“I do,” she acknowledged.
“Do you think you could handle it on your own?”
She hoped he wasn’t trying to be patronizing. A small child could manage to walk a kilometer to a known destination. “Yes. As long as I had a hovercart to transport the larger, heavier items, of course.” To her pleasant surprise, there hadn’t been even a hint of exasperation in her tone.
“Good. Beginning tomorrow, this will be your responsibility. We’d also like to expand your role in other ways.”
“How so?”
He looked around, seemingly suspicious of everyone on the street. “First, I’d like to know if you’re ready to take on more.”
“I’ve been eager to,” she replied. She was a grown woman well into her twenties, and they’d had her run around like an intern still in secondary school. The inventorying was the only task that seemed to have a measure of serious responsibility, but even most of that was simple counting and categorizing.
“I know some of your tasks have been… tedious. But with what we’re trying to do, we need to be sure our organization has people we can trust.”
“I understand.”
“Excellent. We’ll talk about the specifics soon.” Oren nodded to the port they were rapidly approaching. “Take the lead today.”
“You’ve got it.” She forced a smile to shine through.
She couldn’t say that she was excited about moving up in the organization, but it would further her chance to get answers; that was the only thing that mattered. Still, her gut clenched every time she needed to fake enthusiasm about the Sovereign Peoples Alliance’s ‘work’. Ultimately, though, Lexi didn’t care how the Alliance intended to make its vision for the Outer Colonies a reality. The only reason she had joined the organization was because it was the sole lead she had for finding Melisa, her one true friend in the universe. Last Lexi had heard, Melisa was excited about a new opportunity with the Alliance; then nothing. After running into dead ends with every other avenue of investigation, Lexi had finally joined the Alliance and begun a long-game to gain their trust. Having now worked with them for nearly four months, it had become clear that climbing the ranks was the only way she would find out what the Alliance was working on behind the scenes—and how Melisa might be involved.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Lexi led the way to the back exit of the port. Litter overflowed from dumpsters and collected in the nooks of grimy pavement, giving the alley a foul stench of rotten produce. Breathing shallowly through her mouth, she hurried to the door and pounded three times with a slow-fast-fast rhythm to signal to their contact inside. While not the most elegant or secure communication method, it was effective.
After ten seconds, the smooth door swung outward on its groaning hinges. Niko peered out, his dark eyes scanning the area to make sure there was no one else around.
“We’re here for the pickup,” Lexi stated. Her own blue eyes met his gaze.
He gave her a smile that he probably thought was charming but came off as predatory. “Always a pleasure to see you, Lexi, but I don’t have anything for you today.”
Her brows knitted. “We were expecting something.”
“It’s not just you. No deliveries came through today,” the dock worker explained. “Everything is locked down.”
“What for?”
“Ship got attacked in an adjacent sector. The TSS and Guard are still investigating, last I heard.”
“You have to be foking kidding me!” Oren exclaimed. “Locking down the ports for that? As if we don’t have enough regulations to deal with as it is.”
Lexi had to admit that suspending operations traffic did seem like an extreme measure for a single ship.
Niko nodded. “I know, can you believe this shite? I guess it’s all they can do to maintain order. People would freak if the word got out.”
“Word about what?” Lexi questioned.
“What supposedly happened out there. Rumor has it that the crew who picked up a survivor heard quite the story.”
Oren squinted with interest. “Oh yeah?”
“Ghosts walking the ship and other shite.”
“Don’t tell me people actually believe that!” Oren laughed.
Niko shrugged. “That’s not what got them all worked up. No, there’s apparently some sort of invisible monster that’s behind the whole deal.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like tales told to children to get them to behave.”
“Maybe. The Guard does seem to always treat us that way.”
While Lexi was curious about the alleged attack, she didn’t much like lingering in the filthy alleyway behind the port. “If everything is shut down, then where is our shipment?”
Niko’s eyes shifted to the side. “Didn’t make it off the cargo hauler, what with the port being shut down.”
He’s lying. Lexi schooled her face to impassive calm. Her ability to read people certainly wasn’t something she wanted to advertise to Oren. She’d spent too long building his trust and working the connection to risk befalling the same fate as Melisa, should he find out the truth about her Gifts.
Instead, she decided to steer the conversation in a direction where Niko might expose his own lie. “What’s the purpose of locking down the ports all the way over here?” she asked.
Niko shrugged. “Limiting transit traffic, I suppose. Might think the attack was terrorists.” He raised his red eyebrows at Oren.
“So, the ports are shut down and cargo isn’t getting offloaded,” Lexi reiterated.
“That’s right.”
“Then why are you here at work?” She tilted her head questioningly to drive home the incongruity of it all.
Niko made a flustered grunt at the back of his throat. “Here for security.”
“Or you’re taking this singular opportunity to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.” She didn’t want to call him out directly, but the frantic thoughts skittering on the surface of his
