Dark Deeds (Class 5 Series Book 2)

by Michelle Diener

  Fee sensed Pila's tension dissipate a little. He'd thought he might be in trouble for this, she realized. Organizing a song for his girlfriend on her birthday while on duty.

  Except, his time was hers, really. And she wanted to do this. Wanted to integrate into this life, if she could.

  Suddenly, every eye in the room turned to her.

  She did want to do it, but suddenly, the gesture took on a lot more weight than it should. It was just 'happy birthday' after all.

  “I don't mean to diminish the moment, but you do realize it is a short song?”

  “Even so, to waste your voice on something so trivial . . .” Mun looked like she didn't know whether to dig a hole and hide or clap her hands excitedly.

  The Grih definitely had some strange ideas about singing. Using your voice made it stronger. Made it better.

  Before Mun could talk herself out of it, Fee launched into the song, singing it through twice seeing as she had such an avid audience, to give them more bang for their buck.

  When she finished, Mun was leaning back on her pillows, her eyes bright with tears. “Thank you, Fiona.”

  “It was my pleasure.” She meant it, but was uncomfortably aware that they were placing far more value on what she'd done than it deserved.

  She didn't know how to convey that, though, without ruining the moment, so she kept quiet.

  A fight for another day.

  She caught the captain watching her, leaning against the wall, with arms crossed over his chest.

  He was the hardest to read of everyone in the room.

  Carmain was openly affected, like Mun, and Hadri was, too. Pila was trying to keep his expression neutral, but Fee honestly couldn't say what Vakeri was thinking. His gaze caught hers and she held eye contact, trying to stand her ground.

  She tugged at her shirt, and then tried to still her hands, but she refused to look away.

  He made her feel unbalanced.

  On Earth, she'd had power over her own life. Since she'd been taken, she'd been at the mercy of others, and that was still the case.

  Vakeri was the one with the power over her now.

  And yet, she thought she could trust him. His behavior since she'd met him told her that, and still, he could change his mind at any moment and there was nothing she could do about it.

  It made liking him difficult, even though it wasn't his fault. He was the captain. She was the orange.

  She tugged at her shirt again, and the encryptor, back in its place in her bra, dug a little into her skin.

  It calmed her, and she was able to let her hands relax at her sides.

  It wasn't a silver bullet, but it was a small grab at control. A tiny weight that helped to balance the scales a little.

  Hadri cleared his throat, and she realized she and the captain had been sizing each other up for longer than was probably socially appropriate. She lowered her gaze to his broad chest.

  Vakeri frowned, pushing off from the wall and dropping his arms. He seemed less daunting, all of a sudden, as if she'd befuddled him.

  “What's wrong?” Jasa stepped into the room, making the med chamber feel truly crowded, her voice rough with concern.

  Fee thought everyone relaxed, as if Jasa had diffused a tense situation. It underscored to Fee that she was running blind, with no idea of the social dos and don'ts in Grih society. She needed a manual or something.

  “Nothing's wrong. I have been honored with a human birthday song.” Mun was still lying back on her pillows, and Fee thought she was pretending to be more comfortable than she was.

  “You've gone off the pain meds?” Jasa obviously wasn't fooled for a moment. “I told you, tomorrow. You'll end up here a day extra because you'll tire yourself out more if you can't sleep comfortably.”

  It seemed the signal for everyone to leave.

  Pila stepped up to Mun's bed. “Listen to the doc.” His voice was gruff and he didn't touch her, but he wanted to. Fee could see it in the way his hands rubbed the sides of his pants.

  “Get better, Mun. And happy birthday again.” Fee nodded a goodbye to Hadri, too, and stepped out the room with Carmain to give Jasa more room to bustle.

  They waited for Pila, and when he emerged, he looked like a man whose lover was badly hurt, and all he wanted to do was sit by her side.

  “Jasa seems a good doctor,” Fee said, to comfort him. “She did wonders for me, and I'm not even Grihan.”

  Pila grunted in reply, and Carmain sent her a smile, eyes alight with mischief. “It isn't widely known how eloquent Pila is. You're seeing a side of him others rarely experience.”

  Fee grinned back. “Well, he may speak mostly in monosyllables, but he organized a happy birthday song for his lover that made her very happy. That's better than eloquent, in my mind.”

  Pila stopped, stared at her, and then turned on his heel and strode ahead to take point.

  Carmain made a comical face at his back and then took up the rear.

  As she walked, sandwiched between them, Fee was suddenly very aware of the encryptor. For the first time, it didn't feel as vital as it had before.

  12

  “We can dock in three hours.” Gerbardi looked up from his screen, ending his conversation with Larga Ways control, and Hal nodded.

  Larga Ways' ability to dock a ship the size of the Illium was something that impressed him every time he visited.

  Of course, battleships, no matter the size, usually weren't allowed to dock, but Larga Ways was in Grihan airspace, and the price the planet Balco paid for being a border planet with a way station just slightly on the Grihan side, was that Grih Battle Center ships were always welcome.

  Balco itself was as neutral as a planet in the Grihan system could be. The Balcoans were content to pay nominal tax to the Grih for some services and Battle Center security, and to be left alone to trade in peace. They voted every fifty years or so on whether to become Grih's fifth planet, but every time, only about ten percent of the population was in favor, and Hal guessed all of the pro-votes were Grihan ex-pats.

  “Larga Ways' station chief would like a meeting with you.” Gerbardi turned to Hal, hand hovering over his earpiece.

  As Hal had been about to ask Gerbardi to set up a meeting with Tean Lee anyway, he nodded. “I have to hand Vilk over to his people, then I'll head straight to Lee's office.”

  Hal had a strict schedule. For himself and his crew.

  He wanted them away from Larga Ways as quickly as possible.

  They had to deal with returning the mining vessel to its mother company and brief the authorities on Larga Ways about the deaths of the crew on board. Vilk, Kwo, and the small United Council office, as well as Grihan and Garmman consulate staff, would also have to meet to discuss how they were going to deal with Tak and his crew, and the fate of the Fasbe. For now, the trading ship was a crime scene the United Council Independent Investigators would need to go over, and so it would need to be stored safely until they arrived.

  Hal frowned, and leaned toward Gerbardi. “Did Kwo or you get off a message to the UC investigative unit before comms were cut off?”

  Gerbardi stared at him for a beat, then turned to the pale blue glass of his unit, and tapped away. He turned back and there was a satisfied gleam in his eyes. “We did. They even responded, and said they planned to arrive in four days. Which means they may even get here before we leave Larga Ways.”

  “That's good.” Hal tried not to feel too much hope. They'd lost comms only a few hours later, and the UC team may never have even left if the Tecran had attacked UC headquarters or Battle Center. But if the comms problem was in the Illium's nearspace, then it would be good to talk to the investigators; either in person, or while the Illium was going after the Krik.

  In a way, the UC team's appearance or not would be confirmation of whether this was a small, localized problem, or something much, much bigger.

  He had to proceed as if either possibility were true. And that the Garmman could be involved.

&n
bsp; “Tean Lee is very grateful for your time. He'll be waiting for you, however long it takes for you to finish your business with Councilor Vilk.” Gerbardi tapped his ear to end the call and Hal leaned back in his chair.

  Lee was always courteous, but he was never this grateful for some of Hal's time.

  Of course, the Balcoans would be watching the situation developing between the Grih and the Garmman closely. And they had to be getting nervous. Tean Lee would be under huge pressure to find out what exactly was going on.

  Balco and Larga Ways would have to align with the Grih if it came to war, and their planet would be the first the Garmman would want to capture, to gain a foothold in Grih territory.

  Hal stood and decided to brief a few of his team to go out and socialize at the bars and restaurants of Larga Ways for the day or so they'd be docked.

  He'd like an idea of what the average citizen of Balco, or at least the way station, thought of what was going on, and what they'd heard from the Garmman side.

  He called a small team together as he walked to the Illium's conference room and arranged a replacement for Carmain, so she could attend the meeting, as well.

  Thoughts of Carmain led straight to thoughts of Fiona Russell, and the way she'd challenged him yesterday, staring him down. He'd been doing the same to her, but only because she'd seemed to be deliberately holding his gaze to make some kind of point.

  She was lucky he had as much control as he did. He'd forced himself not to react.

  She'd been transformed from when he'd rescued her. Her injuries were healed, and someone had found her some very form-fitting clothes.

  When he'd rounded his fighter ship to get to her in the Fasbe's launch bay, she'd been in oversized overalls, and since then, in Grih visitor uniforms that were many sizes too big. He'd almost reeled back when he'd stepped into Mun and Hadri's med chamber and seen her.

  Sleek, focused, and intelligent——the frightened, cowed refugee of the day before was not gone . . . her eyes were still wary and her body language spoke of caution——but those descriptions no longer defined her. They were background elements of a force to be reckoned with.

  She was still too thin, the effects of too little food for too long didn't go away overnight, but he'd realized she was not just skin and bone. She'd spent her time on the Fasbe lifting heavy boxes, and she had the muscles to prove it.

  She'd also stared him down, further proof that she was coming back from her trauma, although he wondered if she knew holding eye contact like that with a Grih was a challenge.

  Perhaps he should ask Jasa or Carmain to speak to her about it. He had worked on building control, but not everyone had.

  He reached the conference room and flicked on the screen at one end to connect to the Fasbe. He needed Rial and Favri in on the meeting, as well.

  Chel shuffled through the door, still not completely healed, but almost there. He could coordinate the informal information gathering while Hal was accompanying Vilk to the Garmman consulate and also see what intelligence he could get from official sources.

  Carmain arrived with Tobru, who had been on the Fasbe, but had come back to the Illium with Fiona Russell's handheld, now being examined by his comms and engineering teams. As Carmain closed the door behind them, Favri and Rial appeared onscreen.

  Hal motioned to everyone to sit.

  “We have about a day in Larga Ways. Enough to politely get rid of Vilk, deal with the mining vessel incident, hand over Tak and his crew and secure the Fasbe for the UC investigators, load some supplies, and then go after those Krik.” Hal knew they'd be lucky if it only took a day, but he had authority on Larga Ways, and Tean Lee would help smooth the way and speed things up.

  “You sure we should hand Tak over to Larga Ways law enforcement?” Rial looked tired, and Hal guessed he and Favri were still searching the ship, looking for clues to Fiona Russell's capture and why Tak had her. Trying to find something before they reached Larga Ways and someone else took over.

  “We have to. We don't have time for anything else if we want to go after those Krik. And there's a time limit on that, too. If we can't get them in a day, we have to leave them.”

  “What?” Chel looked up from his place at the table, eyes wide.

  Hal kept his face neutral. He sympathized with Chel, but he had no choice in this. “The lack of comms with Battle Center is too serious to ignore. And Fiona Russell may not know who abducted her or why they passed her on to Tak, but she's living, talking proof that the Tecran didn't just take Rose McKenzie, that it wasn't just mad Doc Fliap stepping outside the rules. One abduction could be argued as an aberration. A failure of their systems and the unlawful act of a scientist more interested in research than the law, but two is the start of a pattern. Most of what Sazo has said is classified, and I'm not senior enough to know, but Admiral Hoke was surprised and shocked when I told her we'd found another Earth woman. So I'm guessing it's understood the only Earth woman Sazo knows about is Rose. Which means a Class 5 other than Sazo took Fiona. Again, that indicates a pattern.”

  “And knowing about Fiona might be what the United Council needs to kick the Tecran out.” Chel let out a sigh. “It'll prove they've been lying about Rose being a once-off mistake. So we have to get her there as fast as possible.”

  “Unless Admiral Hoke has kept the information to herself for the time being, the UC already knows about Fiona, but I'm sure they'll wait to make a decision until they've met and spoken with her. I probably shouldn't even spend the day I'm giving us to get the Krik, but I can't let the bastards walk away if I can help it.” Hal steepled his fingers, saw Chel's acceptance in his quick nod, and relaxed.

  “And the longer we have Fiona Russell on board, the longer we're a target ourselves. If the Tecran know we have her, they'll want to wipe us out of existence.” Tobru spoke for the first time. She was short——not as short as Fiona Russell, but petite by Grih standards——and a tactical expert as well as Hal's best shot. She didn't talk a lot, but when she did, Hal listened.

  He nodded. “If they know we have her, and I don't see how they can. But once Tak and his crew are out of our control, and in the hands of Larga Ways authorities, they could bribe someone to get word to the Tecran. Or a Tecran spy could come to them.”

  Carmain frowned. “If the Tecran gave Fiona to Tak to keep safe for them, would he risk letting them know he's failed?”

  Hal shrugged. “I know Tak and his two senior officers are the only ones who really know what's going on. They won't talk, and we can't guess if it's to their benefit or not to pass word to the Tecran that we have Fiona Russell.”

  “We have to assume they'll try,” Favri said from the screen.

  Hal nodded. “I have a meeting with the way station commander. I'll give him some details.”

  “Only some?” Chel asked.

  “The fewer people know we have Fiona, the better. And that's part of why you're all here. Only people who need to be off the Illium to perform their duties are allowed to leave, and those who do say nothing about Fiona. Nothing. Make sure your subordinates understand that.” He looked them in the eye one by one, and got nods of understanding.

  “And the other reason?” Rial asked.

  “I need all of you except Carmain to go have a drink, a meal, do some shopping on Larga Ways, out of uniform, and with your ears open.”

  “You want to know what the mood on the ground is.” Tobru gave a slow nod.

  “If the Garmman are feeling aggrieved or if they're really on the Tecran's side, someone, somewhere, will have heard a whisper of it on Larga Ways. It's one of the major hubs of interaction between Grihan and Garmman traders.” Favri was nodding as well.

  “You can go as couples. It'll help you blend in. Favri and Rial, and Tobru, you choose a partner. Chel, you coordinate while I'm running around.”

  “What about me?” Carmain didn't look surprised to be excluded from the excitement, she was the most junior officer here, and she wouldn't be in line for this kind of
op unless they needed someone with her particular looks.

  “You're here because I want to discuss Fiona's security. We're clear that if the Tecran know we have her, they'll do anything to get her back. So that means while we're docked in Larga Ways, I don't want her leaving her room.”

  Carmain's jaw dropped.

  Hal winced. “I know. It smacks of imprisonment, but I need you to explain the reasoning to her. This is for her own protection. I can't let anyone catch sight of her, and there may be officials coming onboard. I could insist on meeting off-ship, but that's out of character, and it would be the first time I've done it. I'd rather they think we have nothing to hide.”

  “If there are Tecran spies on Larga Ways——and there definitely are——as soon as they know the Fasbe has docked, they'll know we have Fiona,” Tobru said. “Unless that kind of information is only being shared right at the top. But the Fasbe's arrival will be recorded, and someone, somewhere, will make a note of it.”

  Hal nodded. “That's why I've instructed Gerbardi to call the Fasbe a different name, and why we gave the impression we were bringing in two vessels attacked by the Krik, instead of one. I've also arranged for us to have a docking arm to ourselves. Unless someone knows what the Fasbe actually looks like, we've covered ourselves as best we can. Rial, find out from Gerbardi what name he gave to Larga Ways so you give the right information when you bring the Fasbe in.”

  Rial nodded. “You want us to check in to a hotel or something while we nose around? Or use the ship as a base?”

  Hal pursed his lips. “Hotel. Stay at different ones, and each team, let the other team know where you are so they can follow you at set times, just to see if someone is watching.”

  “Fun.” Favri grinned, and Hal hoped she was right.

  It didn't feel like fun to him. It felt like there was a huge meteor heading straight for them, and it wasn't a case of if it would hit, but when.

  13

  Fee liked to think she wasn't an idiot, and after everything that had happened to her in the last two and a half months, she could happily agree to stay in a large, well-equipped room for a day or so.