I might have answered that, except there was another line of green racing for the ship’s core system, and I was having none of it. I threw down a blocker, and then tried for the same sneaky side-shot that I’d tried before. This time, the virus bounced off and then blew apart, and I had to think of something new.
Bastard, I thought, and let loose one of the hound-dog programs Rohan had given me. The intrusion software turned, and faced up to the doggie, the two code constructs circling each other for all the world like two dogs sizing each other up for a fight.
“Not a bad analogy,” Skymander said, but it wasn’t him that had stooped beneath the counter to press a Blazer 54 up tight against my rib cage. “Mack?”
“Stand down, Cutter.”
I caught the eye of the guardsman, holding the Blazer, and hoped Skymander wasn’t made of the same stuff that had formed Marl and Bendigo. I was tired of having to grow bits back.
“Out.”
The guardsman moved back, taking the Blazer with him, and I followed, moving slowly out from where I’d taken cover. When I straightened up, I found that Mack, Tens, and Case were already standing behind their consoles, their hands raised.
“Troublemaker,” Tens whispered, inside my head, and I rolled my eyes, lifting my own hands, and stepping away from the controls.
I looked to Mack, and noticed he hadn’t taken his eyes off Skymander and his bodyguards.
“You could have asked permission to board,” Mack said, and Skymander arched an eyebrow.
“Now, where would be the strength in that? I told you I was coming. You should have been standing by.”
“That is not our custom,” Mack told him, but he did not elaborate.
Skymander chose not to pursue it.
“We will take you on board,” he said, and I thought we were about to be teleported, but then he explained. “Once your ship is safely in the docking bay, I will escort the Lady Melari aboard the Flag.”
Mack gave him a look that hid all feeling from his face.
“As your Lordship wishes,” he said, and lowered his hands.
Around the control center, the rest of us did the same, but we all kept our hands away from our weapons. We were outgunned, and outmaneuvered, and these boys had us dead to rights.
The Shady Marie rocked slightly, correcting the tilt. Mack, Tens, Case and I shuffled our feet as it repositioned itself, and then, again, when a shudder rocked through the ship, and the sound of metal on metal sounded through the hull.
“Docking clamps,” Skymander said, and I tried to access the ship’s feeds to see where we were.
Well, that resulted in a splitting headache. Looks like the green creeper had gotten through, after all.
“When you’re quite finished,” Skymander said, and I came out of my head to find myself the focus of everyone’s attention.
“Sure,” I told him. “Go ahead. Be my guest. I mean—”
“Cutter!” Mack snapped, and I shut my mouth.
Boss man looked pissed. Skymander? Not so much. He turned to Mack.
“Docking is complete. You will take me to my future bride.”
If she survives, I thought, but what the hell ever. Mack shot me a glance that might have scorched paint, if I’d have cared. I didn’t. Not on this matter, and he knew it. When it came to Melari, I’d never met someone so eager to go to the torture chamber.
“Cutter!”
I winced, and Skymander caught the movement.
“By all means,” he said, indicating Tens and me, “bring your shadows.”
Shadow, huh? I shot a glance at Tens, but his expression gave me nothing, and Mack just looked bemused. I figured if Skymander had smacked him between the eyes with a large plank of wood, the effect would have been much the sa...
I caught Mack’s next look.
Okay, if Skymander had whacked him with a large plank of wood, maybe Mack would have looked a bit different. He shook his head, and turned to our self-invited guest.
“This way, my lord,” and I’d never heard Mack quite so deferential.
“I’ll explain it, later, using crayon and a large sheet of paper,” he said, where only I could hear it.
Mack led Skymander through the corridors to the Lady Melari’s quarters. I was surprised to see she was packed and waiting, even more surprised to discover a female nurse standing to one side of her, and two of Mack’s female security guards standing on the other.
“My Lord,” Melari said, and dropped into a deep curtsey as soon as Skymander stepped through the door.
“My beloved lady,” Skymander replied, extending his hand, palm upwards, so that she could take it, “I have come to take you where I need you to go next.”
The Lady Melari rose out of her curtsey, and slipped her arm through the arm Skymander offered.
“As my lord commands,” she replied, her voice the barest whisper of sound, and Skymander signaled for Mack to lead him back through the ship.
“Take us to the main airlock,” he said, “and remain aboard your ship. Full control will be returned to you, when we have returned you to open space.”
When they had what? But I caught the slight wrinkle to Mack’s brow, and kept my mouth firmly closed.
36—Mercy Mission
Skymander was as good as his word. Once he and Melari had left the airlock and crossed onto the Flag, his soldiers escorted us back to the main control room.
“A new chip for your console,” one said, handing Tens a small flat box, when we had been settled back at our consoles. “Skymander would not have you defenseless.”
Unless he’s doing the attacking, I thought, and ducked my head so they couldn’t see the scorn on my face.
“I am going to kick your tail, Cutter.”
Mack sounded even more pissed, if that was possible, so I rolled my eyes, and picked a point on the view screen to stare at. If I was staring at nothing, then I couldn’t get myself into trouble, right?
“Pay attention to your boards, Cutter.”
Right. Of course, I could.
We dropped into clear space, and watched as Skymander’s Flag cruised
