The Price of Paradise

by C. S. Johnson

  “That was low,” he finally managed. “I never told you about Gerard and his dad.”

  “I knew Brother Jean-Luc just as you did,” Merra said, her arrogance softening only slightly. “Jean-Luc was imprisoned and killed for failing to reveal his son’s guilt after you launched the Perdition. I heard about it, even though I never put the two together before Victor told me about Gerard.”

  Shame colored Exton’s face as he remembered how it felt to win against the URS, to have his father’s ship in his possession, only to find out it had come at the cost of a friend.

  He deliberately turned away from Merra’s scrutinizing gaze. “I’m still not letting him go.”

  “You shouldn’t let your feelings compromise your judgement.”

  “I fail to see how letting him go is good for the war, let alone his own safety,” Exton insisted, facing her once more. “He tried to kill Osgood, according to what we’ve heard. If he didn’t stage it.”

  “So?”

  “So, he’s not exactly trustworthy to Petra, and Osgood wants him dead now. There are not a lot of other places I can send him without a guard or where people will listen to him. He’s better off here.”

  “He’s useless here.”

  “He’s safe here.”

  “That should give you all the more reason to release him to me,” Merra said. “It would be fitting revenge, after everything, to let him go and confront Osgood with your blessing.”

  “I haven’t decided what is ‘fitting revenge,’ yet,” Exton snapped. “But it isn’t going to be sending him off with you.”

  Merra scowled. “You’re being foolish. Victor is certainly capable of escaping from here. He is only here because he wants to be.”

  “He already told me that, but I think he’d find escaping more difficult than you say.”

  Exton almost smiled, thinking of how he’d assigned the Reverend Thorne himself to the task of monitoring St. Cloud’s movements. While the leader of the Ecclesia had been unwilling to lend the full force of their following, he had promised to lend a hand where he found it appropriate. Guarding a controversial prisoner seemed to be the perfect request, and Exton considered it a bonus that he managed to anger both St. Cloud and Dennis with the guard assignment.

  “You should let him go to earn his trust.”

  If Merra hadn’t said it so seriously, Exton might have laughed. “I don’t want his trust,” he asserted. “If anything, he told me that he wants to earn mine.”

  “That’s a mistake.”

  “No. The mistake is thinking that I’m the one who has to do something.”

  “No, it’s a mistake thinking that trust between two people is a one-way street.”

  “It starts out that way, Merra, and if he wants my trust, he’s going to have to abide by my rules.” Exton held his ground firmly. “And that means staying here. For now.”

  If not forever, he added silently.

  Exton couldn’t stop himself from smirking as Merra stewed in angry silence. He finally scored a victory against her, and one that was big enough to get her to give up.

  She pursed her lips in bitter resignation. “Fine. But this is not the last time I will argue with you over this.”

  “Fine. We can always reevaluate the situation later,” Exton said, keeping his tone detached, even while he was relieved. Arguing with Merra could be more draining than physically fighting. He had a feeling it was more dangerous than an actual fight, too.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t have good principles. He knew her well enough to know that she fought for others more than herself, and nothing she asked for was completely unreasonable. Even letting St. Cloud go wasn’t an irrational move.

  The problem, Exton thought, is that there is too much that is uncertain right now.

  It wasn’t just doubts about St. Cloud’s charges against his father, or even St. Cloud himself. As Merra began pacing around the small conference room, furiously running her fingers through her gray-streaked hair, Exton glanced out of the window, looking down at the world.

  It didn’t look much different, since he’d been staring out the window the night of Emery’s wedding, imagining throwing the world into the bowels of hell.

  If anything, Exton knew he was the one who had changed. The old derision, the bitterness at the world, the pain and guilt he carried for it­—all of it had been transformed. He felt a strange sense of protectiveness, and he wanted to honor that connection as much as his promises to Aerie.

  It helped knowing that he did have support in Merra, his family, and the others who were working around the world with the Perdition and the other defectors from the URS.

  But even with all of that, he could not just abandon his own inner demons.

  “We’ll reevaluate this situation later,” he repeated, his voice sounding hollow and brusque against the silence in the room.

  Before Merra could reply, his comm device went off. He jerked his attention toward it, slightly jarred from its sudden interruption. He answered it out of habit more than anything else.

  “Yes?”

  “Hey, Cap.” Jared’s voice came in clear. “I’ve got a few issues for you here on the Bridge. Trust me, you’ll want to come see this.”

  Exton glanced over at Merra. “I’ll be there in a moment,” he said.

  “Roger that.”

  He clicked off the device. “I have to head back,” he said. “Was there anything else you needed?”

  “Fine time to ask me that, right before you’re leaving,” Merra scoffed. “But no. I have nothing more to ask of you.”

  Exton narrowed his eyes in suspicion. It seemed like a long way to come for the trouble. Maybe she figured she would get her way in person rather than over the comm system, he mused.

  Still, he had other matters to attend to. “Alright,” he said. “I know Tyler’s headed back down to Petra with you. The ship should be ready for you.”

  “Thank you,” Merra said. She drew herself up proudly, giving him a dazzling smile. “I can see myself out.”

  Exton watched as she whirled around and waltzed angrily out the door. He had a feeling she was going to cause him further trouble. That smile, as pretty as it was and as brilliant as he remembered it from his youth, suddenly seemed sinister.

  “I can’t do anything about it now,” he grumbled to himself, as he headed toward the Command Bridge nearby.

  As he came up on the Bridge once more, he was glad Merra had taken her leave; there was an air of frenzy about the room. Just from looking at the focused expressions on his crew, Exton could tell there was trouble coming.

  Was Osgood up to something? Exton wondered. Or maybe it was something else. He knew from reports on the ground there was a lot of confusion in the URS, including the capital.

  While Jared was examining reports with Thora, the large monitor on the screen was filled with another familiar face. Exton stepped forward, smiling in warm greeting.

  “Kamalo,” he said. “Nice to see you again.”

  Kamalo had joined Exton in liberating Chaya only a few weeks before, saving Exton’s life in a critical moment during the battle. Exton was grateful for Kamalo’s actions, and he was also glad Kamalo had risen up as a leader among the Chaya camp.

  The man’s darkened wrinkles contrasted sharply with the whiteness of his grin as he saw Exton. “Always a pleasure, boet. Or should I stick to Captain, now that you’re back on the Perdition?”

  “Either or is fine,” Exton assured him. “What can we do for you?”

  “Our sensors are picking up some unusual movement in the Caribbean,” Kamalo informed him. “We have weapons shipping out to different camps, and one of our ships—”

  “Hold on,” Exton said. “What ships? Chaya doesn’t have any ships registered, let alone any for weapons transport.”

  “Once we took over the camp, we were able to claim two of the ships the URS had brought over here. We’re using one to ship the research equipment to Petra, and the other is headed out to t
he rendezvous point in the Caribbean.”

  Exton was stunned. “I wasn’t informed of this. And why would you send them out, with weapons?” Exton asked. “There was no order.”

  Exton was suddenly half-tempted to call Merra up from the hangar to ask if she was behind this. Deciding it was best to be prudent, he was just about to call for her when Kamalo answered him.

  “Chaya has its own governing structure in place,” Kamalo said. “I stayed back to help with aid and relief, and to keep you informed of our team’s progress. I didn’t know about this myself until a few hours ago. I was only informed, too, when it was clear the ship was missing.”

  “Great,” Exton muttered. He knew they would have to find the ship first, before it was lost, or even worse, before it was found by the URS. He would deal with Chaya’s secrecy after the ship was under their surveillance.

  “Jared.” Exton turned toward the copilot. “Hold Tyler’s ship.”

  “I’ll send the transmission now, Captain,” Jared said, hurrying over to the console.

  “What information do you have so far, Thora?” Exton asked.

  “We’re trying to locate the ship based on Kamalo’s estimates,” Thora said, pushing a loose lock of her long black hair out of her face as she studied the portable screen in her hands. “With the new program to locate the Craftcarriers, we’ve been able to push back against a lot of the static in that part of the world. I’ve adjusted it for the ship, so we should have the results soon.”

  “Keep me updated.”

  “Will do,” she said with a quick nod.

  Exton looked back at Kamalo. “We’re on it. What else has the community been doing that they don’t want us to know about?”

  “Nothing that demands as much attention as this, boet. I’m disappointed, too. I’ll see what else I can find and report back to you.”

  “Thank you. I’ll have Thora send you the reports when she delivers them to me.”

  “I’ll look for it.”

  The monitor went blank as Kamalo signed off.

  “Captain,” Jared called. “Commander Caudwell has delayed his takeoff.”

  “Excellent. Have him report to the Bridge along with Aerie’s mother.”

  “You mean Mrs. St. Cloud?”

  There was something about the way Jared said her name that irritated Exton. He felt the old familiar hatred for people who couldn’t keep their mouths from flapping when it came to discussing other people’s business, even if he knew he often depended on rumors and gossip for intel and insights. Exton was certain the Perdition was buzzing about with discussions of St. Cloud’s family drama. While it was expected, he could only hope Aerie wouldn’t be hurt by it.

  “Yep, that’s her,” Exton replied, turning back toward the main monitor, avoiding Jared’s eyes. “I have some more questions to ask her, apparently.” He rubbed his temples, already exhausted from the day’s work.

  Glancing at the clock, he knew he still had hours to go before he could sink himself back into Aerie’s warm and welcoming embrace.

  A thought struck him as he gazed at the information on the screens, all of it pouring onto the monitors at once, like a mystical form of dance.

  “Jared.” He held up his hand. “Just delay Tyler’s ship. I’ll meet with Merra later when we know more.”

  The younger man nodded. “You got it, Cap.”

  “Good.” Exton hid a grin. If he was going to be stressed and angry and disappointed, he was going to make sure Merra was, too. There was no point in attacking her with no proof, and there was no proof so long as Kamalo and Thora were still gathering it up.

  She can wait for us, just as I have to wait for them. Knowing she would not be pleased in the meantime, and that it would likely have her beyond frustration by the time he was ready to talk with her, gave him a smug half-sense of satisfaction.

  The other half of his satisfaction came with the thought of inviting Aerie to accompany him on his rounds.

  He nodded toward Jared, giving him full control of the Command Bridge, as he headed out to find his bride.

  ♦7♦

  Aerie stared at the door in front of her. The uneasiness of her decision pressed into her again, juxtaposing against the curiosity inside of her.

  It was no surprise to her, in the end, that curiosity won out. She knocked on the door, loudly enough not to feel like a coward, and waited.

  Aerie had decided a long time ago that curiosity wasn’t just about being intelligent; it was about being brave, and she knew she would need to be brave if she wanted to be accepted into the New Hope Military Academy.

  How long ago and far away that life seems now, she thought, amused and grateful for the twists and turns her life had taken in recent months.

  A voice called out from the other side of the door. “Come in. It’s open.”

  Aerie wasted no time in opening the door. She came into the room just in time to see the flicker of surprise on her father’s face. “General,” she said in greeting.

  “Aerie.” The surprise mutated into amusement. “To what do I owe the honor?”

  “Huh?” Aerie frowned. “I just wanted to come and ... ”

  What did I want to do? Aerie wondered. She hadn’t actually considered that she would be able to see her father. She had taken up her mother’s suggestion without thinking it through.

  The General stopped her. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked. “I’ve got plenty of tea here, although your husband was kind enough to make sure I had coffee.”

  “He doesn’t really oversee that,” Aerie murmured.

  “I don’t doubt on a regular basis that he has more important things to do. But I suspect I am the exception in this case.”

  “Why?” Aerie narrowed her eyes. “Do you think you’re that special to him?”

  “Not at all,” the General admitted. “But if I had a prisoner, one who was only a step down from an uninvited guest, I would make him happy so he wouldn’t bother me further.”

  “Exton doesn’t think like that,” Aerie said.

  “I’ve known him much longer than you have,” he reminded her. “And I taught him to think just like that, too. So, chances are I am the one who is correct between the two of us.”

  “Maybe he just did it to prove he’s the better man,” Aerie offered.

  “He already is. There’s no need to show it or prove it.”

  At his admission, Aerie sighed. “I don’t understand you or Mom.”

  “Is that why you came to see me?” Her father’s eyes focused on her intently, and Aerie felt the old, squeamish feeling she had when she was going to get into trouble.

  “Mom said I should ask you about Exton’s father,” Aerie said, “and about what you told Exton.”

  “He didn’t tell you?”

  “Don’t be surprised,” Aerie bit back. “If you taught him, you would know why he wouldn’t.”

  “Your mother and I have always been open with each other,” the General said. “So this is actually surprising to me.”

  “Well, we have never been open with each other, and it’s still surprising to me, too.” Aerie glanced down, suddenly wondering if Exton and her father found her able to handle the truth. Maybe it was more her fault than theirs, she realized.

  She turned her gaze back to the General. “Mom told me that you were the one who contacted her about my arrest.”

  “Do you want an apology for that?”

  Aerie shook her head. “No. Ultimately, I was able to be rescued. And I’m glad for that.”

  “Do you want me to apologize for the Reeducation Program?”

  “No.” She shook her head again. “I would suffer anything to be with Exton,” she admitted. “After I remembered him, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

  “It’s good to see you love him,” the General said quietly. “I would’ve stopped you from marrying him if I didn’t think he was good for you.”

  “You didn’t stop me from getting married,” Aerie poi
nted out. “You came after we said our vows.”

  He waved his hand, brushing the matter aside. “Do you think I didn’t know? Your mother let me know. That’s part of the reason I failed to kill Osgood, believe it or not.”

  “What do you mean?” Aerie asked. “What happened?”

  “She contacted me and my comm device went off,” General St. Cloud explained. “I have it set to alert me even if I have it turned off. I was caught sneaking into Osgood’s office in New Hope because it went off. As much as I love your mother, I should have left it behind. Rookie mistake, but then, love will unravel the greatest of champions.”

  “So you really did try to kill Osgood?”

  “Yes. I barely managed to escape. Apparently, even before my comm went off he had been expecting me. He said it was because of your arrest, but signing the form should have derailed his suspicion some.”

  “How did he know?” Aerie asked.

  “I have an idea. He said after you had escaped, he was right, and he would go and take care of you next,” he said.

  Aerie felt a chill go down her spine. She didn’t know much about the dictator of the URS, but she knew enough about him to know he was a threat.

  Dictator Osgood, sometimes fondly called “Daddy Dictator” by some of his more adoring circles, was an older man who seemed professional as much as he was congenial. Aerie had never given him much consideration before, other than to think about how he wasn’t nearly as handsome as people seemed to think he was. It was only when she was captured that she started to think of him as evil.

  “When I fought with him, it was a very dramatic confrontation. I won’t share the details with you. It’s too graphic for your temperament.”

  “Why do you think that I can’t handle it?” Aerie asked through gritted teeth. “I placed high in my combat classes.”

  “This is different from combat,” he replied. “Which is good, really. Your mother’s death managed to scar you much more than your brothers and sister. You, out of all our children, have the most compassion.”