“It's working.” She laughed, then turned to watch the door of the temporary prison again. “You're a better engineer than you thought."
“Couldn't have done it without you."
“It's nice to be needed."
It's too bad you're a Leaper and you can't leave your ship. Bain didn't dare say it aloud. He remembered a little more of his sleepy words last night, and it was true. He wished he and Rhiann could be together, always. They made a good team.
How could he ask her to give up being a Leaper? He had committed too much to the Scouts—he couldn't give them up if she asked him to stay on the Leap-ships so they could be together.
“Hello, Bain."
Ganfer's voice crackled and wavered, coming unevenly in one roaring blast from all the speakers on the bridge.
“Ganfer? You're all right?” Bain wobbled toward the control panel and reached out a hand to lean against the damaged edge.
“Most of my functions have been cut off, but I have been running diagnostics ever since the bomb went off, and I believe all my memories and the crystals containing them are intact.” As the ship-brain spoke, the crackling faded and the volume decreased until he was only coming from the speaker directly in front of Bain, in the control panel.
“That's wonderful, Ganfer,” Rhiann said. “We really missed you."
“Wonderful? That's all you can say? He's back! He's still Ganfer!” Bain let out a whoop and wrapped his arms around Rhiann. He spun her around three times and kissed her soundly on the lips before he put her back down on her feet. This time it was Rhiann who wobbled and sank down into the chair. She blushed and nearly dropped the beam burner.
The prisoner didn't even try to get up off his seat on the edge of the bunk, much less escape.
* * *
Chapter Seven
“They did considerable damage to the ship, didn't they?” Ganfer said.
“Yeah, it's pretty bad.” Bain looked around, as if seeing the damage for the first time. Then the ship-brain's words reminded him of something far more important. “They? Do you know who did this?"
“Indeed I do. I can transmit the images directly to the portmaster's office—once you replace enough circuits and crystal boards."
“Do you know them?"
“No."
“Did Lin?"
“She met them only that day. It is my impression they forced their way onto the bridge."
“How? I mean, how could they get around Lin like that?"
“It has something do to with Caderi, I believe."
“I knew it!” Bain pounded the edge of the control panel. “I knew he had something to do with it."
“Perhaps. Perhaps not."
“Ganfer, what's wrong? What did they want from her?” Rhiann demanded.
“I will have to review the recordings of the exact conversation ... but Bain, they insisted on calling her ‘Mistress Caderi'. Lin constantly corrected them, and they refused to listen to her."
“Mistress Caderi?” Bain echoed. “Ganfer, that doesn't make any sense."
“Yes it does,” Rhiann said. “Bain, remember what Caderi said yesterday? How if Lin had been his mother he'd see things your way, and want justice instead of revenge? He still wishes Lin had been his mother. What if other people think Lin really did marry his father, or at least gave him a son?"
“That's disgusting.” He shook his head. The idea made too much sense, actually.
A hard thudding on the airlock hatch made them both jump.
“Port security are outside,” Ganfer announced.
“Thanks.” Bain grinned. He opened his mouth to ask Ganfer to let them in, then remembered the limit of the ship-brain's functions. His smile faded as he crossed to the airlock and pressed the opening sequence.
Colwayn led the guards. He grinned when he climbed in through the airlock hatch and saw Bain waiting for him.
“We caught the other one. He was trying to slip through the workers’ gate, but we threw up a sensor net tuned for the identification badge he stole. We also found the two workers they stole the uniforms from."
“Good work, Indran,” Ganfer said.
Colwayn's mouth dropped open. His eyes widened and he stared at Bain. It took three tries, swallowing and blinking hard, before he could talk.
“I thought he was gone for good,” he said.
“Bain knows what he is doing, and Spacers live by their redundancies and fail-safe systems,” Ganfer responded with just a touch of laughter in the back of his voice.
“Can you identify the ones who took Lin?"
“I can give you pictures and voices, once Bain finishes replacing my access systems."
“Tell me what to do.” Colwayn put down his multi-dart on the control panel.
“Why don't you take the prisoners to the portmaster while Rhiann and I work? And tell your superiors to be ready for Ganfer to transmit.” Bain walked over to the prison cubicle and yanked the door open. The little man cowered on the edge of the bunk, shivering, his arms wrapped around his head as if he expected someone to hit him.
* * * *
“That should be the last of it,” Bain said, nearly half an hour later, as he slid the last board into the first layer of slots. He sank down to the floor and grinned, dead tired and achy from bending and stretching and reaching for things all morning.
“Thank Fi'in,” was Rhiann's response. She settled down next to him and ran her hand down the warped edge of the access panel. “How do you feel now, Ganfer?"
“I am running one last diagnostic,” the ship-brain responded.
“It's almost over,” she murmured. “Soon we'll know where to find those slimes who hurt Ganfer and took Lin."
“Almost,” Bain agreed. He watched Rhiann close her eyes and rub at her face, obliterating the dust and grime smudges from earlier rubbing. “Rhi, what do you really want to do next?"
“What kind of a question is that?” She laughed and opened her eyes—then crossed them at him.
“Well, you're a Leap captain's daughter—"
“State the obvious, please."
“You should be a captain by now. I mean, Herin took over...” Bain sighed. He was starting his question badly. Was there really any tactful way of asking the question in such a way that Rhiann had to answer it? “I want to know—"
Someone pounded on the hatch, startling Bain so he forgot what he had been about to say.
“What?” she said.
“Oh—uh—” Bain struggled to his feet. “Ganfer, who's out there?"
“Haddan Caderi. He looks exceedingly happy about something. Lin would say that is a good reason not to let him onto the ship.” The ship-brain paused. “At least, she would say that about his father. I had little contact with the son."
“I wish I didn't have any.” Bain turned to Rhiann. “Should we let him in?"
“If we don't, he'll probably get a flame cutter and let himself in.” She stepped away from him. “You'd better remember what you were about to say. From the expression on your face, it was going to be interesting, at least."
“Huh? Oh.” He nodded and was distantly thankful his face didn't heat up. He had been about to ask yet again why Rhiann hadn't become a captain yet, and whether she ever intended to be a captain. If she didn't want to be a Leaper captain ... there were quite a few questions to follow, if that was the answer she gave. “Ganfer, let him in, but keep an open line to the spaceport authorities."
“I'm sorry, Bain, but I only have vocal control and access to the memory banks and contact with the spaceport. No control over Sunsinger."
“Oh. That's right.” He felt a little sick, remembering. It had been his choice, after all, to restore only the necessary portions of Ganfer's functions quickly, rather than take half a day to get all of them operating.
More pounding came through the hatch. Bain had the sneaking suspicion Caderi had been pounding for quite a while, but none of them had been paying attention. He hurried over to the hatch and hit the release mech
anism.
“What have you been doing in here?” Caderi demanded. He stepped into the bridge and glared at Bain. Then his gaze shifted to Rhiann and a nasty grin crossed his face. “We're in an emergency situation here. Tumble your woman on your own time."
Bain punched him before Rhiann even had a chance to go white with shock. Caderi hit the deck and slid nearly two meters. His own face went white. His mouth moved but no sound escaped, like a fish drowning in air.
“Don't you even think such things about Rhiann,” Bain growled. “She's no one's property, you hear me?"
To his surprise, Caderi nodded quickly. Was that a touch of fear in the big man's eyes?
“For your information, we've been working on fixing Ganfer,” Bain continued. “We sent the visual and audio recordings of Lin's kidnapping to the portmaster's office nearly fifteen minutes ago."
“I heard.” Caderi struggled to sit up. “That's what I came here to see you about. My contacts in the city know who those men are and where they usually go to hide."
“Good. You'll take us there?"
“Of course.” He stood, rubbing his jaw and eyeing Bain for a few seconds in silence. “Who do you mean by ‘us'?"
“My Scouts and some of the spaceport guards. Colwayn should know who's most reliable."
“That sounds good. I'll meet you at the portmaster's office when you get everyone assembled.” Caderi nodded to them and slid out the hatch and down the ladder.
Bain hurried to close the hatch. When he turned around, he found Rhiann watching him with a troubled expression.
“What's wrong?” he asked.
“That's what I'd like to ask you. Why did you hit him? You've never been ... well, you did deck him yesterday, but that was about Lin and you were both upset."
“He was implying things about you.” Bain felt like his brain had stopped functioning and his tongue was about to tie into knots.
“No, he said things about both of us. I know what it means to ‘tumble’ someone.” Rhiann sat down at Bain's place at the control panel. “Ganfer, what was Bain's physical reaction when Caderi said that?"
“His pulse rate tripled, his body heat jumped five degrees,” Ganfer said, “and chemical levels altered drastically. Mostly hormonal."
“Hormonal?” She grinned. “Oh, my. We've had this conversation before, haven't we? But it's always been about other people. Never us."
Bain swallowed hard. A pinpoint of calmness appeared inside his head and spread through his body. Rhiann seemed to understand better than he did—and she didn't seem to mind.
“We both thought it was silly, before,” he offered.
“Well, we've grown up, haven't we?"
“That's part of the problem. You're...” Bain swallowed hard again. Rhiann nodded, encouraging him to speak. It certainly didn't look like she was going to say anything until he had finished. He decided to take the plunge—it couldn't get any worse, could it? “You're gorgeous,” he blurted.
“You think so?” she whispered. Rhiann blushed. He liked it on her.
“Yeah. And I punched him because ... because I'd give anything to be ... I think I'd be furious if you..."
“Tumbled?” she offered, her voice turning into a squeak.
“Yeah. I'd be mad enough to hurt someone if it was anyone but me."
“Why, Bain Kern—you're jealous.” Rhiann grinned. Slowly, she got up from her chair and walked over to where he leaned against the wall near the hatch.
“Yeah, probably.” The slowly returning calmness inside him started to get cold.
Bain had a sudden vision of Rhiann making her marriage vows in front of her sister, and another woman in a captain's uniform. The man standing next to her didn't have a face—yet—but he wore a Leaper's uniform as well.
Of course Bain was jealous. Now he knew why Rhiann hadn't taken her own ship. She probably had a sweetheart on another ship and was waiting until after she got married to assume her command. She was old enough, wasn't she?
“I'm flattered. But a little confused.” She stopped with less than twenty centimeters of space between them. “You've never said anything before."
“When do we ever get a chance?"
“True.” Mischief danced in her eyes. “But you've never even tried to kiss me. Not once."
“What about an hour ago?"
“That's different. That's celebrating. It's not—it's not the kind of kissing that really matters.” Her blush got deeper and she refused to look him in the eyes.
“I didn't think I had the right."
“Lots of men have tried to kiss me.” She grimaced. “That didn't sound quite right. What I mean is, I meet lots of men when I go out representing Herin. Some of them try to court me right away. They try to kiss me after only a few hours. I should think my best friend has more right than any of them."
“Best friend?” Bain felt like an idiot, echoing her, but his brain was having a hard time keeping up.
“We got along perfectly from the first time we met, didn't we? When danger comes, we work well together. We think alike. We take care of each other."
“Yeah.” He reached out and took hold of both her hands. His heart thudded hard and fast and he suspected she could feel his pulse in his fingertips. “We work together like we've known each other all our lives."
“Best friends.” Her smile faded a little.
“So, you wouldn't get mad if I kissed you?"
“I'd get mad if you didn't."
“Excuse me.” Ganfer's voice made them both jump. “I have been monitoring Haddan Caderi and he has left the spaceport boundaries."
“He's probably going out to collect his men,” Bain said. He squeezed Rhiann's hands a little tighter. Her smile brightened.
“He left with a large number of men."
It took exactly five heartbeats for the implications to sink into Bain's consciousness. He knew that because he heard his heart thump in the echoing silence.
“He's going without us."
“Well ... we didn't exactly get to work right away,” Rhiann whispered. She cringed, trying to smile. She only managed to look slightly sick.
“Ganfer, contact the portmaster and Colwayn if you can. Gorgi,” Bain said, as he switched on his wristband.
“Here,” his friend responded.
“Haddan Caderi just left the spaceport, heading out with a band of his men to rescue Lin."
“Great! But why aren't we with him?"
“Because he was supposed to wait while I got you and the port security guards organized. He's going to slaughter whoever kidnapped Lin. We have to stop that from happening."
“Follow him?"
“Follow him, you and Lissy. Don't do anything. Ganfer will give you his coordinates and general direction. Call us as soon as you find him and give us updates every five minutes. We'll catch up with you as soon as we can."
* * * *
It took exactly twenty-two minutes to alert the portmaster, contact Colwayn, assemble the best of the security guards and head out into the city. Bain and Rhiann led the way, with Trinia and Arin Cain directly behind them, Colwayn and ten security guards, and the Piller brothers bringing up the rear. The Scouts carried sensor wands, multi-darts, and medic kits, all new, the latest innovations.
Colwayn had a general idea of where they had to go in the city, based on Ganfer's identification of the men who had come onto Sunsinger's bridge, argued with Lin, fought and drugged her, and then bombed the computer system. It was a bad section of the city. Bain had expected that. The unofficial name was Smugglertown. He wondered if that was part of the reason the three men had kidnapped Lin. Had they asked her to smuggle something, and when she refused they kidnapped her either to force her or to keep her from telling the authorities?
Bain played the audio portion of the visit for Rhiann and Colwayn to hear, as they walked.
The men had gained entrance to Sunsinger by ostensibly coming to apologize. That meant they had argued with Lin somewhere else. Argued abou
t what? He couldn't tell from what they said. As usual when someone offended Lin or made her angry, these men skirted the issue completely. They talked about new arrivals at the spaceport and the going rates for shipping colvas leaf salve—a local product that needed no preservatives and stayed potent and fresh for literally years.
“Bain.” Gorgi's voice cut through the rambling, meaningless conversation on the recorder.
“You found Caderi?” Bain pressed the stop button and raised his hand to bring the group to a halt.
“He's spreading out to surround a building. It looks like some kind of run-down manufactory. From the crates and bales sitting outside, they make something with rope,” Gorgi reported.
“I know the place,” Colwayn muttered. He nodded and gave a tight grin when Gorgi read off the coordinates. “It makes sense. I've heard reports of Trevnor buying partnership in that business."
“Do you know a shortcut?” Rhiann asked.
“Of course. I was a street-rat before my foster-mother knocked some sense into me and I joined Security.” He glanced over his shoulder at the men who had volunteered to come with him. “Prosti, Mohak—you two know the underground the best. How clear is the junction between Hooli Street and Placee's factory?"
“Underground?” Trinia whispered.
Bain just grinned as he listened to the three natives discuss the conditions of the tunnels running under the city. When he had realized what Caderi had done, he had vowed never to let civilians get involved in a Scout operation. Maybe it was a matter of deciding which civilians would get in the way—or act on their own—and which civilians he couldn't get by without.
As they walked, they listened to the rest of the recording of Lin's visit from her kidnappers. Everything was innuendo. Until one point.
“You have influence over him,” the gravel-voiced man said. Ganfer had identified him as Horis Trevnor, a native of Fengrath with a reputation as a heartless coward and a smuggler chieftain. This was the fifth time Lin's guests had referred to ‘him’ without giving a name. It was getting irritating, and Bain was certain this was a conversation that had begun before the men arrived on Sunsinger and before Ganfer thought to record through Lin's collar link. He was also growing more certain that the unidentified person Lin was supposed to influence was the root of this entire problem.
Scouts [Sunsinger Chronicles Book 10] Page 7
