High Flyer - Michelle Diener Page 0,4
keep hidden.
He'd been watching her intently since the first time she'd flown for him.
When she'd worked at HRP, some of the execs had taken her for an automaton, barely registering that she was there. There had been an anonymity to that that had been relaxing.
If only the job hadn't been so boring. And if only the job with Sugotti hadn't come with benefits her new self couldn't easily dismiss.
Now, however, Sugotti was moving from frank admiration to putting his hands on her. And that was breaking the rules.
Something of her frustration must have shown in her body language, because she sensed him give a smile. His hands brushed over hers, and then gripped them.
“Think they're gone?” He whispered directly into her ear, and she jerked in surprise, just narrowly avoiding hitting his jaw with her head.
She shook her head. Leaned back and twisted to whisper: “They aren't gone 'til we hear their runner leaving, and even then, they'll probably hover at high altitude and watch for our heat signatures.”
He nodded, his hands still holding hers.
When she tried to pull loose, he wouldn't let her.
“If you do have a portable sky lane, now would be a good time to haul it out.” She breathed the words right into his ear and she felt him hold back his laughter.
He dipped his head, his lips brushing her skin. “I wish.”
She could feel his arousal now, snug up against her, and automatically started shifting forward, but he tightened his grip.
“So, tell me.” He dipped his head again. “Why?”
She was silent for a moment, wondering whether to pretend not to understand him.
“Don't,” he said.
She sighed. He was right. That was insulting to them both. “It's complicated.”
“You're telling me.” His voice was wry. “Why did you pretend you weren't interested?”
“What good would it do?” She hated that she had to whisper so quietly, it came out breathless. “I didn't plan to act on it.”
“Humor me.”
“No.”
She felt him smile against her cheek, the scratchy brush of his chin making her shiver again.
Sounds above them had them both going still and swiveling their heads.
“Get in the water,” someone said, and Hana drew in a quick, surprised breath.
“What?” Iver's voice was almost too soft to hear.
She shook her head, listening harder.
“Fuck that. I can't swim, and it looks deep and fast.” The person responding was one of the men from earlier. “We've walked along a fair stretch of the stream, and they're not in there.”
“Face it, they're dead.” Another of the voices from before.
“No. If Hana Farwell is involved, they're alive. She's never met a deadly situation she hasn't walked away from.”
Oh, she knew that voice.
Knew that suspicious, backbiting voice.
Sub-lieutenant Linnel.
Hana's mind went blank for a moment in absolute panic, and then Iver's hand was on her back, rubbing in comforting circles, which put a hitch in her breathing.
What did Linnel know?
She forced her lungs to work, trying to be quiet as she drew in air. And the reason for her fear and her survival hummed in her system, doing the job for her, so she was back to normal in a blink.
This really must be a low magfield area.
“There's nothing left of that Sig, and there's no sign of them. No footprints, nothing. They're dead.”
“Hana's in the mix, so they're not, but we've run out of time. They'll have to make an appearance sooner or later, whether back at Sugotti's or Touka.” Linnel's voice faded as he walked away.
After a minute, she heard a Dynastra lift off. She would recognize that engine sound anywhere. She tracked it as it rose and with the help of her systems upgrade, as she thought of her new self, she could swear she caught a faint hint of it hovering high overhead, just as she guessed Linnel would do.
Maybe she was lying to herself. Maybe she only thought she could hear something, but why take the chance?
She almost gave a shrug, then remembered Sugotti, plastered up against her, and kept herself still.
Finally the sound faded to nothing.
“They're gone,” she said, then wished she hadn't opened her mouth.
“I thought they'd gone five minutes ago.”
She let herself shrug now. “If they were in a hurry to get away, they might have stayed up high to see if they could catch us, but they'll know someone's coming, so they couldn't do it for long.”
“You recognized the boss.” Iver didn't make it a question.
She nodded. “Sub-lieutenant Linnel. As you heard, he knows me.”
“He still with the military?” Iver asked.
She shook her head slowly. “I don't know.