“A shell.” She lied. In reality, or the dream’s reality, it had been another one of the bracelet stones given to her by Olech. “Small, pink, curled around its center.”
“Oh.”
The ship’s intercom beeped once, and then an automated voice entered the room. “Docking at Larkin Station. All personnel authorized to leave the ship, please report to Briefing Room Three.”
Ayliss stood up, trying to hide her eagerness. “I believe that applies to me.”
“It does indeed. You’ve been extremely helpful, whether you believe it or not. Go on—have some fun.”
“Thank you.” She walked toward the hatch.
“Ayliss.”
“Yes?”
“How did your dream end? What happened after your brother gave you the shell?”
“The strangest thing,” she replied, no longer lying. “This giant dog appeared, obviously rabid, and it attacked him.”
“That’s highly unusual, for your dreams.”
“Jan’s been in the war zone for over a year now, one dangerous job after another. I’m much more concerned about what might happen to him in reality.”
“I see. What did the dog do to him?”
“It knocked him down, and was biting one of his legs when the dream ended.”
“Oh my.” Tin lightly clapped her hands. “Steak and eggs? If I’d known you served this kind of food, I would have come by your room sooner.”
Blocker set one of the plates in front of her. The dining surface and its bench seats retracted into the wall when not in use, as did the compartment’s bed. He’d turned up the music so they could talk in private.
“Special meal for a special occasion.”
“Sergeant Blocker. Are you seducing me?”
“Fueling you, actually. Rittle arrived an hour ago. He’s not far from here, in the Zone Quest part of Med Wing. His shuttle will be at the repair dock in two hours.”
“Good.” Tin breathed out the word like a prayer, and then started cutting the steak. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
“We both have.”
“You weren’t on Quad Seven while that Tratian brigade was still there. Rittle took every opportunity to dump on us while that gang was backing him up.” She began to chew, and her eyes closed in pleasure. “When the Tratians started pulling out, we stole half of everything they had, just out of spite.”
“Rittle mentioned that to Ayliss. Part of the long list of crimes you and the other vets allegedly committed.”
“Crimes.” Tin shook her head. “He murdered half my squad from the war. Lola and the girls. I’m going to be thinking of them while I’m stuffing the bomb into that port.”
“Concentrate on the job.” Blocker let an edge enter his voice. “We’ll drink a toast to everyone who died on Quad Seven, once we get the news that Rittle’s shuttle blew up.”
“You know I’m rock solid during the action.” Tin gave him a playful smile. “But when it’s done, when that bastard is dead, you and me are gonna party.”
Blocker’s eyes widened, and he slowly lowered his fork.
Tin waved a hand, giggling. “Hey, I just meant we were going to close down the bar, is all. You’re under no obligation beyond that, Sarge.”
“Looks like the party’s canceled.” Blocker pointed behind her, and Tin turned to look at the wall monitor. “In fact, our whole operation’s blown.”
The large screen hung near the ceiling, and it showed the passageway right outside. Two figures were walking straight for the entrance to Blocker’s cabin, and Tin recognized them both.
“You gotta be shitting me!” she hissed, tossing her fork onto the table and shoving her plate away. Blocker was already up, and he opened the hatch before the guests could announce their presence.
“Big Bear.” Ayliss looked at him with her head tilted in mock anger. “See what happens when you don’t write?”
“Get in here. Now.” Blocker pulled her through the entrance, and a bewildered Ewing followed. He closed the hatch, securing it for good measure.
“Tin!” Ayliss called out, striding across the small room to embrace the Banshee. The smaller woman was standing by then, but her icy glare stopped Ayliss in her tracks. She turned to look at Blocker, confusion turning to annoyance. “What’s going on?”
“What’s going on, is you just wrecked something we’ve been working on for months. Why are you here?”
“I dunno, maybe I wanted to visit a lifelong friend who’s recuperating from a scrape we all fought in.” Ayliss turned resentful eyes toward Tin, and then back to Blocker. “And since he kept telling me he wasn’t getting any better, I had to convince the High Stepper to swing by here.”
“That’s nice, but you have to leave. Right now.”
Ewing put a hand on Blocker’s arm. “Hey, lighten up a little there, Sarge. We’ve got some news. ZQ had a spy on the Delphi, and she tried to break into my databank.”
“Imagine that.”
Ayliss stepped directly in front of Blocker. “Tell me what’s going on, Bear.”
“Right now, in this very wing, our good friend Rittle is getting the mandatory six-month physical required of every ZQ deep-space station manager.”
“Here? No. They’re required to leave the war zone for that.”
“Yeah, well Rittle’s been out here so long that he earned a dispensation. Almost nobody knows about it, but my friends here tipped me off. Tin and I had it all arranged, a bomb that would go off once his shuttle hit cruising speed.”
“So what’s the problem? We can help. You have to let us help.”
“Help? You’re not supposed to be anywhere near here! Zone Quest knows what Rittle tried to do to us on Quad Seven. If he has an accident at a station you just happened to be visiting, it’s not gonna take them long to put it all together.”
“Oh, like they wouldn’t find out two of the survivors have been here for months?”
“No,” Tin barked. “No they wouldn’t. And you know why? Because Blocker and me, we’re just little people to these corporate types. They lost track of us as soon as the shooting stopped. But you . . . why do you think we were keeping this from you?”
“You can still do it.” Ayliss spoke quickly now. “Ewing and I will get back to the ship. It’ll be like we were never here. You said the bomb wouldn’t go off until Rittle was well clear of this place.”
“You’re already on record as being here.” Blocker’s voice softened. “I’m sorry, Ayliss. We’ll get him some other time.”
“When? You said it yourself, he never leaves the war zone. Ewing’s been tracking the Guests’ communications for months, and he says it’s impossible to figure out where that rat is going to be ahead of time. We do it now.”
“It’s all right. You have to know when to cancel a mission.”
“After what he did?” Her voice rose, and her cheeks began to tremble. “He hired a pirate to kill us all. He poisoned me. He killed Lee!”
Blocker wrapped his arms around her, pressing his chin against the top of her head while she struggled. “You’re right, Little Bear. He tried to kill us all, and he succeeded with too many of us. He is not going to get a pass for that. I promise.”
Ayliss pushed free, but didn’t step away. “Promise you’ll let me in on it.”
Blocker inhaled as if to continue the argument, but Tin saved him. “Dom, we have to get these two back to their ship. Rittle’s security people are going to find out they’re here.”
“Right. We’ll take the morgue route, less chance of running into anybody.” Ayliss was still staring up at him, waiting, so Blocker relented. “I’ll try. That’s the best I can do.”
Tin passed into the corridor. A moment later she waved at them from the monitor, and Blocker motioned Ayliss and Ewing to walk ahead of him. The passageway was almost empty, and after a couple of turns they arrived at an unmarked hatch. Tin pressed a transparent disc to the card reader, and the door slid inward with a loud metallic clack
.
The unadorned passageway beyond the entrance was tube-shaped and narrow, with exposed cables running down its length.
“What is this?” Ewing asked as they approached a T-shaped intersection.
“It’s the tunnel they use for taking bodies to the morgue,” Tin answered without looking back. “Not a lot of fatalities here, but—”
She didn’t get to finish, because a different quartet appeared in front of them. The new group was also moving fast, and came to a staggered halt just yards away. Two uniformed Zone Quest security men were in front, and a surprised Vroma Rittle and a seething Margot Isles walked behind them. Rittle wore the one-piece suit that he’d favored on Quad Seven, and Margot had exchanged her robes for a dark coverall.
The two groups stood frozen until Rittle spoke to Margot. “You were right. She is trying to kill me.”
The security men were both large, but Ayliss’s eyes were fastened on the pistols hanging from their belts. Rittle’s words sent their hands drifting toward the weapons.
“No need for that.” Blocker’s tone was calm, conciliatory. He stepped up next to Tin, who had already turned sideways and bent her knees in preparation for a fight. “This is just a misunderstanding. We’re going to go back the way we came. How about you do likewise?”
Rittle locked eyes with Ayliss, and she watched as his earlier surprise slipped away. Slightly overweight and accustomed to being in charge, he gave her a knowing grin. “It’s all right, boys. Let ’em go. They’re nothing.”
“You motherfucker!” The syllables exploded from Ayliss as she charged, her hands reaching out. She was past the guards before they had a chance to react, and then it was all swirling action. Rittle swung just as Ayliss came in range, a beefy punch that crashed into her left ear. The blow carried her into the metal to her right, stunning her.
Grabbing the loose cables for support, Ayliss almost collapsed. She turned in place, her tilted field of vision taking it all in. Blocker wrapping up a security man’s gun arm, his huge hand grabbing his opponent’s face and slamming his head against the wall. Tin throwing a series of knife hands at the other guard’s eyes, causing him to raise his arms, and then kicking him in the crotch.
Hands locked onto Ayliss’s throat, and she expected to see Rittle again, but it was Margot, her face stamped with insane fury. She felt her breath instantly choked off, marveling at the other woman’s strength, but then her own anger returned. Releasing the cables, she shot her arms up between Margot’s, thumbs extended, digging straight for the eyes. She didn’t connect, but the move broke the hold as Margot jumped back.
Howling, Ayliss lowered her shoulder and barreled into the other woman, driving her across the tube. Just before they reached the far bulkhead, Ayliss tried to straighten up while gripping Margot’s torso. The motion lifted the spy off the deck, and Ayliss’s driving legs whipped the bald head toward the waiting metal. The Stepper smashed into the wall with a crash that echoed, and her body went limp.
Ayliss spun, desperate to see where Rittle had gone. Both security men were down, and Tin and Blocker had their weapons, but the station manager was nowhere in sight. A choked cry came from behind her, and she rushed out into the connecting passageway.
“You son of a bitch! You rotten, smug son of a bitch.” Ewing was breathing heavily, barely able to get the words out. Rittle was stretched out on the plating, with the smaller man straddling him. “What you did to us out there. Fuck you, man. Fuck you.”
Blood flowed over the decking, where the knife no one knew Ewing carried had cut Rittle’s throat.
“Get in here. Quick.” Chief Scalpo was waiting at the exam room door when the four emergency cases ran in. Blocker, Tin, and Ayliss were grouped tightly around Ewing, to hide the red stains across the front of his flight suit. The physician’s assistant shut and bolted the hatch behind them. “Is anyone hurt?”
“I told you that when I called. The injuries were all on their side.”
“Okay, get the bloody clothes off of him, and put them down the burn chute.” Scalpo activated one of the room’s cabinets, and brought out a hospital gown in a sealed package. He handed several sterile wipes to Tin. “Clean him up, and get him into that johnny.”
“I’m not in a coma, Chief.” Ewing’s tone was low, almost apologetic. “You can talk to me.”
“No time, son.” Scalpo sat, and began punching buttons on the console. “I already called Charon. He’ll be here in a few.”
“Charon?” Ayliss asked, helping Ewing out of his clothes. “Isn’t that the boatman on the River Styx?”
“None other. It’s just his nickname, but it’s appropriate. He’s the Force recruiter here.” Chief turned in his seat. “It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Mortas. Wish it was under different circumstances. Dom speaks very highly of you.”
The console beeped once, and Chief returned to the screen. His fingers danced over the keys. “Blocker, Dominic. Physically cleared for active service.”
“What’s he doing?” Ayliss gave Blocker a look of reproach. “You’re signing up again?”
“It was just a precaution, in case the bomb got tracked back to us. We’re on the war side of the CHOP Line—if you reach the recruiter before the cops get you, there’s nothing they can do.”
Another beep prompted more typing, and Chief looked up at Tin. “You want me to do this?”
“Not a lot of choice. We just killed at least three people.”
“I didn’t hear that.” Chief finished the entry. “Physically cleared for active service.”
Ewing’s bare chest and neck were now clean, and Ayliss helped him into the medical drapery. Wearing shorts, boots, and socks, he looked ridiculous in the medical garment. Ayliss finished tying the back shut while Chief began the examination.
“Raise your hands over your head. Excellent. Bend over and touch the floor. Wonderful.”
“He was already in, Chief. He’s the commo guy I mentioned,” Blocker intoned.
“Oh, him.” Chief reached out, prying one of Ewing’s eyes open. “Ongoing substance abuse indicated. Not serious enough for disqualification.”
He went back to his seat, and a low buzzing sound entered the exam room. Blocker moved to the hatch and activated the viewer. A tall, thin man in a Human Defense Force uniform waved at him, and he unlocked the hatch.
“Hello, everyone.” The recruiter seemed pleased. “I understand we’re all feeling patriotic today.”
“Charon, we need to do this quickly.” Chief finished updating Ewing’s record, and then called up a blank medical form. “These four are about to be unjustly accused of having murdered Vroma Rittle and two others.”
“Maybe three,” Ayliss interjected. “I don’t think I killed her, but there was no time to check.”
“Rittle? Good riddance.” Charon looked them over. “As soon as I swear them in, they belong to the Force. Medicals all up to date?”
“Sergeant Blocker, Corporal Tin, and Specialist Ewing are all recently discharged veterans. They’re all cleared for active service. Sergeant Blocker has served two consecutive tours in the war zone, and Corporal Tin is a Banshee with extensive combat experience.” Chief’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “The last one is Ayliss Mortas.”
“I recognized her. It’s a selfless thing you’re doing here, Miss Mortas.”
“What am I doing here?”
“You’re enlisting in the Human Defense Force. Just like your father.”
Chief finished the entry. “She’s healthy as an ox; qualified for all levels of service. Dom, you’re getting a little old for this stuff. Want me to put you on limited duty of some kind, get you a staff job somewhere?”
Ayliss turned pained eyes in his direction, and Blocker winked at her. “Get us all to Special Operations Command, and my pals will take it from there. Ewing’s a commo ace, so he and I will get assigned to Banshee support.”
“I’m re-upping?” Ewing fingered the johnny. “Dressed like this?”
�
��That’s nothing. I’ve sworn in recruits who were wearing handcuffs, and even one in a straitjacket.” Charon chuckled. “They gave him back.”
Blocker continued. “Tin’s obviously going back to the Banshees.”
“And me as well?” Ayliss tried to keep the hope out of her voice.
“A direct enlistment to the Banshees requires a sponsor,” Charon intoned. “A Banshee veteran who can speak for the applicant.”
Ayliss stepped in front of Tin, her eyes bright with the memory of fighting beside her on Quad Seven. “How about it? Speak for me?”
“Glad to.” The words were leaden, as was the fist that Tin drove straight into Ayliss’s abdomen. The blonde woman dropped to the floor, gasping for the breath that refused to come.
Tin squatted, growling. “You join the Banshees, you’re not in charge of anything anymore. Not even your life. Back in the tunnel, you broke ranks. Dom was calling the play, and you decided to do your own thing. You will not do that again. Right?”
Ayliss grunted in pain, her arms wrapped around her midsection.
“Good. You’re going to do everything you’re told, and nothing you’re not told. As your sponsor, I’ll hear about everything you do, good and bad. You step out of line at any point, I will come to wherever you are, and beat your bony ass bloody. We have a deal?”
Ayliss’s diaphragm finally loosened, the pain ebbing. “Yes.”
Tin helped her up, and then hugged her. “Welcome, Ayliss.”
Strength slowly came back to her arms, and Ayliss returned the embrace. Remembering the Banshee pre-battle ritual, she whispered, “I will die for you, Tin.”
“Not for me. You’re going to die for your squad.” The Banshee held her at arm’s length, smiling. “Private Mortas.”
Chapter 9
“Hugh.” Jander Mortas looked up from a couch in what had once been his father’s traveling office. “You look tired.”
Leeger pointed at Mortas’s left leg, propped up on the cushions. “At least I can still walk.”
“I can walk fine, with the brace. Just takes me a long time to get anywhere. Who gave you the bruises?”
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