“Ah, I’m glad I found you. Do you have news from your people?” Karter asked.
Trix walked away without a greeting to Karter. She seemed to dislike him as much as Iza did.
“Regarding what?”
Karted tsked. “Don’t play coy. It’s been days, and we’ve had plenty of stops when a message could have come through. What have you found out?”
Joe dropped his voice. “You better be careful what you say out in the open.”
“Trix knows, doesn’t she?” Karter looked around him. “It’s just us. So?”
“I haven’t received any communications from TSS Headquarters, but I’ll inform you as soon as I do,” Joe said. He clapped Karter on the back as if they were old friends then turned back to enter his own cabin.
Iza would have to wait. He didn’t want to risk Karter finding out anything before she did. As soon as he could get her alone, he’d tell her about what he’d learned.
— — —
Iza sat on the flight deck contemplating her next move. Since they’d been in orbit over Hubyria for at least an hour without any trouble, she figured they were clear to land the shuttle.
Once there, they would have a couple days before the auction to smooth things over with Yeaga. The woman had made it clear Iza wasn’t welcome on the planet. However, to take care of Viper and get the sphere back, Iza would have to find a way to change Yeaga’s mind.
Braedon had been on his handheld all morning, probably playing a game. Iza rolled her eyes at his lack of attention and slid out of her chair. She snuck a look over his shoulder just out of his peripheral vision. What she saw, though, wasn’t a game. There were several images on the page, and one of them looked like a hand-drawn image of her own face.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing,” he said, trying to hide it.
“It’s something.” She snatched the handheld out of his hand and held it away from him while she balanced a knee over his crotch to prevent him from getting up. “It looks like you’re making a cartoon. I haven’t seen one of those since I was a kid.”
“Braedon has been working on it for over a month,” Trix volunteered from her workstation next to him.
“Sensationalist!” He glared at Trix while still trying to grab his handheld. “It’s just a little something I do when I’m bored.” He leaned back, guarding himself with one hand while stretching the other up to yank the device away from Iza. He dropped down into his chair in front of her with the handheld clutched to his chest.
“It looks like that job we pulled on Phiris. Are you writing some kind of story?” Iza asked.
“It’s a comic,” he mumbled.
“Let me see.” Iza held out her hand for him to show her.
Braedon stared down at her hand. “You won’t laugh?”
“No promises.” Iza wiggled her fingers out in front of her.
Braedon’s shoulders dropped as he handed her the device.
Iza studied the image. It featured a cartoon version of herself and Jovani on Phiris with a crate just before they got caught by the armed guards. Braedon had cast himself as some kind of superhero wearing a blue cape.
“I like to make up stories sometimes. I may even create a virtual game based on Captain Valterri’s adventures,” Braedon said. “I know it’s amateurish, but I hand-drew the characters myself. The animation will be hard, so I’m creating the storyboard first and then I’ll need to make 3D renderings of each of the characters. It’s not easy.”
“I understand. Can I give you one piece of advice?”
She watched as Braedon took in a deep breath as if preparing to take pulse fire.
“You should lose the cape. The whole thing would get caught in the force field fencing system they had on Phiris. The cape will only get you killed.”
“Really?!” His voice took on a higher octave, matching his excitement. “I wondered if it was too much. I was going for a sort of retro thing with the cape, but I’m not set on it. Otherwise, though, you like it?”
“I don’t hate it. For example, I like what you did with my hair, not bad. I doubt Jovani will appreciate being cast as the wimp, though.”
Braedon’s mouth hung open in surprise.
“What?” she asked.
“I thought you’d be mad.”
“Should I be?”
“Well, I sort of exaggerated your features a bit. And I made you more of a sidekick character than the lead. I put you in a dress and everything.”
“The story is made-up, and you used the crew as inspiration. I’m not mad. Although, if you’re going to exaggerate anything, I’d think you’d give me more backside. The breasts are large enough.” She shook her head playfully. “I’m surprised at you. Keep some semblance of proportion!”
Iza laughed as she watched Braedon struggle to avoid looking down at her chest. Poor thing, it wasn’t his fault. He was sitting, and she was standing right in front of him. He pulled his handheld up to eye level and managed to turn in his seat without ogling her. Well done.
She returned to her seat at the center of the flight deck. “Braedon, have you heard back about our application to attend the auction?”
“Oh, right! Yes, gave us the option to buy in to two seats. I also got in touch with Viper and she’s agreed to meet with me.”
“Good, what did you say to get her to come?”
“I said while you were off dealing with the miners, I wanted to show her this new game I’ve been working on. It worked. Honestly, I didn’t think she’d go for it.”
“I’m not surprised at all. I knew you’d convince her.”
“Hey, Iz, one question though,” he turned in his seat to look at her.
“Sure.”
“I thought she was your friend? I mean, we’re doing this job with her. Why aren’t we just inviting her over?”
“Yeah, well, when we met on Sarduvis, our friendship came with some stipulations. She seems to have forgotten what they were.”
Braedon raised one eyebrow but shrugged.
“Whatever the reason, I’d hate to be on your bad side.”
He was right, of course. She’d gotten Viper out of prison and given her a chance to straighten up. She’d made the young girl promise never to get herself in trouble again. Yet, she’d been at the party and with Captain Douketis and his people. Somewhere along the way, she’d forgotten her promise.
“Any trouble with Hubyrian border patrol?”
“No, they approved our codes. Why, are you expecting trouble?”
“Always. Trix, prep the shuttle. Braedon, you and Jovani get dressed for your buy-in at the auction. I’ll meet you in the cargo hold for final instructions.”
“Sure thing, Iz.”
Braedon and Trix set about their tasks.
Iza looked down at the dog, who was already whining. “No way. I don’t care how sad you can make your eyes, you’re not coming.”
On her way to the cargo area, Iza stopped in the infirmary to remind Cierra that they needed her.
“Yes, Captain?” Cierra looked bored.
“I need you on the flight deck, remember?”
“I had hoped to collect more oats. We’re completely out. I realize the rest of you don’t value real food, but it’s important that we have something that isn’t just processed food bars.”
Iza started to tune her out after oats but maintained a neutral expression. “Noted. With the rest of us off the ship and Karter on board, I need you holding down the flight deck. Can you handle it? I’m taking the shuttle down to the surface with Braedon, Trix, and Jovani.”
“You can’t trust him.”
“I don’t, which is why you’ll be on the flight deck. Don’t worry, you don’t need to touch any of the buttons, just be there.”
“No, I’m not talking about Karter; that’s obvious. I’m talking about Jovani.”
“What?”
Cierra poked her head into the corridor and checked that no one was nearby. “Come on, we need to talk.�
� She led Iza to her cabin and closed the door.
The aroma of Cierra’s plants assaulted Iza while the humidity in the room seemed several degrees above normal. “Are you playing with the environmental controls in here?”
“No.” Cierra shook her head and waved her hands. “They’re already waiting for you. We don’t have much time.”
Iza pushed down the pit in her stomach and crossed her arms over her chest. Cierra wasn’t her favorite person on board, but she tried to keep her imagination in check. Listen, Iza, give her a chance.
Cierra shifted from side to side, lacing her fingers together and then releasing them to rest at her sides. Iza couldn’t ever remember seeing her so anxious. Her normally calm and casual demeanor had become a like a comfortable blanket. Seeing her like this made Iza’s heart race and shift in her own shoes.
“Out with it,” she said, losing her patience.
Cierra took a deep breath and sighed. “Jovani, isn’t who he says he is. He’s a TSS Agent.”
“He was a TSS Agent,” Iza said with more conviction than she had.
Cierra shook her head, lifting her hands to ring them again. “No, Jovani is an active Agent. He’s working with the TSS now.”
Iza wanted to believe she couldn’t possibly know. There had to be proof before she could let herself believe it. The doubt must have shown on her face because Cierra continued.
“I got it from Karter. Jovani’s using his abilities to block Karter’s thoughts, but he’s not strong enough to block me from his own thoughts and Karter’s. It took a while, but the truth slipped through.”
“Why would he be blocking Karter’s thoughts?”
Cierra shrugged. “I don’t know, but Karter’s trying to keep something hidden from us, and it’s not Jovani’s secret so it must be something else. Jovani’s helping protect him, but I suspect he doesn’t want to or he’d be more careful around me.”
Iza nodded, though she wasn’t sure she understood.
Cierra put her hands out to Iza’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. It’s not normally in my nature to get involved, but for the safety of all of us, I thought you needed to know.”
Iza tried to reconcile all the conversations she’d had with Jovani up to now. He’d had ample opportunity to tell her the truth. She might not have even cared so much if he’d been straight with her. Then she thought of all the times he’d come through for them. It had begun on Sarduvis when he got them all released from Enforcer custody. That had got her attention, but the connection between them distracted her from focusing on how he got them all out. Him having active ties to the TSS explained how he’d pulled those strings, and it also went a long way to explain how the Verity had ended up with an independent jump drive.
“You should go. They’re already in the cargo hold.” Cierra turned Iza around by the shoulders and guided her toward the door.
Iza whirled around and looked Cierra in her eyes. Regardless of how painful it was to learn the truth, she was grateful. “Keep this knowledge between us. I don’t want the others to know just yet and—” The words caught in her throat. After everything they’d been through, she was trusting Cierra over Jovani. Hadn’t he told her she was holding something back? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be worse than his secret. Now she had to do what was necessary to protect herself.
Cierra seemed to understand her hesitation and spoke in a gentle, soothing tone. She reached out to Iza, as if through the power of touch she could convey the truth in her words. “If I learn of anything else, you’ll be the first to know.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Iza stumbled out of Cierra’s cabin with incense smoke clinging to her clothes and her heart in pieces. Why didn’t he come to me and tell me the truth? Instead, Jovani had let Cierra reveal his secret for him.
The others had the shuttle prepped by the time she arrived in the cargo hold. Trix had already boarded while Braedon and Jovani were standing outside the shuttle waiting for her. Braedon had chosen one of his expensive new suits to wear, dark blue with metal fasteners along one side of his chest. Jovani wore all black with black shades covering his eyes, looking his best to appear to be private security, but looking more like an Agent. It was so obvious now, she wondered why she hadn’t noticed it before.
She must have been frowning because they mistook it for disapproval.
“Is everything okay?” Braedon asked. “Don’t you think they’ll buy it?”
Iza smiled. “No, of course they will, you both look perfect.”
“Now, what do you want me to say to Viper?” Braedon asked.
“Nothing, Trix and I will meet Viper at the coordinates.”
“Oh, I thought I was—”
“No, we’ll handle her,” Iza told him. “Scope out the situation with the auction. I want to know exactly where they’re keeping the items and everything about the security. If I know Captain Douketis, they’re already here.”
“Whatever you say, Captain.” Braedon gave a mock salute and boarded the shuttle.
“Any word from Yeaga?” Jovani asked once Braedon was beyond earshot. He was so perceptive.
“No, which means she’s got something else planned for me.”
“Are you sure about this? Maybe I should go with you,” he said. When he reached out and touched her, she had to fight not to flinch.
“No, she’ll sense you. Trix and I are the only ones she won’t see coming. Signal if you run into any trouble.”
Jovani lowered his voice. “I wanted to tell you earlier but I never got the chance. I managed to get in touch with someone who has TSS access.”
“Really?” Iza asked raising an eyebrow. I bet I know who that person is.
“Yes, and it appears the sphere was made by an alien species that doesn’t want any contact with Tarans.”
Iza’s mouth dropped open. Aliens?
“The TSS believes that using any technology connected to this species would be extremely dangerous. Though it wasn’t stated to me directly, I got the impression that there may have been some sort of ancient agreement with these aliens that Tarans would leave them alone and never pursue research of their tech. If that hunch is true, then using this sphere might violate the treaty, assuming these aliens are still around.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I can’t help but worry that if the sphere falls into the wrong hands, it could inadvertently drag the Taran Empire into a war with an alien race with superior technology and abilities.”
If what Jovani was telling her about the sphere was true, then she had even more reason to get it away from Douketis and keep it from Mr. Arvonen.
“What kind of abilities?”
“I’m not sure, it’s just speculation. But I know advanced telekinesis used to be a common trait in past Tarans, so whatever made our ancestors blacklist an entire region of space must have been a formidable enemy. I just wanted you to know what the stakes are walking into this.”
Iza knew what was at stake. The question was, could she trust him now that she knew the truth? At the moment, she didn’t have an answer, and going into something like this and not completely trusting her team was a dangerous move. She might get herself captured or killed; or worse, someone else.
—
Iza sat in the parked shuttle waiting for Viper to arrive. The agreed upon rendezvous location was near an abandoned factory, one of the few prominent landmarks in Hubyria’s desolate landscape. Patches of lichen were the only visible vegetation to break up the dark rock stretching to the horizon.
The shuttle sat out in the open with no cover. If Viper had arrived early, she’d be able to watch them from the abandoned building. It was ten minutes past the arranged meeting time, making Iza agitated and anxious. Maybe Viper had been tipped off.
“Your blood pressure has increased by one point three percent,” Trix observed.
“Don’t worry about my vitals. Monitor the sensors and inform me the minute there’s even a slight indication she’s in the vicinity.”
; “You mean like a heat signature traveling at a steady speed of twenty kilometers an hour and headed for our location?”
Iza perked up. “That’s a whole new level of funny even for you,” Iza said with a side-long glance at her friend. “Where is she?”
“Coming in from the south. It looks like she’s on some kind of hoverboard,” Trix said.
“She’ll be here at any second. Get ready. I want her to see you working around the shuttle.”
“The shuttle is functioning normally.”
“Look for some boulders to move. She only wants to know where Braedon is, so that’s the only question she’ll ask you.” She pushed Trix toward the exit hatch.
Iza turned on the exterior cameras so she could watch the exchange on the holodisplay.
Viper leaped off the board and approached Trix with a relaxed smile. She didn’t seem to be expecting trouble. Good.
“Hey, what did those boulders ever do to you?”
Trix dropped the boulder. “Are you looking for Braedon?”
Iza slapped a hand to her forehead. She needs to work on her acting skills.
“Yes, is he around?” Viper asked as she scanned the surrounding rock formations.
“No, he’s not here,” Trix said.
That’s not what she was supposed to say! Iza leaped from her seat and headed out the hatch.
Viper must have heard her coming because she turned and started to drop her board, intending to ride away on it. Trix anticipated the movement and held her with one hand. In a lightening move, Viper knocked aside the hand holding her and gripped it with her other.
Mechanical components whirred with strain. Viper had been augmented. There was no way she could match an android’s strength and reflexes without upgrades of her own.
The two were locked hand-in-hand, dancing around each other while Viper struggled to get away and Trix held her steady.
“That’s enough!” Iza’s voice boomed, and they both stopped but didn’t let go.
“Viper, I want to ask you a few questions. Can we sit down like civilized people?” Iza held out a hand toward the shuttle hatch.
Divided Loyalties (Verity Chronicles Book 2): A Cadicle Space Opera Adventure Page 15
