s easy grasp of command. It sounded like she was still in charge during her absence. If Joe were here, wouldn’t he do the same? She had to admit he would. But Skyler wasn’t Joe.
“I am capable of caring for Iza as well as monitoring the ship’s systems.” The offense carried even in Trix’s robotic tone.
“No offense to you, but have you ever lost a parent or a close family member?” Skyler took the silence to mean she hadn’t. “Well, I have. Iza is going to need someone to help her through this. I’m not going anywhere. If you don’t like it, you’ll have to remove me.” Skyler crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin.
“I’ll pass,” Iza said. “I don’t need anyone at the moment. This is the one time I’m going to listen to the Healer. I need rest and I can’t get that with either of you hovering over me.”
Iza drank the concoction Cierra had left for her beside the bed. It didn’t taste half as bad as the vegetable drinks she’d pushed on her, but Iza still needed water to chase it down. Then, she curled up and pulled the covers over her head. Only when she was sure she was alone did she let out the moan she’d been holding back. The ache filled her stomach and chest forcing out the tears and grief until she cried herself to sleep.
—
Skyler was once again sitting on the chair, her bare feet propped up on the bed while reading something on her handheld, when Iza stirred awake. Atano nuzzled Iza’s cheek, giving her a testing lick before backing down and waiting for her to respond. She reached over and rubbed behind his ears the way he liked before rolling back onto one elbow and watching Skyler. She seemed to be pretending not to notice she was awake.
Iza studied the lines of Skyler’s face, looking for all the ways she was different from Joe. The delicate chin and hair tucked neatly behind one ear were signature to her alone. The way she moved, and her patience seemed to be something they’d both learned in their military training. Joe and his sister had inherited the same eyes and smile, and the determination was there in the set of her jaw as if waiting for a fight. Iza didn’t have any fight left.
Skyler made a show of putting down her handheld then letting her blue eyes fall on Iza. “My brother probably never told you about how we lost our parents.”
“He did,” Iza said, not sure why she wanted her to know that Joe had confided in her.
“Oh. That shouldn’t surprise me, considering his feelings for you, and yet, I’m still a little surprised.” Skyler’s chin dropped to her chest as she looked down smiling then met Iza’s gaze she continued. “Though Joe and I were both raised on Earth, I always knew there was something more. Something beyond our world. You’ve been there, so you know how difficult that is, considering our surroundings. I didn’t wait around for someone to tell me. I just knew deep down the way I know I’m a girl.”
Skyler took a deep breath. “It made my transition into the TSS easy. I did well, and I eventually fell in love with another Agent.”
“Joe’s best friend,” Iza said, doing her best to sound disinterested. If she wanted to retell her everything she already knew while she was half-asleep, then this is what she got.
“Yes, Joe’s best friend, Emery. We fought about it of course, the way we fought about everything. He thought I’d plotted to take Emery away from him. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. I think since he found you, he understands that a bit better. But it doesn’t erase years of not talking and not dealing with the real problem.” Skyler shifted her feet to the floor and crossed her arms. “I was the one that told my brother our parents were dead. It was like hearing it from me made it my fault. If I’d known that, I would have let the cold TSS Agent who had informed me tell him, but I didn’t understand how Joe would take it. Ever since I uttered the words ‘our parents are dead’, I’ve been fighting with him for a bit of familial normalcy.”
Iza closed her eyes a moment, not because she didn’t want to hear anymore, but because the weight of sadness still pressed against her eyelids. She wasn’t sure the shock had worn off entirely.
“I’ll get to the point. When I boarded your ship, I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. I saw how everyone pulled together in a moment of crisis. You have a family here, like the one I always wanted for my
self and Joe and couldn’t provide for him. Your crew runs smoother than most hauler crews I’ve ever come across.”
“Know a lot of haulers, do you?” Iza chuckled, just a slight movement in her chest and a smile.
“You’re right, I don’t know that many. But I do know a family when I see one. I don’t know how, but Joe’s found a place where he belongs. And I think you are the center of this family. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
“I get that a lot.”
Braedon’s voice broke in over the comms in her cabin. “Captain, there’s an incoming message for you marked ‘urgent’.”
Isn’t everything right now? She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Who’s it from?”
“I’m not sure, it’s encoded.”
“Send it here,” Iza said.
Iza moved to sit at the end of her bed and watch the message.
“Do you want me to go?” Skyler asked.
Iza held up a hand. There weren’t many secrets left on board the Verity, and she couldn’t think of any reason why Skyler couldn’t stay, especially if the message was from Arvonen or better yet, Joe. She found listening to Skyler had eased something and wasn’t ready to send her away. Besides that, if it was urgent, she might need Skyler to relay instructions to the crew while she got herself together.
Iza started to play the message from her bed, but when the face of Raquel Calveras appeared, Iza froze the video and climbed out of the bed to move closer to the viewscreen.
“Who’s that?” Skyler asked.
The woman had convinced her she was a genuine friend. They hadn’t seen each other since Raquel had thrown Iza through the Gate to test a theory that Iza’s genetics would protect her. In the end, she had been okay, but neither of them knew that until she returned.
“A lying snake,” Iza answered. “CACI, continue playback.”
Raquel’s message resumed. There were dark smudges under her eyes and her hair looked like it had been days since she’d used a comb.
“Izzy, I know you don’t want to hear from me—”
Got that right.
“—so, I’ll get straight to the point.”
Iza hated the way the nickname rolled off her tongue. Raquel was less than an enemy and had no right. She’d forever hate the sound of it, and she’d make sure no one else ever called her by that name. Iza couldn’t stand the sight of her. Besides, Raquel didn’t have anything to say that Iza wanted to hear. She reached to turn off the image, but Raquel looked over her shoulder and back again as if nervous she might get caught.
“Arvonen has Joe. Your Joe. He took him from Earth a few days ago, and he’s been running memory experiments on him. I don’t know what he’s after anymore, but Joe’s life is in danger. Arvonen will do anything—go through anyone, remove any obstacle—on his way to get at the Gate and you. He believes that with control of the Gates, he’ll rule the Taran Empire. He’s mad of course, you’ve met him, but this time he’s close. He also has a man we believe to be your cousin. His DNA has the exact same distinct markers as yours. Whether you knew about Joe’s abduction or not, you shouldn’t try to mount a rescue for either man. Get as far away from Arvonen as possible. And if you have access to one of the Gate generators, keep it hidden.”
Iza huffed. You honestly expect me to believe a bomaxed liar? My aunt said the Gatekeepers had her son. Was she wrong? Raquel’s face moved a couple centimeters closer to the camera and she blinked twice.
“I know you don’t trust me, and I’ve given you no reason to, but I’m sending you a video recorded yesterday of Joe as proof.”
The image flashed over her screen, and she saw a man dressed in black strapped to a vertically inclined bed with a silver helmet fastened to his head. Beneath the contraption, his eyes were closed, dark, and smudged as if the fatigue had seeped out onto the skin, tinting it blue. There was the faint rapid eye movement beneath the lids and a quick intake of breath.
Joe, it’s him and he’s alive. Iza’s hand lifted as if to touch the image. What have they done to you?
Then, Raquel’s face replaced the image, and Iza dropped her hand back to her side. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to get close to your cousin, but I know he’s here.” Raquel looked down the regret in the slump of her shoulders. “I know because I was the one who helped Arvonen find him. Please, you have to stop him. If I knew how, I would tell you. Joe isn’t going to last long in this condition. I just wanted you to know. I’m doing what I can here, but if I’m caught…” Her voice faded as if that was answer enough, and it was. “Well, you know what he’ll do to me. Contact the TSS; they’ll know how to save Joe. My only advice is to hurry before Arvonen destroys us all.” The message ended
Skyler paced the room like a caged animal as she mumbled something under her breath. Even with the visual evidence, Iza wasn’t sure she could believe a word out of the digger’s mouth. She was next on the Gatekeepers’ list now that her aunt was dead. They were transforming planets left and right—seemingly at random. They wouldn’t hesitate to destroy her or her cousin if they were caught. The TSS expected her to go after Arvonen, but if Raquel was right, she’d be walking into a trap.
“I’m going to contact the TSS and let them know we’ve heard from Arvonen,” Skyler said, heading for the door.
“I wouldn’t put too much credit on what that woman says.”
“You don’t trust her, but she might be telling the truth.” Skyler rolled her eyes to the ceiling. For the first time, Iza realized she might be ready to break. The sight of Joe in that machine had turned her stomach. No doubt his older sister had a similar reaction.
“That’s right. Go to the flight deck and tell Braedon to start cracking the code on that message. He might be able to do a back trace since it originated on one of his father’s ships.”
“You’re going track down Joe, anyway?” Skyler asked.
“Of course.”
“Even though it might be a trap?”
“It most certainly is a trap, and yes. As you said, Joe is a part of this family and we don’t leave family behind.”,
Skyler nodded and turned to open the door just as someone knocked on the other side.
“CACI, close messages,” Iza instructed.
The door opened, and she saw Trix standing there. Skyler moved passed her and the door closed behind her as Trix stepped in.
“I deduced that an encoded message might have distressed you.”
“You were right, it seems.”
“Your blood pressure is elevated and your breathing irregular. The encrypted message held bad news.”
“Excellent deduction. So what? You didn’t need my biometrics to know that.”
“No, but it does indicate that your emotional health is still out of alignment..”
Iza shook her head. “I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about it.”
Trix tilted her head waiting for Iza to continue.
“Raquel sent the message to tell me that Arvonen is torturing Joe.”
“His life is in imminent danger?”
“I don’t trust Raquel. She’s an excellent actress, fit for the Sensationals. I should know. But, my cousin, Jaidyn, is also missing. Reagan thinks the aliens took him. But Raquel swears he’s also on board the Arvonen One.”
Trix tilted her head. “You do not believe her?”
“I don’t know who to believe anymore. I saw what the Gatekeepers can do. However, I don’t think they would take him; they’d just strike him down the way they did Reagan. They don’t seem to have any regard for life. Arvonen, on the other hand, is different. He’s the only one obsessed with the spheres enough to put everyone I know in danger. Besides that, if Raquel is right in her research, my cousin and I are the only ones who can pass through the Gates. It’s a strong motivation for keeping my cousin alive. But, even she didn’t know what Arvonen wants with Joe.”
“What are you going to do?”
Wasn’t that the million-credit question? Iza sat back down on th
e bed and tucked her feet up under her. She needed to think. There weren’t many options, but there was one action she knew in her heart she’d need to take, though she didn’t want to do it alone. If Joe were here, he’d know exactly what to say and do to get me fired up. I’m not sure I can live in a universe where he doesn’t exist.
Iza answered the question with more conviction than she was feeling. “I’m going to figure out a way to get Joe and my cousin without getting myself and everyone else killed.”
“It will be a dangerous venture with little probability of success.”
“True.”
“Are you afraid?” Trix asked.
It was the first time she hadn’t used Iza’s biometrics to surmise her emotional state. Iza was probably more afraid than she’d ever been on her own. Iza fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
“Yeah, I’m scared. Scared of losing Joe forever. Scared of what information about my family died with my aunt. I’m scared my father and uncle might be alive somewhere. I’m scared of what I’ll have to tell my cousin if I find him.”
Iza kept her cousin’s necklace in her jacket that hung from a hook beside the door. She couldn’t stop her eyes from filling as she remembered the look on Reagan’s face as she’d pressed the necklace into her hands. Then, again, the horror on her face just before her death. Iza rolled to one side so she could look at Trix. From where she lay, she could see the duffle on the floor near her nightstand. She couldn’t imagine having the courage to go through his things.
“I never wanted a family. I only wanted my freedom. Now, I’d trade the little bit of independence I have for what’s left of the little family I’ve got.”
Trix nodded as if she understood.
“You were always independent. Even as a small child.”
On the Run (Verity Chronicles Book 3): A Cadicle Space Opera Adventure Page 19