Page 42 of Enthraller
“We’ve connected the dots, but to most people, it’s just a fake tourist item from Kalastoni,” Wren said. “It might be a handy way for them to identify themselves to their partners, or a way to pass along a message?—”
Before she finished speaking, they all heard the sound of someone entering the passage.
Ed moved from beside her to in front of her, next to Hatch.
Frustrated, she crouched down, where she got a better view of someone moving nervously down the corridor.
“Yes?” Ed snapped the question.
The person stopped, then moved again, and Hatch reactivated the light on his jacket, strengthening the light from above so they could finally see who they were dealing with.
The man was wearing what Wren guessed was a captain’s uniform, although this was a private freighter, not a military ship. Most likely the freighter was part of a transport company, but she hadn’t thought to ask Hatch about it beforehand.
“I’m Captain Masin. My purser showed me where you went in,” Masin said, and Wren gave him points for at least trying to sound like he didn’t know about the secret passage. “I wanted to see what you found, and feel you should have waited for me before you entered.”
“That’s not how it works,” Ed said. “This is an undeclared space, and I certainly don’t think you’ve registered twenty-five packages of bonami on your manifest.”
Masin was silent for a beat. “Twenty-five?” His voice shook a little.
“Someone told you it was less, or more?” Hatch asked.
“No one told me anything!” Masin drew himself up.
“Then you did this all by yourself?” Ed asked, politely.
It was at that point that Masin went a little mad.
Later, Wren wondered if it had been him who’d been sampling the product, and he had become addicted. Or maybe it was just that he realized there was no getting out of the situation without consequences.
He gave a shout and lunged at Hatch and Ed, and they both deployed their laz at the same time.
Masin went down with a strange, animalistic cry, and lay, convulsing, on the ground.
“Two medium strength hits at the same time,” Ed said, looking down at him. “Next time, we should work out which of us goes first.”
Hatch gave a nod, also standing over Masin, calmly watching him. “Agreed. First time working together always requires a learning curve.”
“Got a reviver?” Wren asked them, straightening up from her crouch.
“Yes.” Ed pulled a slim cylinder out from one of the many pockets in his jacket and handed it to her.
Wren bent over Masin and punched the needle into his upper arm.
He stilled, closed his eyes, and his breathing evened out.
“So what now?” She’d never been involved in the pointy end of discovery. She was always brought in once the dust had settled.
Hatch tapped his ear. “You got all that, Bailey?”
“Got it,” Bailey said in Wren’s ear, and she realized they had been transmitting since they arrived. “Protection has been informed, and they will be arriving shortly with two Ports and Excise officers.” She paused. “Maybe stay where you are until they arrive. The rest of the freighter’s crew seems unhappy.”
Ed glanced back at Wren. “Will do.”
“Not on my account,” Wren said.
“Humor me.” Ed sent her a charming smile. “I’m easily stressed.”
Hatch snorted out a laugh, then tried to cover it with a cough.
