Terror hated that Zephyr felt such responsibility for something that wasn’t his fault. “I talked to him. He knows I don’t blame him. We’re good now.”
“He wasn’t then,” Orion said, “and he didn’t know if you were alive or dead. None of us did. We all expected the worst. After he left, I asked Vicious if he had heard anything from Shadow Force. He told me that Savage was stonewalling. I asked him if there was any way to go around Savage and get a message to Devious, maybe using one of the contacts Menace’s mate has. I didn’t know that Devious was actually with you in that mine. None of us did. We knew he was on the surface, but we didn’t think you were. Regardless,” Orion slashed his hand through the air, “I shouldn’t have said his name.”
“You couldn’t have known you were being listened to,” Terror assured him even though he secretly agreed with Orion’s self-recrimination. No point in kicking a man while he was down. “You and Vicious both have the highest levels of clearance. You’re supposed to be able to talk about things like that inside your office with the expectation of privacy.”
“I knew there was a mole on this ship,” Orion disagreed. “I know how important operational security is. I fucked up.”
“We’ve all fucked up at one point or another. Me more than most,” Terror admitted. “You can’t dwell on it. You can’t change it. You’ve got to move forward.”
“If I’m going to move forward, I want to know who put that in my office,” Orion decided. “I want this mole and anyone else working with him uncovered and in custody.” He glanced toward his office. “How far does this thing broadcast when it uploads the data?”
“Not far.” Terror tried to recall all he knew about the model. “Maybe one hundred feet?”
“It could be anyone with access to this floor,” Orion grumbled.
“It might be easier to track down this serial number and see where it was sent after decommissioning. Even then...”
“What if we put it back? Hook it back up? Let it transmit? Can we trace it?”
“Sure,” Terror agreed. “Tor is the one I would ask to set that up. Besides you and Vicious, he’s the only one I know for sure isn’t a mole.”
Orion seemed surprised that. “Really? You only trust three people on this ship?”
“Three men,” he amended. “The list of women I trust is much longer.” Before Orion could question him about that, he gestured with the device toward the ceiling. “The cameras are recording, but they can’t upload. Once I hook this back up, it will start capturing the footage again.”
“Then we better sort out our plan before you do,” Orion stated.
“And what plan is that?”
“When I ordered you to come here, I planned to throw you off the ship,” Orion admitted. “But it was for your own good.”
Terror scoffed. “Of course, it was.”
“And the girl’s,” Orion added with a look.
Terror narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’m not watching one more woman get used and sacrificed for the cause,” the admiral growled.
Surprised, Terror asked, “And how do you intend to make that happen?”
“There’s a cargo ship docked for another—,” he checked his watch, “two hours and thirty-seven minutes.”
“Cargo ship?”
“One of the ships that Naya contracts with,” the admiral clarified.
“Is that why you sent Maisie away with Noble? Made sure that she’s under guard by your men? With Risk?”
“Yes, but also no,” Orion replied cryptically. “She’s not getting on that ship. Neither are you, but your chip is.”
Terror glanced at his wrist and the pieces fell into place. “You want to send them on a chase?”
Orion nodded. “To buy you and Maisie whatever time I can to get as far away as possible. There’s a waste ship scheduled to leave after the cargo ship. You’re getting on it with Maisie.”
“How?”
“I have a safety drill scheduled. It’s the perfect diversion.”
“Sure, but how do I get Maisie out of the med bay?”
“Risk is putting her in a biohazard box.”
Terror made a face. “Oh, she’s going to love that.”
“I’m sure she’ll prefer it to the alternative.”
“And me?”
“I’m sure you can figure out a way to smuggle yourself onto a ship. After I throw you out of my office with an armed escort and an order for confinement to quarters,” he added with a smirk.
Terror shot him a perturbed look. “You’re really enjoying this.”
“I’ve wanted to throw your ass off my ship for years.”
Feeling defensive, Terror insisted, “I only ever acted