Carl looked up and saw tears in Seara’s eyes. He turned to Xantham. “Can you get a lock on this signal and try to figure out where it’s coming from? Once you get it, send the information to Cruncher and tell him to run a search for Observation Room A.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Xantham replied and bent over the computer. He worked diligently for several minutes. “Boss, I think we’ve got a problem.”

“What is it?”

“They know we’re in this part of the tower.”

Seara straightened, her gaze darting around the room. “You have to leave immediately. I can’t let them know about this room. Follow me and remain quiet. I’ll take you to the staff elevator. That will buy you a little bit of time. I’ll help you any way I can, but my usefulness is limited as long as I wear the bracelet.”

Seara led them out of the small room and back toward the front door. She cautiously looked outside before motioning for them to follow her down the cobblestone path. They raced down the hall and around the corner to an obscure door that led to the service elevator.

“We’ll find her, Mistress Rath’Varein,” Carl promised.

Seara blinked the gathering moisture from her eyes. “Thank you, Trader Carl Grayson. Kayla spoke highly of you, and now I see why. I’m sorry I can’t do more. If you’re able to get my daughter out of there, please take her as far away from these towers as you can.”

Carl nodded and stepped inside. When the elevator door closed, Carl opened his commlink and called Cruncher. “Have you learned anything?”

Cruncher replied, “Yeah, actually. It was hit or miss until Xantham sent over that link, but I’ve been able to track the signal and compare it with some floor plans. It looks like the signal is originating from the ninety-second level of your tower. I can give you better directions once you’re there.”

Xantham reached over to program the elevator to take them to Kayla’s floor. “So what’s the plan?”

“We don’t have much time to work out an extensive plan. In many of the common areas, the towers use biometric identification. They’ve probably already flagged Alec’s identity and changed his code. We need to try to stay one step ahead as much as possible. You and Cruncher will need to create a distraction. Veridian and I will go in and grab Kayla. We need to get in and out as quickly as possible.”

“I can create a temporary system shutdown in that area. That will distract them for a few minutes and set the biometrics offline,” Cruncher offered.

“Let’s do it. When we get her out of there, I know a safe place to take her until we can get her out of the towers.” After that, they’d have to play it by ear. It was likely that neither the trader camp nor the towers were going to be safe for any of them.

The elevator door opened, and they stepped outside. Carl plugged in his earpiece. “Which way, Cruncher?”

“Follow the hall down. It looks like it’s the third door on the left.”

There were a few people moving throughout the hallway, but they seemed to be focused on their tasks and paid little attention to the group. This level appeared to be a scientific research area from the number of people wearing lab coats. When they reached the door, Xantham looked at the metal plate on the wall. “I can get us through here, but I’ll need a minute.”

Carl and Veridian pretended to be discussing something on Carl’s commlink while they hid Xantham from view. Xantham crouched down and removed the cover plate. He pulled out the wires and grabbed a tool from his belt. Splicing the wires together, he connected them to his commlink. “Go ahead, Cruncher,” he said when he was ready. “Throw the switch.”

“You’ll have three minutes, starting… now.”

Carl and Veridian slipped inside the door while Xantham leaned casually against the wall to wait.

The room was dark except for the emergency lighting. Carl could see the one-way glass mirror they had observed in the video. Two people were at the far side of the darkened room shouting about the system shutdown and trying to reactivate it. Carl quickly headed toward the room where they were holding Kayla. He whispered to Veridian to keep a lookout and opened the door.

Kayla’s eyes widened when she recognized him. He deactivated her restraints, and she threw her arms around him gratefully. He lifted her off the table and set her down on the floor. “We have to get out of here.” She nodded. He took her hand in his, and they ran out of the room. “We’ve only got another minute. Let’s go.”

The three of them exited the laboratory and met Xantham in the hallway. They fled back toward the service elevator, and Kayla breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind them.

“Thanks,” she said breathlessly.

Xantham scanned her up and down with his eyes. “Damn! If that’s how they dress the prisoners in these towers, maybe I should become a guard.”

She rolled her eyes at him while he grinned. Veridian gave her a hug. “I’m sorry I left you, Kayla. I don’t know what got into me.”

“I don’t think you had a choice, V. It was probably Alec. I think he must have influenced you and sent you away.”

Veridian frowned, looking affronted. “That bastard.”

“I’m not sure about that,” she admitted. “There’s something about him. I get the feeling he has his own agenda in this.”

She turned to Carl, her green eyes softening with emotion. “I know what you risked by doing this. You didn’t have to do it. Thank you.”

He smiled at her. “I’m starting to get used to bailing you out of trouble.”

Kayla laughed and threw her arms around him. Relieved she was all right, Carl slipped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. He held her close and inhaled deeply, her alluring scent surrounding him and dissipating his fear.

She pulled back slightly to look up at him. “Then I’ll just have to keep thanking you.” Standing on her toes, she pulled him down toward her and kissed him.

“Now why don’t I get that kind of thank you?” Xantham complained.

Kayla broke the kiss and turned to Xantham. Her eyes twinkled as she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about. I could definitely get into this whole damsel rescuing thing.”

She laughed, and Carl shook his head in amusement. He pulled off his jacket and slipped it over Kayla’s shoulders. “Keep this on,” he instructed. “It’s not much better, but walking around in an evening dress is going to draw quite a bit of attention.”

She slipped her arms through the jacket. “Where are we going?”

“We’re stopping at the level where my family’s quarters are located. Xantham and Veridian are going to wait there. I’m taking you to a friend. You’ll be safe there until we can figure out how to get you out of here.”

The elevator stopped, and Carl turned to Xantham and Veridian. “Go back to my quarters and wipe your system files on your commlinks and terminals. They’re going to launch an investigation and that’s the first place they’ll look.”

Xantham nodded. “We’re on it.”

Veridian gave Kayla another hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

She kissed his cheek. “Take care of yourself, V.”

The door closed, and Carl programmed several floors into the controls. At Kayla’s questioning look, he said, “I don’t want them tracing us. When we get out, try to keep your head down as much as possible.”

She nodded, and when the door opened for a third time, they stepped out. He took her hand and led her down a crowded hallway. They walked for nearly ten minutes before they came to a less congested area. Carl turned a corner and walked a few doors down before pressing a button. The door slid open, and Kayla recognized one of the trader recruits from last night.

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“Carl? It’s good to see you, my friend!” Rand shook Carl’s hand and clapped him on the back. “I didn’t think you’d be here for another day or two.”

Carl glanced around to make sure the corridor was still empty. “May we come in?”

“Of course,” Rand replied, and then noticed Kayla. His expression changed to one of surprised confusion when he recognized her. He stepped back and said more formally, “My apologies, Mistress Rath’Varein. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Thanks, but you should probably call me Kayla, especially since I’m appearing on your doorstep like this.”

Carl led her inside. “We have a little problem and need your help.”

Rand closed the door behind them. “What’s wrong, Carl?”

“I’m sorry to put you in this position, but I needed someone I could trust.” He explained the situation, and Rand’s eyes widened as he listened. He turned to Kayla with a combination of shock and horror on his face.

“They’ve been doing this for that long?”

Carl nodded grimly. “I need to get Kayla out of the towers, but I need time to figure out how to do that. They’re going to suspect me, so I can’t take her back to my family’s quarters.”

“She can stay here,” Rand offered.

Kayla shook her head. “Carl, I’m not leaving the towers. Not yet anyway.”

He turned to look at her in exasperation. “Kayla, you can’t stay here. They’re going to keep looking for you until they find you.”

Stubbornly, she insisted, “No. I’m going to put a stop to this. Running away won’t fix anything. It’s my fault this happened in the first place.”

“What are you talking about? You didn’t step foot into the towers until yesterday.”

“I hacked into OmniLab’s files and read about the security bracelets. They learned how to make them from the Aurelia Data Cube–the same data cube I stole. Cessel, one of the scientists here, discovered a layer of encrypted data that described a way to combine energy resources. The High Council modified the design on the data cube to develop the bracelets. If I can study it a bit more, I think I can figure out how to deactivate them.”

Carl swore. Of course it would all come back to that damn data cube and she’d feel responsible. Kayla had one of the most ass-backward moral compasses of anyone he’d ever met. He shook his head to refuse. His first priority was making sure she was safe. He just needed her to see reason.

“When we get you out of here, you can take your time and study the information. We’ll come back, and you can try deactivating them.”

“No.” Kayla crossed her arms over her chest, and he grimaced at the stubborn set of her jaw. “I’m not leaving. I’m responsible for this, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to leave these people under the thumb of that asshole.”

Rand had been silently watching the exchange but decided to interrupt. “Carl, she’s right. If she can do this, she can shift the balance of power back the way it’s supposed to be. You haven’t lived here for several years. Life under Edwin Tal’Vayr hasn’t been pleasant. He’s got a chokehold on everyone.”

Carl sighed and ran his hands over his face in resignation. The last thing Kayla needed was another ally supporting her insane plan. Rand had no idea what he was encouraging. “Kayla, you make it incredibly difficult to keep you alive.”

She laughed and kissed his cheek before turning back to Rand. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here. I have a small favor to ask though.”

“What do you need?”

She gestured to her rumpled evening gown and grinned. “Can I use your shower and borrow some clothes?”

He chuckled. “Of course. My bedroom is right through that door. Grab whatever you need. The bathroom is next door to my room.”

She thanked him again and headed toward the door he indicated.

Rand shook his head as she disappeared through the door. “If anyone had told me Andrei Rath’Varein’s daughter would be borrowing my clothes and taking a shower in my bathroom, I never would have believed them.”

“No kidding,” Carl muttered, still debating on whether it might be safer for everyone to simply knock Kayla unconscious and drag her out of the towers. “I need a drink.”

“I imagine so,” Rand said with a chuckle. He walked into the living area and stepped up to a small bar built into the wall. He poured two glasses and handed one to Carl.

Carl took a sip. “Of course it would be scotch. You might not want to let Kayla know you have this.”

Rand raised an eyebrow. “She doesn’t like it?”

“She likes it a little too much.” He chuckled and took another drink. “You met her yesterday?”

Rand nodded. “Alec Tal’Vayr brought her to the introductory dinner last night. The two of them together caused quite a stir.”

“What do you mean?”

“Alec’s in line to take one of the empty positions on the High Council in the next few weeks, maybe even sooner. If so, he’ll be the youngest High Council member in history. Having Kayla Rath’Varein on his arm last night was a pretty significant boost to that claim. It weakened the arguments of the holdouts. A lot of people are interested in seeing those two families merge. He didn’t leave her side all night.”

“So I heard,” Carl replied in a dry voice, his fingers tightening around the glass in his hand. The thought of Alec’s hands on Kayla made him see red.

Rand studied his friend. “I know that look. You’re into her, aren’t you?”

Carl put his glass down to keep from breaking it and scowled.

Rand laughed at his reaction. “Carl, as your friend, I agree she’s absolutely gorgeous. I mean, hell, she’s a knockout. But I’d stay away if I were you. Not only is she a Rath’Varein, but it’s pretty obvious Alec Tal’Vayr’s got his eye on her.”

“Don’t bother. I’ve already given myself the lecture.”

“Have another drink, my friend. You need it,” Rand said with a grin and leaned forward. “So tell me how you met her. I’ve heard the rumors, but I’m curious about the truth.”

Carl poured himself another drink and launched into the story about Ramiro. By the time he finished, Kayla reappeared wearing a long T-shirt. Her hair was slightly damp and fell loose around her face. Her legs and feet were bare. She walked over to them and looked at Carl’s glass with interest.

“Is that what I think it is?”

Carl stared at her for a long moment before he realized she’d asked him a question. He blinked, trying to clear his head from the lust-induced haze. “I think I need to pick you up some clothes.”

Rand coughed. “Please don’t on my account.”

Carl shot him a dark look, and he glanced away, pretending to be interested in a spot on the ceiling. Kayla looked down and shrugged. “I’m wearing more now than I was last night in that dress.”

Carl admired her legs. Modesty had never been a virtue shared by the ruin rats. “I’m not so sure about that.”

She tapped on his glass. “Are you going to share?”

“Only if you promise you’ll stay in this room.”

“Fine,” she agreed, and he poured her a glass. She took a sip, leaning against him while he slipped his arm around her waist. Rand raised his eyebrows at Carl but didn’t comment.

“For what’s it worth, you’ve got my support on the whole trader thing,” Kayla told Rand.

“For what it’s worth, I appreciate it,” he returned with a chuckle and lifted his glass in salute.

She grinned at him. “If you’ve got access to a computer, I can get started working on the Aurelia Data Cube.”

“Sure. I’ll be right back. I can set up a terminal for you out here.”

After he left, Kayla put her glass down and turned to look up at Carl. “Thanks for helping me with this. I owe you.”

When she looked at him like that, he wondered what he wouldn’t do for her. “You don’t need to thank me for anything, Kayla.”

“You sure about that? You might like what I had in mind.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her suggestive teasing made the blood rush to other parts of his anatomy. “Damn, woman, you’re going to be the death of me.” He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. His hands wandered down her slim figure, and he wrapped his arms around her possessively. He wanted to press her up against the wall and devour her right there.

Rand cleared his throat loudly as he stepped back into the room with the computer terminal. Kayla spun around to face Rand. “Oops.”

“Don’t mind me,” Rand said and began setting up the terminal.

Carl sighed and released Kayla. “We need to talk about your timing, Rand.”

Rand smirked. “Yeah, considering you’re in enough trouble as it is, my timing is the least of your worries.”

Carl’s commlink beeped, and he flipped it open. Xantham’s voice came over the device. “Boss, Alec just showed up. They’re searching your family’s quarters right now. You might want to get over here.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He disconnected the call and turned to Kayla. He hated to leave her, but he had little choice. At least Rand would look out for her. “Don’t worry. We knew this was going to happen. Just stay here and you’ll be fine.”

She nodded, and he kissed her again. He turned to Rand. “Thanks again for this. I’ll be back in a few hours. I just need to make sure they don’t follow me here.”

“No problem,” Rand replied. “Kayla, you can get started using the system. I’ll walk Carl out.”

She agreed and sat in front of the computer terminal.

Rand led Carl to the front door and said quietly, “You didn’t mention she was into you too. Alec Tal’Vayr isn’t going to like that.”

With more cockiness than he felt, Carl replied, “He’ll have to get over it.” He had no intention of letting her go, Inner Circle or not. Someone like Alec Tal’Vayr couldn’t even begin to understand Kayla or make her happy. “Thanks again for this. I’ll see you a bit later.”

Carl left Rand and went to the supply station to drop off his inventory list and make arrangements to pick up the new shipment. He made it a point to chat with the woman behind the counter to make sure she’d remember him. Once he’d established an alibi, he headed back to his family’s quarters.

OmniLab Security was still searching his family’s quarters when he arrived. Rina rushed up to him, wringing her hands worriedly. “Carl, what’s going on? They’re searching your father’s office and going through his files.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sure they’ll be finished soon.”

Cruncher approached him. “They have techs working on our computers right now.”

Carl nodded, confident they wouldn’t find anything, and walked into the common room. Alec was standing over a technician while they searched Xantham’s computer.

Alec gave Carl a sharp look and demanded, “Where is she?”

Carl made a show of looking around the room. “Who?”

Alec’s eyes narrowed, and he said in a low voice, “Don’t play games with me. Where is Kayla?”

Carl shook his head. “Don’t ask me. I was on Level Eighteen dropping off my inventory request. You’re welcome to verify that. As far as Kayla is concerned, I can assure you she’s not here. But I can empathize with your frustration. It’s difficult trying to keep track of her. Trust me, after having her hound my district for about a year, I’ve learned just how difficult.”

“You’re making a huge mistake,” Alec warned. “Are you prepared to take on the entire High Council?”

“I have no interest in taking on the High Council. I’m sure wherever Kayla may be, she’s there of her own free will. Unless you know something I don’t.”

“Then you’ve made your decision. So be it.”

Alec turned to Director Borshin. “Arrest him. Bring Xantham and Veridian too. I want them taken to a holding cell for interrogation.”

“On what grounds?” Carl demanded.

Alec’s expression was cold as he said, “Our surveillance cameras observed you in a restricted area.”

Carl remained silent while electronic holding bracelets were attached to each of them. Director Borshin motioned for the security officers to escort the men from the room.

Cruncher stepped close to Rina and whispered, “Don’t worry about Carl. He’ll be out of there before you know it.”

She nodded, but from the expression on her face, it was clear she didn’t believe it.