High Flyer - Michelle Diener Page 0,23

sun off the Indura River caught her eye, and she glimpsed it up ahead.

They were approaching the bridge that curved over the deep, fast-running water, in perfect alignment with the other bridges lined up all the way to the city center. Simon slowed even more, almost coming to a stop as he reached the bridge.

Hana jumped down just as Vannie turned to look at them.

She saw the Raxian's face register surprise as Hana kept her hand on the lander, walking beside it as it rolled forward.

Iver started to rise. To follow her off.

“No, don't rush off. We could take you to your hotel.” Vannie's voice was as friendly as ever as she lifted her hand and shot Iver in the chest with a dart from such a tiny SAL, Hana almost stumbled as she stared at it in surprise.

She could run, but she couldn't leave Iver, and her hesitation cost her. She caught the hint of movement from the corner of her eye and jerked her gaze to Simon, but he'd already taken his shot. She felt the sting as a dart lodged in her throat, and then she let go of her hold on the side of the lander and fell.

Her last view was of the lander's wheel, covered in the brown-red dust of the plains, passing a whisper from her head as she landed on the ground.

From above her, she heard Vannie's voice.

“Did you see her face? She's one scary--”

The world went black.

"So what do we do with them now?"

Hana heard the nerves in Vannie's voice as she came to on a cold floor. She suppressed a shiver of relief at the word 'them'. Iver was still alive. Hopefully he was lying near her.

She wondered why they hadn't already killed them both.

Just over a day ago, they'd clearly wanted both Iver and her dead. They hadn't been messing with those SD3s.

Then again, Vannie and Simon could have shot and killed them on the plain and left their bodies out there. There had been no benefit to them in bringing her and Iver into Touka only to kill them in the city--it only increased their risk.

Something had changed, something that was keeping them alive. Either that, or Vannie and Simon were not Lancaster's lackeys at all.

What were the chances there was more than one group of people who meant them harm?

She cracked her eyes open just a little and caught sight of the feet and lower legs of five people.

There were stacks of containers against the walls, and a strange, sweet smell in the air, a little like rotting fruit, that made her think she was in a warehouse.

The ground she was lying on was smooth and cool, and her hands were bound with metal shackles with electronic locks. She wondered why they'd used them, because the restraints didn't always work on Faldine--the magfields interfered with the locks--but they were standard VSC issue, and maybe they didn't have access to anything else.

She felt strangely relaxed about getting out of them. A deep-seated confidence infused her thoughts, and she realized with a jolt of shock that the feeling was coming from her upgrade.

She hadn't felt it as so distinct from her for a while. Not since around the first six months of their forced acquaintance.

She shoved the thought aside. It wasn't important right now.

She needed to concentrate. To find out what they planned.

"How long until they come round?" Simon nudged her shoulder with the toe of his boot.

"Iver should come out of it first, he's a lot bigger than the pilot. Maybe half an hour?"

She recognized the voice as one of Lancaster's people who'd come after them in the now-destroyed Dynastra--Oniba.

So this was part of Lancaster's operation. Oniba was definitely one of the guards she'd shot just before Linnel tried to kill himself, along with her, by using an actual laz--before Iver had tranqed him in the back.

She needed more information to understand why killing Iver was no longer top priority.

"Half an hour is too long.” A man whose voice she didn't recognize snapped in annoyance. “I need to leave in fifteen."

She risked cracking her eyelids again, and noticed boots directly in front of her.

She kept her body relaxed and closed her eyes again.

"Don't assume Hana won't come out of it quickly."

Her heart lurched. Linnel. He was the one staring at her.

She felt afraid of him for the first time. Lying within kicking distance of his feet.

"You're still on this bullshit story that she's special in some way?" Oniba sounded