by Susan Hayes
Dax responded while she was still reading. “Nova Force doesn’t try to put corporations out of business. We investigate crimes and suspicious incidents. If we find evidence of wrongdoing, we proceed accordingly. Our mandate is to ensure the corporations obey the laws as set out in the Unified Galactic Agreement. We don’t spin narratives, we enforce the law.”
She set the tablet down on the table hard enough it clattered. “I don’t see it that way. I refuse to accept these findings until I see the supporting documentation. Then I want to replicate these myself to verify them.”
“The data was provided to you as a courtesy. Whether you accept it or not, our findings have already been sent to Nova Force Headquarters. Furthermore, now that we have sufficient cause, I’m formally requesting that you allow us to take blood samples from a randomly selected group of Bellex workers so we can screen it for cobalt.”
“This is unacceptable. You’ve been moving so slowly on this investigation I wasn’t sure you were accomplishing anything at all, and now, suddenly, you’re fast-tracking the process and giving us no time to process what’s happened or respond.”
“We’ve been moving as fast as we can. Investigations, done properly, take time to piece together.”
Everest cleared his throat, then spoke in a gratingly cheerful tone. “Dr. Downs, We’re all on the same side, here. I’m as frustrated as you are, but I think you can agree that everyone has been working hard to get this investigation done the right way.”
Her reaction was surprisingly understated given how agitated she’d been only a few seconds before. “Oh. Well, yes. Of course we’re on the same side, but this could have been done much quicker if I’d been allowed to do the job I came here to do.”
Everest replied before Dax could, trying once again to diffuse the situation. “Speed is not always a virtue, Dr. Downs. Rushing leads to mistakes, and mistakes are messy.”
The others kept talking, but Dante wasn’t listening anymore. He was staring at Everest and replaying the last words he’d said. Words he had heard before. The voices droned as he raised his hand, using it to block out Everest’s face while leaving the rest of his body visible. Son of a fraxxing bitch.
He was on his feet the next second, lunging across the table to grab Everest by the shirt and hauled him off his feet. “You! I knew you were familiar! You bastard, you jammed an explosive chip into my neck. Did you think I’d forget you after that?”
The room erupted into chaos. Downs screamed and scuttled backward, Trinity dove into the fray, and Dax barked out an order that overrode Dante’s fury. “Put Mr. Everest down and explain yourself, Sergeant!”
Dante wanted to tear Everest’s head off, but he knew better than to disobey his commander. He let go of the smaller man, dropping him onto the table with a satisfying thunk before turning to face Dax, coming to attention, and snapping off a crisp salute. “Apologies for the disruption, sir. I’ve been trying to figure out where I know this man from since I first saw him. It didn’t hit me until just now. I recognized the phrase he used, sir. Word for word. It’s the same thing my abductor said while I was held prisoner on the planet.”
Everest had struggled back to his feet while Dante explained, then backed as far away from him as the room allowed. “I was on this ship during that event. It couldn’t have been me. Your entire crew is my alibi!”
“I can’t explain it, sir. But I know he was there. Though, I got the impression the man I met on the surface was older…but it’s the same man. The voice. The hair. The build. I’m certain it’s him.”
“You’d better be. You’re putting your career on the line here, Strak. And so am I.” Dax turned to Everest. “Chad Everest, you are hereby taken into Nova Force custody.”
“For what? I’ve done nothing. Nothing! I was here with you during the entire event on Bellex 3. This is insane.” He turned to his cohort, and Dante caught an edge of command to his next words. “Debba, tell them this isn’t acceptable.”
Dax raised a brow, which told Dante he’d caught the shift in tone, too.
Downs didn’t react as if she’d been given an order, however. Instead, she stepped away from Everest and shrugged. “As you pointed out earlier, we are all on the same side, Chad. We both know you were on the Malora the whole time, so the sooner we cooperate with this farcical demand, the sooner you’ll be exonerated.”
“Are you sure that’s the best course of action?” Everest asked in a lowly, silky smooth tone that set Dante’s teeth on edge.
The doctor’s gaze dropped to Everest’s hands. His finger was resting lightly atop a slender band of polished silver. Another fragment of Dante’s memories clicked into place. He’d seen that band before, too. “Put your hands on the tabletop right now, Mr. Everest.”
Everest didn’t look happy, but he complied with the order and grudgingly set his hands on the table. The moment he did, Trinity stepped in behind him and looked at Dante. “What did you see?”
“That band on his left wrist. I don’t know what it is, exactly, but I think it’s some kind of weapon.” He glanced over to Downs. “You know what that is, don’t you?”
She did her best, but her micro-expressions revealed the truth before she uttered a word. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Trinity removed the object from Everest’s wrist with care and handed it to Dax, who examined it briefly and then turned his attention to his two guests. “Dr. Downs, I assume you will want to notify your superiors what has happened here. You may do that now, if you wish, while Lieutenant West and I have a word with Mr. Everest, here.”
“I uh. Of course. They will not be pleased about this. Not at all. Your treatment of Mr. Everest and I will be reported.”
“I’m sure it will.” Dax didn’t look concerned by the news. They’d heard it all before. Every time one of the corporations got caught breaking the law, they went on the attack.
“Sir, I’d like permission to be part of the questioning of Mr. Everest,” Dante said.
“Permission denied. You’re to give this to Ensign Erben for safekeeping.” He handed over the metal band. “Then I need a supplemental report from you detailing your actions today and why you felt they were necessary.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed, Sergeant.”
Dante nodded and turned to Downs. “After you, ma’am.”
He kept his eye on her as they left. She didn’t look at Everest even once, and as they left the room, he saw her shoulders sag. He didn’t know what the fraxx was going on with these two, but it was clear things were not as they appeared. One day, they’d have a nice, simple, straightforward investigation where the motive was obvious and no one lied. Today was not that day.
Chapter Seventeen
Tyra stood at Nico’s bedside and watched the boy sleep. He was resting quietly after the procedure, and by the time he woke up, the minute incision she’d made wouldn’t show at all. She’d left the tattoo for now.
She checked his vitals one last time, then left him to take another look at the microchip she’d removed. It looked so harmless now. It was smaller than the one Dante had been injected with, which she assumed was because it was only made to carry information, not explosives.
Later, she’d give it to Eric to look at. Of course, she’d have to tell the others what she’d done, first, starting with Dante. Once he’d finished scolding her for keeping her plan a secret, he’d help her find the right way to inform the commander.
When the med-bay door opened, she assumed it was Dante. She set the chip down and turned to greet him, only to stare in confusion. There was no one there.
“Well, that’s odd,” she muttered to herself and turned away.
“Not odd. Just good tech.” A woman’s voice came out of thin air somewhere to her left.
Tyra spun in that direction in time to see the air dance in distorted waves to reveal Dr. Downs with a blaster in her hand and a cold smile on her face. “Hello, Dr. Li.”
Tyra kept
her shock at bay long enough to position herself between Downs and Nico. “I don’t know how you got in here, but you can’t have him. Nico deserves so much better than anything Bellex could ever give him.”
Downs actually looked surprised. “You think I’m here for the boy?”
“You’re not? What else could you want? I’m damned sure you can get your hands on a sample of cobalt anytime you like.”
“You’re right.” Downs’ calm confession hit Tyra like a runaway comet.
“I’m… what?”
“Right. About all of it. Bellex, the cobalt, the hellish and probably very short life that boy will have if he goes back to the company.” She waved a hand at herself. “They own me, too. At least, they did. You’re going to help me change that.”
“Like hell I am.”
Downs lowered the blaster slightly. “I don’t have time for this, so I’ll make it simple. You managed to get the chip out of the kid’s neck, and now you’re going to remove mine. That’s all I want.”
“How did you know about that? And how the fraxx did you get in here?” Tyra’s mind was racing as she tried to make sense of everything.
Downs growled in frustration. “There’s no time. Right now, your teammates are distracted, and so is Everest. This is my chance. My only chance. Whatever tools you used to get that thing out of the boy, grab them and come with me.”
“No.”
“If you don’t, I’ll kill him.” She stepped to the side and pointed the blaster at the bed where Nico slept. “You can try to stop me, but it will take the others a while to get here, and I’m a decent shot. The odds are not in your favor.”
Tyra knew that if she went with the other woman, the chances of her living to see another day were close to zero, but she wouldn’t risk Nico’s life to save her own. Dante would understand. If the worst happened, he’d take care of the boy. In fact, he’d be the perfect protector and mentor. The thought gave her pause. If she lived, she’d have to give that more consideration.
She nodded. “I’ll go with you, but only if you leave him alone. And he stays here. If you want a hostage, you’ll have to make do with me.”
Downs lowered the blaster. “Like I said, he’s of no interest to me. Get moving. We don’t have long.”
Tyra went to the sterilizer, pulled the instruments out she’d need, and placed them in her med-kit. While she was doing that, she managed to pull her comm out of her pocket and tuck it into the kit without Downs noticing. “You still didn’t tell me how you got in here, or how you think we’re going to walk out of here together.”
Downs patted a small device attached to her belt. “It’s called a personal shield generator. I don’t understand the technobabble, but basically, it bends light around the wearer, making me more or less invisible. Very handy little gadget. We’re not going to walk out of here—you are. At least, that’s what the ship’s sensors will think.”
“You’re not hiding at the moment, though.”
“No need. This ship’s AI was very helpful. It explained that it was monitoring the corridors of the off-limit areas, not the rooms themselves.”
There hadn’t been time to activate the distress beacon on her communicator in the second she had to smuggle it into the kit, but eventually, Downs would let her guard down. All Tyra had to do was be ready to move when that moment came. She closed her med-kit and set the strap over her shoulder. “I’m ready. Where are we going?”
“Not yet. Where’s your comm?” Downs demanded.
“On my desk, along with the chip I took out of Nico,” she lied.
“I’m surprised you didn’t call for help the second I showed up.”
“I was distracted by the crazy lady pointing a weapon at me and an innocent child.”
“I’m not crazy, I’m desperate. This chip in my neck contains an explosive. Fun fact, they designed these things to heat up to over one hundred degrees before they go boom, which means if I screw up, I don’t just die, I die screaming. I’ve seen it happen, and I’m not going out that way.” Downs gestured to the door. “Move it. And remember, you’re walking alone. Nice and casual. No trying to attract attention, no sudden moves.”
“Got it. Since I can’t see you to follow you, you’re going to need to tell me where we’re going.”
“Deck two. Shuttle bay four. I need to put as much distance between me and this fraxxing place as I can before they figure out what’s going on. I don’t know what the range is on the detonators, but it can’t be that far, or they wouldn’t have sent Chad on this mission.”
“Chad? What detonators? You still haven’t told me how you knew I removed Nico’s chip, either.”
“You are full of fraxxing questions, aren’t you?” Downs touched a switch on the shield generator, and a second later she had vanished from sight, with only a faint shimmer marking her location. “I’ll make you a deal. Do what I tell you when I tell you, and I’ll answer all your questions once you’ve got this chip out of me. After that, I’ll tell you every Bellex secret I know.”
Tyra walked into the corridor and set out for the shuttle bay, hoping with every step that she’d cross paths with someone so she could signal them for help. She held onto that hope until she stepped on board the Bellex ship and the door sealed behind her with an ominous thud.
“Strap yourself in. It’s going to be fast launch. Once I’m sure we’re in the clear, you’re going to take this thing out of my neck and give me my life back.”
Tyra took her seat without saying a word. She hugged the med-kit to her chest and tried to work out a plan. If she activated the beacon now, the team would stop Downs, but Downs would have more than enough time to kill her before they got inside. Once she removed the chip, Downs would kill her anyway. That is, if she managed to remove it without setting off the explosives and killing them both. She needed to time this carefully if she wanted to get out of this alive.
The only thing she was certain of was that the moment she hit the beacon, Dante would come for her. No matter what happened next, she wasn’t alone anymore.
Dante left the briefing room and headed to Eric’s domain, a cubby-sized room aft of the cockpit. Inside the heavily-shielded room resided the electronic brain of the ship, along with an ever-expanding collection of partially repaired systems, tools, and spare parts that Eric affectionally referred to as his hoard.
He considered stopping by the med-bay to update Tyra on his way but decided against it. Dax would want a full report on what Everest’s odd fashion accessory was and how it worked, and he’d want it soon. Dante had let his temper get the better of him back there, and that meant he needed to stay on target for the next while or he’d be on the receiving end of a verbal ass-kicking from his commander.
Eric was in his usual spot, reclined in a chair, feet propped up on the desk. His eyes were closed, and his slack expression clued Dante into the fact Eric was jacked directly into the Malora’s system even before he spotted the telltale cord trailing from his arm jack.
He smacked Eric’s boot. “Wakey-wakey, Magi. Commander’s got a job for you.”
Eric’s eyes snapped open, and he held out a hand expectantly. “And hello to you too, Buttercup. Whatcha got for me?”
“A new toy for you to play with. I think it’s some kind of weapon, so try not to blow us up while you’re figuring out what it does.”
Eric sat up and took the band from Dante eagerly. “Oh, shiny. Where’d this come from? Details, big guy. I’m going to need details.”
“You weren’t listening in?”
“Not this time. I’ve been running surface scans trying to find a match to the chemical signatures your Daisy gave me earlier.”
“My Daisy? Please tell me that’s not the nickname you’ve chosen for Tyra.”
“You like it? It was that or Tiger Lily, but she seems more like a Daisy to me.”
“What is it with you and the nicknames? You need a hobby. Get out more. Maybe try talking to people in the real world instead of that
tribe of digital delinquents you call friends.”
“The last time I tried that, it didn’t go well for me, remember?” Eric’s words were colored with hurt and regret. “I should probably stick to the digital world for a while. The real world is a little too real for me these days.”
“You couldn’t have known. You were only just getting to know her.”
“I should have known something was up. That’s our whole fraxxing job, and I didn’t see it. Maybe if I had, she’d still be here. Maybe they’d all still be here.”
“Yeah, and if wishes and buts were candy and nuts, no one would ever go hungry.”
Eric’s lips quirked into a momentary grin. “That’s your sage advice? Really?”
“My mother wasn’t big on wisdom.”
Eric scoffed. “Or empathy, apparently.”
“Not so much, no. Now, if we’re done discussing the many ways the women in our pasts have let us down, can we get back to your new assignment?”
“Tell me about this shiny gizmo and what I missed while I was hooked in and tuned out.”
Dante leaned against the wall, the only spot he fit in the cramped space, and recounted the highlights of the meeting with Downs and Everest. He included his recollections of his brief captivity. Eric interjected with occasional questions that helped jar loose a few more snippets of memory, and by the time he was done, he was even more certain Everest and the man he’d met on the surface were closely related.
“You got access to the DNA we pulled off me after I was taken?” he asked out of the blue.
“Yeah. Most of it belonged to the guys who gave you that beatdown.”
“Any of it unmatched?”
Magi held up a finger and closed his eyes for a few seconds, scanning through the digital records through his data port instead of doing it manually. When his eyes opened again, he was grinning. “How’d you guess?”
“Playing a hunch. I’ll ask Rossi to get a DNA sample from Everest and run it against our mystery match. They have to be connected somehow.”
