November 10, 2361 AIA

P73

Reyer stared, unseeing, at the bloody nan-card in her hand.

Gardner had pressed it on her during the brief time he’d regained consciousness. She had been so focused on trying to stabilize his vitals, she gasped at the unexpected touch. Both Tate and Vas looked up from the cockpit where they’d been trying to make up for their missing copilot.

The general hadn’t said anything. He only pushed the card into her hand, then his arm dropped back down to the canvas cot they’d rigged between the middle and side bench.

It’d been a mad rush. Each minute in velox was tense. Any words spoken had been abrupt commands or cautions.

And now this. A dead silence in a still room.

Alix looked up when a square of pale orange light spilled in from the opened door. When the room lights flickered on, she blinked and squinted against the glaze. A woman came into the room.

“You don’t have to keep it so dark,” the woman said. “I’m afraid this won’t be enough to wake them.”

Reyer tucked the nan-card into her pocket and stood up from her chair as the women came further into the room. “Dr. Mullen.”

The doctor stood by Gardner and inspected the machine that gave the readout of his vitals. “It’s good to see you on your feet, Reyer. I often wondered if you’d manage to walk again.”

“Thank you for getting us a private room, Doctor.”

“Yes, well, when I saw you there, I assumed some care would have to be taken.”

“Is that why you scared that poor orderly half to death?”

“He’s a good kid, but he’s new. He’s not used to our policies yet.”

“You don’t scan anyone when they come in?”

Mullen crossed over to the other bed. “Not unless we have to contact someone about them. If they’re alive, we save them. If they’re dead, we try to save them. We don’t need to know who they are.”

Reyer smiled. “I like that policy. Who’s is it?”

“Mine. I’m the director now.” The doctor turned to face her. “How do you think I managed to get you the room?”

“No one better.”

When Mullen walked over, they reached out to each other. Reyer clasped the doctor’s hand with both of hers as they shook, and Mullen put her free hand on Reyer’s arm. After they let go, the doctor motioned to the chairs beside them.

“Does your back hurt you much?” Mullen asked.

“I’m not your patient anymore, Doctor.”

“You’ll always be my patient, Alix Reyer. There’s something special about the first one you have to break out illegally.”

“Did you get in trouble for it?”

Mullen moaned and let her head roll back. “Yes and no. Yes, the old director had a few things to say to me. But no. We’re pretending to get along with the Supremacy, but when your peacekeepers are locals and the planet’s been suing to become a free-plane for over a decade…well, the investigation didn’t last long.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Alix nodded to the beds. “Can I ask how they’re doing?”

The doctor pointed at Ciro. “That one will be fine. He should wake up once the anesthesia wears off. He’ll need to take it easy for a while, but I doubt he’ll even have a limp in a few weeks.” She settled back into her chair. “I hate e-weapons, but at least the damage is clean and simple.”

“And the other one?”

“I’m sorry, Reyer. I don’t know. You did good emergency care, but we needed to see him much earlier than we did. If he lives, it’ll be because he has something to live for.”

Reyer’s lips pressed together.

“I think you better tell me who they are now, in case I have to start arranging for a clever escape. Does the Supremacy know them?”

“Oh, yes. The boy is Ciro Vas. He’s kept his head down, so they don’t have a file on him, but he’s been denounced for joining the Rising. They’ll know his name.”

“And him?”

“That’s retired General Emery Gardner from the Supremacy’s MI.”

The doctor eyes flew over to Reyer’s face. “Are you serious?”

Alix nodded.

“And he’s with you?”

“That’s a complicated question, Doctor.”

“I won’t let you take him prisoner.”

Reyer stared.

“I wouldn’t let them take you, and I won’t let you take him—”

She was interrupted by Reyer’s laugh. “Mullen the Mule. I could kiss you, you know that?”

Mullen blushed. “You know I don’t pick sides, Reyer. There are things that are more important than sides.”

“Yes, there are.” Alix motioned to the bed where Gardner was lying. “He knows that. That’s why he’s with me.”

The doctor watched her with narrowed eyes. “If I asked you what this was about, could you tell me?”

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“Yes. The real question is, would you believe me?”

Mullen tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair, then stopped. “Reyer, who’s the man you drugged?”

“You know?”

“There was nothing wrong with him, but he was unconscious and had bruises on his wrists. This may be a small world, but doctors see a lot of things. I had them run a tox-screen. He was recently in security cuffs, and you drugged him. We scanned him, but he wasn’t in the system.”

“Where is he?”

“I’m not telling you. Not now. You have to answer a few questions first.”

“His name is Moric Sipos. He’s a murderer.” When Alix saw the doctor’s eyes widen, she plunged on. “He’s killed a minimum of twelve people, but it’s very likely he’s killed more. He was involved in classified research for the Supremacy, and when they found out what happened, General Gardner erased his identity.”

“Reyer—”

“They’ve been holding him at a mental institution on P41, but he escaped.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“He’s dangerous, Doctor.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“No.”

“Then what do you expect me to do? I can’t simply take your word for it. And I won’t let you put him back in cuffs.”

Reyer looked down as her brow creased in thought. Mullen waited.

“Hold him long enough to get a psychological evaluation done,” Reyer said. “They won’t have the body count, but they’ll know something’s wrong.”

“Hold him? How? How could I justify that?”

“Because if you don’t, you’ll be letting a killer go free.”

Mullen stared at Alix. The doctor would break rules to do what she thought was right. No one knew that better than Alix Reyer. That was the problem.

“I won’t make you any promises,” Mullen said.

“I understand.”

When Mullen stood up, Alix got to her feet as well. “You always make things complicated, Reyer.”

There was a voice from the other side of the room. “You should see what she’s done to my brother.”

“Ciro!” Reyer went to his bedside.

“Ah.” Mullen wandered over. “That wore off faster than I thought it would.”

“You look like a doctor.” Ciro’s voice was weak and gravelly.

“That’s why I like this coat.”

“Am I going to live?”

“Not forever, but you should survive today if you don’t do anything stupid.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“I’ll excuse myself now,” Mullen said. “You may need to talk, and you might find it easier if I’m not here.”

Once the doctor was gone, Alix turned back to Ciro. “What was that comment supposed to mean?”

“Huh?”

“Nice try, Ciro. You’re drugged, not dumb. ‘You should see what she’s done to my brother?’”

“Oh, come on, Alix! He used to be this good little soldier boy—”

“Your brother is a terrible soldier.”

“All right, so he never mastered the concept of obeying orders, but every day, everything he did was for the Rising.”

“And?”

“Now he actually talks about taking leave.”

“Oh.”

“And he used to do whatever he wanted without even thinking—you know, he really is a terrible soldier, isn’t he?”

“He still does whatever he wants.”

“But now he talks to you first.”

“That’s how I complicate things?” Reyer didn’t sound impressed by his arguments.

“You know he’s the jealous type, right?”

Reyer blinked. Then she said, “Yes, I know.”

Ciro swore, but that was too much of a reckless waste of energy. He put a hand to his head to try to stop the world from tilting. “I told him not to be stupid.”

Alix went over to the wall, grabbed a chair, and pulled it back to the side of the bed. “He hasn’t been stupid, Ciro. But he’s not good at hiding his feelings.”

“You better not go around breaking his heart, missy.”

“I thought you were on painkillers, not hallucinogens.”

“I mean it! He’s this big ol’ delicate flower type.”

Alix smiled. “Don’t you think he’d object to that idea?”

“He’s not a very smart flower.”

The door opened.

“Hmmm,” Alix said. “There’s our little flower now.”

“I said he was a big flower,” Ciro said.

Adan crossed over to them. “I can’t leave you two alone for a minute without you talking about me.”

“Is this what I’m like when I’m drugged?” Alix asked.

“No. You’re much more attractive. What’s he been telling you?”

“That I’m not allowed to break your heart because you’re a delicate flower and that I’ve complicated your life. Also, he wanted me to know that you’re the jealous type.”

Vas turned to his brother. “You were trying to warn her?”

“I was trying to, but she said she already knew,” Ciro said.

“I thought he was supposed to be unconscious for longer.” The captain looked around the room, as if he might find a spare anesthesiologist hiding in a corner. “Do we need to get a doctor back in here to knock him out?”

Ciro ignored him and asked Reyer, “So who is this Joseph Tate, and what are his intentions?”

Vas grit his teeth so hard, the words could only escape through the cracks. “Leave it alone, Ciro. Tate’s a good guy.”

“So, no objection to him calling her Sarge? Seems awfully familiar to me.”

“First of all, it’s the opposite of familiarity. It was her rank. And the fact he gets away with calling her Sarge instead of Sergeant, shows how close they are. Never get between two war buddies.”

“So you’re not jealous of him?”

Vas cleared his throat and busied himself looking anywhere other than at his brother or Alix. Finally, he muttered, “I didn’t say that. That’s the problem with being the jealous type—you get jealous.”

“Adan—” Reyer started.

Vas held up a hand to stop her. “Alix, if you had a stuffed animal, I’d be jealous of that because it’d get to sleep with you more than I do. I never said it was sensible or justified, but that’s what I’m dealing with.” He dropped his hand. “I figured if I hid it well enough, you’d never find out how immature I am.”

There was the faint smile of amusement on Reyer’s face.

The captain said to his brother, “And I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t interfere in my love life.”

Ciro’s response was nothing but a grumble.

Vas’s brows creased. “How are you?”

“The doctor says I probably won’t survive the day,” Ciro said.

Adan looked at Alix.

“She said he’d survive if he didn’t do anything stupid,” she said. “He thinks he’s being funny.”

There was a short grunt of laughter. “Don’t strain yourself.” As Vas put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, he noticed that Reyer was gripping the rail. Her knuckles were white.

“News?” she whispered.

“Should we go somewhere else?”

“No,” Ciro said. “No, you shouldn’t. I’m doped, not dead. Don’t leave me out.”

“Does he know?” Vas asked.

“He only woke up seconds before you came in,” Alix said.

“Does he know what?” Ciro asked.

Adan was quiet for a moment. “Dr. Jane is gone. We don’t know what happened to her. She went missing while we were on Geonon One.”

Ciro struggled to sit up. The world spun around him. “You left her there?”

“We left Lynx there to look for her while we brought you and Gardner here. We barely got back from fetching him.”

“Nothing?” Alix asked.

Adan shook his head. “He searched every inch of the base and as far out on the grounds as he could in the eleven hours we were gone. He didn’t find her alive—”

“No.” Ciro closed his eyes.

Adan pressed on, saying what he knew needed to be said. “But we didn’t find her body either. There’s evidence that the assassin came on a runner, like us. It’s possible he kidnapped her. Or…”

“Or what?”

“Or he took her over and hid the body.”

“He was a xeno?” Alix whispered.

Vas pulled a paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and dropped it on the bed. “Tate found this while going through the records we got from the base.” He tapped the photo. “That’s the shooter that was on the base with us. He works for Devi Kumar.”

Ciro had latched on to only one thing. “So Jane might be alive.”

Vas didn’t answer.

“It’s true, right? She might be alive?” Ciro turned to Alix.

“Ciro—”

“No! I don’t care how unlikely it is, there’s a chance, right?”

“There is a chance,” Adan admitted.

“Then we’re going to go find her!”

Ciro tried to throw off his blankets and almost stumbled to the floor. His brother caught him and helped him to sit back up.

“Slow down, Ciro,” Vas said.

Ciro had to keep his head bowed, so when, at last, his vision cleared, he was looking down at the bandages encircling his thigh. He reached out to stroke the hollow left by the shot.

“I can’t do it alone,” he muttered.

The uneasy silence was broken by Reyer’s laugh. “You Vas boys. Always so dramatic.”

Both of them flushed.

“We know you can’t do it alone, Ciro. You’re not even dressed. And while I would love to see you go charging off to save Jane in nothing but a hospital gown, you won’t get far without a ship.”

Reyer felt Vas watching her as the red-faced Ciro began hunting around for his clothes.

“We’re going to try to rescue her?” Adan asked.

Alix sighed. “If we don’t, Ciro will probably do something stupid.”

“And we certainly can’t let him do something stupid all by himself,” Adan said. “That would be irresponsible.”