Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Search

" Y ou wait here, " Darius said to Cilla. "I'll go and hire a skimmer."

She smiled. "We'll be here."

He stood too quickly and his leg sent a warning twinge. At least she'd be safe with Maahes. Unless somebody came with a gun.

He had the taxi take him to the best of the hire companies. If he was going to fly a skimmer in an unknown jungle he wanted one that was reliable. He winced at the cost but a lot of it was a returnable deposit in case of damage.

Anyone hiring a skimmer in Freetown likely would be heading for a limited number of tourist destinations. Tourist information and instructions on how to get to them was stored in the machine's IS. Darius listened to the entries for the citadel as he returned to where Cilla waited.

He landed in the roadway next to the café and opened the door just as rain started to fall. She scurried to the skimmer and clambered into the front seat beside him while Maahes leapt easily into the back seat.

"You hired the upmarket model."

"If I'm going flying in a jungle I want to be comfortable. And Maahes wouldn't have fitted into the two-man version."

She grinned, eyes sparkling. "Did you tell them about Maahes?"

Darius grunted. "Do I look stupid?"

Cilla giggled. She had a lovely giggle. She was lovely. No makeup, no pretense. What you saw was what you got, unlike Yrena, who probably felt naked without her makeup.

Which was all beside the point. She was decorative but she was still an idiot.

"First things first," he said as he searched the navigation system. "We need to pick up some supplies."

"There's a shopping mall —"

"I've found it." He set the location, relieved that she'd at least realized she needed supplies. The skimmer rose through the rain, droplets deflecting off the force shield. "What do you think we'll need?"

"Food for a few days and weapons."

"A few days?"

"Yes." She tilted her chin. "That should be enough."

Fair enough, thought Darius. He wasn't going to be stumbling around in the jungle for any length of time. Any time at all, really, if he could help it. He'd go through the motions and get off this rock as soon as he could.

The skimmer lifted and set off for the short hop. "Can you use weapons?"

"I sure can." She almost growled the words. "I've got a Klimm 400 in my checked luggage on the Galaxy Adventurer . No way was I ever going to be unarmed and clueless again."

The skimmer shaped to land with the other vehicles on the mall's roof.

"Gun shop first, then."

"It's on the second level, left corner."

Darius suppressed a grin. She'd done her homework. And she might not be a burden in a fight. Although there was a huge difference between being able to handle a weapon and actually using it in combat.

Leaving Maahes in the skimmer, they took the moving stairs to level two. They walked past souvenir shops and outfitters to the large store in the corner with the words Freetown Firepower emblazoned on a sign over the doorway.

Firepower was right. There were weapons here which wouldn't be out of place in the military. Darius was looking over a high-caliber Lurham laser gun when a big man wearing camouflage gear arrived. His name tag read 'Frazer'.

"Hi there. Can I help or are you happy with that one? It'll take down most of the critters you might come across in the jungle." He was tall, well-built but with the expression of somebody older than his apparent fifth decade.

"It's a nice weapon. Good balance. What am I likely to encounter?"

Creases wrinkled around the Frazer's eyes when he smiled. "If you're wise you stay in your vehicle when you're in the jungle. Places like the citadel are safe enough. But wandering in the woods is not a good idea. You could take down a single chimra with the Lurham but they hunt in packs. And you'd need something even bigger if you run into a Jarga."

Darius nodded. He'd already found out about the local fauna via his implant. Jarga were big, predatory, lizard-like beasts, and chimra were smaller, faster creatures with claws and fangs. He wouldn't want to encounter any of them. "It's for self-defense only. I'll take it. And a couple of Klimms. A 400 for the lady and a 600 for me. With double powerpacks, please."

The man's eyebrows rose. "That's a lot of fire power for self-defense. Where are you going?"

"A few of the tourist spots. The Mauri Cliffs, Faomara River, the Citadel."

"All of those are pretty safe," he said, putting the weapons in a bag. "But you're paying," he added with a grin.

"What isn't safe?"

His eyes narrowed, he shot Darius a searching look. "The jungle at night. Jarga and chimra are the least of your worries. Best to stay out of the mist. It'll mess your mind."

Cilla glanced at him, clearly not impressed.

"And I'd recommend a tool kit. Things can break down." He reached behind him to pick up a wallet, which he opened. It contained a screwdriver, some probes, a cutting blade and adhesive.

Cilla's lips curled as if she'd tasted something nasty but Darius accepted the wallet. It was a damned good idea and he should have thought of it himself.

Darius thanked the man, paid the bill, and headed for the door. "It' a good idea to listen to what the locals tell you."

"Mist messing with minds? Oh please. Tall tales for tourists."

Maybe. Certainly possible. But Darius had no intention of being out in the jungle at night, misty or not. "You'd better share your implant interface with me." He sent her a request.

After a short delay, she accepted. " I suppose. For now ."

" Thank you ." He wondered if she picked up on the hint of sarcasm.

Darius left Cilla in the food store while he took the weapons to the skimmer. He pocketed the Klimm 600 and stowed the rest next to Maahes.

"We have to fetch some food," he said to the big cat. "We won't be long."

As he walked away he couldn't help feeling the animal understood every word. Silly.

In the food store Cilla had found a selection of pre-packed 'survival kits'.

Darius shook his head. "Those things are a waste of money." He picked up a can of custard included in the pack. "Who needs this stuff?"

He picked out enough basic rations to last them for four days and Cilla selected food for Maahes. The cat sat up as they approached the vehicle, his yellow eyes prominent in the grey atmosphere.

" Everything okay ?" Darius heard Cilla say in his implant.

He frowned. "Why wouldn't it be?" He stared at her shocked expression. "You weren't talking to me."

She scratched the back of her head. "We'd better go, hadn't we?" She stepped into the vehicle and let the harness descend.

Darius got in beside her. "You can talk to Maahes via your implant."

She gazed at him, her expression blank. "Better get on, Fletcher. It's getting late."

Darius asked the skimmer to head for the jump-off point to the citadel, a simple route through the jungle on established roads. At least, the roads were established until a few klicks out of town. A pair of pillars made from the same black rock that had been used to build the citadel stood at either side of the road, signaling the end of civilization, almost as if they were a warning. Beyond, purplish trees crowded close together towered into the sky, their limbs hung with creepers. The road had seen better days, its surface rutted. He was glad they were travelling in a skimmer and not some wheeled or tracked vehicle. The jungle had been kept at bay along the verges a short distance from the road, the reddish-green vegetation obviously hacked back regularly. It almost looked like a hedge. The closer the vegetation was to the road, the more light there was, so the more growth. All about light.

"So… we're going to the last bit of civilization, the place we were taken to before we started toward the citadel. Did you have a plan past there?" Darius asked to find out what she was thinking. It had better be the same as him — to stay overnight in the tourist hotel.

She had been staring out the window on her side. She turned to look at him. "We take Maahes to where they captured Yrena."

"He's sure he can track her?"

"Yes."

"So, he can answer you?"

She scowled at him, then turned to Maahes, who had sat up on the backseat.

A moment later Darius sensed another presence, a soft, deep voice. " It is best if I can talk to you, too. "

A shiver slid down Darius's spine. He knew the cat could communicate but he hadn't really expected it could talk.

Cilla grinned. "You realize if you tell anybody I'll have to kill you?"

"Nobody would believe me. Is that just through the implant?"

"No. As I understand it, he was genetically modified in vitro. And they fitted the implant and taught him our language. He was a one-off experiment. The person who did it died in an accident. Or so I was told."

"Who?"

"Who created him? His name was Xuling. I looked him up. He was a doctor but he was struck off for unethical practices." She shrugged. "Nobody needs a medical doctor anymore, do they?"

"They do in the military. I would have lost my leg without a doctor."

She stared. "I noticed you had a bit of a limp or something. What happened?"

"Our HQ was hit by a missile. " Even talking about it brought back memories. He hadn't heard it. He and his team were in a conference room talking about strategy and then the place exploded. He'd been lucky, sitting at the end of the table, he'd had a modicum of protection. He'd been flung to the floor, but he'd seen the carnage, the twisted bodies, the screams, the stench of blood and burning before he passed out.

"They took me to a hospital where real people directed the machines that kept my leg alive. It's full of nanobots, healing the tissue and bone. But yea, sometimes it hurts."

"Will you be all right? Not… lame or anything."

He couldn't help the chuckle. She seemed genuinely concerned. "I'll be fine. Mind you, if they hadn't gotten me to the hospital quickly, I might have ended up with an artificial leg. Anyway, I didn't. Now then Maahes, you can track the skimmer."

"You have to be precise," Cilla said. "Can you find the woman who was taken?"

The soft, deep voice replied, " I can track her ."

"She was taken in a skimmer. Like this… like the one we are riding in," Darius said.

" To track something like this is easy if it is by itself ."

That made sense thought Darius. Tracking a skimmer through a city where there were many of them would be difficult. "So, what was your plan, Cilla? Where were you going when I caught up with you?"

She gazed at him with those hypnotic dark blue eyes. A man could lose himself. Pull yourself together .

"I was going to go to the place where we were ambushed. Maahes will find the trail, then we'll follow it to wherever they're keeping Yrena."

"It's getting late."

"Yes. That won't bother Maahes."

"It bothers me. I don't fancy stumbling around in the jungle in the dark. Didn't you hear what the man in the gun shop said?"

She frowned. "We've got to get to her before she's taken away."

Part of Darius hoped she had been taken away, that all this would end up being a waste of everyone's time. "They might already have taken her somewhere else." If he'd abducted the woman, he wouldn't have hung around.

"If we don't look, we're not going to know."

That was true. He glanced out at the jungle and checked local time. "It'll be almost sundown by the time we get there."

"Maahes won't care."

"Maybe. But I do. We don't know how far we'll have to go. We can only go as fast as Maahes's nose. And we were warned about the jungle after dark. Sorry, Miss Cilla, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow." Which suited him just fine. Hopefully it would rain and wash away any trace of a trail.

She folded her arms. "I'll go by myself, then."

Oh for pity's sake . His annoyance bubbled up into anger. "How old were you again? About six by the sound of you. Put away your lip. You're acting like a child. This isn't a game of hide and go find me. The people who took Yrena didn't hesitate to kill her husband and the hired muscle. Do you think they'd think twice about you? Or Maahes?"

At the cat's name, Cilla winced.

Maahes lifted his head and sat up on the back seat. Darius's heart beat a little faster. If he decided Darius was the enemy… Darius lowered his tone.

"And that's assuming you find them. What if you don't? What if you're out there when the sun sinks and the shadows between the trees come to life? Or some of the local wildlife comes to call? Maahes might be able to take on one or two but a whole pack?"

Cilla scratched her eyebrow, not looking at him. "Okay." Her head jerked up and she stared at him, a hint of challenge in her eyes. "First thing tomorrow, though."

The anger subsiding to a gentle simmer, he tried a smile. "Okay, sounds like a plan."

"What do we do now, then?"

"There's a tourist hotel up where the shuttles come down from the cruise ships. We can stay the night there."

She nodded and turned to stare into the jungle. Maahes settled, stretching out on the seat. Relaxed.

Darius tried to use his implant to connect to the hotel but the connection failed.

"I can't book in advance. We'll have to hope they have a vacancy."

She gazed up at the skimmer's roof, as if seeing past it. "Probably that solar storm took out the satellites."

Her hair flicked as she turned away to look out the window.

Silence descended like a shroud. In the back seat, Maahes stirred, then settled. Darius's leg twinged, reminding him to apply a little more pain killer. The jungle whisked by, a blur of trees with an occasional burst of brighter color that was a species of vine. He'd been too hard on her. She wasn't a soldier, inured to verbal beatings. But then, she wasn't a child. She should have more sense.

He didn't know anything about her, apart from that hostage situation. If they were going to spend time together, he had to know more. He'd learned that years ago when he commanded his first squad. To get the best out of people you had to know what made them tick. What pressed their buttons? What were they good at? What were they afraid of — although he had an inkling what that would be in this case.

He cleared his throat. Small talk wasn't his strong suit but he had to break down the wall.

"What were you doing on the Galaxy Adventurer ? I mean, were you just on holiday?"

The seconds ticked past before she turned and looked at him. "I've accepted a job on Malmos and thought I'd take the scenic route."

The added grin was forced but at least it meant she was willing to try.

"Oh? What's the job?"

"I'm a cyber engineer. You know? One of those people who play around on computer systems in their parents' basement."

He laughed. "You don't fit that image at all."

Her lips quirked in a genuine half smile. "Maybe. It's something you do on your own, just me and the machine. It suits me. And it pays pretty well."

That told him a few things. A loner who avoided people when she could. Technical. Accustomed to detail. He already knew she could fire a gun.

"Do you know anyone on Malmos?"

"No. I applied for a job. People I respected verified that it was genuine and it's in an area of nanorobotics that interests me." She took a deep breath. "It was time for me to leave Santara." She turned in her seat. "Maahes, do you need to go out?"

A glimmer of yellow appeared between Maahes's eyelids. " No ."

Darius picked up that the revelations were finished. But it was a start.

***

The sun had just set when they arrived at the Citadel Hotel. The heavy sky meant there was no spectacular sky show, just a bright light sinking behind the cloud curtain until the hidden glow disappeared and darkness fell. The skimmer passed though automatic gates set in high mesh fences. The hotel appeared to take security seriously. Fletcher was probably right about being out in the jungle at night but Cilla wasn't going to tell him that. She already felt foolish after he'd slapped her down.

Okay, he'd had every right. That was her. Rush in headlong, do it without thinking. She'd better get over it if they were going to find Yrena. To be honest, she was glad he'd stayed. Perhaps relieved would be a better word. He knew what he was doing. And he was… nice. It was such a nothing word. Even after he'd told her off, he'd taken the time to not quite apologize, but to put it right. It was probably dumb, but she felt a connection with him, going back twenty years to that hostage situation. She felt she could trust him, rely on him. And the only other person she felt like that about was Maahes.

Behind her Maahes sat up and yawned, showing his mouthful of fangs and his rough pink tongue. " Will there be food ?"

" Yes. Soon ."

The hotel came into view, a three-story structure built of timber. The skimmer swept around the circular drive and set down outside a flight of steps leading up to a veranda that ran right around the building. Some people might have called it rustic. Cilla was inclined to call it a dump.

"You'll need to hide Maahes. We'll fetch him later."

Cilla nodded. " Stay under the blanket, Maahes ," she said as she covered him. " It won't be for too long ."

Lights came on at the doorway as they climbed the steps. Cilla gazed at flaking paint and missing planks in the veranda. Something scurried in the darkness above her head, beyond the reach of the lights. Lovely. "Is this the only place?"

He grinned. "It is. Treat it as a 'back to nature' experience. It's part of its old-world charm, fitting into the environment."

"Huh. I hope that doesn't mean an outside lav."

The door swung open and they approached an unattended service desk. Cilla spied a button down one end and pressed it.

A muffled sound rang somewhere in the building. A moment later footsteps approached and an older man wearing a rumpled suit appeared. His gaze moved between them, assessing.

"Hi there. Wasn't expecting anyone what with the comms being down and all. I expect you'd like a room." He grinned. "The honeymoon suite's free."

No. She liked him, but not that much. Somewhere in her mind the word 'yet' sank away into the shadows. Cilla raised her hand. "A double room. Two single beds. Please."

She sneaked a glance at Fletcher but his face was impassive. He sure was good at hiding his feelings. She wondered if he was disappointed. But at least she'd made her position clear.

The fellow glanced between them and shrugged. "If you're sure. One night or two?"

Cilla opened her mouth but Fletcher was faster. "Two. And ground floor, please."

The man entered some details then handed them both cards. "That'll get you into your room and into the front door. We don't recommend wandering around in the dark. In fact, don't travel in the dark. Make sure you're back here by nightfall tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," Fletcher replied.

"Room's this way."

The man walked around the desk out onto the veranda and around the corner of the building. Cilla noted the high fences that seemed to hold back the jungle, the top curved away from the hotel's bare perimeter. Designed to keep things out, not people in.

Their host noticed her attention. "The fence has a force field. You're perfectly safe in here."

He stopped in front of a door and slipped a card into a slot. Lights came on inside as he pushed the door open.

Wow, it was like being in an old-fashioned theme park. Cilla had thought this kind of tech had passed into history centuries ago.

"Dining room's open shortly. Just down the hall from reception. You can order on the menu system."

Fletcher smiled at him. "Thanks very much."

The man shuffled off.

Cilla registered the two single beds against the walls, each with its own nightstand, a separate wardrobe containing mismatched hangers, and a chipped table with a screen and keyboard. She hoped the side door was the washroom. It was. The cramped space held a toilet, a shower, and a hand basin. At least it looked clean.

The floor creaked as Fletcher came to stand next to her. He chuckled. "It's not fancy but I've been in worse. Some of these out of the way places never got past the last century."

"Or the century before that. At least it shouldn't be hard to get Maahes in here."

"Did you want to ask our host? He's a companion animal, after all."

Damn it. He didn't have to be so sensible. Of course she wasn't going to ask. "No. I'll tell him where to come and he can jump the fence."

"Hang on. It won't be that simple."

"Why not?"

"The jungle's dangerous. They'll have security cameras."

Oh damn. Of course they would. And he didn't have to be so… reasonable about it. "I can fix that."

He smiled. "I thought you might. Better do that first." He raised a finger. "Only for the time it takes to get Maahes in here. Then we can find out what the dining room's like."

The hotel's security system was laughably easy to crack. There was an alarm to let the operator know if the cameras went offline, so Cilla found the two that covered the wing of the veranda where their room was. She could set them to ignore movement before she called Maahes.

She glanced at Fletcher. "Let's go. I'll turn off the cameras before I call Maahes."

Cilla followed Fletcher onto the veranda, made sure she had the key card in her pocket and closed the door behind her. The sound of voices startled her but it was only a young couple coming out of a room ahead of them, arms entwined. They disappeared through the front door.

While Fletcher collected their few personal items from the skimmer, Cilla took the blanket off Maahes. " We're in a room off the veranda. When we get there, I'll wait outside. You keep low and hurry to where I'm waiting when I tell you. Okay? "

" Yes ."

He lay in the shadows next to the skimmer as they walked away. Fletcher opened the door and went inside. Cilla turned off the cameras and told Maahes to come. Keeping low, he loped around the building and jumped the veranda railing in one bound. When he was inside, she turned the cameras back on.

Cilla took out the food she'd bought for him and he crouched beside it, wolfing down the pieces with relish, while she filled his water bowl.

"Let's try the dining room," Fletcher said. "We might pick up some information."

The dining room was as uninspiring as the rest of the place, shabby and dimly lit. The owner probably thought it was atmospheric, or romantic or something. Cilla thought the place smelled musty and moldy, in need of a deep clean and a few decent lights. It certainly wasn't busy. The young couple they'd seen earlier on the veranda sat at one table, a group of two men and a woman wearing what looked like ranger uniforms shared a laugh at a table in the corner. The hotel manager chatted with two guys who looked like hunters.

Cilla sat down at a vacant table and looked at the menu. The choices were meat pie and veg, steak and veg, and some sort of fish and veg. She hadn't been expecting gourmet, had she? She tapped her selection, which acknowledged.

The hotel manager appeared beside them smiling. "Everything okay?"

"It's fine," Fletcher said. "Not your busiest time of year?"

"No. We get more in winter when it's a little cooler. Which part of the citadel will you be visiting?"

"There are different places up there, I'm told. What would you recommend?"

The manager pulled out a chair and sat down. "You're planning on staying the whole day there?"

"Yes."

He nodded, bringing up a map of the area. "Here's the citadel. If you go up to here, you get great views from the ramparts. Over here you can go inside the walls, visit some of the rooms."

Neither of those were anywhere near where the guide had taken them. "A friend of ours went with a tour group a year or so ago. She said they went here." Cilla found the point on the map where the skimmers were parked.

"Oh yeah." The fellow's manner was condescending. "Tourist groups. Load 'em into skimmers and take 'em for a quick look in a few different places. Wouldn't recommend it. Go for this one." He tapped his first selection on the map.

"What's this over here?" Fletcher asked, pointing at a lighter area in the jungle.

Cilla could have sworn the man jumped. Just a little. "Aw nothing. They tried clearing there, years ago. Waste of time."

"Clearing for what?"

"Miners. Never got anywhere." He looked up as a serving bot trundled over. "Here's your food. Enjoy." He walked away to sit with the group of rangers.

" Interesting ," Fletcher said via her implant. " That cleared space doesn't appear on any of the maps I've seen ."

Cilla swallowed a piece of very good pie. " What do you think it is ?"

" I don't know. It may be nothing. But I don't think Mine Host was too happy talking about it ." He reverted to normal speech. "This is a damn nice pie." He grinned. "You're probably as surprised as I am."

As they walked back around to their room Cilla paused to stare into the darkness beyond the brightly lit fence. "It's very quiet here, isn't it?"

"Have you noticed how the mist never seems to form under the lights?" Fletcher said.

"I suppose it's warmer."

Maahes rose immediately she entered the room and rubbed his head against her. " I missed you ."

She hugged him. " You always do. "

"Does he need to go out?" Fletcher asked. "You know, to pee?"

"He can use the lav if he has to."

"Huh. Clever cat." He stifled a yawn. "Let's get some rest. It's been a busy day. You can have the washroom first."

He was right, it had been a busy day. Cilla washed, brushed her teeth, and stumbled off to bed. She was asleep before Fletcher turned the lights out.

***

Cilla woke, as usual, to a gentle paw patting her face. "Okay, okay. I'm coming." She struggled out of the tangled sheet. Good grief. Five thirty local time, just before dawn. Well, she had said she wanted to leave at dawn. Maahes was nothing if not literal and he didn't have a chrono.

In the other bed, Darius stirred, then angled himself up, blinking. "Is he hungry?"

"No. Just very literal. We said we'd ride at dawn." She dramatized the last three words.

Scrubbing his hand through his hair, he sat up. "I think you've watched a few too many vids."

"You must have watched a few yourself to know what I'm talking about." She flashed him a grin just before she closed the washroom door behind her.

When she'd finished, she grabbed her pants from the back of the chair and started pulling them on. She watched him swing out of bed and make for the washroom, the damage to his left leg obvious. A white scar ran down from the top of his thigh to his calf. He favored the leg a little but it wasn't an obvious limp. She'd finished dressing when he came out, his hair wet and slicked back, the towel wrapped around his waist.

He was worth looking at. Wide shoulders, narrow hips, washboard abs, powerful pecs. He donned his camo suit with swift, practiced ease and settled the Klimm 600 in its holster at his waist. Not what she'd call vid star handsome but men like that didn't do much for her anyway. His face was angular, with a hard jaw but incongruously sensual lips that a girl could… Don't go there . Besides, they didn't really have anything in common.

"I'd like to leave very quietly," he said, sitting down on the bed.

She'd been looking forward to breakfast. "Why?"

"Call it gut. Just a feeling."

They probably did eggs and bacon. And toast. "What about breakfast?"

"We've got food."

Ration packs. Yum.

"Which means getting through that gate without warning the world."

She shrugged. "Not a problem. I stole the hotel's admin ID yesterday. Gets you into everything."

He swallowed a grin. "Got your gun?"

She hadn't forgotten. She flashed open her jacket, showing him where it rested on her left hip.

"Okay. Are you happy to eat in the skimmer?"

"If we must." Eggs and bacon. Toast. Maybe they had egg and bacon flavored ration bars?

Fletcher stood and shouldered his bag. "Well then. Doctor the security cameras and let's get out of here."

***

Darius opened the door to their room quietly, glancing along the veranda. Somewhere close by somebody snored. Cilla had paused the security cameras. The last thing they needed was anybody tracking their movements. " Quietly ", he said to Cilla via her implant.

The gate was the biggest issue. But Cilla was equal to that challenge, too, easily getting it open. It slid aside smoothly and silently. This lady knew her stuff. Just as well she was honest.

The clouds in the east were a lighter shade of grey and only remnants of mist huddled around the skimmers in the parking lot. The stuff was almost tactile, seeming to cling to his leg. He brushed it away and opened the vehicle's gull wing doors. Maahes took up his position in the back seat and Cilla settled in front, a bag on her lap. She rummaged inside, pulled out a couple of food bars and handed one to him. "Pretend it's egg and bacon flavor."

Darius set the vehicle's nav system to take them to the docks where the tourists had boarded the larger tour vehicles not so long ago. Driving through the jungle in the semi-darkness set his nerves tingling as though he sensed an ambush. But the trees were impassive and nothing but mist lurked beneath their branches. The mist curled in the headlight's beams as the skimmer cut through it.

"That mist is spooky," Cilla said. "It seems to be thicker than what I'm used to."

Darius was glad he wasn't the only one. "It should burn off with sun-up."

The sun had risen above the horizon when they reached the dock although it shed no real light. The skimmers were all parked, dormant until the next cruise ship appeared in Thurbass's space. He drove on, following the path they'd taken yesterday. Was it only yesterday? It seemed so much longer.

Misty rain had started to fall, turning the jungle into a watercolor impressionist scene. Maybe that would put an end to this nonsense, Darius thought. Surely not even a tendua's nose would be able to pick up a scent. But he'd keep that to himself. Let Maahes tell her the bad news. Then they could head back to Freetown and pick up a cruiser to Malmos.

This time, when the skimmer came out of the jungle Darius was expecting the rocky landscape with the citadel squatting on the hilltop. Today, the hard outlines were blurred, cloaked in cloud. Small wonder whoever built it had put it there. It would be difficult to imagine a better defensive position, surrounded by bare rock and commanding a view over the jungle. He wouldn't mind going up there to take a look, later. They should have plenty of time before they had to leave.

Darius canceled the route set in the skimmer's nav system and drove it to where the ambush had taken place. Cilla tensed, her hands balled into fists. Behind her, the cushions creaked as Maahes sat up and gently butted her head.

"Are you okay?" Darius asked.

"Yes." But the tension in her body was unmistakable. She pushed the button to open the skimmer's wing door and slid outside.

Maahes sprang out, landing beside her. Her hand immediately went to his neck. Raindrops collected on her face.

"Turn on your rain protection shield," Darius said.

Cilla pressed a button on her suit then said, " Where is the woman, Maahes ?"

The cat lowered his head and tracked back and forth for a few moments, then headed for the rocks where the skimmer had been hidden. He raised his head and looked at Cilla. " She was in a machine. It went that way ."

"Can you follow it?"

" Yes. But it is faint ."

Damn and blast. Oh well, he was committed now. Darius strode back to the vehicle and followed as the big cat trotted toward the jungle. Cilla jumped in beside him, her body straining forward as Maahes tracked.

The skimmer jerked to a sudden halt. " I'm sorry you are not permitted to enter the jungle here ," the vehicle's IS said.

"It's got a geolock. We can't take it any further." He'd felt frustrated for a moment but this might play in his favor. "I'm not going in there on foot."

Scowling, Cilla called Maahes back. "I reckon I can fix that. Hop out. I need to get to the circuits." She waved him out like a naughty child.

Darius did as he was told. Cilla lay across the front seats and fiddled under the dash. With nothing else to do, he admired her lithe body, the way she twisted herself to get at the controls. She sat up with a hint of a grin and he looked away, feeling like a teenager caught in the act. "Shouldn't be long," she muttered.

She pulled out her comm and used it to connect to the skimmer, then entered a string of commands. It was all meaningless to Darius but in a moment she slid back to her own seat and nodded to him. "All fixed."

As she'd said, the geolock had been deactivated. Maahes trotted into the jungle, the skimmer following slowly.

A narrow path wove through the undergrowth, the trees overhanging on both sides. Darius looked up and saw not a hint of sky. In fact, it was so dark it could have been night. This path would be invisible from the air. But it was used often enough for it to be uncluttered, with no regrowth struggling up in the cleared space. Tendrils and leaves rattled on the skimmer's sides as they passed, almost like probing fingers.

"This has been here for a long time." Cilla whispered, as if not to disturb the silence.

"Yes."

"I bet those two police people knew about it."

Darius had come to the same conclusion. "Which means, of course, that they were in on the abduction." Which meant his original idea of returning to give information to the police was worthless.

What to do? Return and eventually tell someone — not the police — that this path led to Yrena? But he didn't know that. They might have killed her, thrown her body into the jungle. It wasn't likely but it was possible.

He stopped the skimmer. "Call Maahes back. This path has to lead somewhere. He can help us when we get closer to whatever we're going to find."

With Maahes in the back, they could go faster, out of reach of the jungle. Good grief, how had he come up with that? He'd given up on imagination at grade school. He brushed the thought away and concentrated on the here and now.

He'd taken an image of the hotel manager's map in the dining room. This trail wasn't marked but it looked very much as though that cleared area he'd noticed was in the general direction of travel. That made sense if the place had been a mining camp. They would have needed to be able to reach the main road, which started at the hotel. He tried to access the planetary database but just got static. That solar storm was causing major disruption. Which meant he couldn't find out any more about that mining operation. If it existed.

He stopped the vehicle after a couple of hours so they could all get out and stretch. The humidity felt like a blanket until his suit adjusted. He didn't like this place. The silence was oppressive, like something watching and waiting. Cilla broke out a flask of water to share while Maahes trotted along the edge of the track, stopping several times to gaze into the jungle.

"I don't think he likes it here anymore than I do," Cilla muttered.

" What do you see ?" Darius asked the cat.

" It is hard to see far. But I can smell… animals. Not far away ." He stepped between the trees, the tip of his tail the last to disappear.

" Not too far, Maahes! "

Darius caught the hint of alarm in Cilla's voice. He had to admit he felt the same; uneasy for no real reason except that they were in an unknown jungle. Yellow eyes stared at him. His heart thundering, he groped for his pistol but before he could raise it, the rest of Maahes appeared from the undergrowth. He'd been perfectly camouflaged in there.

Willing his pulse to go back to normal, Darius said, "If we don't find anything soon, we'll have to turn back."

Cilla had her hand on the cat's neck. "A little further, surely. It's obvious the track is well used and Maahes says the scent is still strong."

"Not much further. We'll need to leave enough time to get out of here before dark."

He braced himself for her to argue but she blinked a few times, mashing her lips. "Sure. Well, let's get on with it then." She marched back to the skimmer and slid inside.

The next time they stopped, Darius's implant could connect to the planet's database. While he munched on nutritious, bland rations, he asked for information about the cleared space in the jungle. No results. Okay then, mining companies on Thurbass's main continent.

There weren't many, most going back up to a century. But Donbass Mining had run an operation for a short time, searching for a rare mineral used in space vehicles. The operation had closed down after less than a standard year, three years ago. Darius pinpointed the location of the base.

"This is it," he said to Cilla, showing her the results. "It was a mining operation. I'll bet the buildings are still there. And some sort of landing field."

She beamed, lighting sparks in those dark blue eyes. "That will be where they've taken Yrena, I'm sure of it."

"Whoa, settle down. It's a good guess but we can't be sure."

She peered at the map. "How far is it? Hmm… we should be able to get there and zip back to the hotel before dark. I think." She straightened. "Come on, then. Let's go."

He watched her walk away. No. They'd found a very good lead, it was time to involve somebody with the fire power to take over. He wasn't in the mood to be a hero.

He slipped into the driver's seat beside her and closed the doors. "We're going back."

She stared at him, wide eyed. "You're joking."

"I don't joke in these circumstances."

She leaned toward him, grasping his arm. "We're so close."

"Cilla, we've established a good case for where she might be or might have been. If you'll recall, six people captured her. One injured soldier and a gun-happy woman are not enough to carry this through."

She glanced over his shoulder.

"No, not even with Maahes." Turning around here would be interesting but he was sure he'd manage. He pushed the machine's start button.

Warning lights flashed.

Darius scowled. "Oh, for pity's sake." Of all the times for something to go wrong… He turned the power off.

Cilla gazed at him, eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"The power to the thrusters has gone down to a critical level. It's saying it needs maintenance."

She frowned. "But… it's an almost new machine. And see? It had its last check last week…" Her voice trailed off.

He nodded. She'd worked it out. "Somebody's sabotaged it." Somebody didn't want them poking around out here. Somebody wanted them to be trapped out here overnight so the wildlife could deal with them.

"Those guys at the hotel. The ones the manager was talking to. I noticed them looking at us a few times."

Darius had noticed that, but he'd put it down to men seeing an attractive woman. "It could have been the manager. He wasn't too happy when I asked about the mining site."

"What now?" Cilla asked.

"Let's see if we can work out what they've done." Darius walked around to the back of the skimmer and lifted a cover Cilla hadn't noticed.

"You know about this stuff?"

"Not this model," he said as he peered into the engine. "But plenty of others like it." He stiffened. "Ah. Look." He pointed at a hose. "See how that's been cut?"

Standing beside him she nodded. "Maahes?"

The cat stood up from where he was lounging at the side of the track. "Can you smell anything recent? A person not us?"

" Yes. I do not know who ." His nose wrinkled. " Stinks of not natural ."

"I'd trust Maahes's nose. Sabotage. Can you fix it?"

Darius studied the line. It had been carefully cut so the leak would be slow. Whoever had done this intended that they'd be a long way out before they found the damage, too far to get back.

"Yes." He bent over the engine, grateful that he'd bought that tool kit in the store. The adhesive should be able to prevent any more leaks.

He straightened. "That seems to have done it. But the vehicle has lost a lot of lubricant. We won't be able to get far. Which leaves us with choices. Neither of them is good. We can go back to the hotel or go on to the mining camp. I doubt we'd get back to the hotel. But even if we did, there's a good chance they'd just kill us. "

***

Cilla couldn't manage anything but a nod. The intention, obviously, was that they would die out here.

"So, we'll go on." Fletcher licked his lips. "Whatever 'there' is going to be."

The prospect of being out in the jungle at night was, to be honest, terrifying. Cilla gazed into the darkness between the tree trunks where the mist hung like a gauze curtain. There could be anything out there, waiting for darkness. Her nerves tingled at the thought. And what had the man in the gun shop said? Stay out of the mist. It'll mess your mind . She'd turned up her lip, expected him to try to sell anti-mist spray or something. She owed the man an apology.

"What are we going to do? Drive up there and ask for lubricant? Or…" The thought hit her like a punch in the guts. "What if they're waiting for us, too? Maybe the fellow at the hotel warned them."

Fletcher nodded. "All possible. But then, I'd bet my commission those fellows didn't have implants and the solar storm has messed with comms everywhere." He grinned. "And I'd also bet that Mine Host figured we wouldn't be getting that far, anyway. Which is not to say we can afford to be complacent."

"No." Cilla sagged onto the vehicle's fender and willed her pulse to slow down. "Do you think they'll have sensors?"

"Yes, I think they will. Just like the hotel." He stared around into the jungle. "Seems to be a necessity out here." He turned back to her. "Can you disable sensors at a distance from the controllers?"

"If we can find one, yes. They have to have a means of communicating with their bases and that's enough to get in."

"Okay. Get in. Time's ticking by. Sunset is in a few hours. We can plan as we go."

Cilla settled in her seat beside him and the skimmer lifted off, moving steadily between the walls of jungle. The trees seemed to lean toward them, branches stretching out to try to impede the skimmer as it brushed past.

She was letting her imagination get the better of her. "I've got some drones."

Fletcher jerked, scowling at her under dark brows. "What?"

"Drones. With little cameras that connect back to my implant. When we get close enough, we'll be able to tell what sensors they've got, how many of them."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you have little drones?"

She shrugged. "Because I can. Because I can get them to find out things for me. I told you. I'm an introvert." It was all part of feeling safe. She could send a drone to check a corridor, see who was at the door.

He stared at her for a moment, then said, "Can they get into a building?"

"If there's a way in."

He settled back, not looking at her, his profile hard and strong. "That gives us some advantages," he said at last. "I wonder if there will still be six of them? Seems excessive."

"Excessive for what? What are you thinking?" But Cilla had an inkling she knew. This was going to get very dangerous very quickly. She'd been an idiot, jumping over a cliff without checking what was at the bottom. He probably thought she was a fool. And she'd gotten him into this mess.

He turned to her. "You say you can fire a weapon. Can you aim it at a man and press the trigger?"

Oh boy. "That's what I was trained to do. They were military instructors." And they were hard. You had a millisecond to make a decision. If you got it wrong, you killed an innocent person. Or you were killed. Every time, she'd imagined Mister Awful coming at her. She'd learned to shoot without hesitation.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I learned to shoot the men who abducted me."

She noted the hint of admiration in his expression.

"Okay. We have two people, drones to tell us what we're up against and a wild card called Maahes. If we can catch them unawares, we might have a chance."

She took a deep breath. "Or to put it another way, if we don't make it work, we're dead."

His lips jerked in a semblance of a smile. "That's right."

The anguish welled up into her eyes. Idiot. Brainless idiot. She dashed the tears away. "I'm sorry. So sorry I dragged you into this. I didn't think it through."

He smirked. "Yes. You didn't think." He let the silence drag while she squirmed. "But… it can't be helped. Why don't you get your drones set up? We can send them searching up ahead for sensors when we're a bit closer."

Cilla glowered at him. She wasn't a little kid and she didn't need patting on the head. Even if she had been a fool. Crumbs. Sometimes she actually liked him. Rather a lot. Other times…

"How far to go?"

He nodded at the screen. "According to this, at least a couple of hours."

"There's nothing to set up. I just have to send them." She turned away from him, staring into the darkness between the trees.

After another hour, she had to talk to him. "Fletcher, we need to stop. I'm busting for a wee."

He coasted the skimmer to a halt. "Be quick, okay?"

"Sure."

She climbed out and noticed Fletcher had gone off on the other side of the vehicle, no doubt for the same reason. Maahes came with her, sniffing around, as she looked for a suitable place behind a tree. She hesitated, gazing into the misty murk beyond the path. The trunks of trees just a few paces away looked hazy, as if standing in smoke. The place exuded undefined menace that sent tingles through her nerves. No way would she venture in there. Pull yourself together, woman, and get on with it . Mist eddied around her as she squatted.

She sighed with relief as she finished, straightening up to fasten her pants.

Something moved in the undergrowth behind her.

She spun around, grabbing for her gun with shaking hands while her heart hammered. Figures. Ghostly figures forming in the mist. Briggs? Was that Briggs out there? She tried to cry out but fear choked her. She stumbled backwards, the pistol in both hands. A voice whispered, too softly to make out clearly. A ghostly hand reached out for her. Her heart went into overdrive. She pressed the pistol's firing button, sending a volley of shots into the darkness.

" I am here. Nothing is there ."

The soft, deep voice was like an anchor. A weight pushed against her legs. " Come back ."

Maahes. Maahes was there.

"Talk to me," she croaked. "Take me back to the skimmer."

" You are safe. Put your hand out ."

Put my hand out. I am safe .

Her heartbeat slowed. She changed her two-handed grip on the pistol to one hand and dropped her other hand to Maahes's fur, soft and real against her fingers. Panting, she backed away until she could feel the reassuring bulk of the skimmer. A bead of sweat tickled as it dribbled down her temple.

Fletcher. He wasn't there. He'd gone that way. A pistol fired one, twice, three times. Her heart rate spiking again, she called his name. "Fletcher? Fletcher!"

" Stay here. I will find him ."

Maahes bounded away.

Cilla leaned against the skimmer, the pistol in both hands, aiming at the nothingness under the trees. Maahes had said there was nothing out there. Concentrate on that.

She heard footsteps. Her hands tightened on the pistol's grip, her finger poised above the firing button.

" I am here ." Cilla lowered the gun, gasping in air.

Maahes came back with Fletcher.

He looked drawn, pale, his pistol still in his hand. He leaned against the vehicle, breathing heavily. "Shit. Are you all right?"

"Yes. It's okay. Nothing is real."

He still looked distant, staring at her without seeing her.

She stepped closer and put her arms around him. "It's okay. This is real."

His arms slipped around her slowly as if he were forcing himself.

"Come on Fletcher. It's okay."

His grip tightened. His heart thudded against her chest but it was slowing down. He sucked in a few deep breaths and the tension began to drain. It felt good being pressed against his body. His heart rate slowed to almost normal. Stepping away from her, he dredged up a ghost of a smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Maahes came and got me, too. It doesn't seem to affect him."

"No. We're lucky he's with us. Better get in."

He almost staggered into his seat in the vehicle. "Bloody hell. And it isn't even dark yet."

Cilla had Maahes take her around to her side of the skimmer, her hand firmly on his fur. She closed her door and Fletcher started the engine.

"I sure hope there's none of this mist around the place they're keeping Yrena," he said.

"What happened to you? What did you see?" she asked.

He licked his lips, shot a glance at her. "Memories. Dead men. A Ptorix attack." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Amazing. I wonder what controls it?"

"What?"

"The mist. If that's what it is."

"It's mist. Or more than mist. Why does everything alive have to be something we recognize?"

Fletcher reached for a bottle of water and gulped down a few mouthfuls. "And you? More memories from… before?"

She nodded. "The mist formed the shape of a man. Briggs. Mister Awful. I've had nightmares about him." Even the thought made her shudder. "Then Maahes saved me."

Fletcher was starting to recover, breathing more deeply, the haunted look in his eyes fading. Cilla hadn't imagined that someone like him could be so deeply affected. Lesson learnt. She reached out and took his hand. He smiled and returned the grip.

"Maybe we just found out why whoever built the citadel left the planet," he said softly. "That building on the rock was a fortress but it was also a prison. How do you fight something as intangible as mist?"

"Keep away from the trees."

He nodded. "Let's send out your drones."

She pulled her tech kit out of her pocket and sorted through the contents. She'd only brought two drones. The rest were in her luggage on the Galaxy Adventurer . But these two should be good enough. The size and shape of a tiny insect, she'd built them for surveillance when she needed reassurance. She switched one on and opened the window a crack so it could zoom on ahead, then directed the feed to her hand comm.

Outside, darkness gathered. The trees became shadows just beyond the width of the skimmer, a brooding, waiting danger pressing down on her mind. Cilla shoved aside her imagination and concentrated on the image coming back from the drone. Way up ahead the sky seemed lighter.

"Looks like we're coming to your clearing."

Fletcher nodded and slowed down. "Just as well. We haven't got enough fuel to go much further. Any sign of sensors?"

"No."

"They're probably attached to the house or shed or whatever it is."

A building appeared in the drone's image. Cilla directed the device to fly around the building and found a sensor near a window.

"I've got a sensor." She showed Fletcher.

"It doesn't know the drone's there?"

Cilla checked the data feed. If there had been a pulse from the sensor, she would have found it. "No."

"Check the rest of the place. Find the skimmer, see if you can see inside."

Yes, boss .

The skimmer the bandits had used to abduct Yrena was there, parked in a lean-to beside the building. As Fletcher had surmised, the clearing was large enough to be a landing field. Cilla sucked in a breath. "There's a ship."

Fletcher leaned across. "Let me see."

She could feel the heat of his body, his breath on her cheek. "Huh. An M3. It's a smaller version of the shuttles on the Galaxy Adventurer ."

He sat back. "That'll be how they were going to get her off the planet. I wonder if she's still there?"

Cilla moved the drone to a window. Lights were on inside. Three men sat at a table playing a card game. No sign of Yrena. Maybe she was already gone. Or dead. But then, why were these three here?

"Those two were part of the attack group," Fletcher said. "But I don't think the one at the end was. Can you get a closer image?"

Cilla spotted a symbol on his shirt and zoomed in, revealing a stylized bird of prey. "What's this?"

"Ah. He's a pilot. Try all the other windows, see if you can find Yrena and if there are any more men."

Cilla did as directed, finding sensors near all the windows and the door. They were all older models with a system she could hack with her eyes closed. She turned on the drone's infrared capability and checked again.

"Wow. Infrared too. This is some device," Fletcher said. "Did you get it from the military?"

She snorted. Typical. "I built them. For me. If I think something's going on, I can send them out to check."

They'd saved her sanity more than once, especially when her mother was alive. Noises in the night, rustles in the underbrush that set her heart racing could be resolved into a stray cat or a couple of drunks falling over the dustbins.

She found Yrena pacing around a room that contained nothing but a bed. "Looks like they haven't hurt her."

"No. They'd want to deliver her in one piece."

Fletcher started the engine and moved to the very edge of the clearing but settled behind the trees. The M3 was a vague shape one hundred meters or so away, the building as far in the other direction. Cilla noted that the image from the drone was quite clear, with little sign of the mist. But it was out there. Mist swirled around the skimmer, forming a face here, a heart-stopping figure there.

Pareidolia. The brain playing tricks.

Fletcher was intent on the image on her comm. "So. Three men and a very unhappy Yrena."

"Um. You weren't thinking of going out there to knock on the door?"

"Not a chance. We're going to wait until the lights go out, then I'm going to drive through the front door."

Cilla couldn't see his expression in the darkness, just the sound of his voice, soft and implacable. "And then?"

"We shoot the two thugs and take charge of the pilot."

Cilla's heart hammered again. "We kill them?"

"Have you forgotten they've already murdered two men?"

There was that. "But I don't want to be a murderer."

"Okay. We'll set to stun. But remember, do what you did in training. Imagine your target is Briggs. Believe me, they'll kill you in a heartbeat given a chance."

Time passed. Cilla wished she could see the night sky but the clouds shrouded everything. Fletcher's seat creaked as he shifted his position. A distant, rumbling roar rose in the distance and her pulse pounded. In the back, Maahes lifted his head then settled again. Not close enough to worry about, then. She concentrated on the drone.

***

Darius leaned back and waited, watching the image coming from the drone perched on a window ledge. Eventually the lights in the building went out. Using infrared, he checked that Yrena was still there, lying on the bed in the room at the back.

Time to move.

"Cilla, do your thing with the sensors. Turn them all off."

She shot him a glance then concentrated on her comm. The screen showed a parade of numbers changing too fast for him to follow. She paused, frowning. Then the numbers changed again.

The screen went blank.

She gave a sharp nod and a half grin. "Done."

Darius gave them another half hour, then turned the skimmer back onto the jungle path. The building was a darker bulk in the clearing with the M3 crouched further away. He drove around to a spot in line with the front door, checking his position with the infrared vision from the drone.

"Get your gun ready," he said, taking the Klimm out of its holster.

He glanced over at her weapon, checking her setting. Good to go. His adrenalin was starting to pump, preparing him for battle stations. However many times he'd been there it was always a thrill, a mix of fear and excitement.

"The skimmer is likely to be damaged on the way through. Get out as fast as you can. They'll come at us through the bedroom doors. Be ready to shoot as soon as you can."

The faint glow from the skimmer's console was enough for him to see her swallow and nod.

He gunned the engine, feeling himself pushed back into his seat until the vehicle slammed into the door. The crash reverberated in the darkness, a chorus of grinding and tearing. Darius pressed the buttons to open all doors, his pistol already in his hand. Cilla had to crouch to get under her damaged door. He couldn't see Maahes.

A figure appeared, silhouetted against a light. Darius shot him, looking around for the next one. The light went out but Maahes had the man on his back whimpering in fear as the cat crouched over him.

The third hadn't appeared. He was still in the third room. Cilla showed Darius the infrared image, the man trying to open the window. Darius guessed he was the pilot, trying to make a break for his machine. He'd locked the door and was trying to smash the window. Darius had Cilla shoot out the lock and shot the man as he tried to dive behind the rumpled bed.

Done. Simpler than he'd hoped. Cilla found a light switch and he narrowed his eyes against the glare.

Cilla crossed the room to Yrena's door and shot out the lock, then reached around to switch on the light. "Hey there. Nice to see you. Are you okay?"

Yrena sat on the bed, her right arm shackled to the bed post. Her makeup had smudged and her hair stood out from her head in an untidy, tangled mess. Her cheek was bruised and swollen. The boys hadn't been gentle. Fear turned into relief as she recognized Cilla.

"Get this thing off me." Yrena lifted her wrist to show the handcuff chaining her to the bed post.

Darius had to hand it to her. She covered up well. It wouldn't do to admit to being scared.

Cilla shot through the lock on the handcuffs and eased the metal away from Yrena's wrist. The band had been tight and had damaged her skin, the redness standing out.

Yrena deflated, her shoulder sagging as she rubbed her sore wrist. "Thanks. I owe you." She looked past them. "Where are the others?"

Cilla sat down on the bed beside her. "No others. Just Fletcher and me. And Maahes."

"Have you heard from my father?"

Fletcher shook his head. "There's been a severe solar storm. Otherwise, I think you would already have left the planet. Let's see if we can find some kaff or something." The adrenalin had drained away. His leg hurt and he was hungry and thirsty. He went back into the kitchen and checked the cooler.

"Where are the bastards?" Yrena asked, looking around.

"Two in there, one in the other room." Cilla had put her gun on the table and gone to heat water for kaff.

"Good. My father won't have to bother killing them."

Cilla looked up from finding mugs. "They're not dead. Just stunned."

Yrena snarled, grabbing Cilla's Klimm from the table and setting the power to maximum. Before Darius could do anything about it she'd shot the two men in one bedroom. She turned to the other room.

"Yrena, don't!" Darius lurched across to stop her as pain shot into his knee. The pilot's body jerked as the bolt hit his chest.

"You stupid idiot," Cilla growled, her lips curled in an almost feral snarl.

The satisfied smirk leached from Yrena's lips. "How dare you—"

"He was the pilot, you brainless wonder. How in hell do you think we're going to get out of here now?" Cilla almost spat the words, her eyes sparking with fury.

Yrena took a step backwards, suddenly uncertain. Darius swallowed the grin. She wasn't used to not being in control. "But… you got here."

"Yes. In that." Cilla flung her arm at the skimmer stuck in the doorway. "It's not going anywhere."

"Oh." The woman licked her lips. "I'm sure my father—"

"I'm sure he would. But he's not here, is he? And I'm sure you already know you can't contact him."

"They did something to my implant," Yrena murmured.

"Of course they did," Cilla grated. "What did you expect?"

Cilla had the upper hand, her anger flashing in her eyes but Yrena wasn't likely to back down. Better intercede.

"Cilla, why don't you finish making some kaff?"

She glared at him, eyes narrowed, and for a moment he thought she might argue. Maahes distracted her, rubbing against her leg. She looked down at him and fondled his ears. Smart cat.

"Go on. I'm sure you need kaff as much as I do."

Cilla turned away and Yrena smirked. Darius fixed her with a stare that brought the roughest recruits into line. "Yrena, I don't know about you but I could use some food. It's been a while since we ate. I've got some ideas but food first. Okay?"

The hiss of the kettle broke the silence.

Yrena frowned, hesitating for a count of three but then she stood. "Okay."

"Something we don't have to cook. "

"They gave me bread and some sort of cheese."

He nodded. "Sounds good."

Cilla carried mugs to the table. The two women stared at each other as they passed but it seemed they had an armed truce. Darius figured he'd like to keep it that way.

"Cilla, how about you fetch three ration packs from the skimmer?"

She shot him a glance that would have withered grass, but she went to the wrecked vehicle while Yrena found the bread and cheese and some mismatched plates. She wiped down the knife resting in the sink and brought it to the table.

"The bread's not exactly fresh," she remarked as she cut thick slices.

Darius's stomach rumbled. "I don't care. I reckon I could eat a block of wood."

Cilla returned with three ration packs. Darius pulled the tags to open them and in a few moments the scent of a stew filled the room. The bread would be useful to mop up the juices.

Yrena finished her meal and sighed. "That was seriously yummy. They didn't feed me much."

He had to admit the meal wasn't bad. Ration packs might become tiresome after a few days but right now the food was delicious. And it would also be properly balanced, he noted to himself with a grin, with all the vitamins and such that a person would need. It said so on the pack.

As Cilla cleared away the plates, Yrena said, "So. What happens now?"

"I was always planning to take the M3. The aircraft sitting out there. I'd hoped to have a live pilot." Yrena's eyes flickered but Darius figured it was just as well he wasn't expecting an apology.

"But I should be able to fly the ship. Probably the safest thing to do is head for Newport. From there, we should be able to contact your father."

"What's Newport?"

"The nearest thing this planet has to a capital. We should be able to fix your implant there."

"I might be able to do that," Cilla said.

Yrena's eyebrows shot up. "You?"

Cilla's lip curled. "Yes, me. Digital systems is my specialty. I take it they didn't remove anything?"

"No. Not that I know of."

Cilla nodded. "That would have made a mess. It'll be a blocking app. I should be able to uninstall it." She took out her comm, which Darius was beginning to realize was much more than just a comm, and opened a link showing a procession of numbers. She frowned. "It's a blocking app but it's sophisticated," she muttered. "I'll have to break the passkey. It might take a while."

"Do I have to sit here? I was hoping for a shower."

Cilla blinked. "A shower? In a minute."

Darius placed his hand on her shoulder. "Cilla, we can do this later. We have to get out of here before whoever organized this comes looking."

Her eyes widened and she stared up at him. "Yes. Of course. Go have your shower, Yrena. We can do this on the ship."

Yrena scuttled off. Darius would bet she'd forgotten about the greater threat, too. To be honest, so had he. Flying an M3 wasn't going to come naturally but he'd been in its larger cousin often enough. He should be able to work it out.

Leaving Cilla with Yrena, he searched the pilot's pockets and belongings for anything that might be useful and made his way out to the vehicle in the clearing. The horizon was lightening. Only a few wisps of mist hung around the ship but the gaps between the trees almost seemed to writhe. His heart thundered. No wonder everybody told them not to stray out at night. That episode out there in the jungle had been terrifying. He'd imagined dead men walking, Ptorix corpses with flailing arms.

He stopped, swallowing down the fear. Having this jungle behind the after burners couldn't come soon enough.

The pilot's comm opened the ship and let down the access ramp. He made his way to the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's chair.

***

While the water ran in the shower Cilla plucked up the nerve to search the bodies of the two dead men. If Fletcher could do it, so could she, even if the task conjured up memories of Mister Awful. She found their weapons and took their comms.

She rocked back on her heels, examining the old style comm units. This was the best they had? Models like this one went back a good ten standard years. Oh! They would have used one of these to block Yrena's implant. That would make life easier.

The water was turned off. A few minutes later Yrena appeared. She'd tied back her wet hair and dressed in the clothes she had with her, although she'd made an effort to tidy them. This wasn't the assured, full-of-herself socialite she projected on the cruise ship.

"Um. Thanks for coming after me. You didn't have to. I'm really grateful. I know I didn't sound like it."

Wow. An apology. That wouldn't happen often. "That's okay. I'm glad you're all right."

Yrena pulled out a chair and sat down. "Why?"

Cilla stared at her. "Why what?"

"Did you come after me? Or was that Commander Fletcher?"

Cilla shook her head. Why did people always have to think that men were the heroes? "He came with me. I was the one who wanted to find you."

"Why?"

She'd gone through this in her head. What to tell her? Not too much. Her father was a crook. "I…" She spread her hands. "I was a hostage once a long time ago. I remembered how scared and helpless I felt. The police here weren't going to do anything. In fact, we think they were probably in on it. Somebody had to do something. So, I did."

"And Commander Fletcher? Why did he come?"

Cilla shrugged. "To look after me, I suppose." Because I'm the president's daughter .

Yrena nodded. "He's soft on you. I thought so."

Cilla jolted upright. "What?"

"Oh come on. He's always where you are. And I've seen the way he looks at you."

"Rubbish. He's like my big brother." Or a bodyguard .

Yrena's left eyebrow arched. "I don't think brothers are supposed to do that sort of thing with their sisters."

But he wasn't her big brother and she wouldn't mind at all. She remembered that hug in the jungle, two frightened people clinging to each other. It felt right. It was pointless, though. She couldn't afford to tell Yrena what it was really all about. After Fletcher saw her safe to Malmos she'd probably never see him again.

Yrena's voice, soft and reflective, broke into her thoughts. "You were right. I was terrified. I'm sure one of them was going to rape me. He said why not? I'd probably enjoy it." She shuddered. "The pilot stopped him."

Cilla knew how that felt. The memory of that dreadful evening was always there, lurking in the background. "Come on. Let's see how Commander Fletcher is getting on with that M3."

She eased her way past the wreck of the skimmer lying in the broken doorway like a dead bird and hesitated beside what was left of the door, her heart racing. There was no sign of the mist and Maahes was right there beside her, his body warm against her leg.

" You are safe. I am with you ."

She stepped out, resisting the urge to run. She focused on the ship's ramp, taking long strides while Maahes trotted along beside her. With the solid tread of the ramp beneath her feet, she paused and sucked in a deep breath.

Yrena had followed her. She stared, her expression puzzled. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. The jungle is a scary place." She put a hand on Yrena's shoulder. "Come on. Let's find Fletcher." Who is not my big brother .

He was in the pilot's chair, checking over the controls.

"All okay?" Cilla asked.

"Should be. I'm a bit rusty, some of the controls are slightly different but I'll manage. Ready to leave?" He gazed between them.

Cilla nodded. "You bet. The sooner the better."

He grinned. "Me too. Take the seats in the cabin."

Cilla made sure Maahes was in a harness, then sat down beside Yrena. They exchanged a glance and Yrena swallowed.

The engines fired up, thrumming steadily.

" Carmeni. Respond please ." The voice, speaking standard, came into the cabin from the speaker.

"Damn. Not a word, ladies," Fletcher grated as he opened the comm. "Receiving."

" Do you have the goods ?"

"Yes."

" We're in position above you. Deliver when ready ."

"Got that." Fletcher closed the comm.

Dread in her heart, Cilla leaned forward, gazing at the ship's tracking screen. An icon had appeared, with a route displayed.

"What goods? What's he talking about?" Yrena asked, her hand on Cilla's arm.

"You. That'll be the ship waiting for you." Goods. Not a person, just a commodity.

"Count yourself lucky," Fletcher said. "The ship was probably delayed by the solar storm, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Hang on tight, girls. Things might get jumpy."