Chapter 5

FIVE

H umanity's colonies were few and far between. Venturing out into space had proven just how unique Earth was—so few planets had the necessary elements to be truly viable for human habitation. Too hot or too cold, too much water or not enough, strange chemicals in the atmosphere and so on. Sure, there were plenty of planetary establishments—mining companies, for instance, didn't give a fuck if their workers had to wear three layers of heavy-duty SFT temperature-control gear, as long as they managed to pluck their quota of minerals from the rocks on a daily basis. True colonies, though, with families and farms were rarer than the number of solar systems in the galaxy would have you believe.

Particularly after the war.

Nine years ago, humanity's territorial dispute with the belligerent stin—the bullies of the galaxy—had exploded into full-out aggression, leading to a devastating war that, despite ending half a year ago, still echoed across human space. Countless human lives had been lost, along with sixteen colonies and seven space stations. During the war, the ashushk had stood firm at humanity's side—offering technological and moral support, but not much more. If the omnipresent Guardians had not stepped in to halt hostilities, the stin might eventually have made it all the way to Earth—a thought Zed tried not to dwell on.

Like many human colonies, Risus had not escaped the stin's swath of destruction. There'd once been a space elevator extending from the surface to the small hovering space station in stationary orbit, but that had been shot to pieces, if Zed remembered his reports right. There'd been a fierce space battle above Risus as the AEF fought to prevent the stin from landing on the planet. Avoiding ground battles and the stin's ability to phase-shift had been priority one, so the AEF had put everything into the fight. Eventually, they'd driven the stin away, one of the few clear, decisive victories of the war.

"Penny for your thoughts." Flick nudged his shoulder and Zed glanced at him before turning back to the view outside the shuttle's window.

No space elevator meant a turbulent, unpleasant ride to the surface—all because Elias insisted on giving Qek the opportunity to see a real live human colony. Qek had become a pilot for just this purpose, to see all the stars and all the planets, inhabited or not. Inhabited would definitely be her preference, though. She always relished the opportunity to learn more about human culture. Fertilizer unloaded without a single mishap, they'd contacted the colony to secure payment. The colony's reeve—Vinchy or something—had mentioned there was a local festival/feast thing happening that evening. The details had gone over Zed's head but the clicks from Qek had drowned out all words for about fifteen minutes. So of course they had to go.

She was the only one happy about the impending visit. Her face was so wrinkled in anticipation that her large unblinking eyes were nearly invisible.

"I'm not really up for socializing," Zed admitted.

"Tell me about it," Flick grumbled.

Was that a comment on Flick's own state of mind or Zed's aloofness over the past couple of days? Since the shower that had revealed the truth to him, Zed had come to bed late and left early, allowing closeness only when Flick wouldn't want anything more.

Guilt gnawed at his heart. He should tell Flick, tell him everything, but that would make it real. It would change how Flick looked at him, it would make him less in his eyes, and Zed…he couldn't stand for that to happen.

"Hey." Flick lifted a hand to rub Zed's forehead gently. "Headache?"

"Always." Zed sighed. The confession had just slipped out, its appearance lubricated by the truth—a low-level ache had set up residence between his temples and didn't seem to be going anywhere. He held Flick's gaze, wondering at his reaction. Would he rage? Zed had seen the sparks of anger before when he'd mentioned his pain or made reference to the project that had poisoned him. Right now, though, he didn't have the energy to deal with it. He started to shift away from Flick, but Flick caught his shoulder.

"Rest," he said, giving Zed a tug. "C'mon. I'll rub your head."

Giving in with a soft groan, Zed leaned sideways to rest his head against Flick's chest and closed his eyes. Flick's mangled left hand stroked his hair while his more dexterous right drew circles against his temple.

"He okay?" Ness asked.

"Yeah," Flick said.

You're lying and you know it.

"I have never had the opportunity to visit a human colony before," Qek stated. "I am quite excited."

Elias chuckled. "We can tell."

"I have discovered from various sources that human colonies frequently have odd customs."

"Sure. Like space stations," Zed said. His family had made their name, and their fortune, building space stations. The disparate customs of each one was something Anatolius Industries supported and promoted. It made them unique and appealing.

"Right," Elias said. "Put a group of humans in a relatively isolated space and they'll come up with particular ways of doing things. Those ways get repeated and adopted into tradition. It's just our nature."

"Add in local flora and fauna and their weirdness, and you've got a plethora of stories just waiting to be told," Ness said.

"On Outrock, the inhabitants dressed in white on the first of every month," Qek said, "in remembrance of a crash that claimed a ship of colonists on their first descent to the planet."

"I can confirm that," Zed said. Outrock had been his first posting after officer training. A tiny colony on the edge of nowhere, it had been destroyed by the stin early in the war.

Flick's hand stilled. "Really? You wore white on the first of the month?"

"No, not the AEF stationed there. Just the colonists."

"Weird."

"Made sense to them."

"Any odd customs on Risus?" Elias asked Qek.

"They appear to devote a significant amount of time to prayer."

"Define significant, " Flick said.

"According to my research, colonists on Risus visit their ministry at dawn, noon, dusk and before they retire for the evening."

"Now that is weird." Zed didn't begrudge people holding on to the old religions if it gave them some comfort—there were some good lessons in the holy books. But that sort of worship made him uncomfortable. Zealotry had been the source of a great number of humanity's worst wars, the belief that one group of humans was better than other groups because they thought one set of unprovable teachings was true instead of another. In his opinion, venturing into space had made the old religions moot. The black had proven that whatever gods humans had dreamed up, the truth was so much bigger than any of them could imagine.

Hell, some people believed the Guardians were gods. He wasn't one of them, but it made just as much sense as anything else. How else could you explain how the mysterious aliens knew when to offer a species a gate to the Hub and a pass to the galactic playpen? Or how they knew just when to step in and stop a war before one side wiped out the other? Logic said it was technology—the Guardians had access to tech that the ashushk, the most technologically advanced species in the galaxy next to them, could only imagine—but if you took logic out of the equation, yeah, it might look like magic. Or divine power. Or whatever the hell gods were supposed to be and do.

Qek clicked enthusiastically. "I daresay not as weird as the tales I discovered of creatures that inhabit the forest. The description of these local fauna varies, but each story seemed to be a morality tale about the dangers of not obeying the law."

"Any law in particular?" Flick asked.

"Yes. Weapons discharges. Given the number of these tales and the fact that Risus has a ban on small arms, I would surmise that the stories have a basis in fact," Qek said, clicking slowly. "But the details are so vague and convoluted, I could not say for certain. At any rate, this festival will have a dance that discourages creatures from attacking the colony during harvest."

"Colonists are so fucking backward," Flick growled.

"Hey, a little respect goes a long way," Elias pointed out. "Vinchy's invitation to join their festival goes above and beyond whatever they're celebrating. Hot food is a hell of a lot better a greeting than grumbles and indifference, right?"

"Or gunshots. Particularly if it brings out the nasties from the woods."

"Fixer, really?"

Zed felt Flick shrug. "Just sayin'."

Qek clicked. "I would rather we partake in a feast than a shootout."

Elias let out a long, slow breath. "So would we all."

"Is it normal for humans to share sexual partners?" Qek asked, tilting her head.

"Uh…" Zed paused. "What?"

Qek waved a blue-skinned hand at the crowd spinning about the open-air square dedicated to dancing. Garlands of vines had been draped here and there. Instead of looking festive, it just looked kind of sad. Zed wondered if the decorations for the festival would've been more impressive before the war.

"Each time I believe I have identified a paired couple, they have chosen others."

"It could just be the dance." Zed hadn't been watching it closely. All the spinning bodies made the ache in his head that much worse and he didn't even have a beer to dull the pain. Risus was a dry colony, which was just a bloody crime, as far as he was concerned. He directed his gaze upward, wishing he had a blanket to lie on and a lack of noise and light pollution. How long had it been since he'd taken the time planetside to stargaze?

"Possibly, but I have observed at least two of the women giving different men ‘bedroom eyes,' as you say."

"Hell, I don't say that."

"It is a saying, is it not?"

"I guess. You think that means they're sharing? They could be single and looking for someone."

"This is true. But it is a question I have often pondered."

Ness and Elias returned to their table as the music ended, smiling and out of breath. Flick sauntered up a moment later and slid onto the bench beside Zed, nudging a cup of clear liquid in front of him.

"Just water," he said. "Good dance, you two?"

Nessa's grin expanded. "He only stepped on my feet twice."

"Hey!"

Zed sipped his water, giving Flick a smile of thanks as Qek continued. "Nessa's favored fictional books mostly portray monogamous couples. Does that not impact the genetic diversity of the next generation?"

Elias frowned. "Wait, what are we talking about?"

"Humans sharing sex partners," Zed said.

"Oh. Of course."

"Humans tend to form pair bonds, Qek. And it's not necessarily based on procreation." Ness nodded at Flick and Zed. "See Exhibit A."

"It is a psychological attachment, then."

"Yes, but also a physical one. Attraction can be breathtaking. Literally. We feel it on an instinctual level that we don't really understand."

"How do you know that it is a valid and worthwhile pairing? It does not sound very logical."

"Honey, logic has nothing to do with it."

Qek blinked and stayed silent for a moment, considering. "Humans are so strange," she said, sounding a little defeated. "Every time I believe I have a solid comprehension of your species, I discover something new that challenges my perceptions."

"If it's any consolation," Flick said, "I'm human and I don't understand humans."

"Same." Zed shrugged.

"That does not offer adequate reassurance."

Nessa smiled. "Getting back to the question…just because we're programmed to pair up, it doesn't mean humans can't find other meaningful relationships. My sister has two partners, a man and a woman, and they are quite content as a triad."

"Damn." Elias whistled. "Is that why I can only get you into my bed a third of the time?"

He laughed as Nessa smacked his upper arm—laughter that faded as pain obviously sank in. Rubbing his arm, he whined, "Ow."

"The ashushk do not form such attachments," Qek said. "We treasure our friendships and hold them close, but I suspect it is not the same. We do not experience attraction or sexual need as humans do."

"Even the ashushk who have had a gender manifest?" Nessa asked.

Like most humans, Zed found the ashushk's lack of gender a difficult concept. Qek had chosen to be referred to as female in order to better relate to humanity, but in truth, she had no gender. Only a small percentage of ashushk developed sexually, and those individuals were sequestered on Ashie Prime in order to breed and ensure the continuation of their race. From what Zed had gathered, the life of a gendered ashushk was posh and lush with care—but boring as hell because they weren't allowed to leave the planet or pursue any interests that could interfere with their biological imperative.

"Yes. Our procreation is…not like that of humans." Qek squirmed slightly in her seat. "I know that it is generally based on compatible genetics, but beyond that…"

Uh-oh. If Qek was embarrassed about it, did he really want to hear the details?

"Maybe it's a free-for-all, one big pile of—" Flick broke off as Qek's expression smoothed in distress. He coughed. "Yeah, maybe I don't want to know, either."

It was kind of sad. As soon as he thought that, Zed pushed the thought away. One of the things he'd learned since joining the Chaos crew was that for all Qek's friendliness and eagerness to maintain good relationships with her crewmates, she was completely alien and should not be judged by human standards. Besides, there was something to be said for not being ruled by one's dick. Or boobs. Though boobs didn't really rule women, did they?

He didn't often consider how lucky he was to have been born a human, but right now, that was all he could think of. He leaned in to brush his lips against Flick's, needing that reconnection. Flick's gaze met his, eyes that he knew were hazel but, thanks to his chemically altered vision, looked brilliantly, vibrantly green. The kiss wasn't as deep as some they'd shared—despite the desire that never seemed to ebb, Zed couldn't lose himself with the ambient noise of the crowd surrounding them or the ever-present ache in his skull. Still, it was a comfort, as warm as a hug and just as needed.

Elias's throat-clearing encouraged their lips to part. Zed blinked at Flick for a moment, trying to orient himself. Flick's gaze cast around, then focused on something, growing flinty. Zed followed his gaze and spotted the reeve of the colony watching them with a concerned expression.

"Religious colonies have weird ideas about sexuality," Elias murmured.

Shit. Right. That was the biggest difference between colonists and spacers—in the black, sex was all about comfort and companionship, or just something to do on the long jumps between stations. On a colony, sex meant procreation, and some settlements had adopted old, outdated attitudes toward sex that had no possibility of creating life. The man standing next to the reeve looked decidedly more put out than the reeve himself. He took a step forward, only to be halted by Vinchy's hand on his arm and a few words in his ear.

Okay. No more displays of affection with Flick until they got back to the ship.

"Pardon me," Qek said. "I must powder my nose."

"Powder your—" Flick frowned. "What?"

"She means she's going to the bathroom," Ness stated, rolling her eyes. "Hold on, I'll go with you."

Flick watched them weave through the crowd in the direction of the toilets, his head shaking slowly. "Why do women take a piss in groups?"

"Marnie used to say the secrets of the universe were contained in the women's restroom." As always, memories of the Academy and the friends he and Flick had made there brought a smile to Zed's lips. He wondered if Marnie's tendency to deliver such hyperbolic statements with a straight face was still intact, years after she'd become a spook for the AEF. Probably. And probably more refined than ever.

They watched the dance some more. When the reeve approached, all smiles, asking if they were enjoying the party, Elias turned on his charm and led the man into a lively conversation about trade between colonies and stations. Zed tuned it out, thankful that he didn't have to be the one smiling and rubbing elbows. He didn't have the patience or the energy for it tonight.

The reeve eventually left and Zed couldn't say how much time passed before Ness reappeared at the table. Her eyes were wide and her hands were clutched together tight enough that her knuckles were white.

"I can't find Qek."

Flick straightened. "What do you mean? She was with you."

Ness shook her head. "She finished first and said she would wait, but when I was done, she was gone. You haven't seen her?"

"No," Elias said.

"I've looked everywhere. Walked around the bathrooms twice, asked a couple of ladies waiting in line if they saw where she went. Nothing."

Zed's heartbeat tripped into a faster cadence. It was probably nothing—Qek was short, like all ashies, and there were a lot of people crowded into the square. Maybe she'd stepped away from the toilets for a minute, distracted by some minutia of colony life.

No—Qek was nothing if not considerate. If she had told Ness she would wait, she would've waited, or left Ness a message on her wallet.

Unless someone prevented it.

"You tried pinging her wallet?" Felix rubbed his left wrist, fingertips trailing across scar tissue before finding the smooth edge of his new bracelet. He hadn't heard a general hail and he usually left that channel open.

"Yes. I used both channels. I even tried locating her, but there's no positioning tech active on this colony."

Man, Risus was backward. No booze, straight sex and low tech. With a half dozen worries crowding out his sense of humor, Felix failed to find a joke in it all, though. The most gentle member of his crew was out there, somewhere, wandering a barbarian wonderland alone…or worse.

He half rose from his seat, only to have the movement arrested by a hand on his arm. "What?"

"We shouldn't panic," Zed said.

"I'm not panicking, I'm going to look for Qek."

"What if her disappearance isn't a coincidence?"

"What do you mean?"

"Shit. Zed's right, we need to assume this is something more." Elias tilted his head to the side, indicating the reeve without actually turning toward him. "Vinchy has had his eye on us all night. Might not be because he was worried you and Zed might do more than kiss."

Felix glanced at Zed. "Did you notice it too?"

"Sure."

Felix felt the lie. Zed's expression was all wrong, and he'd have said something earlier, wouldn't he? Security was his job.

Shit.

Nessa had her wallet out, display open to the ripmail interface. The holo screen was familiar enough that Felix could read it backward. No connection. She looked up. "Should we alert colony security?" Such as they were. A bunch of farmers armed with nothing more than shock sticks. Risus had a seriously flawed view of technological advancement.

"If the reeve's in on it, so are they," Elias said.

"In on what?" Felix tried to shake Zed's hand off of his arm.

"Everyone take a breath." Zed's tone was calm, measured. He'd found his game face. "We've got two possibilities here. One, the colony thinks we're worth shaking down." It wasn't unheard of for a colony to separate a crew from their ship and hold one or the other to ransom until a "mutually" beneficial agreement could be reached. "Two, they're being coerced."

No one asked by whom.

Felix grasped at a straw anyway. "Qek is the curious sort, she could just be lost."

"Qek doesn't get lost. She's an astrogator. She could navigate her way through a black hole."

"This isn't exactly?—"

"If we're making a plan, can we get on with it?" Nessa snapped.

"Ness, Eli, head back out to the dancing area. Circle the perimeter." A brief smile visited Zed's mouth. "Make sure Qek hasn't found a dance partner." Standing, he slid an arm around Felix's shoulders. "Flick and I will sneak off behind the privy. If the reeve really is concerned we're going to compromise the values of his colony, he'll intercede before we can get our pants down."

Warmth uncurled in Felix's gut. Zed had been distant over the past couple of days—coming to bed late, leaving before Felix woke. They had exchanged little more than a kiss, and even the thought of an illicit moment alone was enough to get him hard. He easily shook off all thoughts of distraction—getting into Zed's pants wasn't as important as finding Qek. But a tendril of something akin to fear remained firmly rooted, refused to be brushed aside. Felix did his best to ignore it as he rose to his feet.

Elias spun Nessa back onto the beaten earth of the dance floor. Taking Felix's hand, Zed strode toward the low building that housed the privy. Felix scanned the tables scattered around the grounds. Many were occupied only on the side of the square and bonfire, folks using the tabletops as backrests as they watched the party. He looked for signs of agitation or confrontation, but found none. Everyone he saw seemed intent on the dancers.

The privy resembled a shower block. During settlement, the block would have been surrounded by prefabs and pavilions. Now, the outbuilding simply served as convenience to the festival grounds, and perhaps a reminder of the colony's origins. As they drew close, Felix noticed a line of women circling one side. Their shadows flickered along the plasmix bricks like poorly transmitted holos. Zed tugged him around the other side of the building. As they left the light of the central bonfire behind, the sky seemed to open up overhead and stars twinkled into being. Cooler air kissed the back of Felix's neck and cheeks. He looked up and blinked, dizzied by the vast expanse of nothingness. It was weird how he could feel pressured by the open sky, though the pinprick stars seemed so far away.

Zed pulled him close and Felix breathed in sharply. He hadn't actually expected a kiss…

A shadow came up behind Zed and the air left Felix's lungs in a rush. "Watch out!"

The blur of motion in front of him meant Zed had Zoned. Within seconds, he had their assailant pinned to the wall of the outbuilding. The man—no, a stockily built woman—was still breathing.

"Who are you?" Zed's flat tone tugged at the fine hairs along the back of Felix's neck.

Likely it did the same to the woman. She didn't have time to answer, though. Two more shadows slipped from the hazy darkness, both with small projectile weapons pointed toward them—and the crew of the Chaos weren't even armed with stunners, because they had been asked not to carry small arms to the planet surface. So much for polite compliance.

Double shit.

Noting the twitch across Zed's shoulders, Felix said, "Zed, no."

He was too late.

Zed moved almost too quickly for the eye to track, but he hadn't phase-shifted. He remained visible—just. One of the weapons coughed quietly and sparks danced off of the plasmix bricks over the woman's head. She swore, then huffed as Felix barreled into her. He didn't know whose side she was on, but dead was dead, and dead folks couldn't talk. He yanked at the woman's collar, exposing her neck, and barely breathed out as he noted the lack of tattoo.

"Where's our pilot?" he asked.

A heavy weight slammed into him from behind. Losing his balance, Felix fell to the ground, taking the woman with him. He attempted to roll as he fell, and curled toward the knife he kept sheathed in his boot. Before he could reach for the grip, someone fell on top of him. The darkness confused the fight but he knew the man on top of him wasn't Zed. Didn't smell right.

Someone grabbed him by the shoulders and heaved. Felix pushed at the weight pinning him, dislodging the unconscious man, then scrambled up to find it was the woman who had pulled him out from under. Another figure lay prone on the ground and Zed was slumped against the wall, one hand to his temple, eyes reduced to slits in his shadowed face.

"What the ever-loving fuck!" Felix stepped over the unconscious bodies—praying to all gods that they were just unconscious—and put a hand on Zed's shoulder. "Zed?"

Zed answered with a groan.

"Got any meds on you?"

Wincing as if the mere thought of moving caused him pain, Zed said, "Shirt pocket."

Felix glanced over his shoulder as he reached into the soft silk of Zed's SFT. "Who are you?" he asked the woman. She had no tattoo and seemed disinclined to take advantage of the lull in action.

"I can show you where they're holding your pilot," she said.

"What's going on?"

She shook her head. "That's between Vinchy and the pus that's got him by the balls. You want your pilot or not?"

"Why are you helping us?"

The woman blew out a sigh. "Most folks would just follow, eh?"

"Most folks aren't invited to their own kidnapping party."

"I like the little ashies, okay? Don't want to see no harm come to your pilot."

It could be a trap, but Felix didn't see as he had any other choice. He wasn't the choke-for-information kinda guy. That was Zed's job and Zed currently looked as though a stiff breeze would knock him over. He shoved a pill at Zed's mouth and shivered as a warm tongue tip teased his fingers. The pill disappeared. Steel-blue eyes closed.

The woman nodded toward the two men slumbering on the ground. "More where they came from, we best get moving."

Grunting, Zed pushed away from the wall. "Let's go."

Felix attempted to contact Elias and found that verbal comms were still blocked. A shiver crept down his spine. He tapped out a quick ripmail, which he just as quickly deleted. Elias didn't need a message that repeated the word fuck sixteen times. He sent a quick sitrep instead, hoping the lack of connection was a passing thing. Then he grabbed Zed's arm and stepped into the darkness after their dubious benefactor. She led them downslope, away from the noise and light of the feast.

He thanked all the useless gods when she veered to the left instead of entering the line of trees that banded the bottom of the hill. Being planetside was bad enough. Having to duck between trees in the dark? Cruel and unusual punishment, even if the local legends were nothing but fireside tales. Shortly after, he made out the shape of a building. Low and squat like the privy, it resembled a bump on the landscape. The outline was familiar, though.

"Munitions bunker," Zed murmured, confirming Felix's suspicions.

"This is where I wish you luck and disappear."

"Who's behind this?"

The woman held up her hands and stepped back. A moment later, she disappeared, but Felix caught the shape her fingers made before she melted into the darkness. Thumbs linked, hands angled outward. A butterfly, or moth.

"Agrius," he whispered.

"Surprised?" Zed had his wallet out.

"Pissed."

"No map data available for the colony, but the configuration is probably similar to most colonial landing sites. The layout of the festival area was the same as Outrock."

"How's your head?"

Zed answered without looking up from his wallet. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit," Felix hissed quietly.

"Now isn't the time, Flick."

No, it wasn't.

Felix scanned the near darkness for movement. The far corner of the building was marked by a sharp edge, meaning there was a light there, just out of sight. Probably a door. A small bulge broke the line between shadow and light. The shoulder of a guard. Could there be more than one?

Felix turned to consult with Zed and discovered he stood alone.

Swearing softly, he bent to pull the knife from his boot. He gripped the handle firmly in his right hand and crept forward. Before he'd taken more than two steps, an invisible whirlwind began flinging bodies around. Felix ran into the fray. There had been two guards and one of them was rolling to his feet in front of him. Felix pulled up behind the guard and cracked the back of his head with the handle of his knife. The guard slumped back to the ground. Zed picked the other up and thrust him against the side of the bunker.

"Where is our pilot?"

"In there," the guard rasped.

Zed squeezed the guy's neck until his eyes bulged and his legs kicked the hard plasmix wall behind him. Felix wavered between calling a halt and denying the satisfaction he gained from seeing the guard struggle. When he stopped kicking, the silence rang with the absence of noise. The distant murmur of the festival broke the spell and Zed moved his hand away, releasing the guard's throat and revealing the tattoo at his neck. A moth with spread wings. The confirmation that Agrius was on the ground did uncomfortable things to Felix's gut.

The guard dropped into an untidy heap.

"Is he dead?"

"No. Can you hack the lock on the building?"

Tapping his bracelet, Felix turned to assess the squat hatch recessed into the front of the building and swore. Instead of a keypad and panel, the wheel lock was secured by a heavy chain and padlock. "Fucking backward fucks."

A quick search of the unconscious guards proved fruitless. Neither carried anything resembling a key. Zed had already discarded their weapons as useless. Keyed grips all 'round. Felix looked around for something to use as a lever, but couldn't see anything in the shadows, nothing but the outlines of bodies they'd left on the ground. Think, Felix, think. He called on long-forgotten training to direct his thoughts and find the soldier within. The mechanical engineer. The kid who knew how to hack all sorts of locks, electronic and dumb.

When he was ten, he'd stolen a locked box from a surgery in the bowels of Pontus Station, hoping it would contain drugs. Pills he could either give to his mother, or sell for the creds to buy the right ones—probably from the same damn surgery. The box hadn't had an electronic lock, though. It needed an old-fashioned key. It had taken him three hours to pick it and then he'd taken the lock apart and put it back together—sixteen times. If it hadn't broken on the next attempt, he might still be fiddling with it.

He dug his hands in his pockets, looking for something long and slender, and found some sections of wire he'd been experimenting with for his glove. Crouching in front of the lock, Felix slowed his breathing. He grabbed the cold lump of metal with his left hand, inserted a slender spoke into the opening at the bottom and scraped the inside gently until he felt out the mechanism. Memories came tumbling back. All the locks he'd collected and broken, all the circuits he'd redirected and rewired. Every hack, electronic and not. He heard one lever shift and catch, and probed for the next. His pick teased the second for the space of a long and painful breath before the lock clicked against his left palm. It was open. There had only been two mechanisms. Breathing out, he yanked on the lock, pulling the shank free. He wrestled it out of the chain, threw it aside and wrenched open the hatch.

Qek stood framed in the vague square of light, her blue face smooth enough to show a bruise highlighting one cheek.

"You alone in there?"

"Yes. Thank you, Fixer."

Beckoning Qek to follow, Felix turned to check that Zed hadn't disappeared. They still had to locate Elias and Ness, and playing find the crew member was getting old.

No sooner had Qek stepped through the hatch than a slender, dark hand curled around her shoulder. Not Zed's hand. A stunner nudged her temple. "Hands where I can see them," demanded a husky voice.

The woman seemed to be made of the darkness, her skin spun from shadow. Caught in the light of the door, her eyes appeared too large for her face. Her cheekbones were sculpted and her lips full. Even Felix—who had never desired a woman in his life—could see that she was beyond beautiful.

She tipped her head toward the open door. "Back inside, one at a time, nice and slow."

The very last thing on Felix's "to do" list would be entering a dark bunker, gorgeous escort aside. But the woman had the stunner pressed hard enough against Qek's skin to leave a mark—and Qek was one of the few beings in the galaxy he truly liked.

"Watch your step," Zed murmured behind him.

The instruction—the plan—made sense the moment Zed nudged him forward. Felix "fell" sideways, catching himself on a braced forearm. The impact still jarred. Zed became the wind, then, moving over and around him at the same time. When Zed passed through Qek, Felix understood he'd phase-shifted, taking advantage of the woman's momentary distraction. The stunner discharged, electricity crackling into the night. Barely a second later, the stunner dropped from her hand as she clutched her wrist, dark features contorted in pain.

That the woman had actually fired, had actually intended to scramble the brains of an ashushk—of Felix's friend —surprised him no more than the sudden urge to take her down, swiftly and painfully. Felix swept his knife back out of his boot and pushed to his feet. He let his upward momentum drive his arm forward, intending to stab the woman with all the strength he could muster. A bar of iron caught his arm, halting his strike. Pain slammed along the bone, alternate flashes of fire and ice. Numbed, his fingers opened, releasing the knife. Felix barely heard it hit the dirt.

Zed stood between him and the woman, one hand around her neck, the arm that had blocked Felix's strike still angled up and across.

"Our objective is to disable, not kill."

That shouldn't sound as weird coming from Zed as it did.

"All right for some?" Massaging his arm, Felix aimed a nod at the woman Zed nearly held off the ground.

"Find something to restrain her with."

Something in Zed's tone warned him to comply—quickly. Activating the small light on his bracelet, Felix ducked into the bunker and scanned the dusty and nearly empty shelving lining the walls for cording or wire, and found what any engineer might consider one of his best allies: a roll of duct tape, the galaxy's best multi-tool.

Qek appeared at his side. "Can I do anything?"

"Just be okay. You're not bleeding anywhere, are you?" Would Zed flip out if he asked Qek to watch him? Possibly catch him when he fell out of the Zone? Fuck.

"I will be fine."

"See a chair anywhere?"

"There is one over there." She pointed into the shadows.

"In here, Zed." A shiver crawled up between Felix's shoulder blades. "Qek, would you mind keeping watch? Call out if you see someone."

Zed folded the woman into the chair. Felix taped her around the middle first, getting her somewhat secured.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," she said.

Felix pulled one of her legs to the corner next and wrapped tape around her boot and the dull metal chair leg. "Neither do you," he murmured.

"Agrius will sweep you from the stars."

"I'd like to see them try." Actually, he wouldn't, but there really was only one way to respond to folks who clung to warped ideologies.

With her second leg fastened, Zed ducked outside the bunker to grab the first guard. Still unconscious, the guy made a forlorn heap on the dusty floor. Same with the second.

Qek's voice floated through the open hatchway. "Elias and Nessa are coming down the hill."

"How many more of you are there?" Felix asked as he pulled the woman's arms behind her. When she struggled, Zed leaned on her shoulder. She didn't answer the question.

"Qek!" Nessa's voice was breathless with concern. A moment later, her wallet beeped. Ever the doctor, she was already scanning her latest patient. "Are you hurt? Is that a bruise on your cheek?"

"What do we have here?" Elias sounded as breathless as Ness.

"Agrius," Felix said. "How did you find us?"

"A woman pointed us down the hill. Said she'd led you two here."

"And you didn't think it was a trap?"

"When she mentioned Vinchy might be conspiring with off-worlders, I figured we didn't have much choice." Elias's bright grin defied the dim light. "Besides, the crew that stays together?—"

"The rest of our whisper is still out there, hunting the night. You will not escape."

The rest of their what?

Zed plucked the tape from Felix's hand and ripped off a piece. Seconds later, Whisper Girl was gagged.

"She might have had more information for us."

"I think we know enou?—"

Zed's eyes rolled back, whites flashing, then he dropped to the ground. The tape bounced out of suddenly slack fingers. Felix barely noticed its passage as he folded to his knees.

"Zed!" He grabbed Zed's shoulders. "Don't you dare." Beneath his hands, Zed began to buck and jerk. "Ness? Help!"

Fear again uncoiled in his gut like an oily spill.

Nessa knelt beside him. "Eli, his legs. Fix, hold his shoulders gently. Let him move, but not too far."

"What's happening?" Of all the stupid questions to ask…

"He's seizing. Just hold on, it shouldn't last for too long."

It had already been too long, and it was just beginning. Endings really shouldn't have beginnings and none of it should include a man bucking and frothing. Surely Zed's reward for saving humanity's ass should be more dignified than this?