CHAPTER 1 KAT #3
Whistler shifted his weight between his feet, his red-brown French braid swaying with the motion. “We did everything by the letter that day. We followed orders and obeyed our specific instruction. We were well within our jurisdiction to check out what was inside those shields.”
“And after that?” Zane asked coolly. He wasn’t being disparaging; this was about as real as she’d ever seen him. This wasn’t just her own horror story; this was a massive question of loyalty, it was each of their lives. Their futures as raiders on the line.
In the wake of his question, the silence in the room seemed to pulse around them, or maybe that was just the blood once more pooling inside her head.
It all came down to this. Would she believe them, would she take their word seriously?
Kat wasn’t ready to leave here just yet, not right after she’d gotten home.
“We made a judgement call,” Lee said, softly. “We saw our options, we learned what we could, and we made a decision.” And he shrugged a shoulder. It was the best they had. The most they could hope for.
Zane sighed. “Let’s hope she can convince them to see it that way.” Because again, Kat had forgotten about another key variable from their mission. A General-shaped variable.
“And what of Gaia?” Zane asked.
“We leave them out of it as long as we are able,” Lee said, catching Zane’s eyes.
“Agreed,” Zane nodded.
For once it seemed like they were all in agreement. They would give their accounts of what happened on that ship, and frame the story their way. It would be enough. It had to be enough.
They were going over the logistics of who would cover which piece when their hyperbands buzzed, one after the other.
“Shit,” Whistler announced, the first to open the message. “Meeting’s been bumped up.”
“That can’t be good,” Kat murmured, also reading through the brief message.
Lee expanded it to scroll through the full send details. “It doesn’t say why it was moved.”
“I imagine we’ll find out soon enough,” Zane said. He crossed his arms over his chest, pacing over towards the opposite wall.
She stood with Lee and Whistler, trying to steady her shaky hands around the green juice in her hand, but the plastic cup wasn’t having it. At the first groaning dent, she tabled it by Lee.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Whistler said offhandedly, although his tenor voice had gone up a couple of keys.
Lee had turned to brace himself against one of the chairs.
“Hey,” she said softly. She trailed her fingertips over his hand. Not because she really had anything to say, she just wanted to be near him. But he looked up at her.
“We’ll be good. We’ll be okay,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. She still had no idea what she’d say to the Commander in a few minutes, or what would happen later. And just because she could, she brushed her fingers across his hand once more.
His eyes dropped down again to where her touch had been. “Yeah.” Lee swallowed past the roughness in his voice. “Yeah, we’ll be fine. Always are,” he said quickly, glancing up once more. He cut her a hint of a smile before letting it fall. Just a hint, but it was there.
And all too soon, it was time.
“You ready?” he asked, standing up straighter.
Zane scooped up Lee’s untouched green juice, tossing it back in two gulps before crushing the cup and banking it into the nearest bin.
Of course, she wouldn’t go quite that far. She tucked her drink gingerly into the nook of her arm as the four of them headed up to the Command wing. May the green gods bring her all the luck and prosperity left in the universe.
Standing before the zagged-cut doors, Zane nodded to them with guarded eyes before sending a message, letting the Commander’s secretary know they were all here.
Although no one had informed them of its revocation, it felt presumptuous, somehow, to assume they should still use their upgraded security clearance.
The silence was polarizing. Once again, they were the ship caught in the crosshairs.
It was another couple of minutes before Nolan strode through the doors.
His face was bland and devoid of emotion as ever, although there was an added tightness as he waved his hand, hastily beckoning them follow.
Tossing out the last of her drink with remorse, Kat followed him and the others back towards a room they’d visited only once before.
They were nearly there when Nolan halted, turning abruptly to face them. His voice dropped an octave, barely louder than a pin dropping as he spoke quickly. “There has been a slight change in schedule. General Narron has requested that an official debriefing be held this morning.”
“I don’t understand,” Kat said. “We’re supposed to meet with the Commander first—”
“Be on your guard.”
There wasn’t time to do more than glance between Lee and Zane and Whistler, her ears ringing hollow, before Nolan was again leading them towards Command’s Assignment and Briefing. They assembled before the door, before he stepped back to confirm something on his hyperband.
“We stick to the plan?” Lee asked Zane in a low voice.
“We stick to the plan,” Zane agreed, clasping Lee’s wrist.
Nolan returned, tapping his hand to the door. “They are ready for you.”
It was a good thing she’d brushed her hair this morning.