save the human race. She gave herself up because you suggested we blow up a big portion of what’s left. So I would guess she doesn’t agree with the valid-solution thing.”
“How does giving herself up have any effect on that?”
“She thinks if she’s here, then maybe I won’t let you nuke the planet.”
Rico folded his arms across his chest. “Let’s pretend for the moment that you could actually stop me if I wanted to—is she right?”
“Hell, yes. I wouldn’t do it anyway. Not even to kill Kinross. But I guess she doesn’t know me that well.”
Rico sighed. Loudly. He sat down on the chair by the bed, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and scowled. “So what do we do next?”
Milo considered the options. There weren’t many. The one thing he did have on his side was that Dr. Yang believed her family was alive and that Kinross could give them back to her. Milo was about to tell her that wouldn’t happen. That her family was dead, and that Kinross was responsible. At that point, any loyalty she felt to Kinross would evaporate.
She could confirm where Destiny was and maybe even get them in.
“I get her out. We disarm the nukes. We kill Kinross and anyone else who gets in our way. And we get the hell off this shit planet.”
Rico gave a lazy smile, revealing the tip of one sharp, white fang. “Sounds like a plan.”
…
Elvira tried to keep her mind totally blank as she cleared up her laboratory on the Trakis Four. Soon she would be free to leave, but she was finding it harder and harder to keep the doubts from crowding her thoughts.
Destiny’s face kept flashing before her mind.
Her expression as they’d left her in the cell.
She couldn’t believe the change that had taken place in only a few days. Despite the fact that she’d always known Destiny’s IQ was off the charts, she always came across as innocent, naive, and that had made it far easier to treat her as something…less. Now that was impossible.
The fact was she was more. More intelligent, stronger, faster. Superior in just about every way.
She cleared her mind and forced herself to concentrate on her daughters, making their faces superimpose on the image of Destiny. Just keep the endgame in mind.
Once she had her daughters back, then she would request a transfer to one of the other planets. She would move far away from here so she would never have to see Kinross again. And she would forget.
All the same, her eyes pricked, and she blinked as she worked automatically. At least she wasn’t doing the operation—it wasn’t her specialty. She wasn’t sure she could have done it.
Just as she was finishing up, her comm unit buzzed. She glanced down but the caller ID was blank. She considered ignoring it; she couldn’t think of anyone she wanted to talk to. But in the end, she swiped a finger over the screen to accept the call.
“Dr. Yang?” At first, she didn’t recognize the voice. Then she realized it was Milo. What could he want? She nearly ended the call, but he preempted her.
“I have important information for you about your family.”
She went still. Was he going to threaten her daughters? Would he harm them if she didn’t help him? What did he want?
But perhaps Milo could get her family to safety. Out of range of Kinross’s men. She realized that the hope had been hovering in the back of her mind. That maybe she could contact him, tell him she would—what? Help him in some way if he would promise the safety of her family?
The problem was she didn’t think she could get Destiny out. She was too well guarded now. So if that was what he wanted, then she couldn’t help him. And then what?
God, how did things get so complicated?
“What information?” There was a wobble in her voice that she couldn’t eliminate. “Tell me you won’t harm them. I only did what I did to keep them safe. Luther said he would—” She broke off, unable to put it into words.
“Your daughters are dead.”
For a moment the words didn’t make any sense. She scrambled to get her brain to work. “You killed my family?” They couldn’t be dead. She wouldn’t believe it. It was a mistake. Why would they? It made no sense.
“I didn’t kill them. They never made it onto the Trakis Two.”
Her legs were shaking, and she sank down onto the chair behind