Page 19 of Enthraller
“What’s that?” she asked.
“A crystal chip. The Breakaways used to use them to store funds. No VSC member would have one, they’re absolutely useless here. I think they may well be born on Arkhor, but I think they’re more recently from Garmen or Lassa. I think they’re Cores thugs.”
She was so surprised, she stopped. Looked over at him.
He shrugged. “I’ve got a friend on Arkhor, Nyha Bartoli. Her parents and mine were close on Halatia. The Halatian Interests Association connected all surviving Halatians with each other after we’d been settled on other planets of the Verdant String, so those of us who were left could keep in touch.”
“And she told you something about the former breakaways?”
“She told me that Arkhor suspected that some of the Core Companies from the breakaway planets were developing new tech in partnership with the Caruso, and they tried to use her and four young Halatian girls as hostages to get hold of some ancient tech.”
“You’re talking about Cepi,” Wren said, astonished. “You’re talking about the Cepi incident. That was your friend?”
Ed nodded. “She’s fine, and so are her wards, but that’s thanks to Arkhor SF. The people who were behind the Cepi incident were ruthless.”
“And the crystal chip tells you these two aren’t VSC residents? They’re working for the Cores?” Wren asked. “Butthe breakaways were taken back by the VSC. You think they’re mercenaries for hire now?”
Ed paused. “That’s actually a possibility. But more likely, they’re with the Cores execs who ran from Arkhoran and Baldivas authorities when they took back Garmen and Lassa. At least four of the top owners of the Core Companies got away when things got out of control on both those planets, and the Caruso were caught up in both incidents as well.”
“The VSC thinks the Caruso have been hiding them?”
“If not hiding them, at least giving them information. I can’t see there being too much trust between the two groups, given the Caruso looked like they were planning on double-crossing the Cores on both breakaways in the end.” Ed grimaced. “I still have a few friends in the SF, and I heard what went down on those planets. But since then, both sides might have found it suited them to let bygones be bygones for the moment.”
“But why are they after us?” They were close to home now, and Wren stepped away from Ed a little.
“Either they don’t want you talking to anyone official about that wreck, or they want to kill the only person left on Aponi who can work the Guan scanner.” Ed lifted his shoulders.
“More likely you,” Wren said after thinking it through. She pushed aside the vines and pushed open the door into the courtyard.
“Why do you say that?” Ed asked, closing up behind him.
“I told Captain Harden I barely got a good look at it and I couldn’t say exactly where it was located.” It had been close to the truth. She’d been running for her life at the time.
“Someone suspects that’s not true,” Ed told her, hooking his jacket behind the kitchen door. “And you gave them every reason to think they’re right and that you not only know where it is, but that you took some tech away with you, after that display this morning.”
Wren closed her eyes, rubbed a hand over her face. “Damn.”
“If it helps,” Ed said, gently taking her own jacket off her shoulders, and hanging it beside his own, “I think they’re after me, too. Two for one. That’s what they tried this morning. Someone thinks they’re too clever by half, planning something like that.”
“Should we split up?” Wren asked, looking up at him as he turned to her. “Make it harder for them to get us both?”
Ed tilted his head. “That would probably be the clever thing to do,” he admitted. “But that’s not going to happen.”
She reached out and took both of his hands, felt the sinking feeling weighing down her gut. “Why not?”
“Because I’m not leaving you.” He curled his fingers around her wrists, neatly reversing her hold. “We’re more of a target together, but we’re more of a threat, too.”
Neither of them brought up the obvious. Ed obviously refused to go there, and Wren was too much of a coward too broach the subject of whether he was still under the thrall of her nanos.
They promised they’d reversed it all, but she couldn’t see how.
Always, he told her.
He’d known her less than a day.
8
Ed woketo the sound of Wren moving around in the kitchen.
