Dark Deeds (Class 5 Series Book 2) (27 page)

“It's becoming as labyrinthine as pre-World War I politics,” Fee said.

“Good description.” Rose pressed her lips together. “Let's hope it doesn't have the same result.”

“I'm pleased to say I located your handheld in the communications department, Fiona.” Sazo's voice was back to sounding Grihan again. “It was brought over from the
Fasbe
, examined and cleared. The next step would presumably be to return it to you, but since the captain's been busy with other things it's just sitting there. So I put the order through.”

“You're in the
Illium's
systems?” Fee wondered what Hal would think of that. Something hot and tight gripped her stomach. The knowledge that she might have to choose between two sets of loyalties.

“Only because we need that handheld. Otherwise I wouldn't have interfered.” Sazo paused. “You are unhappy about that?”

“No. Yes.” She took a deep breath. “It's just what they're afraid of. And it will only deepen the distrust. If you'd just asked them, they would have given it to you anyway.” She thought about it. “Well, Captain Vakeri would have. Maybe no one else.”

“I'm afraid Captain Vakeri seems to have gone missing,” Sazo told her. “Dav is still waiting for him, and from the chatter I'm picking up from his crew, they're starting to get worried. He was supposed to be at the runner at the Larga Ways dock half an hour ago.”

“They can track him, though. With his uniform.” She had trouble speaking.

“It seems to indicate that he's standing still in a small side street. Something no one thinks is likely.”

“Lens feed?” Fee asked.

“One moment. There is no lens feed in that particular area, but although I'm not in the Larga Ways system, the
Illium
has access to the lens feed coming from the way station's security officers personal lens feed. The station chief has sent four guards to take a look.” The screen which moments before had shown the view from the Class 5 of Balco, the
Illium
and Larga Ways faded and became a bouncing view of a narrow street. The guard was obviously running. The view shifted as the guard stepped into an even narrower, shadowed path between two buildings. It focused down, and Fee stepped closer to see better, aware that Rose was doing the same.

“It looks like a scrap of fabric,” Rose said.

The guard reached down, lifted the fabric up so they could all see the jagged edges of it.

Fee remembered the man in the green robes from earlier, the way he'd looked after Hal with those hard, shiny eyes. “They ripped the tracker out of his uniform.”

C
ommander Chel was refusing
to take any comms from Fee, so Fee was going to him personally.

She spent the five minutes between the
Illium
and Sazo's Class 5 tapping her foot with impatience, and Rose, sitting beside her, watched her with curious eyes.

“Obviously, it's bad that Captain Vakeri is missing, but you seem to be very affected.”

“He saved me.” Fee looked over at her. “Quite a few times. And I saved him back.” She wanted the chance to be able to save him again.

But would they keep him alive? Question him? Or just kill him and be done with it?

Rose said nothing, and Fee gathered up her hair, wound it round and round her hand in agitation.

“We have a thing going, the captain and I.” She let the words come with a bitter smile. “That's why Commander Chel won't take my calls. He thinks I'm dragging his beloved captain down the path of getting fired by Battle Center.”

“A thing?” Rose asked, voice neutral.

Fee shot her a quick look, then shrugged. “Not sure what yet, but I'd like the chance to find out.” She shrugged again. “Life, as we see right freaking now, is too short not to. Although you wouldn't think it given how long this ride is taking.”

Rose smiled at her.

“What's so funny?”

“I have a thing going, as you call it, with Captain Jallan.” She tapped her fingers on her thigh. “Although his crew were not so hostile to the idea of it. But that might be because he's in charge of an exploration vessel, not a battleship.”

Fee didn't get a chance to respond, because they went through the gel wall and she was standing at the door as it lowered.

A big Grih in a similar uniform to Hal was waiting for them, his hair a fascinating mix of gray and black. He looked at her with blue eyes that held shock and astonishment.

“Fiona Russell?”

“Captain Jallan?” Fee didn't really have to guess. Rose had joined her on the ramp, and there was clearly something between the two, as they shared a quick look.

“You look so alike, and yet . . . not.” The captain kept staring.

“Is there any news about Hal?” She knew it was rude, but there was a rising sense of desperation swamping her, making it impossible to deal with the small niceties of life.

“No. I'm sorry. His team are doing everything they can to find him.”

“Commander Chel won't take any comms from me, but earlier, on the lens feed, I saw Hal walking down a street and there was a man in green robes watching him.”

“They're shutting her out,” Rose murmured to Dav, stepping in close to him. “They don't like her relationship with Captain Vakeri and they're suspicious of her. Fee doesn't think they're going to listen to her.”

Fee looked up to see thoughtful eyes on her. “Why don't we ask Commander Chel to join us, then?”

Relief flooded her. Hopefully Chel wasn't such an idiot he'd ignore what she'd seen just because he didn't like her. And he may take it more seriously if he was urged to listen to her by someone within Battle Center who outranked him.

“Thank you.” She watched as Jallan tapped his earpiece, murmured a request to see Chel.

“He was coming this way anyway.” Jallan had barely spoken when the launch bay doors opened and Chel stepped in.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of her.

“You have something for me?” He addressed Captain Jallan, and ignored both Fee and Rose.

“I don't, but I believe Fiona has been trying to pass on some information to you since she heard Hal was missing.”

“How did you find out he was missing in the first place?” Chel was a man almost jumping out of his skin. Fee didn't like the cold way he spoke to her, but she was encouraged that Hal's commander did care about him, and was as desperately worried as she was.

“Sazo told me.” She kept her tone mild. If she wanted him to listen, putting his back up even more would not help. “I wanted to tell you that just before I was called to take the runner over to Sazo, I was watching lens feed of the main street on Larga Ways. I saw Hal walk down the street toward the lens, and there was a person with green robes who was watching him. He seemed suspicious.”

Chel stared at her with hot, angry eyes. “We're already watching all the lens feed, following Captain Vakeri's movements up until he disappeared. We don't need you to tell us our job.”

She flinched, and felt Captain Jallan's hand on her shoulder, Rose's on her other side.

“I can imagine you're upset,” Jallan said to him in a low voice, “but there is no need to take that tone.”

Chel muttered something, refusing to look at her again, and then strode off.

Jallan sighed. “I'll go find something useful to do on the bridge. I outrank Chel, so if the worst comes to the worst, I can take over here.” He strode after the commander and Fee and Rose watched him go.

She had no idea what to do next, but it had to be something.

Rose slid an arm around her shoulders.

“Why don't you take me to your room? And then maybe you can show me the macaw?”

Fee nodded, remembered Sazo had infiltrated the system to get the handheld returned to her. Maybe he could tap in again and see what they were doing to find Hal.

She suddenly found she had less of a problem with Sazo's sneaking around than she had before.

They stepped out into the passage.

“Fiona.”

Pila and Carmain were blocking the way. She frowned at them.

“What's wrong?”

“Um.” Carmain cleared her throat, shooting quick looks at Rose. “Commander Chel gave orders that you have to move over to the Class 5. He's cleared it with the admiral. It's the safest place for you, and it'll free up your guards. Sazo can take you back to Battle Center when this is over, as well.”

She felt a quick, hard punch of dismay. She'd thought of this as her new home, and Chel was kicking her out.

Eazi had offered her a place with him, but that had been taken away, from both of them.

Where did she belong, then? If Battle Center was her destination, where to from there?

Chel didn't want her because he didn't understand her, was afraid she was going to get his captain fired or disgraced and make them all a target to the Tecran. But that left her nowhere.

“Fiona. Are you okay?” Rose gripped her shoulder. “You look pale.”

“No, I'm fine.” She forced herself to suck it up.

No wonder Eazi wasn't back yet. His only place was gone. The place purpose built for him. And she understood even better now how he must feel.

But there was a silver lining here. If she didn't have to be shut up in her room, she knew just how to find Hal.

“I'll need to get something from my room, and then I'll be out of your hair.” She gave Carmain the best smile she could. Her guard was just the messenger, and Fee could see she was unhappy about the message she was delivering. “Commander Chel is right. I will be safest on Sazo's Class 5, and it will mean you won't have to watch me.”

She let Carmain lead the way, with Pila bringing up the rear. When they got to her room she blocked the way in to her guards.

“I'll just be a minute.” She looked at Rose. “Would you like to see my soon-to-be ex-room?”

“Sure.” Rose's eyes told her she knew something was going on.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Fee studied the area carefully.

“Okay.” She spoke in English. “I think they've been in here, and maybe they've hidden a lens. Fortunately for me, out of habit, I have something I didn't want them to find, and it's been in my bra since I got dressed this morning. But they'll see me take the handheld.”

“But they'll have it on the system that that was cleared and returned to you,” Rose pointed out.

“True.” She saw the handheld on the low table in the lounge, and picked it up. Let her fingers dance over it to wake it up.

“Sazo, are you here?”

Rose gave her a nod, and Fee guessed he'd answered through Rose's earpiece.

“Instead of taking me back to the Class 5, can you take me to Larga Ways?”

Rose frowned. “He asks why. I do, too.”

“Because Hal is in danger. I'm not sure how long they're going to keep him alive. They'll want to know what he found out in the facility, maybe what happened with Eazi, but then they'll kill him. And there is only one thing they want more than him.”

“What?” Rose asked, then her eyes widened. “You!”

“As it happens, I've got a magic bracelet on that deflects any shots taken at me. I won't show it to you right now because if they do have lens feed in here, they may try to take it. I used to have a handy weapon called a crowd-pleaser, but the Tecran took that away. But if Sazo has a tracker he can give me, and maybe one of those small lenses, I'll go down to Larga Ways and let them drag me to wherever they're holding Hal.”

“You want company?” Rose asked, then winced, as if Sazo were shouting in her ear.

Fee shook her head. “I don't want to endanger you, and besides, I bet they don't know you're here. Let's keep it that way.”

“So they grab you and then we can send the troops after you.” Rose gripped her forearm. “Are you sure about this? I know we can withstand a kill shot with a shockgun, but it is no fun.”

“A kill shot.” Fee realized she was all but baring her teeth. “So that bastard
did
try to kill me.”

“You've already experienced it, huh?” Rose gave a sympathetic grimace. “I've been shot to kill twice now.”

“I've been shot twice, but the first time it was on stun. The second was kill, I'm pretty sure. But that's a moot point now.”

“The magic bracelet?” Rose asked. “Okay. It sounds as if you'd be okay for a bit, so we could get people to wherever they've taken you. And you'll just have to hope your captain is there, too.”

“It's better than the chance he's got right now,” Fee told her. “You're going to have to convince Chel to actually go in and save me. Because I don't think he'd be that sad if I didn't make it.”

“He should listen to Dav. And if not, Sazo can be pretty persuasive.” Rose grinned, and Fee guessed Sazo had said something in agreement in her earpiece.

“Will Captain Jallan get into trouble for this?”

Rose shook her head. “Not if Sazo whisks you away and I tell him when it's already a done deal.”

“That won't get you in trouble?” Fee asked.

“I would do the same in your shoes.” Rose's face was Boudicca fierce. “And as a minority of two, we Earthlings have to stick together.”

I
t took
Sazo less than ten minutes to get her from the
Illium
to the Larga Ways dock reserved for the
Illium's
runners.

“I told Rose to wait until you're through the security check to let them know what you're doing, so Chel can't stop you,” Sazo said.

“Thanks. And thanks for the other goodies, too.” She had a small lens and microphone worked into the collar of her shirt, with the earpiece for Sazo or anyone from the
Illium
to speak to her in her other ear, a tracker stuck to her scalp at her nape, just within her hair, and an illegal light-gun like the one Hal had gotten so excited about tucked into a neat, custom-made strap just above her left wrist, under the long sleeve of her top.

“Rose has one, but Admiral Hoke knows about it, so I managed to procure another, just in case the time comes when Hoke asks her to hand it over.”

“Point and shoot?”

Sazo had told her that Rose found she needed to look away or close her eyes when she used it. Humans had trouble with the light, even if it was pointed away from them.

Apparently, she wouldn't need to see to aim. Anyone in front of her would be writhing around in pain, but they'd all eventually recover.

She pulled on the jacket Sazo had found for her. It would do her no good if the Tecran's spies couldn't find her because of her camouflage.

The runner bumped to a stop.

“You'll keep trying with Eazi?” She glanced at the handheld which she'd left on the console. She couldn't risk taking it with her. She'd taken off the crystal, too, and Sazo had stored it away in a tiny drawer on the console.

It felt as if she was saying some kind of goodbye, but that was silly. She still had her earpiece. She could still talk to him.

“I'll keep trying.”

She appreciated that he didn't sound despondent.

“To show his cooperation, the station chief's sharing all lens feed with the
Illium
, so I've got full access. I've found someone with green robes. Is this the person you saw?” Sazo flashed the main street of Larga Ways up on a screen and Fee leaned forward to take a good look.

“That's him. Do you know where he's from?”

“His features and build mark him as coming from Vutro, which is in Garmman territory. They're a bit like the Balcoans; they aren't a voting part of the Garmman block, but they're a protectorate within Garmman airspace. I'll guide you in his direction as soon as you're through the security gate.”

She walked out, thinking how different her second visit was.

When she'd been with the UC official the first time, supposedly on her way to a meeting, she'd hoped she could explore, thought she was safe.

This time, she was deliberately putting herself in harm's way.

She nodded to the two guards standing on either side of the docking gate, but Sazo had obviously provided all the right clearances, because they let her continue through without hesitation.

Even so, she only relaxed when she was able to mingle with a group of people heading down the street.

“You're going the right way,” Sazo told her. “The Vutrovian is hovering near the center of the way station.”

She gnawed at her lip, wondering why Green Robes was wandering around. Did it mean he'd already dealt with Hal?

The thought made her physically sick.

“Fiona, there is someone coming up behind you.” Sazo's voice was urgent in her ear, but too late.

Hands gripped her upper arms, and jerked her into the dark recess between two buildings.

“What do you think you're doing? Do you think we don't have enough going on without having to deal with you?”

Fee turned her head, looked into Rial's enraged face.

Okay. No more Ms. Nice Guy. She'd been kicked out, anyway.

“What do you think the people who have Hal want even more than answers from him?” She kept her voice cool and dismissive.

He started to shake her, stopped and his eyes went wide as he realized what she meant. “Unless you have backup, you'll be throwing yourself away for nothing.”

“I think Commander Chel probably just learned I'm here a minute ago, maybe less. But even if they'd already taken me, I have a tracker and a lens on me.” She pulled away from him.

“Where did you get them. I know Chel wouldn't give——” He came up short.

“Wouldn't give me the time of day? I'm very aware of that.” She gave a cold smile. “As it happens, I do have some friends, and they are well equipped. And outrank Commander Chel.”

She let him work it out, and then he glanced upward, and she realized Sazo's Class 5 was visibly hovering over the dome of the way station.

“But why are you doing this?” Rial looked back at her, baffled.

“You didn't think Captain Vakeri's . . . interest in me was one-sided, did you?” Fee had managed to get some space between them, but he still held her arms and she shrugged off his hands. “I'm loyal to those I care about. And right now, that list is pretty short. Hal put his life on the line more than once for me, I am happy to do the same. Now,” she straightened her jacket, “please stay back and out of sight, or everything I've set in place will be for nothing.”

She gave him one last, narrow-eyed look, and he raised his hands, palms out, in surrender, let her slip back into the river of pedestrians.

“Nice smack-down,” Sazo said, and it was enough to put a smile on her face.

G
reen Robes was hanging
around to stay up-to-date with what was happening, Fee decided.

He wasn't watching any place or person in particular, just wandering around listening to people talking about the Class 5 overhead, the gossip about Hal's kidnapping and the murder of the
Fasbe's
crew, not to mention the massive explosion the day before.

If they had had an inside source, the station chief had obviously found it, or shut things down so tight, the traitor was too afraid of being caught to risk making contact.

Fee walked past him, eyes ahead, and then breathed in deeply as she smelled the amazing aroma of open fire cooking she'd smelled last time she was on Larga Ways. Hal had said they could go hunt for it together.

She blinked back tears. Well, she'd found it, and she could bring him here when he was safe. Show him.

Sazo had given her some money, loaded into a chip on the sleeve of her jacket, and she decided sitting outside at one of the two tiny tables in front of the restaurant would be as good a way to let Green Robes see her as any other.

She sat, and almost immediately, a tall, thin woman with dark skin came out to her.

“I'd like whatever I can smell cooking, please.” She spoke in Grihan, and the woman smiled, bowed and went back inside without a word.

She returned less than five minute later, with a tray almost the same size as the table. It contained thin strips of seared meat, what looked like circles of golden flat bread, and something green, leafy and crisp on the side. A long, narrow flute of a cup, filled with a greenish liquid, nestled between the bowls of food.

“Thank you.” Fee took a piece of bread, spooned on meat and salad, folded it over, and then looked up to see the waitress was watching her from the door, with what seemed like approval on her face.

She bit in, and let the first delicious thing she'd had to eat since she was taken sit on her tongue. She savored every bite, working through the food with an appetite she hadn't had in months.

When she was done, she sipped cautiously at the drink, and found it tart and refreshing.

“Any sign of Green Robes?” Fee murmured to Sazo.

“He saw you. Watched you for a bit. He's hanging back, out of sight, at the moment.”

“Good.” She lifted her head, smiled at the waitress, and tapped the sleeve of her jacket to the tray, which was flashing the amount owed, to settled her bill.

She stood. The meal had been comforting, not only because she'd actually enjoyed it, but because it reminded her of home.

But one quick glimpse of green robes twisted her stomach. She forced herself to take things slowly as she walked back the way she'd come.

She stopped at a particularly beautiful wall mosaic, and then saw it was a story of a sort, the scenes running down the length of the narrow alley. A few people were using the street, but it was far less busy than the road behind her.

She let herself follow it, looking at each scene. She would have to come back, though. She saw the jewel-like colors, the way the tiny stones they'd used accented the building and built a beautiful picture at the same time, but could not take it in.

“He's following you. Commander Chel and Tean Lee have people in place.” Sazo's voice was calm, just what she needed to hear.

She kept her pace steady.

The afternoon sun reached in and illuminated the top of the wall, so the intricate silver and gold circular designs worked into the mosaic shone bright, and offset the deep tones of the blues, reds and greens.

Any moment now, surely. Any moment . . .

For the second time that day, hands grabbed her, and she felt the dig of shockgun in her side.

That would be an interesting ricochet, if he pulled the trigger.

The thought steadied her.

“This is set to kill. So you will come with me.” Green Robes hissed in her ear.

She had done it.

And the moment she thought that, the angry bee hum of a shockgun shot registered, and the Vutrovian who was holding her went down.

She stumbled back from him, unsure whether he'd pulled the trigger or not.

“What happened?” Sazo's voice snapped her back.

“I don't know.”

Green Robes was moving, struggling to sit up, so he'd only been stunned, and Fee was left not knowing what to do. He'd expect her to run, but she actually wanted to stay caught.

The hum of another shot sounded, and she saw the faintest flash of blue as it was repelled, but it was as good an excuse as any. She pretended to go down.

“Someone is shooting at us. Is it someone from the way station?” She used English and kept her voice to a faint whisper.

“Not the way station, not the
Illium's
crew. Not sure who else could be in the mix.”

That was the good thing about Sazo. He sounded interested and engaged, rather than panicked. But then, it wasn't him being shot at. Still, his calm helped her find her own.

“I'll try to scan the——”

The sound in her ear went dead. She tapped it, but there was nothing, and then someone was running at her, grabbing the back of her jacket and hauling her away.

She'd been dragged a good four meters before Green Robes managed to clamber to his feet.

She was trying to see who had grabbed her, and she caught a glimpse of the rage on the Vutrovian's face.

“She is mine,” he screamed in Garmman, and started to run after them.

Would the
Illium's
crew step in now, or would they wait to see where this was going?

The man dragging her lifted her up in an amazing display of strength, although she could hear the effort it cost him as he strained to fling her over his shoulder.

He was at least head and shoulders taller than Hal or any of the Grih, and stockier, too. He was wearing a thin jacket and pants that had been dark blue when he'd descended on her, but now turned liquid silver in front of her eyes.

He leaned against a wall, draping something over her and she wondered why he thought she would stay quiet as Green Robes ran past, until she remembered he though he'd hit her with a stun from his shockgun.

She had to decide. Did she want to see where this was going?

If Green Robes had Hal, she was missing her chance. But what if she was wrong?

As soon as Green Robes turned the corner, the man ran lightly down some stairs to the basement entrance of the building they were standing against, and the door slid open as he approached.

He threw her onto a couch and she played limp and unconscious. She sensed him hover over her for a moment, and then he ran out the room again.

She heard the door, felt the air stir, and then listened to his feet run back up the stairs.

He was going to follow Green Robes, she guessed.

“Sazo?” Nothing. She stood up, moved quickly around the single room, which had a tiny lounge, a kitchen tucked in a corner, a bed at the back and a bathroom partition off to the side. No sign of Hal, which meant her gamble had not paid off.

There was a crackle in her ear, and her hopes rose that Sazo was back until she realized it was on the righthand side.

“Eazi?”

She walked to the door, but it didn't open for her. She pulled out her encryptor, touched it to the panel and the door slid open.

Her very own Open Sesame. So worth the concussion.

She slid it back in her bra and ran up the steps, looked carefully left and right and then ran back the way she'd come.

Maybe the
Illium's
team would still be in place, and able to let her know what the heck was going on.

Her ear crackled again.

“Eazi? Is that you?” She remembered she was wearing a jacket over her camouflage, and vacillated over whether to take it off or not as she came to the end of the tiny street.

She crouched down, looked around the corner.

The hum of a shockgun sounded near her ear.

“That Vanad thinks he can follow me?” Green Robes said, voice soft. “I am not so stupid. And it seems you recovered from the shockgun hit faster than he thought.”

He was positively gleeful.

She slumped against the wall and let him haul her to her feet.

“You are coming with me.”

It looked like she had a second chance at finding Hal.