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This was dumb. Javad rubbed the bridge of his nose and tried again to talk himself out of what he’d planned. If it could even be called a plan; hinging everything on a hoped-for connection gave him at best a fifty percent chance of success. Probably closer to thirty, if he was being honest. Still, as his mother always said, a bad plan was better than no plan at all.
He crouched behind a boulder and surveyed the small park where the mercenaries had agreed to meet. Like a lot of the parks around New Abydos, it was designed in a “pre-terraformed” style—about as natural as any manicured park, but designed to invoke the rugged, rocky landscape that had welcomed the first colonists. Outside the domes of the old city, the sulfur-rich soil tinged the air with the tang of brimstone; the smell was part of Khonsu. Even though he never thought about it when he’d been on the Hunting Cry, or even when he’d been at school on Farhope, Javad realized that he missed that acrid bite in his nostrils.
Compared to the forest around Chen’s cabin, there were fewer places to hide. That didn’t mean he wasn’t imagining an ambush waiting behind each crop of rocks and scrub. The blackmailers—kidnappers now, technically—had agreed to the location readily enough. In hindsight, that should have worried him.
He’d arrived an hour before the scheduled meet. That was what they did on the holovids, right? The hero showed up early and checked the area to make sure it wasn’t a double-cross. Or they caught the villains planning something dastardly and avoided disaster. Or something. He took a deep breath. Now that he was on site, he wasn’t entirely sure what that would look like, or what he’d be able to do to avert trouble.
In the end, Javad supposed, it didn’t matter. As long as his sister got out safe. His family could be reunited. Except for himself, obviously. Regardless of what he’d told his parents, he was the expendable one in the equation. This was his fault. His pride and his stupidity had put his family in danger. If keeping them safe meant sacrifice on his part? It was a small price to pay.
It was a moment of clarity, understanding how Chen felt about her position as a ranger. That the sacrifices she made were acceptable because it kept her people safe.
Kept her family safe.
He hadn’t expected how much he’d miss the crew on the Hunting Cry. Not just Cignetti, Lafrenz, and the other medical staff, but all of them. Akomi and her roommate. The rangers. The hum of his parents’ restaurant was every bit as loud and chaotic as the ship could be at times, but the ship’s energy had purpose. Direction. And he’d left without telling them goodbye. Merla suspected, he was certain of that. Their last omni call had been filled with questions that hadn’t been voiced aloud. Neither one of them wanted to give those answers.
He wondered what Chen would think of his plan. Scratch that. He knew exactly what her opinion would be. She’d think he was a fool, in over his head. In another timeline, he hoped alternate him made better choices instead of being ruled by selfishness. Not telling her more let him avoid a difficult conversation. Let him ignore the idea that she cared about his being reckless. Or why he cared about the idea of her caring.
Why he wanted her to care about him.
Instead he’d treated Chen like he had every other part of his life that he didn’t want to examine. He’d glossed over the parts he didn’t like to look at and acted like the rest didn’t hurt him. Easier than exposing himself to an uncomfortable truth or an even larger pain. That he avoided the same kinds of discomfort he’d regularly inflicted on others in the interest of some misguided desire to uncover things was an irony not lost on him.
At least he was perfectly willing to pick at his scars in private, when he could control the depth and level of injury.
There was motion at the edge of the park, and he leaned out of his hiding space to see a woman in fashionable clothes leading a gold and black goanna on a leash. The four-eyed reptiles were indigenous to Khonsu, one of the apex predators when humanity had arrived. They were also clever, hardy, and easy to domesticate, which made them a popular, if not exactly cuddly, pet. Especially given how expensive actual dogs and cats could be. He’d seen a lot of goanna during his degree work, and familiarity made him scan the animal’s posture for any sign of the spine issues they could suffer if they grew too fast. He wondered if the woman kept her home dry enough; the lizards were prone to respiratory infections if the humidity got too high.
Something heavy and metallic tapped against the back of his skull, and he’d spent enough time on a military vessel to recognize the click of a safety being disengaged. As Javad slowly put his hands behind his head, a gruff, masculine voice said, “Looking for something, Doctor?”
“Just wondering when you would show up.” He stood and turned. The mercenary was dressed in adaptive camouflage, not nearly as effective as an umbra wolf’s coat, but still topnotch and obviously expensive. A pair of hard, slate-grey eyes watched him above a mask that covered the lower half of the person’s face. “I don’t suppose you’re the welcoming party.”
The mercenary snorted. “Not really.” He tapped his wrist and muttered something into what Javad assumed was a microphone built into the mask, then nodded at the response. “Since we’re both here early, I don’t suppose you’re willing to accompany me now rather than waiting.”
The woman with the goanna passed close to where they stood, and the mercenary held his pistol down, out of her field of vision. Javad had no doubt the man would be able to have it back on target and fire before he could run or wrestle it away, so he leaned against the boulder and tried to pretend his heart wasn’t jack-hammering in his throat. “If my sister goes free. That was the deal.”
“No. The deal was you would get us a wolf. I don’t see one lapping at your heels, Doc. That bodes ill for your sister.”
“I’d say that’s the point.” He took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t bring it with me. What would keep you from double-crossing me?”
“Because of you, my CO’s got one soldier who’s not coming home again. You’ve broken every rule that’s been laid out for you. If anyone here’s going to pull a double-cross, I’d put my money on you. No wolf, no deal.”
It was a fair assessment, and one Javad hadn’t been expecting. He had an empty bag to bargain with, and one chance to get his sister free. “I can get you an umbra wolf. But it’s not just about getting one, is it? You want to keep it alive.”
The soldier shifted his weight, studying him. “Meaning what?”
“Meaning that as animals go, they are finicky to an extreme. The stories about how badass they are? Only true to an extent. Mostly they get popularized to distract people from the truth. Overlooking the difficulty in keeping parasite infection under control, their dietary requirements are complex, and they have to receive regular medications to control species-wide respiratory shortcomings.” Javad hoped the lie was believable, or at least that the mercenary wasn’t well-enough trained to recognize the conflicts in the story. “Keeping the damn things healthy is a constant struggle. One the TJF has literally decades of experience with. Even if I were to turn a wolf over to you immediately, I find it hard to believe that you’d be able to maintain its health long enough to be of any use to you. Or even to sell it to a third party.”
“I’m still not certain what you’re driving at. You don’t have a wolf?” The mercenary reached for his wrist to open the communication.
“I didn’t say that. I said there’s no point in turning one over to you until you’re ready to care for it. Unless you just happen to have a skilled TJF veterinarian in your crew. One who’s been certified to work on umbra wolves...” He paused, and when the mercenary didn’t answer, Javad continued, “Yeah. I thought not.”
“Wait here.” The mercenary took three steps back and tapped his wrist, though Javad noticed the heavy pistol never tracked too far from pointing at him. The barrel was a gravity well; his eyes fell into its depths again and again, until it became impossible to look anywhere else. The next few minutes were key to his plan. He had to be able to swap out for his sister. Anything after that...well, his mother always said hope wasn’t a strategy. So, he’d have to count on luck.
The mercenary came back. “Fine. You’re coming with us. But your sister’s not going anywhere. And before you think about betraying us a second time, you should remember, we already know where find the rest of your family.”
Javad’s chest hurt. “Your issue is with me, not her. Just let her go.”
“I don’t call the shots.” The mercenary shrugged, his tone indifferent. “Boss says she’s staying until we have a wolf. As for you, I want you to go to the edge of the park. A white delivery van will pull up. You’ll get in without incident.” He waved the tip of his pistol briefly in the direction he wanted Javad to go.
Javad walked. It was all he had left.
#
CHEN HELD THE DOOR with her foot as May followed her into their shared quarters. She laid Nujalik on her bed then sat on the mattress next to her wolf. This shouldn’t be as hard as it felt. May, patient as they were, stayed silent as they sat in the chair for the room’s small desk. They knew Chen would say what needed to be said in time.
Pakhet jumped up on May’s bed and curled up on their pillow, careful to keep one eye open in case any treats should appear.
Chen rolled her shoulders, but the tension in them didn’t want to ease. “Priddy’s not coming back to the Hunting Cry.”
“Does this have anything to do with the attack on Farhope? Or what happened between you two?” There was no judgment in their voice, just concern for a teammate and a friend.
That was an angle she had considered more times than she cared to admit. They hadn’t talked about what sleeping together had meant to either of them, or if it had meant anything at all. She usually planned more and didn’t fall into such things so easily. At the time she’d expected to talk the next morning, but then the attack, and...here she was. Nothing to go on, except regrets that she hadn’t said more.
While they waited, May opened the desk, dug out a pair of dried liver treats, and tossed one on each bed. Pakhet caught hers out of the air, while Chen pushed the other to where Nujalik could reach it easily.
“I don’t know,” Chen said at last. “Maybe. He has family on Khonsu, and I know he’s worried about them. If he thought he could protect them himself...” Her palms went clammy. Priddy charged a gunman with an axe. If he believed turning himself over to the people pressuring him could buy the Rangers time or his family’s protection? She had no doubt he’d do something that foolish.
May rolled their eyes. “Deliver me from stupid civilians.” They glanced at their omnidevice when it chimed. “Commander Penzak wants a report. He heard from Alpha you quit the field with an injured wolf and wants to know how serious.”
Chen watched her battle partner. “I know I shouldn’t ask. But how much did you say when you were debriefed?” She’d talked about the attack, mentioned the possibility there might be a mole in the organization, but she’d been careful not to mention Javad’s name specifically.
“I did my best to protect your doctor,” May said. Chen’s heart thumped at the possessive phrase, and how right it sounded. “But Penzak’s no fool. With enough evidence in front of him, he’ll figure out how we learned they might be a mole. As for your wolf, he’s been aware that Nujalik’s been skirting the edge of injury, but I didn’t tell him about you and Priddy—”
“I’d hope not!” Chen felt her cheeks blaze before she realized they meant Priddy’s tenuous empathic bond with Nujalik. “We need to convince Javad to come back.”
May looked at her, affect flat. “We have other doctors. Ones who treated you and Nujalik before Priddy showed up. Any one of them could do the work.”
“Nujalik doesn’t trust them. She trusts Priddy. And I trust her.”
The sentence felt like cracking open the weight on her back. Was it that simple? She had faith in her wolf. Her wolf liked Priddy. Either her wolf had bad taste, or she didn’t believe Nujalik. And neither of those was otherwise true. Her wolf shifted slightly, expressing her discomfort as a quiet grumble.
“Then your mind’s made up on what you’d like to happen for the two of you.” They nodded. “But you need to consider what Priddy’s thoughts are too. What do you do if he doesn’t want to come back?”
She’d done nothing to tell him what she thought or felt. Hell, until this moment, she hadn’t sat and figured out to be able to discuss it. If she’d shared more, instead of hiding it, would he have stayed?
“I’m scared, May.” Saying it out loud didn’t make it feel less terrifying, the way it was supposed to. If anything, it seemed to give the fear more power. Chen hated the helplessness of it all.
“Of what?”
“I’m bad at a relationship when it’s just me and one other person. I don’t know how to handle one where either of us could end up hurting Nujalik as well.”
“You don’t have a relationship. Not yet. You have an idea of what you want to happen. And to move toward that, the two of you need to talk to each other.” They stood up. “I can talk to Penzak about giving you some time to go to Khonsu and find your doctor.”
The possessive phrase, her doctor, spread tendrils of warmth through her chest. It sounded right, and the hum of agreement along the wolfbond indicated that Nujalik felt the same way.
Her omni buzzed, and she picked it up off her dresser. The calling system came up as unidentified, but on a whim, Chen opened it.
Priddy’s face stared back at her. It looked like one of his cheekbones had been broken, and blood stained the white of his eye on the same side. His voice, rough with pain, was also urgent. “Don’t speak. I have video-reception off for a reason. I just hope you’re getting this. I’m not sure how this guy set up his omni. The mercenaries kidnapped my sister. I tried to trade myself for her about twelve to fifteen hours ago, but they kept us both. To secure my good behavior, they said. They still want a wolf, and they’re talking about how to ambush one of the fireteams on patrol to get one. I’m safe for now, but spread the word. Keep everyone in the constellation aware.”
In the background of the call, she heard someone shout, and had to look away from the image as the camera fell and skittered across the floor. A moment later, the feed stabilized. A masked face filled the screen. “I’m not sure who’s on the other end of this call, but if it’s who I think it is, the delay’s going to be too long for you to respond anyway, so don’t bother.
“We’ve got your doctor friend, as you can see, and while he’s been quite helpful, he hasn’t exactly given us what we’ve wanted yet. This is your only chance. We will trade his life for one of your wolves. Don’t care which. The primary terraforming factory on Khonsu. I’ll give you sixty hours.”
May stood up and took the omnidevice out of her numb fingers. “Or, you know, that could happen.”
Chen suppressed a chill. “What could happen?”
“Someone could report in with actionable intelligence on a strike against the rangers. Now we have to take it to Commander Penzak.” May took a deep breath. “There are likely to be some questions for you. Are you able to handle it?”
Nujalik’s support spread through her like heat from a warm drink. Chen glanced at her wolf. “Don’t even. I want you to rest right there until we get back. Pakhet?”
May’s wolf hopped down, then jumped up on to Chen’s bed to lay next to Nujalik.
“Sixty hours isn’t much time.” It was barely enough to get into Khonsu’s orbit. She looked at May, who chuckled and shook their head. “Yeah. I can handle it. Let’s go.
#
IT HAD TO WORK. IT had to be enough. Javad winced as he hit the tile in the office that was his temporary cell. The mercenary followed him in and lashed out with a boot. Javad curled just in time to catch the hit on his ribs rather than his liver as the soldier had intended, but it was little consolation. “What the hell! I did what you asked.”
“I told you no ad lib!” The soldier grabbed Javad by the hair and dragged him into a sitting position. “What was that about chasing down other fireteams?”
He swallowed, hands grabbing his elbows to keep from visibly shaking. “Rangers are tightly knit. Telling them another squad’s in danger makes them more likely to act quickly.” It was a lie, but it paid into the legends of how the rangers supported each other. Hopefully, it would send them running the other way instead. If Chen and the others knew to stay safe, then he’d done his job.
The mercenary shook his head. “You’d better hope that they’re sending someone for you.”
Actually, Javad hoped the exact opposite. Any ranger that showed up would be overwhelmed. He’d tried to warn them about how many mercenaries there were, but with no pre-established signal he had no idea if the message had been understood. When he felt like he could, Javad stood up. “I did what you asked. Let my sister go. Please? She’s just another mouth for you to feed at this point.”
“I don’t make that call. The boss does.”
As if summoned, Liam Ratliff slid into the room. Javad noticed he was careful to keep the soldier between them at all times. “Javad, you disappoint me. You had an explicit script you were supposed to follow. Is what you did the behavior of someone who wants his sister released?”
“I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t look like it, but trust me. I know rangers. They’re loyal to each other like nothing else. Give one a chance to save the others, and they’ll leap at it.” He forced himself to make it sound like a character flaw, but as he spoke, he realized it was one of the things he admired about them. The way they supported each other, like a family.
The mercenary made a disparaging noise and stepped forward, but Ratliff put a hand on his shoulder to still him. “You know, even if I let your sister go, she wouldn’t be safe. I can find her. I can find any member of your family. Whenever I want.”
Javad nodded, cheek and jaw aching. “All the more reason to let her go. You’ve got me locked up. It’s all over but the waiting.”
Ratliff seemed to consider that, finally tilting his head in acknowledgment. “Consider it a gift. But if you betray my trust again, it won’t just be your sister who suffers.”
The next betrayal wouldn’t matter anyway; when the rangers didn’t come, Ratliff would have him killed. In the meantime, he’d bought sixty hours for them to plan and prepare for the next attack, whenever it came. Sixty hours of safety for Chen and Nujalik felt like a good trade.