Chapter 12

Ryker

Ryker returned to the gardens.

Jules hadn't lied. Talia had a child. A baby.

Whose?

Ryker lifted the heavy wooden mask from his face and threw it across the gardens, inviting the cool air to soothe his burning, throbbing scar. The mask landed on a stone-lined walking path, split in two, and the pieces flew in opposite directions. Ryker walked the aisles, running his fingers through the occasional burst of mist and picking at the plants as he passed. He stopped at a willow planted in an earthy opening at the far corner of the garden.

Reaching up, he let his hand explore the ancient, giant marvel's hanging branches.

Above, as the tree grew higher than the rest of the garden, were domed windows built into the next level like an umbrella over the willow. He watched from beneath the canopy as shadows of passersby never stopped to look downward into the green level.

How could they not appreciate such a thing? New Horizon's green level, which had been developed over generations, was never able to secure anything like this from the first Earth's native ecosystem. It was magnificent. Ryker ran a hand over the rough bark. He knelt and dug into the grass, feeling the soil clump and gather beneath his fingernails.

He missed it, he missed the planet. X-Terra Lyra.

He missed the optimistic ignorance of when returning was still only a dream. Ryker never thought it would be easy, but holding Talia in his arms again then leading his colony to their permanent home would make the journey seem like nothing more than an unanticipated detour.

That was before the masquerade, though. Before he realized that without the recognition of his name or his face, it was possible that he could lose Talia to another man. Before he learned that he'd already lost her, she had a baby now.

He stood and paced in circles around the willow tree's trunk.

Ryker wanted to know the circumstances. Who was the father? It must've been someone aboard New Horizon, probably someone he knew. Did she love him? What happened to their relationship if she was at Orion's Masquerade instead of with him?

Jules asked if he could even love the baby. He didn't know. He tried to swallow the resentment, but Ryker couldn't help the feeling of betrayal that was rising inside of him.

The journey now felt like a colossal waste of the survivors' time and resources. He wished that his escape vessel had never been built, or that he would've sent someone else in his stead. Another man would've gone straight to New Horizon instead of the masquerade. Now, the planet's coordinates were locked in Jules' inbox and the only way she'd send a rescue party was if Ryker left and chose to remain a secret. That choice meant that all of the survivors would stay a secret, though. His men would never be returned to their families.

Ryker had to leave for New Horizon now. He had to beat Jules at her game and save his men.

Everything else, Talia and her baby and how it peeled away at his insides to know that she'd moved on in that way, would have to wait until later. He should've found Talia as himself as soon as he reached the Heaven's Pearl, but that wouldn't have changed the facts. It would've helped to save his men, though.

He stopped pacing and sat on the damp ground beneath the willow tree, knees pulled up with his elbows resting on them. He leaned back and closed his eyes, letting his head sag against the tree trunk and listening to the soft, rhythmic sounds of the garden's misters. A tear rolled down his cheek, followed by another and another, until Thorne Montclair disappeared, and Ryker Steele wept alone beneath the willow.

"What are you doing, Ryker?" he asked himself as he ran dirty hands over his face. "It's time to go."

Ryker stood and searched the walkways until he found both halves of the mask and held them together, studying the jagged split in the wood and looking into the empty eyes of the wolf. The mask was useless now. Getting out unnoticed wouldn't be easy, as his scarred face demanded attention, but he learned earlier when he posed as a member of the ship's maintenance crew that hiding in plain sight was easier than he'd ever expected. His clothes were different now, though. They were the expensive clothes of a contestant.

There should be a staff room or storage closet somewhere. He'd find one and change into something different. A janitor's jumpsuit or one of those red jackets would be ideal, but even swapping out his ruffled shirt for a brightly colored security vest would work. Ryker exited the garden and stopped once he found one of the ship's layout maps on the wall. As he studied it, looking for the nearest place that would likely house spare staff clothing, sounds of heavy footsteps rounded the corner.

"That's him," he heard Jules call out, "the imposter."

She was followed by two burly security guards, who then moved in front of her and quickened toward him. He held his hands out as to signal that he wasn't an enemy, but as one reached for his baton and the other spoke roughly into his radio, "Subject identified, all agents be on alert," Ryker knew that he had to leave.

He bolted down the hallway and unholstered a blaster, lowering its setting to stun, just in case. Trying his best to redraw the ship's layout in his mind, he planned a long, winding path. The guards were fast, but they were stocky and built for brute force. As they sped up to catch up with him, Ryker knew he'd have to run them in circles and tire them out.

As he rounded the next corner, he angled his blaster behind himself and aimed for the floor, hoping that a little distraction would put some distance between them.

All along the corridor, the loud sound of the organ pierced the air. A bubbly announcer followed.

"Calling all contestants, it is now time to return to the ballroom. Please meet your guides in the hallway and follow them back in an orderly fashion. All of our ladies' preferences have been finalized and the first-round selection will begin shortly. You will need your data pad for this portion, so please don't forget it."

He came to a T-shaped pathway and veered right. Another guard was coming toward him from the far end, ready to join in on the chase. Ryker turned on his heel and darted in the other direction, shooting a burst of energy into the other two guards' line of travel again before they could intercept him.

An opening string of upbeat ceremonial music played overhead.

"Orion's Masquerade would like to thank all the listeners who are tuning in to this decennial's closing ceremony. Let the celebration begin!"