by Rachel Aukes
The plan had gone into effect three hours ago, when all the participants faked their departures then retreated to the tech-hub. Now it was a waiting game. What was going to happen, Sienna wasn’t sure, but something had to happen. They’d been on the losing team too long. They needed this win.
With her feet propped up on the table, Sienna rocked her chair on two legs. It had never occurred to her before how boring security guards’ jobs could be. Waiting, watching monitors, and waiting some more. No one spoke, except for Jax who checked in with his team every few minutes.
Sienna grabbed the bag of chips she’d brought and popped it open. She pulled out one chip and crunched it. Feeling like she was being watched, she looked up. Indeed, everyone in the room was staring at her. She held out the bag, and five palms raced out to meet her hand. She dumped out chips into the hands, and the room erupted in a chorus of crunches. Looking with disappointment at an empty bag a couple minutes later, she wished she’d brought a second bag. Now it was back to the waiting part.
“How’s the leg?” Nalea asked her.
“Well, it’s still attached. But I’ve discovered I could make a second career doing weather. My leg throbs every time it’s going to rain.” She shrugged. “Then again, it throbs every day.”
“We have computers that track and forecast the weather for us,” Tanel said. “They are one hundred percent accurate. I believe your leg cannot be as accurate.”
“You’d be surprised,” she muttered.
With no warning, the lights flickered on several screens, and then went out. Sienna hastily wiped her fingers across her jeans and glanced over at the wall of monitors. She frowned. Lights were still on across the base except in the vacant officers’ hallway. Being underground as the base was, the hallway had no windows, leaving the screens pitch black. Even the nocturnal Sephians couldn’t see in that kind of dark without some kind of help.
“We’re blind,” she spoke aloud. When she didn’t get a response, she looked up at Apolo, who didn’t look the least bit surprised. “You were expecting this?”
He nodded. “I suspected our prey may try this, and I had a taciturn system installed today in this hallway.”
Seconds felt like minutes. Legian, Nalea and Jax scanned the monitors, and Sienna followed their lead. Tanel’s fingers danced energetically across the digital keyboard. Then, a neon-outlined shape emerged on the screen. She had no idea what a taciturn system was, but it wasn’t infrared. Whatever it was showed a lot more features and colors than any infrared image she’d seen before. She could see a man’s shape, the outline detailed enough to show he was wearing some kind of goggles.
“And there is our prey,” Apolo said to no one in particular.
Jax apprised his men through his earpiece. “Bravo Team, Tango has entered the box.”
Everyone in the tech-hub watched in silence as the shape jogged down the hallway and stopped right outside Apolo’s door. Sure enough, a moment later, after looking from side to side, the shape punched in a code and entered.
“Pull the bios on the intruder. When we get to my room, reset the power,” Apolo commanded the comm-tech before turning to the two members of his trinity. “Let’s go.”
Apolo, Legian, and Nalea took the lead. Jax handed Sienna a flashlight, and Sienna grabbed her cane. She and Jax stepped in behind the trio, but Legian held out an arm, blocking them both.
“This is a Sephian matter. We need to resolve this.”
Jax gave a nod and took a step back. “I’ll have my team in the hallway on standby.”
After the door closed, Sienna stepped up behind Tanel. His fingers ran across the flat keyboard, and the humanoid shape on the monitor to his left flashed as a string of symbols measured its shape and size and compared it against the stats of all the Sephians on the base. Names and pictures scrolled down the screen faster than she could follow.
She took off her drades and cleaned the lenses with the edge of her shirt. Sliding them back on, she turned her attention to the larger monitor in front and watched as three neon shapes moved down the hallway. She blew out a long breath. “They move like vampires.”
“They have a history together. It shows,” Jax answered.
“The bio information on the intruder is coming up now,” Tanel announced into the hand-held mic as he continued to type on the console in front of him. “His name is Pilin. He’s an op-tec, a level four operations engineer.”
“A handyman. And not a very good one if he’s only a level four,” Sienna said, speaking out loud as much for her benefit as for Jax’s.
Jax leaned closer to the screens. “It would take some skill to cut the power in just the officer’s hall.”
“And even more skill to cut the power and get to Apolo’s room in under a minute.”
“He’s got a partner,” they said in stereo.
Sienna thought for only a second. “Tanel, can you pull up the video feed near the power boxes just before the power went out?”
“It will take a couple minutes,” Tanel replied.
Jax used his earpiece. “Bravo Team, possible second Tango in quadrant tini. Search for anyone who tickles your nose hairs.”
Jax turned to Sienna and nodded. As they waited, Apolo’s team reached the door to Apolo’s rooms. He swiped his hand over the wall, and the door opened.
Apolo spoke some words in Sephian through the hand-held com. Tanel tapped several places on the keyboard at the same time, and the lights in the hallway came back on. Sienna and Jax watched as Legian and Nalea moved to stand alongside Apolo. The Sephian male was staring at the three like a deer caught in headlights now that the power was back on.
He tried to bolt, but Legian tackled him before he could take more than two steps toward the door. Apolo pulled the traitor to his feet and punched him. Even on the small screen, Sienna could see blood fly from the force of Apolo’s hit. It was the angriest she’d ever seen him.
“I’m pulling up the video feed on monitor four now,” Tanel said.
Sienna and Jax watched the video of an empty hallway. Several seconds into the feed, the screen became a blur.
Tanel pounded the screen. “Suvaste. They used a dampener.”
“Can you clean up the image?” Jax asked.
The comm-tech shook his head. “No. I won’t be able to identify anyone off this. Sorry.”
The trio continued to watch the screen. The traitor was on his knees, whimpering as blood poured from his broken nose. His hands were banded behind his back. Nalea held a blaster to his head while she kept her other hand on his clothed shoulder. Sienna realized she was being careful to not come into direct contact, thus preventing Pilin from healing himself.
Legian stood back several feet and also had a blaster leveled on Pilin. Apolo was pacing back and forth in front of the prisoner, pausing long enough to glare at him midway through each lap. After a few more laps, he stopped before the kneeling Sephian and gave him a hard look. “How could you betray your own people?”
“Wha—what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The words were spoken in Sephian, and Sienna struggled to translate. “Tanel, turn on the translator.”
Tanel tapped a couple commands. “There. I have the English translator on.”
“Thanks,” Sienna said as she watched the screen. On it, Apolo stared down at Pilin then kicked him in the gut. She cringed as the prisoner cried out then lost his lunch.
Oblivious to the mess, Apolo scowled and grabbed the man’s collar. “How could you betray your own people?”
The prisoner coughed, fighting for breath. “I didn’t. I swear it.”
“You are a liar and a traitor. Your name will forever be a scar upon our people.”
Tears ran down Pilin’s face. He tried to get up, but Nalea knocked him back down.
“I remember you, Pilin. You have been in the detention block before. It was theft, if I recall. Oh, yes; you had stolen alcohol from the Commons. Is that how they got to you? Through your add
iction?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am faithful to our people. I swear it.”
“And, I suppose now you’re telling me that breaking into my room is a simple misunderstanding?”
“Yes!”
Apolo didn’t appear to like that answer, because he backhanded the Sephian across the face.
The prisoner cried out, “Please, please.”
“You beg for mercy now? From the same people you sought to betray? Why would you betray your people, Pilin?”
He shook his head violently. “I would never betray our people.”
Apolo slapped him. “I don’t believe you. Every time I think you’re lying, I will mark you. Do you understand?”
The man whimpered. Apolo nodded to Nalea, who bent Pilin’s arms back in what had to be an unnatural position. The Sephian screamed in pain.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes!”
“Good. That’s a start.”
“Who do you work for, Pilin?”
“No one,” he cried.
Apolo raised his hand and Pilin winced. The sound of the slap made Sienna wince in sympathy pain. Tell the truth, man.
“I’m going to ask you one more time. Who do you work for?”
Pilin’s shoulders shook from his uncontrollable sobs. “I swear, Apolo. I came here for a bottle of whiskey. I heard you kept the good stuff here. That’s all. I swear it.”
Apolo lifted his hand, and Pilin let out a yelp. But Apolo didn’t slap him this time; instead, he bent down to come eye to eye with the prisoner. “Who told you that, son?”
He shook his head with his sobs. “It was a rumor I heard at the Commons.”
“And who cut the power?”
“I—I don’t know. The engineering log showed a power test was scheduled to be conducted in the officers’ hall at ten o’clock. That’s what it said. Precisely ten o’clock. I grabbed night gear just in case. I thought it was a lucky break. That’s all.”
Apolo grabbed Pilin’s chin who yelped. “You know the punishment for treason, Pilin?”
The poor man looked up with a look of shock. “Tr—treason?”
“Yes, treason. What you did tonight, regardless of intentions, was treason. Tell me. Who sent you here?”
He sobbed. “No one. I swear it,” he stammered before breaking down into an uncontrollable crying fit.
Apolo came to his feet. “Sephian law states the punishment for treason is immediate death, Pilin. I will make yours swift out of pity because you were played the fool.”
In a blur of movement, Apolo grabbed and twisted the man’s head. A loud crack broke the silence. Sienna inhaled sharply, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. She’d never seen an execution before.
At that moment, she was glad she was leaning against the comm-tech’s desk. Otherwise, she was sure her knees would have given out. She couldn’t take her eyes off the man now lying on the floor, his neck bent at an unnatural angle. She didn’t even hear Jax move until a hand touched her shoulder.
She jumped.
He brushed a hand down her cheek. “You okay?”
The question sounded more like a command, and she nodded with as much confidence as she could muster. “I’m fine.”
He stayed at her side while she continued to watch. No one in the room seemed fazed by what Apolo had done. They all watched Apolo, unmoving, as he stared at the wall, his mind obviously somewhere else.
“How will we know who gave him the information?” Legian asked.
Apolo answered instead. “That was the one thing he could never tell us. He didn’t know. He was simply a pawn. There was nothing else we could have learned from him.” The look on Apolo’s pained face betrayed his strong voice. “The traitor knows that we tried to trap him.”
“How so?” Nalea asked.
“Pilin came here looking for whiskey, not for information,” Apolo said.
Legian frowned. “Pilin was set up to fail. But why?”
Apolo answered. “Pilin must have known who the traitor is, even if he wasn’t aware that he knew. He’d likely been used by the traitor before without knowing.”
Apolo paused to speak to Tanel. “Pull everything you have on Pilin in the week before and after the base attack, as well as today’s attack. Search everything. Make a list of every single Sephian he came into contact with and every single activity he did—no matter how small. If he defecated, I want to know. Do you understand?”
Tanel spoke so fast in Sephian that Sienna couldn’t make out the words.
Apolo turned back to look down at the dead man. “Sending the drunk here would be an easy way to clean up loose ends. The traitor would know there is no leeway in dealing with treason. We’re too low in numbers. The disappearance of any Sephian would be noticed quickly.”
Nalea spoke. “If the traitor is cleaning house, it could mean he thinks he has something all ready to go.”
Apolo nodded tightly. “Or, he’s found a new pawn to use. I believe it’s time for us to make the next move.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Do you yield?” Legian boomed.
“Never,” Sienna shoved out through clenched teeth while she knelt on her hands and knees, panting. The pain in her leg was agonizing. She’d always had some cellulite, but now she felt like a jellyfish. This session felt worse than her first one. She was weak and hurting. And the worst part? Legian knew it.
Her sparring partner held out a hand, his face tight. “Yield, Sienna. Please.”
She slapped his hand away.
Moving about as fast as a snail through peanut butter, she pulled herself up, trying not to favor her bad leg. It burned like acid with each movement. She grunted through the pain and somehow managed to get to her feet. Legian gave her space while she came to her full height across from him on the training mats.
She knew what she looked like. She’d been getting her ass handed to her all morning. She looked around the massive training room as she took the time to catch her breath. Padded sparring rings covered the floor, each a different color. Weapons of various shapes and sizes filled racks lined against the dark walls. A muted sound from the filtration system filled the air, like white noise, only less obtrusive. More like a gentle sigh.
Today, they used no weapons, instead working on fundamentals. Her leg couldn’t support her own weight, let alone any sharp moves. She wore a stiff brace, and even with it she could barely stand. Without it, she was crippled.
But she would do this. She had to do this. She motioned to Legian. “Again.”
He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. When he realized she was serious, he gave a proud smile… then he attacked. His arm shot out, and she dodged to the left. He kicked out a leg, and she jumped. She landed with a wince, but that wasn’t what pissed her off.
“You’re holding back,” she snarled when a blow rolled off her shoulder.
“You’re injured,” he said, matter-of-factly.
“Doesn’t matter. I could be injured during a battle and would still need to fight.”
He stepped back. “You sure about this?”
“Sure as your skin sparkles, Tinkerbell.”
He narrowed his eyes while he examined her for a moment before he shrugged and attacked. This time for real; she was flat on her back in under a second.
Sienna embraced the pain. Turning it into a war-scream, she twisted and grabbed Legian’s legs in a double-takedown maneuver. Except he didn’t go down. Just as she’d planned. She switched her pressure, pulling back rather than pushing. It knocked him off balance, and he fell toward her.
She twisted on the ground in time to keep him from toppling onto her, but he ducked his chin and rolled head-first to the side. He was on his feet and attacking before she was standing. Diving to the left, she narrowly missed his swing. He snapped around. She held her breath and leapt at him. He moved to the right like she expected, and she spun her good leg out the moment she hit the ground. She knocked him off bala
nce and fell on him.
With a full-out smile, she looked down to a surprised Legian.
“Do you yield?” Sienna asked in her best smart-ass tone as she straddled him.
He looked up with a wide grin, and her smile dropped.
Suddenly, she was the one with her back to the mat, staring up at the lights. “Dammit. Not again.”
“I was having too much fun seeing the look of success in your eyes. You actually thought you had me,” he replied, standing victor over her.
“How’s training going?”
She looked up to see Apolo saunter into the training room.
Legian turned to face Apolo. “Sienna’s doing good for a human. She’ll be in prime condition in no time.”
Apolo walked around Legian and bent down, leaning his forearm on one knee no more than a foot or so from her. She pulled herself to one elbow and looked him in the eye. She refused to cower under intimidation, and she wanted to make sure he knew it. “But the real question is will your leg be a weakness we can afford out there?”
“I won’t be weak,” Sienna said.
He backed away. “Show me that your leg won’t be a detriment.”
Legian stepped forward. “She’s not ready.”
“She’s a human and the tahren of one of my trinity. As such, she will be at the forefront of sensitive negotiations. We don’t have the luxury of waiting for her to be ready,” the Sephian leader said.
Legian lowered his head and stepped off the mat. Sienna eyed him, and he looked at her, tense, unmoving.
Apolo motioned her to him. “Any time you’re ready, human.” He didn’t even widen his stance. He assumed she was harmless.
She turned her pain into rage and launched at him. He didn’t bother to move out of the way. Instead, he held his arms out and embraced her as she rammed into him. She dropped and swept out his legs. Apolo fell to the floor with a look of surprise, as if he hadn’t expected her to take him down. She took advantage of his hesitation and clapped her hands on his sensitive ears.
