He ran a hand over his shaved head. “I’m thinking!”
“Make it fast.”
“Yeah.”
So the Hajim had discovered that the important human they were looking for was a female of the species. It made sense for the aliens to gather all the female prisoners they held in one place and interrogate them at their leisure. She would have thought of this simple solution sooner, but alien Hajim biology and culture wouldn’t have let them think of this plan quickly. She really wished she could learn more about the Hajim, but not while being their captive. She didn’t dare let them find out about her.
“I really wish you hadn’t heard this,” Arco told her.
“Our women have a right to know,” Doc said. He turned back to Zoe. Their gazes locked.
She stood. “Shall I break the news to each woman individually, sir?”
He nodded. “I’d appreciate that, Lieutenant. Do it diplomatically—”
She forced a laugh. “Don’t I always?”
“—and keep them calm.”
“And what will you be doing while I prevent the impending riot?”
Arco gasped at her insubordination, but Raven answered, “I’ll be thinking of a way to protect our people.”
“Yes,” she answered. “It’s our duty to protect them.
” He nodded. “We have to get you out of here before the Hajim show up.”
“The term ‘you’ is being used in the plural sense, isn’t it? You mean all of the females have to get away from the Hajim?”
He sighed. “All of the women. Somehow.”
“Not good enough, Matthias.”
“Zoe.”
She ignored the warning in his voice. “We humans don’t have a monopoly on freedom, Matthias. Male, female, claws, fingers, whatever, deserve a shot at escape.”
“Right now we’re only taking a chance on freedom for the ones that are in immediate danger.”
“Everyone in the camp goes or no one, not just a gender, not just a species,” she insisted. “By Imperial decree,” she added, and smiled.
She couldn’t actually issue Imperial decrees as she was still only the heir to the Empire, but her father wasn’t here to correct her, and it sounded good.
“You’re asking a hell of a lot from me.”
She smiled. “Because I know you can do it.”
He smiled back, and she realized they were looking at each other predator to predator.
It was the most exciting moment of her life.
Quickly broken as Arco spoke up. “You two want to be alone?”
Doc laughed. “Wish we had time,” he said, then turned to Arco. “Arrange a meeting of all the hall officers. Zoe, belay spreading the bad news until we come up with a plan. Damn. There’s not a lot of time to organize this thing. Get the hall officers here in an hour, Corporal.”
Arco snapped off a brisk salute before rushing out.
Doc barely acknowledged the military gesture. “Zoe,” he said as he started toward the door. “You’re with me.”
“Always,” she answered.
He barely acknowledged this as well. “Let’s go talk to the Asi. I’m beginning to get an idea.”
45
“That was a hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Doc said as they exited the Asi area and moved into the central plaza. They were walking hand in hand.
Zoe wasn’t as pleased with the agreement they’d made with the aliens as he was. But she patted him on one huge bicep and said, “I doubt any alliance would have been possible until you started interacting with them. Since you defended and fed them, they practically have a Doc Raven fan club going in Asi territory.”
He chuckled, and squeezed her hand. If he was still angry with her it wasn’t showing, and she couldn’t feel anything but the charge of excitement flowing between them.
He said, “You’re giving me a mental image of some Asi teenager asking me to autograph her shell.”
Zoe relished this moment of closeness, but her mind was soon back to business. “I wish we could have gotten the Asi to agree not to kill any of the guards.”
“Sweetheart, I can’t agree to that.”
She sighed. “Of course you can’t. There are bound to be casualties on all sides.”
“But I will agree that the Asi relishing the idea of ‘eviscerating their Kril prey’ is a bit worrisome. We don’t want them getting into a killing frenzy and turning on us. Still, our chances of getting out are better if they rush the Kril ahead of us ‘soft-shelled mammal aliens.’ ”
As they approached the entrance to the infirmary, Zoe slowed, and stepped away from him.
“I take it you’re not coming to the strategy meeting,” he said.
“Lieutenant Pappas really has no place at a hall officer briefing, General,” she answered.
“What are you up to, woman?” His fingers closed around her wrist. This time his grasp was a cage rather than a comfort. He told her, “You’re not getting out of my sight.”
“I have something to do.”
His lips brushed her ear. She thought she was going to melt, until he whispered, “I’ve got you on suicide watch.”
“Oh, for …” She tried to pull away, as useless as she knew it would be. “I don’t have time for self-immolation at the moment. There’s one more job this diplomat needs to do.”
He didn’t look happy, but he did look thoughtful. “You mean to talk to the Denthera.”
“Yes. We haven’t got much time to get everyone on board with the escape plan.”
He still didn’t release her. “I’m not sure the Denthera should be let in on this plan. They keep to themselves. Even when all the prisoner reps are called in to talk to the commandant, the Denthera commander keeps away from the rest of us and never says a word. I’ve never been able to pick up a single thought, or even expression, from them. They’re humanoid, but have the most alien minds I’ve ever run into.”
Zoe nodded. “Tell me about it. I’ve sat across conference tables from them and never picked up any emotion—no matter how enhanced my natural empathy is. I know that the Denthera broke off an alliance with the Hajim and are now fighting them, and that they have nothing but contempt for the Kril. But our efforts to form an alliance with the Denthera have all been turned down. They’ll listen to us, but they haven’t agreed to anything we’ve proposed. I suspect they have contempt for any species but their own.”
“Then why bring them in on this? And don’t say it’s because we all go or no one goes. It’s too late for that.”
“Yes, it is,” she reluctantly agreed. “I don’t know why I have to try with the Denthera.” She shrugged. “I just have to.”
“Why not wait to try to bring them to the peace table after we get out of here?”
His question gave her her answer. She pointed upward, to the universe beyond the deep hole of Camp Five. “Because if we can’t cooperate here—if we can’t have peace here—it’s likely we’ll never have it out there, either.”
Raven took her by the shoulders and looked at her for a long time. She wanted the moment of their gazing into each other’s eyes to go on forever. No matter what happened their time together would be over in too few hours.
Finally, he said, “Woman, you are such an idealist.”
His hands were warm, huge and protective. She managed a smile. “It comes with my job,” she told him. “In my family all cynics are put up for adoption at birth.”
“They’ve got a test for that, do they? In that purple marble delivery room where royal babies are born?”
Being reminded of her status made her sad. For a fraction of a second she wanted to chuck the whole idea of an escape attempt and stay down here in the dark with Matthias Raven. She was happy being with him no matter how awful this place was.
“You have a meeting,” she said. “So do I.”
“No.” He tugged her all the way through the infirmary into his office, where every hall officer was waiting. Even Barb had been rel
eased from her quarters.
Raven let Zoe go when she was standing in the middle of the room, all gazes fixed on her. He stepped away from her and crossed his arms across his massive chest. She knew what was coming, and gave the slightest shake of her head.
“Tell them,” he said.
“Oh, dear,” she said. Zoe folded her hands in front of her, her stance an unconscious mirror of his. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” She looked pleadingly at Raven. “It shouldn’t come to this. Need to know, remember?”
He gestured around at everyone in the room. Curious gazes burned into her. “It’s time they need to know. They are in the service of the Empire.”
“Know what?” Adams demanded.
It would be Adams.
Zoe looked around until she met Maria’s dark gaze. “Do you remember Professor Cauley’s suspicion about my identity?” She spoke in Greek to her friend, the Terran language the two of them shared.
After a long moment of staring at Zoe, Maria’s eyes went wide, and there was recognition in them. “Can I borrow the Star Angel?” she asked, also in Greek.
This was a huge diamond that had been in Zoe’s family for hundreds of years. It was part of the Imperial regalia.
“You can wear it on your wedding day,” Zoe answered.
“You look taller in your holos,” Maria said.
“And not as skinny. I know.”
“What are you two talking about?” Adams demanded.
“No keeping secrets,” Raven said.
Zoe glanced at him and switched back to Standard. “I’ve been hiding so long that it takes time to work into telling the truth.” She finally addressed everyone. “The Hajim are searching for me, which has put us all in danger. I am the heir to the Byzant throne: the Porphyrgia.”
She made sure she was looking at Adams when she made the confession. She wanted to see what the secessionist’s reaction would be. If she was in danger of anyone turning her in to the Hajim, it was Adams.
His mouth opened and closed several times. His cheeks went bright pink. “But—” He pointed at her. “You’re our Zoe!”
“Yes,” she said.
Raven came up and put his arm around her shoulders. “My Zoe,” he corrected. “Our Porphyrgia. Our job is to get her safely away from the Hajim.”
She expected more questions, exclamations, and consternation. She was prepared for their shock; she hoped there wouldn’t be much anger. What she didn’t expect was for the hall officers to rise to their feet, one by one, and stand facing her at rigid attention.
Even Adams.
Even Barb Langly.
Whatever each of them was thinking and feeling, they reacted as members of the military.
Tears welled in her eyes. For once in her life, Zoe was completely at a loss for words.
She loved them all.
“As you were,” Doc said after a few moments.
He went to sit behind his desk. As everyone settled back down, Zoe sat down next to Maria. Maria mouthed, We’ll talk later, and there were curious glances from others, but everyone turned their attention to General Raven when he rapped his knuckles on the top of the metal desk.
“I’ve always told you that there was no way to escape off this rock,” he said. “My main reason for refusing to sanction any escape attempts was that the Hajim never allowed anything but shuttles from orbiting ships to land. Even if we could attain possession of a shuttle, there was nowhere to fly it but up to a waiting warship. The Hajim have decided to solve this logistics problem for us. We have information that they’ll be landing a transport up top within the next two cycles. We are going to take that ship away from them.”
“The Hajim are coming for Zoe?” Mischa asked.
A rumble of anger went through the room. Then Raven explained about the Hajim plan to remove all the female prisoners.
“I’m sorry to bring this trouble,” Zoe told them.
“Why?” Mischa asked. “You didn’t start the war.”
“No, Adams did that.” Barb spoke up. After everyone laughed she added, “As much as I want out of here, I’m not going anywhere with the Hajim.”
“Me, either,” Maria said.
“None of you are,” Raven promised. “I won’t allow anything to happen to any of you.”
Everyone’s attention returned to Raven. Zoe noticed that she wasn’t the only woman who reacted with a thrill of pleasure at his determined expression.
“What’s the plan, Doc?” Mischa asked.
Zoe blinked. It was like a spell had been broken. She and Maria exchanged an amused glance.
Then everyone listened carefully while Doc outlined the basics of his plan.
46
Zoe waited until the hall officers had left to carry out their assignments before she voiced her concerns to Raven.
“It all depends on so many elements. Everything could go wrong. Everybody could get killed.”
She began to pace the small room, all of her pride and eagerness turned to worry for her people. He leaned on his desk, arms crossed, watching her. She was grateful when he didn’t remind her that she was the one who insisted on this escape attempt; that she was the one they were willing to die for.
He said, “They’re doing it because it’s a prisoner of war’s duty to try to escape. They’re doing it for the Empire. But mostly they’re doing it for themselves. They’re willing to fight for their freedom.”
She turned to face him. She realized that she was tightly hugging her waist and made her arms drop to her sides. She rolled her head to work tension out of her shoulders. “Yeah, I know all that in theory. But—I’m so scared of everything that could go wrong.”
“Things will go wrong,” the Imperial Marine general answered calmly. “FUBAR’s the first thing you have to expect and accept in any military operation.”
Zoe recognized the ancient military acronym: Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. Ancient or modern, she supposed the marines’ attitude remained the same, since they were the ones who took the brunt of any disaster when battle plans went wrong.
“You roll with it, and improvise, no matter what happens,” he went on. “My boys and girls will handle themselves just fine.”
She couldn’t help but articulate some of their challenges. “We’ll do all right if the Asi do as they promise. If word of who I am doesn’t spread, even though you told them that the information didn’t leave the meeting. If the engineers can assure a rockfall to block the elevator so the Kril will have to use the ramps. If there’s enough homemade hooch for torches if the lights go out. If Arco’s got enough caf tablets to get the Kril disoriented.” She touched her head. “If I have the right data downloaded to be able to fly the Hajim ship. If—”
“If you worry about everything all at once, it will paralyze you.”
“I know. But I’m scared.”
“Me, too. You want a hug?”
“Yes. Do you?”
He didn’t move toward her. And she knew why.
“I truly am sorry for hurting you with all those awful things I said,” she told him. “I never thought you were a coward, or using anyone. I thought I had to say those things.”
“For the good of the Empire.”
“For your good, too, but I totally misjudged you. I was wrong. I hate that I hurt you. I am so sorry.”
“You said you weren’t going to apologize.”
“I can change my mind if I want to.”
She was in his arms before she knew he’d moved. “Flighty mortal,” he said, and kissed her.
She clung to him as tightly as she could, desperate for the contact. Desperate for everything to be right between them. Desperate for him.
I need to make love to you. His thoughts came to her as his hands and mouth gave her pleasure.
You’re all I want, Zoe answered. forgive me.
Not a problem.
Make love to me.
Also not a problem.
They laughed as they kissed. He picked her u
p and carried her to his bed. They shed their clothes along the way. They came together frantically and for a while Zoe was lost in a whirlwind as their bodies twined and strained in perfect completion.
When the whirlwind passed they made love again, gently this time. Zoe wanted it to last forever, and once they’d both climaxed she teased and coaxed his cock back to hardness. This time Doc lay on his back while she crouched over him and took him inside her in a slow, deep, infinitely satisfying rhythm.
When she finally collapsed across his broad chest Zoe fell into a light doze. She wanted to fall into deep sleep with their limbs wrapped around each other, but she wouldn’t let herself do that. She stayed where she was for a while, her ear pressed against his chest, enjoying his deep breathing and the slow beat of his heart.
When she was absolutely sure that Matthias was asleep, she eased off the bed, hating to leave him but knowing she had to go. She dressed and left as quickly and quietly as possible. After all, she still had a meeting with the Denthera to get to.
47
“Hello?” Zoe called again.
Still nothing. Frustration seethed through her no matter how calm she forced her movements and expression to remain.
You know, I could be happily snuggled up next to the person I love, she thought.
Zoe walked down the shadowy corridor, and all she could hear was the sound of her own footsteps, and her carefully polite voice echoing off the cavern walls.
This was the Denthera section, right? She hadn’t somehow gotten lost in some unused portion of the prison?
She knew she was in the right place, but she couldn’t help but worry. She’d been wandering around for nearly an hour, with nary a Denthera in sight. Oh, there’d been the occasional sensation of being watched, a ripple of displaced air on the back of her neck, but no actual sight or sound of the elusive aliens. Even when she ducked into cramped living quarters along the corridors several times nobody had been home. Even the shadows proved to be empty.
She had never felt so frustrated in her life.
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