Delta Fringe Series Boxset: Books 1-3

by Heather Lee Dyer

  "Yes. They talked a lot about the price of different minerals. I just thought they were investing in one of the corporations. A lot of guys around here do that for extra money."

  I chew my lip as I think about how close we are to someone possibly linked with all these deaths.

  I stand up quickly. I reach under my bed and grab my pack. I put the cube in it and reach down to help Derek up.

  "Where are we going?"

  "I need to get you to somewhere safe."

  "Safe? You think that he'll come after me?"

  "Yes. Because you know who it is." I slip under his arm and take his weight. I feel his wound bleeding again and make a frustrated noise under my breath.

  "Did you just growl?" Derek asks, a smirk playing on his handsome face.

  My face flushes with warmth. "Sorry, just too many things to think about."

  "Well if there's anyone here who can figure out what to do, my money is on you, Bren." He smiles at me, easing some of the tension.

  I help him out the door and we take an immediate right.

  "Where are we going?"

  "According to the schematics, there are several ways into the hospital next to us, and also into the medical offices. Scott will expect us to go to the hospital, so I'm taking you somewhere else."

  "What about the others?" His feet buckle and we end up going to the floor.

  "You all right?" I keep hold of him and use my good arm to push against the wall as leverage to stand us back up.

  Derek's face is dotted with sweat. "Weaker than I thought. Sorry."

  "Lean into me. We need to keep going. I've got to get you to safety." I look behind me when I hear a noise. "Someone's coming."

  I take a left and we limp down another corridor, still hearing footsteps far behind us. I take another turn and find us in a short corridor with two doors.

  I prop Derek up against the wall and place my wrist against the scanner and then enter my dad's secret code. The door opens and I grab Derek and enter the next room. I make sure the door seals behind us.

  "Won't he just be able to open the door? He's security. He's got access and codes to all the doors." Derek's voice betrays a tremble.

  I shake my head as I lean him up against the far door. I scan us into another room, which has a doctor's table and storage cupboards that reach up to the ceiling. Derek lies down on the table as I start rummaging through the drawers. "Dad and I changed all the codes to the doors around our perimeter, remember. He won't be able to break our code." I smile and take out some meds and gauze for Derek's wounds.

  28

  Hiding Derek

  I quickly get Derek's wounds bandaged back up and give him more pain and healing tabs. He's lost a lot of blood so I'm anxious to get him to the hospital, but I'm afraid because I'm sure that's the first place Scott will look for us.

  I lean against the table and hold Derek's wrist to check his pulse. He pulls me down and kisses me. He runs his hand through my curls and down my neck, his touch sending tingles down my spine. So much for getting an accurate pulse reading.

  I give him a final kiss and lean back. "Are you sure you're not helping Scott? Trying to distract me from getting out of here?" I smile and run my hand up and down his good arm.

  He tries to look injured at my comment, but the desire in his eyes betrays his real feelings. "Seriously?" He pulls me down for another quick kiss. "If I were going to distract you I would've made sure I wasn't so injured that I could do it properly."

  I shake my head, trying not to think about how much more he could distract me. "I think you've lost too much blood. And you're delusional." I pull him up by his good arm, every contact between us making me shiver. "Let's get you out of here."

  He steps down and leans heavily on me. "Where to, doc?"

  "A few more compartments over is the pharmacy. They've got a special room separate from Delta's security measures. You should be safe there."

  "So even the guards couldn't get in?"

  "Right."

  "Why? Shouldn't security be able to go anywhere to check for safety hazards?"

  "Not when it comes to addictive substances. Only a few people are entrusted to the pharmacy storage."

  "And you're one of the few entrusted?"

  I smile. "We obviously don't need these kind of substances in our daily work, but we still help with traumas so we're a good back-up for the doctors here. I'm betting everyone is at the hospital, so it should be empty."

  There are several more rooms that we have to limp through. I unlock several more examination rooms, a large waiting room, a few rooms filled with diagnostic machines and other medical equipment, and finally I scan us into the pharmacy.

  Derek feels like he's getting heavier, leaning into me more. His whole body is hot from fever. I guide him behind the counter and down a row of shelves. At the end of the row are two doors that are side by side. One looks like a regular storage door, the other is a heavy metal hatch, like one of the station maintenance exits, but with extra security.

  I prop Derek up against one of the shelves. At the hatch, I scan my wrist and enter in the code given to my dad and I. I hear a click and it pops open. I then step over to the other door and do the same. After the second click I open the normal-looking door and push closed the hatch-decoy door. When you’re the last stop before open space, drugs are at a premium – legally and illegally.

  Inside the seemingly normal door is a long, narrow room lined with shelves that are marked off with red and orange tape. Small bottles of specialized drugs are organized on each shelf.

  I go back and get Derek and squeeze him between the shelves to the back of the room. I carefully lay him on the ground and rest him up against the wall. Another door is barely visible to our right. I scan my wrist and enter my code again, and the door recedes into the wall.

  "This place has all sorts of secrets." Derek says weakly.

  "Well, being at the edge of the galaxy does have its downfalls. Like not having lifesaving drugs on hand. They have to keep so much stock here they've had to design some out-of-the box security measures in order to keep it safe. It wouldn’t do our patients any good if we ran out of medicine because a few junkies stole everything."

  I throw my pack into the inner room then grab Derek under the shoulders and drag him through the narrow opening. I’m breathing hard as I lay him out carefully on the floor, using a pack of extra gauze to prop up his head. I leave the med bag next to him as I catch my breath. There are only a few narrow shelves in this inner room, and I search them until I find what I need. I kneel down beside Derek.

  I shoot the med into him. "That should help you sleep and increase your blood production until I can get you some more." I kiss him on the forehead and stand up. I take the data stick out of my pack and place it in one of the med boxes on one of the high shelves. Just in case.

  I take one last look at Derek's sleeping form and close the door. I then retrace my steps, closing and sealing every door we came through. It's such a maze that I'm confident no one will find him.

  I make it back to the morgue, and when I turn the corner by my room, I'm not surprised to see the two guards there.

  "Aren't you guys supposed to be with Markov?" I'm pretty sure I'm shaking, so I stuff my hands into my pant pockets.

  They look at each other, and then back at me. The taller one finally speaks up, "He was worried about you so he sent us to look for you. Did you find a way out?" He looks behind me. "And where's Derek?"

  "He's resting. His injuries got worse." I point toward the front. "We can't go out that way. The emergency door must be farther down." I point quickly in the direction of the hospital.

  They both shift from one foot to the other.

  "We'll just go check on Markov then we'll try some of the other doors." I push past both of them, holding my breath. I make it to the autopsy room door before I let it out. The guards are following closely.

  I open the door and find Markov sitting next to one of the patients.
He looks exhausted as he's finishing wrapping one of the guard's legs. He looks up when I come into the room.

  "Bren!" He frowns, looking behind me. "I see they found you."

  I walk over to Markov. "Yes, they did. They said you sent them to find me."

  His gaze flicks quickly to the guards and then back to me. "Sure." He puts the gauze back in the drawer. "You find a way out of here?"

  "Not yet. The front door has been compromised. The emergency seal must be farther down."

  He shrugs. "These guys are as stable as they're going to get without surgery. Should we keep them here or take them with us?"

  I make sure Markov is looking at me before I answer. "We should take them with us. I think we need to stay together now."

  Markov gives me a barely perceptible nod.

  "Well if we're all staying together, you should go get your boyfriend," says a gruff voice behind me.

  I turn to find the two guards standing right behind me. "He's fine where he's at. I don't want to move him again."

  "But—"

  The other guard elbows his buddy. "Fine. Doctor knows best." They glare at each other.

  I turn back to Markov and help him get the patients ready. We have seven that are able to walk, and two that are unconscious and severely injured. We load these two onto antigrav stretchers from the morgue. This will make it easier to push them through the corridors.

  I lead our sad little group of survivors, plus two possible traitors, down the corridor. Instead of taking the door I just took Derek through, I take the left one toward the hospital. It will be a longer route, but safer for Derek.

  I use the temperature sensor before each door we encounter. So far we've only found storage and empty patient rooms. But at least this front section seems to be secure. We just need to find our way out of the labyrinth of medical rooms.

  29

  Trapped

  In the next room, we find ourselves in the back of the hospital's cafeteria. There's no one here, but it's obvious they all left recently and in a hurry. There's still food in the warming trays.

  I look at the others and they all break into smiles. I'm not sure how long it's been since the breach, but I'm guessing we've missed a few meals. We all grab plates and help ourselves to food. I stuff some fruit and rolls into my pockets. I need to get back to Derek soon.

  I steer over to where Markov has just sat down at a table on the far end of the room. The other able-bodied guards, including the two that came after me, are taking up several tables in the middle of the room.

  "Did they threaten you, Markov?" I ask quietly.

  "Not outright, but they did make insinuations as to your safety." He stares darkly at the guard's backs.

  "I'm sorry to get you involved in all this." I take a few bites of lukewarm mac and cheese.

  He holds up a hand. "I think everyone on this station is involved now. It's not your fault. Do you think those two helped this Scott fellow?" He stabs his fork angrily into the mystery meat on his plate.

  I nod as I chew. "I definitely get that feeling. Either way, I need to get back to Derek soon. He's lost a lot of blood. But I'm afraid if either Derek or I show up at the hospital, Scott will find us." I point to the guards. "These two are probably waiting for orders from Scott." They look over at us and I put my hand quickly down. My pulse spikes.

  Markov puts his head back down and continues eating.

  I lean in a bit closer. "Derek was able to reach the comm station. They know we're here, but there's a lot of chaos between here and the public docks. They can't reach us anytime soon."

  "That's good news, though. At least they know we're here. And the ship?"

  "Contained, but they're not sure who all is involved yet." I gaze back up to watch the guards laughing and eating. My stomach twists. They could be part responsible for all this death and destruction, and they’re over there laughing with their friends.

  "So now what do we do?"

  I refocus my attention back to Markov. "I'm hoping once we reach the main hospital corridor we'll be able to lose those guys in the chaos. I need to get Derek help."

  Markov smiles. "I have some universal blood you can give him." He pats the med bag on his seat. "Do you know how to administer an IV?"

  "Yes. Do you have everything I need in there?"

  He pushes his plate back. "I sure do. You carry the bag, and when the time comes, I'll stay with the patients while you slip away."

  I smile up at him. "Thanks, Markov."

  "So once you get Derek fixed up, then what? How do we find this Scott guy?"

  "We?"

  "I'm definitely in the middle of this now, so I figure that the only way to stay safe on this station is to make sure those guys are stopped."

  "Good point. I haven't thought that far ahead." I push back my plate. "We did let the comm center know Scott was in on all this. They're scanning all the vids." I straighten in my chair. "And I'm fairly sure those two are in on it as well." I chew on my lip as I think through all this.

  "But why do those two care about you? Don't take this the wrong way, but why are those men afraid of a teen girl?"

  I grin. "Because I not only have proof of Scott's part in all this, but I have the very thing that caused that ship to attack Delta Station. A data stick with plans for a machine that could help populate other galaxies, and make many people extremely rich."

  Markov's mouth hangs open.

  "You all right there, Markov?" I kick him under the table.

  "Are you serious, Bren?" Markov's voice rises above the noise.

  I look quickly over to the group in the middle, who are now quiet and staring at us.

  "Um. Time to get going?" I stand up and take my plate over to the kitchen and grab Markov's bag.

  Red-faced, Markov puts his dish away and takes one of the stretchers. He has one of the other guards take the other stretcher. We head out the opposite door. From the sounds of commotion behind us, I can tell the others are following.

  Once through the door we find ourselves in one of the main hospital corridors. A few injured patients lay on stretchers as nurses hurry back and forth. But it's not as busy as I thought it would be with the amount of patients I saw earlier. And my racing heart slows as I don’t see Scott here.

  I grab the arm of a nurse that walks by.

  "Excuse me. Can you tell me where all the other patients are?" I wave my hand around.

  The nurse, an older lady with gray hair pinned up on her head looks down at me through round glasses. "Are you looking for a family member? The front desk can help you with that."

  She turns to leave, but Markov steps in front of her. Her face lights up in recognition and she gives him a tight hug in greeting.

  "Markov, it’s been ages. How are you doing? Are you working this trauma?"

  He quickly tells her about coming as a med assistant on one of the smaller system ships, and how they came to be helping on Delta. She hugs him again and starts asking him more questions.

  I sigh noisily and push a stray curl off my face.

  Markov, catching my hint, steps back from the nurse and motions to me. "My friend Bren here and I were trapped at the breach. We've brought some Delta guards that we found had survived, but need help." He gives her a warm smile.

  Her smile falters when recognition kicks in as she gets a good look at me, but then she sweeps her gaze over the guards behind us, and nurse mode kicks in. "Oh my goodness, we weren't sure if anyone survived the breach. Come on, bring them down here."

  Markov hands off his stretcher to the nurse and gathers all the injured in front of him. The two guards try to hang back, but the nurse has brought reinforcements and they go to work finding places for all the guards to be examined.

  Markov pushes me in the opposite direction, whispering, "Go, Bren. I'll cover for you. I'll figure out where they've taken your dad. Find me there." He steps in front of the door leading to the exam rooms, blocking the view.

  I retreat in the other directi
on and slip down the first corridor I find that turns left. I find an empty exam room and hunker down inside to try to remember the floor plans I had seen earlier on the cube. Thankfully, I'm not that far from the pharmacy, just on the opposite side of it.

  I touch the metal door and listen. I don't hear anyone so I quietly slip out and hurry away from the hospital. I find a connecting corridor that should take me toward the pharmacy. I don't come across anyone. They must've evacuated most of the patients to the hospital ship. Makes sense since our hospital isn't equipped for this many casualties, and is located on the edge of the breach.

  I find the double doors that should lead out to the outside walkway. I place the temp disc on one of the doors and my heart sinks. It's been breached.

  I step back and mentally look over the floor plan again. If I could've gone out this door, the pharmacy would be immediately to my right. So I need to find a storage room that has a connection.

  I head back down the corridor, counting rooms. When I get to the one I want, I freeze. I hear boot steps coming. I quickly slip into the room and press myself against the wall. I hear the steps come closer and I hold my breath. My heart is beating so hard I imagine they can hear it outside the door. I close my eyes and imagine the floor plan in my mind. I'm only a few doors away from the pharmacy. I need to decide if it's better staying here so that I don't betray Derek's hiding place, or if I keep going because he needs the blood I'm carrying.

  I slowly, quietly let out my breath as the boot steps stop outside my door.

  30

  Blood and Plans

  The guards are arguing in harsh tones. I can't understand exactly what they're saying, but they aren't moving. I take advantage of their distracted argument to slip across the room to the other door. As quietly as I can I scan my wrist and enter the code. When the door whooshes open, I cringe and freeze in place.

  They’re still arguing. I slowly move again, and darkness greets me as I enter the room. I close the door behind me and take my tablet out to emit a beam of light. I'm in the pharmacy laboratory. I'm not sure why the lights didn't automatically come on since there’s power here, but I’m glad they didn’t.