Breakeven

by Michelle Diener

  “Just the way you came in, and I think from the second floor.” The woman's gaze flicked over her, noted the outrageous outfit, and then moved on.

  “Well, damn.” Dee stood for a moment to get over her disappointment. She was not near an exit.

  She steeled herself to go back out, pushing the door only partway open and edging through cautiously, her gaze on what she could see of the entrances on the other side of the room.

  There were a few men and women in black uniforms flanking the doors.

  She looked up, and while there were guards above on the balcony, she could only see the one pair. She could always come back down if it didn't work out.

  She worked her way along the wall to the stairs, and then hesitated when she saw how few people were above.

  She'd stand out up there, if anyone happened to look up, but it might also mean there would be less trouble making it to an exit.

  Just look like you know where you're going, what you're doing.

  Finkle, the head of Leo's security, had drummed it into her when she'd first joined the company. It was the best strategy she had right now.

  She centered herself, blew out a breath, and sauntered up the stairs, keeping her gaze raised as she climbed. None of the people chatting quietly in small groups as they leaned against the balustrades turned in her direction or seemed to notice her, and as she reached the top, she felt a little easing off of the tension that had gripped her.

  She guessed the exits were on the same side as the doors she'd used to get into the function, so she started strolling toward it.

  “Ah, there you are. I'm glad you came straight up.”

  Dee carried on walking, but looked over her shoulder, letting her hair fall across her lower face.

  A man dressed in a black suit, not a guard uniform, had stepped out from one of the two corridors she'd seen that led deeper into the building, and he wasn't even looking at her, his head was down as he tapped something on a screen.

  “I've let your father know you're here.”

  Her throat tightened and she turned back, kept walking.

  “Rina. No games.” The man's voice was exasperated. “Enough of pissing your father off. He's lost patience.”

  She risked another look back, saw he'd turned, was walking away, sure she would come to heel.

  That would be a no.

  She broke into a light jog, aware that the dress wasn't designed for anything even slightly strenuous. Bits were slipping their moorings, and she had to ignore it.

  She made it across the landing, her hand closed around the door handle, and she pulled it toward herself.

  A wall of three guards stood in front of her, blocking her way.

  She considered them for a moment.

  At this point, she did not have anything to lose.

  One of them flicked something at her, and a thin, glowing blue cord wound around her wrist.

  It tightened, suddenly painful, burning her like acid.

  Electric shackles.

  She'd heard about them. Never seen them. Never knew they hurt so much.

  The pain seemed to freeze her in place.

  “Thank you. I'll take it from here.” The man in the black suit leaned past her, hand out, and the guard handed him the end of the shackle.

  “If you can't come when you're asked nicely,” Black Suit said into her ear, still standing behind her, “you force me to not be nice.” He made a tsking sound with his tongue, leaned a little closer, and moved the strap over her left shoulder, so it covered her breast a little more modestly.

  Her neck was stiff, her body in a sort of rigor, but if she could, she would have turned and snarled at him.

  He walked away, towing her, and she was forced to follow, her feet stumbling.

  He was so sure she was Rina, he hadn't looked closely at her, preferring to treat her with dismissive contempt.

  That surely couldn't last too much longer.

  On her right shoulder, Fluffy chittered quietly into her ear, and Dee realized she'd forgotten the talu was even there. Her brain only had room to deal with the pain.

  It didn't even seem to originate at her wrist, it gripped her whole body, vibrating her bones, scraping her nerve endings.

  She stumbled as Black Suit seemed to speed up a little, and she caught sight of a man walking up the same staircase she'd used earlier.

  His eyes widened at the sight of her, and she nearly fell as she saw it was Sebastian dressed in Cores exec formalwear.

  “Too fast for you?” Black Suit barely glanced back. “That would be a first, wouldn't it, Rina?”

  She could only guess Rina Fattal had humiliated this man, given the glee he seemed to feel at her entrapment and powerlessness.

  He stopped beside a door, touched the little box that the electric shackle was attached to, and while her body shuddered at the relief of being released, he opened the door and shoved her inside, closing it behind her.

  She sensed he hadn't stepped into the room with her, but she couldn't turn to look, and didn't care enough as she gasped for breath.

  She staggered back, fetched up against the wall, and bent over, lowering her head as she tried to get herself back under control.

  She didn't know how long it took, but she finally felt calm enough to look up.

  She had to do it carefully and slowly, because Fluffy had been forced to scrabble onto her upper back when she'd bent over, and she felt her claws grip the elastic straps of her dress as she clambered back onto her shoulder.

  She was in a large room with couches and a low table to one side. It was decorated with an abundance of plants, and there was a desk set beside a pair of double doors.

  No one sat there, but she guessed an administrative assistant or some kind of office manager usually occupied the spot.

  She had no doubt Hanran Fattal's office was on the other side of the double doors.

  She also had no doubt that Black Suit was standing in the corridor blocking her exit, electric shackles at the ready.

  Sebastian was out there, too.

  The longer she stayed in this room, the longer he had to find a way to help her. She had nothing to lose by waiting it out.

  She forced herself to walk toward the couches, and sank down onto one.

  She'd thought Sebastian would have taken off as soon as he'd shaken off the laz hit, but he was here, blending in.

  He'd come back for her.

  It was what she'd expect from her team on Garmen. Every single one of them had her back, and she had theirs, but Sebastian had bigger problems, and her safety had to rank right at the bottom of his list.

  Fluffy leapt from her shoulder into her lap, and she stroked her, scratching under her chin and behind her ears.

  A faint sound caught her attention, and she realized it was an electronic beep coming from the desk.

  A comm station.

  She rose up and moved to the desk, set Fluffy down on it, and realized as she drew the screen toward her that her hands were shaking.

  She entered the code to hail Gaudier Transport, tapping the table with a finger nail as she waited for the interplanetary comms to connect.

  The door behind her opened, and she froze, head whipping around to look.

  A man was just visible, hand on the handle, his body angled back into the room beyond.

  “You are putting us all at risk, Hanran.” As he spoke, his hand tightened on the handle in a white-knuckled grip.

  “The Verdant String has chosen to pull back. Either we take this opportunity the Caruso are offering us, or we fade away to obscurity. How long do you think the gen-pop will let us starve them out when we can't afford to pay the guards anymore? When it becomes clear we're on our own?” The man who answered, Dee assumed it was Hanran Fattal, spoke calmly in the face of his colleague's agitation.

  “That's the only reason any of us are considering it at all. But there's still a chance we can make things right again with the VSC. We haven't tried every avenue.” The ma
n opened the door a little wider, but he was still turned away from her, looking into the room.

  “The Caruso are standing by, Nasta. They're not going to be patient for too much longer. Either we give them the signal that we want to do business, or they'll go look for opportunities elsewhere. Don't forget, the same deal is on the table for Garmen. They could get the jump on us with this.”

  “What worries me is that they'll get impatient, but they won't move on, they'll just take over. They're not known for accepting the answer 'no'.” Nasta released the door handle, took a step backward, so he was almost touching her.

  Dee could hear the scrape of a chair, as Hanran Fattal presumably got up from his desk.

  “We've got a backup plan for that.”

  “Really?” Noam snorted. “We're really saying that if the Caruso break their word, we'll go running straight to Bodivas for help? How do you think that'll work out?”

  “Bodivas may not like us.” She could almost hear the shrug in Hanran's voice. “But they'll like the idea of a Caruso base right in their backyard even less.”

  “What's to say Bodivas won't humor us any longer. What's to say they won't decide to make us a vassal?”

  “Well, which is it, Nasta? Are you afraid of the Caruso, or are you afraid of the Bodivas?” There was a hint of contempt in Hanran Fattal's tone.

  “I'm unhappy we're even in this situation. Whatever you involved us in, that thing on Cepi and the shitshow on Parn, has left us with no good choices as far as I'm concerned.”

  “I wasn't the only one involved in that decision.” Hanran Fattal was almost directly in front of Nasta, now. Dee could just see one of his arms.

  “No. But you sold it to us. And let's face it, it's been an absolute disaster.”

  “Everyone had the same information I did. Everyone chose to get involved. Do I regret our participation? Yes. But I find it very self-serving that you're suddenly pointing the finger at me, as if we didn't all have equal votes.”

  Nasta took a deep breath. “You're right. We do have equal votes, and we'll be considering our options a lot more carefully this time, to avoid finding ourself in a situation where there's no good outcome.”

  “Don't take too long, or we could find ourselves with no allies at all.” Hanran stepped closer, and Dee spun on the chair, hunching over the comm unit, so her hair fell around her face.

  “We've got until the end of the week, and we'll take it.” Nasta turned and took a step into the room, and Dee sensed him check his step as he noticed her, and then moved past, ignoring her as he strode out of the room.

  “There you are.”

  Dee waited for the door to close behind Nasta, enjoying the flash of surprise on Black Suit's face as he realized Hanran Fattal had been in a meeting.

  “You wanted to talk to me?” She spoke as if her throat was hoarse.

  “You know damn well I do. It was supposed to be a there and back, Rina, but you took your damn time. And then I got word the resistance was going to try and kidnap you, so I had to take steps.”

  Now that was something Sebastian would like to know.

  Someone had shared the resistance's plans for Rina Fattal with the Cores. There was a traitor.

  “Steps.” She said the word sarcastically. “You sicced the Caruso on me.”

  “You're lucky they're indulging me at the moment, because they know I'm the one pushing their cause here. Otherwise, they wouldn't give me the time of day.”

  “Lucky me.” She kept her voice dry.

  “Where's Voy?”

  She was silent, wondering who Voy could be. “Your goons wouldn't let him come in with me.”

  “What's wrong with your voice?” His hand came down on her shoulder and he turned her in the chair.

  She stood, pushing at him, and he was so surprised he stepped back, giving her room to escape and move to the other side of the desk.

  She saw the slow change on his face, from irritation to suspicion.

  “You're not my daughter.”

  “No.” She forced her hands still, and studied the top Cores exec.

  He had that dead, pitiless look in his eyes she'd seen before, both on the faces of the opportunist criminals who preyed on the people of Tether Town, the city at the foot of Felicitos, and on the faces of the Cores execs who stole from the same people in a less violent way, but on a far grander scale.

  She hated that look.

  “Well, who are you, then?” The snap in his voice had her tensing her muscles.

  “It doesn't matter. I was mistaken for your daughter on Garmen and brought here against my will. I've been trying to escape ever since.”

  “And where is my daughter?” He sounded a little panicked. A little angry. “And her bodyguard, Voy?”

  She didn't like Hanran Fattal, but she didn't want to have to tell him she thought his daughter was dead. And Voy along with her.

  “I can only imagine she's still on Garmen.”

  “If she was still on Garmen, I would have heard from her. Rina is nothing if not quick to bleat for help when she's inconvenienced. And Voy would make sure to get in touch.”

  Dee rubbed her palms against her thighs. “Things were . . . chaotic . . . when I left. It is likely they can't contact you.”

  He tilted his head. “Chaotic?”

  Could he really not know? Or was he bluffing?

  “The Caruso tried to take Felicitos. The Cores fought back, and then Arkhoran Special Forces arrived and took control.”

  He was silent for a long beat. “I don't like liars.”

  She didn't know how to read him. The dead eyes gave nothing away.

  “I'm not lying. Contact the Garmen Cores. Ask someone who's still alive what's going on there.”

  He stared at her, as the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. This man was unpredictable, and she couldn't get a sense of him.

  He didn't want to believe her. That was obvious.

  Fluffy made a chirping sound and she bent to scoop her up.

  “You have the talu?” For a moment, the dead eyes held a spark of life.

  “She was in your daughter's suite on the cruiser.”

  His eyes narrowed, she guessed because it was so difficult to make Fluffy out. “At least she did her damn job. Give it to me.” He held out a hand.

  Dee stroked Fluffy's head. “No.”

  Hanran Fattal took a step closer and touched something on the lapel of his jacket. “Gorshra, step into my office.”

  Dee turned as the door opened to reveal Black Suit.

  As Black Suit swung the door wide, his gaze flicking between her and Fattal, Sebastian loomed behind him and struck him in the neck with the blade of his hand.

  Black Suit stumbled, his hand going to his throat as he tried to breathe, and Sebastian shoved him hard, so he fell forward, arms flailing, making Hanran Fattal jump back.

  Sebastian kicked Gorshra as he hit the floor to roll him clear of the door, and then pulled it closed behind him.

  For a single moment, everyone was still and silent.

  Dee's gaze flicked to Sebastian, but he was focused on Hanran Fattal and she turned her head to see.

  The Cores exec was holding a laz in his hand.

  “Gorshra, get up. Take the talu.” Hanran's hand shook a little. “You get back.” He waved the laz at Sebastian, who raised both hands, and shuffled back a little. He'd said nothing since he'd come at Gorshra like a shadow prowler, the feared predator of the mountains where she'd grown up.

  She took a step away from Gorshra.

  “You stay still.” Hanran swung the laz in her direction.

  Gorshra groaned as he struggled to his feet, but as soon as he was standing, he lunged for her, hands like claws, groping wildly for where he guessed Fluffy was.

  Dee flinched, tried to step to the side, but Gorshra must have grabbed onto some of Fluffy's fur. He lifted a fisted hand, and she heard the talu screech in fury.

  Fluffy writhed wildly in his grip and Gorshra made a so
und of pain. He flung her away from him, tossing her at Hanran Fattal, and the talu twisted in the air before colliding with the Cores exec, lunging at Hanran's face.

  He raised his hands, batting her off him.

  It was hard to make her out, but Dee saw her land hard on the desk. She gave a keening cry, and Dee scooped her up again.

  It had taken five seconds, maybe less, but as she tucked Fluffy protectively under her arm, Gorshra collapsed, his whole body shaking, and his feet began drumming on the ground.

  He was making a strange, choking sound, and when Dee took a step to the side, she saw foam on his lips.

  “You didn't milk it?” Hanran Fattal's face was white, and he stumbled back, lifting up his thumb to stare at it. It was bleeding. He fumbled for his lapel again. “Help. I need help.”

  Then he sat down suddenly on the ground, and started to laugh, a mad, hysterical sound that disturbed her to the core.

  He started to rock from side to side.

  “You know what's going on?” She all but whispered it to Sebastian.

  He'd stepped forward and was crouched down beside Gorshra, who had stopped moving, and pulled out the electrified shackle and the laz from the small of his back. “No.” He put a hand to Gorshra's neck. “He's dead.”

  He rose up, pocketing the two items, his gaze on Hanran Fattal, now giggling strangely to himself. “We have to go.” He grabbed Fattal's laz, and then made for the door.

  She followed. There was no doubt if Hanran Fattal had managed to thumb on his comm unit, there would be guards on the way.

  They stepped out, looking both ways, and then started down the passageway.

  “You should leave the talu here.” Sebastian kept his voice low.

  “She only bit them because they hurt her.” She thought about Gorshra. Dead in less than five seconds. Whatever venom must be in Fluffy's bite, it was not as strong for the second dose because Hanran looked as if he would live.

  They came to the deep balcony, but no one was coming up the stairs from the function room below. The few people who had been up here earlier were also gone.

  She hooked her arm through Sebastian's and slowed her step, forcing him to do the same.

  They walked toward the door she'd been caught at earlier, as if enjoying the evening.