Ennis raised an eyebrow. “They’ll be expecting it. If he got to them, they’ll be ready to go as soon as they know the location.”
He didn’t seem too worried about it. “Then you’ll understand I can’t stick around. I can’t take the chance they want to talk to me, too.” Again, no big surprise on his part. “What are they going to do with you?”
Ennis shrugged. “I’m not sure. Probably ask me lots of questions about Radersent. Perwaty is making me vids to take back, which will help.”
“Make sure you tell them about what Radersent said about the sargasso anomaly,” Moire said. “If there’s somebody else out there who can make gravitic webspace mines….”
“Got it.” Ennis looked grim. “All we’ve seen is the crabs so far. Maybe these others are on the other side of the galaxy. Still, something to watch out for.” He paused. “What are you going to do next?” When she hesitated, he added, “That you can tell me about.”
She felt bad about it still. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him; she didn’t trust the people he was going back to. She hoped he understood that.
“Got to get ready for Toren,” Moire sighed. “It’s just a matter of time now. They figured out we’d be at Bone without much trouble. I still don’t know how. Lorai swears she didn’t say anything until she got back, and there wouldn’t have been enough time after that for the information to get to Toren before we arrived.”
He got up and stood behind the pilot’s chair, gently rubbing the back of her neck. “You have to be careful,” he said quietly. “Even on Kulvar. They’ll sell you out if the price is high enough. You’re safe only as long as they don’t know who to sell you to.”
Moire leaned back, feeling the muscles in her neck go loose. Ennis had very strong hands. She was going to miss that. “I know.”
“Did I tell you what Jens told me, before we left Bone?”
She shook her head. Jens had been pretty banged up by the explosion; she was surprised he’d been able to talk at all. At least he was going to survive.
“His wife left him alone in there when she went to get Lorai,” he said. “Jens was there, hidden, when that Toren agent with the gun came in. He said the man came in with that enforcer he shot. He deliberately killed her, then changed his uniform and told the locals he was with the mining company.” Ennis dropped down, his arms around her shoulders for a moment. They tightened. “Jens said…he enjoyed killing her. Please be careful,” he said softly.
She put a hand on his arm, hearing the tremor in his voice. “That guy intercepted an exploding oxygen condenser plant,” she said, trying to reassure him.
Ennis grabbed her shoulders and shook them. “There will be others.” He sounded exasperated. “Professionals, like him. They might not remember Toren’s orders to keep you alive.”
What a cheerful thought. Maybe it was time to stop running away, waiting for Toren to find her. It had felt good when she blew up the Toren ship. Maybe she should give them something to worry about for a change.
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Moire said.
¤ ¤ ¤
Gren pointed at the printout with a stubby finger, and Ennis tried to pay attention. It was important, even if all he really wanted to know was where Moire was. “Here’s some diagrams of what Radersent did, or at least as much as I figured out. He did a good job. Both doors open just like they should; I tested them and so did some of the others. Your shelter takes up a lot of room in that tunnel, so we rigged ladders fore and aft so you can get over it. Menehune loaded plenty of supplies, so that’s OK.”
If Ennis had had any doubts about how the crew viewed him, they had vanished. Almost everyone on the ship had given him something to take with him. It was a good thing it was a ten–person shelter.
“Why do you have to leave?” Ash persisted. The Created had only recently found out he was leaving, and they were not pleased. “When are you coming back?”
It was a question he didn’t like to hear. “I don’t know,” he snapped, then added in a more even tone. “As soon as I can. I have to take this ship to Fleet.”
They had seen the crab ship, now free of the tow and positioned beside them. The Created thought this over for a minute, and apparently decided it might take him some time. Ash’s face crumpled in misery.
He saw Moire standing in the doorway of the meeting room then, and a wave of cold washed over him. No. Not now. But he couldn’t do what he wanted to do for her here. He had to go back to Fleet and convince them.
He didn’t trust his voice right then, so he silently gathered up the printout and the other items and went out with her to the interceptor. The Toren attack ship had replaced the destroyed scout as their transfer vehicle.
“Your suit’s inside,” Moire said abruptly.
He nodded.
“Is there anything else you need?”
Just you.
The distance was hardly anything between Frankenstein and the crab ship. He barely had time to get his suit on. He snatched one last, bittersweet kiss before he sealed his faceplate. Her face was sad, and now tears were trickling down it.
“You tell them,” she said roughly, “if they don’t send you back I’ll come and get you if I have to break into FarCom to do it. Got that?”
“Message received, Captain,” he said, trying to smile. “I’ll warn them.”
Then he was alone in the airlock. Outside was the dark wall of the crab ship, with the bulky shelter looking strange in its new alien surroundings. He stepped into the tunnel entrance, turned, and waved at the viewport.
The interceptor pulled slowly away and returned to the tow ship. He stood and watched until he saw it start to leave, moving to engage the drive at a distance that would not affect the crab ship’s position. Then he went inside the shelter. Gren had thoughtfully added a good scanner to the console, probably to help him when the Fleet showed up. He turned it on, watching the one bright spot on the screen move away. His heart. His home. It shimmered and disappeared as the ship went into drive.
The End
ALSO BY SABRINA CHASE
The Last Mage Guardian
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Firehearted
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Short Stories
The Correct Way to Fill Out Form PCR–103–u
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Coyote and the Amazing Herbal Formula
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Queen of Chaos: Sequoyah book 3
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter 1 Everything is Perfectly Fine
Chapter 2 Travel Broadens the Mind
Chapter 3 Unscheduled Arrivals
Chapter 4 Long and Vengeful Memories
Chapter 5 The Beginning of Wisdom
Chapter 6 Wayfaring Stranger
Chapter 7 Old Familiar Adversaries
Chapter 8 Standing on the Edge
Chapter 9 One Owner from New
Chapter 10 Friends and Enemies
Chapter 11 A Little Fixer–Upper
Chapter 12 Odd Jobs
Chapter 13 From the Other Side
Chapter 14 Salvage Job
Chapter 15 Becoming Human
Chapter 16 Blood Price
Chapter 17 Concerning the Dangers of Part–Time Jobs
Chapter 18 A Dangerous Need
Also By Sabrina Chase
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 Everything is Perfectly Fine
Chapter 2 Travel Broadens the Mind
Chapter 3 Unscheduled Arrivals
Chapter 4 Long and Vengeful Memories
Chapter 5 The Beginning of Wisdom
Chapter 6 Wayfaring Stranger
Chapter 7 Old Famil
iar Adversaries
Chapter 8 Standing on the Edge
Chapter 9 One Owner from New
Chapter 10 Friends and Enemies
Chapter 11 A Little Fixer–Upper
Chapter 12 Odd Jobs
Chapter 13 From the Other Side
Chapter 14 Salvage Job
Chapter 15 Becoming Human
Chapter 16 Blood Price
Chapter 17 Concerning the Dangers of Part–Time Jobs
Chapter 18 A Dangerous Need
Also By Sabrina Chase
Raven's Children Page 32
