“The way Nico pilots? You might want to consider putting a forcefield around the thing.”
He snorted. “I suggested that. Dante pointed out that the only way the kids will learn is if they crash and burn.”
“Which says a lot about our Buttercup’s upbringing,” Kurt said.
“Yeah. But in Nico’s case, I think he’s right. Nico’s clever and fearless. If he doesn’t learn some restraint?” He pointed to himself. “He’ll probably wind up like I did, only without my amazing charm and good looks to help him sweet-talk the judge into leniency.”
Kurt rubbed his chin. “Did anyone on this team have a nice, normal upbringing?”
“Normal is a myth. Trin and Fido were raised in a hive city on Earth. What was the status quo to them would be strange to you or me. Trip’s dad runs half a fraxxing planet, so I’m damned sure none of us could imagine what his idea of normal looks like.”
“You’re waxing philosophical. You only do that when you’re in a good mood. Does this mean you’re making progress on your side project?”
“Some. I’m close. I know I am. I just can’t seem to find the last few bits of information I need to put it all together.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I need to find her soon, Sabre. I’ve got this feeling that time is running out.”
“You’re not the only one feeling the pressure. Before he left for his honeymoon, Rossi spoke to Colonel Bahl. The IAF brass are looking for anything they can use to show we’re still making progress against the Gray Men.”
He grunted. “I was wondering when that would start.” Nova Force was a specialized task force entirely focused on keeping the corporations in line. Since their team had been sent to investigate the theft of genetic material from the Vault of the Fallen, Eric and the others had been chasing a shadowy group known only as the Gray Men. They were powerful players in a game no one had even known existed, and now all of Nova Force were playing catch up.
“So, I’m asking you, Magi, how close are you?” There was something in his tone, the way he stressed Eric’s nickname, that gave him pause. It wasn’t one he’d earned on the team. It had come with him from his time as a lawbreaking cyber-jockey.
“I’m doing all I can, sir, but I’m up against someone with a lot of skill, and the information I’m looking for is well hidden. There’s only so much I can do without crossing any lines.”
A muscle ticked in Kurt’s jaw. “I see.”
Eric stayed silent and waited.
“Our commander would never ask you to cross those lines.”
“No, he wouldn’t. And if anyone ordered me to, they’d be risking their career.”
Kurt fixed him with an intent stare. “No one’s ordering you to do anything.”
“Good to know. I wouldn’t want anyone to get into that kind of trouble.”
“And nobody wants you falling into old habits. We all know what would happen if you got caught doing anything illegal.” Kurt’s jaw ticked again, and Eric got the unsettling feeling Kurt knew he’d already crossed the line. But if that was true, why were they having this cryptic conversation?
“I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize my life as a free man, or as a member of this team.”
Kurt nodded slowly, pushed himself off the wall, and moved close enough to drop a hand onto Eric’s shoulder. “We don’t want to lose you, either. So, be careful. Do you understand me?”
Eric glanced at Kurt’s hand, then at his XO’s face. “I understand.”
“Alright, then. Good talk.” He squeezed Eric’s shoulder then stepped back. “Oh, and a word of advice? Next time you go for a walk on the lower levels, you might want to consider wearing warmer clothes. It gets cold down there.”
Son of a fraxxing starbeast. “Good suggestion, sir. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t want you getting sick. You’re too important to the team. And we really need a win, soon. I think you’re our best bet to get it.”
He walked away without another word, leaving Eric to mull over what had just happened. He’d been caught, but instead of turning him in, Kurt was giving him unspoken permission to continue.
Next time they were at the bar, he’d have to buy him a drink.
Her arms burned, and her shoulders screamed in their sockets, but she kept going, embracing the pain. She continued doing push-ups until she reached three-hundred reps, then rose and shook her hands until the feeling returned. The floor of her cell was only a few degrees above freezing, and exercise was the only way she had to stay warm. Her medi-bots would ensure no lasting harm was done, but she was far from comfortable right now.
She raised her voice and called out to whoever was listening. “You know my rules. No grabbing. I let him keep the hand, didn’t I? So why am I being punished?”
She didn’t expect an answer, so when she got one, she nearly leaped out of her skin. “To remind you who is in charge. Your rules aren’t rules, Subject One. They’re requests that we can choose to accommodate or not.”
“I have a name,” she muttered.
“Which you gave yourself. Like the rules you’ve invented, they don’t apply unless we agree to play along.”
She bit back an angry retort. As tempting as it was, it wouldn’t do anything except increase her misery. The owner of that smooth, cold voice had no mercy in his soul. In fact, she didn’t think he had a soul at all, just an icy void full of darkness and cruelty.
“I take it from your silence that you are ceding my point?”
She gritted her teeth. “Yes, Dr. Absalom. You are correct.”
He hummed in approval. “Good. Since you’re in such a cooperative mood, you may have five minutes to shower, and I will end the suspension of your feeding schedule.”
She knew what he wanted from her, and bile twisted in her empty stomach as she forced the words past her lips. “Thank you.”
A smug little chuckle filled the room for a moment before it was cut off. She schooled her features, but she seethed with resentment. When it came time for her revenge, Absalom was at the top of her list. She’d save him for last if she could, and when his time came, she’d return every insult, hurt, and indignity he’d heaped on her, with interest.
She stripped out of her one-piece garment, removed her socks, and waited. Sometime in the next few minutes, the door to the sanitation cubby would open, and the water would come on. If she didn’t move quickly, she’d lose precious seconds of her allotted time. It was yet another game they played with her, but it had been so long since she’d last had a shower, she was willing to play along this time.
She marched in place while she waited, her breath frosting around her mouth and her bare feet stinging with the cold. The heat was back on, but it would be another hour or so before things warmed up to a tolerable temperature.
When the door slid open, she sprinted through it and managed to get into position just as the first jets of water hit. It wasn’t hot, but it was warm enough to drive the worst of the chill from her bones. The door slammed shut as she filled her palm with cleansing gel from the dispenser and started scrubbing, racing against time in her quest to get clean.