Liar's Game

by Kait Gamble

  “So what d’we do now?” Bam clanked into the room, giving Kateryn an approving nod as though she’d managed the feat on her own.

  “Father said to wait here and he’d come for me.”

  Sounded simple enough. Auri and Keys shared a long look before she returned her attention to the girl. “Very well. Did he say when he was going to arrive?”

  “Well, we kind of lost contact before we could hash out any details. But it shouldn’t take him long. He’s got a factory over on Titan, so he’s often over this way.”

  She made it sound like her “father” went for a leisurely stroll to the dark end of the solar system. Her story just didn’t ring true. Auri would have to ask Meri what he thought the next time they were alone. But at the moment, she couldn’t display her suspicion. “I guess that’s that then.” Auri noticed the light in Bam’s eye dimmed a little at the news, while the others looked quite relieved. She felt a little pang in her heart that he would never have a normal relationship with anyone.

  Questions about the transmitter died on Aurelia’s tongue when Meri stumbled past her. “Are you okay, old man?”

  “Fine, my dear. I just need some rest, I think.”

  Auri hooked her arm around him and helped him to his room. “How long has it been?”

  “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Meri…” She knew better than to use the warning tone on the man, but at that moment she couldn’t help herself.

  “Well, things have been a bit hectic and I seem to have misplaced the vial I brought with me. My emergency supply is hidden on the ship.”

  “I’ll get it. You relax here, okay? The same spot, right?” She helped him down to the makeshift bed and tried to reassure him with a tilt of her lips. He whimpered something that sounded like a “yes”. That was enough for her. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Keys caught up with her as she darted from the room. “What’s the matter?”

  “Meri’s been without his…medicine.”

  He swore under his breath. “Has he got any left?”

  “I’m going to the ship to get him what’s left now.”

  “You can’t go traipsing off alone.” He shook his head when she started to refuse his help. “I’ll just tell Everhard and we’ll be on our way.”

  She hated being treated like a child, but Auri knew better than to argue. It wouldn’t hurt to have him with her just in case.

  Keys reappeared within moments and waved her ahead of him. “After you.”

  “Oh! Where are you two going? Mind if I tag along? I’d love to look around this place more.” Kateryn smiled; her enthusiasm at the possibility of exploring their environment was barely leashed.

  “We’re just going to the ship for some supplies.” Keys shook his head at Auri almost imperceptibly. Like she needed reminding that this trip was private.

  The younger girl’s excitement waned and her cheeks turned rosy. “Oh! I apologize. You two were hoping to…” She flushed even more, if that was possible. “I’ll just go over there.” She pointed in a random direction and quickly headed that way.

  It was clear where the girl’s imagination had taken her. Auri tugged at Keys’ arm and started walking. It would do no harm to seem like they were sneaking off for a tryst. At least it would keep her out of their hair for the moment. She shuddered to think if Kateryn decided to voice her opinion of what was going on to the rest of the men, though. The ribbing they’d get when they returned would be relentless.

  The empty skeleton of a building was blissfully quiet. After only a couple of days with nowhere to hide from the rest of the crew, Aurelia was already starting to get a little crazed.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Just glad to get out of there.”

  “Cabin fever already?” He chuckled, but Auri didn’t smile. “Getting a bit worried?” Keys offered his arm in a courtly manner. Sometimes, walking like this, she could almost imagine there being something between them.

  But there wasn’t.

  She shoved it away and started jogging toward the ship. She sighed. Of course that was nothing more than a girlish fantasy. There had never been a hint of anything more from the man than if she were his little sister. She shook off the dull ache the thought created in her chest and concentrated on what her gut was telling her. “Something’s off. Not sure what it is, but it feels wrong.”

  “Maybe you’re just having a bad reaction to the newcomer?”

  “You talk as if I were allergic to people.”

  He chuckled as he jostled her. “Aren’t you?”

  She stuck her tongue out at him and looked out at the moon through the huge windows. The surface of the desolate moon was far from boring, from a geological standpoint. At the moment she chose to study the jutting mountains in the gloomy distance. Now she knew why most of the buildings here had windows with projected views. Too long staring at the bleak landscape would drive you insane. “Maybe I’ve just developed Everhard’s aversion to this place. All the geothermal activity is making me anxious.”

  “Well, by all means, allow me to get my lady off this horrible rock.”

  Auri ignored him. “Has Kateryn been asking you questions?”

  She turned to him in time to see the slow grin spreading over his lips. It irked her enough to make her want to bash him in the face with her fist.

  “So that’s what this is about.” When her brow arched at him, he shrugged. “She’s been asking lots of questions to just about anyone who’ll listen. Bam especially. I think he’s got a little crush on her.”

  She couldn’t stop her eyes from rolling. “Has he told you what they talk about?”

  “Not much. She asks questions and he answers truthfully, playing along like you want us to. Worried he might say too much?”

  She shook her head. “It’s like I don’t have all the angles covered.”

  “And now you want to go gallivanting back into the big black because you’re more in control of the situation when you’re at the helm of the Euchronia.”

  She smirked. “Don’t play psychiatrist with me, Mr. Alloway.”

  “Admit I’m right.”

  Her spine straightened indignantly. “I’ll do no such thing. I just think the sooner we get the girl away from us, the better. Then we can get back to our nice, quiet little lives.”

  “Well I can’t argue with that.”

  The Euchronia was sealed in the airlock so that only people coming into the building from the deep dark would ever find it. Not that that stopped Meri from putting up a few of his custom traps. It took seconds for Auri to find a nearly invisible trip wire and only a few seconds more to disarm the nasty surprise.

  Keys picked up the little device and whistled his appreciation. “Meri seems to be into explosives this month.”

  “When is he not?”

  They gave the area another sweep before Keys bypassed the lock. Auri looked upon the battered countenance of the one thing in her life that had never let her down.

  Keys decided to stand guard while Auri headed straight to Meri’s quarters to search for the required vials.

  From the way the older man was shaking, she was quite sure he’d been without the drugs for at least three days. It was typical of him to get so absorbed in work that he lost track of absolutely everything else.

  Shaking her head, Auri went straight for the box she knew he’d hidden in the false back of his wardrobe.

  The panel came out with a strategic tap and she had to reach deep to fish out the little container. She flipped the lid to find a syringe and two vials of golden liquid. He was running out.

  “Got it?” Keys stepped out of the shadows when Auri walked off the ship.

  “Yeah, but we’re going to have to find more soon. He’s probably been rationin
g it for a while now.” It would account for some of the erratic behavior she’d noticed over the past month. She mentally added it to the top of the growing list of things they needed to do.

  Her mind ground to a halt when Keys hushed her and dragged her into the hollow he’d used as cover. He pressed his body against hers to fit into the shadows, a move that sent her system into overload.

  Fear, adrenaline and arousal coursed through her in a dizzying rush. It took her an embarrassingly long time to form a single syllable. “What—”

  “Shh.” His mouth was close enough to her ear so she could feel the heat of each breath. The hard angles of his body pressed against her made it difficult to think. Not that she was complaining. The scent of him was intoxicating and she had to fight from nuzzling closer.

  Then, just as her hand started to creep up his back, he slowly pulled away.

  Keys’ eyes met hers for a moment before dropping. He stepped back and cleared his throat. “Sorry. I thought I heard something.”

  Auri was still reining in her embarrassment at her lack of control when she shook her head. “We should get back.” He was trying to protect them and she was shamelessly lusting after the man. She had to get it into her head that it was never going to happen.

  They resealed the ship and returned to the apartment to find their arrival to be highly anticipated. If the leering grins were anything to go by, Kateryn told everyone that they had snuck off to be together.

  Auri patted Keys on the backside before going to find Meri. The whoops and catcalls she left behind were his problem to deal with. She had more important things to do right now.

  Meri was in the same room she’d left him in but in much worse shape. The man was curled tightly into a ball in the far corner of the room, shaking and sweating so profusely that he looked as if he had been dragged from the ship’s water reservoir.

  “Meri.” She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Meri, I’m back.”

  The only movement he made was to turn his head enough to look at her with one bloodshot eye. “Auri…Aurelia?”

  “Yes, Meri. I’m back. I need your arm.” She could almost hear his bones creaking as he unfurled an arm from around his knees. It broke her heart to see him suffering like this. “Can you try and lean toward me?”

  Auri helped him stretch his body out as much as he could and wrapped a band around his upper arm. She filled the syringe and slipped it into the bulging vein on his arm, pressing the button to release the fluid. The reaction was almost instantaneous. His muscles relaxed. The fevered look in his eye dimmed. The calm, methodical genius was coming back.

  She wiped at his heated face with the sleeve of her shirt. “How long has it been?”

  “A few days.”

  “I meant, how long have you been giving yourself a reduced dose?”

  He gave her a guilty smile. “A few months.”

  “Why didn’t you tell someone?” Auri walked to the adjoining bathroom and filled a glass with water. She handed it to him and wiped at his cheek.

  “Something always got in the way.” He gave the door a meaningful look. “I’ll be fine now, my dear.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that. “Don’t scare me like that again.”

  “I’ll endeavor not to.”

  Auri leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You’d better not.” With a pat on the shoulder she stood. “Rest awhile. I’ll bring some food.”

  “As long as you didn’t cook it.”

  She waved a fist at him but couldn’t help the smile from curving her lips.

  A drop of her chin at Keys’ worried glance when she saw him in the living area with the others had him relaxing visibly. He must have tipped off the rest of the men as well, if their relieved smiles were anything to go by. The only person who seemed oblivious to the whole thing was Kateryn, who was clinging to Bam like a limpet.

  Auri followed Everhard into the kitchen. She knew the rules when he was in the kitchen. She hung back and stayed out of the way the best she could. Auri always loved watching Everhard work his magic in the kitchen.

  “Glad you caught Meri when you did, darlin’.”

  “Me too.”

  He opened the cold store and reached in. “I found a nice shop yesterday. They can replicate anything you ask for.” Everhard reached in and pulled out a roast chicken and a huge salad. “Think everyone can handle this?”

  Auri’s mouth started watering at the sight. It had been a while since they’d had anything not freeze-dried or prepackaged. “Looks wonderful to me. Make sure you prepare a plate for Meri too.”

  “Of course. The old man would make the rest of my days hell if I forgot him.”

  Aurelia had to laugh at that.

  “Mind if I hang back and observe the master at work?” She loved the way his brow softened as he dished it up taking away the harsh quality from his face. It was almost as if his mind was at peace in that moment.

  Everhard spared her a chuckle and a smirk over his shoulder. “I might be able to make a palatable meal, darlin’, but a master I’m not.” He saw Keys walk in and an impish smirk tilted his lips. “If you want to experience my true expertise, you’ll have to drop by my room one night.”

  Keys spluttering into his coffee caused a laugh to bubble up her throat. He swiped at his face with the back of his hand as he glared. “Why is it every time you open your mouth, I have the urge to shove my boot in it, Everhard?”

  He was rewarded with two telling dimples from the man carving up the chicken.

  Shaking her head, Aurelia turned to leave the men to their business when Keys slowed her retreat to whisper, “I’ve got Meri sweeping the building.”

  Right. She walked out into the hall, where she collided with the man himself.

  “We have to get out of here.” The frail scientist was still shivering and leaned most of his weight on her, but she could see that he was deadly serious.

  “Pack up!” The single shout from Aurelia mobilized the group.

  It didn’t take long for them to erase their presence from the apartment and by the time they walked out the door, Aurelia felt a tiny pang of loss. Perhaps she’d come back here one day. Legitimately, of course. The sad thing was, she really couldn’t imagine a future where she could.

  The trip back to the ship was quick and quiet, but she also sensed a renewed purpose within the group. That and a growing sense of dread in her gut.

  Meri was carried propped between Keys and Bam, while Auri led the way.

  “What happened, Meri?”

  “The alarms I set along the alternate entrances of the building were tripped. I thought it might be a good idea to do so in case someone decided to pay us a little surprise visit.”

  She’d thought as much. That’s what had taken him so long with the communicator. He was off on a side project. “Any idea who it is?”

  “I didn’t have the proper equipment to capture video.”

  Auri doubled her speed. The moment she walked through the airlock, she felt a little better. “Everhard, please get us off this moon as soon as you can.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” The hulking man fairly skipped to the cockpit.

  Tapping at Keys’ arm, she took off to her cabin. Inside her domain once again, she inhaled a lungful of the familiar scent. Only to have her breath leave her body in a tired rush when there was a timid knock at the door.

  Auri opened the door, where she knew Kateryn waited on the other side. She’d almost forgotten about her. Almost. “Kateryn. I’m sorry. I was in such a rush that I’d forgotten about your father.”

  “He knows I’m safe with friends.”

  Auri’s lips quirked a little. The thought of a pampered little princess calling a group of criminals “friends” was amusing. Any father would definitely think otherwise. Not that
she believed she actually spoke to any parental figure. She smiled wanly at the girl, waiting for her to leave. After a few pointed glances at the door, it was clear that Kateryn wasn’t going anywhere. “Is there something else I can help you with?”

  “I was just wondering why we left like that. The rest of the group seems agitated.”

  “We picked up some activity in the building, so we thought it was best to leave. I’m sure you can understand.”

  She lifted her shoulders. “But why? Surely you can deal with whoever it was.”

  “We avoid confrontation when we can. It makes it easier to perpetuate the idea that we’re dead.”

  “I see.” Kateryn seemed to ponder the idea for a moment. “Can I ask you another question?”

  Aurelia saw the hand-wringing and knew that whatever question was coming was going to be a big one. “I can’t stop you.”

  She looked uncomfortably at the door as if waiting for someone to burst through. When she was satisfied that they were alone, she asked, “Why haven’t you confronted your fath…Captain Popkiss?”

  She’d asked herself that many times and there were many answers. The easiest to explain was simple math. “I can’t very well fight an armada with four men and one tiny ship, can I?” She shook her head, partly in answer to her own question and partly to shake the thought away. “After what I saw him do, he wouldn’t hesitate to erase me from existence. My need for revenge will not hurt these men.”

  “But life owes you so much more. You should be living in luxury instead of scavenging out here in the black.”

  “We could do that. We’ve got more than enough stashed away onboard in our vault.” Auri studied Kateryn as she digested the information. “But this is the life we choose. Nothing tying us down, an adventure around every moon.”

  “I guess that does have its appeal. What of the captain? You’ve never wanted to thumb your nose at him?”

  All these questions about her father raised Aurelia’s suspicions. Why the sudden interest in what she wanted to do against him? Her mind whirled with the possibilities. Was she a spy for her father, or for someone else? Was she going to murder them all in their sleep? The girl had had more than enough time to murder them, if that was what she was planning. Then again, she’d been digging for information almost from the moment she found her in her room. Now she seemed to have everything she could possibly need if she was trading in secrets.