Chapter 30

KAMEER

I study the evidence displayed on Officer Brute’s screens, wishing I were back in my temporary quarters with Mandy. I hate that I had to leave her this morning, but it’s time to set the trap. Time to watch and determine if Officer Gorrsum and his brothers are truly behind the attempts on my life.

Additional security cameras were secretly installed in precise locations last night. Important footage won’t be erased today. Even though Officer Brute was finally able to salvage some footage that implicated Gorrsum and his brothers, none of the recovered footage showed them making a direct attempt on my life. Today’s trap, however, ought to give us conclusive proof.

Though I’m eager to put this darkness behind me, eager for my would-be assassins to face justice, I still can’t help but mourn the loss of my oldest friend, and I can’t help but hope there’s a logical explanation for his strange actions. Or perhaps he’s being framed.

But deep down, I know I’ve been betrayed.

Officer Brute clears his throat and points to the first screen. “There he is. Making sure your temporary quarters aboard the Jansonna are ready for you.” He snorts. “It would appear he’s placing an explosive device in the food replicator.”

Fluxx . There’s no mistaking what Gorrsum is doing. It’s the proof we needed. I growl and slam a fist on the console.

“Look!” Officer Brute points to another screen, one that shows the supply shuttlecraft that’s set to depart the Haxxal soon. The one I told Gorrsum I would be stowing away on. The newly installed security cameras easily pick up Dizzox, Gorrsum’s youngest brother. He boards the shuttlecraft while holding a black bag, then dashes away into the darkness of the docking bay several moments later, the bag no longer on his person.

“Another explosive device, most likely,” Officer Brute says. “Don’t worry, the shuttlecraft will depart soon, and it’ll be on autopilot. No one will get hurt.”

“I can’t help but notice that’s the oldest, most rundown shuttlecraft in the fleet.” I chuckle, trying to find some humor in the situation. “A bomb on the shuttlecraft and one in my quarters aboard the Jansonna? Talk about overkill.”

“You’re a difficult male to kill,” Officer Brute says. “This will officially mark their sixth attempt.” He squints at the screens. “Look. Right there. Officer Gorrsum’s other brothers, Frennk and Nixx, are headed toward the Haxxal’s escape pods. It looks like Dizzox is on his way to join them.”

While Gorrsum’s three brothers run toward the Deck Twelve corridor that houses the escape pods, the supply shuttlecraft finally departs the docking bay. Within moments, it explodes, though there’s no damage to the Haxxal . All the main ships in our fleet are protected by nearly impenetrable shields that I helped design.

Back in my temporary quarters aboard the Jansonna , Officer Gorrsum stands at the viewscreen. When he witnesses the shuttlecraft explode, the one he believes is carrying me, he throws his head back and laughs. Then he places his wrist comm to his mouth and says, “He’s dead. We finally got him, brothers. He’s fucking dead. The device worked.” He glances over his shoulder. “Though I did have a backup plan in case it didn’t. I suppose I’ll leave this bomb here for some poor soul to find.”

Dizzox’s muffled voice comes through just as he meets his brothers near one of the largest escape pods. “Good. Finally. We’re on our way. Make sure you have the documents you need. I don’t want to reach the Hurrsona Asteroid Belt only to find out you forgot Kameer’s testament.”

My testament. Fluxx . Suddenly it all makes sense, and I feel like the biggest trusting fool. I exchange a look with Officer Brute.

“You bequeathed the Hurrsona Asteroid Belt to Officer Gorrsum?” The security officer glares at me, clearly perturbed that I failed to share this information with him. He’d repeatedly asked me questions about my past, yet I’d failed to provide this information. I hadn’t thought it was important.

I growl and run a hand through my hair. “It was a long time ago. I’d nearly forgotten. But yes, not long after the destruction of Darrva, one night when I was highly inebriated, I bequeathed the Hurrsona Asteroid Belt to Officer Gorrsum, who I believed was my dearest and most trusted friend. Upon my death, assuming I have no offspring, the asteroid belt goes to him.”

Our attention returns to the screens. Officer Gorrsum is pacing in front of the viewscreen, while his brothers are busy getting the escape pod ready for launch. A quick glance at the sensors shows they’re being clever and covering their tracks, deleting security footage from the known security feeds while also attempting to install an invisibility cloak on the escape pod.

Officer Brute stands and lifts his wrist comm to his mouth. “I need a full security team to Deck Twelve. Officers Frennk, Nixx, and Dizzox are attempting to steal an escape pod. I also need a security team to depart for the Jansonna immediately to arrest Officer Gorrsum for attempted murder.” He meets my gaze. “We have multiple security teams in place, as well as several armed shuttles ready for launch if they succeed in deploying the escape pod.”

I rise to my feet, eager to return to Mandy. Eager to inform her that the trap worked and the threat to my life is no more. But something doesn’t feel right.

Officer Brute points at another screen. “There’s a probe collecting matter from the explosion. Likely in an attempt to secure your biological matter to prove your death.” He shakes his head. “Fools. Even if they managed to kill you, surely they must realize the Darrvason Empire would challenge Officer Gorssum’s ownership of the asteroid belt in the Intergalactic Court. For their plan to work…” His voice trails off and his eyes go wide.

“For their plan to work, we would all have to be dead. But they wanted me dead first because they know if anyone can stop them, it’s me.” Their evil plan hits me like a blow to the chest. Fluxx . I bolt into the corridor and head for engineering while barking orders into my wrist comm to my comrades who are already on duty, instructing them to prep a Level 10 work area for my immediate use.

A detailed update comes through on my wrist comm from Officer Brute. Escape pod launched before security team arrived on Deck Twelve. Criminals’ attempts to activate invisibility cloak on pod failed. Pod appears to be outfitted with advanced navigational abilities and illegal beaming technology. Pod headed for human worldship. Our armed security shuttles are failing to launch. Sabotage suspected.

I run faster and finally reach engineering. Beaming technology. Just as I suspected. Fluxx . I rush to the Level 10 work area as my comrades scatter out of my way. But just as I get started on hacking the escape pod’s stolen navigation system, one of the screens flashes blue before Officer Gorrsum’s face appears. His brothers hover behind him.

I growl and make an obscene gesture, then resume my work. Too bad Gorrsum didn’t disintegrate when his brothers beamed him onto the escape pod. Beaming technology is notoriously dangerous, which is why my people don’t use it. Or rather, we’re not supposed to.

“Imagine my disappointment, old friend,” Gorrsum says in a smug tone, “when the probe didn’t find your biological matter in the shuttlecraft’s wreckage.” He chuckles. “But, knowing how difficult you are to kill, I was ready with a backup plan. Several backup plans, in fact. This time, I will succeed.”

I snarl, though I don’t spare a glance at the male. I continue my work as I disable all the recently modified probes I can locate within the hyperdrive bubble.

There’s a countdown showing the precise moment half the probes will falsely detect radiation, which will of course activate the hyperdrive’s safety protocols and take the fleet out of hyperdrive, thus giving Gorrsum and his brothers a window of escape.

It would seem probe 347-X’s recent glitch wasn’t a glitch at all, simply a probe that had fallen out of sync with the other modified probes a bit early.

Fluxx , how could I have missed it? I curse again. In my haste to return to Mandy during the emergence of my mating fever, I’d made a terrible blunder.

“What are you doing?” Officer Gorrsum shouts, and I revel in the panic in his voice. He’s worried I’m about to thwart him. Good. I hope he soils himself in fear.

I locate the codes secretly inserted in the other altered probes, codes that will cause the hyperdrive bubble to combust on the next formation if not removed, an event Officer Gorrsum and his brothers undoubtedly hope will occur after their escape from the fleet.

“What’s he doing?” Officer Gorrsum shouts again.

I’m aware of Gorrsum’s brothers murmuring in the background. I should deactivate the video comm feed, though there’s a part of me that wants my former friend to witness the destruction of his plans.

“It worked!” someone yells. Frennk?

“Ah, Chief Kameer,” comes Gorrsum’s smug voice again. “I believe I have something you might want.”

I spare a glance upward and my heart stops.

Mandy.

Somehow, they got past the Haxxal’s defenses and beamed her aboard the escape pod. A low growl resounds from my throat.

They’ve taken my heartbonded mate as a hostage.