the handle. Not a very good kiss, he almost missed her lips, and definitely no tongue like there was in all the low- rated blue sensevise recordings she’d accessed. His anxious expression almost made her laugh, as if he was expecting her to deck him one. Which, she admitted, she probably would have done three weeks ago if he’d come on fresh with her. She got the door open, and they stumbled inside, not bothering with the lights. Jed kissed her again. A better attempt, this time. When he finished, she asked: “Will you think of her?”
“Who?” he asked in confusion.
“You know, her, Kiera. Will you think of her when you’re doing it with me?”
“No!” Although there was enough of a quaver in his voice to reveal the truth. To her, if no one else. She knew him well enough, growing up together for ten years. It was almost too close.
He had become—not obsessed, that wasn’t strong enough—captivated by Kiera and that exquisite beguiling beauty of hers. In dismay Beth knew it wouldn’t be her face he saw when he closed his eyes in ecstasy, not her body he would feel below his fingers. For some reason, despite the humiliation, she didn’t really care. After all, she had her own reasons for this. She twined a forearm behind his head, and pulled him down to kiss her again. The lights came on. Beth gasped in surprise, and twisted to look at the bunk, expecting to see Gerald there. It was empty, the blankets rumpled.
There was a melodic chime from the dresser, and the small mirror above it shimmered with colour. A man’s face appeared on it; he was middle aged, with a Mediterranean complexion and a long chin which pulled his lips downwards, making him appear permanently unhappy.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “But I think you’ll find what I have to say quite important.”
Jed had stiffened the second he appeared, quickly pulling his hands away from Beth. She tried not to show how annoyed she was by that; she’d just made
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Rocio Condra; I am the soul possessing this hellhawk.”
“Oh brother,” she murmured. Jed managed to blush even deeper.
“I was listening to your conversation in the washroom. I believe we can help each other.”
Beth smiled weakly. “If you’re powerful enough to do that, how can we possibly help you? You can do anything.”
“My energistic power gives me a great deal of influence over the local environment, I agree. But there are some things which remain beyond me. Listening to you, for example, I had to use a bitek processor; there’s one in every section of the
“If you’ve heard everything we’ve talked about, then you know about Gerald and Marie,” Beth said.
“Indeed. That is why I chose you to make my offer to. You already know everything is not what it seems.”
Jed peered at Rocio’s image. “What offer?”
“The end requirements haven’t yet been finalized. However, if all goes well, I expect I shall require you to perform some physical tasks for me. Nothing too difficult. Just venture into a few places I obviously cannot reach.”
“Such as?”
“That is not yet apparent. We will have to advance this partnership one step at a time. As a gesture of goodwill, I am prepared to impart some information to you. If, based on what you hear, you then wish to continue with this relationship, we can move forward together.”
Beth gave Jed a puzzled glance, not surprised to find he was equally mystified. “Go on,” she said. “We’ll listen.”
“I am about to swallow into the New California system. We will probably dock at Monterey asteroid, the headquarters of the Capone Organization.”
“No way!” Jed cried.
“There never was a new rendezvous, was there?” Beth asked, somehow unsurprised by the revelation.
“No,” Rocio said. “We did not dock at Valisk because it is no longer in this universe. There was a battle for control between different factions of possessed inside. The victors subsequently removed it.”
Jed took a couple of paces backwards, and sank down onto the bunk. His face was fragile with dismay. “Gone?”
“I’m afraid so. And I am genuinely sorry. I know how much hope you had for your future there. Unfortunately, that hope was extremely misplaced.”
“How?” Beth asked through clenched teeth.
“There never was any Deadnight, not really. Kiera Salter simply wanted fresh bodies to possess so that she could expand the habitat’s population base. Had you disembarked there, you would have been tortured until you surrendered yourselves to possession.”
“Oh Jeeze,” Beth whispered. “And Monterey? What’s going to happen to us at Monterey?”
“Much the same, I expect. The Organization does retain professional non-possessed who have specialist fields of expertise. Are you highly qualified in any subject?”
“Us?” Beth barked in consternation. “You’ve gotta be bloody joking, mate. The only thing we know how to do proper is mess up. Every bloody time.” She was afraid she was going to start crying.
“I see,” Rocio said. “Well, in return for your help, I am prepared to hide you on board when we dock at Monterey.”
“What sort of help?” Jed asked.
Beth wheeled round to glare at him. “Does it bloody matter!
Rocio’s image gave a dry smile. “As I said, my requirements will not be fully established until I have analysed the local situation. It may be that I don’t require you to do anything. For the moment, I shall simply hold you in reserve.”
“Why?” Beth asked. “You’re part of them. You’re a possessor. What do you want us for?”
“Because I am not part of them. We are not all the same. I was being coerced into helping Kiera. Now I must find out what has happened to the other hellhawks, and decide what to do next. In order to do that, I must keep every conceivable option open. Having allies who are in no position to betray me will provide an excellent advantage.”
“All right,” Beth said. “What do we have to do?”
“I will swallow into the New California system in another thirty minutes. Even if Kiera and the other hellhawks have left there, the passengers will have to be disembarked. For now, the pair of you must be hidden. I believe I have a place which will put you outside the perception range of Choi-Ho and Maxim Payne.”
“What perception range?” Jed asked.
“All possessed are able to sense the thoughts of other people. The range varies between individuals, of course.”
“You mean they know what I’m thinking?” he hooted.
“No. But they are aware of your presence, and with that your emotions. However, such perception through solid matter is difficult; I believe the fluid in some of my tanks will shield you. We just have to get you at the centre of a suitably large cluster.”
“There had better be room for five of us in this nest of yours,” Beth said sprightly.
“I only require two people.”
“Tough, mate. You get yourself a bargain package with us. Gerald and the girls come too.”
“I don’t need them.”
She gave his image a cold smile. “Must have been dead a long time, huh? To forget what it’s like to have other people, friends, responsibilities. What? You think we’d leave them behind for Capone. A couple of kids? Come on!”
“The Organization is unlikely to possess the girls. They pride themselves in being altruistic and charitable.”
“Good for them. But it doesn’t make any difference. You get all five of us, or none at all.”
“That’s right,” Jed said, coming up to stand beside her. “Gari’s my sister. I’m not leaving her with
