Capital Games (Audacity Saga Book 2)

by R. K. Thorne

  “We did.” Kael broke away first, meeting Persad’s gaze with a curt nod. “Adan did. This way.”

  “Having your own personal hacker comes in handy, I guess,” Persad muttered as she followed.

  “You have no idea.” Ellen had to smile a little at that. If Persad thought one was good, she should try two.

  They crowded into the bedroom as Kael ran them through a quick recap of all they’d found. Josana even hung in the doorway, although Ellen suspected it was more out of boredom with the kitchen than interest in the young man’s welfare.

  “Why would Vivaan be searching for these people?” Persad was shaking her head.

  “You know as much as we do.” Adan shrugged.

  “He never spoke of this to you?” Ellen bent closer, trying to study their faces.

  “Never. I’m… I never expected anything like this.”

  “What did you expect?” said Kael from beside her.

  “Something to do with my research. Some kind of extortion or something. I don’t even know what to make of this. Is he… stalking them?”

  Jenny sat one hip on the edge of the desk. “Looks more like he was trying to help. We don’t even know if he ever met any of them.”

  “But then, how did he get this information?”

  Adan was glaring at a tablet in one hand and stabbing it with a finger with the other. “I’m trying to figure that out, ma’am, but that may take a while.”

  “What exactly are you researching, Doctor?” Ellen said softly. “Something worth kidnapping your son for, I take it?”

  Persad pressed her lips together in annoyance. “I’d rather not say, but we’re likely far beyond secrecy at this point.” She sighed. “It might be considered dangerous to some. It didn’t start out that way for me.”

  “We’re going to need a few more details than that.” Ellen gave her a moment before urging her on. “Patron Simmons already told me it has something to do with telepathy. A drug, he thought.”

  “Fine, fine.” She glanced at Jenny. “Ah. So you’re not really looking for anything from me.”

  “No.” Jenny crossed her arms. “Well, not for my climbing career anyway.”

  Persad raised her eyebrows.

  Way to let the cat out of the bag, Jen. Ellen’s turn to sigh. “We are hoping your research might help us.”

  “Is that so.”

  “But we’re going to help you either way,” she hastened to add.

  A tight silence stretched on for a few seconds, then more.

  “We can help you find Vivaan,” Kael said. “That’s what matters right now. But we need to know everything we can.”

  Persad gave him a long, hard look. “Implants.”

  “What—” Kael looked a little freaked out.

  “Telepathy-blocking implants,” she amended, keeping her eyes locked on Kael. “Chips are the prototypes actually, although I may have to expand to larger subdermal units. That’s my area of research. Not drugs. I couldn’t find a way to do it biochemically, noninvasively, although I tried. You need more of an electrical field than that. But they can interoperate with power armor and some popular existing implantation network infrastructures like yours.”

  Kael slowly raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t think it was that obvious.”

  “This whole ordeal has… heightened my powers of observation, let’s say. Can’t be too careful.”

  “No, indeed you can’t.” Kael frowned, thoughtful.

  “So—who would object to telepathy-blocking augmentation?” Jenny asked.

  “Enhancers, for one,” Ellen said quickly. And her good old friend Arakovic.

  Persad nodded. “That’d be the biggest group. There’re also a few Puritan fringe groups who are so dogmatic they believe Naturals should be given free rein to do what they will. Most of them are cults, dominating domes and moons in the outsystems, but they do exist. But beyond that, it would be useful for any group to get an advantage over another. Both Union and Puritan military officials have come courting in the past. They each have their own—failed—research programs.”

  “They’ve approached you in a Foundation building?” Adan didn’t look up from his work on the tablet.

  “Well, it’s not like we advertise that’s who owns it. But no. It was before I met Catherine Simmons and accepted Foundation funding. And site security.”

  “So they definitely are aware of your work,” Ellen said.

  “Well, yes. But many of them didn’t think I could do it.”

  “And have you?” Adan smiled slightly, without looking up.

  “Three weeks ago I completed my third successful test, this time with a powerful Natural. It works.” Excitement in her eyes flashed for a moment before falling into worry again. “Hence my panic over Vivaan. But I hadn’t heard anything until this morning, except for the message I showed you. And they didn’t mention him and they still haven’t sent any coordinates. Unless it was just some kind of tactic to distract me before they smashed in the windows?”

  Ellen shrugged. “It’s possible. This Natural—who was it? Someone you can trust?”

  “A friend of Ostrov’s. Etrianala Kentt. Runs a local wine garden, what’s it called…” She snapped her fingers.

  “The Elderflower Club?” Kael said slowly.

  “That’s it! How did you know?”

  Ellen ran a hand over her face. “I think I know where we’re headed first.”

  “Do we really want to walk in there with our heads full of secrets to face a powerful telepath?” Adan looked up from the tablet for the first time.

  Ellen looked at Persad. “No, you’re right, we don’t. Interested in a few more guinea pigs, Doctor?”

  Persad raised one brow. “I am. But you can’t just waltz in there in power armor.”

  Jenny nodded. “It’s prestigious. You’ll need an invite. And before you ask, no—I never ran in those circles.”

  All eyes slowly turned to Josana.

  She tilted her head. A smile slowly grew on her face like a cat who’d just caught some very nice prey. “Well, well. I did.”

  Persad stepped closer, all five feet of her suddenly threatening. “You will help. Won’t you.”

  The corner of Josana’s mouth ticked up. “I’ve got a price.”

  “What?” Ellen’s voice was all but a growl.

  “I get to decide what you wear.”

  Ellen rolled her eyes.

  “It’s that or no deal. You go on my reputation, I won’t have you ruining it.”

  “No, we can ruin it from up close just fine,” Kael muttered.

  “Fine.” Ellen waved it off. “We’ll go tonight. After we get rid of Ostrov.”

  Persad looked distressed. “What if I can’t get you outfitted that fast? They’re prototypes. If they don’t work reliably—”

  “Go get started. We have to pursue every lead we have as soon as we can. See how far you get. If you can’t get done—then tomorrow.” And she stared hard at Josana. “And you—go get whatever you need to.”

  “Got credits?”

  “Take Jenny.”

  “Commander!” They both simultaneously objected.

  Ellen rolled her eyes. “Can’t you order on the holo or something? So you don’t have to be seen together, heaven forbid?”

  Josana sighed. “I suppose that will work. I need the two of you out of that power armor though.”

  Kael balked. “Why the hell do you need that?” Ellen stifled a smirk at Kael’s alarmed tone.

  “Sizes. Obviously.”

  “Get it from Xi,” Ellen said quickly. “Jenny can get her on the comm. Xi knows better than any measurement you’d do.”

  “Fine.” The girl had the gall to look disappointed. “What time is your hot date, Commander?” Her eyes twinkled with malice.

  “Seven.” She preferred to think of it as an interrogation.

  “All right. I’ll be ready by eight then.”

  “So… you live with your mother?” Ellen quirked an eye
brow at the view screen.

  Doug chuckled, but he didn’t even have the decency to be embarrassed. Today in questionable fashion choices was a green shirt festooned with fancy cocktail glasses in gold, orange, and red, umbrellas tilting out the sides and all. “I’d have told you if you asked, Commander. My dad too, in fact.”

  “Where exactly?”

  “Not over the net. But it’s in the ship’s databanks, if you ever need to know. You know, in an emergency.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Is there a reason I should be worried about that, Simmons?”

  “Nah.” He smiled, but she caught an edge of nerves in his tone.

  “Are your parents Foundation people too?”

  “Foundation council. Founder sort.”

  “Well, look at you, following in their footsteps.”

  He shrugged. “Not really. Mom’s a chemist. Dad’s a zoologist. They were horrified I wasn’t into physical sciences.”

  “Well, at least you have parents to disapprove.” She smiled, said it cheerfully, but his eyes widened in horror.

  “Oh my God, sorry.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” She shook her head. “See? This is what happens when I try to chat.”

  “It’s fine, really. Awkwardness is fine. You’re a child prodigy, I’m a computer geek. The fact that we have moments that aren’t awkward is what’s amazing.”

  “Thanks for that little reminder. While we’re getting all personal—do you live on the beach or something? Are you here on Capital, actually? Cause I have to go on this date with Ostrov to try to get information out of him and I can’t take Kael because he’ll stare daggers the whole time, and Adan’s busy with the mission, and Jenny has to help Josana buy us new outfits, and it’d really be nice to have someone to deflect that asshole right now.” Her eyes widened at the deluge that had just come out. “Um… maybe I should stop chatting for a bit.”

  It was his turn to chuckle. “Sorry, yes to the beach, but no to Capital. Do I look like a Capital type to you?”

  “Hardly.” His shirts were basically the antithesis of culture and fine fashion.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He raised his mug in a toast. The cat in a hula skirt greeted her today. “But what’s this about a date?”

  “Oh, yeah.” She sighed. “I called to brief you. I haven’t approached Persad specifically about joining us yet, but she has told us about her work and agreed to share. You see, Persad’s trouble is a certain… loved one has gone missing, so we’re going to do some asking around.”

  “Loved one?”

  “She has a son.”

  “Great, more men for my all-female ship.”

  “That’s counting your chickens before we can even find them at this point. She hasn’t been friendly so I’m not extremely optimistic she’ll come along. But I’m doing my best.”

  “Is that who the date is with?”

  “Uh… no. Getting to it. So to look for the son, Josana is trying to get us into a nightclub that was one of the last places her son is recorded as visiting.”

  “Sounds like you’re plenty busy. You should swing by that Enhancer High Command address too while you’re on Capital, take a look.”

  “Will do, once we know more about the kid.” Or they hit a dead end. “Another thing. So this date. One of her colleagues, a certain Crispin Ostrov, keeps hanging around. He recognized me. Or looked me up and wouldn’t admit it. He’s suspicious as hell, trying to get me to play strategy games with him. I’m going to extract some information while I cream him.” She widened her eyes. She didn’t usually get this open or honest—or confident—with people. But well, she kind of hoped that someone like Doug would understand. Or at least not judge her.

  And indeed he chuckled. “Wish I could see that.”

  “Well, I’ll be wearing my armor, so there’s always the cam footage.”

  “I’ll stay tuned. If it doesn’t get deleted.” He rolled his eyes. “No closer to any clues on my end on that, by the way.”

  She almost pointed out that her gut was beginning to zero in on one person—Merith—but then what if she broke into this video too? She needed harder proof before she could act.

  “I notice you’re not claiming ‘I wouldn’t spy on you.’ ”

  “I’m not going to lie. You’re too smart for that. I’d totally spy on you. But only benevolently. And maybe out of boredom.”

  “Doug!”

  “And if there are no movies on the vid screen?”

  “You have no shame.”

  He snorted. “Kidding. I do live on a beach. I have other things to do.”

  “Like hot bikini-clad women?”

  His eyes widened now. “What’s gotten into you, Commander?”

  “If I’m supposed to call you Doug, you should probably call me Ellen. And I don’t know. I’m trying here.”

  “But ‘Commander’ has such a ring to it. And no, I don’t wear swimsuits made of money, so bikini-clad women don’t give me the time of day.”

  That truly did surprise her, though. Aside from his taste in kitsch, he was plenty handsome. And funny too. And kind. He had to check a lot of boxes for a lot of women. “Did you offer them a spaceship? That got my attention.”

  He giggled. “No. Good idea, I’ll try that. Are you flirting with me, Ellen? I thought your heart belonged to a certain former Theroki.”

  Her face fell, and his mirrored hers in a millisecond, instantly painted with regret.

  “What? Sorry. Did something go wrong?”

  “No, not exactly.” Was she really going to talk about this with Simmons? “I, uh, it does. Still belong to him, that is.” He just doesn’t know it. “But it’s a little more complicated and messy than that.”

  “Well, if anyone can solve that puzzle, it’s you.”

  “I wish I had your confidence in me on that problem.”

  “Maybe confidence is your problem?” He tilted his head, a strange, sympathetic expression she’d never seen before on his face.

  “Maybe.” She gazed at him for a long moment, then shook her head, shaking off the moment. “That’s not the mission. I’ll figure it out. When this is all over.” She’d find some way to make all this nonsense up to Kael. Could she justify more than one set of astronomically expensive armor?

  “I’m certain that you will. But if you’re off on dates with this Ostrov, I hope he’s ugly, or you know…” He raised an eyebrow.

  She hung her head. “He’s tragically not. Just an asshole.”

  “Then you may have to deal with it sooner rather than later.”

  Her jaw tightened. “Good point.”

  “All right—keep me updated. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Over and out.” With a grin, he hit the button and his face disappeared.

  Next she dialed up Nova. Her orange bob was bright enough to burn the screen as she appeared.

  “What’s up, Commander?” She smiled, lolling back in a chair. Fern’s chair, actually. A jungle of ferns and shiny leafed plants filled the room behind her, with two red-suited legs sticking out from a bunk. Presumably Fern.

  “Mission is evolving. I’m going to need a little backup down here from you and Mo, okay?”

  “Of course, Commander.”

  “Sorry to tear you away from your R&R.”

  “I already learned two new songs and cleaned my weapons three times over. Got nothing else to do.” Although she did glance over her shoulder at the bunk.

  “About that. We’ve got to visit some bar tonight or something.”

  Nova cracked her gum as she propped her hands on her hips. “If you’re looking for advice on what to wear, jagiya, you’re asking the wrong person.”

  “Oh I know. But no. Josana’s getting us into the place and demanded full creative control.”

  Nova’s mouth fell open, and even Fern sat forward on the bunk.

  “And you gave it to her?” Nova exclaimed.

  Ellen shrugged. “Didn’t have much
choice.”

  Fern looked at Nova. “If you’re going down there, I want pictures.”

  Ellen snorted. “Well, you are coming down here. And you’re bringing me some weapons that I can conceal under… whatever Josana picks out. So imagine your basic worst case scenario.”

  Fern covered her mouth, trying to conceal a laugh.

  Nova jawed her gum and grinned. “Like a bikini or something?”

  “Oh my God.” Ellen slapped a hand to her face.

  “You want firearms or just blades or… ?”

  “Grab an assortment. I have my laserblade but that’s it.”

  “Sure, I’ll take care of it. And I’ll get Mo. Give us an hour or two.”

  “Xi has our location. Oh, and bring some weapons for Kael too.”

  Nova’s eyes widened as she nodded. Fern’s eyes glowed with amusement, more delighted by the second. Ellen shook her head.

  “It should only be for a day or two. I hope.”

  Nova leaned forward, ready to hit the sign-off button and go. “Anything else?”

  “Nope.”

  “See you soon.”

  Now to the next item on her list. Dremer’s face appeared on-screen, her lab full of silvery clutter behind her. Ellen didn’t waste any time beating around the bush.

  “I’m getting a temporary chip over here.”

  Dremer raised her eyebrows. “I assume I don’t have to tell you I’m concerned.”

  “Trust me, so am I. Pretty sure Persad doesn’t trust us enough yet to send you all her work so far though. But the tech is useful.”

  Dremer’s eyebrows raised as she processed what Ellen was implying. “Ah. I see. But you’ll be connecting to your suit?”

  “Not most of the time, actually. But I think there will be a window.”

  “Xi, can we transmit an encrypted copy of the basic chip programming if she can connect to the suit?”

  “This depends on how long she is able to connect via suit to the ship and the size of the chip software, but most likely yes. We have excellent encryption.”

  Dremer tilted her head. “You get it here, I’ll take a look for anything dangerous.”

  “Will do.”

  Dremer grinned. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”