Chapter 24 Lacy
Lacy
After I’d stormed away from the bridge, I’d stomped around the engine room, cursing, for a little while. It made me feel a bit better, but it didn’t take away the sting of seeing Burn in the navigator’s seat, the space on the bridge I thought of as mine, or Dax basically ignoring me.
It hurt, dammit. And I was pissed that it hurt.
When I finally calmed down, at least a little, I made my way to the utility room. After Burn’s disdainful comment about me wearing Dax’s clothes, I’d feel better in my coveralls.
I really needed to pick up some new clothes when we stopped at Rigel Naught. I was so sick of that damn jumpsuit!
And yet, here I was, pulling it out of the clothes refresher. I shimmied out of Dax’s sweats and shoved my legs into the blue one-piece. As I pulled his shirt over my head, I caught his scent, that subtle, earthiness that I’d snuggled into when he carried me to the med bay.
“Dammit!” I tossed his clothes into the refresher and programmed a new cycle. My nerves felt raw, exposed. Used to having a plan in place, I felt adrift and I didn’t know what to do with myself. What I really needed was a big repair job, but unless I broke something myself, I was out of luck.
Hauling the front zipper up, I escaped to my room. If I couldn’t fix the ship, I could try to fix Layla’s situation. I’d already watched the videos a few times, but maybe this time would be the charm.
I slipped inside as soon as my door opened, then pulled up short. Burn was leaning over my small dresser. “What the hell are you doing in my quarters?”
Burn stood up straight. “Your quarters?” She shut the drawer and looked around. “There’s nothing in here.”
Straightening to my full height, I shifted to the balls of my feet.
She was taller than me and probably weighed more too.
Not to mention she was a trained soldier.
But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t fight for what was mine.
“My tool bag’s in the engine room.” Now I wished I’d kept it in my room.
There were plenty of tools I could use as weapons.
What I wouldn’t give for a big, hefty wrench right now.
“That’s all you’ve got?”
“That and the clothes on my back.” And the data chip. And, technically, the clothes that Dax lent me.
“Sarge said he picked you up in the spaceport. That you’d run into a little trouble.” Her brows furrowed together. “But why don’t you have any stuff?”
“Why don’t you?” I snapped back before I could corral my inner child. All she had was that yellow backpack. The one currently draped over the chair in my room.
“Contest rules,” she said. “I got a change of clothes and a few pieces of gear.” Her brow furrowed as she studied me. “Seriously, though, what’s the story?”
I gritted my teeth and held back another sarcastic comment. Burn was officially part of Fortuna’s crew and I’d need them on my side. Or at least not hating me when the whole story came out. So I closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling my legs up to sit cross-legged.
“Two thugs broke into my apartment right after I got home from work. I got away, but all I had was my tool bag and the takeout that I’d picked up for dinner.” My mouth watered just thinking about those noodles.
Burn had flipped the chair around and straddled it. “How’d you get away?”
“I jumped out the window and ran.” I absently rubbed my left shoulder. The memory lingered longer than the pain had.
“Holy shit.” Was that admiration in Burn’s voice?
“Yeah.” I’d do it again if I had to, but I really hoped my window-jumping days were behind me.
“Why the spaceport?” She sounded genuinely curious, but for now I needed to treat this like an interrogation, no matter how friendly it might seem.
“Elegium is an asteroid station. It’s more spaceport and docks than anything else. Plus, that’s where I spent most of my time.”
“Why not go to security?”
I laughed. “Dax asked me the same thing. It honestly didn’t cross my mind. Fight or flight,” I said with a shrug. “I chose flight.” Literally.
She whistled. “That’s some story. You got any proof?”
And there it was. The interrogation.
“Med bay should have a record of my injuries. Dax took me there to get fixed up.” I didn’t think she’d have access to the med bay files, but if Dax asked, I’d share my records.
“What did the men who broke into your place want?”
Deciding to stick as close to the truth as I could, I shared what I’d told Dax. “I didn’t know at the time. Since then, I think they were looking for a data chip.”
“Do you have it?” Her gaze never left me.
“I do.”
I let the silence between us grow, while I determined how much else I was willing to share. I held her gaze and watched her wrestle with whether to ask.
Curiosity got the best of her. “What’s on the chip?”
“My sister’s research. And an indication that she’s been kidnapped.” Though I spoke matter-of-factly, my stomach clenched with worry. It had been four days since I’d received the chip and I was no closer to knowing what had happened to Layla.
“Holy shit! What are you going to do?”
“Working on it.” What else could I say? Telling her that Dax had agreed to help seemed like something he should tell her.
She slapped her hands on her thighs and stood. “Let me know if we can help. Sisters should stick together.” There was something in her voice, sadness, maybe, when she said that.
Her offer was the last thing I expected. “Oh. Thanks.”
She gave me a small smile. “Look, I’m sorry about what I said. What I called you. But don’t get comfy here. We’re picking our mechanic up at the next stop, so we won’t need you anymore.”
Something else I’d let Dax tell her. I just nodded.
“I better go find another room.” Burn grabbed her bag off the chair and let herself out.
I stared at the door long after it had closed behind her. I’d told Burn the truth or at least as much as I could right now.