Three of the four prisoners were awake, but still appeared dazed and out of it as they lay on their beds. Grayson was more concerned with Kylie; still unconscious from the effects of the nanonet and its nueral attack. It’d be a few hours before she woke. When she did, she’d be pissed and ready to fight.
Grayson didn’t particularly think so.
Grayson scowled but didn’t argue further. Arguing with an AI never amounted to much other than a headache. Grayson had no proof that Jerrod did it on purpose, but sometimes he wondered if synthetic mind that he shared his head with could be spiteful.
The truth was, Jerrod was right. Grayson loved sparring with Kylie, and it looked like they were about to go another round. Too bad it was under these circumstances; he certainly missed the soft lines of her stubborn face.
What a future Kylie could’ve had—if she hadn’t thrown it away.
The Imperial Dawn’s captain entered the privateer’s bridge. “Call came in from General Samuel. He wants you to report immediately with the prisoners and their ship to the Trio System.”
Grayson nodded. “Then let’s not waste another moment here.” The sooner they got to Trio, the sooner he could get off this freighter.
The captain nodded in agreement, probably also counting the minutes until he could get rid of Grayson—and his unwanted oversight. Even freighters on the up and up didn’t like having an Alliance liaison onboard. Grayson could appreciate that, but he had a job to do. “I’ll be in your ready room. Let me know the moment the captain of the Dauntless awakes.”
“Yes, Colonel.” The captain sighed. Grayson saw him roll his eyes and couldn’t help a slight smile.
If he didn’t enjoy his work, then what was the point of it all? It wasn’t as though he had much else.
CAPTIVE
STELLAR DATE: 08.24.8947 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Privateer ship Imperial Dawn
REGION: Interstellar Dark Layer, Silstrand Alliance
Pain thundered behind Kylie’s eyes as she regained consciousness. She groaned and rolled over before pushing up into a sitting position. Her vision spun, and she grabbed the metal bedframe to stabilize herself. When her vision snapped back into place, the first thing that resolved into any amount of clarity were the soft, gray tiles on the floor.
The room was small, nothing more than a three-meter-square prison cell. Steel walls, a small silver toilet in the corner, it all pointed to Kylie being onboard a vessel—and being in the brig.
How did she get here in the first place? She couldn’t remember much from what happened on the Titan-1. Then she recalled falling unconscious with a woman standing over her in a shimmersuit. The kind that masked your movements and heat signatures—military-grade.
It had to be the SSF. Kylie always said the only way she’d come back was to be dragged kicking and screaming.
When the nano field hit her, Kylie clearly remembered the woman’s face. She must have wanted Kylie to know she was beaten from the grin she wore. Kylie got that message loud and clear.
Anyone using a shimmersuit and a nanonet was a cheater. Plain and simple.
Kylie rubbed her temple.
Her thoughts never left her head. They bounced around like it was nobody’s business. Kylie grunted, the pain behind her eyes intensifying under pressure.
“We had to block your Link, for now, to make sure you didn’t plan a coup.”
That voice…it was one Kylie hadn’t heard in a long time, and her heart skipped a beat with surprise. She looked up, past the shimmering grav field across her open cell door. On the other side stood Grayson—in his Silstrand Alliance uniform, clearly here on business. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he stared at her like she was a test subject on display.
Grayson’s trim physique was tight, his jaw line sexy as ever, but his blue eyes held only judgment. Kylie shook her head. “Here I thought you were going to leave me alone.”
“We have, haven’t we? Near a decade.”
One year greater than that, but still. “Yet,” Kylie whispered, “here we are.”
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist that freighter, but part of me wishes you had.”
“And miss out on you taking the higher ground? The noble stance? What fun would that be?”
Grayson didn’t even flinch. “I didn’t come here to fight, funny as that might sound.”
Kylie leaned back against the wall and crossed her legs on the bed. “Then why bother coming at all?”
“To make sure the effects of the nanonet were wearing off.”
He could’ve done that through a holodisplay or a security vid—the room probably had vitals monitoring, too. Clearly, he didn’t need to do that himself, especially now that he had gold oak leaves on his collar. “Full-bird colonel now, isn’t that impressive?”
“Funny, you don’t actually sound impressed.”
Kylie smirked. “Next time I’ll bring balloon animals, okay?”
Grayson chuckled. “You haven’t lost your spunk. Little wonder you were never a good fit for the SSF.”
No, but Kylie had tried. She really wanted to fit in with them and be the best damn space pilot anyone had ever seen. Young girls and their dreams. She shrugged and gazed away. “My ship? My crew? Winter?”
“Everyone’s all right. Came quietly, which surprised me. Your ship on the other hand….”
Her heartbeat rose sharply, and Kylie leaned forward. “What the hell did you do to my ship, Grayson?”
“The Dauntless came at us hard. We were forced to take out one of the engines. She’s repairable, I know what she must means to you.”
The same thing any ship meant to its captain, not that Grayson would understand a lick about that. A ruined engine would cost more money to fix than Kylie had—probably would have for some time. Of course, being locked up made that point kind of moot.
“Where’s my crew? You break them, too?”
“Don’t worry. I have them stewing in their own juices, but no harm has come to them.”
Kylie shook her head. “Go easy on them. They’re gentle.”
Grayson smirked. “I won’t hurt your crew. They’re not what I’m after.”
“Then what are you after?”
“You,” Grayson said, and Kylie got the distinct impression he was playing with her. After all this time, nothing had really changed between them. She hung her head and studied her knuckles as she considered her next move. “I want to see them. I’m not going to take the word of the Alliance that they’re all right.”
“What about my word?”
Kylie licked her lips. “Like I said, I don’t trust the Alliance. And you’re all Alliance.”
Grayson usually played things close to the chest, and Kylie was surprised to see his eyes narrow for a moment. So, beneath his starchy uniform, he still had feelings. “You play nice, and you guys get a meal together. How about that?”
Kylie shrugged. “I guess it’s a start.”
Grayson nodded any moved walk away from the grav field. Kylie couldn’t let him go that easily. “When are you going to tell me what it is you’re after?”
“That’s not for me to say. General Samuel will fill you in when we arrive at Trio.”
Wel
l, there was a name she’d hoped never to hear again. Kylie sunk deeper into the mattress and leaned her head against the wall. So much for not attracting the attention of the Silstrand Alliance—now she was being dragged back to where everything began.
* * * * *
When Grayson said that Kylie would have to play nice, he meant it. She needed to earn that dinner with her crew through good behavior, and she spent the first day locked down in her prison cell. At regular intervals, someone brought her food and drink. It wasn’t unpleasant, but the most interesting thing was that the people bringing her meals weren’t military.
It was plain to see—SSF uniforms were gray, and these guys wore blue shipsuits with no discernable markings. Their movements were casual, unlike the stiffs that gravitated toward the military. These men didn’t appear to bear her any ill will, instead most looked uncomfortable and occasionally cracked a joke or a handsome boyish smile.
The Imperial Dawn was a civilian ship, but Kylie had always suspected that it got up to more than just honest trading. What was Grayson doing onboard and why had the SSF sent him there? It was clear General Samuel was using her past relationship with Grayson to his advantage, but why go through all the trouble?
Kylie played with the rations on the metal plate balanced on her knees. She picked up a bit of protein and popped into her mouth with a smile. She gazed at the man who had brought it to her, on the other side of her cell. He was young and good-looking with an olive complexion and dark, wavy hair. “Thanks for the food. It’s delicious, did you cook it yourself?”
He smiled and gave a little laugh. “No chance of that. I can barely boil water.”
“Been awhile since I’ve had cheese. It’s a real treat. Thank you.” Kylie laughed as she slid the tray onto the bed beside her. She sauntered over to the grav field and leaned against the wall, placing a hand on her hip. “What are you guys doing out past the heliopause anyway? Some sort of secret mission?”
He tensed, and his shoulders shrugged up against to his ears. “I don’t really know. If you’re trying to pump me for information…”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m just trying to make conversation. I’ve been locked in here for over twenty-four hours now—it’s a getting a bit dull.”
He nodded. “Sure, yeah. I can understand that.”
“You been out in the black long?” she asked.
“Long time. We live out here, practically, but once we drop you off, we get a bit of R&R.”
“And what is it you’re doing out here? What’s this ship’s business?”
He laughed and shook his head, gazing away.
“Oh, come on. What’s the harm in telling me? What exactly can I do from in here? I’m not going to write my mom about it. I don’t even have a pen.”
“We’re a merchant privateer, okay? We trade, and occasionally salvage a damaged ship—that we may, or may not, have damaged ourselves—for the SA.”
So, that must be how they knew Grayson. They were legal pirates, and she was an illegal one. Typical.
“Thanks, junior.” Kylie winked at him. “If I ever get out of here, I’ll thank you properly.”
He grinned. “And how exactly—” He cut himself off and jumped like someone was yelling at him over the Link. From how his cheeks blushed, Kylie suspected someone had.
“Sorry if I got you in trouble with your captain.”
“I better go, but it’s all right.” He threw a glance at her as he left, his feet stumbling like a kid who had his first schoolgirl crush.
Kylie turned her arm over. She pressed a finger against the cuff of her purple jacket. A second later, it lowered its pheromone output. There was more than one way to get what she wanted.
Right then, she could really use a weapon and a plan.
* * * * *
After a day in the tank, Kylie’s captors escorted her to a small room. In that room, her crew sat around a small metal table. Some of her anxiety dissipated just to see their warm bodies in the chairs. Winter and Rogers hunched over the tabletop, but Nadine’s posture was straight as an arrow—same as always. She looked out of place in the jumpsuit they had given her. Always regal, no matter where they were, Nadine couldn’t hide from her heritage any more than Kylie could.
In front of each sat a modest dinner. Kylie took the empty chair, and a guard set a tray of food in front of her. A piece of chicken breast, most likely overcooked, and some bland-smelling potatoes. Not the best food, but certainly not the worst, and Kylie eagerly picked up her spork.
She waited for the guard to move on to the back of the room before she allowed herself to glance at the faces of her crew.
Their serious expressions spoke volumes about the trouble they were all in. Winter’s concern was the most masked, except for an occasional twinge the corner of his eye, which would’ve gone unnoticed by most.
Nadine looked the most anxious. As communication officer, she didn’t see action most of the time—what happened on the ship must have been dramatic. Her eyes fluttered about as she curled a tendril of hair around her finger, the beauty of her face disrupted by worry crease lines along her forehead.
And Rogers was his usual calm, collect self, hunched over the table, eating like it would be his last meal. How he could wolf food down like that even under the worst of circumstances.
“Everybody okay?” Kylie used her spork to pick at the potato and chicken mixture. Her initial guess was right—overcooked, but it could have been worse.
Her crew gave her a bunch of nods, and Winter grunted.
Nadine shook her head. “It was intense. I know we’ve got in scuffles before but—”
Kylie wanted to comfort her but didn’t want to draw attention to their relationship. With the Link down, there was no way they could have a private conversation that wasn’t going to be observed and recorded. “I’m glad each of you is all right.”
Winter crossed his bulky arms and leaned back in his chair, with a shake of his head. “Doesn’t make sense how they’re even letting us speak to one another. I’d be careful what we say.” Winter gestured toward the corner of the rooms and Kylie didn’t need to look to know he was pointing out the surveillance system. She had already spotted it on the way in.
“What the hell happened out there?” Rogers’s eyes were angry, not with her, but at what happened and how their ship was lost.
“It was a setup. We were supposed to find that disabled freighter.” Kylie rushed her words with a sip of water from the table. “They were waiting for us.”
Nadine held her breath, but it was Rogers who shook his head. “And we took it hook, line, and sinker.”
“Why us?” was the only question Winter asked. “What’d you get us into, Kylie?”
She bristled at the question. It wasn’t like she had done this on purpose, but the past had a way of catching up to a peson, even at FTL. “I don’t know. We’ll find out when we arrive at Trio. They’re taking me to see a general.”
Nadine groaned, and Rogers rested his chin on his fist, gazing down at his food. No one at the table was a fan of the Silstrand Alliance, even less their military. Kylie wasn’t sure if there was anything worse that she could’ve told them. However, she always did her best to tell her crew the truth, when the truth could be seen clearly.
“We’ll be there in just over a day now.”
“These guys ain’t ’Strands.” Winter leaned forward. “If I miss my guess, they’re private. Civilian, not government.”
Kylie could read between the lines. Maybe they could take the guard in the room, but they had no clear view of the layout of the ship. They couldn’t access the ship’s Link and they had no weapons. Four sporks weren’t going to cut much of anything.
“There’s a colonel onboard; I met him. If there are other officers, I haven’t seen them yet.” Kylie turned their attention to Rogers. “But those were SSF soldiers who took me down on that freighter; they have to be here somewhere.”
Winter had that look in his eye tha
t Kylie had seen before. Usually, it led him to do something reckless. “These guys have weapons.”
“We can’t,” Nadine lowered her voice and leaned forward, “hurt these guys.”
“We need to get off this ship before we’re locked up in some SSF prison and can never get out,” Winter said.
Kylie held up her hand to stop them from going any further. Already Winter sounded heated, not that she didn’t understand. “The Dauntless, can she fly?”
Rogers shrugged. “She’ll fly, but shields are down, and the AP engine was damaged. Would be nothing but a flying tin can.”
It was too big a risk for the crew, that was for sure. “We sit tight for another couple of days. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Nadine relaxed, but Winter tensed. “They throw us in a prison cell for the next hundred years, if we’re lucky. If we see a chance, we have to take it.”
“They set us up for a reason. I don’t think they went through all that trouble just to arrest a few junkers,” Kylie said.
“Then what?” Rogers asked. “What makes us so damn special?”
“She does.” Nadine’s saddened eyes studied Kylie’s face. “They want you back. You always knew this day would come.”
But Kylie wasn’t expecting it to come so soon or that it would be Grayson who came for her. Of all the people to send after her, why him? “Hold tight, Nadine. I’m going to get you out of this yet.”
“How?” Winter asked.
Kylie was still working on that part. As the guard in the back approached, Kylie slipped her spork up her sleeve. She cupped her hand to keep it secure as he forced her up from the table.
“Playtime’s over. Back to your holding cell,” the man grunted.
“Be good. I’ll see you guys real soon.” Kylie let her eyes linger on Winter even if he refused to look her.
Another guard entered the room, cuffed her hands, and escorted her to her cell. As they walked, Kylie studied the structure of the ship and peered down the intersecting corridors. Most were unguarded and half the crew they passed weren’t even armed.
Close Proximity - An Aeon14 Space Opera Adventure (Perilous Alliance) Page 3
