It was dark when Draven reached Iral, but getting there had been simple enough. The high-speed train took him right to the heart of the city. From the station, it was only a few blocks to the tall, glass-and-steel apartment building where Miko said the rest of the team would meet him. As he approached the front entrance, he tugged on the thread connecting him to Miko. <All right, I’m here.>
A mixture of tension and relief vibrated down the thread. <Pat’s waiting for you in the lobby. I can see him pacing through the surveillance camera.>
Draven had only met Pat Cottrell once before, when he’d been in FedSec custody, but he recognized the man instantly. He was of average height and build, with dark brown hair and dark eyes. At first glance, he didn’t look that dangerous, but Cottrell had been a field agent for years before he’d been promoted to the directorship of FedSec’s psi hunter unit.
It wouldn’t do to underestimate him.
Cottrell was dressed in a finely tailored, dark grey suit. The white shirt would be a problem if the plan involved slipping through dark alleys, so Draven guessed they’d be walking in the front doors.
A muscle in Cottrell’s jaw twitched as Draven entered the lobby and held his hands out to his sides to show that he wasn’t holding a weapon.
“Draven.” Cottrell’s lips pressed together in a grim excuse for a smile that didn’t even come close to touching his eyes. “Thanks for coming.”
“Cottrell.” Draven gave him a brief nod. “Miko says we have a truce.”
“We do. The rest of the team is upstairs in my apartment. We need to go over the plan with you before we leave.”
Draven followed him to the elevator. A volatile mixture of anger and adrenaline roiled through Cottrell’s mythe-shadow, so close to the surface that anything Draven said was likely to ignite it. He kept his mouth firmly shut as they rode up to the twentieth floor.
Cottrell’s apartment was sparsely furnished, with nothing out of place. Sitting at the table were two men Draven recognized immediately: Alek McKinnon and Luka Valdari.
McKinnon got to his feet, tension evident in every line of his body. “Is he armed?” The question was addressed to Cottrell, but McKinnon kept his gaze fixed on Draven.
“I hope so.” Cottrell turned to Draven. “Are you?”
Draven pulled the semi-automatic Cam had given him out of his jacket and held it up.
McKinnon’s eyes widened as he recognized the weapon. He started to speak, but Cottrell silenced him with a warning look.
The kid — Luka — kept his mouth shut, sharp green eyes darting from face to face, taking in every nuance of expression.
“Is Miko ready?” Cottrell asked. “We’ve been out of touch with him since we left the shuttle.”
“I’ll check,” Draven said, and gave the thread a tug. <Cottrell wants to know if you’re ready. They’re not very happy to see me.>
<They’ll be happy when this is done,> Miko told him. <I’m ready.>
“Miko is ready,” Draven said.
Cottrell gestured toward the table. “Then let’s take a look at the map and get you briefed on the plan. If you have anything to add or any concerns about it, don’t hesitate to bring them up.”
Draven moved toward the table and looked down at the map.
“Miko thought hard copy would be safest,” Cottrell said. “This is FedSec Central Processing, where Cam and Eleni are being held. Main floor is administration and testing. Holding cells and interrogation rooms are a level down, here. Draven, can you ask Miko where Cam is now?”
<Miko, they want to know where Cam is.> Draven sent.
<They moved him and Eleni to the holding cells. Cameron is in the first on the left as you go in the main door of the holding area. Eleni’s in the cell opposite. Cameron’s been unconscious for at least an hour.> Miko’s anxiety was green and spiky, and growing by the second. <They tried to hurt Eleni,> he continued. <I saw it on the vid-feed. She started screaming, and Cameron collapsed right after that. They’re going to give him a few hours, and then they’re going to drug him with something to force him out of it. Bad drugs, Diri. They could kill him. You need to hurry.>
Draven relayed the information to the others, pointing out the cells on the map.
“The bastards hurt Eleni?” Luka’s voice was high and sharp.
“We guessed they would, Luka,” Cottrell said. “It’s not worth their time to hurt Cam, and they know it.”
McKinnon cast a wary eye toward Draven. “How do you know he’s telling the truth? We have no way of verifying what Miko actually said to him. He could get us all arrested without even trying.”
“Including myself,” Draven said drily. “Don’t worry, McKinnon. Your goals and mine are aligned at the moment.” He gave McKinnon a wolfish grin. “I’ll give you a five-minute warning if that should change.”
Luka snickered, and McKinnon glared.
“Let’s just get this done, all right?” Cottrell said. “Once Cam is safe, we go our separate ways, but until then, we’re a team. That means we have to trust each other. Can we do that?” He looked from McKinnon to Draven and back again.
“Don’t lecture me on trust, Cottrell,” Draven said softly. “If anyone’s in enemy territory here, it’s me.”
“He’s got a point, Alek,” Luka said. “Took some industrial-sized balls just to walk in here, man.” He paused long enough to give Draven an approving nod. “He wants Cam out of there as bad as we do. Ain’t that enough? After we get Cam out, you don’t ever have to see him again.”
McKinnon responded with a loud sigh and a small, reluctant nod.
Cottrell leaned over the map. “So the plan is—”
“Does FedSec have access to Drexavin?” Draven asked.
Cottrell blinked. “What?”
“Drexavin. You might know it by a different name. It’s a drug that makes psions and non-psions alike invisible to psi. Romani’s operatives use it whenever there’s a chance they might tangle with your psi hunters. I’ve been out of the loop since the Aion Incident, so I don’t know if it’s hit the open market yet or not.”
“I’ve had a number of field operatives report the existence of a drug that can do that,” Cottrell said, “but they didn’t know the name of it, and FedSec doesn’t use it.”
“Are you certain?” Sergei would never have made Drexavin available to any but his own people, but Alan was in charge now, and he had very different ideas regarding the handling of Cy-Tek’s intellectual property.
“I’m the director of their psi hunter unit,” Cottrell said. “I’d better be. A drug that could make my agents invisible to psions would be a powerful weapon to have in our arsenal. Believe me, if something like that was coming down the pipe, I’d know about it.”
Some of the tension melted out of Draven’s shoulders and neck. If they didn’t have to worry about FedSec officers drugged against psi, they might just have a chance of pulling this off. “All right, what’s your plan?”
* * *
Draven was not used to an infiltration operation going so smoothly. Cottrell had a private parking spot on the roof of the building that housed FedSec Central Processing, and it was late enough in the evening that most of the staff had gone home. Nobody even looked askance at a director-level executive whose ID and thumbprint opened every single locked door. They didn’t pay much mind to his entourage, either, thanks to McKinnon’s ability to make them blend in.
Draven had thought he was along to communicate with Miko, so doors could be opened and surveillance equipment tampered with, but with Cottrell’s high-level clearance, there was little for him and Miko to do. It wasn’t until they reached the holding cells that Miko’s talents came into play. Cottrell got them into the holding area, but didn’t have access to the individual cells.
Cam and Eleni were right where Miko said they’d be, on opposite sides of the hallway. Eleni was on her feet, pacing the cell. Her eyes widened in recognition as she saw them, and Draven sensed both surprise and grudging approval as her gaze settled on him.
In the cell across the hall, Cam lay on the bunk. He looked unconscious, but his mind felt farther away than it should, even taking into account the fact that they’d probably drugged him with Anarin. Across the openings of both cells, force-walls hummed and flickered.
<Can you lower the force-walls on the holding cells?> Draven sent to Miko.
<Working on it…> Miko replied.
They waited in silence until finally, the air in front of the cells shimmered, and the lights around the perimeters went out. Draven was into Cam’s cell and kneeling at his side before anyone else had even moved. Moments later, Eleni knelt beside him and ran her hands over Cam’s unresponsive body, dark eyes focused inward.
“He doesn’t feel like he’s unconscious,” Draven said.
“This isn’t physical,” she replied. “They gave him Anarin, but not enough to knock him out.”
“We don’t have time for this now,” McKinnon said, pushing his way in between them. Eleni was nudged gently out of the way, but Draven got an elbow in the ribs. He scowled as McKinnon hoisted Cam up over his shoulder and straightened up. “Let’s get the hell out of here before someone notices us.”
Draven started to followed him but staggered when Miko tugged hard on the thread connecting them.
<Diri, someone’s coming toward the cell block!>
“Someone’s coming,” Draven said in a low voice.
Cottrell’s eyes unfocused briefly. “Four. Not psions.”
Draven drew his stunner, but before he reached the door, the mythe stirred, and a controlled burst of psi-energy flashed through the hallway beyond the cell block.
“They’re down,” Cottrell murmured. “Good work, Luka. Let’s get them into the holding cells. Quickly!”
Though Draven had been briefed on Luka’s abilities, it was still impressive to see him in action. He gave the kid a quick nod of approval, which was returned with a cocky grin.
When the unconscious men had been dragged into the cells, Draven sent to Miko, <Can you do something to hide this mess?>
<Already done. Video loop of Cameron lying on the bunk. And I did Eleni pacing in the other cell. Nobody will see anything unusual unless they come down here. I’m changing the access codes to the security system. It’ll take them a while to get in here once they figure out something’s wrong. You need to get out before they’re missed. The halls are clear for now, but they won’t be for long. The one in scrubs is a medic, and they’re waiting on his report before they decide what to do with Cameron.>
“Need to hurry,” Draven told the others. “They’re waiting on a report from the med-tech.”
“Right, let’s move.” Cottrell pulled Eleni close to his side.
Miko reset the force-walls on the holding cells, and they were just leaving when Draven sensed another stirring in the mythe. Extending his psi-senses, he caught a whiff of a potential problem. <Miko, there’s a psion tracking us… this floor, across the building… can you get a visual, maybe help us avoid him?>
<I see her. Cheryl Tanaka. She’s a psi hunter. She sensed Luka’s psi-blast. I can help you avoid her, but you’ll need to move quickly.>
“Psi hunter headed this way,” Draven reported. “Miko’s tracking her. He’s going to show me the safest way out.”
McKinnon muttered a curse under his breath, but Cottrell moved aside and let Draven lead the way. With Miko murmuring directions in his head, Draven led them through the building and up to the roof without incident.
The cold night air was a shock after the warmth of the building. A dusting of snow covered the tarmac and more swirled through the air.
They were only halfway across the roof when the high-pitched whine of a stun-shot rang out, and Luka yelled from just behind him, “Alek, move your ass, we got company!”
Draven turned to see several men in FedSec uniforms pouring out of the rooftop access. One of them setting up a huge weapon: a stun-field generator. That could end the rescue mission damn quick. His own stunner didn’t have the range to hit the whole group, so he set it to fire a concentrated beam, aiming for the man with the generator. Before he could fire, every uniformed figure crumpled to the ground.
At the same moment, Luka dropped to his knees, retching. Draven grabbed the kid and hauled him to the flyer with one arm, keeping his own body between the door and Luka.
When he reached the flyer, the engines were already humming. He shoved the kid in and climbed in after him. The moment the door was shut, he yelled, “Okay, go!” and the flyer lifted into the air. In the middle seat, Luka was struggling with the safety harness, his hands shaking too much to fasten it. Draven settled next to him and helped him strap in. “You okay?”
“Shit, that hurt,” Luka muttered, pressing his hands to his head. “Never done two so close together before.”
“Worth it,” Draven told him. “If they’d managed to fire that thing, we would have all gone down.”
<Diri, tell Alek to stay low and out of the traffic lanes,> Miko’s voice whispered in Draven’s head. <I’ll do my best to keep you off the grid.>
“Stay low, McKinnon. Miko’s trying to get us off the grid.”
“Will they come after us?” Eleni asked from the seat behind him, where she was seeing to Cam.
Draven twisted around to look past Eleni, into the darkness behind them. He could see nothing, and when he swept his awareness out toward the building, he sensed nothing that felt like pursuit.
“I don’t think they’ll dare,” Draven said slowly. “Not once they figure out that one of us knocked out an entire group of their men.”
“I can’t do it again.” Luka’s voice sounded strained, and the kid had his arms wrapped tightly about himself, as if he was trying to hold himself together.
“I don’t think you’ll have to,” Draven said. “They won’t risk getting that close again until they know they can take us.”
“So once Miko gets us off the grid, we’re safe,” Luka said.
“Didn’t say that. Once they realize they can’t track us through Traffic Control, they’ll try to track us with psions. We’re probably safe as long as we’re in the air. Landing could be tricky.”
“Yeah,” Cottrell said grimly. “And if they find Rhys and the shuttle before we get there, they’ll know exactly where to set up an ambush. Damn, I wish we had some of that drug you were talking about.” He turned to McKinnon. “Just fly like hell, Alek. We need to get to the shuttle before they find it.”
<It’s done.> Miko’s voice said in Draven’s head. <Traffic Control can’t see you, so they can’t track you.>
<Are they in pursuit?>
<They’re scrambling. Two military flyers on the roof are lighting up. They’ll be in the air soon. There’s a psion with each one. I don’t think they’re going to let us go that easily. But their orders are to bring Cameron back alive, so I don’t think you need to worry about being shot down.>
<How comforting.> Aloud, Draven said, “Miko says we’re off the grid. They’re sending military flyers with psion trackers out after us, but they have orders to take Cam alive. Not so sure about the rest of us.”
McKinnon poured on more speed, and Luka let out a groan as he was pressed back against the seat. “Jesus, am I the only one that wants to throw up?”
“Head between your knees,” Draven advised him.
“Yeah, I know, an’ kiss my ass goodbye,” the kid grumbled.
* * *
By the time he’d finished blinding the Traffic Control AI to the flyer and wiping all record of its presence from the logs, Miko was sweating. His body might be sitting quietly at the conference table in Anja’s office, but his mind was split at least three ways. Part of it was attuned to Draven, who was the Wanderlust’s only connection with the extraction team on the ground; another part was tracking the communications between the psi hunters pursuing the flyer; and a third part was keeping an eye on a rather unsettling development in Aurora Station’s data-net.
<Diri, you need to get to the shuttle fast. Station Security just alerted Space Fleet. I need to hack into their system to find out if it has to do with us.> In the past, Miko had always kept his activities limited to corporate and civilian systems. His data tweaks ultimately filtered into the military networks, but he’d never attempted a direct hack into a military system before. Cameron had forbidden it, telling him it was too much of a risk.
<Do what you have to. I’ll contact you when we reach the shuttle.>
Had FedSec found the shuttle? Miko scanned FedSec’s comm traffic as well as the station’s, but found no mention of it. He hated having to work so fast; he feared he’d miss something critical, dooming Cameron, Eleni, and the men who had gone to rescue them. Defending stationary data structures was a lot easier than hunting for relevant messages buried in the tangled mess of comm traffic.
“We may need to leave in a hurry,” Miko said through the voice synth. “Space Fleet just went on alert.”
Across the table from him, Kyn and Anja exchanged a worried look.
“They found the shuttle?” Kyn asked as Anja rose from her seat.
“I’m not sure,” Miko said, “but I think we should get the Wanderlust into the departure queue.”
Anja nodded, as cool and calm as ever. “I’ll submit a departure request to the Station Master.”
The station AI told Miko the departure queue was currently long enough that it would be hours before they could leave. “Don’t bother contacting the Station Master,” he told Anja. “Start on your pre-flight checks. I’ll get us cleared and moved to the front of the queue. We need to be ready to leave the system as soon as the shuttle gets here.”
“Pre-flight routines are done,” Anja said. “I ran the checks and put all the critical systems on standby the moment the boys left in the shuttle, just in case we needed to blow out of here fast.”
“Good. We can leave any time. The Station Master’s office just cleared us for departure and wished us a pleasant journey.”
“Hell, kid, you want a job? Do you have any idea how much time and aggravation you could save me?” Anja didn’t wait for an answer before heading off to the bridge.
“What can I do?” Kyn asked as the door slid shut behind the captain.
“Nothing,” Miko said with a shake of his head. “I need to have a word with Space Fleet’s AI.” He sensed Kyn’s alarm, knew he wanted to know what was happening to the rescue team, but Miko had no time for that, not unless Draven needed something specific. Hiding them from Traffic Control was as much as Miko could do for them. The rest was up to Alek and his piloting skills.
Keeping the smallest fraction of his attention on the thread connecting him to Draven, he dove into the net and followed the alert back toward its point of origin.
It wasn’t long before it disappeared into a thick, black cloud that represented Space Fleet’s part of the data-net. Slipping past security bots that were almost as smart as civilian AI systems was not going to be as easy as getting into a corporate data-net. Military AIs were smarter, faster, and much better protected. This one was spiky and suspicious to begin with, unwilling to negotiate, and aware of his presence in a way that no other AI he’d ever encountered had been.
Every time he tried to disguise himself and slip past, it slammed down a barrier, cutting him off. Miko couldn’t get close to the structures that housed the military data he needed to access.
Undaunted, he made a strategic retreat and pondered the problem.
* * *
Draven cast his awareness into the snowy night, seeking any sign of psionic pursuit. The fact that Miko had reported two military flyers with psion occupants was concerning, but he sensed nothing nearby.
“Where are we going, Cottrell?” Draven asked.
Cottrell twisted around in his seat. “The McKinnon place. We’ve got a shuttle waiting to take us up to a freighter docked at Aurora Station.”
“Freighter? You’re taking Cam off-world?” He remembered Miko saying they were all going someplace safe, though Miko hadn’t elaborated.
“Yeah,” Luka said, his voice sounding a little stronger now. “We’re setting up a colony, way outside the Federation. Someplace where nobody will ever—” He stopped and made a small choking noise.
A colony. So that was what Miko had meant when he’d said there would be a place for him. Draven couldn’t imagine it. Not with people like Cottrell and McKinnon around, people who knew him for exactly what he was, and would lock him up for it.
“Damn it, Luka, do you ever shut that mouth?” McKinnon snarled from the pilot’s seat.
“Um. Sorry, man. I… guess I kinda thought he was on our side?” It was too dark to see the kid’s face, but he sounded contrite.
“Thanks to Luka, you’ll be coming with us, Draven,” Cottrell said flatly.
“Think again,” Draven said. “I’m leaving the moment I’m certain you people can protect Cam.”
“You already know too much,” Cottrell said.
“I also know how to keep secrets.”
“Yeah, but can you resist FedSec interrogation?”
“You’re making a big assumption, Cottrell.”
“That you’d get caught?”
“That I’d let them take me alive.”
“We did once,” Cottrell said.
“Mmm, but you didn’t hold on to me for very long, did you?”
“You won’t have Miko to help you, this time,” Cottrell pointed out. “He’s coming with us.”
A flicker in the mythe drew his attention away from Cottrell, and Draven scanned the area again. There… two psionic signatures coming from two different directions.
McKinnon was speaking now, his tone of voice indicating that whatever he was saying, it wasn’t complimentary. Draven cut him off with, “I think they’ve got us. I’m picking up two psionic signatures, one on either side, pacing us.”
“How far away?” Cottrell asked.
“Hard to say without knowing how strong the individual psions are.”
Luka was peering out the window at the swirling snow. “Can’t even see their lights through this shit.”
“They’re keeping their distance,” Draven told him, “and running dark, if they’ve got any sense. How far away is your shuttle?”
“Too far,” McKinnon muttered. “Another twenty minutes or so. I don’t suppose you can sense any psions ahead of us? Our shuttle pilot’s a psion, and I’d like to know if they’ve found him already.”
Draven scanned again, this time focusing all his attention ahead of them. “Got him. We’re not going to have much time to reach the shuttle once we land this thing.”
A hard psychic tug jerked his awareness to Miko’s thread. <Diri, you have a problem. They’re coordinating an ambush. There are two flyers pacing you. The psions have located Rhys, and Cheryl Tanaka has sent eight armed men to the shuttle. They’re drugged with Drexavin — the one that makes people invisible to psi. Luka won’t be able to knock them out, and none of you will be able to sense them.>
<Have they reached the shuttle yet?>
<No, but you need to hurry. I cut off their communications as soon as I found them, but I can’t do anything about the sensors on their flyer. Once they get close enough, a thermal scan will show the shuttle engines.>
“McKinnon, if you can wring anything more out of those engines, now’s the time,” Draven said, and repeated what Miko had told him.
“How the hell can they have Drexavin?” Cottrell asked. “FedSec doesn’t—”
“That they told you,” Draven said.
Cottrell swore vehemently. “He lied to me. Iverson fucking lied—” The rest of his words were drowned out by the scream of the engines as McKinnon pushed them to the limit. Yellow lights flashed on the control boards, some quickly shifting past orange and into red.
“Alek!” Cottrell barked.
“Relax,” McKinnon shouted over the noise. “I know what I’m doing. You can push these things a good twenty percent beyond the warning lights.”
Cottrell muttered something Draven didn’t hear over the howling of the engines, and McKinnon responded with an exasperated, “Trust me on this.”
Draven shifted in his seat and withdrew Cam’s pistol from his jacket. “You got anything more powerful than a handgun in this crate, Cottrell?” He had to yell to be heard over the engine noise.
“Nope. We weren’t looking to shoot the place up. We assumed Luka could take out any opposition. Wasn’t counting on them having Drexavin.”
Great. So he’d be holding off eight armed men with a handgun. Could the evening possibly get any worse? “Then you and McKinnon get everyone into the shuttle and I’ll try to hold them off.”
“You’ll try to…” Cottrell trailed off, shaking his head. “With that little thing? You’re insane.”
“You have a better idea?”
No answer.
“Didn’t think so.” Draven settled back and continued scanning the area, though he knew it was pointless. Neither psi nor the mythe could help him if the enemy was drugged with Drexavin.
* * *
“I see the shuttle!” McKinnon yelled over the engine noise. “Luka, do you sense Rhys?”
“Yeah, he’s fine.” The kid sounded subdued. “He’s tense, but he ain’t scared like he would be if he knew there was an army out there.” He lowered his voice and leaned toward Draven. “Do you… do you think there is?”
“I don’t know, but I’d rather assume there is, and be prepared, wouldn’t you?”
“Be ready to move the second we touch down,” McKinnon ordered. “Draven, you and I will hold them off. Luka and Pat will get Cam and Eleni to the shuttle.”
“Hold them off with what?” Cottrell said.
“Needle gun,” McKinnon said tersely.
“Those things are only good at close range,” Cottrell protested. “And it won’t do a damn thing to the flyer.”
Draven rolled his eyes and tuned out the argument. He checked the safety on his weapon and took a few moments to focus. When the flyer touched down, he scanned the area before jumping out. He sensed nothing but his own team and the shuttle pilot, who was outside in the woods near his craft.
“Shit, here they come!” McKinnon yelled at the same moment Draven saw lights approaching through the swirling snow.
He sensed nothing from the flyer as he raised the pistol and aimed. At that speed and distance, it was unlikely he’d even hit it, but if the occupants realized they were being shot at, they’d be cautious. It might buy Cottrell enough time to get Cam to the shuttle. He squeezed off a few rounds as it flew over, but the craft quickly passed out of range, still flying steadily.
Luka and Eleni were helping Cottrell wrestle Cam out of the flyer. Draven eyed the dark patches of forest surrounding them. Whoever had chosen this spot needed to have their neck wrung.
“Go, go, go!” McKinnon yelled. The sound of the flyer’s engines changed abruptly, and Draven guessed it had turned and was heading back toward them. He squinted up at the sky, but could see nothing through the dark and the snow.
Cottrell had Cam slung over his shoulder and was headed for the shuttle, struggling through knee-deep snow. Luka and Eleni followed, while Draven and McKinnon brought up the rear, weapons trained in the direction of the engine noise.
Cottrell was halfway up the ramp, Eleni and Luka right behind him, before the flyer reappeared. Draven was already shooting as it went over. Muzzle flare from above told him the occupants were firing back.
McKinnon yelled and went down next to him, and without thinking, Draven threw himself down on top of him, covering McKinnon’s body with his own.
Something slammed into his back. Pain blossomed in his chest, and he struggled for breath. The loud whump of a rocket launcher came from his right, and a moment later, an explosion rocked the world. The shock wave pressed him against the man under him, and debris rained down around them, hissing and sizzling as bits of hot metal hit the snow.
McKinnon groaned under him and started to struggle. A crash from the forest off to his left told him the flyer was no longer a threat, but there were two more out there, closing in on their position. Even if they weren’t close enough to see the explosion, they’d pick it up on sensors.
Draven tried to roll off of McKinnon, but his limbs refused to respond. Pain seared through his chest, making it impossible to breathe, impossible to move. He couldn’t get enough air, and his vision began to darken.
Underneath him, McKinnon grunted and shifted. There was another explosion followed by shouting, and then he was rolled over. An agonizing wave dragged him down into blackness, and the next thing he knew, someone was grabbing him under the shoulders and someone else took hold of his legs. He was lifted up out of the snow and carried. Darkness changed to brilliant, harsh light, and he was laid out on a hard surface. Warm wetness trickled across his skin. Hands tore at his clothing, voices barked orders, and more hands held him still as he struggled for breath.
The world tilted and darkened. Something pricked the skin of his arm. A slim, cool hand squeezed his own, and the last thing he heard before the darkness closed in over him was Eleni’s voice whispering, “Thank you.”
* * *
Most of Miko’s attention was on the delicate operation he was conducting on the Space Fleet AI. He’d found a back door left by the original designer, and instead of trying to disguise himself, he’d taken a different approach: distraction and destruction. It was much less subtle than his usual style, but subtle was taking too long, and could jeopardize the Wanderlust and her precious cargo.
With infinite care, he pushed a logic pattern of his own design through the mythe, right into the heart of the system, convincing the AI that it was under attack, its defenses breached.
The AI responded to the threat by locking itself down tight, refusing to respond to human input while it worked its way through a logic loop that, if not broken, would eventually convince it to destroy itself. With Space Fleet’s systems crippled, the Wanderlust’s departure and subsequent rendezvous with her shuttle would go unnoticed and unlogged.
As he untangled himself from the data-net, the thread connecting him to Draven lit up in a brilliant red blaze of agony. Miko’s body froze, but his mind was scrabbling through the mythe to reach Draven.
<Diri!>
The blinding pain coming down the thread was too much. Miko withdrew from the mythe to find Kyn at his side, asking in a low, urgent tone what had happened.
He lifted shaking hands and signed, Draven is hurt. He couldn’t breathe, and then it all went dark. His thread is fraying… Tears streamed from his eyes, blurring his vision.
“What about the others?” Kyn’s voice was taut. “Did the shuttle get off the ground? Miko? Did it?”
The shuttle…
Cameron…
Miko pulled himself together. His job wasn’t finished until the shuttle was back on board and the Wanderlust was safely out of the Aurora system and on its way to Hope.
Cautiously, he dipped back into the net, focusing on FedSec’s comm traffic and studiously ignoring Draven’s slowly-fading thread. “FedSec is reporting two military flyers down,” he said through the voice synth. “The shuttle lifted off. FedSec is trying to coordinate with Space Fleet, but Space Fleet’s hands are tied at the moment.”
“How?”
“Their AI is convinced its own security bots are invaders. It’ll be busy for a while.”
“Good work. I’m damn glad you’re on our side.” Kyn squeezed his shoulder gently. “Eleni’s with them, Miko. She’ll help Draven.”
Luka’s voice came over the secured comm-line Miko had set up between the shuttle and the freighter. Miko’s heart pounded and his stomach clenched in dread as he routed the signal through to the speaker above the conference table.
“… and Rhys says no pursuit so far. Eleni says tell Damon to prep for surgery. Alek and Draven are both shot, and they gotta get the bullet out of Draven before they can heal him. Alek’s bleeding like a pig, but he’s bitchin’ like hell about it, so I guess he’s mostly okay. Cam’s out cold, an’ the doc says Jaana needs to look at him. Everyone else is okay. Oh, and you guys should have seen Rhys. Holy bleeding fuck, give the guy a rocket launcher and he goes all badass master of destruction!” There was a long pause before Luka continued in a more subdued tone, “Rhys says that’s the last time I get to be comm officer.”
Anja’s voice came through the speakers. “We’ll have a medical team on standby. Good job, people. Come on home.”
Kyn turned to Miko. “Rocket launcher?”
“Military shipment,” Miko said. “A few things might have gone astray and turned up in one of Anja’s supply orders.”
Miko kept half an eye on the Space Fleet AI, but it was locked deep in battle with itself. The comm traffic between the Space Fleet office on Aurora Station and Space Fleet Command down on the surface was becoming increasingly hysterical. Everything from hackers to an alien invasion was being suggested, but nobody had a clue what had really happened, because Miko had performed most of his manipulations in the mythe.
He had no idea how much time passed before Kyn touched his shoulder. “The shuttle’s on final approach, Miko. Do you want to come down to the shuttle bay and meet them, or do you need to stay here?”
Miko slid down off the chair and stretched. “I’ll come,” he said. “There’s nothing to do here but watch. Space Fleet’s been trying to launch a pursuit craft to intercept the shuttle, but their AI locked everything down tight before it started to melt down.”
Kyn arched an eyebrow. “You seriously just fragged a military AI?”
“It wasn’t hard once I figured out the pattern,” Miko said with a shrug. “I found a back door that wasn’t as well protected as the rest. The defensive data structures generated by their encryption algorithms are full of holes if you look at them in the mythe. I just had to figure out how to get close enough to push my pattern in without tripping any alarms.”
“I’m not sure if I should be pleased or terrified by that,” Kyn said.
By the time they arrived at the shuttle bay doors, the shuttle was already aboard, though they had to wait for the pressure in the bay to equalize. Tarrin was there, ready to lend a hand, along with Trevor and Angus McKinnon, Damon, and a crew of med-techs. They had three gurneys and a rolling rack of medical equipment and monitors with them. When the lights turned green and the big doors slid open, Kyn and Miko hung back with Trevor and Angus, letting the medical team go first.
The shuttle’s hatch lifted and the ramp extended. Miko followed Kyn toward it. The medical team went straight inside, and after a few moments, Pat came down the ramp. He looked exhausted, and there was blood on his shirt and hands. “It’s okay,” he said, catching Kyn up in a hug. “Not my blood.”
Kyn squeezed him back and murmured, “I hated every minute of that.”
“I’m fine,” Pat said, but he was holding Kyn as tightly as Kyn was holding him.
“What about the others?” Kyn asked, pulling away.
Pat glanced at Trevor and Angus. “Eleni’s fine. Alek took a bullet in the leg, but he’s okay. Draven’s stable for now, but he needs surgery.” Pat stared down at the deck. “Never thought I’d be saying this, but I hope he makes it. I figured he’d help get Cam out and then it’d be all about saving his own ass. But when Alek went down, Draven didn’t even hesitate. He threw himself down on top of Alek and took two shots in the back for him.”
“Jesus,” Kyn whispered.
Miko wrapped his arms about himself and cast his awareness toward the shuttle. Draven and Cameron might be unconscious, but their threads were still entwined, both of them far dimmer than they should be.
“Eleni’s the only reason he’s still alive,” Pat said. “She’s been busting her ass keeping him breathing ever since we dragged him aboard.”
“What about Cameron?” Angus asked.
Pat shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s unresponsive, but he doesn’t exactly read like he’s unconscious. He’s aware on some level, but really far away.” His gaze shifted to Miko. “Can you… can you sense him in your mythe?”
I can feel him, Miko signed, but he’s lost, deep inside himself.
Kyn translated that for the others, and Pat said, “Damn. I hope Jaana’s up to this.”
They stood aside when the medical team started down the ramp. Eleni hovered beside Draven, holding an IV bag up as they moved across the floor. Cameron came next. He didn’t look hurt, but he felt so distant. Miko touched his hand as they wheeled the gurney past, but there wasn’t even a flicker of awareness from him.
Alek was the last to be brought down the ramp. He was conscious, and his right thigh was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage. Angus moved toward him. “Are you all right, lad?”
“Great, Dad… never better…” Alek’s words were slurred, his eyes dilated from the pain meds. “Dunno why you’re all makin’ such a… fuss. Jus’ a scratch.”
Rhys, who was pushing the gurney, rolled his eyes and lifted a hand to ruffle Alek’s hair. “Might be all the blood, hotshot.”
Angus took his youngest son’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Just lie back and enjoy the drugs. And let the nice med-techs do their jobs, aye?”
“I’ll be good. Promise. Rhys, stop a sec… need to talk to Pat.” Rhys stopped next to Pat, and Alek blinked up at him. “Don’ be… puttin’ Draven in the brig, Cottrell. He went above… an’ beyond. Saved my fucking life…”
Pat put a hand on his shoulder. “I know,” he said soberly. “I was there. Bravest thing I ever saw. We’ll figure something out, okay?”
“I dunno…” Alek’s focus drifted for a moment, then jumped back to Pat. “Dunno if I would’ve done the same for him.”
“Yeah, you would,” Pat said firmly. Alek gave him a doubtful look, and Pat squeezed his shoulder. “Do as you’re told, all right? I’ll be down to see you as soon as I’ve reported to Anja.”
“Make sure you… tell her… ’bout Draven. He’s all right… for a Guild shooter.” Alek’s eyes tracked slowly over to Miko. “Great job, Miko… couldn’t have done it… without you.”
Miko managed to give Alek a weak smile. Alek closed his eyes, and Rhys wheeled him off after the others with Angus walking beside him, still holding Alek’s hand.
Luka was the last to emerge from the shuttle. He stumbled as he started down the ramp, face pale, eyes wide and stunned. Kyn hurried up the ramp to his side and steadied him with an arm around him.
Are you all right? Miko signed.
“I don’t know…” Luka looked lost as he leaned against Kyn. “I’m so cold. An’ my head hurts. Coulda fucking died down there, Miko.”
“Looks like the shock’s finally setting in,” Kyn said. “I’ll take him down to the infirmary, see about getting him a tranquilizer.”
It’s mythe-shock, Miko signed. He overextended himself. He needs some Anarin.
“I’ll make sure he gets it,” Kyn said.
“I’ll meet you down there after I’ve talked to Anja,” Pat said, and hurried off.
As Miko turned to follow Luka and Kyn, Tarrin fell into step beside him. “You look tired, Miko. Can you rest yet?”
<Not yet. I have to keep an eye on the Space Fleet AI. And… I won’t be able to sleep until I know Draven is all right.>
Tarrin gave him a grim nod. “All right. But the minute we know something, I want you in bed.”
Miko didn’t answer. He checked the Wanderlust’s data-net. Everything was quiet for now. The ship was headed out-system, and thus far, no one on the planet or the station realized they’d gone. That would change once Space Fleet got their AI untangled, but for now, Miko wasn’t needed anywhere.
In the infirmary’s waiting room, Tarrin sat on one of the long, padded benches, and Miko curled up beside him. Tarrin’s arm went around him, pulling him close, and Miko pulled his mythe-shadow in tightly. So much fear and pain and worry…
Would he ever feel safe again?
Kyn joined them shortly. “Luka’s out cold,” he reported. “I made sure he got both Anarin and a tranquilizer. Hopefully, he’ll feel better when he wakes up. Any word on the others yet?”
“No,” Tarrin said. “Nothing yet.”
Warm and secure next to Tarrin, Miko set watches on the threads he was monitoring, then let his mind drift. He was nearly asleep when Jaana’s voice jerked him awake.
“…can feel him so clearly,” she was saying, “but I can’t get through. There’s a shield around his mind… I can sense him, but I don’t think he can sense me at all. He’s cut the outside world off completely.” Her shoulders slumped, and she leaned against the wall. “It makes perfect sense. When what’s going on around you is too much to bear, you retreat inward and slam the door shut behind you. Unfortunately, with Cam’s conditioning, that door is so thick, I don’t think anyone’s going to get through it.”
Miko rubbed his eyes and looked around. Pat had joined them while he was dozing.
“What can we do?” Kyn asked.
“I don’t know,” Jaana said softly. The dark colors of exhaustion were smeared through her mythe-shadow, and she was swaying on her feet. Kyn rose and went to her side, put an arm around her, and guided her to the seat he’d been sitting in. She gave him a tired smile as she sank down.
“Has he taken psionic damage?” Pat asked.
“No.” Jaana shook her head. “This is more like a defense mechanism. I don’t think he’s going to come out unless someone convinces him it’s safe.” She turned to look at Tarrin. “Tarrin, you brought Miko back once, after he’d retreated deep into himself. Can you reach Cam?”
“This isn’t the same thing,” Tarrin said quietly, and Miko sensed his regret. “Miko was lost in the mythe. I’m not sure where Cam is, but he’s not in the mythe.”
“He’s hiding behind a shield,” Jaana said. “A shield so thick, nothing can get through it.”
There was a long silence before Kyn said, “I know someone who can break through shields.” He glanced down the hall toward the room where Eleni and Damon were still working on Draven. “If he survives.”
Jaana’s eyes brightened, and Miko sensed the hope flaring through her. “Draven,” she breathed. “Of course. He broke down your shield, and I couldn’t even see that.” Her face fell and she shook her head. “But would Cam trust him?”
“Yeah. I think he would,” Kyn said. “I think there’s something going on between them.”
“Oh?” Jaana’s eyebrows rose.
Their threads are tangled, Miko signed. Like mine and Tarrin’s. And Luka and Damon’s.
Kyn and Jaana exchanged a long look, and finally Jaana said, “If it means getting Cam back, we need to try it. Do you think Draven would do it?”
He’ll do it, Miko signed, then turned to look Kyn in the eye. But if he does, you need to make sure he has a place here. Cameron needs him. And Hope needs Cameron.
“If Draven can help Cam, then I’ve got his back,” Kyn said. “And if anyone else has a problem with that, they can take it up with me.”
“And me,” Pat said grimly. “He was ready to lay down his life for Alek. As far as I’m concerned, he has a place with us if he wants it.”
* * *
Draven was braced for pain. He ought to be drowning in it, fighting for every breath, but when he opened his eyes, he was breathing freely, his body almost tingling with energy.
Eleni was sitting at his bedside. She looked terrible. Sweat-damp hair straggled free from her ponytail, and her pale face was smeared with blood. His, probably.
The smile she gave him when she saw he was awake looked forced, and her fear was like the edge of a knife, a sharp whisper slicing through his mind.
“Where?” he asked.
“Wanderlust. Infirmary.”
“Cam?”
“Needs you.” Eleni’s voice was hoarse with exhaustion. “Please.”
“Where?” He sat up, her sense of urgency igniting his own, and only then noticed Kyn standing by the door.
“He’s in the next room,” Kyn said. “He’s put up some kind of shield. Jaana says it’s a defense mechanism. She can’t get through it. We were hoping maybe you could. Eleni just gave you everything she’s got and then some, so you could help him. Clothes are there.” Kyn nodded toward the counter. “I’ll be waiting for you outside.” With that, he left.
The jeans on the counter were his, but the shirt wasn’t. Cam had worn that shirt the last time he’d come out to the cabin, and it smelled faintly of him, a scent that transported Draven right back to those three magical nights when a raging storm had sheltered them from the world… lying in front of the fire staring into Cam’s eyes… touching his body and his mind… sharing his darkest secrets…
He wanted that again so badly, it hurt. But he couldn’t see any way he could have it. When this was over, he’d be disappearing back into the slums of Aberdeen to hide from Alan Romani and the Sapphire Guild’s retribution, and Cam would be leaving the Federation.
Forever.
When he was dressed, Draven lifted Eleni from the chair and laid her on the bed. “Thank you for saving my life,” he said as he pulled the blankets up over her. “I… realize it might have been easier to let me die.”
She gave him a tired smile. “Cam was willing to risk his life and his career for you. And I’d move the stars for him.”
“Maybe, but there are plenty of people here who would probably rather you hadn’t.”
“You might be surprised,” she said softly, words slurring with exhaustion. “You took two bullets for Alek. That kind of loyalty is worth a hell of a lot, Draven. Right now, you’ve got a lot of credit with the people who matter. Use it wisely, hmm?”
On impulse, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Eleni gave him a weak smile and closed her eyes. Draven squared his shoulders and headed for the door. The moment he opened it, Damon pushed past him and hurried to Eleni’s side.
Kyn was waiting in the hallway. “Damon will take care of Eleni,” he said. “He wanted to send her to sleep when she’d finished working on you, but she insisted on waiting until you were awake.”
In the next room, Miko was sitting at Cam’s side looking small and lost. He rose to his feet and stared up at Draven with wide amethyst eyes. <Diri…>
Draven pulled him into a hug, and Miko squeezed him hard. <What do you sense from him?> Draven asked.
<He’s lost, but he’s not in the mythe. I can’t reach him. Kyn thinks maybe you can.>
<I’ll try, little brother. For both of us.>
Miko held on tightly for a few moments, then pulled away. <Go find him, Diri. He’s scared. I don’t think he understands that he’s safe.>
Miko slipped out, but Kyn hesitated, meeting Draven’s eyes. “Good luck,” he said softly.
Draven nodded, and Kyn closed the door, leaving him alone with Cam. He dropped down in the chair beside the bed and began to study the shield that hid Cam’s mind. At first glance, it appeared to be a solid, impenetrable wall.
“How in hell did you manage to build this?” Draven muttered.
He moved in closer, examining it in minute detail. Up close, it wasn’t as solid as it had looked, but it was nothing like the shifting, kaleidoscopic shapes and colors he’d encountered when he’d broken through Kyn’s shield. This was like a random network of interconnected paths and hallways. There was no discernible pattern; nothing upon which to base a counter-pattern or build a key.
He’d just have to go in, see if he could figure it out from the inside. Risky, because if he ended up lost, he might never find his way back to himself.
But Cam was somewhere in there, lost and alone, and that was all that mattered. Draven centered himself, focused on the largest of the openings, and slipped inside.
* * *
The maze was not a maze.
It was a nightmare out of his own past, and Draven wished he’d never come. The moment he’d stepped inside, he found himself standing on the corner of Third and Hargon, center of downside Paris’s thriving adult entertainment district. It was late evening, peak hours for the dance clubs and sex pits lining the street. Everywhere he looked, huge screens played erotic vid-clips. Every pleasure that could be had — legal or not — could be found on the streets of downside Paris.
Like Draven, Cam had grown up in this city. Draven hadn’t known him then, had no idea what Cam might be seeking here. Psi told him nothing; the psionic landscape was dead and dark in this place, which made sense if Cam had shut everything out with that nearly impenetrable shield of his.
The mythe might tell him more. Draven sank his awareness deeper, into the writhing chaos of the mythe, and there it was — a tiny spark with a hint of the flavors and textures of Cam’s mythe-shadow.
North. Straight up Hargon, it looked like.
Of course. Right into the heart of his own hell.
It isn’t real. It’s just a construct, something out of Cam’s memory…
His senses told him otherwise. The cool summer air was laced with the musky tang of sex and the sweet smell of the euphorics piped into the dance clubs. It smelled real enough to make his stomach roll. Real enough to evoke a sense-memory that sent him to his knees, retching.
Hot lights on his skin, cold floor beneath his bare feet, hands groping his body, and the burn of phoenix making him want those hands on him almost more than he wanted his next breath.
With a muttered curse, Draven struggled to his feet, faced north, and started walking. He wanted to keep his head down, wanted to stare at the dirty pavement and not see the familiar buildings that had played host to the events of his darkest memories.
He dared not allow himself that weakness. The ghosts dancing on the sidewalks and gathered in tight knots in front of some of the clubs might be figments of his own imagination.
Then again, they might not be.
His gut tightened and churned as he realized he was walking through Paris-that-was, not Paris as it existed now. The buildings, the fashions, the cars… this was the Paris of his childhood, the place that dogged his memories and haunted his dreams.
Cam’s, too, apparently.
Draven quickened his step as he approached the Meat Market. It didn’t exist in the real Paris. Not anymore. It had burned to the ground with Roark trapped inside years ago, much the same way DeMira’s mansion had burned. But here in Cam’s construct, it stood once more in all its chrome and neon glory.
The boy he’d been — Diri — had withered and died in that place.
The man he would become — Draven — had been forged in that hell, tempered with pain, quenched in blood.
Once DeMira had made it clear that he owned Draven, body and soul, he’d taken the core of cold fury that was all that was left of him, and molded him into a killer.
Draven kept his head down as he passed the place, distantly amused at the irony of the Sapphire Guild’s executioner cringing away from the shadows of his own past.
When the entertainment district finally gave way to dingy blocks of high-density apartments, his steps slowed. He knew this place, too, but the memories here were bittersweet. His mother had loved him and cared for him before riptide had destroyed her. He’d loved her, too, and taken care of them both when she couldn’t, stealing food, money, and whatever else they needed.
It had been a mean, precarious existence, but it was the only time in Draven’s life when he’d felt wanted, not for how he looked or what he could do, but for who he was.
Following that spark in the mythe that tasted of Cam, he found himself standing in front of a building that was indistinguishable from the rest, except for the black numbers spray-painted on the scarred brick.
Draven went inside. Cam was somewhere above him, but the elevators were out of order, with fraying grey tape across their battered doors. He took the stairs, the resonance of memory vibrating along his nerves. The buildings were identical. He and Cam had only lived a few blocks apart. How many times had they passed one another on the street?
Twelve flights, he climbed. On the twelfth floor, he turned down the filthy hallway that led to number 1204. The plastic numbers originally fastened to the door had mostly disintegrated. Someone had spray-painted the numbers in fading blue paint just below their crumbling remains.
Holding his breath, Draven raised a trembling hand and knocked on the door.
“Who is it and what do you want?” Cam’s voice, raised, as if he was in another room and didn’t want to come to the door.
“It’s me — Draven. Can I come in?”
There was a long pause followed by the sound of multiple bolts being thrown. The door finally opened, and Cam stepped aside to let him in, then shut it firmly behind him and began locking it, pushing each bolt firmly into place. Draven counted seven of them, and wasn’t surprised.
He thought he’d be walking into an apartment identical to his mother’s, but instead, he found himself standing in a door-lined hallway that stretched into the distance as far as he could see. Threadbare brown carpet covered the floor, and the walls were as scuffed and dirty as those in the stairwell had been.
When Cam had finished securing the door, he pushed past Draven and headed back down the hallway.
“Cam.”
Cam didn’t respond. Draven followed him into a sparsely furnished bedroom. A mattress lay in one corner, covered in worn blankets. Across the room, a tiny closet stood open, and on the floor in front of it was a pile of clothing.
The walls in here weren’t as dirty as the ones in the hallway. Someone had started painting them a bright, cheerful yellow, but had given up partway through the job.
Cam was half in the closet, tossing clothing onto the growing pile.
“Cam,” Draven said again.
“What?” Cam backed out of the closet, a frown on his face. Dark eyes flicked up and fixed on Draven, maybe only now registering his presence. “What are you doing here?”
“Came to find you.”
“I’m not the one who’s lost. Eleni is.” Cam pushed past Draven and went out into the hallway. Draven followed him into another room, identical to the one he’d just come from, right down to the half-finished paint job.
“Eleni’s not lost,” Draven said. “She’s safe. And so are you.”
“Doesn’t matter about me,” Cam muttered, heading for the closet. “Eleni, though. She’s hurting. I felt it.”
Draven waited while he tossed out the contents of the closet. When he backed out again, Draven took hold of him by the shoulders. “Cam, look at me. You’re not in custody anymore. We got you out. You and Eleni.”
Cam blinked. “She… she was screaming. I couldn’t…” Tears filled Cam’s eyes, and he dropped his head. “My fault. They used her to try to break me… I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t keep her safe.”
“She is safe. Come back with me, and I’ll show you.”
“No. I… I can’t. I don’t want to hear her screaming. It… it tears me apart.”
Draven wrapped his arms around him, pulled him close, and pressed his forehead against Cam’s. “Listen to me. She’s not screaming. She’s worried about you. You didn’t fail. You did everything you could for her. You kept her alive, and you took care of her. She’s alive right now because of you, and she’s waiting for you out there. She half killed herself fixing me up so I could come in here and find you.”
Cam squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “I don’t… I can’t. I keep hearing her screams.” He rested his head on Draven’s shoulder, body shuddering with silent sobs.
“Will you trust me? Come with me and see?”
Cam didn’t answer. He pulled away from Draven and went back into the hall. Draven found him in yet another half-painted bedroom, digging through another closet.
“Cam, she isn’t here.”
No response.
At a loss, Draven struggled to find the words that might reach him. When Cam finally emerged from the closet, Draven moved to stand in front of him. “Cam… please. People are counting on you. Your people need you. All those psions you promised to lead to safety. You’re their strength. They need you. Eleni needs you.” He swallowed hard. “I need you.”
When there was still no response, Draven whispered, “Fine. If it’s not enough to hear it, I’ll show you.” And before Cam could react, Draven dropped his defenses, and brought the memory of the rescue operation to the forefront of his mind.
He sensed Cam’s interest, and a moment later, Cam’s mind slid into his own, smooth as silk. He knew the exact moment Cam touched the memory of Draven waking up with Eleni at his bedside, because the cruel tension in Cam’s body suddenly eased, and he drew back slowly, withdrawing his mind at the same time.
“She’s safe,” he breathed.
“Yes. She’s on the Wanderlust, waiting for me to pull you out of this place. She’s not going to be happy with me if I leave you here.”
“Eleni’s safe,” Cam whispered again.
“Yes. Eleni is safe.”
“And you… you came to get us.”
“I had help. Pat and Luka and Alek were there, too. And Miko.”
“But… but you came.” Cam looked as if he was trying to solve a puzzle. “Why would you do that?”
“Because someone brought it to my attention that FedSec had taken something I wanted.”
Cam froze. “What… what did they have that you wanted?”
“You.”
Dark eyes stared into his own, and Draven sensed Cam’s longing and loneliness as a hollow ache, deep in his bones.
“I’m not a good man, Cameron,” Draven said softly. “I didn’t come here out of the goodness of my heart. I didn’t come here for those people on that ship or for your sister, even if I do owe her my life three times over. I came here because I’m a selfish bastard and I don’t think I can stand living in a world that doesn’t have you in it. So you are coming back with me, damn it. And if you’re scared of what’s out there, well guess what? So am I. I feel like I’m stepping off a goddamn cliff. But I want you in my life, Asada, and you don’t get to take yourself out of it. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
A frozen silence stretched between them, Cam perhaps processing what he’d said, and Draven wondering if he’d just blown it all apart by trying to put it into words.
“You… you mean that?”
Draven nodded. “No idea what that life would look like or how it would work. But I think I’d like to find out.”
The ghost of a smile curved Cam’s lips. “Is this your way of telling me you’re coming with us?”
“My way of telling you you’re stuck with me, whether you want me or not.”
“I… think I do want you,” Cam whispered.
Draven held out his hand. “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
Cam put his hand in Draven’s and they stepped out of the room together. The moment they went through the door, the hallway around them fractured and Draven found himself falling down into darkness.
The impact with the ground was entirely mental, but his body jerked with the shock of it, and his eyes snapped open. Hands squeezed his shoulders, and Draven looked about wildly for a moment, trying to determine where he was.
Wanderlust. He was in Cam’s room in the infirmary, his hand still wrapped around Cam’s.
“Easy, man. Easy. You’re okay.” Draven recognized the voice, but couldn’t put a name to it. He tilted his head back to see Luka looking down at him, dark brows drawn together in a frown. “Are you okay?”
“I… think so.” He looked over at Cam. Dark eyes met his, and Cam’s hand tightened around his own.
“You been gone for hours,” Luka said. “I don’t know where the hell you were, man, but you felt about as far away as Cam. Thought we were gonna lose both of you.” Luka moved away from Draven to peer at Cam. “You okay, boss-man?”
“Where’s Eleni?” was the first thing out of Cam’s mouth.
“I’ll get her.” Luka moved toward the door. “You two stay put. You both got full medical and psionic workups coming your way. Damon and Eleni will skin me alive if you leave.”
Draven waited until Luka was gone to ask, “Are you all right? Do you know where we are?”
“The Wanderlust,” Cam murmured.
“And who am I?”
Cam smiled. “You’re the one I’m stuck with.”
“Damn right.”
“Thank you for coming after me. I… didn’t even know I was lost. I might have wandered around in there forever.”
“No, you wouldn’t. I wouldn’t have let you.” Draven stared down at their joined hands. “Did you… did you mean what you said in there? About… about wanting me with you?” When he finally dared to meet Cam’s eyes, Cam was still smiling.
“I meant it. Seems like it might be your best chance to make a clean break. Alan Romani and the Sapphire Guild are going to have a hell of a time tracking you down if you’re with us.”
Draven finally returned the smile. “They’ll never guess I’ve headed off into uncharted space with a bunch of crazy colonists.”
“Are you sure about this? Life on a new colony isn’t easy. Ask Kyn. He was second generation, and he says that was hard enough. The place we’re going has only had a cursory survey. We know it can support us, but that’s about all we know.”
“So it’ll be a challenge,” Draven said, squeezing his hand.
“Definitely a challenge. You up to it?”
Draven smirked. “Are you?”
“I’ll show you what I’m up to,” Cam said, pulling him close and brushing a kiss across his lips.
“All right, that’s enough of that,” Eleni said from the doorway. “No fooling around until I give you both a clean bill of health.”
They drew apart, and Cam sat up, eyes fixed on his sister. “Eleni. I’m so sorry. I never meant for you to be dragged into my mess.”
She gave him a tired smile. “We’re family, Cameron. Your mess is my mess. Now lie back down and let me take a look at you.”
Draven started to get up, but Eleni pushed him back down with a firm hand on his shoulder. “Oh, no. You’re not leaving until I give you permission.”
“Oh?” Draven gave her a flat stare.
“Don’t even think about playing the hard-ass shooter with me, Draven. I know what you did for Alek. You might act all tough and mean, but there’s a sweet, gooey core in there.” She bent down and kissed his cheek.
“Gooey?”
Cam’s lips twitched. “Get used to it. If you’re sticking with me, you have to deal with her.”
He eyed Eleni. “Is that supposed to be a threat? Or some kind of selling point?”
“Both,” Cam and Eleni said in unison.
“Listen to the lady,” Cam added. “She’s got more sense than both of us put together.”
“Glad you’ve finally admitted that,” Eleni said, winking at Draven. “Stands to reason. I am the oldest, after all.”
“By five minutes,” Cam grumbled.
Draven settled back in his seat and listened to Cam and Eleni banter. He thought maybe he could get used to being around people who laughed and teased one another rather than maneuvered and manipulated, who stuck up for each other instead of using one another as stepping stones to get ahead.
He’d seen what family meant to both DeMira and Romani, up close and personal, and he hadn’t liked it at all.
Cam and Eleni’s version, though… that might be worth exploring.