Poisoned Pawn

by Jaleta Clegg

  “You’re going on report. Do you realize what you’ve done?” He leaned on the table, ignoring me and Lowell to shout at Tayvis. “Two decades of research are ruined. You disrupted migration routes. You destroyed at least two denning sites. You shot a female bushy. In less than three weeks, you’ve destroyed everything we’ve done here.”

  “Trey,” Lowell said.

  The man turned to Lowell. “He isn’t one of yours, Lowell. He’s mine and he is going to pay for his clumsiness. Can you believe the damage he’s caused? Years wasted!” The man slapped his clipboard again.

  “I’ll deal with him, Trey,” Lowell said. “I’m sure he didn’t know what he was doing. He isn’t trained for this kind of field work.”

  Trey blinked, looking between Lowell and Tayvis. He shot me a single glance. “He is one of yours?” He sounded confused.

  “He used to work for me,” Lowell said. His glance flickered over my face, his silver eyes unreadable.

  “Well, then,” Trey said. He tapped his clipboard a few times. “I’m still putting him on report. All of this trouble over one woman,” he muttered as he wandered away.

  “So, you’re the one.” That was bellowed next to the table by a thickly built man dressed in very expensive clothing. He stared appraisingly at me. He had to be Hom Daviessbrowun. He snorted, dismissing me.

  I felt like an animal in a zoo. Or a piece of merchandise that didn’t quite measure up. I wished I’d stayed in my hut where Paltronis could scare them away.

  “You did a good job picking someone who looks a bit like Miya,” the man said to Lowell. “Can’t say much for your methods, though.” He grabbed my chin and pulled my face up. “Miya’s got more spunk.”

  Something in me snapped. I slapped his hand away and stood. He looked a bit surprised.

  “Then your precious Miya can get herself kidnapped next time,” I snarled. It was as if all the anger and frustration that I’d built up cut loose at once. “I didn’t ask for this. It wasn’t an assignment. I am not Patrol,” I shouted into Daviessbrowun’s face.

  He was turning red, his mouth tight with anger. “Control your agent, Lowell,” he commanded.

  “I don’t work for him,” I said. The room around us was very quiet.

  “Then I’ll have you arrested for impersonating my daughter,” Daviessbrowun said. “You have some nerve dragging me into this mess.”

  “No, you and your daughter have some nerve.”

  He raised his hand to slap me. Tayvis was at my elbow immediately. Daviessbrowun backed down, but he was furious about doing it.

  “How dare you,” he shouted at me. “You’ll both be scrubbing toilets for the rest of your lives over this.”

  “Are you threatening me?” I shouted back. “I could nail you to the wall for what happened to me.” I took a step forward. Daviessbrowun stepped back. “I was mistaken for your daughter. What happened was a direct result of your business dealings. It’s your fault.” I took another step forward, Daviessbrowun backed up again. “I have full membership in the Independent Traders Guild. I could have you blacklisted by every trader and shipping company in the Empire.” It wasn’t an empty threat and Daviessbrowun knew it. “I am not Patrol. I’m a member with full standing and privileges in the Guild. Think about that before you threaten me.” I shoved my way past him and stalked out of the kitchen.

  My anger left as quickly as it had come, leaving me empty. I saw the stares, the looks of pity, from the people swarming over the camp. I couldn’t take anymore. I spotted a table under a tree, isolated from the bustle of the camp. I picked my way over to it and sat in one of the rickety chairs, facing away. I pulled my feet up, wrapping my arms around my knees, resting my chin on them.

  I could feel the walls in my mind crumbling. Walls built by Lowell’s empath to keep back the pain, to hide what I’d been through, weren’t holding. I remembered everything and wondered if I’d ever be myself again.

  Footsteps swished through the grass behind me. I hunched deeper into the chair. I didn’t want anyone’s pity or understanding. I wanted to feel the anger burning away the hurt. I wanted to feel safe again. I wanted to be strong again.

  “Would you really do that to Daviessbrowun?” Lowell asked. He sounded amused. “I don’t think anyone’s ever left him speechless quite like that before.”

  I didn’t answer. I was empty of everything, except for the pain.

  Lowell put his hand on my shoulder. “Ushia didn’t help much, did she. You’re one of the few that just have to deal with things, without help.”

  Something in his voice made me look up, some shadow of pain that mirrored my own. He gave me a wry smile.

  “They can’t help me either,” he admitted. “It does get easier, with time.”

  Someone cleared their throat behind us. Lowell shifted his hand away, as if that contact were too revealing. I watched the mask slide back over his face as he turned to greet whoever had come.

  “Chief Querran,” he said. “Please, join us.”

  She came around the table, standing on my other side. I sighed and let my feet slide back to the ground as I turned to face her. She was an older woman, slender but looking as tough as overcooked eggs.

  “Hom Daviessbrowun is screaming for your blood,” she said conversationally. “But not very loudly.” She shifted her attention back to Lowell. “The Sector Governor is on his way here. He should be landing soon.” She sighed, looking very tired. “He’s concerned about the mess we’ve created. He wants to know why we’re ruining his reelection chances. He wants to know why we didn’t just handle this situation quietly.” She sat in the chair next to me. “I’d like to tell him what to do with his questions but it wouldn’t be very politic of me.”

  “Then let me deal with him,” Lowell said. “What was his name again?”

  “Sector Governor Jin Margolian.”

  Lowell’s face split in a very wide grin. “I was wondering what had become of Jin. Don’t worry about a thing.”

  The sound of flitters, large ones, reached us about the same time as the wind of their landing beat at the trees. I almost felt sorry for the Sector Governor.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  I slipped away from the table during the confusion of the Governor's landing. I didn’t want to meet him. I wanted to talk to Tayvis. I was surprised he hadn’t followed me out of the kitchen hut. I headed around the far end of the camp, looking for him.

  Paltronis sat outside a hut. She looked upset over something.

  “This isn’t my hut,” I said confused.

  “I’ve been reassigned. That bruccadi Trey Hofsinger put Tayvis on report.” From the way she spat the unfamiliar word I gathered it was a pretty bad insult. “He’s restricted to quarters. You want to see him? No one specifically told me he couldn’t have visitors,” she said, scratching her ear.

  I hesitated, suddenly very shy and unsure. Did I want to see him? Did I even know what I wanted to say to him?

  Paltronis stood, leaning close and talking very softly. “I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. Go on.” She nudged me towards the door.

  I stepped inside the hut and stopped. Tayvis was lying on the bunk. He looked over at me.

  “This is a change,” I said, trying nervously to joke. “I’m the one that’s usually under arrest.”

  He stood, looking as awkward as I felt. “All I did was shoot a bushy.”

  “I’m glad you did, if you’re talking about the big black things with lots of teeth out in the woods.” I twisted my hands together, looking away. “I’m sorry about what I said before. I tried to send you a message. Ever since Tebros.”

  “I know. You told me about it.”

  “Did I? Things were really blurry for a while. I don’t know what I dreamed and what really happened.” I folded my arms, looking anywhere but at him. I didn’t want him to see what I’d dreamed. “Did I dream you that night in the woods?”

  He quirked his lip. “Depends on the dream.”


  “What’s Lowell going to do to you?”

  “Lowell can’t touch me. I resigned. It’s up to Planetary Survey to decide what to do with me.” He moved towards me and stopped a step away, uncertain. “And what about you?”

  “I’ll survive,” I said, rubbing my arms. I was cold, though the day outside was hot.

  Paltronis stuck her head in. “Your escort’s here,” she said to Tayvis. “You don’t have to do this,” she added, coming into the hut. “Just go to Lowell. You don’t belong in Planetary Survey, Tayvis.” She looked over at me. “Tell him, Dace.”

  “Tell him what? To go back to working for Lowell? I don’t think he’d believe me.”

  Two big Enforcers, not Lowell’s, showed up in front of the hut. “We’re here for Ensign Third Class Tayvis,” one of them said.

  Paltronis winced. “Is it really worth it, Tayvis?”

  “Someday I’ll tell you about it.” He touched my arm. “Be careful, Dace.”

  “I’ll remember what you said. In the woods.”

  He smiled. I hugged him, feeling very self-conscious. He wrapped his arms around me, carefully gentle.

  The Enforcer cleared his throat, waving force cuffs in one hand. Tayvis let go of me then stepped out of the hut, walking away between the Enforcers. His tan uniform stood out against their black. I wondered if I’d spend my whole life watching him walk away from me.

  Paltronis looked sad. “Stupid stubborn men,” she muttered. She turned to me. “We’re breaking camp soon. Lowell wanted to talk to you before you left.”

  “Do you like working for him?” I asked her.

  “I don’t go undercover. I don’t know if I would like him if I did.” She stepped out of the hut. “Lowell’s coming this way.”

  I stood just outside the door of the hut feeling lost, displaced. I was barefoot, wearing a uniform that wasn’t mine. I wanted to go home. I had a home to go to, that thought warmed me. I looked for Tayvis, and watched him climb into a flitter. It rose over the trees and flew away.

  “I’ll do what I can,” Lowell said to me.

  Other flitters followed, including the Governor's. The camp bustled with people carrying guns and packages to the waiting flitters.

  “As long as it fits in your plans,” I said, and tried not to sound bitter.

  “I do what I have to,” Lowell said.

  We both watched another flitter lift off.

  “Your ship is at what passes for a port on this world,” Lowell said.

  “I guessed as much. Jasyn wouldn’t be here otherwise. You owe her, Lowell.”

  “For her cooking or the trouble she caused? You must be rubbing off on her.”

  I turned away. His joke fell flat.

  “There is something you can do for her,” I said.

  “And what would that be?”

  “Have you ever planned a wedding? Because I don’t have any idea where to even start.”

  He laughed, a sound of genuine pleasure. “It’s not one of my usual duties, but I think I can manage. How soon and where?”

  “Soon and I don’t know.”

  “Give me a few weeks. In the meantime, would you contract to haul some cargo and men for me? Standard contract and pay. I’m a bit short on ships and Querran’s are not going where I want.”

  “What did Jasyn say?”

  “She already agreed.”

  “Then I guess I can do that.”

  “I’ll send you an itinerary. When you’re ready to leave we have room on one of the flitters.” He pulled a small card from his pocket and wrote on it. “If you ever need my help, Dace, use this. Go to any Patrol base. Use the code and you’ll get immediate help.”

  “With what strings attached, Lowell?” I eyed the card suspiciously.

  “None.”

  “And why would you do that for me?”

  “Because, contrary to popular opinion, I do have a heart.” He took my hand and folded the card into it. “Life would be too dull without you somewhere around.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The Phoenix was not the same ship I’d left. The first thing I did when I got back to it was to change into my own clothes. The green uniforms were a bit loose. I peeled the bandages off my feet and pulled on a pair of my own boots. I was starting to feel like myself again.

  Until I checked the ship. Clark warned me on the flitter ride to the port that some things had been changed. To start with, there were two Patrol officers on the ship, a pilot and an engineer. Our scan boards had been replaced. The equipment was far above even Patrol standards. And the engines had been overhauled and replaced with even faster ones. My ship now resembled either a stealth Patrol cruiser without weapons, or a souped-up smuggler.

  I spent an hour going over the ship. The changes had been done well, very professionally. Lowell sent a message saying the equipment was payment for services rendered. I briefly considered pulling it out and leaving it for him, but I had nothing to replace it with. The port had no facilities to speak of, either. I shrugged and accepted the changes.

  Jasyn tiptoed around me until I finally threatened to shoot her if she didn’t stop.

  “You’re sure you’re all right?” she asked me.

  “I’m fine,” I said as I ran checks on engine pressure. “What about you?”

  She looked startled.

  “You’re the one getting married. Aren’t you nervous?”

  “Quit trying to change the subject.”

  “Then quit asking me.” I flipped another switch. So far, everything looked better than good with the engine. “Have you made any plans yet?”

  “Not really. It depends on when we can find a planet that will allow us to get a license. Most planets have a residency clause. Are you sure you don’t want to perform the wedding on the ship? If we’re in space, it should be legal.” She tapped the nav comp. “Where are we going?”

  “Lowell hired us to haul stuff for him.” I pretended I hadn’t heard the rest of her comment.

  “And you accepted?”

  “He told me you’d already agreed. I read the contract over four times. We take the first load to Kimmel. Second load goes from there to Haviland. Last stop is on Bevin. And if you’ll check the maps, that takes us into the next Sector. Where we have a better chance of finding some decent trade routes.” I didn’t mention the Targon Syndicate. I hoped they’d forgotten me. Or that Lowell had fixed that problem.

  “When did you find time to do all that?”

  “I borrowed a handcomp on the flitter ride, while you and Clark were sleeping.”

  “I’ve been up since before dawn, slaving away in that excuse for a kitchen.”

  “And that’s one reason Lowell cut us a good deal.”

  She grinned. “You’re downright devious, Dace.”

  “Only when I need to be.”

  We lifted an hour later. The holds were full of cryptically labeled boxes. We had four extra people on board: the pilot, the engineer, Paltronis, and one of her squad members.

  The first leg to Kimmel took us three days. My only complaint was that with seven people on board, the Phoenix had very few private spots. I made peace with my memories. I could forget Luke. He was safely locked away for life. And Tayvis had admitted he loved me. I held that thought close. Two more years and his enlistment would be up. Two years felt like a very long time.

  We landed on Kimmel. We left half the boxes and the pilot and engineer at the Patrol base.

  The trip to Haviland took another four days. Lowell left me a message there. Typical of him, it was cryptic and short. I was supposed to take five days to make the jump to Bevin. He’d left a cargo of six crates and an address that they were supposed to be delivered to.

  Paltronis and her second, a man named Arviid, stayed with us. I suspected her orders were to keep an eye on me. She said nothing about it and neither did I. Until we left the Cygnus sector behind, I was more than happy to have an escort.

  Bevin was a pleasant planet with a slightly
modified climate. The main port city was heavy with flowers. The buildings were low, with intricately carved trim and flower boxes spilling color beneath every window.

  We found transport for us and the cargo. Paltronis and Arviid came with us. The streets of the city were wide and traffic was sparse. I sat back and enjoyed the soft sunshine.

  The address led us to an outer suburb of the city, a place of wide yards and friendly looking houses. Paltronis, who was driving, pulled up in front of a building. The front yard was a riot of blossoms. The front of the building was stone covered with blooming vines. We took the boxes to the door.

  It was answered by a young woman. She asked us to bring the boxes in. We followed her through a marbled foyer and into a long room at the back. Wide glass doors led into a garden. The room was full of people. Jasyn stopped in the doorway and gasped in surprise. She didn’t even notice when our boxes were taken away.

  “You planned this,” she accused me.

  So far, I’d recognized Lady Rina with her personal aide, Estelle, and Caid, the engineer who kept her antique yacht flying. Clark greeted other people I didn’t recognize. I was dragged around by both Jasyn and Clark and introduced to everyone. Clark’s father was there, a tall intimidating man wearing a silver uniform and an admiral’s stars. His mother was tall, too, slender and dark and smiling. His two sisters were there. Both had the same sandy hair and green eyes that Clark did. They squealed over Jasyn and hugged her. Jasyn introduced Lady Rina to Clark’s family. I escaped the family reunion and went to stand at the back of the room where Lowell looked very pleased with himself.

  “Is this what you had in mind?” he asked me. “Because I’m not through yet. My staff was rather surprised at being asked to plan a wedding. It isn’t one of my usual activities.”

  Jasyn was looking for me. She looked absolutely beautiful.

  “Neither of you are dressed for a wedding,” Lady Rina announced. “Estelle, please take them both upstairs.” She looked smug.

  Estelle was cheery herself. She was a quiet shadow that followed Lady Rina everywhere. She led me and Jasyn up a narrow set of stairs just outside the room. She opened the door of another room.