Chapter 16
Velda relaxed a little when they were led into the mess and even more when the guards withdrew to block the doors.
The main Caruson had been eyeing Ethan since he’d observed them in their cell, and she’d tried to keep the attention on herself, taking the lead when it came to talking.
Since he’d stretched this morning, she’d seen he was bigger. She’d put a hand on his back to tell him, but ended up too afraid of being heard.
It was a subtle thing, she hoped, but he was bulkier. More muscular.
And the Caruson had seen him as a threat. No question.
She had a feeling she was more muscular, too. She’d noticed in the shower this morning.
They were becoming super soldiers.
The electric zing that shot through her at the thought wasn’t fear, though. Not this time. She’d take any advantage that would get her and Ethan out of here, and pay the price later.
There is no price.
The words didn’t seem like they came from her, but they came from somewhere.
Maybe the price was no longer being alone in her own head.
She stopped in the middle of the room and took note of who was there.
Brink and Linao were seated together. The captain was nowhere in sight. Ritter had preceded them in, and had stumbled across to sit in a corner on his own.
One of the Cores guards who’d previously taken them to and from the med bay and the mess was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, blood caked on his arm.
Some of the people they’d seen eating at the mess the few times they’d come in were seated together at a table, silent and glassy-eyed.
Nine people, she realized. The crew hadn’t been big, but they had definitely lost members, unless some were being kept elsewhere.
Ethan put a hand on her lower back and steered her to a small table to their left, and they ended up close to Linao and Brink.
“You were right,” Ethan said to Brink. “The Caruso do seem unhappy about their ship being blown up.”
Brink looked up at him slowly, and extended her finger in a rude gesture.
“What did you tell them when they got you out of the cell?” Linao asked.
“That we didn’t really know what was going on,” Velda said.
“Did you tell them who you were?” Linao asked, and there was an edge to her voice, as if she was taunting them. “Because I’m sure they’d be interested to know who they have in their hands.”
Velda was very aware that she and Ethan would be considered very useful hostages to the Caruso, which is why she’d introduced them by their first names only.
Linao was threatening them, and she wasn’t trying to be subtle about it. Unfortunately for her, she was playing against the Head of Planetary Defence for the whole of Aponi.
“Didn’t you say they blamed Linao for their ship being blown up?” Velda asked, turning to Brink. “Some kind of accusation that she’d told the Caruso that Demeter was a safe zone before the Cores had actually managed to secure it?”
Linao went still.
“I mean, they might be interested in that information, too, don’t you think?” She turned to Ethan, as if asking him a genuine question.
He flashed her a quick grin.
“Fine. I’ll keep my mouth shut, you keep yours shut.” Linao crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
“And let’s hope no one here is tortured, because they’d give us all up in a heartbeat,” Ethan said, keeping his voice very soft.
Linao had obviously not considered that. Her head came up and she glanced at the huddled group at the larger table.
Velda saw her slide a look at Brink, and lean back.
That’s right, Velda thought. You better hope Brink isn’t tortured. Or even questioned. Because she could turn on either of us just as easily.
“So, what’s the story?” Ethan asked. “You met them to hand over the ore, and they what? Just took the ship?”
Brink studied him with dislike, then seemed to collapse. “Pretty much.”
Velda was sure Ethan was holding back from asking when the Cores would ever learn.
“Not like they haven’t done that before,” he said eventually.
“You’re talking about Garmen?” Brink asked.
“And Lassa,” Velda said.
“And Lassa,” Brink agreed. “And a couple of other times, as well.”
“So, why?” Ethan asked.
“We take orders, we don’t make decisions,” Linao said.
“Sure.” There was sarcasm in Brink’s voice. “Except you, Linao. You don’t seem to take orders. Or not very well.”
Linao didn’t answer. She shot Brink a look and then laid her head down on folded arms on the table.
“Who’s Sylvester?” Velda asked.
She noticed Linao froze. If she were to guess, she only just stopped herself from lifting her head.
“Where did you hear that name?” Brink asked, a little too casually.
“Ritter told the Caruso that his experiment was happening on board this ship because Sylvester wanted to see it, and the Caruson soldier said that was good, because Sylvester was the next stop on the journey.” Velda watched Brink with interest as she tried to keep a neutral face.
“That’s interesting information.” Brink cleared her throat. She got up and walked over to Ritter. Slid down opposite him at the table where he was sitting on his own.
Linao finally lifted her head and stared at them both.
“You found that information interesting, as well,” Ethan said. “But Brink didn’t answer the question. Who’s Sylvester?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Linao said. “There’s no way Sylvester will let the Caruso near him.”
“Unless they’re in a stolen Cores runner, with the captain at the helm, under duress or not, flying them in.” Velda didn’t know if the captain was dead or under guard on the bridge, but from Linao’s quick in-breath, she guessed it was the latter.
“Why would they burn your alliance like this?” Ethan asked.
“I don’t know.” Linao grimaced. “I’ve been in prison. I’m not in the loop.”
“Who got you out of prison?” Velda asked. She wanted to know exactly who the people were who’d betrayed Aponi.
Linao frowned. Leaned back. “He’s burned now, so I suppose I can tell you. The prison administrator, Hyet Vadar. He was having an affair with one of the guards, against regulations and without the knowledge of his wife. We bribed him.”
“Why would he help you if it meant he’d be burned?” Ethan asked.
“That wasn’t the plan, but someone had obviously warned the military that an escape attempt was possible, because unbeknownst to Vadar, they’d hidden lenses all around my cell. The whole thing was captured on comms feed, and I almost didn’t make it out. He was caught red-handed.”
Well, that was something. Velda wondered who’d tipped the military off.
It gave her a lift, the thought that there were others aware of the problems and working against their enemies.
Not that it did her and Ethan any good up here.
She sighed and leaned against him.
“That’s right, keep pretending to be an innocent couple out hiking. I thought you’d drop the act after I outed you, but I see you’re keeping it up. Thing is, I don’t think the Caruso pick up on things like that.” Linao’s lip curled up in a smirk.
Velda shrugged, refusing to comment, and Ethan looped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her a little closer.
The whole ship gave a quick shudder and then the familiar pressure of a pinch pressed down on her.
They were pinching to the black, and she guessed they were headed to the mysterious Sylvester, who both Brink and Linao refused to talk about.
It would be interesting to find out who he was. She just hoped she and Ethan lived to pass the information on.