Dark Minds (Class 5 Series Book 3) (25 page)

The office ran around the clock, so someone must be coming or going. He just needed to catch them when they did.

He eased back half a block, found a dark stairwell to a basement apartment, and settled in to wait.

“
W
e thought
we would have to find you,” Fiona said, leading Imogen into a beautiful open-plan room. “But somehow, you've found us.”

“And I would like to know how you did that.” The voice that spoke through some hidden speaker was suspicious.

Imogen glanced in its direction, then swung her attention back to Rose and Fiona. “I know who you are, I was taken after you both, but how do you know me?” Her face still felt tight and hot from crying, and she rubbed at her cheeks self-consciously.

Fiona held her gaze with eyes as warm and dark as chocolate. “I was held in the Balco facility five days ago. They put me in your cage.”

It was only two weeks since she'd been down on Balco, but Imogen had almost forgotten the message she'd scratched into the hard-packed earth of her cage floor before they'd taken her away.
Imogen Peters was here.

“Cleese?” she breathed. “My macaw? Did you see him?”

Fiona sank down to the floor next to her. “Cleese? Now there's a perfect name for him. I saved the little bugger. He bites.”

“They were going to kill him?”

Fiona shook her head. “The Balco facility is gone. Eazi blew it up.”

Gone.

There was something so satisfying in that word. Freeing.

“Is Cleese here?”

“He's on the
Illium
, the Grihan battleship above us. It's only been four days since the explosion on Larga Ways, and we thought it would be safer for him up there. Besides, the explorations department are in love with him, and will probably fight me for custody when things settle down.”

“They will have to fight
me
.” She didn't know why she said that so fiercely. Now was not the time to get territorial.

Fiona slid an arm around her and pulled her in for a one-armed hug. “There's no dispute about that. Cleese is obviously yours.”

“And now we've cleared that up, how did you get here?” Eazi asked again.

“You're in the dog box.” Rose glanced upward. “I'd take a different tone.”

There was silence for a moment. “She was clearly acting suspiciously, she snuck onto the way station with forged temp contracts, and then she followed Erv from Vatin's Café right here. I am sorry she was frightened, but I was protecting the way station and I was protecting you.” There was bafflement in Eazi's tone.

Imogen smiled. “Given that you blew my prison up, I forgive you completely for siccing that angry man on me.”

“He was, wasn't he?” Rose frowned. “Why was he so angry?”

Imogen shook her head and winced as she pulled up her sleeve to look at the dark bruises Lee had given her.

Fiona scowled. “Do you see that?” She looked toward the corner of the room. “Did you see her when she came to the door? The look on her face . . .” She shook her head and then glanced at Imogen. “I'm sorry, I'm speaking as if you aren't sitting right here.” She frowned. “This isn't right, Eazi. Neither Rose, Imogen or I deserve this kind of treatment.”

“I think he was angry because he hadn't picked up that she had come through the checkpoint himself.” Eazi said, thoughtful. “I had to tell him, and he's touchy about it since the explosion. He knows his system is faulty, that there are problems within his staff. I was surprised he followed her personally, given he's the station chief. But that doesn't excuse that he hurt you, and for my part in that, I truly am sorry.”

“You're forgiven. But to make it up to me, can you make sure nothing happens to Captain Inita and the crew of the
Veasin
? They were kind to us, helped us. Believed us when we said our lives and theirs could be in danger if any Tecran knew I was onboard.”

“I see that Commander Lee has surveillance on them right now, and is getting the paperwork together to board their vessel. I will make sure that is reversed.”

“You keep saying
us
.” Rose watched her with bright, curious eyes. “Who did you come to Larga Ways with?”

“Cam.” Imogen hadn't forgotten about him, but the last few minutes had been so intense, her worry had receded a bit. Now it came rushing back. “We were separated.”

“You think something's happened to him?” Rose asked her.

She nodded. “Could you call the restaurant, see if he's been there looking for me?”

“Doing it now,” Eazi said. “Who is Cam?”

“Captain Camlar Kalor,” Imogen said.

Rose and Fiona both went still.

“You know him?” How could that be?

“Right now, Battle Center is just praying he and his team aren't dead. Now you're saying he's alive and well on Larga Ways?” Fiona's eyes were wide. “And the rest of his team, too?”

“No.” Imogen pulled her sleeve down. “His team is being held hostage by a Tecran battleship somewhere just out of the Balco system.”

“You get that, Sazo?” Rose asked.

“I did. Hello, Imogen Peters, it is good that you are safe.” Sazo's voice was smooth, human, to her ears. He had the same cadence and accent as Rose. “Do you know where this fleet is, exactly?”

Imogen shook her head. “No, but Oris does, and I know where you can find him.”

“Oris?”

“The Class 5 I freed. He's waiting for Cam and I to see if you are willing to talk to him. Negotiate a deal where he can be safe.”

“I would be interested to hear the story of how you freed him.” Sazo sounded incredibly formal now. “As for his safety, I can't speak for Battle Center, but I do not turn on my own.”

“Aside from the small fleet of Larga Ways security runners, I'm no threat to him, but as Sazo says, I do not turn on my own.” Eazi sounded just as formal as Sazo.

“That's good.” She had assumed they would be happy to welcome Oris, but there must have been some part of her that was nervous, because the relief left her lighter. “He's hiding behind Gu-gijeron.”

“I'll go talk to him.”

“Sazo, wait. There's one more thing. When we light-jumped behind Gu-gijeron, a Fitalian battleship almost landed on top of us a few minutes later.”

“Fitalian?” If Eazi had a face, it would be frowning.

“They're after a creature the Tecran stole from them, only they thought the Grih had done it, because they tracked it to Balco. They tried to shoot us even when they knew the truth, to make sure we couldn't talk about it. Oris has taken over the battleship's systems, and is holding them in place.”

“They're after the grahudi?” Fiona shivered. “Why?”

Of course, if Fiona had been held in the Balco facility, she would have seen it, too. Imogen shook her head. “I don't know. Whatever their reasons, it's nothing good. But there's more. When Oris took over the Fitalian ship, he found they'd installed new weapons that can breach a Class 5's shields.

“He was going to spend the time waiting for us looking for a way to counter what they've done. So, the point is, if you see a Fitalian battleship on your way to Oris, don't engage, run.”

“I thank you for the information,” Sazo said, and she thought, for the first time, there was warmth in his voice. “I'll be back with Oris shortly.”

“What about the
Illium
?” Rose asked Fiona. “Better warn Hal there's a new Class 5 on its way over. With a hostile Fitalian battleship in tow.”

“Yes,” Eazi's voice was dry. “No matter what his deal with Battle Center is, Sazo will fire on the
Illium
if it tries to harm Oris.”

Fiona nodded, tapped at her ear and walked away, talking in a low voice.

“Fiona has direct access to the
Illium
?” Imogen frowned in confusion.

“Fiona and Captain Hal Vakeri cohabit. Usually here, but tonight he had a meeting onboard his ship.” Rose's smile was warm and mischievous. “That's why we were having a girls' night in. My significant other happens to be at the same meeting.”

“While mine . . .” Could she call Cam that? Maybe not yet, but it was in their future. She glanced at the ceiling. “Have you heard any news of Cam, Eazi? Did he go to the restaurant?”

“He did. The waitress gave him your message.” Eazi paused. “But I'm afraid my search for him in the lens feed shows he's being followed, and I'm very much afraid Commander Lee has gone a little overboard.”

“Why do you say that?” Imogen stood and opened the top of her backpack.

“He's got armed guards trailing the captain, and Lee's orders are to see where he goes and then arrest him, with force if necessary.”

“What is Lee thinking?” Fiona paced back toward them. “Doesn't he know Cam personally?”

“Even if he does,” Rose leaned back against the couch, “he's been hunting Imogen, so he may not have seen him. As far as he's concerned, he's tracking a real threat.”

Eazi made a hum of agreement. “I think he's feeling guilty about every death on this station, and believes he's failed. And now he's trying to make up for it. I've hailed him twice but he's refusing to answer.”

“And the guards are following his lead?” Fiona asked.

“Some of them. The ones who were going to board Captain Inita's ship wouldn't answer my hail until I sent them a message from their banks that I've reversed their salaries for insubordination.”

Imogen looked up admiringly. “That really hits where it hurts.”

“Apparently.” There was a smile in Eazi's voice. “They decided to answer and hear my order after that, so I put the money back in.”

“Can you do that for the others, too?”

“I already have.”

“And they're still going ahead?” Fiona was incredulous.

“There's a core of guards around Lee who are loyal to him, and my guess is he sees this as a contest between us. He's probably ordered them to ignore me.”

“Cam's going to the bar?” Imogen asked, lifting her clothes out of her pack and setting them on the floor beside it.

“Gurtain's Song, it's called. And yes. He's on his way there now. Since Lee isn't accepting comms, I've shut the security comms down, so at least he can't coordinate with his team. I've blacked out the lens feed on the route Cam's taking as well, but Lee's team were following Inita earlier, and I'm sure they've guessed where Cam is headed.”

“What are you doing?” Rose peered into the pack as Imogen knelt beside it and lifted out a gold box.

“Chocolate,” Imogen said, waggling the box and then handing it to her. “Courtesy of the thieving Tecran who took me. Oris found them in the store.”

Fiona stopped pacing and stared. “You're kidding?”

Imogen shook her head, and lifted out the false bottom, grabbed her whip, and stood.

“I need to go help Cam.” She lifted her shirt and slid the whip into the holster Oris had made her.

“We're coming with you. I'm the CEO of this way station now, and Lee answers to me.” Fiona sounded grim. “Yes, Hal, I am,” she said, and scowled.

Imogen blinked, and then realized Fiona was responding to someone talking to her through her earpiece. “If you want to come down and help, that's fine, but we're not waiting around. Lee's guards could seriously hurt Captain Kalor.” She blew out a breath and looked up. “Rose, are you coming, too?”

Rose nodded.

“Yes, you can tell Dav she is. No more time to talk, see you there.” She tapped her earpiece and walked off into what looked like a bedroom. When she came back, she was clipping on a bracelet. Something about the way she did it made Imogen think it wasn't an accessory.

“Cool weapon?” she asked and then jerked as a blue light seemed to scan over Fiona's body.

Fiona nodded. “I assume that cylinder thing is, too?”

Imogen smiled. “Yes.”

They both looked at Rose, and she tapped the front pocket of her trousers. “I never go anywhere without mine.”

I
t was
impossible to know if he was being followed.

Cam struggled through the crowds, and wondered if every person who lived on Larga Ways was out in the main street tonight.

It felt like it.

Even the narrow side streets were full of people laughing and talking, eating and drinking at small cafés and restaurants, and calling to each other over the heads of the revelers.

“We're celebrating being alive,” a Balcoan woman told him as they were forced to wait together to get through a particularly dense part of the crowd.

The spontaneous street party was cheerful and happy, at least, and no one seemed to mind having to wait, or being jostled.

Their mood was better than his. All he wanted to do was get to Gurtain's Song, Inita's cousin's bar, and make sure Imogen was safe.

He hadn't seen a single Battle Center employee while he'd waited outside the security offices. Either the waitress had lied, or circumstances had changed.

The urgency he felt at getting in touch with Hal Vakeri had made him push the time he'd said he'd be back for Imogen way past the limit, but he'd failed.

There was no choice now but to track down Tean Lee, the station chief, and ask him to link him to the
Illium
. Politics be damned. They'd simply run out of time.

He could have approached the security building and asked to speak to Lee earlier, but knowing Imogen was waiting for him had forced him away from that option. Even if the guards acted immediately and contacted Lee for him, he'd be held up for a long time.

Better to collect Imogen and get in touch with Lee's office from somewhere safe, try to connect with the man himself.

Finding the restaurant where he'd left Imogen packed to capacity and Imogen gone had made the shoving crowd harder to bear. Panic was not a feeling he had often, but it had gripped him in its icy maw, and he'd had to shake himself loose before he started shoving the merrymakers back a little harder than they had shoved him.

At least she'd left a message for him. The fact that she had had made it possible to breathe again. And the place she'd chosen was a good one. He'd planned to go to the bar with her anyway, to call Tean Lee from there.

And there it was, just up ahead.

He started to relax a little. The bar was on the ground floor of a building made of what looked like crystal. It seemed like it should be transparent but the crystal reflected light outward, so the whole place glittered and glowed, while making it impossible to see within.

He had to force his way to the entrance, and guessed the only reason the large Grih at the door let him in was because as he got there, a group of five Balcoans left.

“Is the owner's cousin, Captain Inita, here?” he asked the man, and his attitude warmed a little.

He gave a nod and let Cam slip in.

Like everywhere else, the place was heaving. Perhaps it was because the bar was owned by a Grihan, but Grih made up the majority of customers, although he saw Balcoans, the odd Fitali and several Vutrovians.

He had looked for Imogen outside as he'd made his way to the front entrance of the bar, but she was short enough to get lost in the crowd. He would have to hope she arrived before the crush started, and that he'd find her having a drink with Inita and his crew.

Despite the noise and the crowds, he was impressed with the place.

The bar was huge for Larga Ways, with a curved counter sitting like a big smile in the center of the room. Behind the counter stood an elevated stage, and a group of four musicians were playing a piece that involved drums and bells, the comms system taking every sound and playing it through powerful speakers, so that everyone could hear it, despite the high-level roar of conversation.

Captain Inita's cousin had set poles throughout the room, just higher than waist height, with a small circular tabletop on each. Drinks fought for space on the tiny surfaces, and groups as large as eight tried to squeeze themselves around them.

There were tables with chairs set against the walls, two levels of them, the second level really just a long, thin balcony that wrapped around the room, suspended above the tables below and built out of a thick, clear substance that made the tables look like they were floating on thin air.

Cam spotted Inita and a Grihan man he didn't recognize up on the balcony to the left of the entrance, and made his way through the packed house toward them.

He would be able to see Imogen better from above, anyway, but perhaps Inita already knew where she was.

He climbed the stairs, which turned out to be a thick resin, and Inita stood and waved as he spotted him.

“Where is the lovely Imogen?”

Cam shook his head. “I was hoping you knew. She said she would meet me here, but there's a huge crush outside, so perhaps she hasn't been able to get in.”

Inita stepped up to the clear, waist-high balustrade and Cam joined him as they both searched the floor below.

“That's strange.” The Grih behind him stood as well. His gaze was also on the crowds.

“My apologies, Captain Kalor, this is Paali Takari, my cousin.”

Cam bowed and they exchanged murmured greetings. “What is strange?”

“I'm on good terms with security on Larga Ways, it pays to be with a place like mine, but never have I seen so many in the bar at one time.”

The first cold, hard drop of suspicion hit the back of Cam's neck and snaked down his spine. “Could you point them out?”

Takari nodded down to a man and woman leaning against the bar. “Both of them. Those two men near the entrance, they're in full uniform, with their shockguns. And there are three more out of uniform I recognized earlier, who've been here since the place opened a couple of hours ago. They're still somewhere in the crowd.”

“What does that mean to you?” Inita was watching him.

“Trouble, I think. I apologize if I've brought it here.” Cam looked over the lower floor again, but Imogen was nowhere to be seen.

“What do you plan to do?” Takari leaned against the edge of the balustrade as if they were exchanging pleasantries.

“Leave, look for Imogen outside, see if she's hanging around, unable to get in.”

“Please come back when you are able, Captain, and let us know that you've found her safe. If she comes here after you've gone, we'll help her any way we can.” Inita spoke authoritatively, and Cam guessed he must be a part-owner in this place, because Takari didn't so much as blink at his offer.

Cam nodded his thanks and good byes and made his way back to the stairs. He kept his gaze on the crowds below, as if he were still looking for someone, but he was tracking the security personnel Takari had pointed out.

They were definitely here for him.

He could see the way the two guards at the door subtly watched him and the couple at the bar had started moving to intercept him at the bottom of the stairs.

But the big clue was the small, robed man he'd thought might be following them earlier, standing up from his seat at a table on the opposite wall. If Cam wasn't mistaken, there was a shockgun hidden under the long folds of his clothing.

Three more people, two men and a woman, suddenly pulled away from the groups they were in and moved purposefully in the same direction as their colleagues from the bar, but Cam saw two were cut off by servers getting in their way.

It was a little too coincidental and he sent a silent thank you to Inita and Takari, who were obviously signaling to staff on his behalf.

He was halfway down the steps, moving fast to escape into the crowd before the guards reached him, when a couple standing at a table close to the bottom turned and faced him.

He came to a stop. They were Balcoan and both were wearing robes, which would explain how they'd gotten their shockguns past Takari's doorman.

“Are you Larga Ways security, or Tecran spies?” Cam asked them.

The question surprised them. Shocked them.

“You need to come with us.” The woman shifted uncomfortably as the patrons around them worked out what was happening and started edging away, murmuring to each other.

“I don't think you're going to be welcome back here.” Cam smiled at her. “My name is Captain Camlar Kalor. I'm from Battle Center and I head a UC Investigative Unit. I need you to connect me to Tean Lee.”

“Can't,” the man said, and now he slanted a look at his partner. “Comms are down.”

“Down?” Cam couldn't hide his surprise. Was this why there was such a fuss outside the security offices? Was there an attack on the way station comms?

“You saying you had nothing to do with it?” The man was watching Cam closely.

“I'm from Battle Center. Of course I had nothing to do with it. Where is Lee? Do you have a way you can reach him?”

“We're not fetching Commander Lee. You can come with us, and he'll get to you when he can.”

That's what Cam was afraid of. And if Lee wanted to really tick off Battle Center, he could make sure he 'got to it' after a really long time. Time no one had. “I'm afraid I'm not coming with you under those circumstances.”

The two shared another uneasy look.

“I don't want to shoot you, but I will.” The man lifted his shockgun, and a woman standing close by screamed.

The crowd panicked suddenly, two hundred frightened people, all heading for the front entrance at the same time.

The two guards who'd taken up position at the door realized what was happening a moment too late, and Cam looked on in horror as one of them lifted his shockgun in panic and fired into the oncoming stampede.

* * *

E
azi got
them inside through a back door.

Gurtain's Song not only had a rear entrance, it took up the entire ground floor of a building that looked like a giant cut diamond. Imogen had to mentally adjust her image of a cozy hole-in-the-wall place with deep shadows and deeper booths. This was all light, glitter, and vibrant crowds.

“I'm afraid things are looking bad in there.” Eazi had linked into Imogen's earpiece so he could speak to them all.

“What's happening?” Fiona waited at a door which led to the main bar, head tipped to one side to listen.

“Captain Kalor is surrounded, and people are starting to panic.”

Shaking her head in disgust, Fiona shoved at the door and they followed close behind her.

They stepped into chaos.

A mix of people, mostly Grih, were shouting, shoving and trying to move to the front entrance.

A quick glance to the left and Imogen saw Cam standing halfway down a staircase, with two people at the bottom, shockguns raised. His focus wasn't on them, though, it was on the door, and as Imogen turned to see what he was looking at, someone started screaming, and a woman went down.

“They're shooting at the crowd?” Rose breathed, voice hushed with shock.

There was an elevated stage in the middle of the room, and to Imogen's amazement, the musicians seemed to still be playing. It seemed incredible they'd go on until she saw their eyes were raised to the upper level of tables and chairs clinging to the wall on a transparent platform.

Inita stood there with another Grihan, and he was motioning them desperately to play on.

It was as good an idea as any to calm things down.

And then it hit her.

Grih. This place was packed with Grih.

“Quick, what song do all three of us know?” she asked the other two.

“What?” The look Fiona sent her questioned her sanity, but Rose got it.

“Soothe the savage beast?” she asked.

Imogen nodded. “Worth a try.”

“I'm in, but I really don't want to get shot.” Rose glanced to the front entrance, where panic reigned.

“Stand behind me. In these clothes, unless they get me in the head, I'm good,” Imogen told her.

“Me, too. In fact, whoever shoots me gets their shot returned straight back.” Fiona had clearly worked out what Imogen meant to do. “But we can't shoot anyone. We don't need to compound the problem.”

Imogen agreed. This was no time for her whip. She started running for the stage, the way clearer than it had been as everyone tried to fight their way to the front.

The music was a little disjointed now, the musicians struggling to keep their focus. The drums were deep and rumbling, sounding to Imogen like a monastic choir, but the bells sounded too high and light.

“How about
Frère Jacques
?” The monastic sound had inspired her, and surely all three of them would know it.

“Oh, let's sing it in rounds,” Rose said. There was something wicked in her eye. “That would seriously blow their minds.”

“Good idea.” That would work with the three of them. Would hopefully be different enough to catch the crowd's attention. Imogen ran up the steps onto the stage. “Let's start by singing together, and then in the second round I'll start, Fiona follows, Rose, you're last, standing behind us.”

She'd thought as she'd run to the stage that she should try include the musicians, but the sounds they were making weren't intuitive to her.

“Please stop,” she told them, and her voice was picked up by whatever system was piping the sounds through the speakers, and it echoed around the room.