Labyrinth (Deuces Wild Book 3)

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  She stepped up the pace of her punches, finding comfort in the rhythm as she worked through her techniques. As always, she made it a point not to examine exactly why she found such peace in an activity she’d railed against in her youth.

  “And besides, I only have two years left before I get dragged back to the Federation. Aunt Bethany Anne wants me to find myself, but how the fuck am I supposed to do that if they won’t leave me the fuck alone to fucking think?”

  She punctuated the last with a backfist but forgot to pull it. The bag split with a dull rip, spilling its innards.

  “Dammit!” Nickie examined the split seam with a sigh. “Whatever. I’m not in the mood to train now, anyway.”

  What’s really got you so riled? Meredith asked.

  Nickie unwound the chain and lowered the bag to the floor. What’s got me riled is that whoever sent this thinks they can just snap their fingers and I’ll come running. She propped the bag against the weight bench and made a face at the split. Well, they can all fuck themselves, I’m not doing it. And if the Federation wanted me, then they shouldn’t have sent me away in the first place. The prince’s family can find someone else to save their royal asses.

  Nickie left the hold and made her way to her quarters. She skirted Lefty and Bradley in the main corridor. “You two together again?” she asked the bots. “People are going to start talking, you know.”

  The bots made no reply, which suited Nickie just fine. She arrived at her quarters. The moment she closed the door behind her, she dumped the punchbag and the carryall in a corner and flopped into the chair to unlace her boots.

  Are you okay?

  She kicked her boots off and grabbed a set of clean clothes from the drawer. I’m too tired to work it out now. I’m gonna take a shower and hit the sack.

  Meredith kept a close watch on Nickie’s emotional state while she waited for her to finish the shower. Her concern was that Nickie’s natural instinct to retaliate against perceived pressure would cause her to slip back into her old ways. She’d shown a little of it in her reaction to the message. Meredith knew Nickie would do the right thing since it was in her DNA, but Nickie had to come to that conclusion herself.

  Maybe not completely alone, though.

  She waited until Nickie emerged from the bathroom. Nickie, would you look at that! The time lock just expired on the next entry from your aunt’s diary.

  Nickie dropped the dirty clothing she was carrying into the laundry hamper and headed for her bed. She lay back and folded her arms behind her head with a smile.

  Show me the entry, Meredith.

  Chapter 2 Tabitha

  Yollin System, QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Rangers’ Area, Meeting Room

  Tabitha, Hirotoshi, and Ryu sat across the table from Barnabas while Tabitha filled in some of the blanks in her after-action report. Bethany Anne had ordered their return to the Meredith Reynolds after the mission on Flex, and they’d arrived earlier and gone straight to the Rangers’ area where Barnabas was waiting.

  Tabitha leaned toward Barnabas. “So then, Ryotoshi—”

  Barnabas shook his head in exasperation. “Tabitha.” He gave her a stern look across the table, then glanced at Hirotoshi and Ryu. The Tontos gave deliberate identical shrugs, much to Tabitha’s annoyance.

  They had kept this up since Flex, simply because they knew it annoyed the hell out of her.

  “You see what I have to deal with,” she told Barnabas. “Anyway, Ryotoshi,” she repeated, “starts shaking his ass in the middle of the circle like he was born for it, and I almost spat my drink all over the Torcellan noblewoman. Luckily for me, I was in complete control, even though the disguise I was wearing made me look like a sack of potatoes.”

  Barnabas furrowed his brow at Hirotoshi, who gave a minute shrug. “I fail to see what bearing your attire had on the situation.”

  Tabitha tilted her chair and put her feet up on the table. “Only everything. It was a public disservice. I nearly walked out until I saw that the other women were even more frumpily dressed than I was.”

  “But you are a Ranger,” Barnabas pointed out, “not a model. Perhaps you took a knock to the head that left you confused as to the difference between the two professions?”

  Ryu snorted softly.

  Tabitha’s mouth quirked. “I don’t know why you’re laughing, Ryu. You looked like a peacock in that Torcellan getup.”

  Ryu just smirked.

  “Fine.” She smirked back, extra-smirkily. “Don’t say a word. I’ll talk for you. ‘May I have a thousand push-ups, Ranger Tabitha?’ Why, of course you may, Ryu. It would be my pleasure to order them.”

  “It is your prerogative.” Ryu’s smirk deepened. “I did not have the most outrageous ‘look’ that night, did I, Kemosabe?”

  Tabitha glared at Ryu. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Ryu lifted an eyebrow. “But your description on the rooftop was so…detailed.”

  Tabitha’s eyes widened as she tried to push the image away before—

  “Oh, good God, no.” Barnabas moaned. “Tabitha, why?”

  “I promise I was not the one who started that.” Tabitha took one look at the pained expression on her mentor’s face. “Oh, lighten up. You’ve never wondered what you’d look like with tatas?”

  Barnabas groaned and held his head in his hands. “No, Tabitha. I haven’t.”

  Her shoulders shook with laughter, and she almost lost her balance as Barnabas’ face worked through a series of emotions, none of them positive.

  She pulled herself together with difficulty. “Well, at least now you know the leather-pants look isn’t for you, so really, I did you a favor. You should be thanking me.”

  They were interrupted by the arrival of Bethany Anne and John. John waved at Tabitha and pulled the door closed, remaining outside.

  “Sorry. I’m running over today.” The Empress slapped Tabitha’s feet off the table as she breezed past to get to her seat.

  Tabitha stuck her tongue out at Ryu for snitching while Bethany Anne exchanged a brief greeting with Barnabas.

  Tabitha went to put her feet back up, but Bethany Anne’s expression told her not to push it. “Good to see you, but what was so urgent you called us all the way home? Couldn’t spend another day without me, huh?”

  Bethany Anne’s mouth twitched. “Yes, Tabitha, I called you back from the ass-end of the Empire just so I could see your face. That would be a fantastic use of my resources when we are already stretched with the war.”

  Tabitha ignored Bethany Anne’s sarcasm. “And I can’t blame you for that.”

  Bethany Anne gave her a very pointed look. “If you’re done? I need to keep this short and sweet. I have more meetings than hours today. I’m sending you to the K’nthel system. There’s a situation there that requires the delicate touch of a Ranger.”

  Barnabas snickered. “Delicate? Tabitha?”

  “Hey, I can be very delicate,” Tabitha protested.

  “You just very delicately fell off a roof again, let’s not forget,” Hirotoshi reminded her with a small smug smile.

  Barnabas paled. “Let’s not mention the word ‘roof’ again for a while. I just had the most unpleasant flashback.”

  Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow. “A flashback to what?”

  Barnabas shook his head. “You don’t want to know. Suffice it to say I tripped and fell into the abyss of Tabitha’s mind and we will leave it there.”

  Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow in Tabitha’s direction.

  Tabitha shrugged. “What?” She made a face at Hirotoshi and searched her memory for any recollection of the name of the star system. “Should I know about this place already?”

  Bethany Anne shook her head. “No, I’ve kept it off the radar deliberately, I have some R&D going on that I want to keep close. The planet I’m sending you to is a spiritual retreat and sanctuary. It’s run by a cross between a charitable organization and a religious sect. They call themselves ‘the Order of Zap
hod.’”

  “It’s a monastery world?” Tabitha was intrigued. “That’s not the kind of place you usually send us.”

  “Not exactly. The Order is dedicated to helping those in need. I found the system almost by accident, and have been funneling people there who need more care than I can provide at the moment. They fund themselves, for the most part.” Bethany Anne sighed. “This war hasn’t just been expensive financially, Tabitha. You ever want to know why I hate the Leath so much and not just the Kurtherians they worship? Take a tour of the planet and visit the people who the Order take care of.”

  Tabitha lowered her eyes. “I can guess what that’s like. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  Bethany Anne nodded. “I expect nothing less. I have a duty of care to these people, and they are in some kind of trouble.”

  Tabitha tilted her head. “Oh, yeah? What’s the issue?”

  Bethany Anne shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. It’s out of the way and communications there are limited, which was one of the reasons I chose it in the first place. I can’t go and investigate personally. There’s just no way I can leave while we’re eyeballs-deep in this fucking war. But I didn’t receive the last scheduled update from the Order, and it has me concerned.”

  “So you want us to go out there and…”

  “Find out what’s going on, obviously. Make sure that whatever it is hasn’t fucked with the Order, and lay down some of my Justice on whoever is responsible for any bullshit you find. Standard Ranger stuff, like I said.” Bethany Anne’s eyes unfocused for less than a second, and then they were entirely focused—on Tabitha. “I’ve just sent the information to Achronyx. Make sure you review his report this time. You weren’t in the game on Flex.”

  Tabitha felt her cheeks warm, and she opened her mouth to protest but was halted by Bethany Anne’s raised eyebrow.

  “I’m not done. I know you’re grieving. Shin’s loss hit you harder than anyone else. But you have to find a way to deal with it that doesn’t compromise your safety out there.” Bethany Anne put a hand over hers. “I’m not angry. I’m worried about you, Tabitha.”

  “We all are,” Barnabas added.

  Tabitha looked at Hirotoshi and Ryu for backup, but they just nodded in agreement with Bethany Anne and Barnabas. Traitors. She sighed. “I know I was reckless.”

  Bethany Anne snorted. “There’s reckless, and then there’s increasing the bounty on your own head for kicks. Running off without your team.” The sound of Bethany Anne’s nails tapping cut the silence. “Not to mention refusing to use your EI to enhance your chances of success on the mission.”

  “Damn Achronyx,” Tabitha muttered. “The bounty increase wasn’t reckless. It was a well-thought-out strategy to rid the planet of its more dangerous assholes and to prevent the chaos of every two-bit punk on the planet coming after me for the quite frankly insulting bounty that was originally put out. Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure I got the idea from you.”

  Bethany Anne’s fingers stopped their tapping. “You are not me, Tabitha. You keep throwing yourself in without being prepared, and you’re going to get killed, or worse.”

  Tabitha snickered. “What’s worse than getting killed?”

  Barnabas caught her attention and indicated Hirotoshi and Ryu. “How about getting one of them killed? Tabitha, just take care of yourself, especially since half your team will be unavailable.”

  Tabitha frowned. “Why?”

  Barnabas pressed his lips together. “I need Jun, Katsu, and Kouki for another task.”

  “We’ll manage.” Tabitha flashed a grin at Bethany Anne and Barnabas and stood to leave. “I can’t promise anything except that I’ll get the job done.” She grabbed her coat and motioned to Hirotoshi and Ryu to follow. “What if the situation calls for something dramatic?”

  Bethany Anne closed her eyes and sighed. “Hire a theater company. You’re there to investigate, and then resolve whatever problem you find—quietly. Think of it as a lesson in subtlety.”

  Tabitha didn’t see how that was going to work since the drama managed to find her wherever she went, but whatever. “Fiiine.”

  Bethany Anne called after her as she swept out of the room, Hirotoshi and Ryu close behind, “And read the damn report. Achronyx will tell me if you don’t.”

  Bethany Anne turned to Barnabas as the door closed behind Ryu. “Remind me of this moment if I ever think of having children.”

  QBS Achronyx, Bridge

  They were about an hour out from their destination. Tabitha was asleep in her captain’s chair with her feet up on the console when Achronyx interrupted.

  “Ranger Tabitha, my report is ready.”

  Tabitha opened her eyes and made a face at the speaker beside her head. “Can it wait? I was getting my beauty sleep.”

  “Ranger Tabitha, the Empress was very clear about this.”

  Tabitha yawned and stretched. “Just give me the damn report already. You know I owe you for snitching to Bethany Anne in the first place. I bet you didn’t tell her why I haven’t been reading them when you were telling tales.”

  Achronyx almost sounded hurt. Almost. “I do not actually know why you refuse to read my reports. I put a lot of effort into them.”

  Tabitha knew that tone. Whatever Achronyx had planned would be embarrassing, that was a certainty. However, she had resolved to pull her shit together for the mission even before the mini-intervention back on the Meredith Reynolds, so she might as well take her medicine without complaining.

  She took her feet down and sat up to look at the screen. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over and done with so I can finish my nap.”

  Achronyx brought his report up onscreen. Tabitha tried to swipe past the first page, which contained a video and nothing else. “This is exactly what I’m talking about, snitch.” Tabitha winced as she watched herself dangling from the gargoyle and pointed at the screen. “How did you even get this? And what’s with the circus music?”

  “Just seemed…appropriate,” Achronyx replied. “The Empress certainly thought so.”

  “You showed it to…” Tabitha buried her face in her hands. “You know what snitches get, right?”

  “Due rewards and the satisfaction of knowing they did the right thing?”

  “Stitches, Achronyx. They get stitches.”

  “I thought you liked snitches?” Hirotoshi asked from the doorway.

  Tabitha spun her chair around. “I like snitches who work for me, not ones who run off telling tales to Bethany Anne. You know she’s not going to just sit on that video.”

  Hirotoshi came onto the bridge and took his chair. “Probably not. So what are you going to do?”

  Tabitha screwed her face up in thought, then shrugged. “Nothing I can do, except give Snitchy McTattletale here his well-deserved stitches. Unless, of course, this video disappears in the next five seconds and he makes it up to me by reading his report out loud.” The video was replaced by the real report. Tabitha sat back, put her feet back in their customary position on the console, and closed her eyes. “Good. Now, what are we heading into?”

  “You were serious?” Achronyx sounded surprised. “Okay, then. The K’nthel system has one planet that supports life, and two satellite—”

  Tabitha waved impatiently. “Yeah, Bethany Anne told us that already. Skip to what I don’t know. Who is our contact there?”

  Achronyx sniffed. “I’m getting to it, Ranger Tabitha. Two satellite stations around the planet, one of which caters to the tourist industry. It is run by a cooperative, which works in conjunction with the Order of Zaphod to maintain the balance between the spiritual needs of the Order and the expenses associated with the running of the planet’s charitable efforts. The other station belongs to the Empress.”

  “We aren’t going there first?”

  “No, and probably not at all unless the situation calls for it. First, you must meet with the Order and pick up your permits, then you are to meet with the cooperative.”
r />   Tabitha frowned. “They can’t just send the permits?”

  Achronyx paused. “That is not the way things are done there. Unfortunately, the Order believes that the way to spiritual enlightenment is through a lack of technological reliance.”

  Tabitha grimaced. “It’s not… Please, Achronyx, tell me we’re not going to a tech-ban world.”

  “If I did I would be lying. The laws here state I must not be active. I will be in hibernation from the moment we reach the system, so please do not crash the ship. However, the permits will allow you limited access to your personal tech.”

  “Ugh, paperwork!” Tabitha groaned. “Might as well hog-tie me and ask me to walk. How is a hacker supposed to function without tech?”

  Hirotoshi smiled. “It will not be all that bad, Kemosabe.”

  “What do you know?” Tabitha grumped.

  He gave her a look of practiced wisdom. “You are talking to a centuries-old vampire, remember? I was alive long before technology took over from the human brain as our primary thought process. What else, Achronyx?”

  “After you have obtained your tech permits from the Order, you will head out to the station and meet with the cooperative.”

  Tabitha interrupted again. “What species make up this Order?”

  “The Order is diverse, to represent all sections of the population. It is comprised of a human, a Yollin, a Torcellan, a Skaine—”

  “Oh, well, stop right there, Achronyx,” Tabitha announced. “We already have our criminal. Case closed. Let’s go arrest the scumbag Skaine and get our asses home. No visits to tech-ban planets necessary.”

  Hirotoshi sighed.

  Achronyx chose to let her flippancy go unnoticed. “That is not going to work, Ranger Tabitha. The planetary defenses will take out any ship without the relevant permits.”

  Tabitha frowned. “So they enforce the tech ban…with tech?”

  “Yes,” Achronyx confirmed. “Technology provided at the discretion of the Empress, so let’s not get me blown up. I like this body.”