“Mr. Costoganzi has arrived at his destination, a wolf base located near the Vameran’s Arc jump point. Teleportation coordinates confirmed. Abby has interfaced with the station, and I am in. Data download has commenced.”
“Patch us in so we can see what is going on—and move Teams Two and Three to their required positions. Commence operations.”
Lightning danced around us, the teleportation taking effect as the Wanderer dispatched the teams to where they needed to go. When it cleared, it was no real surprise to find that Team One still stood around Mack and me, while Team Five occupied the other end of the room. It was a surprise to see that Pritchard had gone.
“He leads Two,” Delight told me, “and I need someone of seniority on the station when it’s taken.”
It made sense—and I’d already known the two could act autonomously. It’s just I’d rarely seen it. Delight flashed me a tight, hard smile, and then the feed from the wolf base lit up one wall. Cool. I hadn’t been expecting visuals, as well.
31—Locating Dasojin
Whatever Abby had done to get Wanderer into the lupar’s system, I hadn’t expected to see either of them so far embedded—or sneaking a signal out so that we could eavesdrop on what was a very private conversation. Abby played her part perfectly, acting the part of blind captive, systems down—or, in her case, hidden from detection—as Costoganzi made the final approach. I couldn’t believe it when she allowed herself to be landed as docile as you please.
We wouldn’t have found the wolf base in years of trying, not in the asteroid field, or even from the Vameran side. That sucker would have blown us all into stardust, if we’d try to jump into the system from that point—and none of the mining company’s shuttles had ever flown there direct. Its presence made me glad we hadn’t tried to jump through the Vameran’s Arc jump point the first time we’d visited. It was what happened after Abby touched down that was more interesting.
The wolves had turned out all honors for Costoganzi’s visit, or so it seemed.
The oligarch hurried out of the hatch, leaving the lock-down to the hangar crews.
“There,” he said, beaming at the two squads of wolves that had assembled at the hangar’s edge. “One Dasojin ship, as promised.”
He was smiling, making a wide-armed gestured towards Abby’s shell, as though he’d single-handedly brought her in—as if he ever could! The wolf leader lifted his muzzle, his ears pricked as he assessed Abby’s form.
“I agree. She is a nice ship,” he said, and Costoganzi relaxed, hurrying forward as he extended his hand in greeting.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure,” he said, “Pack Leader…?”
And Rohan groaned, smacking the palm of his hand into his forehead.
“The man has no idea.”
“He’s about to,” Delight was matter of fact, and we all looked to the screen.
Behind Costoganzi, the hangar crew had finished their task and closed ranks. They’d also closed the distance, between them and the businessman, and stalked to within two meters of his back, before he noticed anything was amiss. He half-turned, his brow creasing as though he did not understand what was happening.
“I seek sanctuary,” he said, but the formal phrasing was sharp and hastily delivered, almost like he was issuing an order and acceptance was a foregone conclusion. He gestured towards Abby, surprised when the nearest warrior grabbed his hand and pulled it up behind his back, pushing him to his knees.
“I give you the ship in payment!”
Rohan shook his head.
“He still doesn’t get it.”
“Give it a minute.”
“The ship is an Odyssey ally,” the wolf said. “We have a pact regarding their allies.”
“But they don’t know!” Costoganzi’s voice rose in desperation as his other hand was taken and bound behind his back, a wolf knee set between his shoulder blades keeping him on his knees. “Pack Leader…”
“Process him, and put him in the cells. We will see who offers the highest reward for his retrieval.”
“Yes, Hunt Master!”
That last came out in a chorus of barks, and the pallor of Costoganzi’s swiftly lifted face, showed his realization of the mistake he’d made—both in trusting the wolves without sealing the contract first, and of demoting their leader in his opening address. I glanced at Rohan’s face, trying to see how the youngster was coping.
He was pale, and he showed no trace of amusement at the mistake Costoganzi had made. None, at all. Delight caught the direction of my gaze, and spoke.
“He’s lucky they see a profit in letting him live,” she said, and the boy nodded.
When she spoke, again, she addressed him directly.
“Cub!” she snapped, and he jumped. “Can you assist in his retrieval, and the retrieval of the Dasojin ship?”
And Rohan lifted him head.
“Yes, Agent,” he said, his voice firmer than I’d expected. “I can do that.”
“Good. Wanderer, do you have the coordinates?”
“I do, Agent Delight.”
“Port!”
The Wanderer’s “Yes, Agent” was lost in the silver of a teleport wrapping around me.
Wait! We were going into a hangar containing three squads of wolves?
“Unless you’d rather try finding him in a station we don’t have the layout for…” Delight’s voice echoed in my ears as the light faded, and the hangar came into being around us.
Mack and Tens rolled into the wolves nearest, and I realized we’d been sent in alone, since there wasn’t a single one of Delight’s team rolling with us. Rohan grabbed Costoganzi by the scruff of the neck and began dragging him back to Abby’s shell.
Well, that made sense, but Delight had more to say.
“I want where they’re holding the rest of the Dasojin ships, Cutter. Rip it out of their systems.”
I didn’t need any more than that, trusting Mack and Tens to keep the wolves off my back, as I skated through a link to Abby, and discovered the wolves had found her connection to their station, and locked it down. They clearly hadn’t found the path Wanderer had made, but it was only a matter
