“How’s my dog?” I asked, when I could sit up without feeling like I was going to fall over.
“Sleeping off a stun shot. What did you want to see us about, Cutter?”
“You know who I am?”
“We still have a warrant out for your arrest, and alerts at every entry point for your return.”
Well, that explained the welcoming committee. I stamped down, hard, on the fear rising in my gut.
“I’m sure there’s a fine I can pay for my first visit—and this one? Well, maybe I can do you a favor.”
I could see him, now. I didn’t recognize him. He didn’t look convinced that I had anything to offer, as he pushed off the wall.
“Why don’t you come down to the office.”
It didn’t sound like a question, but I answered it, anyway.
“Sure.” I put my hands down on the floor, and then paused. “I’m going to get up, now. Is that okay?”
He made a gesture with his hand.
“Sure, and then you’re gonna turn around and face the wall.”
It was not exactly what I’d had in mind, but I nodded.
“Agreed.”
Getting up was harder and easier than what was expected. The armored underwear hadn’t absorbed everything, and there was a lot of me that wasn’t happy with recent events. I ignored it, made it to my feet, and turned around. Have to say, getting cuffed was getting old, but I didn’t bother arguing.
We left Cascade in the cockpit, and I hoped there wasn’t going to be too much of a mess to clean up.
“What did you do to my ship?” I asked as he guided me out of the ship.
“She’s Dasojin. She’s wanted on conspiracy charges for your last visit.”
“She told me to buy an account.”
“And you didn’t listen.”
“I was trying to stay off the radar.”
He snorted.
“And then she helped break you out of custody.”
He turned me towards the shuttle waiting in the shadows beside a nearby shed.
“Have you got guards on her?”
“Why?”
And it struck me that he might not have a clue as to what was going on. I slowed my steps.
“You’re not holding her for collection?”
“Why would I do that? I’m here to fill the warrant we have outstanding. There’s a very small cell, on a not-too-distant moon waiting for you, meals and other comforts dependent on how well you can dig.”
A penal mine? Why hadn’t that come up in my background check on Depredides?
“It’s a state secret, reserved for those whose key gets thrown away.”
My hopes for paying off a simple, if somewhat exorbitant, fine grew instantly smaller.
“What about the contract?”
He stilled, his head shifting as he scanned the dark, and I began regretting not trying to land in daylight.
“What contract?”
“The one your company issued for the crew of the Shady Marie and all Dasojin craft.”
I had to admit, it was a calculated risk. The wolves had spread news of their bounty as wide as I could imagine anything being spread. And I was wondering how the hell he didn’t know about the contract. It had come from his fucking office!
“You have proof?”
And I was torn. How far did the trail go? If I showed him the message, now, would I end up just another corpse dumped on the edge of an ex-atmo airfield? Or in chains and on my way to the wolves? After all, Sharovan was corporate. Who’s to say they wouldn’t decide to take the profit offered on the contract—given we were just criminals to them?
I hesitated, trying to run the odds.
“Show me the proof,” he insisted, keeping his voice in my head, and pulling me close.
No threats. No cajoling. Just a simple demand. I took a breath, and passed his presence the email I’d pulled from the router. He read it, his hand curling around my arm, as though I’d try to run.
“This contract…” he began, and I handed him the digital copy Case had given me before we left, and then I passed him the ones the wolves had just issued.
He was silent, reading them through in a swift first pass.
“I could really cash out on these,” he said, and I hung my head.
So much for getting out from under, but he laughed at my discomfort, before growing serious and coming straight to the point.
“The officer who issued the contract has gone missing—and wasn’t authorized to make the offer. I’ll put a guard on your ship.”
I raised my head.
“I still have to take you back to HQ, but I’ll have someone bring the dog.”
“He’ll be better off…”
“With you,” my captor said. “I’ll put a guard on the HMT, but I won’t guarantee they’ll be able to hold off the sort of folk this kind of credit will attract. Better the dog is with you if anything happens.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
“Get in the shuttle,” he ordered, as one of his team detached itself from the hangar and headed up into Abby’s hull.
I kept walking, keeping a careful eye on the shadows by the hangar, the ones around the vehicles parked in the lot just beyond the fence, as well as the skimmer parked before us. I might have felt a fool, if my escort wasn’t doing the same.
“Just how wide does your alert go?”
“It’s supposed to just come to the enforcement office.”
“But you can’t be sure.”
He highlighted the documents in my head.
“Those came from the enforcement office, and they are not authorized. I’m not taking any chances.”
“And?” I asked, because there had to be more.
We were approaching the skimmer and he unlocked the door while we were still two meters out.
“In.”
“Where’s the rest of your team?”
“We’re here,” came from behind us as we passed the hangar. I froze, stopping so fast, my escort ran into the back of me.
“Simon!”
Simon. Ice washed through the centre of me, leaving a chill frosting my arms. I turned, aware that my shoulders were hunched and tight, even as I forced myself to stand straight.
He was holding Cascade in his arms, smirking like the cat who’d cornered the canary. The smirk vanished as I looked him up
