“Lose us?” Ahern questioned.
“That’s right. Five prisoners are about to fade like stardust.” And it was going to look bad for Bridgebane and Mwende. How much more of Bridgebane’s soul was he going to have to give up in order to convince the Overseer he’d played no part in this? The guy couldn’t have much soul to spare, and now, he might have to pin this whole thing on Sanaa Mwende, probably his only friend. At least if she wanted it, Mwende had a place with us now.
“Your husband’s waiting for you.” I gave Ahern a get-with-the-program look. “So is an entire planet.”
Her lips parted. She took a startled breath. “Daniel?”
“That’s the one.” I opened the door, pointing my gun at Merrick. “Now walk.”
Most of the guards from earlier waited in the hallway. They snapped to attention. The hardness in my tone helped bring my voice closer to Bridgebane’s, but the mimic wasn’t perfect. It didn’t seem to matter. These goons were too afraid of me to notice. That was what zero hesitation about breaking someone’s bones did. If their fear got us out of here without questions, it was a fair trade for that little chunk of my soul.
“We’re moving these prisoners to a new location,” I announced, clipping out the words. Thanks to Mwende, we knew Bridgebane kept a midsized vessel on the starbase—a Ruslan Interceptor 280 with holding cells. She had the ignition codes. “Accompany us to my RI-280.”
“Yes, General.” They immediately fell into step beside us.
So far, so good. And unless Mwende somehow came out of this with her cover intact and flew it back here, we were gaining a solid ship with firepower. Not bad for a day’s work.
Maybe we could give the Interceptor to Gabe and get him off the Endeavor.
We went through several sets of doors that were retracted when we’d come by earlier. They were closed now, and Mwende had to use her badge to open them. We avoided using mine. We didn’t need to damn Bridgebane any more than we were already doing.
A group of heavily armed goons patrolled the second zone we strode through, the beat of their boots echoing down the long hallway. Doors lined both sides of the corridor, closed, solid, and numbered. Prison cells. No sound came from behind them, but I knew better than to confuse quiet with empty.
Sweat prickled beneath my mask as we made our way toward the elevator block at the center of the starbase. The walk to the interrogation room had seemed long. The walk back out felt interminable, like an endless trek across a desert planet.
Rounding a corner, we nearly collided with a captive shuffling between two soldiers, a bag over his head, his hands bound in front of him, and three fingers missing. They’d been gone for a while now, the wounds healed over. White scars twisted over dark-beige skin, snaking toward his cinched wrists and then up into his shirtsleeves. Red and black tattoos swirled down heavy, flat-boned forearms and met the puckered flesh.
Ahern gasped. “Okano?”
The prisoner’s head snapped up. He turned. Harsh breaths chuffed the bag in and out over his mouth.
“Move it!” His guards pulled. He stumbled and kept walking, his head dropping forward.
Mwende gave Ahern a sharp jerk on her elbow, tugging her back into line with us. “All you rebel scum know each other,” she muttered, propelling Ahern along with enough force to tell us all to shut up and keep moving. We had a mission, and this Okano wasn’t a part of it.
I stared straight ahead and ignored the man’s low moan as we walked in the opposite direction. A shudder rose inside me as Okano’s limping tread faded down the hallway.
A month ago, I could’ve brought him in. I hadn’t, but I could’ve. No wonder Tess sometimes pulled back and asked herself what the hell she was doing with me in her bed.
I glanced at Tess, too quick for her to notice. Haunted eyes. Visible sorrow. Her heart bleeding for a stranger who shared her values. I looked dead ahead again, our destination finally in sight. Tess had lived her entire life by unwavering principles. She’d jumped into a black hole for them. She did what she had to, no matter what. And what had I done? I’d floundered with simple decency and nearly cashed her in.
Steeling my spine, I steered my thoughts away from that dark chasm and drove Tess ahead of me with a harshness I had to force. I loved her. She loved me. We had more than a little to build on.
Finally, we stood in front of the elevators, waiting for one of them to open. This nightmare was almost over. No more shock wands nearly sending Tess over backward while I stood there and watched like her pain didn’t matter. This was a heist—a people heist—and there were two things left to accomplish. Up to Platform 5 for the ship we were stealing. Out on Bridgebane’s RI-280. We had this. And we had the women we’d come for.
A lift opened. Mwende and I stepped inside with all the prisoners. I jerked my chin toward a Dark Watch soldier. “You’re with us. There’s no room for the rest of you. Take the next one and meet us on the platform.” I didn’t want us separated at this point. I’d go crazy if I didn’t have eyes on everyone.
The goon followed, keeping a hard eye on Merrick and his hand on his Grayhawk. Flash blasts lined his belt. Nasty little fuckers. The other soldiers stood aside and waited. The doors closed. I pressed the level we needed, and the box started upward.
I squeezed Shiori’s arm as we rose in the elevator, a light reassurance that we were on our way now. She shook less and stood taller. My other hand still held my gun at the ready. We’d have to cross a sea of goons on the platform, and I needed to act exactly like Bridgebane. This was a day like any other. I was taking rebel prisoners to my galactic death ship. No problem.
I braced for the walk across the platform. We’d almost reached our exit.
Instead of slowing down, we blew past the floor I’d selected.
I glanced at Tess, sudden unease corroding my stomach like battery acid. The tiny confused shake of her head inflated my worry to nuclear proportions.
I reached out and hit the correct button again. Nothing changed. If anything, we moved faster. Something else controlled the lift—or someone. We passed the middle tier and hit the upper section.
The Dark Watch goon shifted nervously. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be up here, General.”
He shrank under my withering glare. No need to channel Bridgebane for that one.
We’d almost reached the top of the spacedock. “Lieutenant?” What the hell is happening?
The look on Mwende’s face was chilling, a mix of disappointment, rage, and disgust. She snapped her wrists and knives landed in both hands. She lowered her chin. Her eyes flicked up, and she growled low in her throat. I had my answer.
I pushed Shiori behind me toward Jax and Tess in the corner. The lift stopped, the doors opened, and I stared at the man who was now my very personal enemy.