Deadly Betrayal (15 page)

I fell asleep in Adam’s arms, expecting a peaceful night, but woke from someone shaking me. Gently, but still not the type of wake-up call I was used to.

My body insisted it must be around three in the morning. There was a time and place for everything, and this wasn’t it. I rolled over on the side and pulled the sheet up higher.

“I like to sleep too, but right now is a good time to be awake.”

Dammit. He wasn’t going to leave me alone.

I opened one eye and saw a stubbly chin hover over me. “John? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Adam is heading over to the science station. He thought you’d want to know.”

In the middle of the night?

That
didn’t mean much to him, of course. He probably heard the ship leave hyperspace, it was one of his super powers.

“And he couldn’t tell me himself?”

John grinned. “I’m pretty sure he knew you’d either insist on going with him, or try to prevent him from going at all.”

True. He did dangerous things all the time when we lived on the Bell and it didn’t bother me, because he seemed indestructible. Now I knew he wasn’t.

On the other hand,
he
had been overprotective since the day we met, so I didn’t have a bad conscience.

“Let me guess. He woke you up to wake me up.”

“He asked for directions first.”

This wasn’t as funny as John seemed to think.

He grabbed my robe from a chair and dropped it on the bed. “I’m assuming you want to come to the bridge?”

“You’re assuming right.” I stifled a yawn.

“He just wants to make sure it’s safe. For us.”

“I know, but anyway.”

When we reached the door, John said, “Ssch, let’s not wake up Blake and Ima.”

Good point. I wasn’t used to having other people on the ship.

*****

As soon as we reached the bridge, John flipped a couple of switches and turned a monitor on.

“That dot is our shuttle. He’s almost there.”

He reached for the radio. “We’re here, son.”

“Good. I’ll dock in a few minutes.”

I pulled the robe tighter around me. Not because I was cold, but out of an instinct to protect myself.

“And here I was, thinking you were right next to me, going through your databases while I slept.”

“Sorry about that.” He didn’t sound sorry. “I heard the ship enter normal space and it seemed worthy of investigation.”

I didn’t have anything to say and the radio was quiet for several long seconds.

Adam’s voice finally broke the silence. “The code worked. I’m entering the docking bay.”

I sat down and pulled my feet up under me. How could just waiting be so excruciating? Several long minutes passed and I was afraid to break the silence. I probably
could
talk to him, but I didn’t want to distract him, or give him away in case there were intruders in the lab.

John smiled and winked at me. It made me feel a little better.

Adam’s voice finally returned. “This place is perfect.”

“Should we hand it over to them?” John sounded like he talked about the remote control to the TV.

“I think so. Should be enough provisions here to tide them over, and they need the place more than we do.”

“Did you get my goods?”

“About to stow it now. Alex, you can come over if you want to. It’s safe. You’d probably find it creepy and a little cold, but it’s safe.”

He clearly knew I was upset with him leaving me behind, but I didn’t
really
want to trot around a creepy station that had been abandoned for years in a nightie and robe.

“I’m good. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Okay.” He sounded amused.

As soon as the dot started to move towards us, John said, “I’ll follow you down to meet him.”

“Thank you.”

I knew the ship well, but in the middle of the night there was a good chance I’d take a wrong turn. Not to mention how creepy the corridors would have seemed as soon as I was alone.

*****

We didn’t have to wait long before the shuttle returned to the bay.

As soon as the door to the shuttle slid open and Adam stepped out, John yawned. “You two have fun. I’m going back to bed.”

He left and I stared into Adam’s eyes. “I’m sorry you feel you have to sneak away from me.”

He would probably never stop doing dangerous things, but I could still hope.

“I should have told you. I just wanted to do this before Blake and Ima woke up, and sending John to tell you seemed… faster.”

It was a valid point. He might be lying since he apparently did that nowadays, but no harm in
trying
to believe him.

“I know you used to do dangerous things all the time, but on the Bell you had backup. And, if I seem like a mother hen it’s just because… well, you died.”

He draped an arm around my shoulders and headed for the door, tugging me along. “I know. It’s flattering that you care.”

There was a part of self-preservation in it too. Last time Adam died, John kept me alive. He might not be up to doing it again.

Adam said, “You should go back to bed. I’ll watch the ship.”

“Does it need watching?”

“Probably not, but I don’t want anyone to sneak up on us.”

Good point, but I would still prefer to sleep with my head resting on him.

He made an abrupt stop, grabbed me, and tossed me over his shoulder, making me yelp.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying something new. Hush, don’t wake Blake and Ima.”

Their door slid open anyway when we passed and Blake peeked out, looking sleepy with his hair tousled. I waved, and Adam said, “Can’t talk now, kind of busy.”

Blake shook his head and returned to their room. I heard him say, “Crazy. All three of them are crazy.”

Adam dumped me on the bed and managed to untie my robe when he dropped me.

“I thought you were going to watch the ship.”

“I changed my mind. The ship will be fine. And you would be
better
without all these clothes on.”

“Interesting. What are you going to do about it?”

His smile was a bit too content. “Take them off, of course.”

I loved falling asleep close to him, not to mention waking with his powerful arms surrounding me. It had been a novelty on the Bell since he usually worked nights. Even if he didn’t have a night shift, he still left most nights to go potter about with whatever androids liked to do when everyone else slept.

This time he stayed through the night. I woke from him caressing my arm, and he held me tighter as soon as my eyes fluttered open.

He murmured, “I love you”

There could be no sweeter way to start a day.

*****

I sat in the lounge, on Adam’s lap, sipping coffee when Blake and Ima came in, followed by John who nodded towards the pantry. “Help yourselves.”

Adam rested his head against mine and watched our friends. Once they came over and sat down, Blake asked, “Do you people always run around this much at night?”

John and I said, “No” and Adam said, “Yes.”

Blake smirked. “Just what I thought. Where are we?”

John took a seat. “You said yesterday you might be able to retrieve a… test subject.”

Blake nodded. “Shouldn’t be too hard. We can listen to Confederacy transmissions with Shuttle Twelve. Once they seek out a station or a planet we should be able to separate one of them. Getting away would be worse, we can’t outrun the Bell, but with some planning…”

Ima interrupted him. “It doesn’t matter, because we don’t have a lab.”

John lifted his mug and took a long, slow sip. He met my eyes over the rim and winked. “I don’t even have bourbon in it. Just coffee.”

Ima looked frustrated. I assumed it was because of the change in subject, but she hissed, “How many times have I told you to stop drinking? You are shortening your life span.”

“Well then, wouldn’t the fact that this is just coffee be a good thing?” He never spoke this slowly, and he seemed about to burst into laughter. I didn’t find it
that
funny, but he clearly brought it up just to mess with her.

Adam looked like he struggled not to laugh. “Maybe you should just tell her the good news.”

“Fine. I have a science station. The equipment is old, but everything you need should be there. I will donate it to your cause on one condition.”

Blake looked suspicious and John smiled. “It’s really not that big a deal. I’m assuming you will succeed with your quest, and I want all charges against me and my family dropped. I don’t want to be chased by the Confederacy again, especially not for breaking
you
out of prison.”

“That seems more than fair.”

Ima stared at John as if he’d sprouted antennae. “You have a lab.
You
have a lab.”

“Not much longer. It’s about to be yours.”

Blake fixed his eyes on Adam. “Setting all this up will take a while. I’m guessing you won’t be willing to stay here with us and help?”

I was sure Adam would say yes, so sure I almost heard the word. He had only been back for a few days, but he wouldn’t be able to turn down a daring challenge with the fate of the world at stake. He would stay with his captain and John and I would have to face the world on our own.

The words, “Please don’t leave me” left my lips of their own accord. An expression of surprise flew over Adam’s face and his grip on me tightened.

“Of course I won’t.” He met Blake’s gaze. “My family needs me, and there’s something we have to do. Check in with me when you have a plan and a time schedule.”

“You two have to know you’re welcome to stay with us. You don’t have to do this.” John’s voice was serious.

Up until now, I’d remained silent, listening to the others, but the words wouldn’t stay inside anymore.

“If you do this, please be careful. They’re sneaky, they’re fast, and they have no qualms. We have lost so many, I don’t want to lose you too.”

*****

It could be difficult to say what Ima liked or didn’t like. After visiting the station her tail gave her away. She definitely approved, to the point where I became curious to see it myself. Blake might have a hard time getting her back on the Bell even if their plans succeeded.

When they left, the ship seemed big and empty. Adam disappeared off to play with the android head and John to play with the ship.
They
called it working, but to me it looked like playing.

I didn’t have anything I needed to do, except hope the bunker would really have some supplies. We had enough for a few weeks, but our original plan of stopping at a station was no longer valid.

In my mind, the bunker wasn't all that far away from the science lab and we would get there quickly.

That
only showed how little I knew about navigation and star charts: we traveled for days. It was nice and peaceful, but with both men so busy I got bored. If they hadn’t seemed so honestly content I would have thought they stayed busy so they wouldn’t have to decide who would spend time with me.

I found my all too handsome husband in the workshop, examining the head. He flashed a smile and pointed to an area in his brother’s brain.

“The memory circuits are here and his personality might be intact, but a lot of microelectronics are missing. Looks like someone tore his innards out in a fit of rage.”

I grimaced. “It was close to the bedroom. Maybe he was trying to protect Cheryl and Eve ripped him to pieces.”

Poor guy. I couldn’t help wondering what Adam’s brother had been like.

Adam put the head to the side. “I have been replacing the parts I brought from the bunker, but I don't have everything he needs. I’m hoping the rest will be there. Maybe we’ll be able to talk to him.”

“You want to keep working on him, don’t you?”

He smiled and shrugged, but his eyes betrayed him. The answer was definitely, “Yes.”

I kissed him and went to look for John. Maybe I could lure him into a game of chess or something.

John’s ship was large and I assumed we wouldn’t be able to land just like that, but leaving it alone in orbit for an extended period of time seemed dangerous. I didn’t get around to asking about it until we dropped out of hyperspace.

John flashed a smile. “Don’t worry, Hon. I have a plan for that.”

During our earlier stay I hadn’t even noticed the planet had a moon, but I got to see it up close now. John flew low over the surface and I thought he was going to crash into a mountain, but he pulled us up and sniffed the edge.

I held the armrests so hard my knuckles whitened. This was
not
a proper way to fly a gigantic spaceship.

Adam said, “It’s still there.”

“Good.”

What was still there?

I didn’t want them to have to explain
everything
to me, but I perked my ears and eyes. On the second pass, Adam keyed a code and the side of the mountain opened up. The inside lit up and John flew through the large entryway.

We were in a huge docking bay. Not as large as the ones on the Bell, but more than big enough.

How much money had John and Cheryl spent on building all this stuff?

John powered the ship down. Seeing the consoles dark gave me a strange feeling. We weren’t leaving her forever, maybe not even for the day, but the darkness gave a sense of finality.

Adam said, “Don’t bring a lot of stuff. I’d rather go back up here and get things if we decide to stay.”

“She’ll be alright here, right?”

He smiled and his warm gaze encouraged me. “The ship will be fine. She has deserved a rest, don’t you think?”

I still glanced back when we left in the shuttle, pretending I wasn’t looking. Adam transmitted the code to close the large bay door, and it was soon impossible to see anything but the rugged surface of a barren moon.

*****

Last time we went to the bunker, John and Adam put the shuttle down in the woods and we walked the rest of the way. This time we went into a large bay just as hidden as the one on the moon. It was vast enough to hold several shuttles, but so empty it echoed.

John muttered, “I can't believe I’m back here. Again.”

I made myself as small as I could, trying to shrink into the background while staying close to both Adam and John at the same time. The place might become less intimidating with time as I got used to it, but I doubted it.

Getting rid of Cheryl’s body would help. She must have decomposed at least a little more by now.

Gross.

I expected to enter the bunker at another place than last time since we came from another direction, but the long corridor from the bay took us to the same elevator and entryway.

I also expected weapons to blaze away at us, monsters to attack, and the floor to open under my feet, but nothing happened.

Adam said, “Should we split up?” He looked at me and added, “You’ll probably find the lower levels spooky. I can check them, there’s no need for you to go down there until you’re ready.”

So sweet to think of me. “I think
this
level is creepy.”

“I will bury mother and take care of it.”

John shook his head. “We should stay together.”

Adam looked at me and lifted an eyebrow.

This couldn’t be easy for either of them, but both still watched out for me.

I
wanted
to go back home to the ship, but that would probably also be spooky without them, so I straightened my back. “What John said. We’ll deal with everything together.”

Both nodded and it was a matter of seconds before they were preoccupied with something by the door. I swallowed hard and approached the bedroom. I was the only one not emotionally attached to Cheryl and I should be able to handle this at least as well as they did.

If I had any backbone I should be able to do this
for
them.

At first, I didn’t think pressing my hand against the console by door would do anything, but the metal barrier slid to the side. The computer must have decided I was worthy to view the horrors on the other side.

The room looked just like last time we visited, but less creepy without the head in the jar.

“Guys.”

I heard them discuss something irrelevant about a holographic shield for the entrance.

“Guys!” This time they couldn’t miss the brewing panic in my voice.

“What is it, Hon?”

“The body. It’s gone.”