Movement at the edge out the window caught Dez’s eye. Someone was running past the high tower that held the landing assistance personnel, carrying a large case. Their outer wear was less appropriate than his own. So probably not Kolben personnel. But the guy wasn’t blue, so not Varik either. A truck pulled up blocking Dez’s view of where the man was heading.
Dez exited the warmth of the building. He opened the passenger side door. “You collecting the goods fromThe Treasure?”
“Sure am.”
Dez climbed in and shut the door. “I’m Dez. I’ll help you with the thuringies.”
“Cool man. Those things scare the tits off me.” The driver was a big guy, hairy. Rhysa’s type if the stories he’d heard were true. The man should be more concerned about her than some well-trained dogs.
Sure enough Rhysa followed the male back to the cargo bays and “helped” him with the fresh produce. Dez would have waved her off, but it game him time to muzzle each dog, pet Credit who pressed his big head into Dez’s waist. “Don’t worry, boy. We’ll still see each other.”
Credit barked.
Dez laughed.
Until the dog barked again. Then the entire pack alerted. They pulled on their leashes, dragging him from the cargo bay. Princess followed on his heels. He let go of the leashes and tucked Princess in a kennel. She was too little to get exposed to the cold temps of Kolben.
The dogs raced for the exit. Had they smelled the fresh air? In all the cycles he’d worked with them, they’d never acted like that. Dez ran as hard as he could. They were already on the ramp, but instead of running into the open space as he’d expected, they ran under the ship and came to a screeching halt. Single staccato barks punctuated the frigid air.
Footsteps in the snow led up to where the dogs had trampled the trail. Dez traced his gaze over the metal panels ofThe Treasure. There, on the side of Cyra’s ship, a gray metal box clung to one of the access ports. Blaize’s engine room lay beyond, if Dez had the dimensions correct. Had the dogs heard it being placed or something worse. The dogs could smell things no humanoid ever could.
He placed a hand on the box, warm. And big, like one of the screens on deck, but thicker, much thicker. A red light blinked at the base. A horrible foreboding filled his chest.
He grasped the box with both hands and tugged. After a brief resistance, long enough for doubt to shoot through him, the magnetic connection released. Dez clutched the box close.
“Vas.” Dez held up his palm to the muzzled dogs. He dashed away fromThe Treasure. Away from the tower. Away from the office building, thanking the gods when the thuringies obeyed his command to stay. He reached the end of the landing pad. The box began to beep. Dez stopped. He checked the box. The red light was solid. Dez lifted the box to throw it as hard as he could toward the open icy field.
Chapter39
The orange-red glowlit up the screens of theHarlan Johnson. The beauty of the explosive fire against the frozen landscape took Varik’s breath. A moment later the boom reverberated through his chair on the deck. He craned his neck to peer down the darkened hallway. Jarn should be bursting in any second. Should already be here. Varik’s chest tightened. “Karnek, where’s Jarn.”
“Unknown, Captain.”
Fuck.The smoke and kicked up ice settled, andThe Treasureappeared on-screen.
No.
It should be a rubbled mess. Where was the gaping hole? Where were the fire suppression units coming to douse the fuel rods in foam before they blew too? Where was Jarn?
Movement drew Varik’s attention from his perfectly intact ship. Kolben personnel. “Karnek, launch.”
“Uh, Captain?”
Varik darted to Jarn’s seat. The navigation had already been programmed in. “Tell everyone to brace for launch.”
Karnek made the announcement. Varik clicked the harness in place, the one that should have wrapped his lover in safety. But if his lover had failed, it was likely he was dead. Jarn would want him to escape. Varik keyed in the launch sequence and braced. TheHarlan Johnsonshot into the air.
As soon as they cleared the atmosphere, he checked their fuel readings. No way they could make it to Cassan. Arbotriz would be a stretch. Would the Kolben authorities come after them? Varik hadn’t seen a bunch of ships on the pad ready to launch. There had been a few small response ships in the storage units he’d sniffed around. Nothing that would allow them to chase theJohnson. But their comms could cross distances. Varik racked his brain for a solution.
“Captain?” Karnek’s inquiry gave Varik the kick he needed.
“Find an off books fuel depot. Darknet.”
“Aye?”
“Now. Closest one.” There was no point in not accepting the reality of his position. Even if he wasn’t being held responsible for the bomb yet, he would be. And he had a stolen ship, and was flying without an authorized flight plan or authorization to leave the planet. All of which were punishable offenses. He was officially a criminal. Accepting that fact opened doors, closed some too, but since Cyra still had his ship andThe Treasurewas still operational, Varik still had work to do.
And she had another debt to pay. Jarn. An aching hole opened in Varik’s chest. He’d lost Jarn. And it was all Cyra’s fault. There was no way the bomb should have failed. How had it exploded and killed his lover? Varik might never figure that out, but he knew to his bones it was Cyra’s fault. She might as well have slashed a knife along Jarn’s throat. Varik would get revenge for him. No matter how long it took. And instead of settling for destroyingThe Treasureas he’d been willing to do, the loss of Jarn meant war. Not only would he take backThe Treasure, he would destroy Cyra and everyone else who dared to help her take what was his.
