Fifteen

Chapter

“We need to check in with the captain,” Norem said. “The Centaurans insist on having one of theirs at the head of all their ships now, but the rest of this crew are all Tau Ceti. They’re all mine. And, in case you get any ideas, there’s what the Earthing’s call a ‘dead-man’s switch’ on this device. Such a clever phrase—and an even more clever concept. If I die, a fatal charge builds in K-0’s tank. Shouldn’t take more than a few seconds. Your Cygnian friend might think to smash the tank to get her out in time, but with how cramped the space is, I doubt you could succeed without grievously injuring her or even killing her yourself.”

Norem chuckled. “Let’s all just avoid that moral conundrum and play nice. As soon as we’re done with the captain, we can all get comfy in our labs. K-0 will have to accompany us for the time being, of course. Until you both realize that I will inflict pain—and damage—on her whenever necessary to keep you in line.”

“ What are we going to do? ” Hayley’s grip on Rom’s hand tightened.

“ Bide our time ,” he thought back. “ Wait for our opportunity and do everything we can to help my prism find us. They’re working on getting the Centaurans to sever ties with the Tau Ceti as well. That might work to our advantage, if they succeed .”

“ The entire crew is Tau Ceti, except for the captain, ” Hayley thought.

Mindy let out a whine and butted Hayley’s free hand with her nose. Hayley rested her head on the dog’s scruff instinctively.

“ It’ll be okay, ” she thought to them both. “ Won’t it? ”

Knowing that at least Mindy was safe from Norem—as safe as anyone could be—Hayley didn’t feel like she was lying when she replied, “ It will. We’ll get through this .”

She forced herself to believe the thought-speak and found that she walked with her back a bit straighter, her head higher. Rom might have noticed the difference in her, because he also squared his shoulders, glancing down at her with a smile as he sent warmth through their bond. Somehow, she returned it and meant it. They were going to get through this, together.

They passed through the docking bay, walking silently down corridor after corridor, deeper into the ship. Finally, another broad set of doors opened before them, revealing what she thought must be the bridge. Four men were inside. Three sat at sleek command kiosks, the workstations’ tops curving in graceful arcs. The bulky builds of the men, along with their identical haircuts, gave them away as Tau Ceti soldiers as clearly as their uniforms. They barely glanced at Hayley and her odd party.

The fourth man was already standing off to one side, his arms crossed over his wide chest as he stared at the viewscreen. His pale blond hair was longer, pulled back in a tie, but would brush his shoulders when loose. His jaw was chiseled and clean-shaven, his eyes a piercing green. They widened slightly and his lips parted when he turned to them and saw her, but the expression vanished so quickly, she wasn’t sure what she had seen. Focus and command settled over his features.

“Take stations,” he snapped at the three soldiers accompanying their group. “If you’re going to be on my ship, you’re going to work.”

They looked to Norem, who nodded. The triad of soldiers hurried to various points at the bridge’s bulkhead and began tapping command buttons and attending to data scrolling on small screens at their workstations. Norem kept his smile in place, but Hayley could see how the skin around his eyes tightened. He pressed a button on his bracer and Katie’s tank slowly settled to the floor.

“You have ten seconds to explain why you have someone in a tank before I escort you to an airlock and let you find another transport,” the captain said.

“ I kinda like this guy, ” Rom thought. Mindy chuffed a broad-mouthed laugh.

Something about him had Hayley’s skin crawling. An awareness that wasn’t quite right. It was probably that he was flippantly talking about killing Norem, and if that happened, Katie would follow. Norem still held the device in his hand and was keeping his distance. That only put him closer to the captain, who seemed to like him about as much as they did.

“She’s insurance,” Norem said. “The only thing keeping this Cygnian prisoner from destroying your ship and killing everyone on it is the woman in this tank.” Norem held up the device. “He doesn’t behave, she suffers for it.”

The captain’s lips curled up in a sneer. He shook his head and turned away.

“ The Centaurans entered the war because of experiments the High Council conducted on their people, ” Rom thought. “ They can’t stand anyone experimenting on other life forms. ”

“ Can we use that to our advantage here? ” Hayley wondered.

“ If we tell him the truth, it’ll only get the captain killed, ” Rom thought back. “ He’s surrounded by enemies and he doesn’t even know it. ”

“I don’t like how you Tau Ceti operate,” the captain commented.

Maybe he had a better idea of it than they thought.

Norem closed the distance between them, standing at the captain’s side. “We still get the job done.”

“Captain, we’ve reached a safe distance,” one of the men seated at the command kiosks said.

The captain nodded curtly. “On screen.”

A station filled the viewscreen. Three dark bronze rings surrounded a central blob that resembled a half-melted mushroom. Hayley shuddered as she recognized the Tau Ceti design. That was where she’d been held. Where she’d been tormented… and probably created.

“Proceed,” the captain said. “Maximum power to shields.”

Moments later, the screen filled with light. The deck beneath them shifted as a wave of force blew out from somewhere—from where the station used to be. Hayley blinked against the fading light. Bits of debris floated past their view against the dark backdrop of space.

Norem turned to them and smiled. “It’s standard procedure when a base is compromised. When your prism arrives, they’ll find no clues about where we’re heading. No glimpses into our plans.”

“They will find you,” Rom growled. “And when they do, they will make you pay for all you’ve done.”

Norem laughed, a broad smile stretching his face. “Your prism doesn’t scare me. I’ve had Hayley for months while the most notorious Scorpiian in the universe searched for her. If he can’t find me, no one can. I am untouchable.”

His smile vanished as his mouth dropped open, his eyes widening in shock. He looked over his shoulder at the captain, who had lashed out more rapidly than Hayley could track, and now stood right behind Norem, the fingers of one hand on Norem’s shoulder, digging into his flesh.

“Might want to rethink that,” the captain said, in a low even voice.

Behind them, electricity blasted out from the command stations, wrapping around the Tau Ceti soldiers stationed there. The men jerked and spasmed uncontrollably, smoke rising from their bodies and filling the room with a horrible stench. Hayley covered her mouth as she retched, the men falling lifelessly to the deck. The air processors kicked in, circulating the air and filtering away the scent of charred flesh.

Mindy started barking at Norem and the captain, the fur along her spine standing up like Rom’s spine plates. Wave after wave of nauseating goosebumps coated Hayley’s body. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be—

Norem made a gurgling sound as his face became puffy, snakelike rivulets squirming beneath his skin. Silver liquid dribbled from the corners of his eyes and mouth. The captain’s face twisted in a rage unlike anything Hayley had ever seen before, contorting until he was unrecognizable—until he… was.

“You dared to take what’s mine,” the captain said, his skin glowing silver. “Now I’m taking what’s yours. Your ship. Your work. Your life.”

Norem let out one last gasp and went limp before he fell to the deck, a gaping hole in his back. The silver liquid retreated, flowing over his body toward the man standing behind him. It pooled at the man’s feet, flowing up his legs and merging with his clothing. The silver light emanating from him faded. He ran a shaking hand through what was now his disheveled, short brown hair. His other arm hung at his side—still silver. Norem’s blood dripped from its sharp, gleaming point. It morphed back to a regular hand as he looked up at her, his soulful brown eyes filled with pain and regret.

“Dean…” Hayley whispered.