“You call that a slap?”

Vas was leaning forward. His arms, cuffed behind the back of the chair, prevented him from falling over.

They were in the dining room. Before leaving, the mercenaries had dumped Reyer and Tate on the floor, but they secured Vas to the chair Sipos had yanked out from the table. Then the abuse had started.

By now, the captain’s breathing was ragged, and his face was numb. He still tried to smile when he looked up at Sipos.

“I’ve had girlfriends do more damage.”

“You’re bleeding, Captain.” Sipos pointed to the edge of his mouth. “Right there.”

“Thanks for pointing it out. Are you going to wipe it off for me? I’m a little tied up at the moment.”

“I ought to slap you again for that pun.”

“I’m sure I’ll give you a better reason soon enough.”

Sipos put a hand on Vas’s shoulder and pushed him upright. Before he spoke, Sipos leaned down so he could force the captain to look him in the eyes. “My hand is starting to hurt.”

“Does that mean we’re stopping soon?”

“Guess again, Captain. Answer my question, or I switch to something else.”

Adan took a deep breath. His left eye was watering so much it couldn’t see anything but a blur. His leg wouldn’t stop trembling. Another breath. He braced himself.

Sipos raised his voice. “Where did Jane get the xeno matter?”

“Is Dr. Jane alive?”

“Where did Jane—”

“Where is she?”

Sipos hauled back and hit the captain with his closed fist.

Vas’s head dropped while Sipos cradled his hand to his chest.

The biologist looked up when he heard a soft chuckle pushing air through the blood seeping from the captain’s nose.

“The slaps hurt worse. I’d say you hit like a girl, but if I did, Alix would kick my ass to hell.” He saw how Sipos was holding his hand and laughed again. “You’ve never hit someone before, have you?”

Sipos pulled over another dining room chair. He didn’t bother turning it around. Instead, he straddled it, leaning over the back to watch the captain. “I don’t like using my hands.”

“I find that surprising, considering the number of people you’ve murdered.”

“No,” Tate croaked from the floor. “He prefers weapons.”

Sipos had to think for a moment. “Ah. The emails. Yes.” He turned back to Vas. “He’s right. I do prefer weapons. And the knife is on the table.” He allowed a second to pass before adding, “Think about that as I torture you.”

“Oh,” Vas said. “Is that what’s happening? I thought we were shouting questions at each other.”

“Captain, are you trying to make me angry?”

“Is it working?”

“How could that possibly benefit you?”

“I think it’s funny. Otherwise I might get bored just sitting here.”

“Why don’t you answer the question?”

“Why don’t you answer mine?”

“I killed Gardner.”

Silence.

“Ah,” Sipos said. “No witty retort this time, Captain? I wondered if that doctor had managed to get a hold of you. It seems not. No wonder you so stupidly came charging in here. You didn’t know I had escaped.”

Vas looked over Sipos’s shoulder and said in a louder voice, “And did Senator Kumar help arrange your transportation?”

Moric looked behind himself. Devi was standing in the doorway, one hand on the frame. He had no idea how long she’d been there.

“Please, come in, Senator!” Sipos said. “But maybe not too close if you prefer to keep the blood on your hands metaphorical.” He turned back to Vas. “She did. Or they did. In exchange for the death of Emery Gardner and my promise to help them.”

Kumar stepped into the room. “I got a notice, Sipos. They have Ciro Vas in custody.”

“Ah! Do you hear that, Captain? No one is coming to rescue you. The only person you’re dealing with now is me.”

“You did send away the mercenaries. I take it they were human?”

“Captain, how many human-xenos do you think there are?”

“Why don’t you tell me, Sipos?”

“Where did Jane get the xeno matter?”

“Tell me where she is! I’ll go ask her for you!”

Moric stood up and kicked the chair aside. “How did she get it, Captain?” He grabbed onto Vas’s collar and jerked him forward. “One of you must know!”

“Sipos!”

The biologist let go and turned to face the senator.

“Is that what this is about?” Kumar said. “Is that why you ordered them to be taken alive? They want them dead.” When she spoke again her voice was hushed: “And they would kill you if they knew you were asking about it.”

“You don’t need to stand in such awe of them, Devi, darling. They can’t read minds.” When he saw her expression, he scoffed. “It’s hardly telepathy. If I have a hole in my head, I doubt I’ll care much if they know I was asking about it.”

“Why do you even want to know?”

“You don’t think I have a right to be interested?”

“The only good it would do you is if you wanted to get xeno matter without them knowing.”

“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for, Kumar.”

“Why, Sipos?”

He crossed over to her and ducked his head so they were no more than an inch apart. “Why do you care, Devi? Whose side are you on? No one’s but your own. Stay or go, whatever you please, but don’t interfere again.”

“You forget, I can tell them what you’ve done.”

“Would you? Are you trying to ingratiate yourself? Trying to prevent the inevitable? They’re going to kill you, you know, as soon as you’re no longer useful.” He smiled. “But I will always be useful.” He walked back over to the captain. “Why don’t you order your pet assassin to kill me, Devi? See if he obeys you. In the meantime, I’m busy.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Back to me?” Vas asked.

“Yes, Captain,” Sipos said.

The captain watched as Kumar left the room. “She may be going to tell on you.”

“I don’t think so. She hates them more than she hates me.”

“She hasn’t known you very long, has she?”

Sipos stared at Vas. Then he smiled. “I enjoy hurting you. I thought it would be that prick, Joseph, that would be my favorite, but you’re actually trying to be clever. It’s amusing.”

“Glad to oblige, Dr. Sipos.”

“I’ll bet you are. Glad my attention is on you, rather than Alix?”

Vas’s half-smile, half-sneer vanished.

“You didn’t think I’d forgotten her, did you?” Moric took a few slow steps to where Reyer was curled on the floor near Tate. “She’s been very quiet, while you’ve being awfully loud, Captain. Maybe she doesn’t love you the way you love her. If she did, wouldn’t she be making more noise? Or is she content to hide while you take all the abuse?”

“Leave her alone.”

Sipos laughed. “You sound like the leading man in a rather pathetic movie, Captain.” He squatted down by Reyer. “Are you dead, Alix? Or do you only wish you were dead?”

She lifted her head enough to glare at him.

Anger roared up in Sipos until he could feel the rage pounding at his temples. He started to tremble. “You think you’re not afraid, Miss Reyer? Before I’m done with you, you will beg for me to stop!” He tilted his head to the side, as if inspecting her. “You’re no Jane Bonumomnes, but I’ll bet I can find a use for you.”

“I think we’re done now,” Vas said. “Tate!”

From where he was on the floor, Joseph kicked out both feet. One connected with Sipos’s arm, the other landed on his hip. The blow had enough power to knock Sipos back and away from Reyer. The loose security cuffs dropped from Tate’s wrists as he pushed himself up and swung himself into a low stance.

Sipos tried to get up but only made it to all fours before Tate stepped in and kick him across the face. Joseph turned to the table, searching for Reyer’s knife. He grabbed it and turned back.

Sipos was standing with his e-pistol drawn. Tate pushed the barrel away and used his other hand to slam the butt of the knife against the inside of Sipos’s forearm. The biologist let out a brief cry. The gun fell from his grasp and clattered to the floor. Joseph put his palm on the butt of the knife and lunged forward, driving the blade high into Moric’s chest.

Sipos froze.

As Tate struggled to twist the knife further into the dense fresh, Sipos slowly curled around the blade. Eventually, the dead weight pulling down made Joseph’s wrists ache. He shoved the body to the floor and stared at it for a few seconds, breathing hard. Then he wiped the blood from his cheek.

Good riddance.

He turned.

“Reyer first,” Vas said.

“Bullshit” was Reyer’s response. “Release the one that can cover you effectively.”

Tate hesitated, then went over to Vas. “Sorry, Captain. She has a point.” He pulled out the chip and pick he’d used on his own cuffs.

As Tate worked to release Vas, Alix mumbled, “I’m sorry, Adan.”

“You couldn’t get free, could you? That’s why you never spoke up.” Vas let his head nod once, regretting it the instant the pain rocked through his skull. “I thought it was something like that.”

“Then how long were you going to wait?” Tate asked. “You were supposed to be a distraction, not a sacrifice!”

Vas grinned. “I was one hell of a distraction, wasn’t I?”

Progress on undoing the cuffs halted while Tate tried to stop his hysterical giggling. “You were absolutely maddening. I would have killed you. Five-star performance from our leading man.”

“Thank you, Tate. That means a lot to me.”

Reyer swore at both of them and reminded them they could make jokes later.

When the cuffs fell away, Vas pulled his arms to the front, wincing at the pain in his shoulders and gently rubbing his wrists.

“Check for weapons and watch the door,” Vas said. “I’ll get Alix.” As Tate moved to follow his instructions, Adan knelt beside Reyer and started working on her cuffs. “How bad is the pain?”

“Bad.”

“Can you walk?”

She didn’t answer.

“Alix?”

“I don’t know, Adan,” she whispered.

He pulled the cuffs from her wrists. Reyer managed to put her arms down and push up from the ground, but then it was too much. She shook from the effort of holding herself there. Vas tucked his leg under her and pulled her to him so she wouldn’t have to hold herself.

Vas could feel her chest tighten to hold back her sobs. He wrapped his arms around her and started shushing her.

She tried to relax, but even easing her muscles made the agony in her back flare. At last her breathing slowed, and she was able to mutter, “You and that bleeding heart of yours.”

“Yup. I’m an embarrassment.”

“He didn’t touch me, you know.”

“We were going to keep it that way.”

“I’ll have to comfort you later, Adan. Can you help me up?”

When they finally made it to their feet, Reyer had to lean almost all her weight on the captain. She looked at his face, then lifted a hand to his cheek.

“You’re a mess,” she said.

“Who’s the bleeding-heart now?”

Reyer tried not to laugh. It hurt too much. “All right. What’s next?”

“Tate?”

Joseph walked over to them. “I could only find the e-pistol. I already checked it. I don’t know where the rest of our weapons are.”

“Did the mercenaries take them?” Alix asked.

“As what?” Vas said. “Some kind of a tip for services rendered?”

Tate shrugged. “Kumar or Sipos might have them in another room.” He glanced at the motionless figure on the floor. “Kumar might have them in another room. That reminds me”—he held the knife out to Reyer—“I believe this is yours. Don’t worry. I cleaned it.”

Alix took the knife and nodded her thanks. “I doubt Kumar is familiar with how to use our weapons—if she even has them.”

“But hopefully, she’ll be able to help us find Jane,” Adan said.

Tate raised his pistol. “It’s got to be worth asking her.”

Vas stepped back from Alix. “It’s do or die time. Can you walk?”

“I think so,” she said, “but I’ll slow you down. We need to get Kumar before she can call in any help.”

“I don’t think she’s going to trip any alarms that might bring over the peacekeepers,” Tate said. “The mercs might have taken the bodies, but they left a lot of bloodstains.”

“She’s a politician looking to take over the entire Senate. You don’t think she can talk her way out of this?”

“You stay here,” Vas said. “Tate and I will get Kumar.”

“Let me try to put Lynx back together,” Reyer said.

“You’ll be alone.”

“I’ll only be alone if I can’t do it.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Everything we do is dangerous.”

“Fine.” He took her arm. “Be careful.”

“Yes, Captain.”

She waited until they’d both left before she went out into the hall. She didn’t want Vas to see how much it was costing her to stand. The walls were her support as she made her way back to the foyer. Fortunately, the power source was on the table where Cays had left it. She made it back to the security room and collapsed by Lynx’s ruined body.

Someone had taken a machete to him before the emp took him down. Alix tenderly touched the loose wires and wrecked metal, taking stock of the damage.

Lynx had always been there for them, without fail and without complaint. They had asked for his help with everything, but she thought asking him to work in this condition might be asking too much.

Reyer tried to ignore the ache in her chest. He was only a machine, for god’s sake! A pile of wires!

She installed the power source and put her hand on his reassembled chest plate. “Lynx?”

Half his lights came on.

“Running diagnostics.” Not a second passed. “Unable to complete diagnostics. Three hundred and ten errors found. Reinitiating in safe-mode.”

Reyer waited.

“Handprint recognized. Hello, Alix Avril Reyer.”

She smiled. “Lynx, can you hear me?”

“Voice recognition, nonoperational. Language recognition, functioning. I can hear you.”

“Lynx, can you move?”

A slow twitch of all his motors made him jutter on the concrete floor. “I can move. I cannot walk. What is the situation?”

“Hostile, but not dangerous.” She looked at the open door behind her. It was still empty. “For now.”

“What’s the status of the crew?”

“Captain Vas and Joseph Tate are fine. I don’t know about Ciro. I’m…”

“You are in pain.”

Reyer let out an irritated huff.

“Are you in more pain than normal?”

“Yes.”

“Requesting confirmation of priorities. We must restore my ability to walk so I can help you if necessary.”

“Confirmed. And we need you to hunt down Ciro for us.”

“My functioning processors and memory should be adequate for the task, provided I have a network point. However, I will need your help.”

For a moment, Alix sat there, completely lost. Those were words she’d never heard from any bot before. “What?”

“My visual sensors are nonoperational—”

“You can’t see anything?”

“That is correct, but sight should not be necessary for the two priorities currently accepted, but I will need your help.”

“What can I do?”

“You will have to guide me using auditory cues.”

“Fine. I can do that.”

“And you will have to help rewire my basic mobility system and reconstruct several major joints.”

Alix took a deep breath. “Lynx, I’m not an engineer. I’m a mechanic. I beat things with a wrench when they get stubborn.”

“I’m not asking you to design me. I’m asking you to rewire my basic—”

“I heard you the first time!”

“You’re upset.”

Reyer closed her eyes and laughed. “Of course your emotional recognition program is fine.”

“Miss Reyer, your mechanical skills should be adequate.”

“Won’t…won’t it be dangerous?”

“Yes. However, if we’re in a hostile situation and you’re injured, the risk to your wellbeing from encountering an enemy far exceeds the danger of having to reassemble me while my power source is installed and operating.”

“Wha—no! Lynx, I was wondering if I was going to break you somehow! Now I’m worried I’m going to electrocute myself!”

“Hopefully, if you follow my instructions, neither event will occur.”

“Right.”

[https://i.imgur.com/6iM8gcI.png]

A half hour later, Tate, Vas, and the now cuffed Devi Kumar were crowded in the security room, watching as Reyer and Lynx scanned through every port code and ship record P5 had.

“Your friend is in custody,” Kumar said.

Vas and Tate both glanced at her but didn’t answer. Reyer didn’t even look up.

“Didn’t you hear me—”

“We heard you, Senator,” Vas said. “Did a computer tell you that?”

Kumar opened her mouth, then shut it. The message had come through the network system, even if she’d picked it up on her phone.

Vas must have noticed her hesitation; there was a smirk on his face. “Yeah. I’m not worried.”

Reyer laughed. It was a sound of pure joy. “We have him! He has a ship!”

The captain stepped forward. “Tell him we’re done here and would love to be picked up right where we were dropped off.”