access codes she’d need in case she got there first. I also added a few things to my supplies list. I didn’t know what I’d be facing, so better to be overprepared than underprepared. Though, knowing Ada, she’d show up with an armory in tow. The real trick would be convincing her to remain behind while I went in search of Silva.
Perhaps what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
Chapter 7
I’d spent six hours looking for information on the Syndicate with little success. There were persistent rumors of an upcoming event, but no one had any details to share. The Syndicate’s anything-goes events had taken on near-mythical status. They were one night only and the Silva family usually waited until the very last minute to announce a location. The secrecy prevented any undesirables, like the RCDF, from showing up and ruining the atmosphere.
The event could be tomorrow or in two months and only one of those worked for me. For now, I would have to assume it was too far in the future and keep searching for information on their current location.
Aurora chimed a one-minute jump warning. The FTL drive was ready and the gate had provided our next jump coordinates. There had been no sign of Ian, but I had received a blistering message from Father ordering me home in no uncertain terms. My response had been a single sentence: I will return once I find Ferdinand.
Staying ahead of Ian when I wasn’t home to monitor his progress would be a challenge. I would have to keep my head down because I didn’t believe for a second that he’d actually stop looking for me, no matter how much sense it made. Ian was tenacious, and I’d made him look incompetent. He’d come after me with a vengeance.
The jump to GCD One was uneventful. The window shutters didn’t retract since we’d be entering the atmosphere soon, but on the vid screens the planet sparkled, sapphire, under the blue-white light of GCD.
The main engine restarted and Aurora continued on course to Atlantia. My hotel had a private hangar for the penthouse residence, which was one of the reasons I’d bought it. In the last few years I’d sent more than one woman there who had needed an escape, whether temporary or permanent, but it was currently unoccupied.
GCD One was known for its beautiful pink sand beaches and clear turquoise water. The mild light of GCD rarely caused sunburns, allowing visitors to spend more time outside. And the days were longer than Universal Standard Time, the time used on Earth, so time seemed to pass more slowly. The local calendar had only six days in a week, and the tourist board had run a very successful ad campaign about their lack of Mondays.
Atlantia was nestled in a protected cove between a nature preserve and the sea. Many of the wealthy tourists skipped it because of the lack of high-end shopping and dining. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, plus if Consortium types avoided the area, then both I and the women I sent here were less likely to be recognized. Win-win.
“Beginning atmospheric entry,” Aurora announced.
The ship picked up a subtle vibration as we descended. The compensators muted the worst of the turbulence but they couldn’t completely eliminate all of the signs that the ship was essentially slamming into the thickening atmosphere.
Aurora descended until I could see the shape of the city. In the far distance, the buildings of Perousa reached for the sky. GCD One’s largest city housed over a million full-time residents and nearly as many tourists in the peak season.
Some of my anxiety bled away. Atlantia had always been a sanctuary for me. I didn’t visit often, but no bad memories lingered here. Only sun and sea and peace.
On the ground, an unfamiliar ship that could’ve been Aurora’s twin sat in the hangar’s second berth. It was in excellent condition. The cargo ramp was down, but the door was closed. No one was visible.
I called Ada’s com voice-only. Her contact information showed on my smart glasses along with the connection status. I was 90 percent sure it was her ship, or at least one she’d borrowed, but there was no sense in walking into a trap if it wasn’t.
Ada picked up on the second ring. “Are you here?”
“I’m here,” I confirmed. “Is this your ship in my hangar?”
“Jester belongs to Rhys. Captain Hargrove was kind enough to give us a lift,” Ada said, a strange inflection in her voice.