I muscled up between them and poked him hard in the chest.
“She doesn't have to watch her back because I'm here to do that.”
I was taller than him, but the mush-faced boy was wider than me. He stepped forward, testing me.
Over many years and many nights in the Hub, I’d learned to control my responses. Fear and anger washed over me again and again. The key was harnessing those feelings.
But tonight, my emotions seemed like a wild beast off the leash.
“Don’t touch me, Hub-bastard. The gen-mod best watch herself.”
Without thinking, my body tensed. My fist popped out, again and again, connecting with his face. It felt so good to release all the pent-up anger on someone who deserved it. I pummeled him. Blood pulsed in my ears and my hands throbbed.
Amelie said something, but I couldn’t hear her over the pounding of my own heart.
“Stop this at once.” A squad leader ran down the hall toward us.
Planetborn-short and built like a freight hauler, she plowed into me, knocking me off balance.
We rose, and I shrugged off her arms. The soldier lay on the ground, his face swollen and bloody.
I’d done that. My stomach clenched.
“I can explain.”
“Security!” she yelled and pressed her wrist com device.
I knew what that meant. I already had too many strikes against me. Anton had warned me. One more offense and I was history. If I got in trouble now, I’d be sent to the deepest part of the brig.
Run. Run. Run. It didn't matter. There was nowhere to run.
“Don’t, Dax. Don’t.” Amelie’s hand clutched her mouth. “We’ll figure a way out.”
I shoved the squad leader, and she tripped over the prone soldier, falling on her ass. I darted to the service ladder.
My only thought was to find safety. The blood on my knuckles looked intensely red and shook me to my core.
What had I done?
Chapter Eighty
Ethan
My locater finally flashed. Relief flowed over me, and I exhaled. Finally.
I pulled up the map, eager to see Vega’s location, but only Dax and Amelie’s icons displayed. I’d it set to ping me for any of them. The tightness returned. She was still with Gleason and in danger.
I sprinted down two staircases to the launch bay and erupted into the corridor. Passing cadets stared at me, shaking their heads. Not good.
Running drew too much attention. I slowed my pace. I needed to avoid detection. If caught, the repercussions for going against direct orders would be dire.
But I couldn’t think about the future, or I’d get so wrapped up I couldn’t function, and Vega would be lost.
If I could just find her, then I could figure a way to convince Gleason to release her.
I stumbled to a halt when I reached Amelie. She sat in a dress that I could only describe as royal.
It spread out in a silver pool around her. Cadets and other officers moved around her to the lifts.
She was silent and staring forward. Her long golden curls framed her face, and her eyes were locked on the floor.
Her whole body looked sad. Shoulders slumped, hands flat on the floor.
She wasn't crying, but something was seriously wrong.
I approached, not sure what to say. Even with all my training, teenage girls were still extremely confusing.
I crouched down on my haunches and attempted eye contact, but she looked through me.
“Amelie? Are you okay?”
“He ran.” Her voice was hollow. “He just ran. Why would he do that? After everything we did to get him back in. Why would he...?”
It would seem Amelie was having her own set of issues. I could only assume that he was Dax. I hadn’t seen Dax since the incidents in the Hub, and then he had been pretty much unconscious the entire time.
“I don’t know what’s going on with Dax. But right now, Vega is in trouble.”
That broke through her wall. Her eyes shifted from dilated to piercing. She finally saw me.
“What's wrong with Vega?”
How much should I tell her? I had already betrayed the Phantom Corp, and telling Amelie what was really happening might make her a target as well.
I could still save everyone.
“I think she pissed off some of the brass. I haven’t seen her in days. She hasn’t been to classes, and I can’t find her, even with my instructor clearance. Her locator isn’t working.”
With a grunt, she pushed herself up, brushed off, and shook out her skirts.
She pulled a strip of material from her dress and tied her hair into a bun. Amelie was back in business. She flashed out her wristlet and motioned for me to follow her down the hallway.
“It wouldn't do for us to stand in the main crossroads and hack the mainframe,” she whispered, not looking at me.
All the doubt and confusion sloughed off. We located a small area that had ports to the network in one of the launch bays. This late in the evening, it was mostly empty.
We sat at a hover table in the pilot’s break room, and she tapped her virtual display. Almost instantly, a schematic showing the entire base appeared. The map targeted locations of different officers and other cadets with illuminated dots.
She waved her hand over the display, taking away different levels until she had narrowed it to Vega Volante. The current timestamp showed nothing.
Thousands of different classrooms, barracks, and training areas flashed by, showing everything and everyone, except for Vega. Had they taken her off station?
Amelie twirled her finger in the air over the display, rewinding the capture.
“How long has it been since you've seen her?”
“A day and a half?”
“And you didn’t think until now to go looking for her? Knowing her?”
It was a valid point. I couldn’t tell Amelie why I’d waited. But the longer it went, the more I feared that she wouldn't survive the experience. I was an agent and shouldn’t care. I should trust that the Ax-Military knew what they were doing.
But I didn’t. I didn’t know how to explain that.
I would have to come up with something that sounded feasible.
“I didn't think anything was wrong.”
“After everything, we went through on the Lazarus, you didn't think anything was wrong?” She turned to me, her hands planted on her hips, her sparkling gown flaring out. She looked like a vengeful goddess.
She closed the distance between us. With her chin tilted down, we were about the same height.
“There's something you're not telling me. I’ve been lied to my entire life. People put on faces and costumes, telling me one thing and meaning another. You’re lying. Vega might not be able to tell. She came from a place where no one ever lied to her, but I know. So tell me what's going on.”
She was right. The last bit of fight in me drained away. If I wanted Amelie's help, I would have to come clean.
“The truth is, I don't have time to go into the details, but I don't think Vega will survive unless we find her. That's all I can say.”
Amelie looked at me with wariness. I was the enemy again. That wounded me more than I cared to admit. But I didn’t have time for hurt feelings. Each moment felt like drops of blood dripping against my nerves.
“A day and a half. She waved her hand again at the display like an old earth sorceress, and the clock rewound. Still nothing. She slowed down, exhaling.
“I can’t find her. Damn it.”
“No, you can. I’ve seen your work. You can do anything.”
Amelie half-laughed, half-sighed. “I wish.”
Her finger moved one more click to the left, and suddenly a red dot appeared on the map. And we both exhaled.
“I got her. But where the hell is she?”
The map showed one of the corridors near the flight bay. Actually, behind the bay.
“There’s nothing on the map here. It's physically impossible for
Vega to be in this area.”
“Amelie, there are things you don't know about the station.”
She tilted her head hard to the side and gave me a look that would liquefy flesh if she stared too long.
“Well, if I’m going to do more digging, I need the lab.” Amelie put her thumb and pointer finger to her eyes.
She took a slow, measured breath. “The equipment in the main lab tracks biomarkers, not just wristlets. I think I can find her anywhere on the station. But going in after-hours might be a problem.” She flopped down onto one of the benches and looked out at the jewel-speckled sky.
“There's no guarantee I can find her. And I'm worried about Dax. He's in some trouble too. But I don't think there's anything I can do to help him right now.”
She tapped on the display again, rolled her hand to the right, and this time it pulled up Daxson Smith. It showed green colored icons moving quickly down through the base. She tapped again. A massive red icon appeared labeled Security.
“Dax is in trouble with security?”
She pressed her lips together until they were white. “Let's go to the lab.”
Amelie was very focused on not getting in trouble. She had to know that there could be consequences.
“Aren't you worried?” I asked.
She looked at me again, as if she'd never seen me and strode down the hall. Her dress swished, and the smell of an Old Earth flower wafted behind her. I ran to keep up.
“Friends take care of each other.” Her eyes stayed locked forward. “Vega taught me that. Bonded forever.”
Part of me wanted to reflect the phrase, but who was I bonded to? Was it the Mil-station or to these cadets—friends? I didn't know.
I did know one thing. I had to try to help Vega.
Chapter Eighty-One
Amelie
My insides had been ripped apart like teeny tiny pieces of sparkly confetti. Any moment now, they would be spewing out all over the entire station. And there would be nothing left of me.
The one thing holding me together was the fact that Vega was in deep trouble. The girl who had risked her life for me the first day we’d met was in trouble. And I wasn't about to let her down.
I kept ahead of Ethan, fueled by all the pent-up anger of the night.
Who had she gotten angry now? How had Ethan gotten involved? He wasn’t telling me something. He had the same look my mother had gotten when she’d decided to have a second child and hadn’t told me until the day the girl came home from the Nursery Sat.
Yep. I’d been around liars.
I hated them.
We took the lift to the Science Wing. Two ensigns stood on the opposite side of the car. Their uniforms had the star-moon emblem that said they were already active duty.
The two females kept their half-shaved heads straight, but I caught their eyes straying to my clothes—more than once.
One of them rubbernecked and smirked. “Nice dress.”
I almost shouted at them that they lashed out because the societal norms to compete with other females were still entrenched in our society. That since I was dressed opulently and my face was aesthetically pleasing, they instantly saw me as a threat.
But I’d only be wasting my breath.
Pressing my mouth closed, I rolled in my lips and bit down. They were just like the Sat girls. Allowing myself to be baited wouldn’t benefit me or help Vega.
The lift doors opened, and we all exited. They broke off, heading down the hall in the opposite direction. Both had a silver stripe that circled their chest. It meant they were crew.
I reviewed the list of ships in my brain to figure out which ship they were assigned to, which vessels were in port, and which one might be leaving space dock. I shook myself back to reality.
Time to help Vega.
Still silent, Ethan waited for me to lead.
“Come on.” We hustled down the endless corridors.
I did a quick scan as we approached the entry to ensure there were no patrols in the area. Doctor Sinclair had given me after-hours access to check on projects, so gaining entrance was covered. But explaining why I was visiting the lab dressed for a party, after hours, with a guest, would be harder.
With a quick, cleansing breath, I placed my hand on the entrance.
I put one finger in the air indicating for him to wait until I checked inside.
Scooping my dress on both sides to clear the door facings, I entered and surveyed the lab. The low light was on.
All the work stations were devoid of movement. I motioned for Ethan to enter.
He looked like crap warmed over. He was usually pretty well-kept and had the appearance of a young satellite kid. Probably why I didn't like his looks. Too pretty.
Vega seemed to like him. To me, there was always something off, something under the surface that he wasn’t sharing.
I never knew quite what to think of Ethan. But he did seem sincere about helping Vega, and he had come when I needed help with Dax, so I gave him that. But only that.
I moved to a work station. It wasn't my typical dashboard. As soon as the 3-D screen booted, I pulled a privacy shield.
“If someone catches us in here, the shield will give us time to hide everything. I can’t guarantee somebody won't interrupt, so be ready.”
He nodded as if he understood the risk. The glow from the display comforted me.
The lab was my element. Dancing across mental landscapes and figuring out problems was my dance. It was like during the nouveau ballet. One stroke led to the next. You edited the proper code, in the proper order, and you got the expected output.
Hacking was easy. I could see everything right in front of me like giant puzzle pieces. All I had to do was slip them into place. I logged in under a hacked user ID and set to work.
I synced my wristlet up with the computer to boost its power and dialed the map up again. It immediately flashed.
“I have something. It's a bio match, but I'm not positive it's her. She's planetborn, dark hair, blue eyes, blood type A negative.” I've pulled up a complete scan of her biorhythms and heat signatures. I overlaid it with a possible match.
A virtual outline of a figure hung in the air three feet in front of me.
A few more strokes and I had Vega’s profile and overlaid them. It was a 97 percent match.
“Only 97 percent match, but the discrepancy could be due to damage. Notice here.” I pointed. “On the head and heart region, there is some deterioration and damage to the brain. Oh man, that means—”
“She's been hurt.” Ethan finished.
We gave each other a long stare.
“Well, she's alive. If it's her, she's on the move.” I pulled up the schematic again with a hand wave, and yes, the red dot that was Vega in this scenario was being dragged toward one of the launch areas.
A group surrounded her, a mix of males and females. Their names and ranks were obscured.
“She's with military personnel that have been classified beyond where I can get to without really breaking something.”
“Those are agents,” Ethan said.
“What did she do? Is this another Price situation? Or do we need to report this to the brass?”
“Amelie, this is the brass. Do you want to get court-martialed? Do you want to get floated?”
I shook my head. “But we have to do something.”
His Adam’s apple convulsed. “I think we’re on our own with this one.”
I shut down the privacy shield and started for the door.
A screech of metal on metal rang just before Doctor Sinclair entered from the back room.
What was he doing back there so late at night? My safeguard hadn’t detected him. I stumbled back against the computer.
Ethan and I searched for a place to hide. We were too far from the door.
I could maybe explain me being in here, but it would be tough to explain Ethan.
We had to get to Vega as soon as possible. I couldn’t think of any way—then
it struck me.
As Sinclair walked into the central lab, I grabbed Ethan and pressed my lips to his.
Chapter Eighty-Two
Vega
My suit weighed me down like a layer of poly-concrete. It didn’t matter because a squad of soldiers carried me.
The black-uniformed agents trotted down the gloomy corridor with me hanging on a pole between them. Phantom Ops led by Gleason the Terrible.
A large box hovered behind them—a growling box.
Sweat poured down my face, and chills ran through me. Poison. Whatever that bastard had injected into me grabbed me with tiny hooks. I thought of my mom and dad again.
I was going to die, and Ethan was to blame.
No, I was. I’d trusted him. Again.
He had wanted to talk about my family and had been more than helpful, offering flight training and assisting me in the Hub.
Damn. He had pumped me for information, on a freaking mission the entire time.
Another one involving me. Never again.
If I saw him again before I died, I might just take him with me.
We reached the H2O showers on the lowest levels, and they finally stopped advancing. This sani-station was where I had cleaned up after my first day of assignments, where I'd worked on the toilets, and Jess had found me. This was a slightly different area, but I recognized parts of it.
The goons dropped me unceremoniously on the slick tile floor.
The entire room was white and open, more like a gym than a bathroom. It was designed to hold at least twenty or more students.
Gleason strode to stand over me. I rolled and tried to push up, but the grav suit held me flush to the ground.
“I'll bet you're wondering why we brought you here,” he said in a conversational tone that made me want to pile drive him into the tile floor.
All I could muster was a low snarl.
“You’ve been through a lot the last few days, but have no fear. It will be over soon. Keep in mind, this is all for the good of the Military Station. We did try to let you live. We tried multiple times. But you just wouldn't open up to your dear friend Ethan.”
He approached me and leaned down to make sure he held my eyes.
Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure Page 38
