To really screw things up, was something she didn’t add, but, then, she didn’t need to. I’d been caught putting two and two together in the systems of the company that had probably put the contract together. They’d know we were coming, and catching whoever was behind it was going to be just that little bit harder because of it.
“And then Abby pulled me out before they could close the trap,” I said, “and they followed me back and fried the computer.”
Case’s eyes got wide, and Stepyan shifted his head so he could watch me from the corner of one eye.
“No,” Abby said. “You were clear. I fried the computer. It was the only way to be sure you’d get away clean.”
Man, she coulda warned a girl.
“Didn’t have time,” Abby told us. “I had to break contact, or they’d have been able to latch on and follow me back, and I couldn’t have that.”
Case looked over at us.
“I’ll stay in orbit for a month. After that, I’m flying us back to K’Kavor and asking sanctuary for the crew. The queen made it clear she still feels like they owe us, so they’ll keep Mack’s people and the Marie safe. Once we’re parked, Steps and I are going hunting.”
“We’ll be back by then,” I said, and pushed out of my chair.
Hella had returned with coffee and eats, and my cup was empty. I refilled it, snagged a couple of extras off the plate, and headed for the door.
“Take the dog with you,” Case said. “He’s driving the crew crazy.”
And they were under enough pressure as it was, without the constant reminder that Rohan, Mack and Tens weren’t there to help them. I got it—much as I didn’t want the extra distraction while I worked. I took two steps back and snagged a couple of extra sandwiches from the table. Cascade probably didn’t need to be bribed to come with me, but he’d appreciate the treats.
“See you in a coupla weeks.”
“Happy hunting.”
15—A Depredides Welcome
Depredides didn’t exactly welcome us with open arms. In fact, if I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought they were waiting for us. Contact with the tower gave us no warning. It was brisk and businesslike, and Sharovan didn’t return my calls. The tarmac Abs touched down on was as empty as the grave, and I slipped a leash on Cascade so I could take him for a quick walk to a nearby fence.
“I’ll be back for my ID in ten,” I said, reaching out to open the door leading from the cabin to the tarmac.
Silence greeted me, and I frowned when Abby didn’t reply.
“Abs?”
And then the lights went out.
Again.
“You are shitt…”
The metallic bounce of the stun grenade made me look down, when I should have been diving for cover. Cascade made a leap for the cockpit, tearing the leash from my hand. He got through, just as the bang drowned out the rest of my sentence, and the explosion slammed into me. A fragment of captured sun filled the cabin as I crashed into a bulkhead, and the cabin vanished in the glare.
I was sure the boot in my gut should have made more sound approaching, definitely sure that the funny blob wavering back and forth above me might have been a face. Couldn’t hear a thing over the ringing in my ears, or see more than shadows past the dazzling overlay blurring my vision. I tried to speak, felt my jaw moving. Didn’t. Hear. A. Thing.
Holy Hell, but these bastards didn’t half know how to throw a welcome bash!
I must have moved too much, or something, because the next time the boot hit, it lifted me off the floor and into the wall. I hit hard, and slid back down to the decking. Pretty sure I was shouting, but I still couldn’t’ hear a thing.
Sound roared in my ears, a multitude of waves, and the world grew just a little bit clearer—which was a pity because someone was intent on kicking the crap out of me, and they didn’t care that I wasn’t offering the slightest sign of resistance. I thought I heard barking, followed by the flare of a pistol. The barking stopped, and I hoped Cascade had survived.
I wasn’t so sure I would. I curled into a ball, risking a peek from behind the shelter of my arms, and caught a fist to the side of the head, partly blocked by my forearm, partly not. Apparently, those kinds of stars still stand out when most of your vision is drowned in glare. I tucked my head tight, and hoped they’d stop soon.
The shouting became clearer, and I had the distinct impression someone had gone way over their remit of capture. Thing was, I needed to talk to Sharovan, so I had to make sure the good folk currently beating me into submission were the right good folk… so to speak—and there was only one way to do that.
I stretched out of my implant, and found the planetary communication network. Since I didn’t know how long it would be before the next fist or boot struck, I gave that thing a very hurried tweak, and shoved a message into the system. I didn’t care how many private comms devices it hit.
“Sharovan Protective Services, I need to speak to you. Sharovan…”
A strong hand wrapped around my wrist, and shook me.
“We’re here.”
This time it came through the implant, and I heard the voice loud and clear. How…
“You knocked on our door. We have contingencies for that.”
Well, of course they did. I stayed curled up in a ball, waiting for my ears to stop ringing, and not wanting to open my eyes. The voice echoed through my implant, but it didn’t matter. My head was still rattled, and I was having trouble stringing two thoughts together.
“Give it a minute.”
To my surprise, they did. Actually, they
