Gunship (53 page)

“I’m good, Captain. I thought about what you said. It pissed me off pretty good, but in the end you were right. Not a damn thing I could’ve done about it. Doesn’t make it any easier to accept, but it helps. If Seth is out there programmed to take down Welch, then I’m not sitting someplace waiting for him to show up. I’m going to do everything I can to help him out.” Duv shot her a determined look.

“Duv, you are the best pilot I’ve ever flown with, so yeah, if you are committed then I’m glad to have you. I wasn’t joking, though. Friend or not, if you jeopardize anyone else on this boat, I will put you off, even if it means in the middle of deep space.” Reilly eyed him warily as she spoke.

“It’s not going to happen. I have my son to worry about, but this crew is my family too. I’m not going to risk losing that again. It’s all I’ve got left.” Duv smiled sadly at this truth.

Reilly nodded once. “All right. Don’t make me regret this decision…but I’m glad to have you back.”

Duv grinned as they moved back to the planning table. Chang did too as he met Reilly’s eyes. She took this to be a good sign as she turned back to Trace.

“You have a solid argument,” he said grudgingly. “Roen will give us an advantage, but it may also bring us more trouble. That place has a lot of history that I’m none too fond of, but we’ll stick with you. Our chances are better together than if we separate.”

Reilly noticed Trace looked a bit pale, but left it alone. If there was something wrong, she’d find out after they finished. No need to bring up something he didn’t want to talk about in front of the whole group.

“Then we have a destination. I want to put down together in the town docks and request security. If we’ve got to be there, let’s do it big. If trouble is looking for us, it will have a hard time getting us with all the extra attention. We’ll treat this like a combat zone, so I want everyone with chest plates and blasters at a minimum around town and four-man teams at all times when off the ship. Gunny, get that supply list together and give it to Duv. We’ll send it ahead. Most of it should be waiting for us when we arrive. I’ll talk to Tiny about doing up some scans to see if we have any company waiting for us on the planet. And let’s get Marek to talk to his old man. I want some backup stealth plating to keep on board, and we need to get that second generator finished before we leave. Seventy-two hours on the ground and we fly, so let’s plan efficiently, gentlemen!”

Reilly stepped for the hatch as the crew dispersed to begin their various tasks. She waved Trace to follow her as she headed down the corridor towards the common room. The coffee pot was still on, so she poured them each a mug and sat, looking at him expectantly. He took his and paced, like that caged cat she remembered.

“I haven’t been back to Roen in a long time,” he commented, looking at the wall, “wasn’t planning on going back at all. I’m surprised you went back.”

Reilly stayed silent. Everybody knew about Jeremy and how she had taken off after the bombing. The ISUs might be a covert unit, but within the organization, nobody’s business was ever private.

“So you really don’t remember me?” Trace turned his eyes on her, looking somber.

“I don’t. I’m sorry, but there were a lot of people I served with back then, and we were always on the go.”

He set down his mug and shrugged off his jacket, then pulled up his shirt. She shot him a look as he turned his left side towards her, revealing a long, jagged scar, deep and running from his armpit down to the middle of his ribs. Reilly felt the wind go out of her as it came back.

“It’s pretty hard to see unless I’m turned towards you. I thought you might have noticed it the other night and that’s why you got upset and left.” Trace dropped his arm, allowing the shirt to fall back into place. “Going back to Roen is like one of my own personal hells. But if you can do it, then I guess I’ve got no excuses.”

Reilly heard his voice, but it came to her from a long way away. As she sat, she could see the street, the burning TORR, the scattered bodies as the dust whipped around them from the fires and the wind. People screamed or walked blindly away from the wreckage. How had she forgotten about him? Jeremy and Ryan lay crumpled and blackened nearest the explosion. She could never forget that image seared in her mind, or the horrible smell of burnt hair and flesh that mixed with the burning fuel. Others had been killed, too, but she couldn’t think about them. She looked past them, trying to understand what had happened, trying to comprehend. That’s when she saw him. He was crawling, desperate to get to the TORR, pulling himself along with his good arm as the other hung loosely over a chunk of jagged metal protruding from his side. Blood was trickling down its edge, leaving a trail behind him as he made his way back towards the fires. Chang had gone over to him and pulled him up to his feet, trying to carry him off to one of the nearby buildings, except he wouldn’t go. Finally, Chang helped him over to where they lay. ISU troops arrived and rushed through the scene, working to secure the area and put out the fires. Some of them started to carry off the wounded, while others arrived with black bags for the dead. How long they stood there for Reilly didn’t know. In her mind the world had stopped. Nothing mattered or ever would matter again as she gazed at the bodies lying together in the dirt. Then Chang was there, but she couldn’t hear his words. He was helping Trace stand. She looked at them, trying to understand as Trace took her hand and gently placed Jeremy and Ryan’s dog tags into it. Then they both saluted her. That’s when she knew they weren’t coming back. That’s when it all became real for her.

“You were his pilot,” Reilly breathed, blinking back the excess moisture in her eyes. “I remember now. You were bringing him something.” She looked at him, not asking.

He could barely look back at her. “Jeremy wanted to get you flowers. He forgot, so he called me, asked me to get them and bring them along. If I had been a few steps closer, I’d have died too. I see that street near sunset in my dreams. I know what will happen, but still it was beautiful. The sky looked like someone had painted it. I was thinking it was going to be a good break. Then everything goes red and I can’t see from the dust and I start to choke but I realize it’s because I’m hit so I try to move up but I can’t stand anymore and my arm won’t work.” Trace stopped talking, his hand unconsciously stroking his bad side.

Reilly stared down at the table, willing her eyes to bore a hole right through it and out into space. She had buried this memory deep, but it was all back now. She could hear Trace walking over towards her slowly, not wanting to meet his gaze. She didn’t want to be here. This place wasn’t safe for her. She watched as he sat and took her hands into his, then she forced herself to look up.

“He loved you so much,” Trace said softly.

“I know he did.” Reilly worked to keep it together. “I loved him too. I’m sorry…for not remembering.”

“Don’t be. If it were me, I would’ve forgotten as much as I could’ve a long time ago.” Trace let go of her hands and stood. “I need to go, got a lot to get ready before we start moving.”

Reilly nodded and stood too so she could walk him out. He waved her away. “I think I’ve done enough damage for one day. I’ll see myself off.” He left quietly.

Reilly waited a moment longer before moving out. She wanted to go hide in her bunk, away from everyone, and never come out. The images started to flash again slowly, reminding her that alone was not where she should be. Sleep wouldn’t come tonight. Reilly headed down to the medical bay, where she knew at least one other person would probably be keeping late hours as well.

Ty felt the ship lunge forward as the first journey initiated. Good. He was tired of sitting still in space, in bed, in the medical bay. He worked to drag himself over the side of the bed again and then used the railing and the walls to slowly traverse the room in laps. He was getting stronger, but not fast enough. Chang sat at the desk, jotting some notes and going through their supplies as Ty walked.

Tiny had been absent for over a day now, since the shower incident. Chang had assured Ty that she was just resting and that she would be fine. The slash had gone all the way down to the bone, though, and was going to heal slowly. Tiny had mentioned using her own methods to heal and then had disappeared. Ty hadn’t slept since. He continued to force himself to get up every hour to walk or work his arms so his mind would stop replaying what had happened. But he knew it was waiting for him. As soon as his eyes closed, the darkness would be there. He couldn’t stay awake forever.

When Reilly walked in, it only took a second before Ty and Chang realized something was wrong. The Captain might not believe they could read her, but to them some of her expressions were instantly recognizable. Chang turned his head as she shut the hatch behind her and mouthed one word: Jeremy. Ty nodded his agreement as he slowly lowered himself into a chair. Reilly grabbed a blanket and tossed it on him without a word, then sat in the corner, her mind elsewhere. Chang set down his work and closed up the terminal. They both watched her with concern. Finally, she roused herself and looked around.

“I didn’t remember Trace Callum until today.”

So that was it. She had finally remembered Trace and where she knew him from. Chang had been wondering if it would come back to her. He knew already she wouldn’t sleep tonight, which was why she was here. By the look of it, she had already started to experience a few flashbacks. Her eyes were unfocused and wandered the room in between her comments.

“Why? Why didn’t I remember?” She looked at them both now, confused.

“It’s called delayed recall,” Chang said. “I have had similar experiences myself. What did you remember? Before you remembered Captain Callum?”

Reilly thought for a minute. “I remember the sunlight on wood, the smell of dirt and burning gas and metal, dust swirling, fire crackling…wind too, as it went by my face…fear, I can smell my own fear.”

She wrung her hands unconsciously, sat on them, then put them back in her lap, agitated and sweating slightly.

“And then today, what happened to bring it back?” Chang asked her softly.

Reilly squeezed her eyes shut briefly and then opened them again, the pain evident. “Trace showed me his scar. I remembered him…crawling up the street bleeding…you helping him to stand…the dog tags.”

She fell silent again as she struggled to contain her emotions. Chang sat silently, remembering as well. Reilly shuddered briefly and put her face in her hands. She felt like she was falling down a deep hole with no light. The memory flooded up at her, pieces of it jumping into her head.

“Look at me. Captain, look at me.” Chang was kneeling before her on the floor when she opened her eyes as Ty watched, his face strained. “We are here for you. We’re not going anywhere.”

Reilly reached around, feeling for the chair. She bit her lip hard.

“I can see his body, Gunny. It went away for a while, but I can see it now…and I can’t get the smell out of my head…that damn smell…” She grabbed for the waste dispenser and threw up.

“Here, try this.” Someone reached in and ran something moist below her nose. Reilly coughed briefly, inhaling the strong odor as it drowned out everything else. She looked up to see Tiny hovering over her. None of them had even heard her arrive.

“I have similar…issues…at times. One of my mentors showed me this trick. I don’t know why it works, but it does,” she finished, stepping back a bit.

It did seem to work. The smell was gone for the moment, obscured or erased by the new scent. Reilly looked up from where Chang was holding her and nodded her appreciation. She moved back up to the chair, rubbing her hands on her thighs to keep the trembling from being noticed.

“Captain, how do you feel? Can you walk?” Tiny asked.

Reilly thought that was an odd question. “Of course I can walk, there’s nothing wrong with my legs!” she replied tersely, still confused and uncomfortable.

“You are thinking a walk may help a bit?” Chang inquired.

“It might. Just the process of walking the ship will help to get some of her anxiety out. See how she does, and then come back here. I want to keep an eye on her tonight just in case. It may get worse first.”

Chang nodded and touched Reilly’s arm. She looked at him.

“I need to walk the ship, check a few things and secure her for the night. Will you walk with me?”

Reilly nodded slowly and stood up. Tiny slipped a small bottle smelling of vanilla into his hand as they left, just in case. They went out together and turned for the bay, Chang mentioning his plan for finishing the backup drive while Reilly listened intently, focused on his voice, her shaking hands fidgeting at her sides.

Tiny looked back at Ty, who sat teetering on his chair, wishing he could walk with them. Partly because he had always been there before for the Captain, and partly because he was ashamed of what had happened with Tiny. She came over and checked his eyes, then looked at his head. The wounds were healing quickly with the help of the cold laser therapy. She had turned to jot some notes when he gently reached for her arm.

There was a fine pink line along her forearm. At first Ty thought he held the wrong one. He took her other arm and pushed back the sleeve, seeing nothing, then turned back to the pink line.

“How?” he asked incredulously.

“I told you that it wasn’t a big deal. I am used to fighting and having to heal myself. We are given special gear that is specific to our personal genetic codes. It can help us to heal very fast in the field so that we can keep fighting.”

“We?” Ty asked, not understanding.

Tiny stopped in mid-task. He didn’t know what she was. How could he? He wasn’t there for the discussion. She thought for sure that the Captain or Chang or even Duv would have told him by now. She set down her electronic pad and moved opposite him, watching his face and his posture. He was still relaxed, but visibly tensed as he watched her distance herself. His injuries were significant enough that she could drop him without too much damage. She noted his weak points and casually set up in an easily defensible posture.

“Why are you doing that?” he asked. “I’m okay. I’m not going to do anything.”

“I thought by now someone would have mentioned it. And it didn’t occur to me to mention it because it didn’t seem to be relevant to your medical treatment.”

“Mention what?” Ty grinned, trying to ease the tension. “Wait! Let me guess—ninja chick, super healing powers, can kick my ass…a Gaiden, right? You’re a Gaiden!” Ty laughed as Tiny stood still on the other side of the bay. “That’s a joke!” he said, still laughing at her stern look, then slowly realizing she knew it was meant as a joke. “What’s wrong?”

His attempt at humor faded as he watched her face. In quick order, he saw regret, shame, fear, and then anger before she closed herself off again.

“It’s not a joke. I am a Gaiden,” she said softly. “So is Seth.”

Ty opened then closed his mouth, waiting for the punch line that never came. Tiny stood across from him warily, waiting for his reaction. He ran through what he knew of her since she had come aboard. She had incredible skills, too good really, expert fighter, long-range shooter, and able to defeat his deception training. Then he saw Seth shooting the CQB course almost perfectly, winning Rapid Randoms, killing those men, followed by the memory problems. Tiny taking care of him when he collapsed. His mind raced as it came to the correct conclusion. He looked back up at her in shock.

The woman he had despised but didn’t know why. Who had saved his life, was helping him to heal, and had become a friend, a crewmate, was now telling him she was a Gaiden. Assassins and Gaidens, two things he feared and had pledged to destroy before they destroyed him or his crew. Tiny was one of his monsters.

“Everybody else knows?” Ty asked, still trying to wrap his mind around this new development.

Tiny nodded, still keeping her distance. “While you were out, we had a meeting on the war, Seth, Commander Zain, what is to come. Captain Campbell asked me to reveal myself to the others then. She saved my life…twice now. I owed her.”

“Do they know about Seth? Does Duv know?”

“Yes.” Tiny didn’t offer to elaborate, but Ty got the distinct feeling that more than just words were exchanged at the meeting. He hadn’t seen Duv since he had come to, and now he looked askance at Tiny.

“Jackson is fine. He was very upset to learn that the Commander had recruited Seth. Had I known the boy’s background and the programming Zain intended to use, I would have stopped him. When I told Duv I was sent to be Seth’s trainer, he lost control.”

“Lost control how?” Ty asked suspiciously.

Tiny responded by pulling her shirt over to reveal the healing knife scar. She hadn’t used the machine on it. It was a wound she felt she deserved, and the pain reminded her of the dangerous decision that had been made on her watch. She should have paid more attention, kept better tabs on the Commander. Now it was too late.

“And Duv? What happened to him?” Ty was as tight as a coiled spring as he searched Tiny’s face for the truth.

Tiny shook her head as Reilly and Chang walked back in. They took in the scene and Chang registered immediately what was going on as Tiny covered up the knife wound again.

“Duv overreacted. Tiny had every right to respond.” Chang watched Ty’s hands turn into fists. “She chose not to, even after he had knifed her.”

“He was drunk,” Reilly noted, her eyes weary as she sat back down, her hands still trembling slightly. “I gave him a choice. He decided to keep his job and stop drinking.”

Chang relaxed again as Ty released his fists. Tiny moved over to take another look at the Captain.

“We’re going to walk the rest of the ship,” Reilly said. “It is helping. Gunny wanted to swing by and have you check me out before we walk the rest, just to be sure.”

“She’s fine to keep walking. When you’re done, come back here and I’ll get you set up.”

Reilly looked over at the Gaiden. “If you have any more of those tranqs that will knock you out completely, I want one. If we don’t, then I’ll keep walking and maybe sit up on the bridge with Duv. And you have my permission to kick Ty’s ass again if he decides to get stupid, especially after all you’ve done for him and this crew.” She gave Ty a stern glance before walking to the door with Chang. “We’ll be back shortly.”

Tiny walked back over by the door. Ty’s face was tight with concentration as he processed everything he had just been told. His fear was still there, but not of her, she was not his enemy. Finally, he looked back up at her again.

“So I got my ass handed to me by a Gaiden. I can live with that.” He looked at her intently. “I think you’d better start from the beginning, though, and get me up to speed. I have a feeling that I’ve missed out on a lot since being captured.”

Ty pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders as Tiny, still keeping her distance, began to recount their visit with Commander Zain, the rescue, Welch and Crazy Ray, escaping from the station, and finally how Seth had flown in to save them all from the fleet. She rushed through the part where Duv attacked her and focused on Welch’s plan and the coming war. When she finished, Ty sat quietly. After a while, he stirred and pulled himself to his feet, slowly making his way back to the bed. Once he was settled, Tiny came back over and sat in the chair again. He reached for her hand. She paused and then gave it to him, watching him to see if it was a trick.

“There was a time that I would’ve killed you, just for telling me what you are. And I would’ve been wrong. But all I knew came from one bad experience on a battlefield. The Captain’s right. You’ve done a lot for us all and especially for me, even after what I did to you. You have my trust.”

Tiny looked at him, stunned by his words. Trust. Hope. Did he know how much that meant? She felt like she had to do something to show him, so he would understand. She stood and tucked the blanket around him as he watched her. She was deliberating, he could see the struggle on her face as she worked, but he didn’t understand it. She picked up her eyes as he squeezed her hand, silently asking her what she was thinking. A glimpse of fear, nervousness, flashed and was gone.

“They called me Tiny because I was the littlest ever to be trained,” she said hesitantly as Ty watched her face. “My real name is Airi.”

Ty understood the gravity of the situation by how she spoke. She sat again, waiting to see what he would do. He was the first person she had ever told her real name to. At last, he spoke.

“It’s a real pretty name. My friends call me Joby.”

She nodded once. There was no more need for words. They sat together in silence, their fingers entwined, each wondering what all of this meant, but for the moment just content to have another soul nearby who understood.

—————

Reilly kept herself busy, barely sleeping as she helped Chang and Marek get equipment ready or sat with Duv on the bridge or walked with Ty. The flashes had gotten worse and then slowly improved, like they always did. Tiny tried to give her a tranq once, but Reilly refused it, saying that she had enough going on now that it wasn’t a problem. They all knew she would crash, probably when they landed. If she was lucky, she’d stay out for most of their time on Roen. So they let her pretend she was fooling them while they made sure they had all of the duties divided up for a quick turn, to spare her the pain of a long stay.

The rest of the trip was quiet as everyone focused on what needed to get done. Duv announced they were almost at their destination as the gunship slowed and jumped into orbit. He looked around and immediately called Reilly up to the bridge.

“Something’s up,” Duv noted as Tiny pulled up the shields. Nado took up position on their right flank as they moved towards the planet’s surface.