High Flyer - Michelle Diener Page 0,49

shouldn't have climbed into Fraen's lander. Whatever happens, she'll have to make do with what we've got in camp.”

“What about her friend?” Fraen called out after Bret as his footsteps moved away, and Hana felt like kicking out at him.

She'd been hoping they'd forgotten about Iver.

“The smugglers are looking for him. Brynja's relentless. If she's the same soldier I remember from the war, if anyone can find him, she will. I'll send someone to that ambush spot tomorrow, see what they have for us.”

He disappeared.

“Get her what she needs, and then lock her in here for now.” Luki was probably talking to Vras, but Hana didn't open her eyes to look.

“I'll need to check on her from time to time.”

“I didn't say you couldn't. Just make sure she's secure in this room while I make arrangements for someone to keep an eye on her.”

Vras must have nodded, because she heard Luki walk away.

“Luki seems a little tense.” Fraen lowered his voice.

“They all are. And now they know Iver Sugotti wasn't killed outright, I'm guessing they'll be even more tense.” Vras began removing her other boot, and Hana let him, keeping her body relaxed.

“Still having difficulty finding the generator?”

“It's like the shield has sprung up out of thin air. And the scanners you brought in last time to help look for it don't work in here. Nothing works. We only have power because we set up an energy array outside the perimeter and are bringing it in with an insulated cable. It's lights out by 10pm every night to prevent us draining the system too much.”

Fraen made a sound of disgust. “Pity someone started shopping this around before they actually had it in hand, then, isn't it?”

“You know how it is.” Vras put a blanket over her. “They wanted to be ready to go as soon as they had it. They knew the sky lane was coming this way, and even with Sugotti gone, it's eventually going to go ahead.”

Fraen said nothing.

“Do you really think someone brought in the Caruso, and they killed Lancaster?” Vras moved away to his workbench.

“That's what Simon thinks. Who else could it be? The Caruso've been in the VSC's face for months now. They'd love to get shielding tech like this. It's a game changer. Imagine it covering a battle cruiser?”

Vras sighed. “Well, I'm done here. Let's go.”

“She unconscious or something?” Fraen's voice was suddenly louder, like he was leaning right over her.

“Just deeply asleep.” Vras touched a wand to her face again. “Her body's trying to cope with whatever bacteria was on those teeth. Who do you think she is?”

“No idea. And by the way she keeps her mouth shut, I'm guessing she won't be telling us any time soon.”

The door closed and Hana heard the click of a lock.

That was fine.

She didn't mind a little privacy. A little time to recover and catch up on her sleep.

Then she would work out how to escape.

She had to believe that however good Bret thought the smugglers were at tracking, Iver would be one step ahead of them. And she would find him again. Soon.

Chapter 19

Night came swiftly in the Spikes.

Iver knew it, but the reality of it was always a surprise.

As he watched from the thin line of trees near the camp's entrance, he caught the moment when gloom descended almost between one breath and the next.

The people who lived in the small villages at the mining sites deep within the Spikes called it the shadow fold, where you could look up at the dark blue, sunlit, sky far above, but be standing in darkness. Darkness folded below, light above.

“The shadow fold is one of the best things about this place,” one of the guards at the camp's entrance said to her companion, pointing upward. She was stretched out on top of the ramp that sat on the camp side of the wall, one arm folded behind her head. The ramp was set right up against the wall, ready to be swung over and tipped down to allow access from one side of the camp to the other.

“Speak for yourself.” Her fellow guard's voice was a low rumble. “I miss the lights of Touka City, and the theater. This place is too quiet.”

“What you miss is your lover,” she answered, her tone amused. “Did he believe your explanation in the end about why he couldn't come for a visit?”

“He said he did.” The guard's voice lowered even further and Iver finally made out where he was