Chapter 36
Ethan was going just a little mad.
It had taken time to find a portable light, but now he had one set up, the bridge had become like a badly illuminated cave. He almost felt trapped underground.
It had been over an hour since he’d seen Sylvester holding a laz to Velda’s head, and he’d contemplated leaving the bridge and going to find her over and over again.
But she had mouthed ‘trust me’ and that had put a chain on his protectiveness.
She wanted time. He would give her time.
She had a way about her. It had affected the Caruso. It had affected the medic, Yarmouth.
She would work her magic and make a plan.
She hadn’t wanted him to give up the bridge, so he would hold it. But if he didn’t get some sign she was all right soon, he would have to reconsider his options.
He eyed the seven people he’d shot and stacked side by side on one side of the bridge. He’d found restraints for four of them, and he kept checking to make sure the other three weren’t coming to.
It probably wouldn’t be long before they did.
He wanted off this ship so badly, he almost wished they’d taken the runner when they’d had access to the launch bay, but that wasn’t going to get them far. He reckoned they’d be better off taking the whole ship and flying back to Aponi.
That was before the Caruso’s virus had taken out the power.
He and the silver balls had tried to find out how they’d done it, but the silver balls were new to Caruso tech and while they thought with enough time they could do it, it would not be quick.
He looked over at the lens he’d covered with a black cloth before the power cut out, and wished he’d noticed it earlier.
Sylvester had obviously seen him in here, and he’d grabbed Velda straight away.
He wished now he’d found a way to take the bridge with her, rather than ask her to be a diversion.
They had both paid the price for that mistake.
He only hoped the Caruso’s interference was at least adding to the chaos out there, which would help Velda to escape.
All he could see from the tiny one way window set into the bridge doors were two guards, a portable light sitting on a table between them, both with weapons firmly aimed where he would have to come out.
There was a knock against the floor near his feet. It sounded like someone was hitting the underneath of the ship with a hammer.
He lifted up the light and moved carefully over to where he’d heard the noise, and noticed the faint outline of a circle on the floor. It was relatively large—wide enough for two people to stand inside it comfortably—and as he stared at it, it lifted up, spun clockwise, and then flipped open.
He stepped closer, laz raised, and found Velda, standing in a shoulder-height airlock chamber, looking up at him.
“Hey, there,” she said, and lifted up her hands.
He shifted his weapon over his shoulder, set down the light, and lifted her onto the bridge.
“How?” He ran his hand over her hair, breathing in the cold tang of space on her.
“I’ve got the runner hovering below. I’ve got an extra suit because we’re going to have to crawl over the roof, and then we’re going to leave this whole mess behind us.” She hugged his waist in a tight squeeze and then stepped back. “Looks like your victims are coming round.”
He glanced over his shoulder and saw two of the bridge crew were beginning to move restlessly.
It was time to go.
He peered into the airlock and saw a neat pile of helmets and boots.
Velda was already perched on the edge of the hole, and she dropped in, careful not to land on the equipment.
She made room for him, and he dropped in beside her.
“You’ll have to crouch,” she said. “So do I, but you might need to actually sit down.” She put her hand on the airlock lid. “I’ll wait until you’re ready because it’s pretty dark in there when the door closes.
He sat, swapping out the boots he was wearing with the heavier pair Velda had brought for him in quick movements, then pulled on the helmet and the gloves.
As soon as he nodded to her she put her own helmet on and activated the airlock again, so it closed above them.
She was right—they were plunged into absolute darkness for a few minutes, and in that time she sat beside him and found his hand so she could hold it.
Then the floor beneath them lit up a fluorescent blue, and she hopped up into a crouch.
“Grab a handle,” she said. “This thing was obviously designed for people who had an actual line attached to them before they opened up. And we don’t have one.”
He saw there were handles all around the chamber and held on to the closest one. Velda was already holding one, and she activated the lower lock.
It jerked open and then lowered, lowering them with it, with two struts keeping it attached to the ship as it exposed them to space.
Just beneath the disc they were standing on was the runner, holding in place, and Velda grabbed a strut and stepped out onto the runner’s roof and then crouched, grabbing a handle there, and moving out of the way so Ethan could join her.
Once he had, she sent the airlock back up into place and then he followed her to the airlock she’d left open on the runner.
He kept his breathing easy and even, and waited for her to get in before he followed.
As he climbed after her, away to the left, he saw a ship heading toward them.
It was, without a doubt, the Caruson warship they had left earlier.
He dropped in, and pulled the lid closed behind him, plunging them into darkness. “The Caruson are here.”
“Damn. I wondered whether it was them fooling with the power, or you.” Velda felt around for him, and he reached out and grabbed both her hands.
“It was the Caruso. Looks like Nirro changed his mind about taking the Raptor back.” He had seemed angry about leaving Sylvester to get away with the ship, and maybe, in the end, he couldn’t accept it.
“It could be he didn’t know about the backdoor into their power systems until after he let us go,” Velda said. “He’d only just taken control of the warship, after all.”
The light in the airlock came on, and they both removed their helmets as the door unlocked.
Ethan dropped down and raised his arms to lift Velda out. He wanted to stand and just hold her, but the Caruso might not be quite so friendly with them this time.
Things had obviously changed.
They needed to go, and go now.